Hello All,
Update on our hot water, because I know that seems to be a topic of interest whenever I talk to anyone. We don't have it yet but they figured out what is wrong and they're ordering the replacement part. It should be here this week!! So hopefully by the end of this week we should have hot water!!! PARTY
Lots of great things happened this week. I'll try to cover most of the highlights.
So first off, super awesome. Charleroi 1st Ward had a great challenge in December for the whole ward. For a gift to Christ for Christmas, they would write their testimony in a Christmas card and give that and a wrapped Book of Mormon as a gift to one of their friends or neighbors. Well it's been an awesome turn back. A lot of the members personally committed to do it (most have already done it) and now we are meeting with a few of these people who wanted to learn more.
This week we went to go meet one of the people but unfortunately she was busy when we came so we decided while (since we were already out there) that we would porte her apartment building. And what awesomeness! We found a BEAUTIFUL family that lives just across the hall from her. They were busy when we first went by but we went back this last Wednesday and had the most beautiful first lesson I have had my entire mission. The husband, Kennedy, didn't want us to come back until all the family could be there (including their 3 year old). We came back and taught the restoration. The spirit was so strong and they expressed their sincere gratitude for bringing the spirit into their home. They are such a strong, Christ-centered family already. It was really awesome to see how much the Lord prepares these people. They had the most inspired answers to questions we asked. For example:
"Why do you think Heavenly Father calls prophets?"
"Because he's organized. His church needs order. That way there is no confusion. The path is clear and simple."
And what more, their first language is English. SCORE. I felt like I was back in Rennes teaching Sophie or Tang or Tugsuu.
Another highlight, so last week we were coming back from Brussels (Sr Holmes and I) and I saw a woman who was struggling to get all her bags through the train. We offered to help her to which she gladly agreed but saying "but careful! They're pretty heavy". Thinking nothing of her warning I reached for the medium sized bag. SHE WASN'T KIDDING!! "IS THIS THING FULL OF BRICKS?!" Was the first and only thing that crossed my mind as we helped her off the train. We then told her who we were and why we're here. She immediately gave us her phone number, telling us that she knows so many members here in Charleroi and she would love to meet with us.
We got ahold of Nelly 2 weekends ago and set something up for this last Wednesday. A couple days before the RDV I was talking to the Elders and they said that they had made a goal to have a member at EVERY lesson that week. The day before our RDV with Nelly, the Elders' goal kept running through my mind. I turned to my companion and told her "I think we should have Julie come teach with us to Nelly's lesson". We called Julie up and of course she was more than willing. We go to the RDV, well what do you know? They're old friends. HAHA. But even more than that, during the lesson (we taught the restoration), Julie did not shy away from her testimony. For many it might be intimidating to testify to an old friend of Joseph Smith and the First Vision. But not Julie. With love, she boldly testified of how she gained her testimony of her the Restoration and what that meant for her today. The spirit was very strong and at the end of the lesson we asked her what it would mean to her if there was a prophet today. At first she was silent. She just looked down at her lap and, after what seemed like an eternity, looked up and said "it would mean that there is a living church".
She is awesome. I love her so much. Just a little about her. She is an independent business woman who travels everywhere from Brussels to Madrid to Paris to China. She then uses all the money to fund a school that she opened in Africa. In her spare time, she visits people all over the charleroi area. Brings food to the sick and the hungry. Visits those in the hospital and so so much more. She is a wonderful wonderful woman. Can't wait to see her again tomorrow!!!
GAH! So much more to tell you. But not enough time :(
But know that things are going really well. I feel so blessed to be able to meet all these wonderful people.
Funny story of the week. So we get a call from a private number this last week. He told us that we had contacted him and he would love to see us. At first I thought it was Marc (a dad we met a week earlier) because there aren't very many men who call us haha. So I ask for his address and then I say, "and what apartment are you again (because marc lived in an apartment)". Reply: "I don't live in an apartment. It's a house. Number 19. Oh. I have to go. See you Wednesday"
*Click*
Oh mince. I have no idea who this person is...or in what ville they live. I quickly looked up his street in our map book....there were 12 options for where we could go. Oh glorious. I started to narrow down options until I realize WAIT! I bet it's that man that we met from Forchies la Marche!! He didn't have a cell phone so if he was calling from a payphone, it would make sense that the number would be blocked. So we frolic out to Forchie la Marche. Well where #19 should have been, we found this instead:
Yes. That is a man in a wheel chair being pulled by a pony. Welcome to Belgium everybody. It rocks.
Side note. That man is over 200 yards away. My new camera is a boss!!
Good news, I found out who that man was :) So we set up something with him and his family for later next week.
Well everyone, I LOVE YOU. Have a great week.
Soeur Bitter
 |
| The Country side of Belgium :) we had a lovely country walk |
 |
| Love My New Hat -- Thanks Grandma Weber |
THANK YOU SO MUCH for the skirts and for the beanie!! And for the red-violet crayon :) haha. The skirts are great and I felt so cute when I gave my talk this sunday in my new skirt. Yes. I gave another talk. This one had to be 15-20 minutes though. Haha It went fairly well though.
No comments:
Post a Comment