Bleue number two

This week was amazing! So much to write about!

So Thursday we get a call from our branch president saying that Eric
(Aurore's husband) texted him saying serge didn't want to be baptized
anymore! So we called serge right away and he asked if we could come
over to Eric and Aurore's right away. So we did, luckily our
mangez-vous with a less active member had fallen through, otherwise we
wouldn't have had the time at all that day to see him. So we went and
saw him. He wasn't doing well at all, he didn't look happy, he just
looked stressed. So we let him talk... He had already been having a
lot of financial problems but the past week had come down hard. They
cut his phone, so that's why he couldn't call us... And a bunch of
other stuff. However on top of that his family was very against him.
They told him that the church was just being nice right now so that
they could manipulate him once he was a member. They put a lot of
doubt in his mind. So after he finished talking, we asked a few more
questions, but ultimately we tried to help him with his doubts. We
answered his doubts, and it was good, but you could still tell, he
wasn't doing well. He just felt so much opposition, soeur Clements
told the story of Joseph smith when he went to pray. And just before
God and Jesus appeared to him, he was overcome with darkness and it
was so strong that he wanted to give up. And it was in the moment that
he was going to give up that they appeared. So we encouraged him to
not give up. But STILL he didn't look like he was okay. He said he
just wanted to push back his baptism by a few weeks. So finally I
felt like we needed to pray. I explained that we had prayed about his
baptismal date and felt like it needed to be the 21 November and even
when he said he had smoked the day of the interview, soeur Clements
and I and the elder that interviewed him felt like he'd be ready
anyway, and needed to be baptized on the 21st. So after explaining
that, I asked if we could all pray together for a confirmation of his
baptismal date. So I ended up praying, I don't really remember what I
said I just remember praying so hard for serge, for his problems, his
family, and specifically his baptism. And it wasn't until after I
finished the prayer that I felt the Holy Ghost super strong. I felt
the love of god for serge so much and I felt a firm confirmation for
his date. When I looked at serge, he looked comforted and finally like
he felt better. We invited him to pray on his own that night for a
confirmation and that we'd see him the next day and he could decide
the next day if he would baptized.

So the next morning we called him and he said that he would be
baptized on Saturday!!! We saw him that night. And he also had an
interview with the branch president and it all went well!

Okay, back to Tuesday... So we have district meeting an my zone leader
told me I was going to train, I laughed and said no... Cause I
already trained... But he said that one of the assistants had told him
when they were on exchanges. I still didn't know what to believe. Now
back to Saturday...

Saturday was a long day.... So it was repertoire day. So we have
studies... We start language study and we were waiting for the call.
At 10:15 soeur Clements said we were safe, I knew we weren't. 10:30-
still nothing but I started to think I was safe because there aren't
to many bleus coming in... 10:31 I hear the ringtone and look down and
see the caller id: assistants 1... Well elder Lattin (my former zl in
Antony) answers the phone and does his usual "hello this is elder
Lattin!" He asks how I'm doing and then said he was calling "just for
fun..." And then whipped out the whole "we have fasted and prayed feel
like you need to train." So there you have it... I'm training my last
transfer.... And my bleue has to drive the car... Oh dear. Also she's
going to send me home.... Oh the poor bleue.

So then we visited some people, checked repertoire (soeur Clements is
going to st. Ouen! Which is Paris area... But she'll be safe), came
home and made sweet potatoes for a thanksgiving night with Nancy ward.
Then we went to the church to clean it with members, and then it was
time for serges baptism! He got baptized! Wooooohooooooo!!! It was
awesome. And right after his baptism it started snowing! First time
this year! But it didn't stick because it had rained non stop the two
days before. So we headed to Nancy and had an awesome thanksgiving! We
ate and ate and ate a lot!

Sunday serge was confirmed! And at the end of sacrament meeting he
bore his testimony! It was the most beautiful testimony I've ever
heard!

So there you have it. It was a big week! And this next weeks gonna be
big too... Can't wait to email you next week who my new companion is!

Also just before I send this, I hope everyone goes well for the
wedding! I'm so sad I'm going to miss it but I hope you all have fun
and I'll see you in 6 weeks and 3 days!!!!!!!! I love you all so
much! Bonne semaine!

Gros bisous
Sœur Farmer

1. Serge's baptism!

2. Thanksgiving in Nancy


3. The district


4. Just for laughs... Training!


5. Elder Faura did a Tahitian haka for our last district meeting, so scary!

Vivre La France

Well this week was an interesting week...

Well I'll start off with the obvious. There were terrorist attacks in
Paris Friday night. We got a text like 10 minutes after waking up on
Saturday morning saying no one should be traveling to or around Paris
because of some attacks. Didn't have many details and seeing as we're
out in the middle of nowhere here in Toul, we felt pretty safe. Then
we started studies, in the middle of studies we got the text saying we
had to stay in the apartment all day unless we had a rdv. We had one
rdv fixed Saturday and it was for 7pm, so we called them and moved it
to 11am. So we went visited a less active that lives around the corner
from us then came back to the apartment. We got a call from our
district leader telling us all the details. So basically we had to
stay in the apartment all of Saturday and Sunday except for church.
Sunday we ate with a member anyway because they live in the tiniest
village in the middle of no where and we have a car... And we ended up
teaching two other rdvs we had planned that day but came home before
it was dark. So there you have it. That's the update.

It's so sad the attacks that happened and we prayed and fasted A lot
this weekend. One thing that makes this situation even more sad is
the opposition us as missionaries have had.

Our ward was doing a fast for missionary work this past weekend. And
last week President babin gave to us a challenge that we were
supposed to start this Saturday . The whole France Paris mission was
supposed to start a "40 day fast", but instead of fasting we're
finding, counting up before Christmas. So starting this past Saturday
we were supposed to be praying every hour from 10am to 10pm. And our
goal each day: find a new ami. So by the end of the 40 day fast we'll
have 40 new Amis

Well we still prayed from 10am to 10pm... But we didn't find a new ami
neither Saturday or Sunday because we were in the apartment all day...
So that's sad that none of the mission was able to start the
challenge.

But I'm still super excited to start this challenge this week! I also
realize how much work and how much faith it's going to take to
accomplish that in a small ville like Toul. In fact when I was in my
interview with soeur babin she said the first thing she thought when
president told her about this idea was "that will be really hard for
the small villes!" But then she said that president had prayed long
and hard for this and if he felt inspired to do that and ask that of
the missionaries, that means that God would provide a way. Which
reminds me of my favorite scripture at the moment, 1 Nephi 3:7 "And it
came to pass that I, Nephi, said unto my father: I will go and do the
things which the Lord hath commanded, for I know that the Lord giveth
no commandments unto the children of men, save he shall prepare a way
for them that they may accomplish the thing which he commandeth them."
I'm so excited to give Christ a gift in this holiday season! I know
the lord is with us here in Toul!

Had exchanges in Paris Wednesday night to Thursday night! But we were
back in Toul safe on Thursday night. Don't worry.

So for exchanges I was with soeur Tippett again! And I was actually
her last exchange on her mission :( but it was such a fun exchange!
We got into Paris and went to teach a new ami, her name is Laura and
she is so golden and sincere and curious! I loved teaching her! And I
loved teaching with soeur Tippett, we teach well together. Then the
next day soeur Tippett and I went to go pick up my titre de séjour. So
I'm officially legal with the card to prove it! While there we ran
into a lot of other missionaries. Including the office elders, so they
drove us to the mission office from the prefecture. Then we went and
got crepe genia, which is one panini, one Nutella crepe and one drink
for only 4,50€ yeah it's definitely a missionary spot. Then we went
contacting. Or was so fun! Contacting doesn't really work in Toul, and
I realized that I do everything a lot slower... Soeur Tippett was
almost pouncing on every person in our path and here I was barely
keeping up with her... Anyway, it was fun talking to her and we got a
new ami potential and brightened a ladies day, so it was worth it.
then we ran back got our stuff and went to catch our train. We ended
up getting hot chocolate from Starbucks in the gare, which was my
first Starbucks in France meaning first Starbucks since I left on my
mission, meaning it's been 16 months. That's a long time quand même.
So there you have it, that was our week...

Tuesday we had interviews, it went well. I realized it was my last
normal interview in a zone conference so that's sad and weird.
President gave me some advice on finding good activities to do at
night in Toul because everything closes by 7pm and we haven't been
feeling like we're being efficient with our time. So that was good.
And zone conference was the next day, so that was good! It was all
about working with members. I really liked it! At first I thought it
was going to be another training on how to fill out the progress
record or what to do in ward council. But the trainings were actually
on how we can just be better friends for the members and just gain
their trust. So that was nice, I really liked it.

Friday we had the soirée and it was good! Serges wife and daughter
came! And some other Amis and non pratiquants. Serge also had his
interview. So they started 30min before the soirée and actually missed
the first 30 minutes of the program. He had an hour long interview. So
let me explain what happened. So serge had smoked the day before his
interview. We told the zls and asked what they thought, they said to
pray. So we prayed and felt like he was ready as long as he stopped
right then. So we get to the interview and serge told us he had smoked
just before... So we told the zls, they said they'd still go through
with the interview. Well the elder that did the interview said he went
into it thinking he wouldn't pass him. But as he talked with him he
said he felt he was ready and could be baptized as long as serge quit
right then and there. So we saw serge on Sunday and he hasn't smoked
since the one before his interview! So the elder passed him on
condition that he never smoke again, and we're going to have the
branch president interview him right before the baptism to be sure. So
as long as serge doesn't smoke this next week, he'll be baptized this
Saturday!!!

Well that was our week. Sorry this is so long, since we were stuck in
the apartment I had more time to draft up emails. On the bright side I
wrote in my journal for the first time in like months so that was
good. Well I'm going to finish this now. Have a great week I love you
and miss you!

Gros bisous!
Soeur Farmer

P.s. Sorry there are less pictures. I've been trying to take them with
my camera more than the iPad...

1. Zone conference

2. In the office elder car


3. What soeur Clements and I do when we're bored on a Tuesday night