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!
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
