Rosalee in Paris: 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!