Hallelujah. I made it through another week as a missionary.
Just kidding … we had a super week!
Last week my mom sent me an email reminding me that the Lord
is aware of the personal details of our lives and nothing is too small to for
our prayers. She encouraged me to pray for strength and stamina to do the work.
Little did I know that her counsel would come in handy the very next day and
throughout this last week. I woke up the next morning with a terrible cold and
the sorest throat of my life! I have never had strep throat, but I had such a hard
time breathing and my throat was on fire! I did all I could to make it better,
but the cold and rainy weather all week didn’t help either. As I prayed to the
Lord to gain the strength to do His work, I began to see the blessings that
come from getting on our knees and praying for the smallest things. I am
finally feeling better and did not let a little sickness slow me down!
First and foremost: The baptism of our sweet investigator,
and gypsy, Sofia! What a special day … and we were blessed to have a day full
of sunshine. I had been praying for Sofia all week as she is very timid and was
nervous to do her baptism in front of so many people. She truly has become like
a sister to me, and as a 19 year old (closer to her age), I feel like I am able
to connect with her in ways that (24 year old) Sister Evans cannot. It was
marvelous seeing Sofia dressed in white. My eyes filled with tears as I pinned
her hair out of her face with bobby pins and looked down to see a huge smile on
her face. She was so excited! Right before she entered in the water for
baptism, she became super nervous and cried, "I can't do this!" Our
bishop, the man performing the baptismal ordinance, spoke to her calmly and
told her everything was going to be okay. In a panic, Sofia looked to me for
affirmation that she should go forward. I nodded my head, smiled, and told her
that everything was going to be okay and that she had made the right decision.
There was something so incredible about seeing my "sister" Sofia,
come up from the water, knowing the significance of the ordinance she had just
performed. My heart burned with joy as I was able to talk to her after her
baptism and explain to her that she was perfectly CLEAN, as she had been washed
from all of her sins, and would have the opportunity to renew that covenant each
week going forward as she takes the sacrament. We gave her a framed picture of
the temple as a gift and encouraged her to make it her goal to go there some
day. I was so proud of her and I know that little moments like this make any
hard thing worth it!
We also participated in a 6K charity race for an
organization that helps orphan children in Nepal. It was a fun experience being
able to run with all of the members of the stake for such a great cause! It was
also funny because my brother, Elder Spencer Vance, ran in a charity race in
his mission only a week ago!
We were at our amie Sophie's house, and as always, she
offered us something to drink. We are always running (literally) late and often
arrive winded and thirsty at her house. She had just told us how tired she was
so I thought I would do it for her since Sophie was already sitting down and
was exhausted. So I went into the kitchen to get us some water. I brought out
the bottle and three glasses and started to pour the beverages. Sophie and
Soeur Evans were discussing some problem she is having with her computer and I
decided to dive into my drink. I gulped a mouthful of “water”, and it was
wretched! The bottle was marked 'water' but was a little beat up and kind of
old-looking. I came to find out that I had just poured all of us some nice
white vinegar to drink and gulped down a mouthful! We were all laughing so
hard, especially Sophie. She told us that she loves us both, even when we're
dumb (she's really direct like that, haha). WHO STORES VINEGAR in WATER BOTTLES??
I am so grateful for the opportunity I have to serve. We
never feel like we have enough time, and are doing all we can to find those who
are ready to hear the restored gospel! I am so grateful for the knowledge I
have to know that everything is possible through Jesus Christ. I am gaining
such an appreciation and love for singing the hymns here ... even if they are
in French. I know there is a power that comes through going to church every
week. As missionaries, one of the neatest things is being able to promise
blessings to those we teach. I know that if we come to church with a question
in mind, and we pray to find an answer that we WILL get one. Heavenly Father is
SO aware of us ... even with the smallest things. Forgetting that means we
forget who we are … we are children of God and He loves us!
I love the work, and I know it is already (and will always
be) the greatest blessing in my life. I would love it if you would include our
investigators in your prayers, as I know there is power in prayer from my own
personal experiences. Pray for them to open their heart to Jesus Christ and to
do all that is in their power to know the Book of Mormon is true and act upon
their answer.
Our specific amis are:
The Stagno family, Mado, Sophie, Sandrelle
Thank you so much for your love, emails, and support! Life
as a missionary is crazy as I am continually trying to keep my heart and mind
focused on the work! For those I have yet to write back, I’m sorry! Patience is
a virtue! LOVE YOU ALL! Have a wonderful week and pray to your Father that loves
you more than you know!
Love,
Soeur Madeline Vance
p.s. To overcome fear and doubt in your life, “look unto
Christ in every thought.” - Doctrine & Covenants 6:36
