I have seen so many miracles on my mission. I know the work
we are doing is the Lord's work, and this week I truly felt as though I was on
the errand of angels. What an unbelievable calling it is to be a missionary!
Saint Quentin is incredible. This “whitewash” has gone smoother
than the last, but maybe I am just used to it. Soeur Kohlert and I are doing
great; we started off the week by having a zone conference back in Paris Lilas.
I can’t seem to leave the place! The zone leaders presented the new 2014 theme
for the mission. The reference is found in Doctrine & Covenants 64:33-34. It
states, “Wherefore, be ye not weary in well-doing, for ye are laying the
foundation of a great work. And out of small things proceedeth that which is
great. Behold, the Lord requireth the heart and a willing mind; and the willing
and obedient shall eat the good of the land of Zion in these last days.” They
gave us counsel from President Poznanski …that we all need to truly give our
hearts to this work and do all we can to be exactly obedient, so that we may be
able to reap the fruits of our labors in the Lord’s vineyard. It was great
training and our district leader also talked a lot about the importance of
teaching with love, by the Spirit and being bold! It was exactly what I needed
to hear and it helped us many times throughout the week. The theme for the year
really motivated me and pushed me to set goals for this year and the rest of my
mission. It gave me a vision of where I want to be and who I want to become. We
can’t ever limit ourselves by feeling complacent in what we are doing. I love
the quote, "GOOD is the enemy of GREAT." It made want to change the
little things that would help me become an even more effective instrument in
bringing others unto Christ.
We had the chance to meet more of the ward! I was so impressed
by the members in the ward council meeting on Sunday. I was able to see that,
even though the ward here is small, they are so strong! They are fully
dedicated to working with the missionaries and doing their part to help us do
our part. I am really looking forward to working with them.
At church on Sunday, Soeur Kohlert and I were asked to give
talks and Soeur Kohlert played the beautiful hymn, "I Know That My
Redeemer Lives", on the violin at the end of the meeting. Many members
were touched by our remarks and the song, and came up to us afterward to thank
us for our efforts and strong desire to be here. I felt an instant love for the
members and I know that this place is quickly going to become one I will never
want to leave.
It was so neat to see that, as we went throughout the week,
our Heavenly Father gave us the right words to say to those who were in need of
it. We visited a woman and her husband in our ward who had just left the
hospital and felt impressed to sing a hymn for them. They both wept as they
listened to the sweet words of "Onward Christian Soldiers". Soeur
Kohlert and I are really starting to see the powerful effects of our obedience.
Having the Spirit with us in full force makes all the difference while we work
hard, find people and teach them.
Sunday night was probably one of the most special moments of
my mission. We had the chance to go to Vauxillon and teach two families
back-to-back. A young member from the ward named Marie drove us the 45 minutes
out to the French countryside to where these two families live. Marie was
actually the teacher of the boys in each family, and their parents were really
touched by her example. We first visited the Niamke Family. They are from the
Ivory Coast and come from a Christian background. There were five little kids
all gathered around the table, super excited and attentive to learn. We planned
a fun family home evening and prayed that they would be able to feel the
Spirit, hoping we could come back another time. We started off by singing a
song from the Children’s Songbook called, "Teach Me to Walk in The
Light". The Spirit flooded the room, bringing me to tears, making it difficult
to even sing. We taught the Plan of Salvation, using a chart with cute
illustrations that Soeur Kohlert had made for each step. We went through each
step and explained that we lived with God before, what our purpose is here on
earth and where we go after this life. The 9-year-old boy, George, was full of
questions. He was so interested and attentive. I kept nudging Soeur Kohlert
every time a different child asked a question. Then their entire family explained
the whole plan back to us and said, "We want to go to the Celestial
Kingdom!" Afterward, we played a fun game together and scheduled another
time to meet with them. As we left, my heart was burning in my chest, full of
PURE JOY. As we got in the car, none of us said a word. We all looked at each other
in awe, as we reflected on the beautiful miracle we had just witnessed. WE ARE
TEACHING A FAMILY!!!
We are still working with the Famille Josse, another awesome
French family that the sisters were working with before us. They are so sweet
and feed us every time we go over there. The other night they made such a
delicious meal, but Soeur Kohlert and I thought we were going to explode after,
because it was just simply too much!! I’m not making that mistake again. They
have been taught all of the lessons and the father, Mickael, is just waiting
for his answer of when he should be baptized. We felt super impressed to share with
him the talk "His Grace is Sufficient" by Brad Wilcox. I think he was
really touched as we testified of the Atonement. Continue to pray for them!
I love you all and I am so happy here; we are already seeing
so many miracles. It’s so hard to put into words, but I really feel more
motivated than ever to do the Lord's work and to do it the right way! Obedience
brings blessings, exact obedience brings miracles!
Soeur Madeline Vance
