A great week here in Saint Quentin! We were busier than ever
and had our hands full of things to do! But it was wonderful … I would rather
be exhausted with the many things to do and people to see instead of the other
way around. The work is really booming here! The chapel was FULL on Sunday!
Even the members were commenting on the numbers of amies there, and I think it’s
really getting them excited to work with us!
This past week we did a super fun service project at the bishop's
house! We were so excited when they asked us to come and help them with their
yard work because it’s always the elders who get asked to do that stuff! Our
service projects usually consist of cleaning the house ... boring!
Anyway, it was a beautiful morning … the sun was shining and
it was even hot outside! We walked to the back of their house and into their
garden. We threw on some gloves and started clearing out the weeds that were as
high as my waist! Soeur Kohlert and I started ripping things out of the ground
like men!! Haha, my mom is a pro when it comes to yard work … she taught me how
to work and do it right! We really started clearing things out and making
progress. Clearing out baby tree stumps and ripping weeds out by their roots!
It was so much fun … it didn’t even feel like service! It’s nice being able to
change things up a bit, even if my back was wrecked afterward, haha!
Our miracle for the week was Alphonsine and Jenny. Several
weeks ago, Soeur Kohlert and I found ourselves doing a lot of finding. We had
just dropped a precious family that the previous sisters had been seeing and
having just arrived in the new area, we felt as if we had no one to teach. We
decided to go out and find some new amies! However, it can be discouraging at
times going door to door for hours without really finding anyone who will
listen. We continued anyway, and saw small miracles along the way! One night, after
a long day, we knocked on a door with a family inside ... Alphonsine’s family!
She said they were busy but that we could come back another day and pray with
them.
We followed up with them later in the week and no one was
home. We've come across situations like this before, but we felt impressed that
we needed to keep trying. After passing by again, we were able to meet with
her. The first thing I noticed about Alphonsine was how rock solid her faith
was in the Lord. She told us about the many trials in her life, including a difficult
divorce and raising her three children alone. Through it all, she said she has
relied on the Lord to pull her through. We taught about the Restoration and she
just seemed to understand everything ... it was incredible!! She said,
"That makes sense ... we've always had prophets to guide us, why wouldn’t
we have them today?" We were able to testify of how we came to know the
truth of these things for ourselves and encouraged her to pray to know if
Joseph Smith was a true prophet.
The next few visits we kept meeting with her and she told us
she had been reading in the Book of Mormon and knew it was true! We were
reading the summary of a chapter in the Book of Mormon (3 Nephi 11) and asked
Alphonsine what she was looking forward to learning about that day. Soeur
Kohlert and I weren’t sure it was the right time to set a date with her for baptism,
but Alphonsine just started going off about the importance of baptism and how she
knew she needed to follow Christ and do it. My jaw literally dropped, and I
even let out a laugh because I could not believe how well everything was going!
SO WE SET A DATE for April 19th!
We also met her 17-year-old daughter, Jenny, and started
teaching her as well! They both have the desire to follow Christ and we set a
baptismal date with each of them for April 12th! Jenny also came to
the missionary ping-pong activity, and I was so grateful to the awesome young
women in the ward who took her right in and became her friends.
I know that there are prepared people out there, just
waiting to find the truth. It was funny because I was reminded several times by
many different people this week to "teach those that will receive you".
I know that when we focus our efforts on those who are truly ready to repent
and change their lives for the better, that the Lord will lead us right to
them. We don’t always see the direct fruits of our efforts, but with time, perseverance
and patience, they always come.
In Alma 26:31 it says, "Now behold, we can look forth
and see the fruits of our labors; and are they few? I say unto you, Nay, they
are many; yea, and we can witness of their sincerity, because of their love
towards their brethren and also towards us."
I know the Lord is aware of us and loves us. No matter the
length of the road we are called upon to travel, there is always hope that can
be found through the gospel of Christ. Have a wonderful week! Travel safe to
those of you going somewhere awesome for Spring Break! I love you, and long
live FRANCE!
Soeur Madeline Vance