One thing that I reallylearned was that Stress is a lack of faith. For most amis they really have oposition right before their baptism we were really suprised when The week before Serge's baptism it was calm everything worked out just fine. But this wee we really understand why. I can't give you all of the details but lets just say that it was rough. His situation is not easy. And many times during the week we had appointments with him just to make sure that he was ok. I can honestly say that he has so much faith. He has complete confidence in the Lord. One thing with him he doesnt have a cell phone right now so when we have an appointment with him and he is late we cant call him to see if he is even coming or not. And one night we really needed to see him and we had been waiting at the church for more than half and hour. I was kind of worried and started stressing is he going to come? has something happened? BUt as I sat there I realized that I had been praying and asking the Lord to help him get there safely yet there I was stressing out. I had a thought come to mind that really hit me" do you really have confidence that Heavenly Father is hearing your prayers or not?" As I thought about it I thought well of course I know he answers prayers then another thought came: "why are you stressed then?" It is just that I knew at that moment that Heavenly Father had complete control over everything. There were many moments when that inspiration really helped me this week to realize that Heavenly Father is in control. There is nothing to big, too strong or too powerful that He cannot handle.
It is really cool to to watch your new converts and amis progress in the church. Sometimes it is like being a parent. For example Belal another of our recent converts blessed the sacrement and received his first calling yesterday. I was so escited for him. I can see how really his testimony continues to grow and how well he is integated into the Ward. Ihope and pray that it is going to be like that for Serge in not verylong. THey really are such great examples.
We have been working with a lot of new people. The cool thing is they are all young single adults! THat makes it even more fun because they are at our level. We are facing the same kinds of things in our lives. It is really cool to share the gosple with them and let it change them like it changes me in my life.
the weather has changed to super hot! We went from like 20°C to 30°C over night. It really does tricks to you when it changes like that.
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
June 22, 2010
This wekk was incredible! SErge was Baptized! We were able to see him a couple of times during the week. One of the times we had Belal another recent convert teaching with us. SErge and Belal once again taught me so much more than I could have taught them. THey had the analogy that for the last 31years for Belal and 40 years for SErge they have been prisioners. THey didnt know they were prisioners. But as they have found the gospel and put into practice the teaching of CHrist and now been baptized they have been made free. How cool is that! Through and only through the gospel of Jesus Christ are we made free.
EAch time that we saw Serge he was more and more excited for his baptism. He shared his testimony many times too about how the scriptures help him and how he really feel the Holy Ghost teach him and help him. Saturday finally came. Not going to lie I was a little stressed I don't know why but I was. Everything worked out. THe Program was really good. Serge had asked Belal to give the talk about he Baptism and the gift of the Holy Ghost. ANd he aske Bouba to baptize him. BOth of these brothers are new converts themselves. It really was something special. As we went in to the room for the baptism the spirit was so strong. I cant explain how the spirit really is special at a baptism. You could see the pure joy when Serge came out of the water. He even Bore his testimony. He told us that when he first met the missionaries he doubted what we were teaching him. "I didnt want to believe. But as I read the Book of Mormon and continued to pray it was like somthing was telling me it was true, but I still didnt want to listen to it. Little by little i came to know that it was true." As we have talked with him since hte baptism and receiving The Holy Ghost he there is something different about him. He said to us that it is like his heart is at rest. He feel light there was something lifted from his shoulders. It is so true! There is a difference in his countenance it isnt something you could capture with a camera. Almost like someone has turned a light on in his face. He glows.
EAch time that we saw Serge he was more and more excited for his baptism. He shared his testimony many times too about how the scriptures help him and how he really feel the Holy Ghost teach him and help him. Saturday finally came. Not going to lie I was a little stressed I don't know why but I was. Everything worked out. THe Program was really good. Serge had asked Belal to give the talk about he Baptism and the gift of the Holy Ghost. ANd he aske Bouba to baptize him. BOth of these brothers are new converts themselves. It really was something special. As we went in to the room for the baptism the spirit was so strong. I cant explain how the spirit really is special at a baptism. You could see the pure joy when Serge came out of the water. He even Bore his testimony. He told us that when he first met the missionaries he doubted what we were teaching him. "I didnt want to believe. But as I read the Book of Mormon and continued to pray it was like somthing was telling me it was true, but I still didnt want to listen to it. Little by little i came to know that it was true." As we have talked with him since hte baptism and receiving The Holy Ghost he there is something different about him. He said to us that it is like his heart is at rest. He feel light there was something lifted from his shoulders. It is so true! There is a difference in his countenance it isnt something you could capture with a camera. Almost like someone has turned a light on in his face. He glows.
Monday, June 14, 2010
June 14, 2010
i have to tell you that I am so excited! SErge is going to be baptized this Saturday! He is so ready! We have had some really cool rendezvous with him this last week. He loves to study the scriptures and it is so cool to start teaching a principle and have him end up teaching us. He understands the importance of staying clean and worthy to always have the holy ghost with him. WE had been at Brother Defrranchi's house the other night for a FHE. Belal and Serge were there. I think that Belal (our recent convert) and Serge did most of the teaching. I know that I walked away having learned a lot. One thing that I really like that Belal actually was telling us is how we need to remember to pray in all things. He Said that he had started to do that. BEfore he leaves for school, before a test before eating everything that he does he prays. It realy taught me how important it is so include GOd in the little things in our life even if it is just a little prayer as we are driving or walking somewhere. He knows best in all things and can help us.
Random side note for you. If you paint the front door and then you dont want it to fade do you know what you do? You do like the French here in Bordeaux you put up a curtain on the outside to cover and protect the door. It is something that I still dont understand mais voila!
Random side note for you. If you paint the front door and then you dont want it to fade do you know what you do? You do like the French here in Bordeaux you put up a curtain on the outside to cover and protect the door. It is something that I still dont understand mais voila!
Soeurs Lake and Madsen in Bordeaux
Soeurs Lake and Madsen
Yesterday it started raining really hard and we didn't have umbrellas or anything; let's just say that we were really wet.
Bordeaux
BordeauxMonday, June 7, 2010
June 7, 2010
I love change and coming to Bordeaux was a good change. It is really interesting the Lord give you those kinds of weeks where he really builds your faith you see lots of miracles and everything seems to go as planned then he gives you other weeks where he tries you to see just how faithful you are. The later of the two options is more or less what we saw this week. No the less it was a really good week. We were able to engage our amie Serge for Baptism!
So a little about Serge. He is from the Congo(in Africa) He has been in France for 2 or3 years. He got sent here because he had been really badly beaten up and actually lost he leg because of it. He is one of the most humble and believing men I have ever met. He has a great faith. He was met on the train by somemissionaries a little while ago. I am amazed each time that we see him. He doesnt have a job right now and lives in a communal home where he spends a lot of his time reading the scriptures and praying. With each lesson we teach he accepts to keep the principle without hesitation. This last week when we taught about fasting he even bore testimony of how he has fasted before even for a couple of days to find the answers to his questions. At the end of that lesson we engaged him to be baptized and to fast with us for the 19 of June. He said he would be baptized and he didnt even need to fast about it because it is what God wants and if it is his will he will do it. He is so ready!
This last week I had a cool experience. I dont think I ever told you what happened with Sebastien after I left Perpignan. so the week before his baptism he went to tell and invite his family for his baptism well they really freaked out. They said basically they would disown him and thought he was jumping into it way too fast. Since then He hasn't really had many teachings with the missionaries but he studies by himself and when he has a question he goes on the church sight and looks up the answer. You could say that he is really just waiting for his family. SO the point of this is I got a letter from him on Monday saying he would be in the BOrdeaux area for the weekend! I was super excited. our Schedules didnt match but I was able tot alk to him on the phone. He really is ready to be baptized he has such a strong testimony. Sometimes the Lord gives us challenges just to prove our faith to see what we are going to do see really how faithful we are. Sebastien is living that trial right now. He doesnt know when but he will be baptized. WE just pray for his family to be a little more opened.
I love benig a missionary and inviting our brothers and sisters to comeunto Christ. THis is his work and we are mearly the insturments in his hands.
So a little about Serge. He is from the Congo(in Africa) He has been in France for 2 or3 years. He got sent here because he had been really badly beaten up and actually lost he leg because of it. He is one of the most humble and believing men I have ever met. He has a great faith. He was met on the train by somemissionaries a little while ago. I am amazed each time that we see him. He doesnt have a job right now and lives in a communal home where he spends a lot of his time reading the scriptures and praying. With each lesson we teach he accepts to keep the principle without hesitation. This last week when we taught about fasting he even bore testimony of how he has fasted before even for a couple of days to find the answers to his questions. At the end of that lesson we engaged him to be baptized and to fast with us for the 19 of June. He said he would be baptized and he didnt even need to fast about it because it is what God wants and if it is his will he will do it. He is so ready!
This last week I had a cool experience. I dont think I ever told you what happened with Sebastien after I left Perpignan. so the week before his baptism he went to tell and invite his family for his baptism well they really freaked out. They said basically they would disown him and thought he was jumping into it way too fast. Since then He hasn't really had many teachings with the missionaries but he studies by himself and when he has a question he goes on the church sight and looks up the answer. You could say that he is really just waiting for his family. SO the point of this is I got a letter from him on Monday saying he would be in the BOrdeaux area for the weekend! I was super excited. our Schedules didnt match but I was able tot alk to him on the phone. He really is ready to be baptized he has such a strong testimony. Sometimes the Lord gives us challenges just to prove our faith to see what we are going to do see really how faithful we are. Sebastien is living that trial right now. He doesnt know when but he will be baptized. WE just pray for his family to be a little more opened.
I love benig a missionary and inviting our brothers and sisters to comeunto Christ. THis is his work and we are mearly the insturments in his hands.
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