Christmas Miracles and Stuff

Location: Rennes

HI FAMILY!!!

HOW ARE YOU!?? There is NO way it is already the 15th of December! Christmas is in 10 days!!! So exciting! We get to sleep in as long as we want and watch an animated movie. How fun is that?!!!

This week has been AMAZING!! First off, I got the best package EVER (Jake and Matt). Thank you so much for your testimonies. You will never ever know how much that meant to me! I mean, I'm excited to open the presents, but that was the best present I could ever ask for! THANK YOU everyone!! I love you all!

This week I think I felt the true joy of missionary work! I mean, I feel way too much joy everyday, but this week we were working SO hard running around like crazy, and Heavenly Father truly blessed us!  Soeur Whistler and I have decided this transfer to really focus on less active work here in Rennes because none of the other missionaries here really do! We spent one afternoon going through the ward list and marking all the less actives’ addresses on our map. We had some rendezvous that evening, but the next day we decided we were going to see at least 5 of those less actives before dinner. So we packed our lunches, and began our less active search. (On our way out the door we checked the mailbox and there was a letter from DOUG with Nate's email in it!! He talked about having 8 less actives at church. I read it to Soeur Whistler and we both got so excited to go and find our less actives! So, thanks Elder Back!! Also, I really need to learn how you share Graham’s story!!)

Any way... our journey began...On our way, we were contacting everyone we passed.  We talked to some awesome people, and of course the other kind of people... jk. Our first less active on the list no longer lived at that address, so we were on to the next stop! We walked all the way up the rue, searching for this apartment. We walked a little further and decided to say a prayer that we would be guided to find this family! We decided to turned around and go back down the rue! We turned around and there was a lady with her little boy walking up the rue!  So, of course we Christmas contacted her. (Bonjour Madame. je m’appelle  Soeur Back! Je viens des Etats Unis mais je suis ici pour partager un message de la naissance de Jesus-Christ! Comment est-que vous vous souvenez Jesus-Christ pendent cette moment de Noel? “Hello Madame. My name is Sister Back! I come from the US, but I'm here to share a message of the birth of Jesus Christ! How do you remember Jesus Christ hanging at Christmastime?)   We had an awesome conversation and  then she invited us into her apartment right then!!!! She lived just right across the street!

We went and had an awesome lesson about the Plan Du Salut (Plan of Salvation)! We are seeing her on Sunday again!! How cool is that!? She is amazing! I know Heavenly Father blessed us because we were searching for less actives! In fact, after our rendezvous, we went back to find the less active’s home.  It turns out we were standing right outside of it the whole time, and they also didn't live there anymore. We know we weren't there to visit them; we were there to meet Sylvie!

SO, you are all asking about our 2 baptismal dates... Marie-Bernadette's son called us to hang out one night... We had to tell him NO, obviously, but I don’t think Marie-Bernadette was too happy about that, because 2 days later we called to confirm our rendezvous, and she told us she didn't really want to meet with us any more.  She is no longer on date for baptism! It is so sad, because we were really starting to see a change in her countenance. I know she knows these things our true! She even told Soeur Whistler on the phone that she believes all the things we have taught her.  It is okay. She will come around one day - I have faith!

Our other amis (investigator), Rosa, is a law student and is super busy.  She couldn't make it to our rendezvous this week! We talked to her, and she is reading the BOM and praying and doing everything she is supposed to be doing!!! She is awesome! BUT, listen to this AWESOME MIRACLE! Saturday night we decided to make cookies and just take them to Rosa with a cute Christmas note and scripture! So we made cookies during dinner made a cute card with John 3:16 and the website for the video on it! We started the trek to Rosa's and contacted a few awesome people on the way! We got to Rosa's.  She lives in student housing, so we couldn’t get up to her apartment! We decided to port (knock) around her apartment because she wasn't answering our calls. So we ported (knocked) some buildings with little success.

It was getting later, so we checked to see when the next bus came! We had 15 minutes so we said a prayer. We felt like we needed to port (knock) a couple more houses, and then we came across this really cute house! SO, we rang the doorbell! A 23 year-old boy came outside, and we asked if we could sing a Christmas hymn for him! He said "no," but then I offered him a cookie. We started talking, and he became very interested in what we did as missionaries and where we were from! We ended up having an awesome lesson with him, and leaving him the whole plate of cookies, the note and a Book Of Mormon! We asked if we could return, and he said "Why not!" So we went back Sunday night and taught the Plan du Salut to him, his mom, and his step-father!! They are awesome! Totally don't believe in God, but are willing to listen to our message, so we will take it!!! We were supposed to knock on that one last house, and we were supposed to have that plate of cookies for Nicholas and his family!

This week has been so fun and full of Christmas Joy and Christmas Miracles! An awesome single lady in the ward had a Christmas party at her home last night! She invited the Sister Missionaries,2 less active families, 4 non member friends, and then a couple families from the ward! The missionaries gave a spiritual thought, Santa came, and then we ate lots of good food, made rendezvous (appointments) with 2 less active families, and a rendezvous with one of her non member friends!!!! MEMBER MISSIONARY WORK IS THE MOST EFFECTIVE!!!! The members here are amazing!!!! I LOVE it in Rennes!!! This week has been amazing!!

So, fun fact! Everyone, except for me, is sick in our apartment!! Who would have ever guessed I would be the healthy one?! NOT ME!! Heavenly Father is truly blessing me with more and more energy each day. I feel so blessed!! I read "Our Search For Happiness" this past week and came across one of the most true statements! Elder Ballard calls it “an eternal truth.” He said, "You can never do more for the Lord than He can do for you."  How true is that?!!! Here I am in France, just trying to serve Him! But he just keeps serving and blessing me MORE and MORE!!!

I love you all!! I love my Heavenly Father and His son Jesus Christ!  Have the best week or whatever before Christmas!! I LOVE YOU and can not wait to talk to you all!!!

Soeur Back