FRUDGED

Location:  Rennes

Hi Family!! 

If I had one word to sum up this week, it would be, "FRUDGED!" (A mission word that has been around for about 10 plus years.  Now... I will do my best to explain! It is a drink that Africans often make, and typically African amis are the once who don't show up for Rendezvous... So, when your amis doesn't come to a rendezvous... you get FRUDGED!)

Soeur Whisler and I had a ton of rendezvous scheduled for this week! We had members all lined up to teach with us and it was going to be a pretty dang good week! I guess Heavenly Father had another plan... ALL OF OUR AMIS CANCELED! I AM NOT EXAGGERATING! We had 0 progressing AMIS this week, but you know what, I'm not even mad about it! We were able to find some new amis who are awesome! Heavenly Father just needed us out finding this week instead of inside teaching!

Fun story of the week: Prayer works. I think about 3 weeks ago at 7:30 in the morning, I was just getting ready for the day! I have had this small container of my favorite lotion that I have been saving every single drop... It's a little worldly of me, but this lotion just kind of brings me joy! I was at the end of my little bottle, and I knew that Denise was sending me a package soon, so I got on my knees and said a prayer that the best mother on the face would be in tune with the Spirit to know that I NEEDED lotion... (Guys - I know this is worldly, but as a missionary, it's the little things like lotion. Ok.) 

I then patiently waited for my package to come, and on Tuesday it came! I didn't even have to open it. I read on the customs slip: "Lotion." I quickly dropped to my knees and said a prayer of gratitude!! I opened the package, and there were two bottles of my favorite lotion!! THANKS MOM!! So, here is kind of a silly example of prayer, but prayer works! Our Heavenly Father wants us to be happy! He even cares about the little things! 

Among all the Frudgeing this week, we still saw lots of miracles! We had a rendezvous with a young girl at 3 o'clock at the church! This was our first rendezvous with her, so we got there a few minutes early and were making phone calls while we waited. A solid 20 minutes passed, and we just laughed and said, "Well, just add it to the list this week..." 

We decided to go outside and contact near the church and offer to do church tours. We were out there for a couple minutes, and we weren't passing ANY women. So, we went to the bus stop and said a prayer! After we prayed, Soeur Whisler and I just sat there in silence... for a solid 4 minutes! I finally said, "Let's just hop on the next bus and trajet (path/street) contact (sit by people on the bus and just talk to them! haha).  A bus pulled up, and guess who got off?!! OUR AMIS! A whole hour later, and she finally came!! 

If we wouldn't have made phone calls, contacted outside the church, and sat there for 4 minutes in silence, who knows if we would have been there when Mariom came! It usually isn't until after the matter that you realize you were being prompted by the Spirit to do those certain things. Heavenly Father really does bless us and the Spirit really does prompt us! 

This Sunday was awesome. I took the Hi-chews you sent in my package and was sneaking them to members. They don't have those here, so everyone was LOVING them! I think it made me some new friends! One of the Awesome Tahitian families in the ward even passed us a note during Sacrament and invited us to dinner... SCORE! 

During Sunday School I was sitting there, and I had a strong prompting that after Sunday School we needed to go outside, stand in front of the church, and invite EVERYONE who walks by to come and join us for Sacrament Meeting! I told Soeur Whisler, "I know this is weird, but we need to go outside after this and contact for a few minutes!" She was, like, "Okay... we can do that..." So, we went outside and a couple of minutes passed and no one walked by. I was like, "I'm sorry. This was a bad idea." Then, we spotted someone in the distance! We waited until he approached, and Soeur Whisler and I both saw tears in his eyes! We smiled and said "Bonjour," and invited him to church! He smiled back at us and politely thanked us for invite but kept walking! 

Even though he didn't come to church, and we will maybe never see him again, "We made someone feel glad!" Sometimes our mission is simple. Sometimes all we have to do is say "Hi," smile, and cheer up the sad! I often think of this hymn: 

Have I done any good in the world today?

Have I helped anyone in need?

Have I cheered up the sad and made someone feel glad?

If not, I have failed indeed.

  
I love being a missionary! I love the opportunity I have each day to cheer up the sad and make someone feel glad with this WONDERFUL message: That Christ has restored His Church again today; we have a living Prophet to guide us; and that there is someone who has felt everything we have ever felt, who understands everything we go through! Each day we can build and strengthen our relationship with Him through prayer, scripture study, serving others, and embracing the gospel of Jesus Christ! Through these things, we can find TRUE JOY that will last through the Eternities!

I love you all! Have a wonderful week!! Go make some one feel glad! Don't be a scrub, go share some Love!"

Soeur Back

The curly haired one is from France and is a Sister Missionary in the Temple Square Mission! She served here for the last 2 transfers after a surgery! She is finally going back to SLC! She calls herself my French Twin! We were both tom boys when we were little! She goes back the 21st, so I told her you would go to Temple Square and ask for a French tour! Go find her and give her a hug because she is the BEST! She speaks great English too, so don't worry! Her name is Soeur Ficquet!