Gex, Week 11

Family, 

This week was in fact a wonderful week! Tuesday I got to go on another exchange, but with Sister R! Who is in the other companionship in Gex with me. The two senior companions went to Lyon and so we got to go around by ourselves for a day and a half, and boy did I LOVE IT! ha-ha but really. Sister R is just wonderful. So I'll tell you a few cool things that happened, aka miracles. First I had to drive stick shift to Geneva so the other girls could get their train and I was scared. I just learned barely! I was mostly scared because on the way home from Geneva there are a lot of steep hills and I was scared of rolling back and hitting someone or stalling the car. So they get out of the car, we plug in the address to the GPS and off we go. But you know what? The GPS took us a way that was mostly downhill! You can say what you want, but I felt pretty protected and blessed by the Lord. It was small but it was a miracle. Also that night, we realized the sisters left us with no gas! and you have to have a special card to buy gas and they don't have cash like the US. So yikes. We were luckily meeting up with a member that night so we pulled some cash out to give to him so he could use his card, but unfortunately he left it in his other car. Yes. I was like cool. We're dead! But Sister R and I decided to say a prayer. We just barely had enough gas to get to a gas station where there was a car. I got out and asked him if we gave him the right amount, would he let us use his car and he said yes! That was another miracle. The Lord protects His missionaries. So we were safe and sound and all was well. But our exchange went really well.

I was also able to set up a FHE with a family in our ward with M. I found out that Sister A also smoked before her baptism, was divorced, and has a daughter from her first marriage... all like M. She is from Ireland and super cool. M loved her. Absolutely loved her. And She is now coming to church because of Sister A next week. We hadn't been able to get her to come this entire time! She talked to M about her conversion story and how she knew and how she finally quit smoking and talked about getting a priesthood blessing. We are trying to really get M to know the members in our ward because she only knows JC and... yeah. Nuff said. So it was really wonderful. M is still really struggling with smoking, and it may take a while before she is able to really quit but I know that if we just love and encouraging her, she will get there. Maybe not while I'm here, but someday. I know it. 

The Open Doors thing went well! Yes I saw Jackson (see her picture on my Facebook, Friend of Calvin's who just happened to be in France!) there who actually was the nurse at the hospital when I got my stitches in my lip. It was soooo fun to see a familiar face and to see someone from BYU. But anyway, at the beginning not many people came. So we decided to take flyers and invite people on the streets. It was fun, but no one really came. But one guy I was like "Hey we're having a BBQ and you can come! It'll be so fun!" I didn't think anything of it, but he came! I was like, "Hey, you came!" And so we gave him a tour and he really liked it. I know where he lives now so I want to go visit him :) It was so cool. Another woman came too, named M and she said she is catholic but ready to change. WOW. I showed her around too and she really liked it. She said she wanted to come to church too the next day and guess what? She did. She really liked it and asked to set up a lesson for Friday. I'm so happy. She was wonderful! We'll see where things go  :) Another girl came with a member and I was able to get her number too and she is coming next week to church. YES. So although there were about seven non members that came the whole day, I was able to have some pretty great experiences. 

We had district meeting too which was good. And we got to teach the lesson in Relief Society on Missionary Work. It was good and the women participated quite a bit. I was nervous because I don't speak French super good. But it went great! :) We have a great missionary game for the ward coming up soon so we are trying to really get the members excited. Really, Members are so important to the work of salvation. You really are! Go to hasteningthework.lds.org and watch those videos. That is your challenge for the week. I'll follow up next Monday :) 

But good week. We met this cool old lady contacting and walked her home. She wants us to come back too. Really the work in France is tough. And there is a lot of disappointment, but it goes. You can't give up or let all the bad things get you down because if you do, your entire mission will be unhappy. I love it here and I have so much I want to accomplish. "Go out into the darkness and put your hand into the hand of God. That shall be to you better than light and safer than a known way." I love this work even through the countless trials. I love you all so much. Our Savior lives and He loves us. Have faith and carry on. Last week of the transfer! Going strong!

Love, Sister Roberts