Week # 15- Bordeaux

Happy New Year!

Dear Family, 

How is life after Christmas? This week was a lovely Christmas week. I told you a bit about it. One funny thing. Did I tell you about out Lunch with B last Monday? She almost fed us raw chicken and then, while trying to cut through the bone with a very dull knife, hits the chicken and gets chicken grease all over Soeur M. It was hilarious to say the least! We wanted to get the knife away from her but she insisted.  

I told you about bringing Christmas to B and D on Christmas Eve. Still one of the best experiences. D is  eyes light up and her smile so big was a tender mercy from the Lord. It was such a blessing to be able to do that for them. We also visited a less active from Bulgaria and she told us the history of her country and made us a traditional Bulgarian meal on Christmas with beans, pickles, bread and this cake with cheese stuff on it. 

Christmas Day of course was wonderful because I got to talk to you! You are all so wonderful and I love you! We chilled with the T's most of the day. I love them :) It was a really nice, peaceful day. 

On to the cool stuff! Actually there isn't a whole lot. We had quite a few lessons that fell through. People are just too busy with the Holidays I suppose. But we decided to go knocking on some doors. We found the address of an old ami, but the number of his home was missing! So we ported the whole street looking for B. Everyone said no and then told us how terrible we were for trying to give them Salvation. It's fine. BUT we get to a small apartment building and Soeur M beeps the button of this one apartment three times on accident. But someone answers! "Hello?" "Hi do you know anyone named B who lives around here?" "Yes." "You do!!!????" "Yes" "Wait are you B??" "Yes." So we get in! We found him!! Unfortunately we lacked another woman, so instead we set up a lesson for next week :) We were so happy though! We hope we can help B progress :) 

We finished the Plan of Salvation with S! He is doing really well. Understand everything, but one thing he struggles with is knowing for himself if it's actually true. So we told him to pray about it and that we'd follow up on him on Wednesday. Also, we told him we really want him to meet with the sisters in Angouleme so that he can continue progressing. He agreed so hopefully we can move his date up earlier because he is not going to be in Eysines for another three weeks! boo!

Anyway, that's about it. Yesterday there was a lesson on the Hastening of the work and the members got really excited. We hope we can really help get them excited about sharing the gospel with their friends. They can do it. Just because they live in France doesn't mean there aren't people ready to accept. Also I ate frog thighs yesterday. And ostrich and kangaroo. 

I love you all so much! You are in my prayers. EVERYDAY. The gospel is true and it is more and more clear to me every day I'm here. I love you! 

Love, Soeur Roberts

Week 12 Bordeaux!

 Eating Escargot for the first time! I love the fancy bowls they have for them!

 Birthday breakfast!  Mom sent over Bisquick for her.  She loves her Dad's pancakes!

Great news! I'm having Christmas in Bordeaux with Soeur M :) there were no changes except we moved apartments. So the new address is... 

99 Léon Blum

33700 Merignac

France

It's way nicer and bigger. Elders took our old place. I feel bad for them... I will miss our tiny home and good ol' Stalingrad. But last week was a bit crazy moving and building furniture. I don't really like doing that I decided. 

Tuesday and Wednesday we went on exchanges with Limoges, which is where Soeur L is serving so I got to be reunited! It was great. We just did a lot of contacting, but Limoges is so pretty. It is so clean and there is no dog droppings anywhere! It's all over in Bordeaux. And Yes. I did step in some. But only once. Anyways, it felt like old times. I love contacting with Soeur L. She's great. 

Thursday was crazy because we had district meeting, taught English, then went to the apartment and started building stuff. It is super far away so the travel was long.

Friday we were going to have a lesson with A, but she keeps standing us up or canceling last minute. She keeps saying she wants to get baptized, but if she doesn't put forth effort we aren't going to waste our time. We'll see with her. Anyway, we built a lot on Friday too, and had a Lesson with a recent convert in our ward who is just wonderful. 

Saturday, we finished building almost everything except for one bed, but had a lesson with A :) The thing with A is that she just wants to go slow, which is fine except when your salvation depends on it!  We often get on the subject of faith because she loves it and that is what she struggles with most. She actually also brought up this time how she wants better prayers. We talked about specifying things, instead of being so broad. But she also doesn't want to ask for a million things all at once. So we compromised :) she is going to pray to ask if there is a life after this, more specifically, what we taught her in the Plan of Salvation. She will do that. We are winding down with time though. She leaves next Saturday, so we are sad. She wants to follow Christ but she is scared. She has faith, she doesn't know how to use it yet though. Anyway, we are going to have as many lessons as we can with her before she goes. 

Sunday we went to a less active members house for a little piano recital. It was great and we were surrounded by non members and they liked us :) mostly because we told them how great their kids were and talented and gave them chocolate. So that was fun :) Anyway, sorry this week was so boring. I decided moving is the worst! I can't wait to be settled in and get back on schedule again. 

It is the Christmas season. Remember our Savior Jesus Christ and everything He has done for us. I love Him and I am so grateful for everything I have. For YOU, this GOSPEL. We are so blessed to have the truthfulness in our lives. I love you all so much and I hope you know that!

Love, Soeur Roberts

Bordeaux, Week #11

Dear Family,

I hope that you all had a lovely Thanksgiving! If it was anything like the past, I'm sure it was great. We got to do our coordination meeting at the Senior Couple's home with the WML who is from Idaho and his family, with the other elders in our ward and had a wonderful feast :) Sister D made some really good potatoes and super good gravy and Sister T made us a delicious pumpkin pie and apple pie. It was really fun :) We didn't have an actual turkey because France doesn't roll like that, but we had slices that sufficed :) 

Anyway, this past week was super busy and packed and I'm still exhausted from the after effects. It's great. Tuesday we went to pass by an old ami who wasn't there, but L answered and let us in! She is from Nigeria and I guess a few years ago was taught by elders. But we met her cousin and gave a mini lesson on the Restoration. We set a time to go back, but they weren't there. We'll keep trying and see where it goes. It was super funny because while Soeur M was praying, they kept saying amen. They agreed with a lot of the things she said I guess.

Tuesday night was our ami activity that an American couple put on for all the missionaries and our amis, and some YSA. A came and had a great time, and also Al. Al is is an old ami, she has been taught twice already before and she actually had a date before I got here, but was dropped because she didn't keep her commitments. She came up to me and said she wanted to work towards baptism again for Christmas. Cool. So we had a lesson with her on Friday. She remembered a bit, but somehow thought that we believe Joseph Smith was the creator and that baptism is so you can have more friends... Yes we have a bit of work to do. If she keeps her commitments and makes an effort we of course will help her get to baptism, but we are concerned that she only wants it for the company because she is quite lonely. I don't think we'll give her a date for a while. But that Thanksgiving activity was fun and all the missionaries had at least one ami there.

The Talence Sisters gave us a referral for this older man, B who takes care of his sister, who has some mental disabilities. We went and visited them and he was the sweetest old man ever. You know ho you can just tell when people are lonely? I think it was nice for him to have company. We gave him a Book of Mormon and he was so grateful. Hopefully he reads and gets so overtaken by the spirit that he wants to get baptized. Right now. 

A is doing good. She is reading and praying, coming to church. She really is just lacking faith, or courage. She feels peace when she prays. She likes church and loves the lessons we have, but she is afraid to make the leap. We asked her what is holding her back, and she said she just doesn't feel like she knows enough to make a decision like that. She came to the baptism of a little girl in our ward and was touched. We don't know how to help her see that sometimes you just need to take that leap of faith and trust that God will be there. Hopefully this week she'll receive an answer and recognize that there is only on true church and there is only one way to reach Salvation. 

S now has a date for baptism! :) The 15th of February. It's a ways away, but now he has something to work towards. We wanted to do it sooner, but he is going to be in Angoulame for like the next 3 weeks so we can't teach him. and then gone some in January. BOO. But he understands so much, and so well too. Soeur M asked him to be baptized and he was a little confused/shocked. It was great. After he understood, he said it was a Christmas surprise! ha ha awesome. He reads everything we ask. He says he prays and comes to church when he is in Bordeaux. So we are grateful for him. He is doing really well and progressing so much. 

Anyway, sorry for the length. This week was so full of just lessons and visiting people. It was fantastic! Sunday I just want you to know that I ate foie gras aka exploded goose liver, escargot, aka snails, sea snails, duck heart, duck stomach, and oysters. It was an adventure to say the least. I have pictures for proof too! 

I love you all so much and I am so grateful for the wonderful blessings that Heavenly Father gives us everyday. This gospel is true and it is the only way to be truly happy. I know that with all my heart. I love you!

Love, Soeur Roberts