Ecully Week #1

Dearest Family,

I love Ecully! It is really booming here. Like the work load is wonderful!

Roberto is an ami that has been taught since March. He had a date for baptism I think for July or June, but it didn't work out because he "wasn't ready." and it turns out he didn't have a testimony of Christ as the Son of God, so yeah he wasn't ready yet. So my first night, we have a lesson with him. His father is Muslim, mother catholic, both not practicing. He is about 20 years old and super interested in religion. We had the WML from my old ward come and he answered all his questions, straight from the bible and then gave him a baptismal date for August 23. Yeah last Saturday. So no.... anyway, we've been meeting with him and he now has a good testimony of Christ. His date is for the 27 September so I hope we can really prepare him for that. I want to make sure he is doing it because he is converted, not just because he likes the doctrine. He's a really great kid though.

Blessing and Collins are from Nigeria, so believing because almost every Nigerian I have met has a strong faith in Christ. We taught them the Restoration of the Gospel and Collins just got it. He asked the perfect questions and really understood. He told us he just wants to find the true church of Christ, so luckily he's meeting with us because he'll find it :) We watched the Mormon message "Because of Him" and they both loved it. At the end Collins asked about baptism and asked us if he could be baptized. We said yes of course! As long as he comes to church and keeps his commitments. Then he asked us if Blessing could be baptized too :) So sweet. So they are set for the 27th as well, as long as they make the efforts!

Baptiste is the BF of a member. He is incredible. He has long hair, sings in a metal rock band (like evanescence - he clarified for me :) ) and has not really ever had a foundation in religion. We taught him about the plan of salvation and he loved it. He understands everything very well, but he is still on the path to knowing if it is actually true. He reads the Book of Mormon almost daily and has said one personal prayer. He told us it was very bizarre for him to do that, he has a hard time with the concept that God is a man like us but glorified, and praying to someone he can't see. However he said that he felt a "sensation" when he prayed that went away after he ended. The holy Ghost :) He is really great. My only fear is that he will trust his logic more than his faith.

We have many less actives and members that we go visit and try to build up. I really love this ward. President Roney is in it, did I tell you that? The people are wonderful, and I get to see members from my last ward too :) Anyway, it was a week full of lessons and wonderful people! I'm so blessed to be here.

I love you all so much. I know the gospel is true and that it changes people. I know that Christ is our Savior. Life is beautiful and even more so with the Gospel. I love you!

Love, Soeur Roberts

Photos from Confluence

Outside "Brasserie".

Eating Chenille's or Caterpillar as we call it!

Soeur Richardson and Soeur Roberts

At a Zoo

Michel and Soeur Roberts

Meatloaf and Mac and Cheese for American night with Jamila.

Leaving Confluence for new area in Lyon.

Soeur Roberts and Florence, Saying goodbye.

Outside a villa.

Week #5 Lyon

Dear Family, 

Good week in Lyon France :) We had some really great lessons :) With people you don't even know about yet! 

Michel is polish here in France. I was on exchanges and we went up and started talking to him. He speaks a little french so we were able to set up a lesson with him. So Wednesday we have a lesson and it was fun! We were able to get some polish materials, like a Book of Mormon which is the most important! We started with a prayer and then found out he is catholic, here working all by himself! We introduced the Book of Mormon using a lot of brochures and drawings. It was adventurous. I asked him what he thought about what he read and what we said and he said it's the truth! So we engaged him to read and pray about the Book of Mormon and he said he will do it :) It was really cool. I don't know if he understood anything, but he was touched by the spirit. It was a neat experience to see how God works. Works don't covert someone, it's always the spirit. 

Then we taught Hugette. She is the mother of a recent convert in our ward who is a walking miracle. Anyway, she has come to church twice and loved it, and loved us, but who doesn't love sister missionaries? Our lesson was on the Plan of Salvation because she has been taught the Restoration already by the senior couple in our ward. It went great! Mostly. We taught nice and simple and clear and she understood really well. She is very smart. She had questions only on the spirit world. She has read up to Jacob in the Book of Mormon. She is really just an angel and so sweet. She'll be in a different ward because of where she lives but we are teaching her for now because of her son :) She is so sensitive to the spirit too. It is incredible how the Lord prepares those with willing and open hearts. 

On Friday we had a giant genealogy activity. It was really great! We were able to get quite a few people to come and get some numbers and lessons set up. It was all the Lyon missionaries. Great success! Elder Cook from the 12 said that the way to France will be through genealogy so we are really trying to promote more of that. It's true though. Family memories bring up great feelings of love, which is the perfect tie to the gospel. 

We did some other activities this week with some potentials. We hope we can help them want to make a difference in their lives. Because the Gospel will change them. The gospel is so true and i am so grateful for it in my life. It is such a blessing. I love you all so much! 

Love, 

Soeur Roberts

Week #6 Lyon

Famille,

I got transferred across the river! I'm still in Lyon as STL, but i am now in the Ecully ward with Soeur Floisand :) It was an easy switch :) Just moved across the river! 

Anyway, my last week in Confluence was really great. We had some great lessons and were able to get many more lessons to people. Monday night we went to a recent converts house to give her a revie of the Restoration. Her name is Yoyo and she is from Congo and she fed us chenille's. That is french for caterpillar. Yes I ate a caterpillar! It was like eating thanksgiving turkey. That was fun :) 

Jamila is still doing well. She is adorable. We have great talks with her. She told us she prays now all the time. Whenever she needs help or is happy she prays. She looked at us smiling and just said "I've never been like that before!" I can see the changes it makes in people when they talk to their loving Heavenly Father. She has been so much happier. On Saturday we went to dinner together at a famous brasserie and she just had the time of her life, laughing and smiling. She loves our American attitudes. She couldn't stop laughing at how many people would stare at us when we would do something unfrench-like :) 

Our Polish friend Michel is still going strong! We had a lesson on the Restoration and in order to teach it, we printed out the preach my gospel lesson in Polish. We highlighted phrases and would say "OK read this." He'd read it out loud, look at us and we'd say "What do you think?" And he'd say "I think it's true." Almost every time. Then when he wasn't sure, like the part about Joseph seeing God the Father and Jesus Christ, he'd say "What do you think?" to which we replied "We think it's true." Then he'd say "Well if it's true then it's true." And we'd continue. It was so fun teaching him! He doesn't understand neither french nor English very well, but the spirit is there. Every time. He is reading the Book Of Mormon too! Saturday he came to Samedi Sportif and he played soccer with a bunch of member and amis and he schooled everyone. We all called him "Polognais!" on the field. He loved it. En plus! He came to church. Sat through all three hours hardly understanding a word, and he didn't even fall asleep. He is great. It was fun teaching him :) 

Eric came to church by himself last Sunday so naturally i set up a lesson and we had this lesson :) GOOD. He is cool. Super prepared. So we taught him a background lesson thing about the Book of Mormon which he already had and by the end he was convinced that he needs to read the book of Mormon and pray about it if he wants to know if it's true. Wow! He was super cool and nice and sincere which always makes me happy :) 

Then Hugette! We had a great lesson on the Gospel of Jesus Christ with her and she is probably one of the most prepared people I've met. Her son is in our ward and he has been such an example to her. She understands so well and asks such great questions. She came to church and participates like a member. We invited her to baptism and she wants to, but she lacks confidence and faith in her abilities. She doesn't feel like she is good enough yet, and I'm like honey, don't you worry because this gospel is meant for people not good enough yet. Like every person on the face of the earth and ever existed and will exist, except our Savior. She is really great though :) 

I got to visit Florence one last time too. She has really blessed me, even if she can't hear what I'm telling her. We sang her some hymns and some priesthood holders brought her the sacrament. It was a special experience. 

Anyway, i loved my six weeks in this area, it was short but so great and i learned a lot. I love the members in France. they are special people. I know the gospel is true. I know it changes lives. I know that it is Christ's church and I know He is our Savior. I love you all so much. 

Love, Soeur Roberts

Lyon Week #4

Hello, 

This week was good :) I will tell you about Jamila now. And then Florence. And then something else after that. And then I'll bear my testimony on the things I learned this week. :)

We teach her English. She is Algerian, and probably the most adorable lady in the world. So quaint and precious and sweet. Like a little angel. She has Muslim culture/background but not super practicing. Except she doesn't eat pork. We always start with a prayer and talking about God isn't weird with her, so two lessons ago we start talking about trials and prayer. She gets quite emotional and really opens up and cries a bit. Discouraged. (She is having a trial of health at the moment) Then Saturday we help her arrange her little apt because she can't lift heavy things due to her back and then we watch the Because of Him clip from the church. She loved it. Then we watch like four more Mormon messages and she loves them. So we start talking again and she opens up even more about her life and just how she doesn't understand why God doesn't help her and there is so much bad in the world. She got very very emotional and said that sometimes she doubts He is there and listens to her. We were able to testify of prayer and the Love of God and why there are trials. As well as other gospel principles when they came up. We have a FHE planned for Friday and we are so excited. We are hoping to build her faith in Christ :) I love Jamila. So sweet.

Florence is a member I found in our records towards the beginning of the transfer. I had wanted to try to find her because it had been a year since her last missionary visit and she doesn't come to church. The map led us to a nursing home or rehabilitation center for handicapped people. We enter and it is literally abandoned. There were signs of life, but not a soul to guide us or tell us how this whole things works. So we start to leave, failing our task and a car comes in and a nice lady helps us out :) We are able to find little Florence in her wheelchair reading Eragon. Her body is literally killing itself slowly. She can't hear, speaking is a huge struggle, and she can barely use her joints. I can't tell you the humility and the gratitude that filled my heart after visiting this woman. She was baptized 8 years ago but cannot go to church because of her health. I felt impressed that morning to bring my hymn book and it was so cool because we sang to her. We wrote the words on the little whiteboard she has to communicate with. I know she couldn't hear us, but I also know the spirit was there and she felt it. You could see it in her eyes. It was such a beautiful experience to see a faithful member of the church, with her love of the gospel and the Savior Jesus Christ having happiness even through her trial.

Next, we were on the metro and this point we were in a quatro, two other sisters were with us. So we go up to this group of men, who are speaking some African dialect... Nigerian! We talk a bit and two of them had gotten baptized literally 10 minutes before getting on the metro in another church. So we start to give them our card and two other women reach their hands out and want one too! Before we know it, like 10 people asked for our pass along card! What? This is France! No one ASKS for cards with the picture of Christ! That doesn't happen here! WRONG. It just did. Keep the faith.

This week I learned a lot about gratitude for the things that I have.  Jamila and her health, Florence and hers.  I am so blessed to have hands that write, feet that kick, eyes that see and ears that hear. There are people who don't. I am so grateful for the things our Heavenly Father has given me. I love Him and I love my Savior. Even through physical challenges, we can find happiness in the Gospel of Jesus Christ. A temporary challenge here in this life need never stop our spiritual destiny as sons and daughters of God. And I know we will be made perfect in Him, our Savior Jesus Christ after this life. I love you all! 

Love, Soeur Roberts

Week #1 Lyon

Dear Family,

I don't know where to start. This week was not super ordinary and I will tell you why :) So we have a hotel like apartment BECAUSE our apartment is where all the sisters stay who train, go home, come in, etc. So this week was filled with tasks that weren't normal missionary tasks due to the first week of the transfer. I was maid service and a hostess and an information center. It was wild!! Let me tell you though, the sisters that came in were on fire! It has been a while now since the age change and every single sister was 19 and well prepared. So ready to go out and talk to people, leaving all fears behind. It was inspiring. We're to the point now where the missionaries coming in are ready and prepared and understand a little more. It's cool. 

So unfortunately we had a lot of random things to take care of, therefore this email will be rather boring and shorter. The work right now is a bit slow, so me and Sister Richardson made some goals to start setting this companionship on fire too :) I met many members and a few investigators, but unfortunately a lot of them will be leaving for the summer months of vacation. And I don't know if you know, but French people take insanely long vacations. Like at least a month. So we need to find the people that don't like leaving their home :) 

Lyon is really a beautiful city though. SO BIG. There are four wards here. My new ward is the Confluence ward and it seems wonderful. The bishop and his family are great. He served his mission in SLC and met his wife and lived there until recently two or three years about felt prompted to comeback. He has been a blessing here I can tell. There is one member who contacted someone on the tram ride to church. I had never seen that in my life. The members here are very into missionary work and you can tell this ward has been blessed because of their desire to follow the council of our Prophet and Apostles.

Experience: I was talking to this guy that told me he felt in order to really believe in God you have to believe in Humanity. He doesn't believe in man because he experienced some traumatic terrorist attacks when he lived in North Africa with his mom. It got me thinking but I really think that THAT is when you need to believe in God most. I would understand if man had invented God, but we didn't. God is real and there whether we believe it or not. All we need is to trust in Him and His plan for us and listen to His prophets. Anyway, it was really too bad, but I could see this guy getting baptized one day. He just needs to understand where to put his trust :)

Anyway, I'm really sorry this email is not super exciting... I thought I should at least write something though :) I love you. I know the Gospel is true with all my heart. Happy Independence Day to France!

Love Soeur Roberts