Monday, August 4, 2014

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

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