Week #9 Ecully

Family, 

So this week was filled with great miracles! Why? Because God is a God of Miracles. 

Armand, par contre, is doing wonderfully. He chose a new date for baptism all by himself from the inspiration he received. So it'll be in November if he keeps persevering :) He is almost stopped smoking, and he is reading daily and loving it and coming to church every Sunday. He is making his own efforts. I love Armand. He is feeling the spirit more and more. 

Miracles! So we contacted a family, the Sima's and they are wonderful. Mom, Chantale, Dad, Adrien, Kids, Maeva, Maelys, and Mael. They have a Book of Mormon and love it and they came to church on Sunday and loved it. We have a FHE planned for Friday with them and a couple in our ward, they are so excited, as are we of course! It's so wonderful. And they are so excited and happy and prepared to receive the fullness of the gospel. 

We also met this guy fishing and he invited us over, which led to meeting his wife and two kids. He is classic french, super funny. Paul, Nadia, Emily and Mark. We had a lesson with them on faith last nigh, then played a game, like FHE and it was wonderful. It may take a bit for them to be ready to change, but i Know that the Lord can prepare anyone He puts in our path. 

Our Nigerian amis are getting a bit distant. It's OK! We still love them. I think most of them are trying to get legal here so we'll give them some time :) 

That's about it. I love this work. We found two families this week who Heavenly Father put in our paths. I'm so grateful for this gospel, especially what it does for the family. Because of the restoration, we know we can be together forever. I know it's true. I love you all so much! 

Love, Soeur Roberts 

Week # 8 Ecully

Dear Family,

This week was a busy one! We had our first exchange of the transfer and a leadership meeting and zone training! And we were able to reach our goal for lessons! It's starting to cool down, and rain. Reminds me of Bordeaux! I love it. Well not really the rain. I only like the rain when I can look at it through a window, not when I'm in it all day with wet feet, but at least my feet get moisturized :) 

We have a group of Nigerians that we work with: Anita, Collins and Blessing, Thelma, Kessman, Juliette, Faith and her family. So we have decided to do a Nigerian Soirée. We asked a member Patience to help us and I'm super stoked. I love Africa. The food is heavenly and will clear your sinuses in literally seconds, give or take a few.We're starting to plan it hopefully for the last or second to last week of the transfer. I'm so excited. 

So Blessing has been sick and Collins has been really struggling. He is feeling quite stressed and losing faith because his life is just not orderly at all. He doesn't have a home or a job and he isn't even legal here. He told us that he just feels down. He asked us why God gives trials, just because I know he is feeling pretty desperate. It was heart breaking. I know he loves the gospel, he knows it is true. He has read all the way up to Helaman in the Book of Mormon and he told us he sleeps with it at night. We pray that he will find some stability soon. Anita is also waiting for papers. She has been very proactive about it. And once she gets them (we pray they will go through!) she can be baptized :) I love her. She cooked for us yesterday after our fast. She is purposely trying to kill us with spiciness because she thinks it's funny how weak we are. I prevailed. Kessman is an old ami that just needed to get married. Well they are married! So we are going to start teaching him again. He has faith like no other.I tell you, Nigerians have faith. Like a lot. 

Roberto is fine. He has good intentions, he just doesn't want it bad enough. He wants to feel the spirit, and he has, he just doesn't know  how to recognize it. His simplicity in questions is progressing. I hope he can just overcome his natural man, but we all need to do that so I will have patience with him. Armand is doing fine as well. He is the type that says "I don't need to pray to know if Joseph is a prophet. I believe that it's possible so that's good enough." NO! You HAVE to pray. He just doesn't get it yet. But they are both coming to church and reading and trying so I'm proud of them. Baptiste is great too. I love teaching him because he always has the spirit, he just is not yet ready to act on it. He will be one, that I know, but not right now. It's not exactly a priority in his life. 

If there is one thing I have learned this week it is where is God in my life? Where do I place Him and His gospel in my life? I think I realize more and more everyday how if we just put God first, in everything, and everything is everything, then we will really find all the happiness possible. I know it brings true happiness and blessings. The most happiness and the most blessings. Have faith. Have hope and never doubt that all is there to make us grow. We do not know more than God. Let's remember that He is greater and knows more, so therefore it would do us great good to listen and do :) I love the Savior and my Heavenly Father. 

Fun adventures: A woman ran away from me in the rain after I asked her if she was cold... One man started talking to Satan during a lesson and I was afraid we were being cursed and therefore going to die... That's it. 

The gospel is true. Jesus Christ lives and He is the Savior. God is our Father. The church has been restored by a prophet and they still lead His church today. I know it is true. I love you all :)

Love, Soeur Roberts

Ecully Week #7

Dear Family, 

Great week in écully. I love this ward, the area, my companion, the investigators. It's just so wonderful here. 

Roberto had his first spiritual experience. He prayed and received a confirmation of truth. He came to conference and received more answers, and read the Book of Mormon and got even more. He is starting to feel the spirit a lot more now. He still focuses a lot on questions that don't necessarily help him get to the celestial kingdom. I had to be a bit firm with him last night and we gave him a commitment to study faith and repentance, only those two things for this week. He said he already knows that, but I promised him if he focused on the simple truths of the gospel, he would have a deeper understanding of the gospel and answers will come. He liked that so I hope he can continue to progress in the light of simplicity. I was so happy with him this week. We had a lesson on the Savior and His light, to which we all testified of His divinity and power to help us and stay with us. The spirit filled the room. I hope he holds on to those feelings He really is starting to understand the gospel better. :) 

Armand  went to conference and really loved the priesthood session. He will get there :) don't know when, but he will. 

We taught a woman named Elizabeth. I learned the negativity does not give you happiness. She talked to us for about an hour straight about all the horrible things in the world and whenever we would testify of the saving and healing power of the Atonement, she kind of started to close her ears. It's OK . I am just sad that she has such a hard time seeing that there are in fact good things in the world... We can always find good. Always. We are still teaching Blessing and Collins. Collins loved conference. Then we now have Anita from Nigeria. They are such a faithful people, but it's hard for them to be baptized until they can be legal here. We'll continue teaching them until they can take that important step. 

That's it. The rest of my time, mostly weekend was filled with the spirit by listening to conference. I loved it. I know these speakers were inspired. I know Thomas S Monson is a prophet of God called to guide the Church of Jesus Christ. I know we can find answers to questions when we study the sources of truth and light. I know that if we take responsibility for our spiritual and physical well being, as well as study the scriptures daily, pray all the time, repent, be obedient, and accept that life can be hard, but with the Savior we can find relief and have peace in our hearts. I am a witness that this Church is true. I know it is Christ's church and I will do everything in my power to respond to the call to Follow Him. I love you all so much. I know Heavenly Father loves you. 

Love, 

Soeur Roberts

                                                         Michael's baptism

Ecully Week #6

 Kjersti and Sister Hodder.  He last companion!

Out to eat with members.

Dear Family,

Great week in Ecully! It was a lot of fun, a lot of good happenings. I have a new companion. Her name is Soeur Hodder from Halifax, Canada, and I'm so excited to be with her. We already know each other pretty well, so I'm expecting great things. :)

Armand is doing great! His baptism was announced for the 11 Octobre. He is happy, nervous, anxious, excited :) He's doing well. We taught him a few times this week and he found a Gospel Principles book an has been cruising through. He is understanding a lot and changing. He is coming to church and reading and doing wonderfully. I'm proud of him. 

Roberto is still on track. We might have to move his date just because of scheduling problems, but it'll be good. He'll get there. We talked about prophets and praying. He has a hard time feeling the spirit, just because he likes doctrine and proof a lot. He knows that he needs the spirit though so that's why we are working on it :) In church he told me he always feels more positive and happy there and I was like yes!  It's the spirit :) So I hope he can continue to progress. 

Collins is really struggling and having a hard time. It's tough on his family because everything is just so unstable and he doesn't like that. He has such a strong testimony. He's already read into Alma, probably Helaman now. Blessing will get there too, she is just progressing a bit slower. 

Great news!! Michel got baptized! On Saturday :) And I got to go to his baptism. And I got to see Jamila. We had a spiritual experience together. She's been reading the book of Mormon and prays and is just progressing so well. I love them so much, I'm so glad I didn't go too far so I still get to see them. That's about it, that you would care about. We're trying to find more investigators, like always. The ones we have are pretty solid, so we just need to keep finding more. 

We passed Gerald to the elders, so now they are teaching him :) He came to church on Sunday so that was good. We'll see. And also we taught Baptiste on Sunday with Ivalani (his member girlfriend) and it went well. We had a little picnic and taught about faith. They are getting there. 

I love you all so much. I know this church is true. Christ lives. I love you! 

Love, Souer Roberts

Week #5 Ecully

Dear Family,

Another good week here in Ecully :) We had some great lessons and made some good progress with some amis, while others got dropped.

So Roberto is doing well! We have a fixed date for October 18. It's pretty sure. He is pretty excited. He is calling October "Le Mois Béni" which is the blessed month so he is happy :) He is doing well with the word of wisdom. He said every time he wants to smoke he thinks of his baptism.  He is doing really well. Asking questions and reading and praying. We have seen so much progress with him. The first time I met him he still didn't know if Christ was the Savior. And now he is coming to church and just doing well. I'm so proud of him :) 

Armand is doing well as well. He has been coming to Church and really wants to be baptized. He got to meet the bishop on Sunday and they talked about how baptism is an engagement for life, not just something you try out, which is exactly what he needed to hear. I think we are going to shoot for the 11 with him in October. He wants to be baptized so bad. It's so great. And he is making so many friends in the church! Integration is great in this ward, they are so good with the amis. 

We were both feeling sick earlier this week so one night while contacting I wasn't super excited because some mean lady said she was in a hurry but literally was walking like a snail. But we decided to keep going. Trying to be diligent and Soeur Floisand stops this girl. Inès. Young, from Paris, goes to the mosque, synagogue, and church. She asked us what we do and when I said we teach those who want to learn more. She asked if we could set up a time to meet! So cool :) so that will be tomorrow. It was just a little reminder to me that the Lord really does look over us and He loves us and will give us little tender mercies whenever He can and when we are being obedient :) 

I love the gospel so much. I am so grateful for the knowledge that I have in knowing that it is true. I know it is the Gospel of Jesus Christ that is going to bless us in our lives and nothing else will do as much for us. This Gospel is true. Jesus is the Christ and the Son of the Living God; And this is His church restored on the earth. I love you all!

Love, Soeur Roberts

Week #4 Ecully

Dear Family,

This week was really great :) We had some really great experiences and lessons that just witnessed to me how much the Lord really is aware of everyone of us. 

Gèrald is doing well. He is so precious. We taught him the Gospel of Jesus Christ and he said he would be baptized :) Not right now, but after he understands more. SO that is great :) He is so good at reading and keeping his engagements. He told us he tries to pray every night, and when I asked him how he felt when he did that he looked at us and smiled and said, "I feel good." We taught him the word of Wisdom Saturday and he was very willing to start living it. He told us he would come to church, he was maybe ready to do it. Unfortunately church came and he texted us and said, "I'm still not sure." So we will help him come to church. He is shy, but whether or not we're shy, church will bless us and help us grow and learn together. We are strengthened by one another. I really like Gèrald though. He will get there :) Even if it takes some time. 

Blessing and Collins are still on their way. Before one of our lessons, Collins was late, so we got some time with Blessing. She progresses just a little bit slower. She hasn't started the Book of Mormon yet, so we read the first chapter together and it went really well. She even opened up more than usual and told us that God witnessed to her in a dream that He was real and loved her, like how Lehi had the vision in 1 Nephi 1. It was really great and the spirit was strong. It has been such a blessing to see them grow in faith and trust in the Lord. They are so willing. Collins is storming through the Book of Mormon, already in Mosiah. So we love them. We taught them about temples and eternal marriage, and we know it is something they want to work towards after baptism.

Anyway, that is about it for this week :) Oh! Elder Ballard came to Geneva and spoke to the missionaries there, so we watched it for Zone Conference. He told us to study Chapter 3 in Preach my Gospel. So that is my invitation to you for today :) Study PMG Ch 3. It is the entire gospel. And on Sunday Pres Roney surprised called me up during his talk to give a minute lesson on the Gospel of Jesus Christ for the ward. That was a little scary.  I know this gospel is true. I know it is true and will bless our lives forever. If we follow the gospel we will have eternal life and happiness. I love you all :) 

Love, Soeur Roberts