"We should totally put that on a snicky snote!" - Sr. Skalka (Week 59)

The mission just keeps getting better and better. I can't wait to tell you about my week!!!

Failed to get a good picture of this sunset

So on Tuesday we were heading back from a rdv with Sandra (she's doing awesome by the way - she brought her son Thomas, who's 14, to church on Sunday! That's the first time I've ever seen him at church. Miraclesssss.) So anyway we were taking the bus! Unfortunately for us, the bus was full of pre-teens. While we were sitting there we all of a sudden heard people speaking in English accents and then realized that we were listening to Ron Weasley and Draco Malfoy!!!! (Sr. Skalka is absolutely sure she heard Draco.) We were eavesdropping on their convo and then you'll never guess who got on the bus.... HARRY POTTER HIMSELF. Just kidding but he looked a heck of a lot like him. Scarf, glasses and everything. There you have it. Spent a day at Hogwarts.

Okay we've seen some really cool miracles this week but I want to start with one that I didn't have time to write about last week that continued into this week! So last week we were heading over to a members house for a service project - we took the bus that was heading to Nice, not a normal bus we take. A lady gets on the bus and comes and sits by me so I strike up a conversation with her. We started talking about religion and she told me that growing up she had been basically raised by Catholic nuns and that she'll never forget everything they had done for her. She was starting to get emotional about it. She commended me for what I was doing! In the middle of our conversation I realized we were at the stop we needed to be and I didn't have a chance to even give her my number!!!! I was so bummed. We got off the bus and Sr. Skalka and I said a prayer that we would be able to see her again. We were on a bus heading to Nice so honestly the odds of seeing her again were extremely slim. But. Heavenly Father loves us a lot. We were on a bus later on heading over to an amis house and we were talking about Najat (thats the womans name) and I look over and THERE SHE IS ON THE BUS. I basically had a heart attack I was so stunned! Not only did we get to give her our number but we also got her number AND her sisters number who was with her!

Our latest billboard impersonation...

Miracle continued.... So yesterday while we were trying to get our last lessons to reach 20 lessons we decided to contact separately so we could cover more ground. While everyone Sr. Skalka stopped said yes to her everyone I tried to talk to said no!!! :( Then I had Najat come to my mind and I knew I needed to call her! I called and she picked up on like the second ring. We had a great conversation and I asked if I could pray with her. I said a prayer and when we said amen she was in tears on the other end. She told me that she knew that God put us in her life for a reason and that nothing is an accident and that she was so grateful that I had called because she is going through a really hard time. I testified how much God loved her and she told me she would love to meet with us this coming week!

Okay, backtrack to last Monday! After we had a lesson with Elizabete and Leony we headed to our bus to go to the church. Right before we got on we said a prayer that we would be able to teach someone on the bus. The bus was...super crowded....BUT IT DIDN'T STOP US. I went and asked this lady if I could sit by her and she told me that the seat next to her was soaking wet. Then she all of a sudden got this idea and told me "You know what? How about you sit on this bag of clothes I just bought!" I told her that was very nice but unnecessary but she insisted! So I sat next to her on her bag of new clothes and started talking to her about her family.



Rebecca Paya (my favorite person)

SIDE NOTE!!!!!! I forgot to tell you about this but President had this amazing revelation and we started something called "The Elijah Project" where we talk to EVERYONE about their families. Not necessarily geneology but trying to help them feel the spirit through the spirit of Elijah. Its been absolutely incredible the miracles we've seen!

Okay, back to my story about the lady on the bus.... we had an awesome conversation about her family and I could tell she felt the spirit! I said a prayer with her and then testified to her about the Plan of Salvation. She said that recently she's been wanting to change religions but she also doesn't want to leave her religion. I know God will prepare her and she'll join when she's ready. BUT WAIT. Meanwhile while I was teaching Lydia a lesson, Soeur Skalka was teaching HER DAUGHTER who was sitting across the aisle! Sr. Skalka gave her a BOM and everything. Prayer answered!!

Okay, one more cool miracle. So last week we set up a rdv to meet with a lady that we met in the park to talk about her family. Unfortunately she didn't show up. :( BUT we just knew that there was another lesson waiting for us somewhere in that park so we walked around and then decided to talk to this lady sitting there. We started asking her our family questionnaire and she told us that she has been all alone for several years and all of her family that she was close to had passed away. She said she still prays but now more than ever she has started losing her faith. She started to cry. Sr. Skalka and I sat down next to her and I put my arm around her as she told us things that I know she doesn't get to talk about to anyone. We were able to testify to her about the Plan of Salvation and that she would see her loved one's again thanks to Jesus Christ. She cried and thanked us for taking the time to be with her. We asked her if we could come meet with her another time and she said no. :( But then we said a prayer with her and when we closed it she said "You know what, I'll make you a promise. If my health is doing better 2 weeks from now I will call you and you can come over." Cool how the Spirit works huh?

Okay, really quick spiritual thought! This is something that President shared at Zone Conference that I really loved!

John 15:24-25

24 If I had not done among them the works which none other man did, they had not had sin: but now have they both seen and hated both me and my Father.
25 But this cometh to pass, that the word might be fulfilled that is written in their law, They hated me without a cause.
Isn't this wonderful? These scriptures actually give me a lot of comfort. It makes sense that the perfect person who lived on the earth would have to be subject to people hating him. The part that is comforting about it is that there was no reason for anyone to hate him. He only did good to all those he came in contact with. Now when I think of my own life as a missionary, when there are people who are mean to us or hate us (there are a lot fewer of those in Cannes than elsewhere in France... Cannes rocks.) I can know that they are hating without a cause! I can take comfort in knowing that the more good we do the more opposition we will face and the more like the Savior we will become.

Love you so much!!!
Can't believe Will... I mean Elder Everett.... Is a missionary!! Whattttttt
Have a great week!

Soeur Everett

P.S. I didn't give an update about Elizabete and Leony but they are doing SO WELL. They are definitely going to be baptized on March 14th! Keep them in your prayers!