"Jog?! That was blinkin the fastest I've ever run!" - Soeur Sutcliffe (Week 71)

I was the only one in the room who didn't get an iPad

Holy cow I don't even know if I will be able to focus on writing this e-mail... it's like an enormous under-taking because I have a TONN to write about!!!

Okay, first of all, the final verdict for Ladislav's baptism. He still wants to get baptized as soon as possible but its going to have to be pushed back for another couple weeks while he gets all sorts of problems that Satan is throwing out him sorted out. (You would be so astounded if you knew everything he had going on right now....this family is so strong.) But the great news is that he is still going to be baptized and I really think the whole family will be baptized and sealed together with a little bit of time. :) The wife even expressed for the first time her desire to be baptized!!!! So cool right?? We just have to be patient with Heavenly Father's timing. :)


Elder photo bomb

Wait let me explain the title!!! So we were going to go take a bus out somewhere this week and we're walking all tranquille because we still have like 5 minutes before we needed to be there and then we see the bus come EARLY! There was no way we would make it to the stop so we sprinted to the stop that was up the street. I will never forget the serious face Soeur Sutcliffe made when she realized we needed to run and wanting to inspire me she yelled "WE CAN DO THIS." We booked it up the street and when we got there we realized that the bus had been waiting for 5 minutes at the other stop when we thought it was early. -_- I jokingly said, "well at least that was a nice jog" to which Sr. Sutcliffe responded "Jog??? That was blinkin the fastest I've ever run 100 meters in my life!!!" hahahah


I love this place. :)

So guess what? WE GOT IPADS!!! Well actually I didn't get an iPad, but its okay. Soeur Sutcliffe having one is basically like me having one. Its been really cool and soooo convenient. What's even better though is that a lot of the time we totally forget that we even have one. We've only used it a few times this week, but I can tell that its really going to help the work here! I sent a video of the zone conference when we got the iPads and I was sitting there while everyone else in the room was looking down at their iPads and all I wanted to do was talk to someone! It was so boring!!!!!! I think it made me realize even more how much better talking with people when you're around them than being on technology really is haha.

Ok ok ok. I can't focus on this right now...


We exercise so much....

Here's a cool continued miracle from last week. :) So remember the nose-bleed story and how we met Soeur Hoxy's cousin?? Well this week we set a RDV to go to Chinese together and I wasn't sure if she would really come because we invited her a bit in passing...but SHE CAME. And not only did she come... SHE BROUGHT HER DAUGHTER!!! She was the sweetest girl ever. She's 16 and tall and gorgeous (she's half nouvelle calédonienne). We told them all about the Book of Mormon and even got her number so we can hopefully go over this week and make pasteries! It was super super cool... So blessed.


It was SO HOT this day (kind of glad I'm missing summer here..haha)

Okay, so I sent home a picture of this moment but Soeur Sutcliffe and I found ourselves one day with ALLLL of our plans canceled and in the baking heat. We thought we might die. We had just passed by one of our old amis who wasn't there and then we sat down to figure things out. We decided we should probably pray and figure out what to do. Just then we get a text from the zone leaders with a whole list of things we needed to get done THAT day. It filled the rest of our day up and we didn't have to contact for hours in the heat and get heat stroke!

It's been cool this week. I won't explain in detail because I don't want to make myself seem more charitable than I really am haha, but I just barely started roney pattern-ing charity. (Roney pattern is basically just taking a Christ-like attribute studying it and then making goals to be more like it and then doing it!) Heavenly Father has really blessed me as I've been looking for opportunities to give of myself and be an answer to people's silent prayers. I've had a lot of small but sacred experiences with it this week. I love that feeling you get when you can tell you were a living angel for someone. Pray for me to be able to have more of these my last week! All I want to do this week is to love everyone! I've found so often that all that people need is to feel loved sometimes. So that's my main goal for this last week.


Soeur Hoxy

Frère Perez made us Paella!!!

Okay, one last strange little answered prayer. So yesterday we had 2 mangez-vous in a row... We ate a TONNN at the Perez's and then literally straight after we had to go to the Dieutre's to eat again when we already felt sick. We had about 5 minutes between the two to drop some stuff off at home and we layed on the floor in pain for a couple minutes then headed over to the church to get picked up. As we left the apartment I said a prayer that we wouldn't be too sick tonight and that we'd make it through the second mangez-vous without offending anyone! Haha. We got to their house and then Frère Dieutre gets a call and has to go in for an emergency something or other to fix someones something (it was for work I think). In the end this gave us a whole extra HOUR before we had to eat. I couldn't believe it. We were able to eat everything without throwing it back up. Heavenly Father answers prayers!!! Even when its about needing to eat a ton of food!!!

Well I can't believe this but this is my last e-mail! So weird. I just wanted to end with a scripture I read this morning in the Book of Mormon in 2 Nephi 28:24. It says, 

Therefore, wo be unto him that is at ease in Zion!



I love this family. [Les Dieutre]

So simple but you know what I took from this? We should never be okay with where we are in our progression towards exaltation. We have SUCH long ways to go to get to perfection and we need to constantly work to be better. We can't afford to be "at ease in Zion". Same goes for me ending my mission...no getting trunky for me! ;)

I love you so much! See you in a week! AH!!
Soeur Ev



Teaching le Plan du Salut

More Montauban

Me in Montauban

"C'est fatigant de gagner" - Jonas (Week 70)

Best patisserie of my whole life... mmmmmmmmm

I can't believe time is going by so quickly!!! I've got two weeks... let me assure you that I plan to make them count. I can already tell that my mission is going to end with a bang.

This week started off really hard. We'd been having a lot of issues with contacting. We felt like we would try to stop like 100 people in a day and only 5 would talk to us. I've never had such a hard time with contacting!!! It was weird...but later we could tell that it was a test of our faith. During goal-setting for weekly planning we decided to try to exercise more faith. By the end of the week we were seeing miracles like CRAZY. Not to mention people finally started talking to us!! Goes to show that Heavenly Father is in control of everything, not us.

This is Franceska (Ladislav's daughter) - isn't she the cutest!?

We started off with an exchange with our lovely STL's. They are both way more mature than their age shows...(not to mention one goes to Stanford and the other Harvard). I love love love them. On Tuesday I went to the back side of a boulangerie for the first time! It was super cool... They had a mixing bowl the size of a baptismal font and there were like 500 baguettes scattered everywhere. It was like heaven... (I'll have to tell you the story of how we got back there another time...) but the lady wouldn't even let us buy a baguette in the end because it was closed. :( torture haha


So we have some cool new people to teach and some really cool miracles that happened this week. I'm just gonna have to start diving in the best I can!

I think I told you about Thimoté the other week? The one who we stopped in the road and he told us that he had just prayed to be guided in his walk that evening and then met us?? Well we had a real lesson with him this week at the chapel and it was one of the most spiritual lessons I've ever had teaching the restoration. We watched the video and I had chills all over and even teared up (and I've seen that movie like 100 times). Soeur Sutcliffe told me that he was just smiling the entire time. At the end he told us that the Spirit had given him the confirmation that the church is true!!!! He told us he wants to be baptized!!!!! EEEE

Soeur Hoxy's sister!

Also this week we met with Jonas! (The husband of an inactive in the ward named Linda - both Tahitian.) We ate home-made ice cream sandwiches - it was their first time and they found the whole thing hilarious. Then we played the weirdest game ever where we made animal noises and actions and whatnot and for some reason all of us were just DYING of laughter. I haven't laughed so hard in such a long time!!! After the funnest RDV ever, we gave them our spiritual thought and we talked about the 2000 stripling warriors and about parenting. (Linda is pregnant.) At one point in the lesson Jonas told us that he wanted his children to be baptized in our church. We asked him if he saw himself getting baptized one day and he said yes!!!!! Linda gave him a look and was like "ah bon???" I don't think she even knew that. How cool is that?? Also she came to church the second week in a row!!!! (She hadn't been for a few months.)


LOOK WHO I FOUND

Ok here's a strange story for you. So I have this cold and I have to blow my nose all the time right? Well since I blow my nose a lot I've been getting nose bleeds like several times a day (sorry this is gross). On Thursday we had planned to go and pass by Soeur Hoxy (an inactive we're working with). Just as we're about to get there my nose starts bleeding like crazy!! We go and knock on her door... no answer. Again. No answer. Again. No answer. Usually we would've left by now but I really needed to take care of my nose and Soeur Sutcliffe really wanted to get in so she pounds on the door as if its the police. THEN SHE ANSWERED. The first thing I did was show her my tissue full of blood and asked if I could use her bathroom hahaha. I honestly don't think we would've gotten in otherwise. She told us later that she usually doesn't open the door when she has people over but when she heard the loud thumping she thought it sounded serious haha. And guess what? HER SISTER WAS THERE. We had a lesson in the presence and her sister was asking us alllll sorts of questions and really opening up to us! We set another RDV to go get chinese together next weekend! Who would've thought that a bloody nose would ever be a blessing??



I love me some Slovakian food (thats Frère Van Tonder next to me :)

Alright... here's the best part of the week. Earlier during the week we went and met with Ladislav and had a serious talk about baptism and whatnot. He told us he really wanted to focus on his wife at the moment and that there was just too much going on. We decided to move the baptism back to July until after the baby was born and things settled down a bit. About 2 days later we get a call from Fr. Van Tonder asking us if we could come see him at the church for a minute so we could talk about Ladislav. He told us he had just been over to his house and that after having met with us he prayed and prayed about the date he should get baptized and he told Fr. Van Tonder that he didn't want to wait any longer. He wanted to get baptized as soon as possible!!!! HES GETTING BAPTIZED ON JUNE 6TH!!!! But wait. There's more. For the first time in months.......his inactive mother-in-law, his wife, Thomas, Franceska, and Ladislav ALL CAME TO CHURCH TOGETHER!!!!!!!!!! We just about cried!! Huge miracle. And get this. Apparently the little kids were the ones that woke up the parents so they could all go to church together. It was amazing.



Soeur Sutcliffe likes Slovakian food too

I'm seriously so stoked about how everything is going right now. I couldn't be happier with the work and what we get to do! I feel so much love for and from the branch. :)

Ok so I found a cool scripture this week while I was reading the New Testament. Its Mark 7:15

There is nothing from without a man, that entering into him can defile him: but the things which come out of him, those are they that defile the man.



I love them

I've been thinking about the things that I say. Sometimes I wonder if maybe I complain too much especially knowing how much the Lord has blessed me in my life. And I also wonder if maybe sometimes I could be more patient with those I love and be kinder to them. I think this is something we could all probably work on. Let's try to be a little kinder this week!

Je vous aime!
Soeur Ev

PS Pray for Ladislav!!! Satan isn't going to ease up at all trying to keep him from baptism so lets really pray for him to have the strength to make it all the way to June 6th!


Selfie with Franceska

Our favorite street. :)

"Don't hate me cause I'm beautiful" - Soeur Sutcliffe (Week 69)

les trois amigos

We literally say this to each other about 5 times a day (I don't even think that's an exaggerated estimate haha). She is doing wonders for my health and fitness.... I will thank her when I get home and get straight in my swimsuit to go swimming. ;)

What a strange week!!!! I guess I'll just say right off the bat that I've seen yet another priesthood blessing miracle. This week we went on an exchange with Perpignan (after we had just been on exchange with the stls - so tonsss of exchanges this week). It was so fun seeing Soeur Christensen again! And I got to do an exchange with my grand-daughter Soeur Bolanos - she is so cute. I woke up on Wednesday morning and Soeur Sutcliffe and I went on our normal run. We got back from the run and my stomach was feeling a bit strange but I went ahead with studies. During companion study my head started spinning and I asked if we could run to the grocery store and get me some bottled water. When I got home from the store I thought my head was going to explode. I couldn't even drink water. I went to one of the sisters beds and laid down. When I woke up I literally felt like I had mono again. And not just every day mono but like when I was extremely sick with mono. I wanted to cry from how much pain I was in. Obviously we stayed in the whole day and Heavenly Father blessed me with the strength to make it home to Montauban the following day and then I died again. Nurse Povar had me on strict demands to not do certain things and I was obedient... obviously I wanted to be better as well. I swallowed my pride and asked the zone leaders if they would come to Montauban and give me a blessing. I was promised quick recovery and that I would be able to do all the work I needed to do. From that day to now it feels like night and day. I feel like I'm completely healed now! I just have such a strong testimony of the power of priesthood blessings.



Toulouse

Well because I was inside for a total of 4 days there's not a whole ton to report.... (I feel like this is such a common thing that I write in emails haha ugh). BUT its been amazing that Heavenly Father has been doing all the work that we couldn't do while being inside in other ways. We have been receiving referrals like CRAZY. We got a referral from Paris missionaries, 2 referrals from Soeur Fayol, a referral of an entire family from Frère Dieutre, and a couple friends of Elodie! We've also had quite a few members approach us saying how they've given such and such a friend a Book of Mormon and they're waiting to see how things go and that they hope to introduce them to us! Its been so amazing! The work is really moving forward in Montauban right now!


The lovely Soeur Stapley

Also. While I was on exchange in Toulouse, Soeur Sutcliffe and Soeur James went and saw Linda (less active...hasn't been for awhile) and her non-member husband Jonas. I had only met Linda so this was our first contact with him. Apparently the lesson was amazing and Jonas was super engaged the whole time. They agreed to every commitment that was given to them (praying together, reading the Book of Mormon together, and coming to church on Sunday) and guess what... THEY KEPT EVERY ENGAGEMENT. The branch was soooo excited to see them there on Sunday. Huge spark. We feel really strongly that he will be baptized. (They're expecting a baby in about 6 months so now is such a good time for him to learn more.) So cool huh?



I've missed bagels and cream cheese...

I wish I had more to share but that's about it...haha. We've seen other cool little miracles but these are the main things. Next week I will hopefully have more. :)

Ladislav update. The baptism is technically on right now....but him and his family need LOTS of prayers at the moment. Especially Ladislav. He seems to be really stressed at the moment. I don't think his wife is doing very well and she should be delivering in just a couple weeks - ahh! Baby Denis!!! We're so excited. :)

Voilà quoi.

Chocolate muffin in Narbonne

So I got the conference ensign that you sent to me!! MERCI BEAUCOUP. I've been really loving it. On Sunday before going to church I read Uchtdorf's talk: "The Gift of Grace." It was the perfect thing to read right before going to take the Sacrament.

I remember having read the passage of scripture that Uchtdorf quoted about the woman who washed Christ's feet with her tears and hair and expensive oil and when Christ responded to Simons thoughts of how this woman was unworthy to be doing such things. I love this passage:

Perceiving his thoughts, Jesus turned to Simon and asked a question. “There was a certain creditor which had two debtors: … one owed five hundred pence, … the other fifty.
“And when they [both] had nothing to pay, he frankly forgave them both. Tell me therefore, which of them will love him most?”
Simon answered that it was the one who was forgiven the most.


Outstanding in our field

Then Jesus taught a profound lesson: “Seest thou this woman? … Her sins, which are many, are forgiven; for she loved much: but to whom little is forgiven, the same loveth little.”
Which of these two people are we most like?
Are we like Simon? Are we confident and comfortable in our good deeds, trusting in our own righteousness? Are we perhaps a little impatient with those who are not living up to our standards? Are we on autopilot, going through the motions, attending our meetings, yawning through Gospel Doctrine class, and perhaps checking our cell phones during sacrament service?
Or are we like this woman, who thought she was completely and hopelessly lost because of sin?
Do we love much?

Selfie in Toulouse

Do we understand our indebtedness to Heavenly Father and plead with all our souls for the grace of God?
When we kneel to pray, is it to replay the greatest hits of our own righteousness, or is it to confess our faults, plead for God’s mercy, and shed tears of gratitude for the amazing plan of redemption?
Salvation cannot be bought with the currency of obedience; it is purchased by the blood of the Son of God.

I love this! Do we really remember constantly how much Christ and Heavenly Father have truly done for us? Do we love much?

Have an amazing week! Pray for us to find success these last 3 weeks!

Bisous
Soeur Ev



We're so french

A stroll in the French countryside

First sunburn of the season

"Who even are you? Incredible hulk?" - Soeur Sutcliffe (Week 68)

Coucou ma famille! It was wonderful to be on Skype together, especially seeing how well Will is doing and how happy he seems. I love you so much!

Dad commented on this but I thought it was super funny as well. I loved the reaction Will had on his face when I said that we had dropped pretty much all of our amis this week because we didn't think they were progressing. His face was like "how could anyone willfully stop seeing someone who was willing to invite you in and let you teach them???" hahaha. You'll see Elder Everett. ;)

my gorgeous new zealand hippie companion

It was a tad bit of an exaggeration when we said we dropped all of our amis. We still have a few good ones! Namely the Slepcik family.

So during the week we stopped by to see how they were doing (usually we fix a rdv through our member who is friends with them) and Ladislav told us that his wife had just spent a day and a night in the hospital and that she had just gotten back about 20 minutes prior. He didn't tell us any details and neither did the member so I assume all of the problems going on are really private but I'm sure that they are also super important. On Sunday Ladislav didn't show up to church so Fr. Van Tonder left and went to see if everything was ok. He got back and told us that things were not going well and that he thought the baptism was too much amidst all of these problems. I spoke with Fr. Van Tonder about how I felt that tempation and trials would arise no matter what date he fixed but that obviously it was up to him and that we would pray for him.


Outstanding in my field

This morning Fr. Van Tonder called and told us that he had went to visit Ladislav that morning and that he had said that he was praying and speaking with God about his date and that he felt that he should stick to the original date and keep pressing forward! But he asked for lots and lots of prayers because times are really hard. Please pray for him and their family. And that his wife's pregancy will be ok.

This week we spent more time than usual with Elodie and we had so much fun together!!!! Soeur Sutcliffe is wonderful at making people feel at ease and our relationship with Elodie has grown so much since she has been here! We went to a Chinese buffet and both me and Soeur Sutcliffe at the end thought we were going to explode.... it was yummy but we ate WAY too much. (The morning after was the day I ran 30 minutes straight for exercise hahaha.) Elodie is doing WONDERFULLY. She has progressed so much since I've met her and her family has noticed as well! Its wonderful what the gospel and especially the Atonement can do for people.


Soeur Sutcliffe and I

So the other night we were contacting and met this really cool guy named Thimoté! We had a lesson with him right away and he took the Book of Mormon! He told us that as he was leaving work he prayed to be led where to go and that he usually didn't walk that way and then he met us! Cool huh? We're meeting with him Friday. :) Anyway as we were walking back from meeting him Soeur Sutcliffe sees these huge islander-looking men walk into a restaurant by our house. We decided we'd better eat there so we could meet them haha. We talked for a couple minutes (Soeur Sutcliffe sparked them so good) and then we ate our meal together!!! It was so cool! We literally were in this nice restaurant and then asked to eat with random people. So fun.

Sorry my email is going to be super short this week. Read this wonderful talk. There's especially one quote that I love and quote super frequently which I'll paste in my email as well. :)

"Isn’t it true that we often get so busy? And, sad to say, we even wear our busyness as a badge of honor, as though being busy, by itself, was an accomplishment or sign of a superior life.

Is it?

I think of our Lord and Exemplar, Jesus Christ, and His short life among the people of Galilee and Jerusalem. I have tried to imagine Him bustling between meetings or multitasking to get a list of urgent things accomplished.

I can’t see it.

Instead I see the compassionate and caring Son of God purposefully living each day. When He interacted with those around Him, they felt important and loved. He knew the infinite value of the people He met. He blessed them, ministered to them. He lifted them up, healed them. He gave them the precious gift of His time."
https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2012/10/of-regrets-and-resolutions?lang=eng

I love you!
Soeur Everett

"Soyons fou" - Frédérique Tomasin (Week 67)

Elizabete and Leony got baptized!!!

Okay, prepare yourselves....this email is going to get absolutely crazy. I can't even control myself I'm going to have to start with the best story of the week. This is definitely in my top 5 miracles of my entire mission.

I'm not sure how much I've told you about the Slepcik family (if anything). They are a Slovakian family who have lived here for a little more than 5 years. The wife's mother is actually a member! So this family has always known the church but never wanted to be baptized. I knew just a little bit about them since Fr. Van Tonder gave us the down-low. I decided that I wanted to extend a baptismal invitation and see what they said (even though Fr. Van Tonder knew that Ladislav didn't understand the authority of our baptism). I had prayed about it and I discussed it with Soeur Christensen a bit last transfer so I just went for it in our lesson on Tuesday. It was literally a disaster. Ladislav was super offended that everytime missionaries come the first thing they want to know is why he's not baptized in our church and he kept repeating that he had already been baptized! We tried to calm it down a bit and in the end we just gave him a sticky note with the date we wanted him to pray for and said we would leave it between him and God. The rest of the family didn't really respond to the question.. anyway, it all just seemed kind of like a failure.


Soeur Sutcliffe's family sent her face masks :)

But....

The next day we were walking in ville and for some reason felt like we should go to the church. Fr. Van Tonder was there doing some stuff on the computer. We started talking to him about Ladislav. Ok get ready. While the Slepciks and Fr. Van Tonder were cleaning the church that morning Ladislav had told Fr. Van Tonder that he couldn't sleep the night before because he was pondering about the baptismal date and talking to God. After literally praying all night he heard God tell him that he needed to forget the past and leave it behind him and start new. Before Fr. Van Tonder responded he went to his bag and go out a bible in Slovakian (he hasn't read the bible in 5 years because he didn't have one here in France and hasn't been able to find one.) Ladislav was appparently happier than he's ever seen him. He told Fr. Van Tonder that this was the confirmation he needed to know that he really did need to get baptized. HE IS GETTING BAPTIZED ON JUNE 6TH!!!!! He told us in our next RDV with him that now that God has told him to be baptized that nothing and no one is going to keep him from getting baptized. It's been FIVE YEARS that he's refused to get baptized! God lives and answers prayers! I cried when I heard this and we immediately knelt in a prayer of gratitude with Fr. Van Tonder. Pray for this wonderful family!

So when I first got to Montauban I emailed Soeur Caldwell and asked her who she thought I should visit. She told me that there was a wonderful French family (the Tomasins) who she had taught when she was here. I asked the branch about them and Jérémie told us that he knows them really well and used to take the sisters once a week out to see them! We organized it so we could go together and just drop by and see what happened.... We got there (with his grandma as well) and Frédérique was outside and him and Jérémie had an awesome reunion! (Its been like a year.) In the meantime....they had a new baby haha! I think when they accepted a baptismal date in the past the temptation got really crazy and they let the church go. :( It was amazing in the rdv because I could tell how prepared they really are and that they are most definitely going to be baptized!!! They have 4 children and love each other so much! They are absolutely wonderful! I can't wait to start working with them.


My babies! at mission conference

Subject line: When we got inside Frédérique offered us something to drink and we were going back and forth between different cirops (it makes water flavored) and juices and whatnot and eventually Jérémie is like "ok lets do the raspberry cirop" and Frédérique is like "oui soyons fou" (yeah lets go crazy!) I laughed for so long.

Remember last week how I told you about Patrice?? Well we had a RDV with him this week! It was absolutely amazing.... He has been prepared. He shared some stories with us about meeting missionaries in the past and he says that every time he is having trials in his life he somehow comes in contact with the church! He described himself as a "sheep without a fold" and he came to church!!!!! We'll keep working with him!



We went on an adventure

I just have a quick story that will make mom really proud of me. :) So we were at break-the-fast with the branch yesterday and Soeur Yonnet comes up to me and asks me if she could have some of my water. At first I was confused but then she told me that tap water was undrinkable and she preferred filtered or bottled water. I asked her how she knew mine was filtered or bottled and she said "I know you." Hahaha. I tried to warn my district last transfer but no one will listen to me! I do what I can I guess. :)

Okay, one last story since there's time. :) Let me preface this a bit. So Soeur Sutcliffe is SUPER into health and working out. We work out so hard in the morning and hard at night as well....I'm going to be so buff by the time I get home hahaha. Anyway so last night as we were laying in bed with the lights off we started talking about I don't even know what and then I look over and she is literally doing ab workouts IN BED!! She is crazy!!!! Hahahaha I love her.

Okay, here is my short little spiritual thought for the day.



Soeur Sutcliffe made this single muffin out of thin air

"In the end, the number of prayers we say may contribute to our happiness, but the number of prayers we answer may be of even greater importance. Let us open our eyes and see the heavy hearts, notice the loneliness and despair; let us feel the silent prayers of others around us, and let us be an instrument in the hands of the Lord to answer those prayers." - Dieter F. Uchtdorf

I love this quote!! There is nothing better than being an instrument in the Lord's hands to answer someone's prayer. Let's turn out so more this week.

Have a great week! Can't wait to talk for Mothers Day!

Bisesss

Soeur Ev

It was raining, so we had our picnic indoors

"Prison." - Train Controller (Week 66)

BEFORE ANYTHING GUESS WHAT!!!! ELIZABETE AND LEONY GOT BAPTIZED ON SATURDAY!!!! AHHHHHHHHHHHHHH. Soeur Skalka sent me this email:

"ELIZABETE AND LEONY GOT BAPTIZED! MY HEART JUST MELTED! I love you and miss you my precious companion!"

To which I replied:

"IM SO HAPPY TOO!!! #MIRACLETRANSFERLIVESON"

What an amazing transfer... and look at what happened even after we weren't together anymore! So blessed.

Tartalette aux Framboises - Best thing I've ever tasted

Anyway back to the caption. So on Wednesday we had to get up at 530 am (ugghh) so we could to go District meeting all the way up in Albi! (It was gorgeous by the way - look at some of the pictures.) I forgot my Carte de Jeune which is basically a paper that allows us to get train tickets for cheaper. When the train controllers come to check our tickets they ask to see the Carte de Jeune. Guys there is like a huge fee they give you for not having it. When we got controlled on the way to Albi is when I realized that I didn't have my Carte de Jeune and I like had a panic attack haha. The guy kind of laughed and said it wasn't a big deal. On the way home I already knew I didn't have it with me... When the controller came by I tried my best to sound distressed and said "I'm so sorry I forgot my Carte de Jeune... I promise I have one! What do I do?" to which he replied "Prison." He didn't even say anything after that! He just walked away! The zone leaders died laughing.


Kebab..... Soeur Christensen convinced me. It was gross haha

We had a really cool miracle the other day. Well to start off I should tell you that I had something happen to my left heel randomly and on Thursday it was KILLING me. Everytime I took a step it sent a pain through my leg. So that wasn't fun... But whats even less fun is not working hard so we went porting. We spent like an hour and a half in a certain neighborhood and we had a few people answer our questionnaire and some good convos and some people say to come back but there wasn't anything amazing. BUT. When we had about 15 minutes before our bus we went to one last house. The lady answered and said she was really busy. We told her it was about the family and she said: "If its about how the family is sacred come in!" She let us in!!!!!!!!!!! We got in and saw her two children. One has downs syndrome. We asked her why the family was important to her and the conversation just flowed. It wasn't even a questionnaire anymore. She opened up about having problems with her husband because of their handicapped child (how he didn't want to deal with that) and she started crying. She told us she didn't have any of her family near her (they all live in a different country...can't remember where) and I think she might be really lonely. It was one of those moments when we felt like angels. I looked at my watch and realized we had like 4 minutes until our bus was gonna come so we hurried and set a return appointment and starting BOOKING IT to our bus. My heel starting yelling at me so we had to stop and we ended up missing the bus. :( But here's another miracle.

Awkward district picture

Albi!!!

We had a RDV in about 30 minutes which was all the way on the other side of Montauban. There wasn't another bus for about an hour and it would've taken about an hour and a half to walk there. We decided we better start walking and make progress rather than just sitting there helpless. We started calling some people. No one answered. Then we got a call from Soeur Van Tonder. She just so happened to be out and driving and said she could come and get us in 10 minutes!!!!! She picked us up and we got to the RDV in time! (Soeur Van Tonder is incredible. She would do anything for us.)

Speaking of the Van Tonders, Frère Van Tonder got us a referral - well actually its a family! We are now teaching the Slepciks and the husband came to church on Sunday! We're hoping something will click and that they will want to be baptized!


Took this of the ZL's right after I got controlled...

Here's another cool miracle. After English Class on Thursday we were walking home and we run into this guy named Paul that we had taught a street lesson to the other day! We said hi to him and he introduced us to his friend that was sitting by him. We started just talking about normal missionary stuff and eventually we fixed a RDV with his friend for the next day. He showed up like 30 minutes early haha but we were there so it worked out! We were able to talk about the Book of Mormon and when we gave it to him he said merci like 8 times, he was so grateful! He told us that recently he hasn't been feeling happy and that he is really looking for the right path in his life and that he thinks he might find it here! (I know he'll find it here.)


At Soeur Fayol's house! So cute huh?

Bahaha ok so today we went to Toulouse for zone p-day. On the way home we basically had to run through every single metro to get to our train in time because we underestimated how much time we really needed...oops. Anyway, so we while we were waiting for a metro to come this man starts talking to us in English. At first we thought he was normal but then quickly realized that wasn't the case.... He started saying how he was a missionary too and then right before we got on the metro he grabbed my hand and kissed it and said "I'm so proud of you." ....so weird



I FOUND RAPUNZEL'S TOWER!!!!

I am like totally out of time!!! I have less time today because we're actually about to go on a hike with Soeur Fayol!! (SO EXCITED EEEE!!!)

I wanted to just quickly talk about McKay. When I saw that we had a missed call from President this was not the news I was expecting. My first reaction was shock and grief - its interesting how you can love someone so much when he can't even talk to you. Ever since I was a little girl I have memories of McKay. He always brought a special feeling of love to everyone he was around. We were blessed to be with someone who was perfect even if it was only for 14 years. I will miss him but like Will said in his email, he is finally at peace now. Here is one of my favorite quotes from Elder Holland:


Zone Basketball

"I testify of the holy Resurrection, that unspeakable cornerstone gift in the Atonement of the Lord Jesus Christ! With the Apostle Paul, I testify that that which was sown in corruption will one day be raised in incorruption and that which was sown in weakness will ultimately be raised in power.  I bear witness of that day when loved ones whom we knew to have disabilities in mortality will stand before us glorified and grand, breathtakingly perfect in body and mind. What a thrilling moment that will be! I do not know whether we will be happier for ourselves that we have witnessed such a miracle or happier for them that they are fully perfect and finally “free at last.”

Love you! Have a wonderful week!

Soeur Everett