Hello everyone! I'll have to make this quick. Last week of transfer 3 already!
This past week was pretty cool. We were out of our sector for a lot of it again. On Tuesday we were on exchange in Genève. I love working there! There is so much diversity. I met people from Brazil, Africa, Connecticut, Lithuania, Mongolia, etc. You name it, I met them! I got to work with 2 awesome sisters from Sweden and England. By the end of the day, I was talking in a thick British accent...nothing out of the usual for me though. Haha
Also, we had a sweet Zone Conference in Lyon! Elder Kearon (General Authority) and his wife spoke. They are such powerfully spiritual people. Guess who I met there? Elder Haws...Tyler Haws brother. And Elder Smart...Elizabeth Smart's brother. It was pretty cool! Anyways, that Conference was so incredible. They talked about something that a lot of us were surprised about, which was about how to prepare for our future families. They told us how everything we do now on our mission, will add value to our future family. While we're here, if we're doing what we're supposed to be doing, we will become better parents and spouses. We will be more patient, more understanding, more loving, more sympathetic, more obedient, etc. That was a really cool concept for me to think about. It gives me a lot of drive to do my very best on my mission, because I have that incentive now to make my future family that much stronger. He had us all close our eyes for a few minutes, and then played Motab's version of "Come Thou Fount" and he told us to picture our future spouse and children while it played. So I did. And a line in that song stuck out to me in a way that it never has before. "Here's my heart now take and seal it, seal it for thy court's above." I decided that's it! That's what I want for my future family. I want every member of my family to be so devoted to our Savior, that we are willing to give our whole hearts over to Him. It was a really special experience, and I felt very close to those sweet spirits who will be sent to me one day.
We also had a really fun sports activity with our YSA's and youth amis this week. We played basketball and soccer. It felt SO good to kick the ball around again. But, it is so frustrating playing sports as a missionary! Since it has to be literally no-contact, I couldn't be nearly as aggressive as I'd like to be...haha.
We also got a new ami this week! It was really cool how it happened. One of our old amis who we never contacted us again after his first RDV, we ran into in the park. Well he was with a friend and we got talking with the friend, and ended up fixing a RDV with him. He came, and he is so cool! Very open and he even said he thinks the Holy Spirit sent him to us. His name is Nathan, and he's from Kenya. Please pray for him!
One other great thing! We made our key indicators this week! 20 lessons! We worked our butts off!
I hope you all had a great Halloween! They really don't celebrate it here. But, one of our awesome members let us come over for a halloween dinner and completely decked out their house and gave us all these cute pinterest halloween treats. My comp and I also found a pumpkin at a market and we all carved it and had crépes on Halloween night! There were a few little kids out dressed up getting candy.
We also had a great lesson with the Hiseni's, our Albanian amis. I can't even describe how much I love them. They skyped their daughter in this time because they wanted her to meet us, and she is so cool too! I just feel so blessed though for the life that I grew up with. I feel so spoiled, because there are so many people who literally have nothing, and have very little they can do to help themselves. I want so badly to provide them with a job and to bring their kids to them, but my role here is to bring them another source of happiness. And every time we go over there, and teach them a little more about our Savior, Jesus Christ, I see a little bit of saddness leave their eyes and hope fills it instead. That is one of the greatest feelings in the world, to bring people that kind of joy, one that is permanent, and can get you through the darkest of times. I know that God is mindful of every one of His children, and He wants us to use hard times as a time to come closer to Him and rely on Him. His arms are stretched out wide open to us.
I love you all so much! I hope and pray I get to stay here another transfer at least, because I love this place and these people with my whole heart. It kills my companion and I to think about leaving this town, leaving our amis, our branch, and each other. But, I will go wherever the Lord needs me. We will see what happens on Friday!
Have a great week!
Love,
Soeur Shields
This past week was pretty cool. We were out of our sector for a lot of it again. On Tuesday we were on exchange in Genève. I love working there! There is so much diversity. I met people from Brazil, Africa, Connecticut, Lithuania, Mongolia, etc. You name it, I met them! I got to work with 2 awesome sisters from Sweden and England. By the end of the day, I was talking in a thick British accent...nothing out of the usual for me though. Haha
Also, we had a sweet Zone Conference in Lyon! Elder Kearon (General Authority) and his wife spoke. They are such powerfully spiritual people. Guess who I met there? Elder Haws...Tyler Haws brother. And Elder Smart...Elizabeth Smart's brother. It was pretty cool! Anyways, that Conference was so incredible. They talked about something that a lot of us were surprised about, which was about how to prepare for our future families. They told us how everything we do now on our mission, will add value to our future family. While we're here, if we're doing what we're supposed to be doing, we will become better parents and spouses. We will be more patient, more understanding, more loving, more sympathetic, more obedient, etc. That was a really cool concept for me to think about. It gives me a lot of drive to do my very best on my mission, because I have that incentive now to make my future family that much stronger. He had us all close our eyes for a few minutes, and then played Motab's version of "Come Thou Fount" and he told us to picture our future spouse and children while it played. So I did. And a line in that song stuck out to me in a way that it never has before. "Here's my heart now take and seal it, seal it for thy court's above." I decided that's it! That's what I want for my future family. I want every member of my family to be so devoted to our Savior, that we are willing to give our whole hearts over to Him. It was a really special experience, and I felt very close to those sweet spirits who will be sent to me one day.
We also had a really fun sports activity with our YSA's and youth amis this week. We played basketball and soccer. It felt SO good to kick the ball around again. But, it is so frustrating playing sports as a missionary! Since it has to be literally no-contact, I couldn't be nearly as aggressive as I'd like to be...haha.
We also got a new ami this week! It was really cool how it happened. One of our old amis who we never contacted us again after his first RDV, we ran into in the park. Well he was with a friend and we got talking with the friend, and ended up fixing a RDV with him. He came, and he is so cool! Very open and he even said he thinks the Holy Spirit sent him to us. His name is Nathan, and he's from Kenya. Please pray for him!
One other great thing! We made our key indicators this week! 20 lessons! We worked our butts off!
I hope you all had a great Halloween! They really don't celebrate it here. But, one of our awesome members let us come over for a halloween dinner and completely decked out their house and gave us all these cute pinterest halloween treats. My comp and I also found a pumpkin at a market and we all carved it and had crépes on Halloween night! There were a few little kids out dressed up getting candy.
We also had a great lesson with the Hiseni's, our Albanian amis. I can't even describe how much I love them. They skyped their daughter in this time because they wanted her to meet us, and she is so cool too! I just feel so blessed though for the life that I grew up with. I feel so spoiled, because there are so many people who literally have nothing, and have very little they can do to help themselves. I want so badly to provide them with a job and to bring their kids to them, but my role here is to bring them another source of happiness. And every time we go over there, and teach them a little more about our Savior, Jesus Christ, I see a little bit of saddness leave their eyes and hope fills it instead. That is one of the greatest feelings in the world, to bring people that kind of joy, one that is permanent, and can get you through the darkest of times. I know that God is mindful of every one of His children, and He wants us to use hard times as a time to come closer to Him and rely on Him. His arms are stretched out wide open to us.
I love you all so much! I hope and pray I get to stay here another transfer at least, because I love this place and these people with my whole heart. It kills my companion and I to think about leaving this town, leaving our amis, our branch, and each other. But, I will go wherever the Lord needs me. We will see what happens on Friday!
Have a great week!
Love,
Soeur Shields