Note from Soeur Goold's mom: Soeur Goold's P-days in France are even busier than when she was in the MTC, so don't be offended if you've written her and she hasn't written back. I know your emails mean the world to her, even if she doesn't reply. Today her and her companion went out exploring the Lyon area with some of the other missionaries in her area and just got to send this email out at the very end of the day (just when I'd given up hope that we'd hear from her at all this week). No pictures for now. I'm sure I'll get some later, after which I'll add them to the blog. (PICS ARE ADDED!)
*****************************
This week has been INCREDIBLE. So many miracles, big and small.
This week Soeur Kelley and I have really been working on how we can
turn conversations into lessons. Which basically just means testifying
and sharing scriptures with everyone who will listen, even when they
say they aren't interested. At first it felt a little pushy, but a
quote Soeur Kelley told me is: "the only difference between bold and
overbearing is LOVE." The message of Jesus Christ is literally the
single most important message we could possibly share with anyone. And
if we love them while we share it, it isn't an inconvenience to them
at all. The 60 seconds we talk to them about the Savior are some of
the most important moments of their life because we are sharing Christ
with them. So I'm working on being a lovingly bold missionary.
Definitely have a lot to learn, but excited to be starting!
#mishspiration
Along with the above statement that Christ is the single most
important message we can share, I found this scripture during personal
study this week that I LOVE:
"Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and not be afraid; for the
Lord JEHOVAH is my strength and my song; he has also become my
salvation."
Can't really add much to that except to say that Christ is the reason
I am here. I will trust in him that he will help me be a better
missionary and learn French. I will not be afraid to talk to anyone.
My calling is to bring the joyous news of the atonement to people's
doorsteps. The only way to do that is to be bold and loving.
Updates:
This week Soeur Kelley and I worked really hard to reach our goal of
20 lessons which meant tons of porting! (Door to door). We ended the
week with over 200 conversations which meant lots of talking to
people.
Here are 2 of my favorite porting experiences this week:
Sweet: atheist couple who invited us in for orange juice (only the
second time we've ever been invited in). They didn't share our beliefs
but they were so kind and happy to listen to us talk about Christ.
Turns out the guy is a free mason (francmaison). Took me a while to
figure out what he was saying in French, but he ended up inviting us
to speak at his free mason convention hahah. Definitely won't be doing
that, but it was pretty funny. Also, cool because their house was the
very last house at the top of a huuuuge hill. Soeur Kelley didn't want
to go but I just had a good feeling about it and it ended up being
such a cool experience. Just to give you a little mental image of this
guy, he drove a Porsche and had really cool original paintings all
over his house and told us "sure I believe in God, I believe that I am
God." Okay...
Sour: one guy started yelling at us (in English): "listen to me. I
know you are from America. I know how it is there. I speak very good
English. But in France we don't just knock on people's doors to talk
about Jesus. We just don't do it. If we want to go to church we go to
the church just there. Please stop. This is for you that I'm telling
you this." We just smiled and said "merci, Bonne journée" Thanks
dude... Don't worry, we proceeded to knock on every other door on his
street :)
Highlight of the week: sacrament meeting was one of the coolest
experiences of my life. The talks were so powerful. I definitely still
didn't understand even close to everything, but I understood enough to
feel the spirit that was there. If you read my email last week then
you know what a MIRACLE it was to really feel the spirit at church, IN
FRENCH. So grateful.
Lowlight of the week: not a real lowlight but when we saw this
massive spider a couple inches from Soeur Kelleys face it was pretty
interesting... Also lowlights could include the many many times Soeur
Kelley and I start talking to someone and they respond "sorry I don't
speak English..." Well actually we're speaking French, but that's
okay. Hahaha so anyway, that's good. French will come, it'll come.
That's what I keep telling myself.
Sending you all my love from France!!
Soeur Cami Goold
overbearing is LOVE." The message of Jesus Christ is literally the
single most important message we could possibly share with anyone. And
if we love them while we share it, it isn't an inconvenience to them
at all. The 60 seconds we talk to them about the Savior are some of
the most important moments of their life because we are sharing Christ
with them. So I'm working on being a lovingly bold missionary.
Definitely have a lot to learn, but excited to be starting!
 |
| A tag picture overlooking Lyon taken from the beautiful Notre Dame de Fourviere. Fun side note: the blog header picture was taken from this same location, while we were on our vacation there this summer. |
Along with the above statement that Christ is the single most
important message we can share, I found this scripture during personal
study this week that I LOVE:
"Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and not be afraid; for the
Lord JEHOVAH is my strength and my song; he has also become my
salvation."
Can't really add much to that except to say that Christ is the reason
I am here. I will trust in him that he will help me be a better
missionary and learn French. I will not be afraid to talk to anyone.
My calling is to bring the joyous news of the atonement to people's
doorsteps. The only way to do that is to be bold and loving.
 |
| Zone training. Love hanging with the other missionaries! |
This week Soeur Kelley and I worked really hard to reach our goal of
20 lessons which meant tons of porting! (Door to door). We ended the
week with over 200 conversations which meant lots of talking to
people.
 |
| Our joy after teaching 20 lessons this week! |
Sweet: atheist couple who invited us in for orange juice (only the
second time we've ever been invited in). They didn't share our beliefs
but they were so kind and happy to listen to us talk about Christ.
Turns out the guy is a free mason (francmaison). Took me a while to
figure out what he was saying in French, but he ended up inviting us
to speak at his free mason convention hahah. Definitely won't be doing
that, but it was pretty funny. Also, cool because their house was the
very last house at the top of a huuuuge hill. Soeur Kelley didn't want
to go but I just had a good feeling about it and it ended up being
such a cool experience. Just to give you a little mental image of this
guy, he drove a Porsche and had really cool original paintings all
over his house and told us "sure I believe in God, I believe that I am
God." Okay...
Sour: one guy started yelling at us (in English): "listen to me. I
know you are from America. I know how it is there. I speak very good
English. But in France we don't just knock on people's doors to talk
about Jesus. We just don't do it. If we want to go to church we go to
the church just there. Please stop. This is for you that I'm telling
you this." We just smiled and said "merci, Bonne journée" Thanks
dude... Don't worry, we proceeded to knock on every other door on his
street :)
Highlight of the week: sacrament meeting was one of the coolest
experiences of my life. The talks were so powerful. I definitely still
didn't understand even close to everything, but I understood enough to
feel the spirit that was there. If you read my email last week then
you know what a MIRACLE it was to really feel the spirit at church, IN
FRENCH. So grateful.
Lowlight of the week: not a real lowlight but when we saw this
massive spider a couple inches from Soeur Kelleys face it was pretty
interesting... Also lowlights could include the many many times Soeur
Kelley and I start talking to someone and they respond "sorry I don't
speak English..." Well actually we're speaking French, but that's
okay. Hahaha so anyway, that's good. French will come, it'll come.
That's what I keep telling myself.
 |
Soeur Cami Goold
 |
| We keep seeing these cute cars around town |
 |
| The trash in the street after a marchet. I thought it looked beautiful. |
 |
| Soeur K and I have been working on a meal plan and trying to eat healthier This is my mom's BBQ chicken salad recipe |
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