Bonjour tout le monde!!
This week we received our first transfer calls along with the EXCITING
news that Soeur Kelley and I will be staying together in Lyon (Val de Saône area)!
So exciting. And to express how exciting this is, let me tell you a
little more about Soeur Kelley (something I realize I've totally
neglected to do).
This week we received our first transfer calls along with the EXCITING
news that Soeur Kelley and I will be staying together in Lyon (Val de Saône area)!
So exciting. And to express how exciting this is, let me tell you a
little more about Soeur Kelley (something I realize I've totally
neglected to do).
 |
| Soeurs Goold and Kelley will stay companions! |
I forget you don't know anything about my life unless I tell you.
Anyway, Soeur Kelley is AMAZING!
Anyway, Soeur Kelley is AMAZING!
Exactly what I needed in a trainer.
She's sooo laid back and gets along with everyone but also works so
hard. We've really been focusing on building relationships with
members and porting prayerfully and we've seen so many miracles
together. Also have had lots of laughs along the way (usually about me
doing something stupid hahah). Soeur Kelley has such a powerful
testimony and has really learned how to teach simply but with power.
I've already learned so much from her and I'm excited to have another
transfer to keep learning :) She's been on her mission since January
and has had 7 companions in 7 transfers. Yes, you've done the math
correctly, that means I'm the first companion of Soeur Kelley's entire
mission that she has stayed with for more than one transfer. (This
says nothing about me and everything about how easy Soeur Kelley is to
get along with). I can't believe I've been so blessed that my first 2
companions have quickly become lifelong friends.
We've decided that our relationship is like that of a mom and toddler.
She can understand everything I say and often has to translate for me,
just like a toddler speaks in absolute jubberish but somehow their mom
knows exactly what they want. We have a really good system worked out
where we meal plan together, I cook and she does the dishes. Thus far
it's been perfect :)
So Saturday morning while Soeur Kelley was in the other room the phone
rings with an unknown number. Usually I always let Soeur Kelley answer
but I figured I had no choice so I picked up and said "oui, bonjour?"
Well, turns out the call was for me. It was our bishop asking if I
could give a talk in sacrament meeting...TOMORROW. Of course I had to
say yes. With 9:30 church, one day to prepare, lots of porting to do,
and a 10:30 bedtime, I was a little stressed. Beforehand I just prayed
that God would help me communicate in spite of the language barrier.
That the Holy Ghost would shar my message. Well, my prayer was
answered. My talk may not have been beautiful, but everyone said they
understood perfectly. And as I always say: "si vous pouvez comprendre,
je suis contente."
READ HER TALK HERE.
Some funny Comments on my talk:
- Your French is good but your accent is terrible! You talk with your
mouth instead of your nose. Proceeds to imitate my speaking by widely
opening and closing his mouth. (Old French man visiting from Paris,
his daughter proceeded to tell me that this was a huge compliment
coming from him).
- You sounded like an apostle. (Diogen, YSA, about 20, from the Congo,
baptized about 2 years ago)
- instead of saying we knock on doors I accidentally said we kick down
people's doors the whole time hahahah. One of the members pulled me
aside after and made this very clear. Frapper dans Le port means to
kick down the door, frapper à le port means knock on the door. Good to
know.
Other laughs:
--This week we were out driving to a less active's house when suddenly
someone honks at us. We had no clue why so I said "maybe he was trying
to pass you" except instead I said "maybe he was trying to baptize
you." Didn't even realize what had happened until I looked over and
Soeur Kelley was dying of laughter. Well.... sounds like I'm
officially a missionary ;)
--The same day while porting someone told us the usual "j'ai pas
beaucoup de temps et ça m'intéresse pas de tout" (I don't have time
and I'm not at all interested). We always just smile and tell them:
thank you and have a nice day, except this time I said loud and clear
"aujourd'hui" instead of "au revoir" (I shouted at her "today!"
Instead of "goodbye") hahahah.
--We were at our lesson with Jeremy walking back to the car (he always
likes to walk around when we have lessons) when suddenly our phone
rings. Soeur Kelley takes a couple steps away to answer and Jeremy and
I are just standing there when suddenly I look down and see a HUGE
bright green bug on my leg. I thought it was a praying mantis. It was
just a grasshopper. But I shrieked and started hopping around in
circles and Jeremy was just dying of laughter and Soeur Kelley was
sooo confused on the phone. Then Jeremy killed the bug... I felt a
little bad, but not too bad. Hopefully it goes to bug heaven. (Is bug
heaven a real thing? If it is I hope it's really far away from human
heaven, that would be A LOT of creepy crawly flying insects)
Cool things:
Porting miracle, we only had an hour to go porting before we wanted to
stop by and visit a member (Soeur Simonet, awesome, forte member.
Reminds me a lot of my mom in her personality and dedication to her
calling. She visit teaches 15 people. 15. Because there are 139 women
on the ward list and only 31 are (mostly) active. She visits 7 every
month and writes handwritten letters to the other 8. Wow. She says
magnifying our callings and loving our neighbors selflessly is how we
show God our gratitude. And man does she live by that statement. Also
Soeur Simonet went to BYU and speaks perfect English. We always speak
French though so she can help me.) anyway, we went porting and really
tried to follow the spirit, one step at a time. We drove to a
neighborhood then felt like we needed to drive to the other side of
the ville, drove there, did a couple laps around the roundabout then
chose the rue to go down. Turned into a little cartier and started
porting. As we started knocking on doors the image of a rue we passed
driving into the neighborhood came into my mind. I told Soeur Kelley I
didn't know why but I wanted to go there... So we did. The first door
we knocked on was a young girl (maybe 17) who has never believed in
God, but was really interested in why we believe. You could tell she
saw something different about us and is looking for something more in
her life. She doesn't want to keep meeting with us now, but she
promised us she would start seeking God through prayer and scriptures.
#mishspiration
God doesn't always tell us the exact neighborhood or house we need to
go to, but if we let him, he will guide us, one little direction at a
time. Sometimes that means blindly taking the first step so He can
show us the next one. Like the blind man in the New Testament who
hears that Christ is coming and immediately stands up and runs toward
Christ while "Christ stood still in the way." We cannot sit still, we
need to stand up and take those first steps (sometimes blindly) to
meet Christ in the way. And the promise is that if we come to him as
he comes to us, through faith we can be healed.
Je vous aime!!!
Soeur Cami Goold
She's sooo laid back and gets along with everyone but also works so
hard. We've really been focusing on building relationships with
members and porting prayerfully and we've seen so many miracles
together. Also have had lots of laughs along the way (usually about me
doing something stupid hahah). Soeur Kelley has such a powerful
testimony and has really learned how to teach simply but with power.
I've already learned so much from her and I'm excited to have another
transfer to keep learning :) She's been on her mission since January
and has had 7 companions in 7 transfers. Yes, you've done the math
correctly, that means I'm the first companion of Soeur Kelley's entire
mission that she has stayed with for more than one transfer. (This
says nothing about me and everything about how easy Soeur Kelley is to
get along with). I can't believe I've been so blessed that my first 2
companions have quickly become lifelong friends.
She can understand everything I say and often has to translate for me,
just like a toddler speaks in absolute jubberish but somehow their mom
knows exactly what they want. We have a really good system worked out
where we meal plan together, I cook and she does the dishes. Thus far
it's been perfect :)
 |
| Cookies she baked for ice cream sandwiches for Soeur Burton's birthday |
rings with an unknown number. Usually I always let Soeur Kelley answer
but I figured I had no choice so I picked up and said "oui, bonjour?"
Well, turns out the call was for me. It was our bishop asking if I
could give a talk in sacrament meeting...TOMORROW. Of course I had to
say yes. With 9:30 church, one day to prepare, lots of porting to do,
and a 10:30 bedtime, I was a little stressed. Beforehand I just prayed
that God would help me communicate in spite of the language barrier.
That the Holy Ghost would shar my message. Well, my prayer was
answered. My talk may not have been beautiful, but everyone said they
understood perfectly. And as I always say: "si vous pouvez comprendre,
je suis contente."
READ HER TALK HERE.
Some funny Comments on my talk:
- Your French is good but your accent is terrible! You talk with your
mouth instead of your nose. Proceeds to imitate my speaking by widely
opening and closing his mouth. (Old French man visiting from Paris,
his daughter proceeded to tell me that this was a huge compliment
coming from him).
- You sounded like an apostle. (Diogen, YSA, about 20, from the Congo,
baptized about 2 years ago)
- instead of saying we knock on doors I accidentally said we kick down
people's doors the whole time hahahah. One of the members pulled me
aside after and made this very clear. Frapper dans Le port means to
kick down the door, frapper à le port means knock on the door. Good to
know.
Other laughs:
--This week we were out driving to a less active's house when suddenly
someone honks at us. We had no clue why so I said "maybe he was trying
to pass you" except instead I said "maybe he was trying to baptize
you." Didn't even realize what had happened until I looked over and
Soeur Kelley was dying of laughter. Well.... sounds like I'm
officially a missionary ;)
--The same day while porting someone told us the usual "j'ai pas
beaucoup de temps et ça m'intéresse pas de tout" (I don't have time
and I'm not at all interested). We always just smile and tell them:
thank you and have a nice day, except this time I said loud and clear
"aujourd'hui" instead of "au revoir" (I shouted at her "today!"
Instead of "goodbye") hahahah.
--We were at our lesson with Jeremy walking back to the car (he always
likes to walk around when we have lessons) when suddenly our phone
rings. Soeur Kelley takes a couple steps away to answer and Jeremy and
I are just standing there when suddenly I look down and see a HUGE
bright green bug on my leg. I thought it was a praying mantis. It was
just a grasshopper. But I shrieked and started hopping around in
circles and Jeremy was just dying of laughter and Soeur Kelley was
sooo confused on the phone. Then Jeremy killed the bug... I felt a
little bad, but not too bad. Hopefully it goes to bug heaven. (Is bug
heaven a real thing? If it is I hope it's really far away from human
heaven, that would be A LOT of creepy crawly flying insects)
 |
| Soeur Kelley, Cam, and Jeremy the bug killer |
Cool things:
Porting miracle, we only had an hour to go porting before we wanted to
stop by and visit a member (Soeur Simonet, awesome, forte member.
Reminds me a lot of my mom in her personality and dedication to her
calling. She visit teaches 15 people. 15. Because there are 139 women
on the ward list and only 31 are (mostly) active. She visits 7 every
month and writes handwritten letters to the other 8. Wow. She says
magnifying our callings and loving our neighbors selflessly is how we
show God our gratitude. And man does she live by that statement. Also
Soeur Simonet went to BYU and speaks perfect English. We always speak
French though so she can help me.) anyway, we went porting and really
tried to follow the spirit, one step at a time. We drove to a
neighborhood then felt like we needed to drive to the other side of
the ville, drove there, did a couple laps around the roundabout then
chose the rue to go down. Turned into a little cartier and started
porting. As we started knocking on doors the image of a rue we passed
driving into the neighborhood came into my mind. I told Soeur Kelley I
didn't know why but I wanted to go there... So we did. The first door
we knocked on was a young girl (maybe 17) who has never believed in
God, but was really interested in why we believe. You could tell she
saw something different about us and is looking for something more in
her life. She doesn't want to keep meeting with us now, but she
promised us she would start seeking God through prayer and scriptures.
 |
| SK, SG, Ana Sophia, and Soeur Carvalho |
God doesn't always tell us the exact neighborhood or house we need to
go to, but if we let him, he will guide us, one little direction at a
time. Sometimes that means blindly taking the first step so He can
show us the next one. Like the blind man in the New Testament who
hears that Christ is coming and immediately stands up and runs toward
Christ while "Christ stood still in the way." We cannot sit still, we
need to stand up and take those first steps (sometimes blindly) to
meet Christ in the way. And the promise is that if we come to him as
he comes to us, through faith we can be healed.
Soeur Cami Goold
 |
| Saying goodbye to the Sweeney's in the mission office. They are neighbor's of my grandparents. |
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