When Christmas Comes to Town... (update #69)

Bonjour à tous!!

Christmas has officially hit the streets of Toulouse and I couldn't be happier. The lights are strung, the Christmas market is set up in the town square, there are trees everywhere and everybody just seems a little bit happier. Seriously, it's the best time of the year. To hit off the Christmas season, this week has been absolutely CRAZY, but also so good.

On Monday and Tuesday we spent a lot of time making cupcakes for tri-zone conference (we froze them so they would still be good). We also had to squeeze in almost all our lessons with our amis on Tuesday because Wednesday morning we woke up dark and early to catch our plane to LYON for MLC.

This MLC was different because the morning before was the Lyon 6-zone conference with general authority president Johnson. Toulouse wasn't part of that conference because we're too far away (ours was Friday). So we showed up in Lyon, made our way to the church, had a crazy adventure going to the wrong chapel (silly miscommunication hahah), showed up to MLC 10 minutes late, stayed for an hour and a half, and left right after the closing prayer to catch our flight back to Toulouse. Hahaha it was insane. But I got to give a quick hug to my favorite people (Sœurs Jones, Rutter, Wilson) and get some inspiration from MLC as always. So that was a super fun adventure. So grateful for the opportunity to go to meetings like that.

Then we got back on Thursday and had one day to do normal work/ get totally set up for the Toulouse tri zone conference (the rest of the mission that wasn't at the Lyon one).

We finished frosting the cupcakes, picked up flowers, set up tables.

It was so fun!!

I absolutely love doing things like this. Then Thursday night everyone showed up for conference the next day. We had 12 extra sisters sleeping in our apartment.

Madness. And so fun, there literally was not room to walk because there were sleeping humans on every inch of floor space.

Then, the highlight of the week: zone conference!!! It was the day after Thanksgiving and the theme was gratitude. For all of the new amis that Heavenly Father has given us and for how He is helping us to do His work here in Southern France. And it got us so hyped to be missionaries and to be able to be a little part of what Heavenly Father is doing here.

Conference was just another reminder of how grateful I am. The next day we were at stake conference and we got to introduce Lucille to the Browns. Three of my very favorite people in the whole world all in one place. And it just made me realize yet again how blessed I am to be here and to be able to know and love the people here. Lucille is one of the most faithful, loving open people in the world. The Browns are two of the kindest, most genuine and LOVING people.

 Not to mention all of my companions, members, and friends I've been able to meet here in France. And that's not even getting started on my wonderful family in America, my loving boyfriend who supports me from afar, my best friends on missions all over the world, so many blessings. Ahh sorry I'm getting so carried away. I'm not trying to make it sound like my life is the best or perfect by any means, God is just really good.

In the words of Alma:

36 "Now if this is boasting, even so will I boast; for this is my life and my light, my joy and my salvation, and my redemption from everlasting wo. Yea, blessed is the name of my God, who has been mindful of this people, who are a branch of the tree of Israel, and has been lost from its body in a strange land; yea, I say, blessed be the name of my God, who has been mindful of us, wanderers in a strange land."

My favorite part of being a missionary is and always will be experiencing the love that Heavenly Father has for his children.  Seeing all of the good that comes from that love. This is my light, my joy and my salvation. Even after 16 months, sometimes I feel a little like a wanderer in a strange land. I still struggle with French, I still don't know what I'm doing. Part of me thinks I feel a little like a wanderer for the rest of my life, but I can say without a doubt that God has been mindful of me. "God is mindful of us, wanderers in a strange land"

Well, life is good. I love Soeur Gowans, Toulouse is great.

I love you all with all my heart!

Love,
Soeur Goold

And They Did Give Thanks.... (update #68)

Bonjour tout le monde!!

The weeks are honestly flying by over here in Toulouse.. we've been running left and right and just having the time of our lives. This week has been super exciting but before I update you I just wanted to document a simple but powerful experience during church on Sunday.

This Sunday was the primary program in sacrament meeting. Always the best Sunday of the year. For the opening hymn we sang "En Sion, pays si cher" (don't worry about what that means). Anyway, during the chorus of the song we sang the words:  "entendez-vous la musique, de ces douces voix d'enfants? Confiants et pleins d'amour, ils font monter chaque jour vers le ciel lemurs chants joyeux et innocents."

The English version doesn't do it justice, but it's basically asking in a much more beautiful and poetic way: "do you hear that music? Do you hear the children singing with confidence and love their joyful
song to heaven?"

I'm not describing the situation very well, but as these beautiful words filled the room I was just suddenly overcome with an overwhelming sense of gratitude for everything my mission has brought
me. For this opportunity to live amongst the French people, to share my heart and my testimony with them, to be a witness to the perfect love Heavenly Father has for his children, to hear the beautiful music of the gospel with all of my heart and soul.

Does every moment feel like that? Of course not. But when we let God be in charge of our lives, no matter what arrives, at the end of the journey I think our overwhelming emotion will always be gratitude. And I'm just so grateful that God is patient enough with me to carry me through the moments when maybe I forget the gratitude emotion and focus on all the negative ones.

This Friday will be our tri-zone Thanksgiving conference and I'm so excited!!! I really wanted to make something to hang up (it's in our chapel so we're in charge of decorations) so I made this little quote thingy today...

but anyway, I just wanted to share this scripture: "They did raise their voices and give thanks to God."

I love its beautiful simplicity and I love the power of true gratitude. In the words of President Uchtdorf (a modern day apostle) "true gratitude heals the heart and expands the mind."

They may not celebrate Thanksgiving in France the way we do, but the spirit of giving thanks is all over and I'm just so happy to be a part of it.

As for what happened this week...

First and foremost, Lucille had her baptism interview and is SO EXCITED to be baptized on the 2 of December!! They announced it in church on Sunday and she was just glowing and beaming from ear to ear.

God is so good to His children when we are faithful and patient.  Lucille has been through a lot in her life and she's been searching for the truth for a long time... and now she's found her place where she feels at peace. And she is so full of excitement and energy for the gospel... it's incredible.

Speaking of her excitement for the gospel... she's already being a missionary! She invited her little sister, Léa to church last Sunday. Since then we have taught Léa twice and she has also decided to get
baptized!! I just love that when we feel the joy of the gospel, it's just natural to share it. I wish all of you could meet Lucille. Honestly, she is just the kindest, happiest, wisest human being.

Changing the subject, another weird/ fun thing that happened this week is that our friend Lou followed us around for an afternoon while we taught lessons and went contacting. Lou is a journalist and is not a member, but she's writing an article about how Mormons live their faith in Toulouse. So she followed us around for a day to get info/ pictures for her project. We were kind of freaking out/ super nervous, but it actually ended up being a really cool experience... because absolutely nothing changed having someone watch us. It kind of made me realize how normal being a missionary has become and how much I love doing it.

We also had an exchange with the Montauban sisters this week. Soeur Driggs is the absolute coolest person and we have so much in common.

So fun to spend the day with her :)

well... I think that's all I have to say for the moment.

Sister Gowans is incredible. Chill and funny and such a good missionary. Toulouse is the best. I hope you are all doing incredibly well and enjoying all the sweet potatoes and stuffing and homemade rolls this week. Happy Thanksgiving!!

Love,
Soeur Cami Goold

This is a picture of the missionaries in the Toulouse district, sitting on the number of chairs that equals the number of transfers they've been on their missions.  So fun to see Cami on the tall end of things!  

FHE with a family in their ward...

Touching Base (update #67)

Bonjour tout le monde!!

I completely ran out of time to write a group email today,  but this week has been so beautiful and full of miracles! Lucille is great, Marie is great.    We met Lucille's sister and she wants to get baptized the same day as Lucille!!

Here are some pictures of beautiful France and my beautiful companion!!

Love you all!!

Cami

The Last 12 Weeks (update #66)

Bonjour!!

I don't have a ton of time so this is going to be super short, here are some highlights of this week:

1. Lucille bore her testimony on Sunday about how God answered her prayer about where/ when she needed to be baptized. The ensued being that she needed to be baptized in our church on the 2nd of December. It was really cool because the room was kind of loud with people whispering/ kids crying, but as soon as Lucille started speaking, the room went silent. The spirit was so strong as she testified of her personal experience finding answers to her prayers. There is something so powerful and beautiful in the humility of a new and growing testimony. Hearing Lucille share her's was one of my favorite moments of my mission.

2. We received transfer calls and Soeur Gowans and I are staying together!!! YAY! It's Soeur Gowans' last transfer as a missionary and I only have 2 left which is INSANE. As a missionary there's a training program for new missionaries called "the first 12 weeks." And it's absolutely crazy to think that I'm officially starting my last 12 weeks. I honestly still feel like a little bleue that doesn't know what's going on hahah.

3. The sisters from Carcassonne have been staying with us since Thursday (they just left today).

On Sunday morning Soeur Gowans and I wanted to play a joke on them so I went and put on my nightgown with my missionary tag and everything and acted like I was going to wear it to church. I was asking for advice about shoes/ if I should wear it with a belt or not etc etc. It was SO FUNNY!! Because they were all so uncomfortable because you could tell nobody liked the dress... but not a single person said anything. All 3 of them were going to let me wear my nightgown to church hahah. I even asked "does it look too much like a robe" and they all said "no, you should wear it" hahaha. Don't worry, I didn't actually wear my nightgown to church ;) we did have a good laugh though.. I told them this picture was so that I could show my mom that I wore the dress she sent me to church lol.

Have an incredible week, I love you!!

Love,
Cami