Sœur Goold : 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"