Bonjour à tous!!!
Je ne sais plus comment ressentir ou quoi dire... c'est la dernière fois que je vous envoie un email de la France en tant que missionnaire. Bref... c'est vraiment un mélange d'émotions mais je vais faire de mon mieux de m'exprimer.
So this week was amazing as always. Currently trying to just drink up every minute I have to spend in this beautiful place with these beautiful people.
On Wednesday we went to Lucille's house and she cut my hair (yay!). She also shared with us some quotes from the talk "Lord, I Believe," by Elder Holland. (Yes, you read that right, she found the talk and shared it with us)!
Fast forward to Saturday when we had a rendezvous with our amie Valerie Anne right before a baptism. Lucille came to help us teach. Recently Valerie Anne has been passing through a really hard moment in her personal life and it's been the coolest thing ever to see how God is strengthening her and helping her to find joy in the journey. Despite what's going on in her life, she's happier and more at peace than I've ever seen her before.
At the end of the rendezvous LUCILLE challenged Valerie Anne to choose a baptism date (teaching with recent converts is the best). We pulled out the calendar and let Valerie Anne choose. She chose the 10th of February. Besides Lucille I don't think I've ever seen someone so happy to choose a date for their baptism. As I saw that huge smile on her face I remembered the first time we met a few months ago. It was totally dark outside and we were on the bus heading home for the night. I went and sat down next to her and started a casual conversation. She said that she was interested in religion, but didn't believe in God. Then she said something that I'll never forget. She said: "I can tell that what you believe makes you happy. I would like to be happy like you."
It's been a long, beautiful journey since then. but every time we see Valerie Anne I see a little more of that joy in her. Every time, she has a little more faith, she has another experience with prayer and the scriptures to share. It doesn't happen all at once, but when let God into our lives, our lives change for the better.
I love the scripture that simply says: "The glory of God is intelligence. Or in other words, light and truth." This intelligence isn't an intelligence of worldly knowledge or facts, but a knowledge that "God loves his children." (1 Nephi 11:17) and when our lives reflect that knowledge, light, hope and joy flood into every moment we live.
I don't know how to describe it, all I know is that I've seen it. When we trust God, good things happen. Jesus Christ really is the light, life and hope of the world. I've seen that light fill my own life, that's why I came on a mission. And I'm so grateful to be able to see that light come into other people's lives.
For the Valerie Anne sitting in the bus so many weeks ago, having that light in her life was impossible. But, through little acts of faith (the first one being simply to fix a rendezvous with us), she is finding the joy that comes from trusting in "the One who knows all things."
In the words of Elder Holland:
"I am not asking you to pretend to faith you do not have. I am asking you to be true to the faith you do have. Sometimes we act as if an honest declaration of doubt is a higher manifestation of moral courage than is an honest declaration of faith. It is not! So let us all remember the clear message: Be as candid about your questions as you need to be; life is full of them on one subject or another. But if you and your family want to be healed, don’t let those questions stand in the way of faith working its miracle."
After our lesson with Valerie Anne and Lucille we all went together to watch the baptism of Kobé's family. Kobé has been baptized for about 3 years now, but his family was still living in Africa. They recently came to join him in France after a looong wait. And this weekend Kobé was able to baptize his wife and 2 kids. It was one of the most beautiful things I've ever seen, I just wish you all could have been there.
Well. I don't think I have anything deep or meaningful to say to close 18 months of being a missionary in France. It's difficult to find words to express 542 days worth of people, places, culture,
experiences, learning, love, joy, tears and miracles. I guess all I can say is that I know that God is our perfectly loving Heavenly Father. He know all things, but most importantly, He knows each of us
personally. When we feel lost, hurt, sad, weak, disappointed or down in any way (which we all feel sometimes), He is the one that knows exactly how to help. I know that because He loves us perfectly, He did not leave us here alone on earth, but he sent his only Son to show us the way.
I can't thank you enough for your love, support and prayers! See you next week! I love you so much!
Love,
Soeur Cami Goold
PS Huge shout out to my mom who kept the US postal service in business and lifted my spirits multiple times every single week with handwritten letters. You're the best, mom! 😘
Je ne sais plus comment ressentir ou quoi dire... c'est la dernière fois que je vous envoie un email de la France en tant que missionnaire. Bref... c'est vraiment un mélange d'émotions mais je vais faire de mon mieux de m'exprimer.
So this week was amazing as always. Currently trying to just drink up every minute I have to spend in this beautiful place with these beautiful people.
On Wednesday we went to Lucille's house and she cut my hair (yay!). She also shared with us some quotes from the talk "Lord, I Believe," by Elder Holland. (Yes, you read that right, she found the talk and shared it with us)!
At the end of the rendezvous LUCILLE challenged Valerie Anne to choose a baptism date (teaching with recent converts is the best). We pulled out the calendar and let Valerie Anne choose. She chose the 10th of February. Besides Lucille I don't think I've ever seen someone so happy to choose a date for their baptism. As I saw that huge smile on her face I remembered the first time we met a few months ago. It was totally dark outside and we were on the bus heading home for the night. I went and sat down next to her and started a casual conversation. She said that she was interested in religion, but didn't believe in God. Then she said something that I'll never forget. She said: "I can tell that what you believe makes you happy. I would like to be happy like you."
It's been a long, beautiful journey since then. but every time we see Valerie Anne I see a little more of that joy in her. Every time, she has a little more faith, she has another experience with prayer and the scriptures to share. It doesn't happen all at once, but when let God into our lives, our lives change for the better.
I love the scripture that simply says: "The glory of God is intelligence. Or in other words, light and truth." This intelligence isn't an intelligence of worldly knowledge or facts, but a knowledge that "God loves his children." (1 Nephi 11:17) and when our lives reflect that knowledge, light, hope and joy flood into every moment we live.
I don't know how to describe it, all I know is that I've seen it. When we trust God, good things happen. Jesus Christ really is the light, life and hope of the world. I've seen that light fill my own life, that's why I came on a mission. And I'm so grateful to be able to see that light come into other people's lives.
For the Valerie Anne sitting in the bus so many weeks ago, having that light in her life was impossible. But, through little acts of faith (the first one being simply to fix a rendezvous with us), she is finding the joy that comes from trusting in "the One who knows all things."
In the words of Elder Holland:
"I am not asking you to pretend to faith you do not have. I am asking you to be true to the faith you do have. Sometimes we act as if an honest declaration of doubt is a higher manifestation of moral courage than is an honest declaration of faith. It is not! So let us all remember the clear message: Be as candid about your questions as you need to be; life is full of them on one subject or another. But if you and your family want to be healed, don’t let those questions stand in the way of faith working its miracle."
After our lesson with Valerie Anne and Lucille we all went together to watch the baptism of Kobé's family. Kobé has been baptized for about 3 years now, but his family was still living in Africa. They recently came to join him in France after a looong wait. And this weekend Kobé was able to baptize his wife and 2 kids. It was one of the most beautiful things I've ever seen, I just wish you all could have been there.
Well. I don't think I have anything deep or meaningful to say to close 18 months of being a missionary in France. It's difficult to find words to express 542 days worth of people, places, culture,
experiences, learning, love, joy, tears and miracles. I guess all I can say is that I know that God is our perfectly loving Heavenly Father. He know all things, but most importantly, He knows each of us
personally. When we feel lost, hurt, sad, weak, disappointed or down in any way (which we all feel sometimes), He is the one that knows exactly how to help. I know that because He loves us perfectly, He did not leave us here alone on earth, but he sent his only Son to show us the way.
I can't thank you enough for your love, support and prayers! See you next week! I love you so much!
Love,
Soeur Cami Goold
PS Huge shout out to my mom who kept the US postal service in business and lifted my spirits multiple times every single week with handwritten letters. You're the best, mom! 😘
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