The Finish Line!!! (update #76)

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! 😘

 

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