Last Six Weeks (update #72)

Hellooo Everyone!!

This week officially marks the beginning of my last transfer (6 weeks) as a missionary. Lots of crazy emotions that we don't need to go into right now. But, what that means for the moment is that Soeur Gowans left me :( it was really sad to say goodbye to her, we've had a lot of good, funny, spiritual, crazy moments these last 12 weeks and it was rough to see her go. (For me and all our amies).

 

 But also so exciting because she's heading home back to America and school and dating and all the exciting things haha.

And my new companion is... SOEUR BROOKSBY!!

 

 She is honestly the greatest. She was in Carcassonne and Angoulême (close to Toulouse) the whole time I've been here so she's been here for exchanges, district meetings and zone conferences so many times. It's really fun getting a companion that I know (a little) and love (a lot).

In other news this has been such a fun week as we went around having final rendezvous (for Soeur Gowans) with all of our amis.

 

On Sunday we got to go to our amie Paloma's evangelist church before leaving and it was such a fun experience. They sang a lot of hymns that I've never hear before, all to the beat of bongo drums. It was a very different experience, but very eye opening to see how so many people worship God in different, but beautiful ways.

It made me so happy to see other ways of worship, but it also made me a little sad to think of the very essential element of the gospel that they're missing: eternal families. They're missing the temple and the ability to be sealed to our families for time an all eternity. They are stuck in the belief that marriage and earth relationships are only "till death do we part." It's something we've talked about a lot with our amie. She wants to believe in eternal families and temple marriages, but her education makes it hard for her.

It makes me so incredibly grateful for the knowledge that we have that families can be eternal. That because Jesus Christ conquered death, each one of us can live with our families again after this life on earth. The grave has no victory.

Especially during this Christmas season, a lot of people I meet are really surprised that I won't be going home for Christmas and that I haven't seen my family in 17 months. They always ask me if it's hard. I never have a good response. Because it is hard to be away from my family... I love them more than anything and of course all I want for Christmas is to be with them. But on the other hand, it's really not hard at all to be here in France as a missionary because I know that my family is forever. And the chance to share the joy of forever families with other people is more than worth every one of these 18 months I'm spending across the ocean from my family.

This week we saw Marie and talked about temples and it just reminded me of all of these beautiful blessings that come from temples and eternal marriages and families. Marie has become such an amazing friend these last 12 weeks and I can't even express how much I love teaching/ spending time with her. Before my mission I never thought that our amis (de l'église) would actually become my friends. I don't really have words to describe how amazing it is to share the joy of the gospel with real friends.

Speaking of which, Lucille got her recommendation to receive her patriarchal blessing AND go to the temple for baptism for the dead this week!!! #purejoy

Well, I think that's all for this week. I love you all and MERRY CHRISTMAS!!

Don't forget to #LighttheWorld

Love,
Cami

Some picturesque spots around Toulouse:   

Dinner with Lucille, where I ate a fish eyeball.  

Some more shots from around town: 

The other Toulousian missionaries:  

Our Metro stop:

Au revoir Bordeaux (update #60)

Bonjour!!

This week I was transferred to TOULOUSE!! I'm so excited. Well, actually there were a lot of mixed emotions. I was sooo sad to leave Bordeaux, especially my wonderful companion Soeur Addie Rutter, but if I had to leave, I'm pretty excited that it's to Toulouse.

This last week in Bordeaux has been one for the books. We continued the tradition of breaking French baguettes. There was a specific "baguette" in our ward that Soeur Rutter and I HAD to crack...
but this one was particularly hard. One day while reflecting on how we could make it happen we mentioned that we wished it was his birthday so we could bring him a cake and sing to him and then he would HAVE to like us. Then we had the best idea ever: "let's just pretend it's his birthday and show up to his house with a cake and sing to him anyway!"

So then we did...

And it worked!!! They thought it was hilarious. And we hung out with them for an hour that night and another hour the next night at the ward party. They were joking with us and saying that I should marry someone in Bordeaux so I don't have to go to Toulouse (didn't really get the logic there, but it was funny I guess haha...)

Baguette bien broken!!

And the best part is that it's going around the ward that "les sœurs messed up his birthday" and it's so funny... but nobody knows that it was totally on purpose. Hahah

So maybe this is bad life advice... but when someone doesn't like you, you should just pretend it's their birthday and bring them a cake.  Lol.

In even more exciting news, we have a new ami Ambroise who is SO COOL. We met him last Monday at the bus stop on our way home. Since then we've had two rendezvous, he's read almost all of 1 Nephi and he wants to be baptized! He has a lot of changes he needs/ wants to make, but he is so sincere and in tune.  Here's a pic of when he came to church Sunday!

Also, our new amie Ronicka is so cool!! We've had two rendezvous with her this week and she is sooo amazing.

I'm a little sad to leave right as all these miracles are happening, but so excited for Talence and all the amazing miracles that are happening right now!! And luckily, God will be doing His work in Toulouse just as he is in Bordeaux :)

Saying goodbye to the famille O was so sad.

We went over and they didn't really understand WHY I can't come back and visit them :( but it's okay. C'est la vie missionnaire. While we were there, Anila (the mom) gave us chicken and just said in her broken French/ English "here, Soeur Goold, respect." It brought tears to my eyes and was also just so cute. I love them SO much.

Saying goodbye was hard, but I'm so excited for the new adventure that Toulouse will be! They call it "la ville en rose" because it's all red brick and beautiful and happy. (this is the view from our balcony)

Oh and how could I possibly have forgotten, my new companion is SISTER GOWANS!!! She is literally one of my dream companions and I'm so excited to serve with her. (sad not to be with Soeur Rutter anymore), but seriously soo pumped too. She's chill and funny and a great missionary. She's been here for one transfer more than me which means she only has 2 transfers left in her mission which hopefully means I'll be with her till the end :))

Thank you so much for all the love and prayers and faith. The world is crazy, but hope is always here. Love you!

Soeur Cami Goold
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More goodbyes....

Fabrice

De Franchi sisters