Dear family,
Sorry for the day late email! We have had a good, crazy week.
Paula is officially preparing to be baptized this weekend and our lessons with her have been lovely. This week we talked about the Word of Wisdom and she gasped over the no coffee thing, but then was quiet for about 3 seconds and said, "That's easy. I quit smoking a year ago, so this will be fine. No problem." She so readily accepts change. She said what she has loved most in getting to know God and making changes in her life is that it is free. We search and search and search for things to fill us and make us whole and better, often things that are material or fleeting or empty. My favorite quote of the lesson was this:
"It is free and it makes you free."
I think that is perhaps the most concise and beautiful way I have heard someone sum up the gospel on my mission. It comes with a personal price of work and change, but the change makes us free and liberates us from the things that bind us. There is such a visible change in her. She announced to us and some members in the ward that she is going to serve a mission someday, too :)
Paula lives in a hotel for the moment, and in the hotel there are a lot of refugees or immigrants that come and go. Paula is the angel of the hotel and takes care of ALL of them. Translates when she can, takes them to meetings with their social workers, helps them around town, and also introduces them to the missionaries. Which we love :)
One such friend is a woman from Albania named Valbona. Paula brought her to our rdv this week so that we could speak to her in English. She has been in France for two weeks and doesn't speak a lick of French. She speaks English very well though, so we were able to translate somethings and then teach her. Everytime I meet someone who has a hard life I think "Wow, that's it. That is the hardest story I have heard yet." And then I meet someone like Valbona. Once again, moms are the unsung heroes of the world. She is here with her little six-year-old son and he is so adorable and she is just doing her best to be happy and strong. As we taught her about prayer she listened so eagerly and intently. At the end of the lesson she pointed to her heart and said "I feel something here; I don't know what it is, but I feel something." She said that she prays, and we asked how she feels when she prays: "Better."
On Sunday she came to church and Soeur Lefrandt translated for her and when they said the opening prayer she turned to her, pointed to her heart and said "I am crying! Why?" During the lesson something was said about priesthood blessings and she asked if she could have one after sacrament meeting. There was someone visiting the branch who spoke English (miracle) and he gave her the sweetest blessing of comfort. After the blessing she was in tears and Paula came in and just hugged her and held her. It was so beautiful to see her helping others already with the gospel and with the innate love that she already has. It made me think of our baptismal covenants and this scripture:
8 ... and now, as ye are desirous to come into the fold of God, and to be called his people, and are willing to bear one another’s burdens, that they may be light;
9 Yea, and are willing to mourn with those that mourn; yea, and comfort those that stand in need of comfort, and to stand as witnesses of God at all times and in all things, and in all places that ye may be in, even until death, that ye may be redeemed of God, and be numbered with those of the first resurrection, that ye may have eternal life—
10 Now I say unto you, if this be the desire of your hearts, what have you against being baptized in the name of the Lord, as a witness before him that ye have entered into a covenant with him, that ye will serve him and keep his commandments, that he may pour out his Spirit more abundantly upon you?
I love that we covenant to bear each others' burdens and comfort those in need and be a witness of God. I am amazed at all of the witnesses of God I have seen on my mission. They are everywhere and they are so good and kind and true. I also love that He asks us to do these things so that He can pour out his Spirit more abundantly upon us.
It is free and it makes us free. And it just makes sense.
Another highlight of the week was Aiman praying at the beginning of our rdv. Still prays about cars, and is really hoping to get a blue one. I love it.
I love you and miss you and hope you have a wonderful week!
Love
Olivia
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