kales takes paris: Joycley's Story

One day Joycley was sitting on the bus and said a prayer. She hadn't prayed in quite a while, but her world was falling apart. She had recently moved back to Belgium from the UK after her dad died to take care of her momma, who hasn't been the same since. 33, divorced, and living with her mom in a French speaking country. This was just not what she was picturing for her life. To add to her stress, that day she had gotten a notice to move out of her apartment. She felt like there was no hope in the world, so she prayed and simply asked her Father in Heaven, "Please let the next person who sits by me on this bus be a positive person."

Up walks Soeur Wade. (One of the Soeurs who was in the MTC with me.) She sat down next to her and started talking. Joycley noticed the accent and asked her if she spoke English. They started chatting and got off the bus together at the next stop.

When Joycley realized they were the missionaries her first instinct was to RUNNNNN and HIDEEEE, but she couldn't ignore that these two beautiful girls were a direct answer to her prayer. So she listened. She was touched. And she decided to accept their offer to come over and help her move.

By the time she was all moved into her new apartment her and "the Sisters" had established a real friendship. She had been coming to church and really enjoying it. But all of the information was so new, and she had already been baptized 4 times, so she wasn't sure if this was the path that she should take.

Then she started reading the Book of Mormon from page 1. This is where her conversion to the gospel really started to take place. She was amazed by how well she could understand the words and relate to them. Each time she read and prayed she felt in her heart that the Book of Mormon was true. Eventually that feeling progressed into knowing that she needed to be baptized.

So she was!!

Yesterday!!

My girl, Joycely is the newest member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints!!!!

Have miracles ceased??? Was it a coincidence that Soeur Wade sat down next to her after she had prayed for just that???

I think NOT. :)

Ahh, I really am just sooooo sooooo sooooo happy. I feel so blessed to have been able to teach this amazing person, and know that it was not us. None of this was us. Just the LORD.

The baptism itself was interesting, to say the least. haha. Joyce is WAY afraid of water. Like HUGE huge huge phobia. Almost all of the members in the branch came out to support her (miracle in and of itself) and were there for the first time she went under. Wellllll her legs popped up and she freaked out that she was drowning, so she had to do it again. BUT SHE DID NOT WANT TO. She was just like "no sorry that is going to have to count, we are done", "no sorry joyce, you're not baptized yet". We had all of the members leave and go into the next room, and then drained the water and had her sit down and tried it again. TOES again. Ayiiii. She was about to pass out from fear at this point and just did NOT want to go under again. Little did we know all of the members in the room next to us prayed and right after they said amen, she went under all the way :) Praying works, people.

I am just SO happy. Joycley is REAL conversion. She is in this for life. Everything just felt good and right.

And on top of that we met a new friend named Lida. She came to the baptism yesterday and she really felt the spirit. She will be at church on Sunday :)

As for the NEWS....

I am staying in Liège and will be working with Soeur Hilton! We were in the same district in Bretagne and SHE IS A RED-HEAD too. Red-head equipe miracles again. I'm so ready. She is just a wonderful human and I'm excited to work with her. :) Not training...had to get over a little bit of pride...but I KNOW that President is inspired and I am trying to refuse in getting caught up in how everyone thinks of me as a missionary. I know how bad my feet hurt, I know how much I love these people. That's all that I need :)

MIRACLE TRANSFER HERE WE COME.

Love you all. You inspire me daily.

Soeur Johns