kales takes paris: 2014-01-19

You know it's a good week when your ami has a VISION that the church is true!!!!!!

But let's just start from the beginning...

Monday: P-day. Then we went on exchanges. I was lucky enough to go with Soeur Miller again! I did my first exchange with her in Vannes and she is from Texas, so basically we are MFEO. I love her because she is SUCH a good missionnarie, but she is so chill and doesn't drill you about your entire life story. Also, Soeur Andersen was still staying at the Paris-même apartment at this time, so I basically got an exchange with her at the same time. It was so fun to talk about all of our mutual friends. Everyone and their little sister is married or pregnant. & I'm a nun.

Tuesday: We met Rose at the Visitors center and had a GREAT lesson with her and made a TON of progress. She said that her impeachment keeping her from being baptized is that she wants her whole family to be together in the same religion, but they live in the Philippines. So we asked her if we could sent the missionaries over to them, and she said YES!! She didn't know you could do that! We don't have news on if they have started taking the lessons yet, but she texted us yesterday said she really wants to see us, so that's a great sign :) After Rose, we went and saw Jimmy and Sarah! Jimmy is just glowing! They are so happy and I guess they were unofficially engaged before this, but he proposed this week!! Now she has a ring and they are getting married pretty soon actually :) One step closer to exaltation, ahh yeahhhh. Haha. But BAD NEWS, they are probably moving to Marseilles in the south of France within the month because they want to be closer to Sarah's mom. :( I am not worried about them staying strong or anything, but I am very sad for me. We prayed and fasted with them about it yesterday and they got the answer that it was right. I am going to miss them so much. I might just have to come back to France for their wedding next year, if I'm not having one of my o...JUST KIDDING. After visiting them we went and saw Noah our little miracle child!! He is getting BAPTIZED this WEEKEND!!!!! He is so excited! I'm so excited! :)

Wednesday: We started out the day by seeing Audrey. She is going through a REALLY hard time right now and needs prayers. We talked to her about faith, and she has a TON of it, but she is really struggling in her life right now because she lives all alone with her little girl and "all she wants is a family who can worship the Lord together." Ah, bless her heart. I really want to take her over to a member's house named Joyce who is in the same situation. I think they could really be friends. After Audrey we went and visited the President of the Relief Society. It was...interesting. She basically told us that she doesn't feel like she knows anything about the gospel and wants us to teach her the lessons. You know you're in France when...haha. But I think that if the Relief Society President needs us to teach her the lessons, that is a worthy use of our time. The members need strengthened too, and I know that if we can lift her, she is in the perfect place to lift all of other sisters in the ward.

Thursday: Thursday we had District Meeting and then we went and taught Catherine Michelle. The FIRST thing she said when we sat down: "I got my response. I know that I need to be baptized." #what. So basically the night before she had a vision. She saw an old man describing to her that something that was on the earth during the time of Jesus Christ had been taken away, but was now restored and is going forth to all of the world. She interpreted this as the missionaries because we had existed in Christ's time, but now-a-days there are "not a lot of people who do what we do". We helped her see that, in fact, it went even deeper and was talking about the RESTORATION of the gospel by the Prophet Joseph Smith!! Talk about a testimony builder for me! She is in the process of praying about a date! :) MI-R-A-CLES happpeeeennnnnn. Today, all around us. I had to go on a mission to really understand this, but I know that if you just open your eyes you will see them and have experiences like this in your every day life. That night we went and saw Alicia our 12 year old ami who is getting baptized Feb 22nd. Her family is the cutest and I am just so glad to see her mom completely back in action after being in-active for so long.

Friday and Saturday: Were fun. We met with a couple of new amies and we'll see where they go. AND we ate CHIPOLTE. It just opened in Paris. Can we just talk about how I have not eaten black beans, or cilantro lime rice, or carnitas, or anything spicy for that matter in SOO long. It was a gift from heaven. I am going to have to control myself or someone is going to have to roll me home.

Sunday: Sunday was fun too. We went to church. Jimmy got the Priesthood. Then saw Anne, who is actually turning out to be a little cray-cray, but on verra. Then we went and ate with the Poznanski family with Sarah and Jimmy. Okay, cutest family in the WORLD, and best mangez-vous ever...probably because we had all been fasting the whole day, but still so good. It was so chill and they were really the perfect people to talk to Sarah and Jimmy about their decision to move. Plus they showed us some great pictures of President when he was young. Ah, I got a good little laugh.

Basically this week was amazing! This ville is a MIRACLE ville. I am so sad that Soeur Francis is leaving me, but I am so excited for her to go serve in VANNES, my bleu ville! I feel so blessed to have been able to have served with Soeur Francis. I KNOW that she was exactly the companion that I needed at this point in my mission, and she has blessed my life every single day. She is one heck of a missionary and person!! As for my new companion... I will get to meet her on Wednesday!!! :)

I love you. The Gospel of Jesus Christ is true. It's true. It's true. There is nothing better.

Until next week, Soeur Johns

Also, it's SOLDES again. I may or may not have just dropped some cash-money on some cute RM clothes. Sorry dad, I loooveeeeeeeeee youuuuuuuuuuu.