Heeeellllllooooo! So this week is transfer week. I was so heartsick because we are seeing MIRACLES here in Liege and I didn't want to have to leave. Buuuut I AM STAYING HERE ANOTHER TRANSFER. That's right people six months in my favorite Belgian town. I'm as happy as a clam. Maybe happier:)
Well, there are a lot of people that we've been teaching that I don't think I've ever even written about, so today...let me introduce you to my dear friends...
Aurica and Katie: Soeur Walker found their fiche in the former amis section at the beginning of the transfer. We were able to get a hold of them and start meeting with them. Aurica is a single mother from Romania. Katie is her ten-year-old daughter who was born in America. It is Aurica's dream to move back there so Katie can have more opportunities. I think that is Aurica's big interest in the church and the missionaries -- it's connection to America. But Katie...WOW... I have never met a child quite like her. She knows so much about Jesus Christ and the Bible in general. She went to primary yesterday and the primary teaching was "etonné" (shocked) by how intelligent she was and the sheer volume of questions she posed. We went over yesterday evening because Aurica wanted us to help Katie study for her English test and Katie just bombarded us with all sorts of questions about the Plan of Salvation...it was astounding. Haha we were practicing some English, the difference between this, that, these and those, and giving different examples of each, and Katie said "Those is my moms!" We gently corrected her, "No, THAT is your mom." And she said, "Mais non, il y a Mère Celeste aussi!" (but, no, there is Heavenly Mother too!) What kind of deep doctrine did they get into in Primary? haha I loved it. Katie was pretty upset when we had to leave and couldn't finish answering her questions, she said, "I guess I won't know all the answers until I'm dead!" haha adorable...but kind of morbid. I love kids.
Rita Hublet: Or as I like to call her, Rita from Remicourt, or Remicourt Rita. So I don't know how it is in other missions, but out here in the wilds of Belgium headquarter referrals are few and far between. I think I've gotten a grand total of four on my entire mission. And for the most part they've been impossible to contact etc. So Rita was a headquarter referral that Soeur Johns and I received back in...October I think. We went all the way out to Remicourt (middle of nowhere) to find her and she wasn't home. Then we called and she was in the hospital etc etc. Long story short we finally had a rdv with her about a week ago. She. is. one of a kind. Wow she's an amazing woman. She looks like she walked right out of the 1960's, hair, make-up tous que vous voulez. She is 60 but looks like she's in her 40's (maybe it's the make-up. She is absolutely delightful and very very happy all the time. I loved her immediately, especially when she invited us into her living room and I asked myself if I just stepped into India or something. Apparently she really likes India, although she's never been... Anyways I've decided that referrals are the best! She is so eager to learn and asks the best questions. We gave her a Book of Mormon the first time and had a really good discussion about faith. The spirit was so strong. The strongest point was when she, after talking with us very excitedly about the church, BoM etc, suddenly got very quiet and asked if she could ask us one more question..."Is it...do you think...to late for someone like me?" I immediately felt an outpouring of God's love for this woman. She's obviously been through a lot in her life (health and family problems), but she has continued to search the whole time. I testified that it is never, ever too late. That is the CORE of the gospel message. God is there, waiting with open arms, our unchanging, loving Heavenly Father. We saw her again a few days later and she kept saying how her reading is going very slowly, but at the end we found that in just a few days she'd almost finished 1 Nephi! She's amazing!
There are so many others! I wish I had more time to tell you about all of them, but I guess it will have to wait until next week. I'll introduce you to some more of my friends:-) I love how in french we call them "amis" (friends) and not "investigators." Because these people really truly are my friends!
Well, missionary work here is kind of exploding. Especially in Liege 2 (our smaller branch, so, yay!) We had about 6 people come to church yesterday. And the Elders baptized Ismael. Gigh and Christianna were there and they loved it! They are both excited for their baptisms someday :) For Christianna that's the 15th of March and for Gigh she just knows that it's soon. ALSO awesome news from Rennes! My dear Sofie (remember her? the Chinese student?) was baptized this last Saturday. I am so proud of her, she is going to be an awesome church member. She said that her plan is to get married in the temple have lots of children and send them all on missions! Amazing.
Well, we have a super packed week lined up, so glad it's transfer week and we don't have district meeting! More lessons! 2014 is off to a great start, here in Liege, and in the whole mission. There were like a billion baptisms last week. Also, I'm super happy I get to stay in the dream apartment for six more glorious weeks heehee. Also, can you say birthday in Liege! Sariah told my I couldn't get transfered because she'd already planned my birthday party:) Didn't know she had so much influence over President Poz, haha je rigole.
Until next week!
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