This week was another good, hard, crazy
week! Learned so much and am not the same person I was 7 days ago. We
had exchanges, interviews, zone conference and much much more. Last
week, most of our amis dropped us, and this week all of our rendez-vous
fell through! haha I don't really know what's going on in France right
now, but I do know that the work must go on, and it does! Oh how
grateful I am for a loving Heavenly Father who knows us individually and
fits us to the tasks that lay before us. No matter the challenge, we
can do it. Through each challenge we face, He carefully molds us into
someone stronger--someone fit to fight. And never give up.
I have always had a special place in my heart
for the unsung heroes in life. I love Hyrum, Sam, and even Samwise! I
love their loyalty, and their dedication to doing what's right for their
brothers, friends, or whoever they support.This week I studied about
the life of John the Baptist. And I've come to find out that he is
another unsung hero that lived an incredible life. I love him! And he's
now on my list of people to meet someday. Through the scriptures, we
learn that John was called to prepare the way for his second cousin, the
Savior Jesus Christ. Probably the most well known story of John is the
moment when he baptized Christ. John was exactly where the Savior needed
him at that moment--in the water. The moment we first learn of him,
he's doing exactly what he was called to do.
I also learned that as Christ's ministry began to
develop, John's followers started to leave him to follow the Savior;
Some of the people asked him about it, and this was his humble reply:
"He is as the Bridegroom; and I am only as the friend of the Bridegroom,
His servant and I rejoice greatly in being thus near Him. His voice
gives me happiness; and thus my joy is fulfilled" He humbly honors the
Savior in every situation! Soon after, John was thrown in prison because
of peer pressure from Herod's wife. The Savior sent men to tell John
that "the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf
hear, the dead are raised, and to the poor the gospel is preached." I
can't imagine how he must have felt learning of the things that he had
prophesied of and the things he'd dedicated his whole life to seeing. I
imagine him sitting alone in that dark and dreary cell, pondering and
just imagining the things the Savior was doing. It breaks my heart to
think of his last few days. Soon after, he was beheaded unlawfully and
his life ended. When I first studied this, I was really sad to see what
had happened of him. He had dedicated his life to preaching the word of
God, and he wasn't even there to see it. It reminded me of our missions.
Sometimes we work so hard it hurts, and almost nothing seems to come of
it. Sometimes we work so hard in a city and see "nothing" come of it in
our own eyes. I was sad for him. As I continued to study in Jesus the
Christ, I was reminded that "In May 1829, a resurrected personage
appeared to Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdrey, announced himself as John
known of old as John the Baptist, laid his hands upon the two young men
and conferred upon them the priesthood of Aaron which comprises
authority to preach and minister the gospel of Repentance of baptism by
immersion for the remission of sins." God didn't forget John. He was
called again, to help usher in the Restoration of the gospel of Jesus
Christ--the same gospel that he had so diligently worked for. God
remembered him and all the good he humbly left in his life. And because
of Him, there are missionaries all over the world baptizing just as he
did in his life.
This week, I was feeling a little like John. Every
single one of our rendez-vous fell through and the work all of a sudden
came to a slow, hard pace. It was hard! We were working hard and trying
to find success--but it was hard to find. Sunday
night, we decided to pass by a family that we've been trying to get in
contact with. We knocked on the door, not knowing if they were busy or
would let us in. She opened the door and we looked in to find aunts and
uncles and extended family. They invited us in and we asked if we could
pray with them! My companion Soeur Elliott said an incredible prayer,
and the brother in law said "bravo. That was incredible." He then began
to ask us questions. And lots of them. At first I was nervous, because I
thought he was just going to try and prove us wrong like a lot of them
do! But we soon found out that he genuinely wanted to know more. We then
had an experience that changed our lives. With each question, words
flew out of our mouth. Answers that we didn't even know! It was crazy.
Our french was spot on and the Spirit was THICK. It was incredible. He
told us that he was seriously impressed with us. He told us that he was
an Evangelical preacher and had never been so impressed by girls our
age. He asked us what made us different and how we weren't of the world.
I boldly testified of my parents and the lessons they taught me, and
how I came to know for myself that Jesus Christ is the Savior and
Redeemer of the World. And He is the reason I'm here. We each bore
testimony of the Restoration and the need to prepare for the Second
coming of the Savior. He prayed for us at the end calling us "warriors
of God". It was so powerful and as we were walking out the door he
leaned over to his sister in law and told her how proud he was of her
that she let us in.
Just as God didn't forget John, He didn't forget us
either. He used us for His work and He didn't leave us alone. I know
that this is God's work and it is real! There is no way that two twenty
something year old girls could sit in a small apartment in France and
boldly answer questions and questions and questions from an Evangelist
preacher and have it not be His work! That's exactly it. It's His work.
His time. His gospel, and His Son. And that is why we're here. We're not
here for it to be easy, because I learn over and over that it's not
easy and it's not supposed to be. But it's worth it! And with every hard
situation, comes amazing and incredible blessings.
Today we visited one of Napolean's castles and it
was absolutely beautiful. We walked where he walked and took a tour
inside their rooms. It was crazy! i'm reminded over and over and over
again that this is where i'm supposed to be! I'm happy and healthy and
living my dream. I know that this is the most important work that I
could be doing in my life right now and its completely changing who I
am. Couldn't be happier.
Love you all so much and hope you have a beautiful week!
Love,
Soeur Cameron
100% No regrets I've Promised to Give More
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| This...duh duh duh... is Napolean's castle. probably my all time favorite place I've visited so far.
this is the TOP of the list when ya'll come and visit someday. seriously
absolutely amazing.
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