Natalie February 10, 2014

Hello everyone!

Wow. I don't even know where to start. This past week has probably been one of greatest weeks of my mission so far! I think Ammon describes it best, "my joy is full, yea, my heart is brim with joy, and I will rejoice in my God." Every single day this week we saw an incredible miracle, showing us that God is near.

It all started on Monday. We have an FHE each week with some members to bring some of our amis. Its hard to get amis to come, so for the most part it's us and some great members. This week however, our ami Erika came! She's the one who brings a new friend each time we teach her. It was so great! We played games and ate crêpes and she loved it!

Tuesday was incredible. Me and Soeur Richards made a goal to contact EVERY single person that we would see throughout the day! Every single person. So we did it! We contacted cool french teenagers, even a woman riding a bike, old women, you name it! We literally contacted every person we crossed paths with. It was incredible! It was incredible to see the faith of Soeur Richards! Her first couple of weeks here in France. She has completely put her fears on the alter and has given them to God. We were on our way to bring some cookies to a member that was sick, and there was a girl who looked about 13 on the bus. She looked pretty nervous and kept looking out the window. We kept smiling at her, and happened to get off the bus the same time. We looked down the street and her mom was taking pictures of her. It was the first time she ever took the bus home alone from school. It was the cutest thing ever. We knocked on the door of the member but they weren't home and the mom of that girl was outside her door. Knowing our goal, we walked over to the woman and contacted her! She was super nice and I asked her if she had just 5 minutes for us to share our message with her. She happily let us in! And 5 minutes turned into an hour! It was incredible! She was super open and SO kind! She asked so many questions. She has travelled to Jerusalem multiple times and for a gift, she gave us salt from the dead sea and a candle that was blessed in Christ's tomb. Crazy right? We got her info and she invited us to come back!

Wednesday we had Distirct Meeting, and after taking the train home and doing our 12 week
program we had only 3 hours to work that night. Right during golden hours! So we knelt and prayed to find people and be used by God. We left the church and had the feeling to visit a certain ami. So we crossed over to the other side of the road and ran into a girl, we contacted her and found out that she was muslim. We testified of Jesus Christ and she asked us who that was. We looked into her eyes and testified to her that He was HER Savior and Redeemer. That He knew her and He died for her. It really touched her and she told us she wanted to know more. So we got her info. Miracle #1 We left her and got on the tram to go visit that ami. There was a woman on the tram that was just GLOWING and I knew we had to talk to her! So we walked over and moved to sit by her and contacted her. it was only about 5 minutes before we had to get off, but she was interested and we got her info. Turns out she came to church yesterday and is GOLDEN! She came to all 3 hours and was loving everything. She told us she'd been searching and searching and never agreed with the docterine of other churches, but is excited to read the Book of Mormon and pray about Joseph Smith. Miracle #2! When we got off the tram after talking  to Lucette, a man stopped us and said he'd been listening to what we were saying and was really touched and wanted to know more. So we got his info and passed him to the Elders! Miracle #3 We then went to drop by at another amis house because the other one wasn't home. Anastasia, our other ami wasn't home either, but her sister was home! And we were able to meet her and talk with her. Miracle #4. Then we contacted a woman walking from her house named Janette! She was super kind and really open and wanted to know more. Miracle #5. Then it started to pour! It was raining and raining. We had about a half an hour left, before it was time to go in. We prayed that we would be made strong enough to hold it out before going in. All of a sudden, we looked up and found Marie! The woman we found last week. We hadn't been able to get in contact with her after we found her. It was a miracle and we taught her on the street. Miracle #6. As we walked up to our apartment, the bells from the church struck 9. Unbelievable. That's 6 people that God put in our path, after we prayed that we would be avaliable for Him.

Thursday, we went to the Quesnoy again and followed up on a woman we found. Her name is Jessie and she let us in! We had an incredible lesson with her and she's really interested. She had a lot of guilt and weight on her and she looks so desperate for anything that will set her free. We testified of God's love for her, and the hope that this gospel brings to the wounded soul. It was like she hung on every word. We're already close with her and it feels like we've been friends forever. We're going back this week and will continue to teach her. I'm so excited!

Friday we met with Kathy, our ami who has a baptismal date! She's so busy with work, school, internship, and being a single mom that she doesn't have a lot of time for anything else. We promised her blessings if she would make the effort to pray and seek God's love. Saturday, she prayed throughout the day and read the Book of Mormon. We prayed for her too all day and could really feel God's love for her.

Saturday, we visited Mary France and Didier, our recent converts. Didier played the organ for us. A good little arrangement of "yesterday" and "hey jude" thought of loge. haha we pumped them up about family history and even showed them our family trees. It was really cool to see the spirit touch their hearts to find their family.

Our mission goal right now is Doctrine and Covenants 64:33-34

 33 Wherefore, be not aweary in well-doing, for ye are laying the foundation of a great work. And out of small things proceedeth that which is great.

 34 Behold, the Lord requireth the heart and a willing mind; and the willing and obedient shall eat the good of the land of Zion in these last days.

Me and Soeur Richards fought to give our hearts and willing minds to God this week by being exactly obedient. We fought to be where He needed us to be and find who He needed us to find. We were just His hands as He directed us to His children. Words can't express how grateful I am for a loving Father in Heaven, who knows us! Who loves us! and wants us to be happy. We felt such joy as we found this week and taught.

 16 Therefore, let us glory, yea, we will glory in the Lord; yea, we will rejoice, for our joy is full; yea, we will praise our God forever. Behold, who can glory too much in the Lord? Yea, who can say too much of his great power, and of his mercy, and of his long-suffering towards the children of men? Behold, I say unto you, I cannot say the smallest part which I feel.

He pretty much summed it up for me. Word.

I love you all. so much! Working for you. See the beauty.

Love,

Soeur Cameron

100% No regrets I've promised to Give more

salt from the dead sea, our view out our balcony. Beautiful France

Our view from our balcony.

Salt from the Dead Sea