May 26, 2014

When I send pictures I use it as my excuse to write less because my brain always feels jumbled and rushed during emails, so I’m sorry if this email is lame;)  this week was pretty awesome.  We have six new people that are inviting us into their homes to teach which is super exciting and one of them is a family :)  It is the daughter of Abel and Marguerite (who have been teaching us how to weave the vacoa :).   Also, we met a couple (the Thomas) a few weeks ago and had a super good conversation and they invited us to their house for a "peace night" and that went down this week.  They had a few of their friends over as well and we sat in a circle and each person had their turn to share their thoughts/feelings about peace and no one interrupted anybody.  It was actually a super awesome experience.  It is amazing to find people with such deep understandings and such thoughtful insights about life, and they are super kind and respectful.  Soeur Thomas and I bore our testimonies about the plan of happiness that God has planned for each one of us and how that has brought us peace in our lives.  We also performed a song (the french hymn "Souviens-toi") and she played the flute and I played the piano and sang and it went super well.  Everyone there gave us their numbers and we have visits with each of them this week and the Thomas invited us to come back whenever we wanted :)  I am happy and healthy and trying my hardest never to waste time or to wish away a second of this incredible opportunity.  La reunion is gorgeous and its people are precious to me.  I am starting to feel at home :) have a wonderful week everyone!!!! love, Soeur Wilson

 This is a video of "Souviens-toi". This version was translated into English.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L456ehZe6dM

These pictures are from our hike today:)

Some pictures with the family Poussin who made lunch for us after church:)

The family of our ward mission leader:)

The family Gathercole after a family home evening talking about the armor of God:)

Me being excited about a strange tree:)

19 May 2014

This is strange but I don’t really feel inspired to write right now... I think I need a nap.   This week was pretty good. Soeur Thomas and I did a TON of contacting!!!  and had some cool experiences:)  Our mission president asked us to be creative and to keep coming up with new methods for approaching/talking with people and we have done that this week a bit by accident. 

One morning it was raining and we talked with a lady on the street under our umbrellas.  We said a prayer before leaving and as we opened our eyes she had her hand over her heart and there were tears in her eyes, it was so sweet.  Then I was going to turn into the music store because you can often start pretty good conversations with people who are bored talking.  As we walked in Soeur Thomas said "soeur wilson, what are you doing??"  I looked around me and realized that we were in the tattoo parlor not the music store.  oops!!! but oh well, we were already there:) we ended up having super good lessons with all of the workers who were way friendly and even had a lesson with one of them who we are going to see again this wednesday.  You just never know :)  

Then a different day we were knocking on doors talking with people and we really had to go to the bathroom so we decided our new method of contacting was going to be asking people if we could at least come in and use there restroom;)  The first attempt was an epic fail and who knows what that lady thought our real intentions were, but the second try worked marvelously.  It was a super sweet old catholic lady and her daughter and they weren’t interested but they let us in to use the restroom and then we started talking, and in the end we were able to teach them a little :)  they were so sweet and kind. 

We also had a crazy experience where one day we had just a little bit of time to meet people before a lesson and the first door we knocked on was a young mother and when we said hi that we were missionaries for the church of Jesus Christ of latter day saints she said "oh! sister Thomas and sister Wilson, I already know you, come on in?" what!?  I’d never met her before.  Turns out it is one of the daughters of Abel and Marguerite (who teaches us how to weave vacoa) and marguerite has told her about us :D  we were able to have a really awesome discussion and she invited us back next week:)  super cool!!!  

We have some people who accepted dates to be baptized this week and I hope that they will not change their minds.  Jesus Christ died for us, for each and every one of us so that we could be happy; so that each of us could learn from our past/our mistakes but not be burdened down by them, and being baptized after having repented is like taking a bath, and it feels so good to be clean again.  I pray for them.  I love the people here :)   I have made so many friends, and I know I still have a long time here, but it will be strange to leave them when it comes time to go home.  Oh I forgot one more thing!  I it was my turn to give the lesson this past week at our district meeting (my first time :O  craziness, a forty minute lesson by myself in french).  I anxted quite a bit leading up to it, it ended up going super well :D  we talked about faith-what faith is, what we should have faith in, and what we can accomplish with faith.  I hope that you all had a fantastic week!  I love you all :D   love, Soeur Wilson

May 12, 2014

This week was fantastic. We have worked through some rough spots and everyone is getting along splendidly and it makes working hard every day so much easier:)   Soeur Thomas and I have been trying out some new methods of contacting which has been fun.  We went down to the boardwalk and played music (her on the flute and myself on the ukulele) and sang and were able to meet/talk to a lot of people that way:)   Also, one morning we went down to the port and decided to try and talk to the fisherman.  I got a crazy idea in my head and couldn’t resist.  We walked up to a large group and read the scripture found in Matthew  4:19 :D  they thought we were crazy!  but we were able to teach about the restoration of the gospel seven times that morning in two hours:)  it turns out it’s not too bad of an idea to talk with fisherman because they can’t escape;) and they have nothing better to do while waiting for the fish to bite then talk.  Also it made me laugh to talk with them because in french the word for fisherman is the same word as sinner;)

A definite highlight of this week was getting to go to girls camp for a day:)  it was so precious how they looked up to us and we were able to do a lot of good.  I love them all so much and it was a day I will not forget.  All anyone really needs in this world is too feel loved and to know that they have worth. Also we had Arthur’s baptism, what a blessing that was.  I love you all so much:D have a great week!!!!!! love, soeur Wilson

Matthew 4:19 "And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men."

I’m not 100 percent certain which photos I’ve already sent and i am not sending them in any particular order:p  but, appreciate them while you can because we have to pay to be at this computer place where I can send pictures and we usually go to the other one that is free and ghetto --it was just that we've had activities in the morning the past two weeks and the other place is already closed. 

Picture from church this past sunday

I'm not sure if it is very good quality but it is from the baptism of Arthur, and eleven year old boy we've been teaching -the son of a less active member.  His whole family came and it was an awesome experience:)  

A picture from the girls camp we got to go to for a day:D  There were too many cameras taking pictures so I think I'm the only one looking.... oh well;)

These next three are more girls camp photos:)

A picture of us learning how to bake a creole dessert with a sister in our branch;)  her name is soeur Argien and she is super awesome and full of energy:)  we had a ton of fun cooking (after having cleaned for her because she had knee surgery and can’t walk)  and we made her husband and two sons try each of our little cakes in turn to see whose was the best as a little competition and it was pretty funny:)

We were a little too proud of ourselves at the end and wanted a fancy picture on their staircase;)

soeur Berchel and i, someone said something funny as the picture was taken which is why she isn’t looking straight;)  also, the band-aid is because my companions get a little violent sometimes when they're upset.  Okay, that is not true, I got a cold sore from too much fun in the sun, lots of hard work, and not enough sleep;)

My new companion soeur Thomas the first night she was with us.  There was a big family home evening/dinner at the family Morel's house:)  She is from Belgium and super fun.

The first is a picture of an activity we had with a lady from our branch who had a stroke and cannot speak anymore or move very much.  Her name is soeur Von Pine and she has an incredibly strong testimony and is such a sweet lady.  We decided to change things up for our visit to go and give her a manicure, pedicure, facial, and makeover because it is her son who takes care of her and we thought she might miss girly things.  She was so happy it was incredible.  The little things in life really count, it was so touching to see tears of gratitude and happiness in her eyes, what a great example.

Soeurs Berchel, packer and I, with soeur Miriamou (a less active lady that we visited each week).  We loved going to see her and were just starting to work with her on her genealogy when she left for france for the summer to help her sister in law.  It was our last visit with her the day we took the picture and we all cried.  I love making new friends, but it is always a little sad to say goodbye.

May 5, 2014

I am sorry that this is going to be short and brief, but I finally had the chance to send some more photos so hopefully that will make up a bit for the lack of words:)  what did I learn this week?  A lot, a lot, a lot.  Having four girls with strong personalities in one apartment is pretty exciting but everyone is still alive and we have good times together. 

I thought a lot about forgiveness this week.  It is an incredible gift the atonement of Jesus Christ, for so many reasons, and the capacity to forgive others is definitely one of them.  We are commanded to forgive everyone and everything and it is so for our own good.  Because we know that he is just and that he will sort everything out at the end, but that for us our job is just to forgive and move on, we are able to find peace and happiness in this life like you wouldn’t believe.  I realized at one point this week that I thought I had forgiven someone for some things they'd done and said but it wasn’t true and it was weighing on me. Because if we don’t forgive we cannot really be free and our relationship with the person is not the same.  Luckily in the end through a series of events and decisions I left it all behind and I feel so relieved and so happy.  It sort of comes back to patience and love really, because most of the time when people say or do rude or mean things it is only because they have a lot going on and they are stressed or hurt or sad or tired, and if you can just understand where they are coming from it is so easy to let things go, and it feels so much better.   This week I am super excited because we get to go up to girls camp for a day to help:DDDDDD  I am so looking forward to it:)  I love you all a ton ton ton ton:)   Be happy and love and accept people that is  the best thing we can do:)  love, sister Wilson

Sr Thomas and myself pre-hike to the crater of the volcano:)

Soeur Packer and I took a picture in front of one of the Tamoul temples:)

This is Sister Thomas and I before heading home after playing some music by the seaside for contacting:)

This one is for papa because he is always happy when I am flexible:)

Next to the stormy ocean:)

Hurray for being monkies:D  

A picture of fruit for the papa:)  

Sr Berchel and I teaching a lesson at the district meeting:)

Today sightseeing with some members:)

Silliness on the beach.

A different P-day adventure:)

I like to climb trees:)  note the fruits papa;)

 I think that’s also me in a tree but the image was little so who knows.

The last picture is with Soeur Miriamou, a dear little old lady who is hilarious and who we love a bunch:)