July 28, 2014

What a week!  One thing that is exciting is that we got a ton of new information this week at our District meeting.  We will finally be getting two new missionaries :D  They are both Tahitian (an elder and a sister) and went to the MTC in New Zealand which is super cool :)  The new sister will be coming to ST.  Pierre so we will pick her up this Thursday :)  That means I will finally not be the newest missionary on the island;) 

This week was fantastic:)  I love how much the mission is changing us (my companions and I) and how much we are working together to help each other change.  I cannot believe how much patience I have been able to exercise and I never would have been able to without faith, Jesus Christ, and the Gospel.  But if we bear our trials with patience it is incredible how much the Lord will bless us.  I like a quote sister Thomas often shares which says that you will never regret having been too kind.  I also love the scripture in proverbs 16:1 I believe, that says "a soft answer turneth away wrath," it is so true, and my companion Sister Isham has been an incredible example of this principle and I am trying to learn from her:)  We have all practiced a lot of patience, and this week for our companionship it really paid off, because even though the work was the same work, our attitudes and our unity were incredible and we were smiling and singing all the day long:)  We have had to let some investigators go these past two weeks which is sad because we really tried to go back to the basics and explain as simply and clearly as we could and then invite them to be baptized, but  sometimes people just don’t want to change or they are not ready yet:/  But they are all super kind and we love them still and who knows what the Lord has planned for them.  We think it is the answer to our fast to know with whom we needed to concentrate, because now we have 4 or 5 progressing investigators that really are doing great.

 The branch talent show this week was a blast, and we had 8 investigators there and 5 participated!!!!  Soeur Thomas played the flute, Sr isham, Chris and I sang, and Antoine played his bass guitar for two numbers:) we were also in a dance with the young woman:)  It was a great night and there was a dinner and music and dancing afterwards (it was SOOOOOOOO hard resisting the urge to dance!!!! ;)  So that night when we went home, after planning, we went up and had a dance party in our room to EFY music before going to bed:)  

It hit me again how spoiled I am to be in this mission again, and especially in the south, because even when people don’t want to learn about the Gospel for the most part they are super nice, and offer you things to drink and snacks and invite you to dinner, and ya.... spoiled, spoiled spoiled.  Not to mention, that everywhere we go it is incredibly beautiful and I love being next to the ocean, and the forest and the mountains all at the same time:)

Yesterday was Soeur Thomas birthday and Soeur Isham and I stayed up a little late to hid sticky notes with things we appreciate about her all over the house, and decorated the stairs with papers spelling out "joyeux anniversaire" :)  we made her breakfast, and we had crepes for dinner, and it was cute how everyone at church remembered that it was her birthday as well.  Hurray for love:)  and hurray for the Gospel of Jesus Christ that has made me all that I am and will continue to help me be better all my life:)  have a wonderful week! 

Love, Soeur Wilson