Oh it is Wonderful

Bonjour, mes chers! (my dears)
J'espere que vous tous avez passe une SUPER SEMAINE!

(I hope that all of you have had a super week!)

Well, here I am in Montpellier , I am still a missionary, I am still
happy, and I am still learning and trying to be my best.

Thanks to you for your emails this week! It was a special treat to
hear from Soeurs Doreen Kopf and Anne Johnson - thank you for your kind
words and updates! I like to imagine Danville in my minds eye from
time to time, and when I hear from you it helps me remember all of the
beaufitul people and surroundings there :)

Well, our little equipe(companionship) is facing some opposition right now, but
that's ok! I don't really think we understood what we were getting
ourselves into, but that is kind of how missions go, and honestly it
is for the best! The challenge right now is finding people to
teach...in Dijon we taught A LOT and so it is just a little difficult
in that sense but CA VA, tout ira bien(that’s ok, all will be well). I know that there is GREAT
potential here in Montpellier and that this adversity is preceeding
great things! And, this will be a great opportunity for us to be
creative...I am convinced that God has called the three of us to be
here at this time for a specific purpose, and sr lemire sr madsen and
I each have different talents that I am certain He would like us to
use to build His kindgdom here. It is exciting!

Here's a great story from this week. Sometimes as a missionary you
stop and pause, and realize the gravity of what you teach and testify
each day. Never in my life have I realized, to this extent, what it
actually means to believe we are children of God, that Christ is our
Savior, God has prepared a plan of happiness for each of His children,
and that the fulness of the Gospel has been restored to the earth
through a living prophet....that means great things! There are moments
when this knowledge comes to my heart with such weight I can hardly
contain it, I just want to tell everyone! But, all these thoughts are
preceeding my story. I have also never had my faith challenged so
intensely, and so frequently, and it isn't an easy task. So, when
these difficult moments come, when you feel like you aren't being
effective, or when the voices of the world start creeping into your
mind....you practice what you preach, and you get down on your knees
and pray. I prayed for something simple this week, that I would have a
personal spiritual experience when I went to church that would fortify
my knowledge of the truth. We teach everyone that we can recieve
revelation through church attendance, and I decided to put that to the
test. And mommy, I know it was inspired that you prayed for the same
thing for me...thank you! Well, the Lord heard my prayer and I had a
very personal and beautiful experience in church yesterday, and my
thoughts surrounded our covenants that bind us to the Lord, such as
baptism. I am so thankful for this covenant, or in French, alliance (I
like that word better!) which gives me hope every day, and qualifies
me to have the Spirit of the Lord with me all the time! That is so
neat! Well, it doesn;t stop there. There was also an ami (friend, contact, investigator-someone

 they have found who wants to learn about the gospel) of the elders
from Trinidad named Sarah who came to church yesterday. there are
OODLES of people names sarah here, ha, and also many words which sound
like sarah when spoken quickly, such as ca va, and soeur. I hear my
name all the time. The best is how the French say my last
name...Waldr-ohn, or Valdrohn, its great. ANYWAY, sarah, she is great
and long story short, we only had a couple of minutes to talk with her
at church, but after a turn of events we ended up on the same bus as
her and ended up talking in a park for an hour and a half. WE were on
a split because sr lemire hurt her ankle and needed to rest, so while
she was at a members home repos-ing, the plan was for sr madsen and I
to power through some contacting since its a lot faster with two, and
its is also helpful when you can walk. Anyway, the Lord has something
else in mind, and we had a great spontaneous rendezvous(meeting, appointment) with Sarah,
who speaks english, and so the converstation wouldn't have been the
same if sr lemire was there because we could have spoken in French and
couldn't have connecting in exactly the same way. Not to mention, sr
lemire said that the ward family she spent the afternoon with has four
people they are sharing the gospel with...BOO YA! But anyway,
basically sarah is wonderful and has a beautiful testimony of Christ
and just a great outlook on life, and she told us really the only
thing that differs from her beliefs and what she has learned from the
missionaries is the Book of Mormon, and Joseph Smith and latter-day
prophets. Sr Madsen and I just simply challenged her to read it and
pray to find out for herself if it was true, and I think our
enthusiasm must have inspired her because at the end she said 'ok, now
I have to read this book!' so awesome. Will you please keep her in
your prayers? She is leaving for Trinidad soon, but I know that be it
now or later she will recieve an answer to her prayers.

Some other things that you could keep in your prayers, that we may be
blessed to find families and individuals to teach, and that the Lord
will fortify and strengthen the ward here in Montpellier, and that my
companions and I will be able to focus with all our hearts and souls
on this work and accomplish all He has in store for us to do.

Well, I know this gospel is true, and that it is the most important
thing we can do to live it, love it, and share it.

I love you!

Soeur Sarah Waldron