Sorry I wasn't able to email Monday, I know it was memorial day there, and honestly I have no idea what the holiday was here. Probably a Catholic holiday of some sort.
Thanks for the emails and letters I recieved this week. You know who you are, and I hope you know I love you ENORMEMENT!
We have had so many miracles this week, I don't even know where to start!!!!
Ok lets start from the very beginning. We had Family Home Evening at our Ward mission leaders house with the Hernandez family (and yesterday it was the same thing, only at the Hernandez's) and basically it was the best. Fr. Volpicelli is the one who baptized Gabriel 3 years ago, and him and his wife have been incredible at responding in love to this family and their desire to follow Jesus Christ together. Kiara and Bibiana (I thought before she was just saying her name with a Colombian accent, but no, its really spelled with B's) passed their baptisimal interviews with flying colors last night....it was so adorable, while Bibiana was in her interview, Kiara (10yrs) sat Sr Bicchierri and I down, and the district leader's companion, and taught us all we need to know to be baptized. We were in those little baby primary chairs, and she was wearing my nametag and writing all the things we needed to know on the chalkboard in her very best cursive. Seriously, the best. Their baptism is Friday at 7, and Gabriel is baptising them. THIS IS SO AMAZING!
Then, there is Stèphane. We met him at the bus stop like day two, I beleive. We taught him the first lesson two weeks ago on a park bench, and he was amazed by the story of Joseph Smith, and excited to read and find out for himself if it was true. We weren't able to see him again until last week, and because Sr. Bicchierri and I STUDIED WITH THE SPIRIT that morning, we knew what we needed to teach him, and we decided to do the third lesson instead of the 2nd, which we normally would do. Stèphane is from Camaroon, and we invited two other men in our ward who are from Africa, Frère Mansaya and Joel, to come and teach with us. It was such a powerful experience. I have never had a more spiritual rendez-vous in my entire mission. Seriously. And at the end we were all smiling so big we didn't even know what to do. Stèphane expressed to us how he know's Christ is his Savior, but he doesn't feel the love for Him he knows he should. He told us how he wants to repent, but how he always finds himself making the same mistakes. He told us many other things, but basically, we testified to him about the Gospel of Jesus Christ (faith, repentance, baptism, recieving the gift of the Holy Ghost, and enduring to the end) and how this is how we access the Atonement of Jesus Christ, and His grace, which is the enabling power that allows us to change. We know that answers to the questions of life come from prayer, diligent study of the Book of Mormon, and attending church. So, these are the things we invited him to do. Two days later, we get a phone call in the morning, it's Stèphane. 'Hey, I hope it doesn't bother you that I am calling....I just wanted to tell you because I just finished reading the chapters you gave me, and I really felt like God was talking to me personally....I'm so happy. I just wanted to tell you.' Well, if that doesn't make a missionary's day, I don't know what does. After expounding upon the scriptures with him over the phone for a while, we hung up, and then commenced Sr. Waldron and Sr. Bicchierri running in circles around the institute 'WOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!' hahaha. The best. He came to church on Sunday, too, and you know who was answering his questions perfectly in Gospel Principles Class? Bibiana. THE BEST! By the way, we set a baptisimal date for the 15th, so we are all praying for that day!
AH! No time! So much more to say. Ok, quickly. Mongolian miracle of a a lifetime. We had a ward party at the old mission home last week, and A LOT of our Mongolian members came, and also three Mongolian investigators...all three of whom we met that same day for the first time. Kind of a long story. Anyway, we were really happy, and EN PLUS, there was a RETURNED MISSIONARY WHO SERVED IN MONGOLIA who was there! It gets better, he is living here the whole summer with his wife, who is from geneva, and he doesn't have a job or anything, so basically he can come and teach with us all the time, translate Sunday meetings, and be all around awesome. I'm not sure who is more excited, the RM who found out there are tons of people from where he served here in Geneva, us missionaries, or the Mongolians. THIS IS SUCH A MIRACLE! Ony is still doing great, even though the ambassador is traveling or something so we are still waiting for him to be married, but he is still doing great. We finally met his fiancee Shiny the other day, which was another miracle in and of itself, and basically she is so beautiful and great. I LOVE MONGOLIANS! I love the Gospel of Jesus Christ and how it is LITERALLY wroughting a mighty change in the lives of so many here!!!
So much more I could share. This week, Sr. Biccchierri and I are really hoping to find some new amis, and we are excited about several other people who we are teaching. WE have one other ami with a baptisimal date, David, and he is in a really tough situation, but he just wants to repent and come to Christ. What a blessing to work with beloved children of God every day!!!
I know my Father lives and loves me too. I know that Christ is our Savior, and I know that His Gospel and the Priesthood authority necessary to administer the ordonances therof have been restored. We can all have Eternal Life if we choose it.
HAVE THE BEST WEEK EVER!
Soeur Waldron
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