Cou cou toute Le Monde!
Well, yeah this week has definitely been unforgettable. I don't know
how to put into words everything that has happened or the feelings
that I have experienced alongside all the other Elders and Soeurs
here. Thank you for all the prayers that have been passed along. We
have been blessed with many miracles because of them!
Last Monday night (my 16th month mark)...we had a joined mangevous
with Elder and Soeur Redd. We were invited over to la famille
Kappepula's. It was a really cool experience! Soeur Kappepula ended up
sharing with us her conversion story and it was so amazing to hear the
way Heavenly Father touches each of His children individually. I will
give you the brief rundown...she talked about how when she and Frère
Kappepula were first married; he was Mormon and she was catholic. And
she happened to run into some sister missionaries in centreville. When
they offered to share the Word of God with her she invited them over.
Haha, well...when the missionaries came to their house...Frère
Kappepula answered the door and was super excited that his wife had
invited them....haha, Soeur Kappepula thought that the sisters had
planned the whole thing with her husband...so she kicked them out! A
long time passed, but the sisters kept calling her and she eventually
let them come back again. During the first rendezvous, she kept
throwing questions out and her husband tried to help the sisters
answer but she told him that she didn't want it to come from him...she
wanted the sisters to tell her. The sisters answered most of the
questions, but it finally came to the point where they told her that
they weren't the ones she needed to ask and if she wanted a definite
answer, she had to go to Him herself. Later that night before bed,
Frère Kappepula was saying his prayers and Soeur Kappepula was holding
her rosary to do the catholic prayer and she basically decided to do a
prayer from the heart and told Heavenly Father that if what the
sisters were teaching was true...He needed to show her a sign to let
her know. Well...that night Soeur Kappepula had a dream that she was
in water dressed all in white and Frère Kappepula was right next to
her smiling..after she had come out of the water a man she had never
met before came up to her and gave her a Livre de Mormon. When Soeur
Kappepula woke up she started screaming and yelling at Frère Kappepula
and just crying...according to her, she told us that she was wondering
why she had ever married him;) After he got her calmed down, she
explained to him what happened in her dream and she got even more
irritated at him when he started smiling. Haha! The sisters came over
later and Soeur Kappepula told them she didn't believe her dream.
Frère Kappepula told her that it was the sign she had asked for, and
if she really desired the truth...she would ask again and if the
message was true, she would receive the same dream. Well...long story
short, Soeur Kappepula tried everything she could to try and not fall
asleep that night:) the next morning which was a Saturday; Soeur
Kappepula told her husband to call the sisters over. When they got
there, she told the sisters she wanted to have all the lessons so that
she could be baptized the next day after church!!!! Bahhhhhh! How cool
is that?! The sisters stayed there all day and the mission president
was actually the one who came over to do her baptismal interview! And
so, right after sacrament meeting...she was baptized and one of the
members came up to her and gave her the Livre de Mormon just like her
dream had showed. What a cool story right?! I had goosebumps:)
Sorry...that was a lot longer than I expected. We also had zone
conference on Friday. As a mission, every one of the missionaries have
united in doing a 40 day fast until Christmas Eve. Not in the sense of
eating exactly (though we have decided to do that too...), but as an
equipe each of us are praying every hour. We are praying to give back
something important to each of us before the end of the year. We have
the faith that in doing so we will be able to hopefully find one new
ami each day until Christmas. 40 new Amis! And Soeur Hansen and I have
already seen he blessings...we have already found 3 new Amis this past
week!!
It was crazy because the day that it started was the day we found out
about the terrorist threats. I have talked to Soeur Ellis a few times.
One of the bombing incidents happened right next to where the elders
in St. Ouen live. We're all safe, but for the moment we are to stay
inside unless we have scheduled rendezvous. Adversity going strong,
but we are doing alright.
So...to to finish off. Yesterday for our Sunday we were allowed to go
into Brussels for our stake conference. Honestly...my thoughts weren't
really all there. We were all still a little freaked out about
everything going on. But it was really sweet because during the entire
meeting, about two rows in front of where we were sitting, there was a
little girl who kept turning around and looking at me. So trying to be
nice, I smiled back. Well, she kept doing it about every 5 minutes for
the two hour meeting. About halfway, she tried to mouth something to
me, but I couldn't understand. After realizing that I couldn't
understand, she made a little heart with her hands and smiled at me
again. So, I touched my eye and then my heart and pointed at her
trying to do it back. And she smiled and turned back around. After the
meeting she came up to me and gave me a paper origami and told me she
had made it for me. Her name is Amandine:) She told me a little bit
about her family and I gave her a big hug. And then right before she
left with her family, she came up to say goodbye and she gave me
another hug AND shook my AND did Bisous:) When she gave me a hug her
sister came up and tried to pull her away and she held me soooo tight
until she was taken by force:) Amandine is one of those dear friends
that I have come to find and I am so grateful for her sweet little
spirit that has helped remind me why I am here.
The church is true and obedience brings blessings! I love you all and
I hope you have a great week!! Please keep praying for Paris!
XOXOXOXOXOOXO
Bisous,
Soeur Nelson
Well, yeah this week has definitely been unforgettable. I don't know
how to put into words everything that has happened or the feelings
that I have experienced alongside all the other Elders and Soeurs
here. Thank you for all the prayers that have been passed along. We
have been blessed with many miracles because of them!
Last Monday night (my 16th month mark)...we had a joined mangevous
with Elder and Soeur Redd. We were invited over to la famille
Kappepula's. It was a really cool experience! Soeur Kappepula ended up
sharing with us her conversion story and it was so amazing to hear the
way Heavenly Father touches each of His children individually. I will
give you the brief rundown...she talked about how when she and Frère
Kappepula were first married; he was Mormon and she was catholic. And
she happened to run into some sister missionaries in centreville. When
they offered to share the Word of God with her she invited them over.
Haha, well...when the missionaries came to their house...Frère
Kappepula answered the door and was super excited that his wife had
invited them....haha, Soeur Kappepula thought that the sisters had
planned the whole thing with her husband...so she kicked them out! A
long time passed, but the sisters kept calling her and she eventually
let them come back again. During the first rendezvous, she kept
throwing questions out and her husband tried to help the sisters
answer but she told him that she didn't want it to come from him...she
wanted the sisters to tell her. The sisters answered most of the
questions, but it finally came to the point where they told her that
they weren't the ones she needed to ask and if she wanted a definite
answer, she had to go to Him herself. Later that night before bed,
Frère Kappepula was saying his prayers and Soeur Kappepula was holding
her rosary to do the catholic prayer and she basically decided to do a
prayer from the heart and told Heavenly Father that if what the
sisters were teaching was true...He needed to show her a sign to let
her know. Well...that night Soeur Kappepula had a dream that she was
in water dressed all in white and Frère Kappepula was right next to
her smiling..after she had come out of the water a man she had never
met before came up to her and gave her a Livre de Mormon. When Soeur
Kappepula woke up she started screaming and yelling at Frère Kappepula
and just crying...according to her, she told us that she was wondering
why she had ever married him;) After he got her calmed down, she
explained to him what happened in her dream and she got even more
irritated at him when he started smiling. Haha! The sisters came over
later and Soeur Kappepula told them she didn't believe her dream.
Frère Kappepula told her that it was the sign she had asked for, and
if she really desired the truth...she would ask again and if the
message was true, she would receive the same dream. Well...long story
short, Soeur Kappepula tried everything she could to try and not fall
asleep that night:) the next morning which was a Saturday; Soeur
Kappepula told her husband to call the sisters over. When they got
there, she told the sisters she wanted to have all the lessons so that
she could be baptized the next day after church!!!! Bahhhhhh! How cool
is that?! The sisters stayed there all day and the mission president
was actually the one who came over to do her baptismal interview! And
so, right after sacrament meeting...she was baptized and one of the
members came up to her and gave her the Livre de Mormon just like her
dream had showed. What a cool story right?! I had goosebumps:)
Sorry...that was a lot longer than I expected. We also had zone
conference on Friday. As a mission, every one of the missionaries have
united in doing a 40 day fast until Christmas Eve. Not in the sense of
eating exactly (though we have decided to do that too...), but as an
equipe each of us are praying every hour. We are praying to give back
something important to each of us before the end of the year. We have
the faith that in doing so we will be able to hopefully find one new
ami each day until Christmas. 40 new Amis! And Soeur Hansen and I have
already seen he blessings...we have already found 3 new Amis this past
week!!
It was crazy because the day that it started was the day we found out
about the terrorist threats. I have talked to Soeur Ellis a few times.
One of the bombing incidents happened right next to where the elders
in St. Ouen live. We're all safe, but for the moment we are to stay
inside unless we have scheduled rendezvous. Adversity going strong,
but we are doing alright.
So...to to finish off. Yesterday for our Sunday we were allowed to go
into Brussels for our stake conference. Honestly...my thoughts weren't
really all there. We were all still a little freaked out about
everything going on. But it was really sweet because during the entire
meeting, about two rows in front of where we were sitting, there was a
little girl who kept turning around and looking at me. So trying to be
nice, I smiled back. Well, she kept doing it about every 5 minutes for
the two hour meeting. About halfway, she tried to mouth something to
me, but I couldn't understand. After realizing that I couldn't
understand, she made a little heart with her hands and smiled at me
again. So, I touched my eye and then my heart and pointed at her
trying to do it back. And she smiled and turned back around. After the
meeting she came up to me and gave me a paper origami and told me she
had made it for me. Her name is Amandine:) She told me a little bit
about her family and I gave her a big hug. And then right before she
left with her family, she came up to say goodbye and she gave me
another hug AND shook my AND did Bisous:) When she gave me a hug her
sister came up and tried to pull her away and she held me soooo tight
until she was taken by force:) Amandine is one of those dear friends
that I have come to find and I am so grateful for her sweet little
spirit that has helped remind me why I am here.
The church is true and obedience brings blessings! I love you all and
I hope you have a great week!! Please keep praying for Paris!
XOXOXOXOXOOXO
Bisous,
Soeur Nelson