I had some really cool stories to tell you, but I don't seem to have gotten any letters this week...weird...and so now I'm feeling deflated.
Just kidding. For you guys, I guess I could muster up some energy.
So, without further ado, my first piece of big news, this Wednesday I'm packing my bags, waving goodbye to beautiful old Versailles, and heading waaaaaaaaaaaay up north to Strombeck, Brussels, Belgium. Where I will be serving with Sister Judd (a super tall blonde, of course:)), and I'm senior companion again. In a country I don't know. I'm kind of brokenhearted about leaving Versailles and I don't really want to think about it. But my little city and our (drumroll please) 11 amis who are fast approaching baptism are safe in the hands of Sister Reeves. Yes, that's right, there's 11 of them. Because our God is a God of miracles!! Hallelujah! Anyway I think she's glad to get rid of me, dad taught me to walk too fast and I think I gave her ankle problems...
Ok, super funny story that I have been waiting all week to tell. Last Sunday afternoon Sister Reeves and I were teaching Norbert, who I've told you about. Want to know a cool tidbit about him? So he's 24, and French, and atheist, and LIVING THE LAW OF CHASTITY all on his OWN. I know!! So cool. Ok anyway so he's very science-minded and we were trying to show him how living the gospel is just like any other science experiment: you follow the directions and get the promised results, and you start the experiment in the faith that results will come. And we were trying to commit him to read the Book of Mormon. We told him that if he would read, and pray in faith, the Lord would respond, and we explained that the Lord, being the loving father that he is, would show him in a way that he would recognize. In a mocking way he grabbed the Book of Mormon from my hands, flipped it open, and pointed randomly to a verse. He said, "so, the Lord knew I was going to be talking to you today, and he knew that I would flip open to this page and pick this verse, and so that's going to be his sign to me." I was thinking, ok, go for it. He starts reading, and starts to laugh, I look over, and this is the verse he had pointed to-- 3 Ne. 21:2 "and behold, this is the thing which I will give unto you for a sign..." NO WAY. We both looked at him and he saw our excitement and started going, no no no, that was a coincidence! Sure it was, Norbert. You flipped open a 600 page book and pointed to one line and THAT was the verse. Yeah, you're right, that happens all the time. Haha! I love witnessing miracles. Anyway so we committed him to read and to get baptized once he gets his response and we're seeing him tonight so I'll let you know how that goes.
This was just such a good week. Such a crazy good week. Which is funny, now that I'm thinking back on it, because it was also a terrible week where everything went wrong. I'm talking EVERYTHING. Appointments fell through left and right, we kept forgetting nametags and train passes and the phone, we missed trains after running like half a mile up a hill to catch them... Weeks like this build character.
Two nights ago Sister Reeves and I locked ourselves out of the apartment went we were taking out the trash, so everything, our phone, our bags, our train passes, were inside. Luckily we don't live too far from the mission home but we had to get President up to get us a spare key.
Oh, other good news, I told you about Martha, our less active who had a vision? Well, she started going crazy and her daughter took away her phone, told us never to contact them again, threw away all of their church-related material, and put Martha in a temporary home for mentally unstable people. Then, this Monday, Martha called us from the home! She'd been searching for our number and finally got it from another member and she wanted us to come visit. We did, and it went really well! She'd told her daughter that it wasn't the church that made her crazy and so now the daughter's going to let us come over and she's going to come to church this Sunday to check it out and see for herself. So, fingers crossed...all the missionaries are singing in church tomorrow so hopefully we don't drive her away :)
Ok, last story and then I'm outta here. So I told you in my last email that Sister Gappmaier was here with her parents. After we finished emailing last week, they took us out to dinner (Chinese food! yay!). We were sitting there and another family came in and sat next to us, and they were the most well-behaved family I've ever seen, and they all bowed their heads and prayed together before eating. Brother Gappmaier (ok, I interrupt this story to explain this man. He's like an apostle. He has just this serene calming presence. It was weird) said, "That family needs to have the gospel." We all nodded and agreed and then I realized he was looking at me and smiling. And I thought, oh goodness. I'm the missionary here, I guess that's my job. I think he saw my nervousness and he just said, "I'll pray for you." and bowed his head right then and there. Well then I REALLY had to do it. So I got up, turned to them, and started talking and handed them a proclamation on the family. Anyway, turns out they are super nice and religious, Protestant, and from Nigeria! And therefore speak English. My favorite. Moral of the story... Pray for the missionaries! Also never be afraid to share the gospel, even during dinner at a restaurant. Maybe especially then, because who doesn't feel happy and friendly while eating Chinese food?
Ok wrapping up. You all have a fantastic Easter! And remember the reason we celebrate it :) Also, go spread the good news! Or do your visiting teaching! (Which, ps, counts as missionary work. Because if you don't do it, then missionaries have to. Boo.)
I love you! I had a funny dream about Chris the other night, he was being a nutball. As usual.
Pray for me in Strombeck! I'm nervous. And excited. Mostly nervous.
Love love love love love going on forever times infinity at the speed of light (remember when Mark used to say that all the time?)
--Soeur Mighty Mouse Levi Strauss Larsen
( I have stories about those names....)
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