An ami of 111 flyers

Dear everyone,

Another week gone by! It was pretty busy this week! We started out by going to Bordeaux on Tuesday for our exchange. I was with Sœur L. We had a great day together. The highlight of our day for me was visiting a little elderly lady named Sœur P and she truly darling. She had just returned from a week at the Paris temple (generally when people take a trip to the temple they make a week long trip out of it) and was so excited to tell us about it. She told us about how Heavenly Father helped her with all of the little worries no matter how small like fixing her microwave so she could beat up her hot chocolate or finding things she had misplaced. Her stories made me think of some of the tender mercies I've received. I remember at college having something happen everyday as a response to a simple prayer. He has always watched over me. She also talked about how thirty-four years ago before she joined the church, she was a completely different person. She cautioned us to never think someone won't accept because if she would accept and change, anyone could. She was the sweetest little thing!

The next day we caught a morning train home to Limoges. We barely missed our bus at 6:50 and as a result barely caught our train. We hadn't been home for more than half an hour when an ami we had lost contact with called us and asked if we could have a rendez vous right then ! So we buried over to the park to meet him. He had lots of questions. The main one was asking if he had committed an unpardonable sin. We told him no. He loves the Bible but also accepted the Book of Mormon! We were able to do a brief Rétablissement to explain the Book of Mormon and invited him to read and pray. He said he'd come to church, but didn't end up coming. :/ But we still feel like he has a lot of potential! So that was a miracle!

On Friday we got to go visit a member out in the countryside outside of Limoges and it was beautiful! I wouldn't mind living out there one day. :)

Then Saturday we did a lot of contacting. We did porting in the morning and afternoon and in the evening we par out 111 flyers for a special church meeting "venez et voyez" or come and see which happened all across French speaking Europe to be able to invite people to come and learn about the church. Most of our contacts with people were really short (mostly so that they wouldn't give back the flyer) but we gave out all that we had left from giving them out over the last couple weeks! We went around a couple parks and plazas and just in the streets. In one of the parks we gave one to an African man and he asked us how to get there and asked us to call him in the morning to make sure he was up and ready!

The next morning we called him and he was there at the bus stop to go to church! He stayed all three hours and got a rétablissement brochure and a Book of Mormon. And that afternoon we had a rendez vous in the same park to talk about the brochure. He seemed pretty intent on understanding well. Already two of his friends want to come to church next week too. So we'll see! He's a refugee which makes things a little complicated.

The church meets were really great yesterday. In Relief Society we talked about the sons of Mosiah and how they felt and said about going to preach to the Lamanites (Mosiah 28:1-3) versus what the other Nephites felt and said (Alma 26:23-26.) Their perspectives were completely different! They wanted to bring them into the fold of God but the other Nephites wanted to go to war against them! It made me realise that the more we understand the depth of our need for mercy from God, the more we feel willing to extend mercy or the knowledge of that mercy to others. In reality no matter who we are, good or bad, we all fall short of the glory of God and will fail without the Atonement of Jesus Christ. Now the task of a lifetime is to come to understand that more and more. :)

Today I was reading from Alma 5. There are so many questions. I typed them out so I could see them better. The ones that hit me the most talked about having the image of God engraven on our countenances, feeling to sing the song of redeeming love, having a mighty change of heart, and being stripped of bride and envy. I'm not sure exactly what he means about having the image of God on our countenances. What do you think?

I hope you have a wonderful week! I love you all!

Sœur Marriott