Week 46: A Voyage Full of Tears

Hello family and friends!!

Thank you for all of the Christmas cards and letters this week! It was so great to see all of the pictures and read how everyone is doing! I even had letters when I got to my new apartment in St Quentin... Ha, which was interesting btw. We walked in and the apartment was fly-infested because of some food that was left out ha....but let me rewind and tell you all about it:

New Years Eve was a blast! We were able to go to a member's house with the elders to eat and play some games till 930.. ha afterwards we tried so hard to stay up till midnight... it just about killed us but we made it! It was sooo cool though because we live in one of the richest areas in the second richest country in the world and therefore there was no lack of money to be spent on fireworks... ha we sat and rotated windows and watched like 4 different personal firework shows. it was incredible. one of our windows looks over the "valley" a bit and it was awesome to see all of them going off all of the city! HAPPY NEW YEAR!

New Year's Eve

New Years day we got to sleep in and hang out with some members. Sister Henson and I were feeling soooo sick so we kinda layed around the house, I made us a deal or no deal game and we played that, that was fun. It was great just to sit for a day; but we were ready to get to work Thursday... other than every muscle in my body was killing me. It was so weird, and when I laid down in just got worse... so we just worked and worked anyways which was good because i was able to say goodbye to a ton of people.

Thursday was wonderful, other than we woke up to a text from Jennifer telling us that she couldn't be baptized oa I'll talk more about that later. But I was able to say goodbye to Diana and the Amengule family, They made us a HUGE FEAST and they gave us a gallette des rois wich is this like light fluffly marzipan pastry... it was sooo good, and sooo expensive; Mom would have died and gone to heaven.  We were able to have our LAST FHE with Miriam and Victor and it was sure an interesting one. Long story short we all decided that we were going to fast together to solve a family problem. It was cool because Victor said that fasting was the only thing he had faith in because of the whole apartment-finding thing that I told you about last week. So we all fasted together on Sand I'm so sad that I wont be there to see how God responses to this one!

On Friday we took a LONG LONG train ride to the very north of Luxembourg, a city called TroisVierges (three virgins). We met up with a member who drove an hour and a half and we taught a couple from NETHERLANDS (YAY THATS RIGHT NICOLE, they spoke dutch and it was crazy to me that that's what you're speaking!!!!). Anyways it was way pretty up there and super cool to talk to this couple. They are the ones that kept driving past the church to see if anyone was there and already came to sacrament once. Turns out that they met the missionaries like 5 years ago and they taught them just a little bit. She said that a month or so ago someone asked her what church she belonged to and she said "The Church of Jesus Christ" and pictured the Book of Mormon as she said it. She said she feels something really special about us and is just dying to learn more. Her husband is a little hesitant, but they loved the member that we took with us so I really hope the sisters take the time to visit them even though they are so far away!

Saturday was a great day. We started off by teaching Adele's daughter the Plan of Salvation. They took it off on this crazy twist and I had to be really creative to get them back on focus. I've been loving teaching with 2 other companions though. Its so nice and Sister Henson is a killer teacher. That afternoon we went to say goodbye to Adélia. She is the nonactive member who was starting to come back to church, the one that we starting teaching her friend and husband before she started working in the beginning of December and they all stopped coming to church and taking the lessons. And it was all because of Adélia going to work. I'm not sure if I told you; but that devistated me. We were teaching the family like 2 times a week and they were all progressing. I knew that unless Adelia stopped working, neither Fatima nor her husband would ever join the church and her kids would not grow up in the gospel. I prayed everyday that she would stop working and fasted for them every chance I got. For the lesson we had planned for me to bare my testimony... I was kinda nervous cause i didn't really know what to say. But when we got there she told me that SHE HAD DECIDED TO WORK PART TIME!!! She would be done at noon and she thinks that if she works Saturday she doesn't have to work Sunday. I bawled and bore my testimony about prayer. Her and my companions were all in tears because of how strong the spirit was. Adélia is going to be a woman of miracles. I'm sad I wont be there to see them but I was so grateful that I got to see my prayer answered, and her life start to change before I left.

We also went to see Jennifer, who had a friend with her by the way who they will start teaching. She had talked to the Jehovah's Witnesses and got some doubts in her mind. We helped her uncloud those doubts. She said she will still be baptized, shes just not ready yet. Keep praying for her.

Then Sunday came. The last day in Luxembourg. Anne and her cute boyfriend came to church. I was so happy to see them. They will be a power couple for the Lord if everything works out and if not, Anne will do amazing things on her one. She is a smart girl and the Lord will bless her life so much as she continues to learn about the gospel. Miriam bore her testimony, I was so proud. Afterwards she came up to me and handed me a letter and a small gift. In tears she told me that inside the box was a pyramid that she received from a member in Bolivia while she was investigating the church down there. The member told her that she is the top of the pyramid and that everything else below is her posterity and the people around her that have been brought into the gospel because of her example. She looks up at me with a look that ill never forget and says, "I want you to have it because I'm not that point, You are." What a precious moment. I can't express my feelings to you adequately. It was a blessing.

Then I was able to visit my favorite members who made me laugh and feel so loved before heading to ward council. We FINALLY talked about the FHE plan that I've been trying to get going for a month or so and I was so happy. They were really into the idea andIi think it will go far if the missionaries can get it all organized. The missionaries left half way through ward council and I had to go get something out of Christy C's car; I came back to give her the keys and I tried to leave quickly to not interrupt the meeting and she said wait! and turns around and gave me the biggest hug. As she's hugging me I see all of the members waving and saying goodbye! The Whites, the Gilstraps, Smiths, Rodriguezs; everyone that I've worked so hard with and for. I just went back down stairs in tears, so sad to leave but so happy for the memories that were made.

Monday we took trains all day and I got my new companion, Sister Vance from Ohio and we did some grocery shopping and cleaning to get ready to start our missionary work in St; Quentin. Its a cute and quite little ville and I'm so excited to get going. President has told us what he expects and I hope that I can fulfill his vision and the Lords Will.

I know the gospel is true. Im watching it change me.

I LOVE YOU

Soeur Kohlert