Week 61:Putting Myself in the Shoes of a Member

Ok so this week was just too cool.. so amazing I love being a missionary. President reminded me today that I only have 14 weeks left.. NOT ENOUGH TIME!!!

 

So let me just tell you a little story... I'll probably have to tell you some more after too because this week was just too great.

 

So, on Monday we went to visit one of our investigators named Isabella. At the end of the very normal rendez vous I asked her if she had any questions...

 

"uh ya, I do have a question. Can I be baptized?"

 

Turns out that the situation with her boyfriend has changed completely and she is totally worthy and ready now to be baptized THIS SATURDAY!!! WHAT??? :) So amazing!

 

Unfortunately the next day my poor companion got sick with the flu and we were stuck inside for a few days... the members came and baby sat and we did splits a few times so that I could get out and do some work :) It was really really nice of them.. We are so spoiled here with our members.

 

Later in the week we got to go teach the friends/family of Alphonsine... their names are Cederic and Charlene/Rita. (the story is actually much more complicated and way cooler than this.. it is actually thanks to a random african man that is up here visting that this is all happening).The dad invited some of the children to join us (which is a miracle in itself). We then had one of the most spiritual lessons ever. Once that Book of Mormon was open the spirit just resonnated through that house. We asked if the dad would pray to know if the restoration and the BOM were true.. his response was "yes I WANT to".... WoW such a miracle for someone who was OPPOSING US and STOPPING Alphonsine from being baptized last week.... Then at the end I asked if we could come back to see them... he said "well, we will be at church at 9 on Sunday..." We hadn't even invited them yet!!! so cool.

 

Okay so i have NO TIME

 

But the family NIAMKé is totally progressing. After having an AWESOME DISCUSSION, the dad of the family who is our hard one was like... "I know that it is true.. I just have to accept it...if I accept it our life is going to be changed".  We did a easter egg hunt after!:)

George and Ewei after our Easter Egg Hunt!

So this week, I WAS SO SCARED, but an opportunity came up to ask Sarah, my foreign exchange student's sister to go to church with my old companion, Sister Vance... I litterally was so scared to ask her.. BUT SHE SAID YES!! AND SHE WENT!!! I jumped up and down and cried when I read the text!! I was so excited!! I was on Sister Vances back like a vulture to see how it went... apparently she really liked it and wants to go to young adult activities :) AH SO COOL!! I want to be a member missionary SOO BAD!!

Sister Vance and Sarah

Ah, there are just so many miracles and stories that I don't have time to tell you all of them!!!!

 

 

I love you I have to go...

 

Big hugs and kisses.... 

MOI

Week 60: Transfer 11... Here I come.

Hey there family and friends!!! I love you all so very much and I miss you!

Happy Easter! I enjoyed so much thinking of Christ and his ressurection this week. It really does mean sooo much for us!

So this week was a crazy missionary week AS NORMAL! Ha. Soeur Vance and I ran around rying to pack, clean and say good bye to everyone! Not to mention that on Monday night we had 2 FHEs! Our ward is doing so well with helping us accomplish our goal as a mission to have a FHE everynight the week of:before easter.

During one of the FHEs we talked aobut Exodus 12 and how easter was instituted in order to help the israelites remember the passover. Sister Vance told me an insight that I really like: The Israelites could have sacrificed the pure first born lamb, but until the blood was put onto the door posts, the sacrifice was done in vain because they wouldnt be protected when the destroying angel passes. Its a great parallel with the atonement. Christ's atonement and sacrifice can't do anything for us until we do something with it, until we apply and use the atonement in our lives. I thought that that was cool.

The second FHE was with Marie and her nonmember friend. She really enjoyed talking with us and she really thinks that her religion really needs to have more of this idea of sharing their knowledge that they have found with others! I really felt the spirit with her and I know that she was touched too! It was a great miracle!

Wednesday was transfers!!! We went into Paris early with all Soeur Vance's suite cases. I cried like a baby on the train and saying goodbye. She was seriously like a sister to me and we were together for SOOO LONG!!! She is going to wonders in Paris I just know.

Saying Goodbye to Sister Vance

 I then received my new AWESOME comp. Her name is Sister Lauren Kimball from Murray Utah. 22 years old and she is so so witty and smart that I just laugh everyday. AND SHE EATS SOO WELL!!! YES ha. I already love her so much and it will just be so great this transfer I just know!

Visite Phantom of the Opera Playhouse while in Paris

My New Companion, Sister Kimball

On Thursday we went to teach Alphonsine, the one who was going to be baptized this week but decided not to because of the lack of family support... We walked inside and guess who was there?? The uncle that thinks we're a sect!!! and his friend!! We were way scared and it was our first lesson together, but we taught them the restoration and they were very open and accepting!! The spirit was soo strong as we were talking aoubt Joseph Smiths vision. Without fail, everytime, the spirit is there as we recount what he said when he saw God and Jesus Christ.... the appointment was even more crazy when we found out that this uncle is the husband of one of our investigators!! Ha crazy!!!! but we were able to set up lessons with both of them for tomorrow!! We'll see how that goes!!

The following days were filled with planning, a many many FHEs and little miracles... definitely not enough time to tell you about all of them!!!

For Easter we were able to go to a member's house, the Membré family, who just spoiled us rotten. They are so great!! They have 4 families that they are sharing the gospel with right now! So we made a plan to make some more steps with each of the those families. I want to be like them in so many ways when I get home. Sister Membré even came to teach the Niamkés with us, the african family.... and she was GREAT! We decided that we wanted to teach them the Exodus story that I just shared with you... AND IT WAS SOO GREAT!!! Ha these little children of ages 2 to 12 understood the story and symbols better than the young adults in the ward did!!! So amazing! Soeur Kimball said she pictured the oldest boy with the priesthood....it will happen one day I JUST KNOW!!!

A time is short and I am so tired I can't look at this screen any longer. I love you all!! Happy Easter. I know that Jesus Christ lives and that He loves us so much.

Bisous (kisses as the french very frequently end things) et Joyeuse Paques!

Soeur Kohlert

Week 59: What a better way to celebrate a baptism than a CARNIVAL!?

So yesterday we arm wrestled to see who would stay in St Quentin since transfers are on wednesday..

Arm Wrestling to See Who Stays

Soeur Vance won so she was to stay .. but... we got SURPISED by a phone call from President last night. Soeur Vance has been called as a Sister Training Leader in Paris! So crazy. She is going back to her same area that she came from!!! like literally!! So cool. I am staying here and my new comp is SIster Kimball :) She lived in the apartment next to me sophomore year in Liberty Square so cool!!!! I am in my villes forever! So far over 5 months in every ville!

This week started out with an AMAZING sisters conference where all of the sisters in the mission got together. Soeur Poznanski did a great job putting it together. She is incredible. I wish you could all get to know her. There was one point where she told us that she wanted to give us each something special... but the mission couldn't just spend money on something like that so she asked the sisters in two stakes if they would be willing to give some old jewelry, bags, and scarves to us.... THERE WAS LOADS of stuff. We all got to choose a few things to take home... What an incredible way to feel the love of the sisters here in France for their sister missionaries. I just cried. I love these people....Miracle!

Jewelry Donated to Missionaries from French Church Members

Sister's Conference

A Group of Future Paris France Missionaries at BYU

The Same Group of Sisters at the Paris France Sister's Conference

The rest of the week was just as hectic as ever. We had a baptism to plan on Saturday and directly afterward would be a huge carnival that Soeur Vance and I, with the help of the DMP and the elders put on. We made garbage bags full of popcorn, at least 100 cookies, and decorations for "la fête foraine". There was fishing, bobbing for apples, beanbag toss, face painting, a photo booth. It was SO INSANE trying to get it all prepared. It was a hit!!!! There were people everywhere and so many members brought their friends!

The night before the festivities as we were walking into our apartment comlex, I saw our neighbor named JP and the idea just came into my head to invite him! So I did! He said that he would come! I thought to myself... sweet... thanks Holy Ghost. Then, on the big day, as we were walking out to go set up for the party, we saw him and his bud, who we had never seen. We waved and said see you tonight!

Well... at the carnival there was a guy talking to the elders. Wondering who it was, we asked! It was JPs FRIEND. JP never showed but he invited his friend, Axel, who came by himself! He started talking to one of the members and was so fascinated and interested by our religion. Axel is starting the lessons with the elders on Tuesday!! MIRACLE!

Carnival

Our other neighbors, Alexandra and Logan, came with the their grandma and friend to the party. As we were answering questions about the church we explained the restoration, baptism and baptism for the dead. Alexandra said that they would like to start Logan on the discussions so that he could be baptized! MIRACLE. Then the grandma said... I WOULD LIKE THAT TOO!! MIRACLE!!!! The grandma was like "Im coming to church tomorrow! I will be there!" By the end of the night Alexandra added, "You know, I was thinking and I would really like to be baptized too. I have been reading that book you gave me and I think it would be good for me too!" MIRACLE.

Isabelle's baptism was just prime. She showed up already to get her hair done in a beautiful white dress. She was so happy. She said that the night before she was so scared and nervous, but she prayed and knew that it was the right. For the first time in her life she believes. MIRACLE. She confied so many wonderful experiences to me as I was doing her hair. She is such a beautiful daughter of God.

Isabelle's Bapstism

The next day she was confirmed a member of Christ's church. Right before the sacrament meeting started she started to cry and ran out of the room.... Everyone was like WHA??? Dont worry... she had just read our testimonies that we had written to her in a little journal that we gave her. She said that she was just so touched by the spirit that she couldn't help but cry. Her blessing was amazing and the testimony that she shared with the words afterwards was even more touching. She is so sensitive to the spirit. Miracle.

I love my mission. It's been an incredible 2.5 transfers with Soeur Vance. When I found out she was leaving I just cried. It's so hard, the mission, but its so beautiful and so worth it. I love it. I'm so sad, so sad to see Sister Vance go. I can't imagine St Quentin with out her, but Im excited to start a new adventure with Sister Kimball on Wednesday.

I love you all so much!

Sister Kohlert

Week 58:The Lord shows His power in so many different ways

Wow! What amazing weekend filled with the spirit. The prophets words were so refreshing, inspiring, and uplifting!!! 

Monday was April first! In France instead of being known as April fools day it is called Poisson d'Avril and the little children go around sticking fish on eachothers' backs! Well we sure woke up to a surprise to find that our door had been decorated by our neighbors and investigators Alexandra and Logan with fish!! It was so cute. Alexandra's birthday was the next day so we couldn't help but play back and decorated her door with pictures and balloons.. picture attached. We were able to celebrate her birthday at Marie's where she broke into tears by the love and kindness that she felt. We also had a great lesson of the restoration and they promised to watch the DVD last night! We also invited them to the carnival activity this Saturday.. and guess what? They are coming and with half of their extended family! 

Fish and Birthday Greetings

Making Alexandra's Birthday Cake

This morning we helped a less active family move, the same family that we tore down the wallpaper earlier this week...... we ended up sharing the gospel with the moving truck driver. He asked US about it. I love how many prepared people are, we just have to find them! We should all try our best to invite 4 people a year to meet with the missionaries like Elder Ballard asked us to!

Removimg Wall Paper

Isabelle, our lovely investigator who is planning on being baptized this Saturday is doing well! We taught her the last three lessons in about two meetings and she took it all like a champ. She has some questions on tithing and the Word of Wisdom, I mean I dont blame her, but she said after watching the women's session she feels much better about it. Pray that she will be ready for this Saturday!

The beginning of the week was definitely rough with the whole no sugar thing. (Im gave up sugar to help a friend give up smoking). I was dying at about Wednesday so I had to call my friend to see how she was doing because boy oh boy if she cracked I was sure going to walk into the next boulangerie I saw. Well she told me that she had only had 3 puffs and that it made her want to vomit and it disgusted her. MIRACLE! So cool!! I ended up cracking and eating sugar this weekend, but she only smoke 3 cigarettes all week when she normally does about 7 a day!! WOW so amazing. The enabling power of the atonement sure is wonderful isn't it?

God is funny. And sligh. I love him. We haven't really been able to see a non active named Olivia this transfer... but as we were walking home from the church we ran into her and were able to chat a bit! We didnt think anything of it until we mentioned it to our member Marie. Marie had actually invited her over for a lunch. While at lunch Olivia explained that she used to run into the former sisters frequently and took that as a sign that she must really need them in her life. Since we have arrived we havent really seen eachother in town and so she took that as a sign that she must not really need us! Well... guess when we had run into her?? Only 2 minutes after she left Marie's! I think she may need us in her life and God is making sure that she knows. Too cool. Too cool.

I pray that one of these experiences that I have shared with you from my week has helped you along your journey of life, no matter where you find yourself in these short "4 minutes".

I love you all so much and I appreciate ALL that you do for me! Eternal families are the center of the gospel.

Sisssta Kohlert:)

P.S. As I was watching conference and Elder Cook started to talk I was shocked by his first name. I mean I always knew that his name was Quentin L. Cook but it didn't hit me that I am serving in is town!! Saint Quentin! Pretty sweet if I can say so!!