Hello! Another week gone it's crazy how fast they go. This week was
such an amazing week and we were able to have some really cool
experiences. I'll start off with a story from this week!
So on Thursday we had Zone Training at the church. Zone training is
where the Zone Leaders and STLs present on what was talked about at
MLC! So we show up at the chapel and the zone training was great!
After the zone training, the Écully Zone Leaders asked us if we could
go to the store and get some ice cream for lunch! So we get into our
car and start leaving the parking lot at the church and as we are
pulling out of the parking lot we happened to see a lady sitting down
waiting for her bus on the other end of the street! We all felt like
we needed to talk to her but we continued to drive. And then all of
the sudden we all had the impression that we needed to go back and
talk to her but this time it was a lot stronger and more clear! So
Elder Battezzato turned around and we drove back to the church and
parked the car to talk to her! So we crossed the street and she had a
big smile on her face and we laughed and said "We know you saw us
leave the church and then turn around and come back. And to be honest
we don't really know why we felt like we needed to talk to you. So
maybe you can tell us why?" And literally she said "I feel like God is
calling me right now. I want to come back to him." And honestly I
couldn't even believe it. It was such a cool moment. SO then, we
briefly explained the restoration to her and gave her a Book of Mormon
just as her bus was arriving, so we didn't have time to get her phone
number or anything! But we told her that church started this Sunday at
2:30 and she promised us that she would read the Book of Mormon and
come to church. And then she got on her bus and that was that!
Seriously the whole experience lasted about 7-8 minutes. Like I didn't
even have enough time to ask her what her name was haha. So once she
left we got back into our car and said a huge prayer that she would
really come.
So yesterday we showed up at the church at about 2:15 and we walked
into the chapel and guess who was there? RENÉE (that's her name)!!
When we saw her she had a big smile on her face and she said "I told
you that I would come." And then we tried to take her around to all of
the members and introduce her to them...but they had already said
hello to her and she had a big smile on her face and the ward just
loved her!! Apparently she got to the church at 1:45 and had already
met so many members. Sooo...after we sang the opening hymn, Renée
leans over and asked, "How does baptism work in this church? I feel
like I'm finally home. I would like to be baptized." I almost died. So
after sacrament we went and found a room in the church and taught her
the restoration. She absolutely loved it and she said it made so much
sense. Then we talked about the priesthood and how she could be
baptized with this authority and we asked her to be baptized on
October 15th and she said she wanted to.
After she accepted her baptismal date, she told us her side of the
story! She said that on Thursday she felt very alone and started to
wonder if God was really there. She said that as she walked out of her
house, she prayed and asked God if he was really there to show her a
sign. So then she said that she took a few wrong busses and somehow
ended up right across from our church! She said she felt something
inside her that was pushing her into the church but she didn't go in.
Then she said that she saw us and had a weird but good feeling
inside....But then we got in our car and drove off and she just told
herself that maybe it was just a coincidence. So then she said that
she saw the car make a u-turn (FYI it was not a legal one but its okay
because we have an Italian driver ;) ) and go back into the church.
And then we came up to her and started talking to her!!
So that is the story! We have a RDV fixed with her for this Tuesday at
a members home and she loves it. She is so excited and it was
seriously such a miracle how everything happened. Like it really was
divine intervention that we meet her. Just the chances of her missing
a few busses and us leaving early to get ice cream. Then us turning
around to talk to her and everything!! It was really cool and I am so
grateful to have been apart of it!
Haha so here's another good story for you!! On Saturday I had a missed
call from a number that had a different area code that I didn't
recognize. So I call it back, no answer. Then about 15 minutes later I
get a call from the same number and I answer it and the person on the
other end of the telephone says, "Hello this is Elder Rogers from the
Albania mission.." Hahaha and I thought to myself "Okay I know an
Elder Rogers that's serving in the Albania mission!" So i responded
with "Wait...MITCH?!" Haha it was Mitch Rogers calling from the
Albania Mission!!! He called because they had a potential that they
contacted in Kosovo that lived in France and so he was passing me the
referral!! Unfortunately the lady lived in the Paris mission, but I
passed it over to the Paris mission and they got it taken care of!
Haha so Mitch and I spoke for like 10 minutes and it was so good to
talk to him! It was no joke like Alma 17:2 because I was seriously so
proud of him and so happy to hear how he was doing and all the good
work he was up to. Anyways so voilà it was so cool! I definitely
wasn't expecting.
We also had MLC on Tuesday which went super well! We presented on how
to begin teaching and other teaching skills from Preach My Gospel! We
had an hour to present and i felt like it went well. The main topic
that President Brown spoke on was Mark 4: 36-41. I absolutely love
when Christ asks the question "Why are ye so fearful? how is it that
ye have no faith?" When I read that I thought about how I would
respond to him if He asked me that same question. For me, this story
is a lot more figurative than it is literal. It's funny because Christ
could have calmed the sea long before it got to the point where the
apostles were afraid for their lives and asked him to calm it...but he
didn't. I thought a lot to myself this week about why he didn't calm
the storm until the very last second. I'm not sure I've got the most
perfect response, but I guess sometimes we just need to get to a point
where the only other thing we can do is rely on Him and have faith. I
know that Christ can calm the storms of life just as He calmed the
sea. In the end, his love is unfailing. I am so grateful for that.
Elder Wade
Mark 4:36-41
36 And when they had sent away the multitude, they took him even as he was in the ship. And there were also with him other little ships.
37 And there arose a great storm of wind, and the waves beat into the ship, so that it was now full.
38 And he was in the hinder part of the ship, asleep on a pillow: and they awake him, and say unto him, Master, carest thou not that we perish?
39 And he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm.
40 And he said unto them, Why are ye so fearful? how is it that ye have no faith?
41 And they feared exceedingly, and said one to another, What manner of man is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?
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