Bonjour Family & Friends!
On Monday we started off the week by having a "Crepe" night and invited all of our Amis. We had a new ami come named Sophie who the V'Dascq sisters found but who lives in our area. She has been searching for religion and we are hoping to have a lesson with her next week!
On Tuesday we went over and started teaching the after baptism lessons to Lucile and Alexandre. They are literally so sweet! On Sunday they got up in Sacrament and bore their testimonies. They have only been baptized for a couple weeks but I can already tell they are going to be really strong members of the church. Last week, Lucile was able to go to the temple with the youth so we talked about temples and the importance of families. Afterwards, we had dinner with their whole family. Soeur Witham was able to have her first official "French dinner" with the absolute cutest French family!
The next day we had another great lesson with the ami that we met on the street last week! This time we taught her about the restoration of the gospel and she was listening very intently. The lesson went really well and at the end we invited her to read the Book of Mormon. One of the questions she asked was, "Why is it so important to read the Book of Mormon and not just the Bible?" We told her that there are a couple really important reasons to read the Book of Mormon. One of the reasons we explained that it was important to read the B.O.M was that it will help her gain a testimony of the things that we have been teaching her. If the B.O.M is true, than Joseph Smith was a prophet, which means the Church of Jesus Christ has been reestablished, which means we have Priesthood keys on the earth, which means we have a living Prophet, which means there are covenants (ex. Baptism) we need to make on earth in order to return to live with Heavenly Father and our families again. The Book of Mormon is complete evidence of whether the church is true. If the Book of Mormon is not true than none of this other stuff is possible. The Book of Mormon literally is the "keystone of our religion." She said she would read it because she can tell the things we are telling her are genuine. She works a lot so we probably won't see her this week but we are definitely going to follow up on if she read the Book of Mormon!
On Saturday we went up to Valenciennes for "finding day." We spent most of the day going contacting on the street with members and other missionaries. When I was out contacting with Soeur Gilbert we had a really funny experience. We contacted this young girl and started talking with her. She realized that we were from America and since we were talking about religion she said, "I have heard that there are these crazy people called Mormons that are taking over America!" Soeur Gilbert and I both looked at each other and kinda started to laugh and said, "Actually, we are the Mormons..." The girl was so embarrassed and she kept apologizing because she felt so bad. We ended up explaining to her what our beliefs really are and clarified the misconceptions about Mormons that she had seen on tv. We ended up getting her number and she said she would be interested to talk another time. I'm not sure if she gave us her number because she was actually interested or because she felt so bad.. Haha. We ended the day by going to the center of Valenciennes and doing a "Book of Mormon" hour. All the missionaries grabbed a Book of Mormon and just went around and started talking to people. One of the Elders got a live action shot of Soeur Clements and I contacting a man who ended up being really interested. We haven't been allowed to contact single men until just recently so this was one of the first men I have contacted. He wan't with anyone at first but his family ended up being there as well so after talking with him for a little bit we were able to talk with his wife and kids! We gave him a Book of Mormon and read a couple versus out of it with him. He says he is atheist but to me it seemed like he does believe in a God but just isn't a part of an organized religion. We invited him to read the Book of Mormon with his family and pray to know that it is true. We also got his number so that the missionaries could meet with him and explain more.
This was definitely a "Book of Mormon" themed week. I am so grateful that I get to carry around a Book of Mormon everyday. It is such a powerful book and every time I read it my testimony is strengthened. I love this quote by President Hinckley about the Book of Mormon, "The evidence for its truth and validity lies within the covers of the book itself. The test of its truth lies in reading it. It is a book of God. Reasonable people may sincerely question its origin; but those who have read it prayerfully have come to know by a power beyond their natural senses that it is true, that it contains the word of God, that it outlines saving truths of the everlasting gospel, that it ‘came forth by the gift and power of God … to the convincing of the Jew and Gentile that Jesus is the Christ" I am grateful for the opportunity that I have had to read it cover to cover and receive a personal confirmation that it indeed a book of God and that Joseph Smith was indeed a prophet. I invite you to do the same! Church is true.
Have a wonderful week! Love, Soeur Johnson
On Monday we started off the week by having a "Crepe" night and invited all of our Amis. We had a new ami come named Sophie who the V'Dascq sisters found but who lives in our area. She has been searching for religion and we are hoping to have a lesson with her next week!
On Tuesday we went over and started teaching the after baptism lessons to Lucile and Alexandre. They are literally so sweet! On Sunday they got up in Sacrament and bore their testimonies. They have only been baptized for a couple weeks but I can already tell they are going to be really strong members of the church. Last week, Lucile was able to go to the temple with the youth so we talked about temples and the importance of families. Afterwards, we had dinner with their whole family. Soeur Witham was able to have her first official "French dinner" with the absolute cutest French family!
The next day we had another great lesson with the ami that we met on the street last week! This time we taught her about the restoration of the gospel and she was listening very intently. The lesson went really well and at the end we invited her to read the Book of Mormon. One of the questions she asked was, "Why is it so important to read the Book of Mormon and not just the Bible?" We told her that there are a couple really important reasons to read the Book of Mormon. One of the reasons we explained that it was important to read the B.O.M was that it will help her gain a testimony of the things that we have been teaching her. If the B.O.M is true, than Joseph Smith was a prophet, which means the Church of Jesus Christ has been reestablished, which means we have Priesthood keys on the earth, which means we have a living Prophet, which means there are covenants (ex. Baptism) we need to make on earth in order to return to live with Heavenly Father and our families again. The Book of Mormon is complete evidence of whether the church is true. If the Book of Mormon is not true than none of this other stuff is possible. The Book of Mormon literally is the "keystone of our religion." She said she would read it because she can tell the things we are telling her are genuine. She works a lot so we probably won't see her this week but we are definitely going to follow up on if she read the Book of Mormon!
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| "Book of Mormon hour" in Valenciennes! |
On Saturday we went up to Valenciennes for "finding day." We spent most of the day going contacting on the street with members and other missionaries. When I was out contacting with Soeur Gilbert we had a really funny experience. We contacted this young girl and started talking with her. She realized that we were from America and since we were talking about religion she said, "I have heard that there are these crazy people called Mormons that are taking over America!" Soeur Gilbert and I both looked at each other and kinda started to laugh and said, "Actually, we are the Mormons..." The girl was so embarrassed and she kept apologizing because she felt so bad. We ended up explaining to her what our beliefs really are and clarified the misconceptions about Mormons that she had seen on tv. We ended up getting her number and she said she would be interested to talk another time. I'm not sure if she gave us her number because she was actually interested or because she felt so bad.. Haha. We ended the day by going to the center of Valenciennes and doing a "Book of Mormon" hour. All the missionaries grabbed a Book of Mormon and just went around and started talking to people. One of the Elders got a live action shot of Soeur Clements and I contacting a man who ended up being really interested. We haven't been allowed to contact single men until just recently so this was one of the first men I have contacted. He wan't with anyone at first but his family ended up being there as well so after talking with him for a little bit we were able to talk with his wife and kids! We gave him a Book of Mormon and read a couple versus out of it with him. He says he is atheist but to me it seemed like he does believe in a God but just isn't a part of an organized religion. We invited him to read the Book of Mormon with his family and pray to know that it is true. We also got his number so that the missionaries could meet with him and explain more.
 |
| Live action shot of giving away a B.O.M! |
This was definitely a "Book of Mormon" themed week. I am so grateful that I get to carry around a Book of Mormon everyday. It is such a powerful book and every time I read it my testimony is strengthened. I love this quote by President Hinckley about the Book of Mormon, "The evidence for its truth and validity lies within the covers of the book itself. The test of its truth lies in reading it. It is a book of God. Reasonable people may sincerely question its origin; but those who have read it prayerfully have come to know by a power beyond their natural senses that it is true, that it contains the word of God, that it outlines saving truths of the everlasting gospel, that it ‘came forth by the gift and power of God … to the convincing of the Jew and Gentile that Jesus is the Christ" I am grateful for the opportunity that I have had to read it cover to cover and receive a personal confirmation that it indeed a book of God and that Joseph Smith was indeed a prophet. I invite you to do the same! Church is true.
Have a wonderful week! Love, Soeur Johnson
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