Belgium Thanksgiving!!

Bonjour family and friends,  

I hope that everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving! On Wednesday night, we had our "missionary thanksgiving" with all the missionary at the Christensen's. It was so delicious! On Thursday we had thanksgiving at our ami Aude's house. It was interesting because there were about 20 people there celebrating thanksgiving but we were the only Americans! Most of the people we talked with were atheist and not really interested in religion. We were able to explain to everyone the basics of our beliefs and clarify some misunderstandings. It made me think about how it is important to find those who are prepared. People who are prepared are much more receptive. Some people who maybe are not ready for the gospel right now, could be ready in a couple years. That's why it's important to never give up! We need to just keep trying and it's their choice to accept it.

thanksgiving dinner! (Much better than my mtc dinner last year)

I started talking with a lady on the metro this past week and we started talking about how I am here as a missionary for my church. She looked down and saw the Book of Mormon. She got a big smile on her face and said, "Vous êtes Mormon?!" She started explaining how her son is actually meeting with the missionaries in the Netherlands and she went to church with him for General Conference. She said that she has seen a big change in her son since he has began meeting with the missionaries. She said she is absolutely shocked because before he wasn't very religious at all. She is interested in reading the Book of Mormon and so we are going to meet with her today to explain it a little more!

thanksgiving with the missionaries!

We had another lesson with our cute Portuguese family. We talked about the important of making choices and how we can use the Holy Ghost to help direct us to know what we should do. The mom was crying and at the end of the lesson and at first we weren't even sure why. She then told us that she knows that the things we are teaching are true and she needs to be baptized. She said it is just hard because it requires a change of lifestyle and she is also dealing with other difficulties in her life. I have noticed on my mission that Satan seems to work twice as hard when people start making good choices and have the desire to follow the Savior. It seems like there is always a big difficulty that comes right before they are about to make the decision to turn their life around for the better! I know that there are great blessings that come to those that make the right choice, despite how hard it is. We are going to try to fix a baptismal date with her in the next couple weeks.

This past Friday we went into Paris for a mission conference with an area seventy. We talked a lot about choosing to serve the lord. President Babin brought up a quote I really like..  He said, "today is the first day of the rest of your mission." This quote could be adjusted to fit almost any situation. We can't change the past but we can control what we do now and in the future. It made me reflect a lot about how choice is directly related with change. If we want to change, we must choose to do so. We must make a conscience effort everyday to be a little better. The choices we make everyday have a direct effect on if we change for the better or worse. It is not something that will just miraculously happen one day. As we consistently put in the effort, we let the enabling power of the atonement work in us and make up for our imperfections and weaknesses. One of my favorite parts of being on a mission is being to see this change happen in members, Amis and missionaries. I love this quote about how the Lord changes us..“The Lord works from the inside out. The world works from the outside in. The world would take people out of the slums. Christ takes the slums out of people, and then they take themselves out of the slums. The world would mold men by changing their environment. Christ changes men, who then change their environment. The world would shape human behavior, but Christ can change human nature..Yes, Christ changes men, and changed men can change the world." Have a wonderful week!

Love, Sœur Johnson