Brussels is Back!!

Brussels is back!

When we arrived in Brussels the wonderful senior couple (Elder & Sister Slaughter) were waiting at the train station to take our luggage! We were both really grateful because we had 3 bags each so it makes it a little difficult to travel. They took our bags back to the apartment and we took the mettro. Our apartment is in a really great neighborhood and is a lot bigger than my other apartment! Before we could get settled in we had to spend a little time cleaning because it has been awhile since the last time it has been cleaned. We quickly discovered that there are 6 area books and over 1000 teaching records. To put that is perspective.. My last area had 1 area book and maybe 100 teaching records. In other words, there is lots and lots of work to do here! One of us started organizing the area books and the other person started making calls to the most recent Amis. We were able to schedule 4 lessons within the next two days! We even had some people who didn't answer at first but actually called us back! That's a total miracle in the mission field. We have started calling Brussels the "promise land!"

Brussels is back!!

Our first lesson was with a lady who is from Nigeria. We taught her in English because she doesn't speak French as well. She is in Belgium working so that she can send money home to her family. The missionaries had just started meeting with her right before they had to leave so she hasn't really been taught very much. We introduced the Book of Mormon and invited her to read it. She started asking why there are so many different churches and that lead us right into explaining the great apostasy and the restoration of the gospel. I was in the middle of explaining the great apostasy when she interrupted and said, "I can tell you are "well traveled" because of your broken English..." I literally didn't even know what to say back to her! My companion just replied, "Wow, you are very observant!" We both had to try to keep ourselves from laughing. I think it was supposed to be a compliment but it definitely wasn't... I just tried to focus on the part where she said I'm "well traveled." It makes me feel better about her "compliment!"

Belgium is surprisingly more different than France! It's a very international city. There are so many different languages spoken. We went to the grocery store the first day and we heard at least 3 different languages. When we have gone contacting we have ended up talking with people in English way more than I ever have before. Brussels is actually split into two different missions! The Paris mission and the Netherlands mission. We are both able to travel anywhere in Brussels so we technically end up crossing into each others mission boundaries. However, if we find anybody that speaks English or Dutch as their first language we have to give them to the other mission.

Our ward is a French and Spanish ward! The other ward that meets in our building is an English and Dutch ward. I literally felt that I was in America when I walked in and everyone was speaking English! They actually are in a totally different stake and even mission but we both go to the same church building. Most of the English ward is from America so they told us they will help look out for us if we need anything. Our ward is super great! They haven't had missionaries for a couple months so they are excited to do missionary work. There are a lot of part-member families that they want us to work with. The Relief Society President invited us over for lunch and went over a list of all the people we needed to visit. (She also made sure to address important things like finding the best gaufres & frites etc.) There is so much potential here and we are so excited to really start getting to work this next week!

Belgium gaufres!

Today we explored the Grand Place in Brussels and of course had a gaufres. I feel so grateful to have the opportunity to serve here and to serve these people. On Sunday when we bore our testimonies we shared the scripture in Alma that says, "For behold, angels are declaring it unto many at this time in our land; and this is for the purpose of preparing the hearts of the children of men to receive his word." The people here in Brussels are definitely being prepared! I started reading the Book of Mormon over again this week. I love the faith that Nephi shows when he was asked to go back to Jerusalem to get the plates. "I will go and do the things which the Lord hath commanded, for I know that the Lord giveth no commandments unto the children of men, save he shall prepare a way for them that they may accomplish the thing which he commandeth them." We can always count on the Lord to prepare a way to accomplish the things he asks of us. I have gained a strong testimony on my mission that the Lord definitely qualifies those he calls. There will be lots of things in life that we feel like we are not "capable" of doing on our own. It's a good thing that in this life we are never alone! He is always there to help us and guide us. He will give us strength and ability beyond our own to accomplish the things he asks of us. I'm excited to see all the things here that we will be able to accomplish with the Lord's help!

Love, Soeur Johnson

Transfers & Temples!

Bonjour family and friends!

This has been quite an exciting week!! This past weekend we got our transfer calls... I better not pack my winter coat because on Wednesday, I will be transferred up to BRUSSELS!! (don't stress mom) We will be the first missionaries back in Brussels since everything happened. There hasn't been any missionaries there for over 3 months so we will have to do a lot of "finding" to build up our Amis because we are not going to have any. The Stake President has been requesting missionaries because he said the area and the ward really need them. I'm excited to see all the miracles we are going to have! I couldn't think of an area that needs the gospel more than Brussels right now. I feel at peace because I find comfort in the Lords promise that,"I will be on your right hand and on your left, and my Spirit shall be in your hearts, and mine angels round about you, to bear you up." No doubt, he fulfilled this promise with the other missionaries as well. This is going to be such a fun adventure. I love being a missionary!

This week I had my last lesson with Bertrand and Frederick. We told them that because it was my last lesson we would teach about one of my favorite topics... So we taught them about temples! It's definitely something they didn't know about before but they seemed to like it. It was cute because their son who is 18 months wouldn't stop crying...but when I brought out a picture of the temple he stopped crying and started pointing at in. He has some learning difficulties so he hasn't learned how to speak or walk yet. Ironically, one of the only words he can say is "Mormon." We taught them about how families can be together forever because of the temple! I'm looking forward to seeing them "twice in white" (baptism & temple). We were all pretty sad that I wouldn't be here for their baptism but because Brussels is close enough to Lille I will be able to go to their baptism in August!

Bertrand, Frederick & Gabor!

We also were able to visit the family that is from Ecuador that we taught last week. This time we were able to go with one of our members who spoke Spanish. That made things a WHOLE lot easier! We were able to talk about the gospel of Jesus Christ and the little 9 year girl had lots of good questions. At the end, she said she wants to be baptized! They are going to set a date next week and teach the rest of the missionary lessons. The sweetest thing was that the mom said that they have been really missing the "word of God" in their home so she felt like she was sent "angels."

On Sunday we were able to have dinner with an American family that just moved into the ward. It was so weird to have an American meal and actually speak English at the dinner table! It was definitely refreshing. We have actually heard a lot of English lately because people are coming in from all over the world for the Euro 2k16 soccer games. It's weird to hear people all the mettro and actually understand everything they are saying! It was Father's Day when we had dinner at their house so we shared a message about the important of building our relationship with our Heavenly Father.

Going to miss these girls!

The relationships that we develop in this life will be one of the only things we can take with us in the life to come. Therefore, we should try to do all we can in this life to develop and strengthen our relationships with the people we love. President Hinckley said, "Nothing you have is more precious. … When all is said and done, it is this family relationship which we will take with us into the life beyond.” One of the most important relationships we can have is our relationship with our Heavenly Father. Unfortunately, it's often the relationship we neglect the most. We need to set aside time everyday to build our relationship with him and the other people we love. He is also the greatest example of a father we could ask for. I love this quote by President Packer, "Of all the other titles that He could have used, He chose to be called “Father.” His use of the name “Father” is a lesson for all as we come to understand what it is that matters most in this life." I really do believe that being a "Father" is the most important "title" any man can obtain in this life. Happy Father's Day!

Love, Soeur Johnson

When it rains, it pours!

Bonjour family & friends!

Wow, I have never seen it rain quite like it rained here last week! We were already outside when it started raining so we got caught right in the storm. We only had one umbrella so half our bodies were kinda dry and the other half of us was totally drenched. It rained so much that everything started flooding. We walked down into the mettro and it had about 2 inches of standing water. Let's just say it wasn't the best day for street contacting but there were lots of opportunities for service! There were people slipping, grocery bags breaking, and umbrellas flying everywhere! It wasn't so fun the next morning when we woke up sick but it definitely was fun in the moment!!

We had another lesson with Bertrand & Frederick! (The ones that are getting baptized)  We taught them about the 10 commandments and keeping the Sabbath Day Holy. I walked out of the lesson just feeling so grateful that I have the opportunity to teach them. They were telling us how they want to make their baptism the beginning of a "new life." They said that after they come up out of the water they don't want to touch a pack of cigarettes again. They said they want to have a changed life. They really just have the sweetest testimonies! I have noticed that as their testimonies begin to grown and strengthen that Satan has began to work twice as hard. They have had a lot of challenges come up in the last couple weeks but they continue to have such great attitudes. On Sunday they were supposed to come to church but their car broke down. They usually drop off their 18 month old son at their parents house so that they can watch him during church. They didn't have any way to get him there so Frederick (the mom) stayed home with him but Bertrand decided not to let anything stop him from coming to church. He took the mettro and came for sacrament. It ended up being fast and testimony meeting! It couldn't have been more perfect. He said he was really touched by people's sincerity. A lot of people bore their testimonies about trials and how the gospel has helped them get through hard times! The scriptures promise us that if we.."Search diligently, pray always, and be believing, and all things shall work together for your good." We can be reassured that God will not always remove our burdens from us but he will always make them be for our benefit.

ice cream is always a good idea!

We had the absolute coolest experience "porting!" We went to visit one of the Amis but she ended up not being home. We had extra time so we just decided to go porting at one of the streets by her house. We were at a house that was about half way down the street and a woman answered the door. We started explaining who we were and why we were there. Her response was, "I know, I actually talked with your other colleagues last week." Apparently, the other sisters contacted her and her husband on the street the week before! They talked to them for like 30 minutes and then gave them a brochure. I asked her what she thought and she said she actually really liked it and wants us to come back! There is no way that could be just by "coincidence" that of all the people we talk with and all the doors we knock on we happen to come across her within a week of her being introduced to the gospel on the street. I'm excited to have a lesson with her and meet her family!

This week we also started teaching an Ami who is from Ecuador. She has two young girls and an older son. I was sitting in the lesson wishing that I had paid attention in high school Spanish class... She was trying to speak French but it was definitely a mix of Spanish as well. We brought them all Books of Mormon and started teaching them about the restoration. I just thought about what an amazing blessing the gospel is for families as we all sat around in a circle with our Books of Mormon in all different languages opened!

We had such a cool miracle happen at church. At the end of church some random lady came walking into the building. Some members starting talking to her and realized she wasn't a member so they introduced her to us. She explained to us that 35 years ago she met the missionaries and they gave her a Book of Mormon. She started reading a little bit of it and realized that it had the "same spirit as the Bible." She said that she studies languages and has gone to Jerusalem a couple times. She said that the writing in the Book of Mormon is very similar to other ancient writings she has read there. We explained that the Book of Mormon was written by ancient prophets in the Americas. She said, "There is no doubt that this book is sacred so I knew I couldn't get rid of it. It has been on my shelf all these years because I have never known what to do with it." She doesn't live very far away from the church and she always thought the building was beautiful but had never gone in. She was cleaning out her house because she is moving and came across the Book of Mormon. She decided that she didn't have space for it but didn't want to just throw it away so she brought it to the church to return it. We tried so many times to get her to keep it or trade us for a newer version but she wouldn't! We also tried to get her number or address but she said she wasn't interested right now but maybe in a "couple of years." The ending of the story is pretty sad but it still was a really cool experience! I pray that missionaries will one day knock on her door again and that then she will be prepared to hear the gospel.

35 year old Livre de Mormon!

All these miracles made me think about the scripture in Alma 26:30... "30 And we have suffered all manner of afflictions, and all this, that perhaps we might be the means of saving some soul; and we supposed that our joy would be full if perhaps we could be the means of saving some. 31 Now behold, we can look forth and see the fruits of our labors; and are they few? I say unto you, Nay, they are many; yea, and we can witness of their sincerity, because of their love towards their brethren and also towards us." In missionary work and in life, we don't always immediately see the "fruits of our labor." Sometimes it's hard to know if the things we are doing actually matter or are making a difference. Most of the time we will never know how big of a difference we have made or how many lives we have touched. God asks each of us to be his "instrument" and to follow the promptings of the spirit. Sometimes we may never know why we were prompted to do certain things because the results aren't immediate. I think sometimes parents who have children who have "wandered" may feel that the "fruits of their labors" were few. However, He promises that if you,"Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it." When it comes to saving souls; whether it is missionary work, raising kids, or reaching out to those who have wandered, our labors are never wasted! Have a wonderful week.

Love, Soeur Johnson

Forgetting how to speak English...Oh no

Bonjour family & friends,

This week we had another "finding day" in Lille! We had a lot of success this time and saw lots of miracles. We are super excited to follow up and hopefully get some new Amis. In the afternoon, I went with Soeur Clements and a member from our Ward out contacting. We were able to contact a couple people and had some great conversations. We also something really embarrassing happen as well... We contacted a lady who was from Germany and is here studying for her science degree. We started contacting her in French like normal and then she asked if we could speak English because that was easier for her. We said, "Of course that's actually easier for us too!" (Or at least we thought so) We started explaining who we were and why we were here.  Except every time we tried to say something it came out in French. We tried multiple times and literally could not find the words to say in English. Finally, our member who is French but speaks English said, "Do you want me to explain it for you?"  So in ENGLISH our member had to introduce us and contact this lady for us. It was so embarrassing! So maybe one of the reasons I wasn't sent state side is because being missionary in English would have been such a struggle.

Still wearing coats in June!

We visited that Catholic family again that we "ported" into last week. We met the Grandpa this time and he basically recited the entire Bible to us. It was super impressive how much he knew! We gave him a Book of Mormon and invited him to read it. I actually just finished reading the New Testament this week! It has really strengthen my testimony of the church and the Book of Mormon. President Benson said, "The Book of Mormon … verifies and clarifies the Bible. It removes stumbling blocks, it restores many plain and precious things. We testify that when used together, the Bible and the Book of Mormon confound false doctrines, lay down contentions, and establish peace." I have been reading them together and it really is a great way to help strengthen testimonies. It also is a really great way to learn more about the attributes of Christ and how to become more like him. I can't think of a better way to draw closer to Christ than to study his life and his teachings!

France is beautiful!

This week we also had the chance to see one of our Amis that we found a long time ago on the street. She has been working a lot so we haven't been able to see her. We felt like we should pass by her house and see if she was home. Luckily she happened to be there and she even let us in! She was super happy to see. I guess she has been going through a hard time because she had a close friend who recently died. We talked with her for awhile and then shared the scripture in 1 Nephi.

We don't always know or understand why things happen in our lives but we can always rely on the fact that God loves us and he will watch over us. I hope everybody has a wonderful week! All is well. Church is true.

Love, Soeur Johnson

Big doors & Baptismal dates

Bonjour family and friends!

We had zone conference this past week! We talked a lot about the importance of presenting the Book of Mormon. We also talked a lot about the importance of planning and setting goals. President Babin said,  "Always be thinking about where you want to go and how you are going to get there." I think that was really great advice that we can each apply to our lives. It was also a fun day because my MTC companion got put into my same zone this transfer so I was able to see her and catch up on how everything is going. It's crazy to see how much we both have grown and improved. I am excited to see where we are both at by the end of our mission!

This week we had such a great lesson with the cute family we have been teaching. They have the cutest son who is 18 months old. They have been so receptive to all the principles we have taught them.  Last week, we taught the gospel of Jesus Christ. They asked so many good questions and basically were asking us what they needed to do to be baptized! We taught them about the word of wisdom because we know that they have problems with smoking. They both know that smoking isn't good for them and they have a desire to stop. Next week, we are putting them on a "quit smoking" program. This past week we taught them about the organization of the church and how we have a living prophet. They really like the way the church is organized and were impressed how welcoming everyone was with them at church. We invited them to be baptized and they said yes! We set a baptismal date for August 13. I won't be here for the baptism but I will be able to skype in and talk to them after so that works for me!

Zone Conference!

On Tuesday, we had a little time before our next lesson so we went "porting" for a minute. When we only have a couple minutes in a neighborhood we always pick the houses to knock on by who has the coolest looking doors. We found this one that was made out of all rod iron and it looked more like a gate. A man came to answer the door and we told him we thought his house was beautiful and he immediately let us in! (I guess complimenting people's houses is the way to get in the door because it is usually never that easy) He gave us a little tour of his house and introduced us to his family. We said a prayer with them and they told us we can stop by again when we are in the neighborhood. They are very very practicing Catholics so it's going to be a challenge but that's what makes it fun!

"Miracle" door

This week I have been thinking a lot of what it means to be "prepared" to hear the gospel. I have had the chance to talk with a lot of different people and hear a lot of different perspectives/responses to more or less the same gospel questions and topics. There are obviously a lot of reasons why people don't accept or have interest in the gospel. However, there are some people that take great interest and in some cases even know it to be true but fail to do anything about it. In a lot of cases the excuse is used that these people are just not "prepared" yet. I have pondered a lot on why some people are "prepared" and others are not. I have come to the conclusion that there are a lot of people in the world that don't want to change. The people that are ready to change are the people ready to be converted. Change always leads to repentance. It's not an easy thing to change. To truly repent and to truly change, we much change our very nature. We must change our desires, thoughts and actions. True repentance often will require a change in our lifestyle. President Kimball said, “In abandoning sin one cannot merely wish for better conditions. He must make them. He may need to come to hate the spotted garments and loathe the sin. He must be certain not only that he has abandoned the sin but that he has changed the situations surrounding the sin. He should avoid the places and conditions and circumstances where the sin occurred, for these could most readily breed it again. He must abandon the people with whom the sin was committed. He may not hate the persons involved but he must avoid them and everything associated with the sin. … He must eliminate anything which would stir the old memories.” I am grateful for the gift of repentance and to have had the chance to meet people who have had humbled themselves and are willing to take the steps necessary to change. Change is not easy but it is worth it. My challenge is for everyone to "prepare" themselves to make the necessary changes to live a life more aligned with gospel principles. In this life, there is always room for improvement! That's why we are here. Church is true. Have a wonderful week!

Love, Soeur Johnson

6 months down ... 1 year to go

Bonjour family and friends!

Time flies when your having fun. This past week I hit my 6 month mark! It's crazy to think that I am already 1/3 of the way done with my mission. It has been a totally different experience than I could have ever imagined. There has been a lot of hard days but also a lot of really good days. Overall, it has been such a great learning experience. There are things that I have learned by serving a mission that I couldn't have learned any other way.

The six things I learned in 6 months.

1. When in doubt..pray it out -My testimony of prayer has increased so much. I have learned what it truly means to "pray unto the Father with all the energy of heart." I have never had to pray so fervently in my life. I have realized that prayer should become our first response no matter the situation. I totally agree with President Hinckley when he says, "I don't know how to get anything done except getting on my knees and pleading for help and then getting on my feet and going to work." There is not much I can do for those I love when I am half way around the world except to pray, trust that Heavenly Father hears my prayers & then go out and do his work.

2. Conversion vs. Testimony- I have quickly realized that there is a big difference between having a testimony and being truly converted. I had a testimony before I came on my mission but my mission has helped me to become more converted. A testimony are the things we know to be true but conversion is turning away from sin and staying true to what we know. There is a difference between knowing things are true and actually doing them. Conversion is a quest of a lifetime but something we should all strive to be better at. No doubt, I have been my first "convert" on my mission. It has helped me become more converted than probably any of my Amis have become.

3. "He makes weak things strong"- If you don't think you have any weaknesses, go on a mission. You will quickly learn that you have more weakness than you ever even knew! It's been a humbling and cool experience to see how the Lord has shown me my weaknesses and then has helped me to make them strengths. Ether 12:27 "And if men come unto me I will show unto them their weakness. I give unto men weakness that they may be humble; and my grace is sufficient for all men that humble themselves before me; for if they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become strong unto them." If we humble ourselves he will use our weaknesses and shape us into someone better.

4. "Opposition in all things"- The most common question we get is, "How could there be a God if so many bad things are happening in the world?" It's interesting because before my mission I had a similar question. I had a really hard time understanding why so many terrible things happen to such great people. As my understanding of the plan of salvation has increased my testimony of why opposition is necessary has strengthened. We have been giving the precious gift of agency. How we use our agency makes ALL the difference. There are a lot of bad things that happen to people in the world as a result of other peoples agency. God can't control how people use their agency but he definitely will make the best out of the situation of those that have been affected by the bad choices of others. He will "consecrate thine afflictions for thy gain." There are other things in life such as sicknesses that have nothing to do with free agency. These situations are hard to explain. Understanding the plan of salvation can bring great comfort in moments of great difficulty. What we do know is "it must needs be, that there is an opposition in all things." The good and the bad things in life help us gain experience and progress. The purpose of our life on earth is to gain experience and without opposition we wouldn't be able to progress like we need to.

5. "I need thee every hour"- The one of the most important things I have learned is that I'm not capable of doing this work on my own. I truly need divine intervention to help me accomplish the tasks that I am asked to do. I am grateful I can rely on the enabling power of the atonement (grace) to help strengthen me to accomplish things beyond my own capacity. Grace can help lift and carry us through the times we need it most. It's comforting to know that we have access to that power no matter where we are or what we are doing. "We truly need Him every hour, whether they be hours of sunshine or of rain."-President Monson

6. Count your blessings- No matter our circumstances we can always find things to be grateful for. President Lorenzo Snow said, "We have every reason to rejoice and to be full of joy and satisfaction, notwithstanding the difficulties that surround us." We have been given so many blessings! We find so much more joy in life when we learn to appreciate and focus on our blessings.

Lunch at the only place that has real Mexican food in Lille!

This week we had a lesson with Isabelle and her two girls. (The last minute miracle from last week) we taught them in the park near our house. She used to be atheist but now she has technically converted to Catholicism. It is more like she believes in God now and the most popular religion here is obviously Catholicism so she just calls herself Catholic. She thinks all religions are good because it is all the same God. We started teaching her the restoration but we had to hurry through it because it started to rain. She made us get out our umbrellas so the Books of Mormon wouldn't get wet..haha. She absolutely loved the story of Joseph Smith. She has a really strong testimony of prayer and that it works. She kept testifying to us of all the miracles she has seen because of prayer. It was such a cool experience!

Helping at the Refugee camp!

There has been a big emphasis lately with reaching out and helping the refugee situation. It has become a huge problem here in France because there are so many refugees. On Saturday we had a stake service project and we traveled up to Dunquere to work in a refugee camp. It was a pretty humbling experience to see where these people have to live. They live in temporary houses made out of plywood. It's just a square room and they sleep on the floor. They seemed to vary in sized but generally they seemed to be 7x7ft rooms. There were even tents set up on the gravel that people live in. The saddest part is that these refugees are actually living in what would be considered one of the "better" places that they have for refugees. It was a good reminder that we have much to be grateful for and that we need to reach out and help those in need.

I am grateful to have the opportunity to serve a mission. Church is true! All is well. Have a wonderful week!

Love, Soeur Johnson

Road trip to Brussels!

Bonjour family and friends!

This week we started off the week by taking a road trip to Brussels to hear President Uchtdorf speak. I couldn't think of better way to start off the week! He spoke at one of the chapels in Brussels and we were invited. He started off by saying, "German may be the celestial language.. But they speak French at the entrance to the celestial kingdom." I guess that's one good reason to be a little more motivated to learn French  He talked a lot about how we should be grateful for challenges because they provide us with opportunities to use the gospel. He said that challenges provide us with opportunities to grow and show what we are really made of. His comment about showing what we are really made of reminded me of the story of the wiseman and foolish man building their houses on the rock/sand. The "wiseman" built his house upon a rock (Christ)..3 Nephi 14:25, "And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not, for it was founded upon a rock." The "foolish" man built his house upon the sand (things of the world)..27"And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell, and great was the fall of it." In both circumstances the rain, floods, and winds came at full force. However, the wiseman had built his house with a solid foundation and therefore it remained strong despite the trials and challenges. Challenges and the winds of life will come no matter if we are built upon a solid or sandy foundation. However, when we build ourselves on a solid foundation (gospel/Christ) we will be able to make it through the "winds" and the "floods" of life. When challenges come they will reveal what kind of foundation we are built on. He also said that often he is asked what is the best advice he could give a person. He said obviously each person is in a different situation but he said the best advice he could give is to simply keep the commandments and trust in God. He said we will enjoy life so much more when we learn to do those two things.

Road trip!

Thursday was a day of miracles! We started off by contacting a lady and introducing the Book of Mormon. We went to give it to her and she said, "I already have one." She then afterwards started to apologize that she hasn't read it yet. We told her we could come over and read it with her! She agreed. It will be interesting to hear the story behind how and when she got the Book of Mormon. It's a good reminder that one of our responsibilities is to "plant seeds" for future members and missionaries to reap. We continued contacting for a little bit and ended up seeing a girl we had met a couple weeks ago. She had wanted a Book of Mormon at the time but was going to a party and didn't have a bag to put it in. When we ran into her this time we were able to give her a Book of Mormon. She was really happy and pointed up to the sky and said "Merci!" She said it was "grace à Dieu" that we ran into each other again. We were all super grateful that God put us in each others path! We headed back to our apartment and had about 5 minutes left until we were supposed to go inside. We saw a lady with two kids at the end of the sidewalk. Soeur Witham and I both looked at each other and said, "One more miracle!" We started down the sidewalk and quickly realized that we were going to awkwardly meet her in the middle of crossing the street. I leaned down and pretended to fix something on my shoe to give us more time to meet her on the sidewalk. When we stopped walking, she stopped walking too! So we ended up both crossing the street at the same time and meeting each other in the middle of the road. Usually, we don't contact people when we are in the middle of the street but we decided to do it anyways because we really wanted to talk to her! She ended up telling us the story of how she converted from being atheist to Catholic. We shared the Joseph Smith story with her and she loved it! We are meeting her and her two kids again this week at the park. (Praying we have good weather) It was such a great end to a great day!

"Porting" in the pouring rain!

Overall, we had another amazing week and I am excited for all the miracles to come! All is well here in France. Church is true. Love you all!

Love, Soeur Johnson