Week 17 "Je rest à NICE!!!" A New Companion

Soooooo.... today is transfer day. And I am staying in Nice another 6 weeks! I am seriously so happy. I love Nice and I love the people I have met here. I will be receiving a new companion today. In fact, I am just sitting in Montpellier right now waiting for her. Her name is Erica Allen and she is from England. I think she has been out for 8 months or something? I don't know much about her but I met her once and she was really sweet. She is a little timid but I will spice her up a little bit.

My New Companion Soeur Allen!

Change is a always weird. But change is also something you're constantly doing in life so I better get used to it. I kind of feel like my mother just left me stranded (aka my trainer). I know that this will help me grow a lot having to lead the area though. I am truly grateful for Soeur Holmgren and everything I learned from her. She is so teachable, hardworking, and humble. I love how patient she is with people and that she puts people as her first priority.

She doesn't worry or stress about things she cannot control. She just takes life as it comes and embraces the moment she is in. She was so patient with me as my MTC training wheels came off. Thank you my dear Soeur Holmgren. Je t'aime!! Time for her to get married!!! Ha... I give it 4 weeks before she is engaged. I just went around telling everyone in our ward she was getting engaged soon, HAHA!!!!

Final Activities before saying goodbye to Soeur Holmgren

This week we saw miracles. We had such a good rendez-vous with our newest ami, "A". We taught him at the chapel with our bishop and his wife. I think I am learning how important it is to love the people before trying to teach them. To love them and try and see where they are coming from and then just listen. REALLY LISTEN. When I actually listen to them and don't just try and think about what I am going to say next, I have so much more love for them.

And I can hear what the Holy Ghost is trying to tell me and discern their needs. There are a lot of people in this world who talk, but not a lot of people who really listen. So the next time someone talks to you... really listen. You will be so surprised at how liberating it is. "A" asked a lot of good questions during the lesson. He doesn't really have any base of religion but he knows something is missing in his life. His prayer was so raw. Really- I think that is one of the sweetest moments as a missionary- hearing an ami pray for the first time. He prayed something like this, "Dear Heavenly Father. Thank you for this moment in my life. I feel a force here that I know I need. I am not believing but... (turns to me and asks, how do you close again?) ok... in the name of Christ amen."

Something that is really cool about our two progressing ami's right now, is that we met both of them at the end of the day. My companion and I were tired, we had already talked to a lot of people that day, and it would have been so easy to just be done for the day. We were 3 minutes away from our apartment when we saw a man carrying a pizza box and we decided to talk to him. He told us he wasn't religious but maybe his mom would be interested. We kind of forgot about him... but then a month later, he called us. So no, we didn't see the results right away. But now... we are teaching him. Faith is sometimes hard to have. Because you can't see the end results and you just have to trust that Heavenly Father knows what he is doing. And he knows what is best for his children. I've decided that miracles happen when you give that extra push. When you are tired, or fearful, but you decide you just keep moving forward. You give what you can. But then you give a little more. And you see miracles!!

I am so touched with how giving and generous people here are. This weekend a member, Kevin, took Soeur Holmgren and I to a specialty Niçoise restaurant and then he bought Soeur Holmgren a 30 euro "tree of life" bracelet that a lot of members here have.

And Soeur Holmgren has been looking for a Santon nativity set to bring home. But they are really expensive here. We told Elton we have been searching for this, so for the past two weeks he has been looking around Nice trying to find some good ones. He called us the other night and said Santons are expensive, so that he will give Soeur Holmgren his own Santon nativity that he got in Italy.
And them in church Sunday, a Tahitian member, Tania, gave me and Soeur Holmgren two fat Tahitian kisses on the cheek and then pulled off her necklace from her neck and put it on Soeur Holmgren as a gift. They give without expecting and are so happy. I hope a can be this Christlike and giving one day too.

Gros Bisous xxx Soeur Jones