its huge and super nice. THERES A DISHWASHER. Unheard of in France
unless you're Sister Brown or a senior missionary couple. There are
also two bathrooms and two showers, and it's in the actual town of
Ecully which is nice and where all the American families in our ward
live. We're thinking Sister Brown had a lot of input in the decision,
because she saw how horrible our apartment before was and took pity.
There's no way the office would normally have got an apartment that
nice in such a nice location. We probably won't be able to move in
until next weekend or later, but we're excited. As much fun as it's
been to live with Allison the last few weeks, we'll be excited to
sleep on real beds and not use a couch as a closet.
This week we had a really great leadership conference. Our mission
made a goal to baptize 250 people this year, and so president talked
about how we're going to accomplish that goal. First and foremost we
are going to be baptizing families. It's so hard to do! SO HARD. It's
hard enough to find one person to teach in France, let alone someone
whose whole family is also interested. But, with the Lord's help and
all the tools he's given us, we're going to do it. The assistants
talked a lot about things they started to do and real families they
have found thanks to their new efforts and strategies. So, I'm
determined to find a family. I want to contribute to this goal of
baptizing 250 people! During the meeting, Sister Nef, who came in at
the same time as me, shared an experience she had that really struck
me. Not long ago, I suppose when we hit our year mark, she reflected
on all that she had done as a missionary. She felt like she had been
unproductive and hadn't done nearly as much as she should have.
Looking at her numbers throughout her mission, it was like she hadn't
even been serving one at all. As she was speaking, I was shouting
inside "ME TOO!" I have nothing to show for myself. But she finished
by saying "keep going, we don't know what the Lord is doing with us,
just keep going." So that's kind of been my motivation all week.
Nelly has just been going up and down the past month. This week we had
a lesson with her and it seemed to be going well for the first
half--she showed us all these things she had been writing in her new
study journal. Then the last half was her freaking out and shouting
(lots of it) about all the problems in her life and how nothing's
getting better and wondering why she has to keep suffering. I'm
getting exhausted. I love nelly with all my heart, but this happening
almost every week for the past four months is getting to me. My little
heart can't handle all that! Thank goodness I keep getting the
reassurance that God has it all in hands. So I'm letting Him take that
load away from me. At this point I don't know what else we can do
other than wait for her to use her agency to grow her faith and make
good choices.
This week I had a nightmare that I was home. I think it's because so
many of my friends in the mission have just gone home or are leaving
after this transfer. It's terrifying.
I just want to take a minute and brag about our ward mission leader
and his family. They're so cool! We have the most efficient meetings,
and Sister Zinn always is such a joy to be around. Well, the whole
family. She's so fun and just rock solid with her testimony and has
the best advice for life and everything else we do. I've started a
Zinn cookbook and a Zinn advice book.
Pray that we will find a family to teach!
Soeur Melissa Hurd
Drove the zone leaders crazy cause we keep forgetting to put in our weekly numbers...so we finally gave them what they wanted. ALSO DON'T JUDGE OUR NUMBERS
Leadership conference sisters! We had permission to wear the pants
90s throwback
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