Miracle!

This week has been so wonderful! We had leadership conference on
Tuesday and it was great to be back in Lyon for a day. I saw Soeur
Grant and Soeur Holmgren, who are now companions in Annemasse! They're
so adorable and I feel like we're a trio. They even brought me some
Swiss chocolate (my favorite kind with the pistachio!) because they're
right next to Suisse. So sparked! They're so cute. My companion Soeur
McClellan was also way excited to go because it's her first time at
leadership council and the three other girls that were in her MTC
group are all STLs now too, so it was a great reunion for the four of
them.

At the meeting we talked a lot about the Christofferson conference and
how to take our mission to the next step. President has given is yet
another mission challenge! We just got 223 new people committed to
baptism, and now the goal the Lord has for us is to BAPTIZE 91 of
these people before the end of this TRANSFER. That's a month away!
President wanted to insure us that yes, indeed this goal is
impossible. But we've done the impossible in all these past mission
goals we've had this winter. So we're going to do it again. This time
we can't afford to wait till the last week to get on board, we've got
to get there now. In our mission, we exceed our goals. We're going to
baptize 91 people this transfer.

We talked about the Book of Mormon and the blessing Elder
Christofferson left us--these are tools that we can draw upon to reach
this goal. I know that we're not alone in this work and that the Lord
is directing all of it. I'm so excited for this new emphasis on the
Book of Mormon. With all the family and temple tools we've been using,
it's been only too easy to forget that the Book of Mormon is the
greatest tool we have in conversion. We've planned a game for our zone
to memorize scriptures from the Book of Mormon so that we'll be ready
to always use it in our teaching. I've set some personal goals as well
and I'm already feeling the power that comes! I just love the Book of
Mormon! Everyone needs to read it!

Ok now for the big miracle! Someone named Cyrille called us this week
and said he got our card from sisters a while ago and now he has time
to talk about Jesus Christ. We set up a rdv and prayed that he was a
miracle and HE IS. We were on exchange during the first lesson so I
was with Soeur smith and Soeur Clancy who are in a trio in Aubagne. We
roleplayed the lesson that morning and we planned on beginning with
the end in mind by talking about temples. The rdv went so well!
Prayerful planning precedes perfection. We were able to meet him, talk
about temples, talk about following Jesus Christ through sacred
covenants, and he wants to be baptized! He said he's always been
playing hide and seek with God, but now he wants to follow him. Now
he's ready. HE'S SO PREPARED. We extended the baptismal invite for May
7 (last day of the transfer) and he said it was a little early. Well
today we just barely had a rdv with him and extended the invitation
again, this time for May 21, and he accepted! But we know a miracle
will happen and he'll be ready before then. Sometimes Heavenly Father
hands us miracles on a silver platter. It reminds me a lot of Anthony
in Cannes, who just texted us one day because he was searching for the
truth and is now baptized. We didn't do anything but start the lessons
and invite him. Cyrille's story also gives encourages me because all
he had was a card! I give our cards out ALL THE TIME. With hopes that
mayyyybe someone will call or look at the website. Well apparently it
does work!

Also, yesterday afternoon we were contacting and Soeur McClellan
contacted this girl with punk spiky hair and genie pants and leather
studded gloves. And we had the coolest lesson with her. She said, yes,
I have all the time in the world! Let's go sit down somewhere. We
talked about her spiritual journey, family, and our Heavenly Father.
She was interested in researching but said she won't be ready to
choose a spiritual pathway until she's like 50. Well, she might eat
her words because she accepted our Book of Mormon and she promised us
she would read it and take care of it. Her spirit was so sincere, that
I know she'll read it and I know she'll feel the love Heavenly Father
has for her. She's a little bit of a wanderer, so she said she
wouldn't fix a rdv with us because she just walks around all day and
believes what's supposed to happen will happen, but she agreed that it
was no accident we met her today. I know we'll see her again though
because there are no accidents, and God loves her and wants her to
know and experience everything he has prepared for her. She was so
cool.

Last night we had dinner with our DMP and he's just so legit. I'm
grateful for his vision for the ward and for his efforts to encourage
the members to do all they can to help us with missionary work. At
ward council he was fighting our cause by telling all the council
members of the poor sister missionaries that contact and porte all day
with no fruits and was saying it's all up to the members now haha.
He's got our back. But I'm still giving out our cards like there's no
tomorrow!

Conference talks are all uploaded on gospel library already!! Profitez
bien!! I know I will.

Je vous aime tous !
Soeur Hurd