Dear family and friends!
Thank you so much for the thoughts and love you constantly express towards me. I am so grateful for each of you. The work is moving full speed ahead here in the France Paris mission, and I am so blessed to be a witness of the Lord's hand.
I am sorry I did not get much off last week. I was caught up hanging out with my best friends, Alexandra and Soeur Anderson!!! haha. I have the best life in the world.:) As I think of all the things I wish I could have shared with you then and of all the experiences I had this week, I am overwhelmed at the thought of getting it all written down! But I will try the best that I can to share the moments and the feelings I have had this past week while working here in Blois.
Comedy Spotlight:
We met a really nice lady the other day, who wasnt particularly intestered in our message, but she listened to us explain a few of our beliefs. Today, as we were getting onto the bus, she was getting off, and when we saw her she said, "Hello Mormons! How are you, Mormons? These are the Mormons!" haha It was pretty funny for us and for everyone else on the bus. That story will should go to show just how small Blois is.:) haha. I love it.
Cultural Spotlight:
The cultural spotlight this week is really obvious.:) I got to street contact on the corners of Notre Dame!!! There is not such thing as porting in the city. Only street contacting!!! but it was so so fun.:) This week we had exchanges with the Sister Trainer Leaders, and I was the lucky one that got to stay in Paris for the night.:) It was the greatest. I was companions with Soeur Hoover (April, she is from Idaho Falls!!!) for 24 hours, and I learned so much from her. I taught a lesson with her to a woman who just walked into the Visitors' Center one day (the one right near the Pompidou). This particular lesson was the second time the missionaries had met with Maria, but we got the special opportunity to relay the story of Joseph Smith and the Restoration of the church. The Spirit was incredibly strong, and Soeur Hoover and I were quite emotional. It felt right to ask, so we invitied Maria to be baptized the second weekend in August, and she accepted.:) What an increcible opportunity it was to be able to learn from my Soeur Leader. I am so grateful for all of the leadership in my mission and for the strenght of the missionaries who I get to serve with.
(Oh! and mom! Do you remember Lauren Kimball??? Her mom was the director of the Lower School at Waterford for a couple years... Anyways. Soeur Kimball is serving in this mission now (she only got here about a week ago!) and I got to see her when staying in Paris! Things are going well for her.:) Tell her mom I got to see her!!!)
Food Spotlight:
The food spotlight this week was yesterday at another member meal. Man! these member meals are filling me to the brim! I love it!!!:) We ate at Natalie Bellamy's house (who is a less active in the branch) with her and her son. It was SOOOOOOO good! From scatch, she made a zuccini quiche, a rich pork roast, and a red berry tarte.:) It was incredible! I loved being with her and her son. They are so close. I hope to see her again later this week or the next!
Investigator(s) Spotlight:
I didnt really get to share too much at all last week!!! But I really want to update you about our investigator Mirian. We taught her just once after she came up to us on the bus, but she ended up coming to church that same weekend and loved it. Then next chance we had to teach her was the following Tuesday, and as we were teaching the Plan of Salvation, she accepted the invitation to be baptized on August 3rd.:) Then just this past weekend, while I was in Paris for exchanges, Mirian's daughter Jennifer (who has been living in Belgium for the past five years) moved to Blois. Soeur Linton and Soeur Pymm visited them on Saturday, taught the Restoration, and Jennifer also accepted the invitation to be baptized on the 3rd of August.:) What a miracle! I finally got the opportunity to meet Jennifer at church yesterday, and she is just the sweetest. I love her already. I also got the chance to talk to Mirian yesterday about her husband and two other kids, who are scheduled to come here from Africa this week, and she gave me the greatest news! It turns out that for the past couple of months, before he went to Africa to pick up their kids, Mirian's husband took the missionary discussions in England and was baptized.:) What a miracle. I am so excited for them to all be together again this week and to be full recipients of the blessings the Gospel offers families. Please keep the family Awazi in your prayers, that they all may arrive here safely and that they may progress and strengthen one another.:)
I am so grateful for the opportunity I have to be a missionary, to be an instrument and a witness of the Lord's hand. I know that this work is His work, it is divine.
Remember that you can make a difference, wherever you are. Find someone to help. And always always remember to smile.:)
I love you with all of my heart,
Soeur Laura Lee Judd
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