Sorry that I am a little late to write you but has been transfer week and as soon as transfers finished we have started packing the mission office and getting things ready to move the weekend and next week. and on top of that we will hopefully have 3 baptisms during the next 4 weeks so we spend every spare moment teaching our investigators. In your emails you have asked a bunch of questions about what I am going to do when I get home and about the trip to pick me up, what I suggest is that you get a pen and paper and when I call on Sunday you can drill me for 10 minutes and then we can talk about how you are and about the greatness of a mission and all that good stuff for another 50 minutes.
So the Miracles...
MIRACLE #1 Last week a family in the ward invited us over to eat right after church with their friend that they had brought to church. We were able to explain who we were and what we do as missionaries. We spoke about Joseph Smith and the members’ friend even said a very sincere prayer after we shared our spiritual thought. During the week she called us and told us that she had spoken with her mother and that she wanted to introduce us to her mother the next Sunday after church. We were thrilled. This Sunday after church we went again and ate with the same members and taught their two friends. We were able to leave a good impression on her mother and now the daughter has accepted to see us a couple times a week in order to better understand our message and work towards baptism. The family that presented us to their friends was less active about 6 months ago and they are now out to church every week, preparing to return to the temple and sharing the gospel with their friends. What a blessing it is to be able to leave the ninety and nine and rescue the one. This family had wandered from the fold and they have now come back and they are bringing others with them.
MIRACLE #2 When I was in Carcassonne I had tried to call an investigator but I got mixed up with the phone and the fact that I didn't speak french and instead of calling our investigator I call the less active bishop that had been offended and hadn't been to church in about 7 years. He was very confused and so was I, so my trainer took the phone and straightened things out, the old bishop thought it was funny and he accepted for us to come over when my companion asked him. We went over and saw him about 4 times when I was in Carcassonne and his home teachers came with us and they began to visit him. I left and the missionaries kept coming over every once and a while and then the Elders that are in Carcassonne recently really started working with this family. To make a long story short, the bishop has come back to church every week for about 2 months and last week he baptised his 15 year old daughter!!! I talked to the Elders and they told me that it was so wonderful, the ward was so so happy to have one of their best friends back and that the spirit was powerful during the baptism. Funny how God can turn something really small into something so big.
MIRACLE #3 On Friday night we recieved a phone call from Greg, back in Aix, and he asked Elder Claflin, "Do you have any plans tomorrow?" Elder Claflin said "no", and Greg said " I would like to invite you to a special occasion tomorrow I will be dressed in white and so will Elder Baret, I'm getting baptised!". I cannot tell you how grateful I am for Greg, there have been so many prayers for him, from many missionaries, friends, family, his wife and himself that he could be baptised. Well God answers prayers The next day, last saturday, Greg was baptised!!!! We begged President Murdock to let us drive down but we couldn't go. Elder Baret baptised Greg the day before the end of his mission, it is such a blessing to have been a part of Greg's story. Apparently they had just had a very spirituel lesson together on Friday night and felt the confirmation of the spirit and decided that he was ready for baptism. IT IS A MIRACLE!!! God is so gracious and I am so grateful to him to have sent me to France to meet wonderful people like Greg and his family.
I love you all, and I have lots I can say, but I will just tell you in person this Sunday, I am excited to see you all and I will call at 5:30 PM Geneva time, which should be 9:30 AM utah time.
LOVE YOU!!!
Elder Smith
Mission Buds
Transfers
Anai
La Famille Willener
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