We have an Amie, Vanessa, she has been taking the missionary lessons since the End of May, when I was still in Utah! She has heard all the lessons several times and she had started to lose her desire, her babtismal date was set for December, because she lives with her fiance and she needed to be married in order to be babtised. She had started to have doubts about the Church and about herself, If she was ready to be babtised or if she wanted to push the date back even more. We could see that things were looking grim, her Fiance Benoit, was saying the same things, He is not committed to babtism, but his lack of faith was effecting Vanessa. Elder Magnan and I gave them a lesson about the Holy Ghost, we taught them about how we feel the Holy Ghost, What it means when we feel the Holy Ghost, When we feel the Holy Ghost and how to qualify for the presence of the Holy Ghost and then we PROMISED them that they would feel the Holy Ghost if the attended the Baptism of Carlos Bento. They agreed and they began to prepare themselves by praying for the Holy Ghost and really making the effort to be spiriually ready for Sunday. Then me and Elder Magnan fasted for them. They asked us "What if we don't feel the Holy Ghost, or what if we don't have good feelings at the Baptism?" We had confindence in the Holy Ghost and we told them that if they didn't feel the Holy Ghost and they had prepared themselves in prayer and reading, that it would be an answer, to postpone the baptism. We prayed Hard for them, and ready did our best to fast for them. Then the day of the Baptism.........bum bum bum........Carlos....(I'll talk about him in a minute), Vanessa and Benoit.......They came to church and it was fast and testimony meeting and then listened and waited for the Holy Ghost, Vanessa said she felt good but she didn't have her reponse, and Benoit said he didn't feel anything. Then the Baptism after Church, We were must more organized this time, we had started to fill up the font ahead of time, we had hymns picked and a sister playing the violin and the bishop and his consellor gave great talks, then the moment of the baptism. Elder Magnan went into the water and Carlos follow, I made sure that Vanessa and Benoit were right up close so they could see everything. As Elder Magnan raised his arm to the Square, and began to speak I felt the like a wind swept into the room, as he babtised Carlos. The Spirit was there and it was very calm. Later after the baptism we talked, Vanessa told us "I will begin to prepare myself more, and I have no doubts. I will be baptised on the 4th of December!" She had been touched and she was moved to tears. Benoit then told us that he felt a feeling that he had never before felt and that eventually he wanted to be baptised. I was so happy and so grateful for the blessings of the Lord, that we had received, it was incredible and I know without a doubt that it was because of their faith, our faith, our fast and the will of our Heavenly Father that they had such a great experience. It was awesome!
Carlos: We also were fasting for Carlos, and he was well prepared. Sister Bento was perfectly heathly, As he was baptised he had an enormous smile on his face, and sister bento was moved to tears, I was so happy for them! They were both so happy and they have already made plans to go to the temple. That is something that I will always be grateful to the lord for, the chance that I had to help in a Forever Family, I loved our other baptism with Sabrina, but there was a special spirit there as a family was united in the gospel. Carlos will be a powerful priesthood holder and they now will have the blessing of being together for time and all eternity, thanks to his choice to be baptisd. It is incredible to be that he just walked into church 6 weeks ago, he lives an hour away from an missionaries, and yet the Lord heard our prayers and led us to an elect, and actually he led an elect to us. 6 weeks ago, he walked into the church and yesterday he was baptised. We have been traveling to their house for 6 weeks, into the middle of no-where France, and it feels like a dream to have been a part of his conversion.
Joel: He is a new Ami, we met him last monday, we talked about the 12 apostles and the prophet and we gave him a brochure about Joesph Smith, he lives 25 minutes away from Carcassonne by car, and told us we could talk to him on the 20th November when he would be back in Carcassonne. He read the brochure and called us back that night, he doesn't have a phone so he walked to a payphone, he gave us his address and we taught him on wednesday, He talked about Joesph Smith, and then he invited us back on Friday he had read the introduction and testimonies of the witnesses and Joesph Smith like we asked. He re-read them because we didn't tell him to keep reading. We told him that he could read as much as he wanted and to start in 1 Nephi 1, we invited him to church and to the baptism of Carlos, he said that he really wanted to come, but there wasn't a bus on sunday and he doesn't have a car. We went and picked him up early on Sunday morning with a member and I asked him if he had had the chance to read a little, he told me "yeah, I read just to right here" He then showed me the page.....2 Nephi 21!!!!! In 2 days he read 110 pages! I asked him how long he read and he told me "all day", he acted like it was no big deal, and me and Elder Magnan were quite excited. He came to the baptism and he really liked it and he told us that he felt a "well-being" during the baptism. Wow! Blessings Blessings and more Blessings!
This week was great, but all of our blessings came at the end of the week, along with all the good news there is a little bit of sad news, Elder Magnan has been transfered as of today, and I have a new companion. I really like my new companion. I have already served with him on exchanges, he is from Versaille, the same ward as Elder Magnan, his name is Elder Sautron. He speaks alot less english than Elder Magnan, I am still in Carcassonne, and I'm super excited to work with Elder Sautron, but I was definitly sad to see Elder Magnan leave. But I think it is clear that the Lord really wants me to learn french. Just another blessing, it is incredible to be a part of this work and I love it. I miss you all, and it is hard, but I love it, and I love the people here. When I see our amie's making choices and coming unto Christ, I feel a joy sweeter that another earthy joy. I hope that I can continue to be blessed.
I sounds like Taylor was pretty sick, I hope he is doing better, Ca C'est pas cool Ca, I don't like it when my cousin tries to die! If some one can tell him, tell him I love him and that he is not allowed to be sick like that and that I'm praying for him.
Congratulations Ellie! and Carter! I was actually sitting in a different baptism during Ellie's baptism, we had some missionaries from Albi baptise a couple at our chapel on saturday because they don't have a font in Albi. I thought about you, and I am so proud of you and so happy that you have personally felt the same happiness that we have had in Carcassonne this week. I love you Ellie! and all the other grandkids too, but this week is special for Ellie!
I pray for you all, and I love you!
Bonne Semaine!
Elder Smith
Pictures - Carlos baptism, the Martin Family (he is the bishop), and Vanessa, Benoit and Elvin
I'll send a picture of the electric thing next week, the one that i have is the right head, but it is not deep enough, I don't know how to explain it, I'll send a picture next week
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