Rouen 2.0
Today begins my 8th transfer here on the mission. This last transfer was only 5 weeks and this upcoming transfer will be 7 weeks. On Saturday, we got the repertoire and I found out that I will be staying here in Rouen for a 4th transfer with the same outgoing companion for a 3rd transfer, and also the district will be changing again! My companionship along with the elders here in Rouen stays the same and in Le Havre Sœur Hicken will be leaving for Lille to become an STL (sister training leader) while Sœur Franklin becomes a trainer for a sœur coming from the MTC.
We have a new team of sœurs being added into this district serving in a ville called Caen. They will be going through a process called whitewashing, meaning that they will both be new to the ville and...Sœur Nielsen is going to be there! When I saw that, it felt like I was reading something wrong but I kept staring at it and I was just so excited more than anything! I get to have my amazing cousin in the same district as me! It's going to be an adventurous transfer!
Well, Sœur Erichsen has officially hit her year mark on the mission, which meant that we got to spend a fun day in Paris to get some legality business done! We celebrated her year mark in Paris as well, so we got to stop by the Notre Dame and with no luck, we weren't able to meet Quasimodo the Hunchback but we went and ate a panini and a crepe at a little restaurant. While my comp was getting her legality done with another soeur, I was able to spend some time with the wonderful Sœur Maeser for a couple of hours! We went to a place that missionaries called Consecration Hill which is where I went the first time I arrived in France. At the beginning of their mission, new missionaries were taken there to set goals and a vision of their mission. Now they don't do that anymore, so instead they take the new missionaries to the temple which is still pretty cool. Anyway Sœur Maeser and I spent a couple of minutes there and went to the mission office to pick up a few things and headed back to the prefecture to meet up with other missionaries getting their legality done. I'll be having to do that next transfer...YIKES!
Work in Rouen has been progressing pretty well, in fact we actually got a baptismal date with our amie T_____! The way it happened was literally unexpected too because it was only our second rendezvous with her. We decided to go over the Plan of Salvation with her when she heard that she can have peace after this life, she asked how she would be able to receive that. We showed her the video of Jesus Christ's baptism and she looked at us asking if we'd be at church on Sunday. We thought it was an interesting question so of course we said yes and then she goes on to say, "Ok so after the services I'd like to be baptized!" I felt like a train hit me because that was an immediate response and it came so fast! We told her that she can be baptized but she has to have the missionary lessons first so she was ok with that and her baptismal date set for June 23rd! We are hoping to maybe move it up just a little so that way it isn't too far for her. I'm excited to be staying here in Rouen to see her progression as she works toward her baptismal date.
This week, I was reading the story of Alma when he went to the city of Ammonihah to preach the gospel but the people rejected him and threw him out of the city. He was sad that the people had become so wicked and was about to go preach to another city but an angel appeared unto him and here's how the rest of the story goes:
15 Blessed art thou, Alma; therefore, lift up thy head and rejoice, for thou hast great cause to rejoice; for thou hast been faithful in keeping the commandments of God from the time which thou receivedst thy first message from him. Behold, I am he that delivered it unto you.
16 And behold, I am sent to command thee that thou return to the city of Ammonihah, and preach again unto the people of the city; yea, preach unto them. Yea, say unto them, except they repent the Lord God will destroy them.
17 For behold, they do study at this time that they may destroy the liberty of thy people, (for thus saith the Lord) which is contrary to the statutes, and judgments, and commandments which he has given unto his people.
18 Now it came to pass that after Alma had received his message from the angel of the Lord he returned speedily to the land of Ammonihah. And he entered the city by another way, yea, by the way which is on the south of the city of Ammonihah.
After going straight back into the city, Alma meets Amulek who had been prepared to receive Alma and his teachings. When I read this story I couldn't help but compare Alma's experience with my experience here on the mission. No, I don't get thrown out of my sectors and believe me, I wish I could see an angel every day to tell me what to do but what happened to Alma is somewhat similar to some of the experiences I go through as a missionary. Everyday, we get rejected by people and it can be very discouraging at times, but something that one of my STLs told me is that when we go out and find with faith, Heavenly Father will see that and He will bless us for our efforts in His own timing. I've seen that happen so many times on the mission. It's amazing to see that even when my comp and I can't find someone interested out on the streets Heavenly Father will see that we are trying and then maybe a week or two later, He sends someone looking for the truth our way (T_____ was one of those miracles!). I love reading the Book of Mormon. I feel like every time I open that book I happen to read something that I really needed to learn in that moment. I know that it's true and that it is one of the greatest gifts from our Father in Heaven.
Have a great week everyone! I love and miss you all!
Love,
Sœur Hopkinson
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