11 January 2017 - Miracles in Koutio!

Bonjour ma famille!

This week was a good week! We had our exchanges with Paita/Dumbea and Dumbea Sur Mer. I got to go to Paita with Soeur Tatahio and we had a good day even though it was really hot and humid. It's been really humid and rainy the past couple of days. Earlier this week it was SO HOT but now it's finally cooled a little. With Soeur Pahio here in Koutio we did a lot of contacting in the rain and gave away 4 Livres de Mormon!! I really enjoyed going out working in the rain. It wasn't pouring rain but just a steady light rain, so it wasn't too bad. We also found an inactive sister (miracle!) and set a lesson for the next morning, buuutttt she wasn't there... C'est la vie missionnaire et on va reessayer plus tard! [That's missionary life and we'll try again later!]

Also this week, Soeur Davis and I went out porte-a-porte-ing and on the 3rd door, a man  named Jacques opened up and came out to talk to us. He kept saying how crazy it was that we were the first people to come knocking on his door talking about religion. He's Wallisian and Christian (apparently not Catholic like all the other Wallisians) and he's asking alllll the right questions! We gave him a Book of Mormon and we're going back Saturday for a lesson! Miracle!

BUT THE GREATEST MIRACLE OF THIS WEEK WAS JACQUELINE!!! Jacqueline is friends with la famille Guidi and started coming to church in November. The sisters were teaching her a lot (2-3 times a week) and she was progressing really well. But then she started working more and had other things come up and we didn't get to see her for like a month. But Thursdaynight she called us and said she wants to see us!! We went on Friday morning and here's the story: Moise, being the amazing member missionary that he is, had gone to visit Jacqueline with another ami and really encouraged her to take the lessons again. That and the fact that she finally found the cookies and note we'd left in her mailbox on New Years led her to call us! The lesson was really great (Moise was there too as a member present and I loved seeing the progress he's made) and she's remotivated to keep coming to church. She came on Sunday, was fasting, and they let her bear her testimony! Isn't that crazy? We're going to see her again tomorrow and hopefully set a baptismal date with her. The only problem is that she's been going to the Dumbea ward because that's where the Guidis are, but she lives in the Riviere Salee ward boundary. So we'd need to figure out how that would work. Honestly here, they don't always go to the ward they're supposed to but we baptize them anyway because we need to build up the church, haha, and they're willing, donc voila quoi! So we'll see about that!

On Sunday, Soeur Vagner invited us for lunch and it was great to be invited and spend some time with a member. She's also been struggling a little and we're able to support her spiritually and help her to reactivate her daughter. We might be going over on Friday to help clean a little and she wants to invite her daughter just so we're all in the same place at the same time and create a relationship with her to start off. So we'll see!

This week we should be getting the transfer news so next week I'll let you know if I'm still in Koutio or not!

JE VOUS AIME BEAUCOUP!!! 

Tata nana bisous!

Soeur Matheson