Week 34 - GWADA

Hellooo from Guadeloupe!! Holy moly, last week honestly kinda feels like centuries ago!! I don't have tons of time so I'll give you all some main highlights from the week:

-We had our last day in Guyane!! It was of course really hard to leave the people and places I love so so much. We spent the day saying goodbye to lots of our friends, which was sad, but I have trust in Heavenly Father that they're in His hands and that everything will be completely fine.

-We met some Americans in the airport! They were working in Guyane as space engineers I think. Also, flying for transfers is crazy but I really love that part about serving in the Great Barbados Bridgetown Mission :) 

-We were greeted by our beautiful sisters Soeur Christianson and Soeur Hamner!! We went and got bokits (a Guadeloupe speciality, sooo good: it's fried dough with meat and cheese and yummy stuff inside). Soeur Christianson left with Soeur Morrell (had to let my baby fly free, she's all grown up!) and I spent that night and the next morning with Soeur Hamner, one of my new companions! We had a BLAST, we are both SOO excited to be Abymes! The whole time we were going on and on about how special of a feeling we have about this area and this companionship!! And it's proved to be true, Abymes is amazing and so are my companions :)

The next day Soeur Johnson flew back in after spending a couple days in Barbados. And ever since then, the legendary trio commenced!! And man oh man has it been GOOD or WHAT!! Trios are super fun, and like I said, we all just have a super special feeling about this transfer :)

-On Thursday we saw our friend Joseph. He's Haitain and I flipped out because something about being in Guyane makes you looovveee Haitains hahaha. So that lesson was really good! Joseph is really cool. His cousin, Junior, was recently baptized, and Joseph referred his friend to us AND took his friend to see a baptism at the church on Saturday! Plus yesterday we couldn't find his friend (Widmy)'s house, so Joseph showed us the way and let us follow him there. So anyways, that's just super cool that they're all integrating each other and we have lots of hope for them!! :)

-On Friday we taught English class, and I saw the chapel for the first time! The chapel is gorgeous, I'll have to get some pictures of it!! I also met a couple of the members who were there cleaning the church, they were soo warm and kind to me. I love them endlessly already. We also met Elder and Sister Layne!! They're a senior couple here in Guadeloupe, and they are such a miracle for me. They're like every missionary's grandma and grandpa and are so sweet and loving. It's so great being here to serve with them :)

-On Sunday I met more of the members, they're all wonderful!! From what I could tell there are several families in the branch and lots of super strong people. They love working with us too. I've already worked with a couple-- Soeur Natalie Bucheau (not sure if I spelled that right) is one, she's AWESOME. Literally a perfect human being I think. She is basically a model and she has a PhD in English, speaks like a native and has the most beautiful accent in the world. Lol it sounds like I'm in love with her and honestly I kinda am hahaha :) But really, she's great. And there's another member, Soeur Elise, who left her job to work with the missionaries full time!! She is a POWERHOUSE, seriously, AMAZING. So basically all the members here are angels, I love them to pieces and just super excited to be here with them!!

Random things about Guadeloupe:

-There's lots of cows, and lots of goats. I loovveee it lol. I have a funny video of Soeur Johnson running past a huuuggee bull on the side of the road but it probably won't upload. Also there's lots of random chickens roaming around. I tried to pick up some of the cute chicks but the mama wasn't having it and chased me away haha.

-It's BEAUTIFUL. Green, fresh, lots of flowers, haven't seen the ocean yet but I know it's beautiful too, and beautiful people. 

-The accent is sooo cute here, lots of people will pronounce Rs like Ws, and I just think it's adorable

-It's pretty hilly and has beautiful weather

-Rains a lot, but the sunshine comes back pretty fast! I like it cuz it keeps me cool :)

-Lots of missionaries!! My district leader is Elder West, who was my Zone Leader in Guyane for a few months. He's training a new missionary, Elder Stutzman. We're also on the same island as other sisters now!! It's fun to see them every once in awhile (so far just P-Days and baptisms, stuff like that). The work is really moving forward in Guadeloupe!

So yeah, that's a taste of the main things this week. Overall things are super good, I've learned a lot already and still have lots to learn, but that's what life is all about :)

A nice spiritual experience to close things off:

Yesterday I was feeling discouraged. Feelings like that often come as a missionary, but I've learned that they can be really good because they push you to turn towards Heavenly Father, and to humble yourself. So while I was down, I said a prayer and opened up my scriptures. I opened right up to Alma 26, one of my favorite chapters. It talks about bearing afflictions with patience and how success will come!! And how all the success we have comes from God. The greatest miracles come from the greatest trials, because our faith is tested and strengthened. So I have a testimony that God truly knows me, that He led me straight to that chapter because that's what I needed. And the great thing about that, is that as a missionary I get to now go and share that testimony with everyone I see, and soo many wonderful amazing things come from that too. Being a missionary is hard, but being a missionary is incredible.

I love you all so much, have a super good week!

Here's my new address:

Soeur Gardner

4B Allée des Allemandes Section Bellevue

Petit Bourg 97170

Guadeloupe, French West Indies

Gros bisous!!!

Soeur Gardner

Love you all! Have a super good week!

Bisous,

Soeur Gardner