Week 65 - ABYMES Take Two-- Cookie deliveries and prayer circles

Bonjour!!!

This week was CRAZY but SO fun!

It started off a little bit sad because I said goodbye to the wonderful area of Sainte Rose!! Leaving behind members and friends that I've come to love SO much is really really hard, but I luckily will still get to see some of them around from time to time :)

We had a DREAM lesson with our recent convert Junie and our friend Wilens! Working with Junie was aboslutely incredible and I was so so happy to do missionary work and hear her explain the Gospel to somebody else! She's amazing <3

We also saw one of my favorite Dominican ladies ever named Debra, she is sooo wonderful! We got to meet her mom and her sister as well and they're the cutest, sweetest people ever. A few months ago she told me she looveed my skirt so I decided to give it to her before I left and it made her day :)

On Wednesday we did the TRANSFER SWITCH!! We picked up Soeur Herrera, my new companion, up from the airport and I LOVE HER! Of course all the soeurs went and got bokits first thing and then we went to Abymes!

It's been EXTRA fun because the wonderful Soeur Morrell has been with Soeur Herrera and I too! Her companion is still in Barbados and they go to their area together in Guyane this Friday. So we're living up the trio life for a bit until she leaves!! It's been a blast, we're eating a lot of candy, laughing too much, and seeing miracles as we're out talking to people about the Gospel.

FUN HIGHLIGHTS:

-Soeur Elise, an amazing member with a fiery testimony and a passion for missionary work, worked through our new friend's concern about accepting the Book of Mormon. At first he was not open to it at all but in the end he took one and even ended up reading it!

-Worked with the cutest ever member Soeur Ketty Bouchaut and saw Monia, one friend we have who came to church with one of her little baby girls!! She's so sweet!

-Sang karaoke basically with the members as we prepared for the branch talent show coming up! Except the only song we sang was "Peace in Christ." I sang a solo and discovered why I'm not going into the music industry because stage fright is real! 

-Saw several very very newborn babies (just a few days old) and I DIED. How much longer can I go before holding a sweet little baby again? One of the hardest missionary rules for me to keep!! 

-Made sugar cookies and delivered them to a couple friends! 

-Got attacked by literally dozens of mosquito at one time and had to dodge a smelly surprise left by a dog in the stairwell of an apartment building

-Someone told us they cast frogs out of their friends stomach after we taught about the priesthood, it was interresant

-MORE cookie deliveries but this time we made them with a couple members and delivered them to a brother in the branch. We also all gathered together in the middle of a busy sidewalk in a prayer circle and said a few prayers together (not just one). Hahaha this branch is a little interesting but that was a great memory :)

-The most touching relief society lesson ever, given by Marie France! She's a recent convert that I taught a bit when I was in Abymes before! She got baptized in May and SHE taught the lesson in church! I was crazy proud of her, she led a great discussion about a simple and beautiful subject-- why do we love the Gospel? 

The Gospel is simple, but it can touch our souls so deeply at the same time. It's become my source of unending joy and peace.

All in all I'm lovin life in Abymes!! So thankful for my chance to serve here again. I lit up in church seeing all the members again, and seeing some of them light up too when they recognized me brought such a warm feeling to my heart <3

I love you ALL!! Enjoy the last bit of summer, get every drop out of it that you can!! 

GROS bisous,

Soeur Gardner