Week 69 - Think about how you're BLESSED, not how you're stressed!

Bonjour tout le monde!!! <3 <3

I hope your week was super wonderful! We had a sort of crazy week but I got to participate in a few of my favorite things: baptisms, weddings, and people coming to church for the first time!

On Monday (this will be a shocker to those who know me well) I ate SUSHI!! Okay, it wasn't really legit sushi because it was with chicken instead of fish, but still! I was pretty proud of myself and maybe it'll help me one day eat sushi with fish haha :)

On Tuesday we had a really cool lesson with Marie-France, a recent convert, and our friend Yvrose! She's a friend that we found last week, and it was actually a really amazing experience. The night before meeting her, I felt really strongly during my prayer before going to bed that the next day, we were going to find someone who would be baptized. I asked Heavenly Father to lead us the next day to whoever that person would be... and we met Yvrose! She's been a member of the protestant church for quite some time, but when she heard about the laying on of hands to receive the gift of the Holy Ghost, it really hit her because she had never received that. She said she was tossing and turning all night worrying about it. All in all, she's so open and receptive to the Spirit. She came to church for the first time yesterday, and even though she said she feels a little out of place still, she said it was really good and that with time she thinks she'll feel more comfortable. :)

This week we had Zone Conference, it was soooo wonderful to be with President and Sister Fisher. We were lucky enough to be visited by Elder and Sister Gavarret as well from the Area Presidency. He had a lot of inspiration to share with us and gave us a vision of what our mission could be like in a few years and how much growth could take place that really pumped us up!

Also funnily enough this week we found out that one of our friends is dating this guy online who is a member of the church!! So we're totally rooting for her to continue in the Gospel and be baptized so they can be sealed one dya in the temple haha :)

On Friday we had a really cool experience with his guy named Welkens. We had talked to this girl who was with him last week and he just gave us his phone number, so we called Friday morning and asked if we could come by for a short visit. He accepted, so we went right over, and he was SO cool!! Was super interested in and excited to read the Book of Mormon, mentioned baptism himself, and even came to English class that night and stayed after with us and another member chatting about what he had already read in the Book of Mormon that day! So basically he came from being just a quick contact to a very progressing friend in like 8 hours haha, it was so cool to witness!

On Saturday, Geoffroy and Emmanuelle got married!! They had been together for a long time-- Emmanuelle was already a member. A few months ago Geoffroy was baptized, and now they're married!! We got to go to their little religious ceremony at the church where we heard some really good talks about marriage, especially eternal marriage. It was so special and I'm extremely happy for the beautiful couple <3 Caribbean weddings are SO colorful and fun!!

On Sunday, Yvrose and Welkens came to church, it was WONDERFUL!! There was a baptism for our branch right after church (it wasn't on Saturday because of the wedding), so Yvrose and Welkens got to stay and see that too! I was so happy they got to see it! Later that day there was another baptism in the Lamentin branch where I served for 6 months-- her name is Myriam, she's someone that Soeur Christianson and I met a few months ago who has a very deep ability to follow the Spirit. These last six weeks the sisters have been teaching her, and she progressed so fast and now is baptized!! She's a fabulous, spunky lady and I love her :) 

One thing President Fisher shared with us this week is how much happier we are when we don't sit and think all the time about how stressed we are, but instead to take time every day, or even several times a day, to reflect and focus on how blessed you are. Pretty soon the stress will melt away and you'll realize that God is aware of you and loves you!

Speaking of love, I love you all!! I hope your week is amazing, sending you warm thoughts so maybe summer will stick around a little longer 'til winter hits ;)

BISOUS!

Soeur Gardner