Week 8

Bonjour!

Sorry this is going to be a short email, because I spent a ton of time emailing everyone back separately.
This week was good, but Soeur Larsen had a really bad cold so Soeur Staheli told her she had to stay home and get lots of sleep. We were still able to teach 5 lessons so far though. And I actually loved getting the extra time to study! I've really been thinking a lot about the Atonement lately especially with Easter coming up next week. That's the whole reason I'm out here is the help others come unto Christ and partake of his Atonement. Whenever people tell us, "I've already been baptized and mine was a true baptism," and we try to talk about priesthood authority they say, "Well all that really matters is your faith and your love for God." I then think about what baptism really signifies. We have the chance to be made clean and whole again, forgetting our past and putting that behind us and it's Christ who made it possible for us, but only if we got about it in the way that he showed and prepared for us. That's why it's so important to have the proper priesthood authority that comes down directly from Christ himself. Baptism is an act of faith and there is only one true church and one true way and it is God's way. We didn't come up with this, man isn't telling these people you're going to do it how I tell you. Christ established his church and suffered for our sins and now invites all of us to come unto him. We really want to work hard with helping our amis gain a personal relationship with Christ and coming to understand that he knows them and is here for them. If they come to realize that then they will want to be baptized into his church.
We have some new amies, Brigitte and her daughter Laurienne. She was supposed to get baptized 2 years ago but didn't because the sisters found out that she had a tribal marriage and not a legal French one. So she has been trying to save up money but it hasn't worked out yet. Guess what we found out when we told this news to the Elders?! The church recognizes tribal marriages! We are so excited to go an tell her next week! I feel so badly that she has waited all of this time, but perhaps there was a reason. Laurienne is very excited to get baptized and hopefully her two older sisters will start taking the lessons again as well.
Soeur Gappmaier came into town with her parents! It is so fun to see her again! Our district went on a hike today with an American family from our ward (the Shepherds). It was a lot of fun, I will send pictures next week.
I love you all and I hope all of us can think about the Savior's life this next week and think about his teachings and the things he did for us and try to be a little more like him.

Love, Soeur Valerie Reeves