week 45 - Bonne Année

Bonne Année! Bonne Santé! Meilleur Voeux!

First things first, Soeur Creager and I are staying in Colmar again! I'm so happy! We will be here for sure until the 15th of February. Ryan - I need your mission address. I don't know where I put it and I don't have time to search through all of my emails. Thanks!
This week was wonderful! We had an awesome miracle! On Wednesday we decided to do finding, because we had no lessons in the evening. On Tuesday night while doing our planning we said a second prayer to ask the Lord help us know where to go or what to look for. We both just sat there thinking for a little while and then stared at the map. Finally we decided that we should go to Horbourg-Whir (a town right next to Colmar) and do porte-à-porte/tracting. We did a pass by first for a former investigator in Horbourg-Whir, but no one was there, so then we tracted for a little bit in that neighbor-hood, but didn't feel like we should continue in that area. We got back in the car and said another prayer, we turned on the GPS and I touched a road and it took us to another part of town, so we said, "Why not?" When we arrived we drove past some apartment buildings, so Soeur Creager said we should go back to the apartments and sonnet (ring doorbells). Not many people were interested, but we were able to talk to a few on the road and then through their windows or the intercom (have I told you that hardly anyone comes to their front door here? They usually open a window and pop their head out! It's pretty funny, because you hear a voice and then have to look around to find who's talking to you). Anyway, we started on the fourth building and the second apartment that we sonnetted let us in. Her name is Dianne and she was very happy to talk with us! She asked us who we were and what we had to share. As we spoke she agreed with everything we were telling her, and she asked how we were different so we showed her the Book of Mormon. She brought up the scripture in Revelations about not adding or taking away from the Bible, but rather than continuing on that subject we just testified of the Book of Mormon and told her that it is another testament of Jesus Christ. We then shared the restoration with her and told her the Book of Mormon is the fruit of the prophet Joseph Smith. She told us that we couldn't convince and that only the Holy Ghost can convince/testify! Of course we agreed and then read Moroni 10:3-5. She was very touched and said she wants to read it. We told her we want to come back to find out what she thinks and share more of our message. She's supposed to call us today, if not we're going to pass by her later this week, because thankfully we have her address! I know it wasn't accident though that we were led to her. When we are prepared and in tune with the spirit the Lord leads us to his children who are prepared to listen to and accept the gospel.
Cindy and Nicolas are doing well. We had two lessons with them this week that went great, but we haven't re-committed her to baptism yet. There was way too much noise from the children and it wasn't really the best moment for the Spirit to testify, but we are planning on committing her this week. She's been reading the Book of Mormon though!
Dad I love your idea about sharing missionary experiences each week. That's actually what my talk was on yesterday at church. President Tomadon asked Soeur Creager and I to speak in sacrament meeting, so we both based a lot of our topics on Preach My Gospel. She shared how PMG helps us be prepared to respond to peoples questions and prepares us to share the gospel, and I talked about praying for and fixing goals so that we have missionary experiences. We both shared stories from before our missions, so that we could relate more with the members. I hope that they will build up the courage and faith to talk with their friends.
We went to the Tannacher's again on New Year's Eve, and thankfully had to go home by 9:30. I would not want to be out late in this area. France is crazy during the new year, they buy all sorts of fireworks type objects, except they're not fireworks, they're more like little rockets. We had to drive around town, rather than through the middle to go home, because the Tannacher's told us teenagers shoot them at cars that drive past. Soeur Creager said from about 11:50 to 12:30 these rocket/fireworks were going off. They are so strong and loud; she said she was amazed that our apartment building was still standing. As for me, I slept right throught it! ha. I guess it makes sense if I even sleep through earth quakes.
That was our Christmas to New Year week and it was great! We worked hard and were busy and very happy! I know that we are always happy when we keep the commandments! (Mosiah 2:41).

Bisous, Soeur Reeves

P.S. None of the members have guessed that it was Soeur Creager and I who did the secret santa, except for Soeur Tomadon (our Branch President's wife). This is the awful part though! We lied! My face turned so red! Soeur Creager said she could feel the heat coming from it! When she asked if we had been the ones who did it, we said no and that we had gotten one too. Everyone else who was there at their house to eat though said, "It couldn't have been the sister missionaries. The card said it was from a member, and besides the missionaries don't know where I live." (We laughed afterwards saying, "they have no idea how sneaky and sly we were in figuring out where each apartment was.") If they ask again we'll tell them the truth and tell them why we did it.