Joy

My mind is in a whirl so today will be short and sweet.

What a week! Best last week of a transfer EVER. We were in the members homes teaching our amis every single night! What a great ward. 

Fatoumia's family!! 

 

Charline and Jean-Francois.

 

La Famille Monnier and a birthday celebration! 

 

FHE at the Lethuaire's. FUNNIEST THING EVER.

We all had to perform something. Yes, he is in a horse costume.

 

La famille Lasa.

 

We went to the fanciest McDonald's ever this week. I was trying so very very hard to actually be open minded and like it. And... I HATED IT. Nastiest thing ever. I tried. But no.

We finally went to Père Lachaise Cemetery!!

 

[Camille Pissarro]

 

[Chopin]

 

[Collet]

 

[Moliere] 

 

[Oscar Wilde] 

 

[Edith Piaf, famous French singer] 

I am getting transferred to LILLE!! It's in the northern part of France. I think. ha! My new companion is Soeur Elliott. I hung out with her over Christmas and I love her. SO excited!

The best pastry EVER. Pain de chocolat aux amandes.

 

our final district meeting

I have thought a lot this week about joy. Joy in this life doesn't mean complete relief from all problems and heartache. It means finding it despite it, through the atonement of Jesus Christ. I have had some of the hardest experiences ever on my mission. Sometimes I feel like my heart is being carved out of my chest. Loving. And leaving. And loneliness. And starting over. And watching as people just don't GET why and how the happiest thing in the whole world can help them!

Claudia came up to me this week after sacrament meeting and I told her I was leaving. She looked at me amazed. And then started crying. And I was SHOCKED!! I thought that we had never even made a dent in Claudia. I had given my whole heart and soul trying to help her and I often felt like it was a whole lot of nothing. I asked Claudia why she was crying. She said "I don't know. I have never cried when a missionary left before. I just want you to know that everything you did for me wasn't for nothing. It didn't go in one ear and out the other. I listened. My faith is growing. It's taking time. But it's there." JOY. The most wonderful pure joy I have ever felt in my entire life. 

Claudia. LOVE HER.

 

My heart has been really carved out this transfer. But the deeper the heartache the deeper my ability to feel all of this JOY. Worth it. Every bit of it was worth it.

xoxo, Soeur Autumn Bradley