Belgium, New Missionaries and Miracles

Sorry this is so late. We were out of town most of the week. We did get a quick email from Bethany yesterday saying that she just found out she will be training starting the next transfer, April 10th. She is so excited.   Salut! Woah! Mom and Dad, it sounds like you guys got to live up NewYork City more than we did the last time we were there. Were you able to go to the temple there? A place with Sigourney Weaver and David Hyde Pierce sounds so good! I can't believe you were in the same room as Niles Crane!!!! Oh man, Sr. Lai and I loved the picture of Batman. He's her favorite superhero. And you got to see the Naked Cowboy?! Ahahaha! So funny! Yes, Mom, I bet he was pretty cold. I'd like to know his secret about keeping warm (it's so cold here! The Tahitian and the Alabamian are dying!) I saw a little news bit a few years ago about that old railway that was converted into a walkway. I wanted to visit it when we were there two summers ago, but we didn't have time. Dad, I agree with you about the Wax Museum. It's too bad they don't have one in Paris (at least not that I know of) or else I would go. I thought about going when I was in London two years ago, but I didn't have the money. And it's good to know that the GPS is working well. I questioned the quality of it when I was home last summer, but I'm glad it does everything you need it to. Thanks for the picture of Jenny and her husband, I assume he was the Shaun that you kept referring to. Glad to know that the Paxtons were the ones to get the party started! Who says Mormons can't have a good time? It's always pretty hard for us as missonaries not to dance when we hear music on the street, bus or store. This week we went to Belgium to listen to Elder Richards. He blew us away with the information he gave us about the Plan of Salvation. We all thought we knew everything about that subject, but it just goes to show that you can never stop learning. He answered one question in particular that I had always wondered about, I'll have to tell you about it someday. We also learning that next transfer we will be getting 13 new sisters, then 11, then 8. In the next 4 months every sister who is in the mission right now will be training. Along with all of the elders in addition to them we will be getting 90 new missionaries by the end of the summer! It's also crazy because missionaries who already know the language are now only in the MTC for 12 days which means they'll always be arriving in the middle of the transfer. That means that you could get a call from President saying "I know you just got to this new area, but pack your bags again, you're training in two days!". Poor President and Soeur Poznanski are really stressed with all of this (opening 90 new areas, finding and furnishing apartments, etc), but I know the Lord has prepared them to do it. And luckily, all of the mission couples are helping them with the organization. Pray for them! They need it! After a bit of a slow start at the beginning of last week due to the lingering effects of all of the snow, but the miracles have started up again. Cècile and has been sincerely reading and praying about the Book of Mormon. She hasn't got her answer yet, but I know that she is honestly trying to find out. She is so sweet and loves having us over. We're going to invite her to the Relief Society activity this Thursday so she can meet the women in the ward. All of the women are eager to give her a ride if she needs it; The Lenfant family is going to have an FHE at a members house tonight. It's become a goal of the mission to have investigators over the members homes EVERY monday night. It took us awhile to finally get one organized, but we're excited. The big miracle happened yesterday. A week ago we stopped by to see and old investigator only to find out that she had moved to Paris. Her 18 year old cousin, Hamida, said we could stop by the house another day to teach her (Hamida). Yesterday was our appointment with her and we thought she had never had the lessons before, other than listening in on the lessons her cousins had. As we got to know her we were shocked that find out that she had already had had all the lessons, prays everyday, reads the Book of Mormon everyday, recently gave a copy of it to a struggling friend, used to attend church all of the time and even attended a baptism. She also follows the law of chastity and has a boyfriend who does too. After getting over our shock Sr. Lai, sort of jokingly said, "Sound like you're ready for baptism!" Hamida said that's what she wants, but no one ever asked her!!!!!! The problem is that she works Sunday mornings and can't come to church. She hates her job though and wants to find a new one anyway. However, this Sunday is Easter so she doesn't have work. She agreed to come to church with us! Her little brother also wants to come. Plus she said she's talk to her boyfriend about meeting with us. It really was incredible! Time is running short as usual! Until next week! Bethany Pictures are a boy wearing a "future missionary" tag in Spanish and Sr. Lai with some girls in the ward.