5 Course Meals

Hi Y'all or as they say in Creole

Bonjour a Zot!

Where to start about this week...not too many grand things. First an update on Sylvest before the funny stories. He came to church this past week!! Whoo Hoo! And our lesson this week went amazing! We taught L3 and really tried to emphasize how important it is that baptism has the right authority. I think they understand a bit better now. And he continues to read every night and he says that he thinks the BoM is true! So we talked about what is the significance if the book is true. Because I think he recognizes that the Book of Mormon is scripture and that church is good, but he just hasn't put together the final piece that IF those things are true - The Church of Jesus-Christ of Latter-day Saints is the only true church on the earth with the Lord's authority. And I said that, but I think they just need more time to feel a witness of that too from the Holy Ghost - it's only been two weeks after all. Unfortunately, his daughters weren't there...they were at catechism because Sylvie (the fourteen year old) still "needs" to do her first communion... It's just such a strong tradition that even when Sylveste recognizes that this church is good and the one he wants to go to instead of Catholic church, it still is like a "traditional rite of passage" for Sylvie to do communion. I really hope that we can know how to teach him in the way that will be most clear and touching to him this week, perhaps it is a matter of time too but I want to make sure I'm trying to be the best teacher so they can understand and feel the truthfulness.

This week I spent a surprising amount of time in the hospital/doctor's office for not being sick. The first reason was to teach someone, and the second was for my companion to do visa work. One of the Sisters in a nearby town has a father who is dying and in the hospital in our town. He has never accepted or joined the Church but now he said he would listen to the missionaries. Since the hospital is in our area we accompanied the Sr to go teach him. The lesson was...interesting. He didn't really seem there for much of it and he is so Creole that we can't understand what he is saying. However, it did make me appreciate the Plan of Salvation so much because even though right now it's sort of a sad situation I know that soon he will have the chance to accept the gospel without having the physical restrains he has now. And his daughter, who worries so much about him, will know what happens when he passes on and will now that she will be able to see him again. It also made me realize that hospitals very strongly remind me of dad and all these memories came rushing back of us buying hospital food (specifically the delicious sandwhiches from Kettering and the green twizzlers that are my favorite) and waiting for him to finish with a patient and him taking me in after I broke my collarbone. So know you were well thought of this week :) Then we went so Sr Isham could have an apt and be cleared to get her long term visa. And I just wanted to tell you that the Doctor was wearing vanns, crumpled slacks, had a four day beard, and a button-up shirt with a pattern that showed chest hair. No white coat in sight. It wasn't reassuring. Luckily, we weren't sick.

So this week we actually were invited to eat at a member's house - which is crazy! So just like most missions, when members feed us they always tend to overfeed us. I think you might remember my story from one of my first weeks where the family kept telling us "Serve yourselves! Serve yourselves! Please, sisters take more!" and we stuffed our selves. Well this story now takes the cake (pun intended). We show us to this sister's house (it's just her and her son) and we chat for a little, then we give a 30 minute message. After that we had been at her house already for an hour so we were like "ok, we'll need to leave in an hour' since we hadn't even started eating yet. So she says "ok, we better start with dessert then". So we have some ice cream and little cookies. Then she brings out dinner afterward - I had assumed it was finishing cooking while we had eaten dessert. She had baked a casserole with tuna and noodles and white sauce. Yum. We eat up. It's fairly small for Reunion standards but it feeds all of us comfortably. I am thinking "For the first time I won't have to stuff myself!" So I take seconds to show her how much we appreciate it. Then when it is finished she goes in the kitchen...and brings out a pizza! A whole pizza! That she had made by hand. Whew...ok, so then we eat pizza. I'm thinking "Wow, had to stuff myself again - no wonder I'm gaining weight". Then she goes into the kitchen and asks "Do you have more room? I made more!" And this time she brings out a big bowl of quinoa and oven-cooked chicken in sauce! WHAT?!? So then I had to shove down a chicken breast on a bed of quinoa. And boy was I feeling a little green at that point. She had made THREE separate meals!! Like literally each meal could have fed us. Luckily she didn't take offense when we said we were full and instead sent us home with all the leftovers. I mean it was all good, but three meals!? Too much!

Love,

Sr Stewart

Greve

Hiya out there in the States...

So the biggest news this week is la greve! Greve means strike! And like any french citizen strikes are a part of this island's past time! So this week there was this huge gas strike, which means since thursday, no one could get gas! Why were they striking? I really don't know - something to do with prices. Who was striking? Employees or Producers? ONce again, no idea. But every gas station closed and you couldn't get gas anywhere. What does that mean for the island, what did people do? Either you conserve your gas or break down and start riding the bus everywhere. Literally, those are the solutions. Also this strike was "unlimited" so they were going to strike until their demands were met so it could be weeks and weeks. Which would mean that the food trucks would stop taking food to the stores. And planes would stop flying food to the island because they wouldn't be able to fill up with gas again to leave. Which would mean none of the stores would have food....DUN DUN DUN! Luckily the good people of Reunion stopped striking this morning so hopefully the economy/society here won't descend into ruins and chaos. But that is a scary thing about being on an island! Everything is emported! A couple of the missionaries ran out of gas for their cars so they started walking, hahah Luckily we had enough to last us till today - you could call us the wise virgins ;)

Other than that...pas grandes choses "no big things" to report for this week. Things are still going good. "Doucement, doucement."  My favorite part of the week....1) teaching Sylveste's family. (Sylveste is the name of the father who has two little girls who came to church last week - our first FAMILY!!) LOVE them. Their also like the first real family I've practically ever met on my mission - as far as amis go. 2) We got a new Ward Mission Leader and we went over to his house and he is amazing!!! He is just on fire and so enthusiastic and he was like "Ok tell me when your lessons are and I'll come to them, I want to meet that ami and that ami and that ami - actually all of your amis" This is a big change from our last DMB who was NOT very follow through or hands on. So it was amazing to see someone in the ward on fire and ready to help us with our missionary work - I know that members are one of the keys so know we have another key to help progress the work. I just know that he is going to help motivate our branch and help bring about miracles!! Plus after that his wife fed us DELICIOUS food. So it was litterally the best night we have had in ages! 

Sylveste's family didn't come to church because his little girl didn't feel well, but he DID read the first four chapters in the BOM, which is HUGE!!!! I have litterally met with our longest ami over 3 months and he has come to church at least 4 times and NEVER has he read the BOM. That's how hard it is to get people to read. I LOVE this family so much!! Not just because of the reading (although that is a welcome change) But because his two daughters are so nice and sincere, and even the little 6 year old is so well behaved. His 14 year old daughter says she wants to start reading for herself and she has such a pure spirit. And Sylveste is someone who is genuinely searching and genuinely loves God. Not just someone who says he does. And I feel the spirit so strong in their lessons. Teaching them is definitely the HIghlight of my week. And they have basically convinced me of how much I want to go over to Mada for part of my mission! But I won't tell President that, because if it's meant to happen - if the Lord thinks it's right, then it will and if not then I love the people of Reunion too :)

 Dearly Beloved,

So this week...was another bit of a rough one. We only had 2 scheduled lessons that didn't cancel. BUT I guess it was all worth it because we had a family of investigators come to church!! The other sisters met this man on the street named Sylveste but since he was in our area my companion and I set up an apt with him and taught him. He has two younger girls ages 14 and 6 and at the end of the lesson we committed him and his 14 year old daughter to read the Book of Mormon and pray about it. Then we invited him and his family to church. Unfortunately, like many of the people on Reunion they have no transportation and just take the bus. But there are only about 4 buses on Sunday that come around so it's really hard to catch the bus to church unless you live near the right stop...which they did not. So we invited them but said we understood if they couldn't make it. But guess who made it! Sylvest and his whole family! They seemed to really enjoy church and now we have another apt with them this week. I am praying so hard that it all works out because I feel like they are really ready and open and faithful to recieve the gospel. 

Other than that...there is not a lot to report from the Reunion island. Things are definitely slow right now. Sharing the car has been a little tricky because ALL of our potential investigators are single men, which means we need to bring a sister with us and to do that we need the car. So we can't ever schedule apt at the same time. So we are getting really good at planning now.

We went on a hike this morning. It was right near the ocean and super super beautiful. Unfortunately I wanted to go closer and was walking on some slippery rocks...and slipped and fell. Ouch! Nothing broken though - only some scraped skin

LOVE YOU, Remember to say your prayers and read your scriptures!

Soeur Stewart