The Todds in Geneva

This was a wonderful week. We started by attending a baptism service on Monday night. Veronique’s story is one that missionaries always hope for. As Sisters Sudor and Cockerham were hurrying down the street to an appointment they saw a woman walking towards them. Independently they each felt they should talk to her even though it would make them late for their appointment. They followed the spirit and approached the woman. She was so happy they did as she was very interested in their message and made an appointment to meet with them. She was in Geneva on business from Cameroon and would be here for a week and then be gone to another country for two weeks then back again for a week before returning to Cameroon. She so wanted to hear their message. They taught her a few lessons, and she came to church, then she was gone. When she returned she wanted to be baptized! They quickly taught her the rest of the lessons and then she was baptized the night before she left for Cameroon. She has a husband and 8 children at home whom I’m sure will be very surprised by what has taken place. She is a very sweet lady with a very strong faith. She is anxious to get home to spread the gospel. We think she will be instrumental in doing just that. After the baptism we went to dinner with Pres. and Sister Murdock at a restaurant called “Chez Ma Cousine” – a restaurant they learned about from the Doyles when they were here. It was really good. I had the most flavorful and tender chicken and Doug had chicken curry. It was delicious. Pres. and Sister Murdock are so nice and fun to be with. We feel privileged to be able to spend time with them. They are a great Mission Presidency.

This was also a week of preparation as we anticipate eleven new missionaries coming next week and five going home. That’s a big change when you only have 83 missionaries to begin with. I think that most of the companionships will be affected – lots of work for Pres. Murdock and the Assistants. They have been in the President’s office with the door shut for several days trying to place everyone. There have been meetings to plan the logistics of getting them to the mission home from the airport, bringing their new companions into the mission home to meet them and take them to their new areas. Also, those leaving their mission are coming to the mission home. It’s like a merry-go-round!

A few weeks ago we traveled out of town to visit Ikea and then, guess what. Ikea came to us. They just opened a brand new Ikea by the Geneva airport. We waited a week to go pick up a couple of things we wanted and to finally have their meatball dinner thst we didn’t get last time we were there. We hoped by waiting a week some of the crowds would have diminished – not so. It was packed full of people and they were all in line for meatballs! Alas, no meatballs for us. Instead we settled for hot dogs. It made us feel like we were back home at Costco!

On Sunday as I was sitting in Relief Society a new young sister came in and I invited her to sit by me. Her name is Allie Eden. I asked where she was from and she said Centerville, Utah and that she is here for a year as an Au Pair (nanny). She mentioned that she had graduated from Tel Aviv International School. I asked what she was doing in Israel and she said her father worked for Ford there. Suddenly I remembered Suzanne and Rand’s friends from Memphis that worked for Ford and had moved to Israel. Excitedly I asked if she had lived in Memphis before going to Israel. She looked a little surprised and said “YES” I then asked if she knew Suzanne and Rand Blair and she said “YES” again and then I told her I was Suzanne’s mom! We could hardly believe it. She told me she had been at Suzanne’s and Rand’s to see their new baby a couple of weeks ago. I can’t believe we keep meeting people at church with a connection to us in Utah. The world is such a small place when you are a member of the church.

At the office on Monday I learned the rest of Allie’s story. Two weeks ago on a Tuesday the Assistants to the Pres. were driving through Prevessin (where we stayed when we first arrived) and felt strongly that they should go tracting(they call it porting here) in this neighborhood. So the following Sunday when they had some time they went back to that area and went knocking on doors. One of the doors was the home where Allie is a nanny. She heard the missionaries talking to the father and came running. She had arrived on Tuesday (the day they felt impressed to tract there) and didn’t know how to find the church. They arranged for a sister to pick her up and bring her to church. I’m sure her parents’ prayers were answered at that moment. We’re anxious to have her over to dinner.

On Sunday afternoon we went with Pres. and Sister Murdock to Annemasse to the baptism of Jenny Brown. She is from the Annecy Branch which the President has asked us to attend. We just keep following in the Doyle’s footsteps – they attended this branch also. Many from the Branch came to the baptism so we got to meet them. It was a lovely baptism. Jenny is a very sweet young woman who is very bright but has not had the opportunity to learn to read. The missionaries got her a CD player and CDs of the Book of Mormon to listen too. In 24 hours she was all the way thru Alma. It is marvelous to see the joy in the faces of these new members.

We see the hand of the Lord each day in one way or another. Just the other day I was having such a difficult time with the letters I needed to prepare and I couldn’t figure out what I was doing wrong. It was time to go home so I left things as they were. The next morning as I said my personal prayer I asked Heavenly Father to help me discover what I was doing wrong. The thought very quickly came to me that I had been clicking twice when I only should have clicked once. When I got to the office I looked in the Office help book and in a totally different place found out how to get out of the problem. When Mary Kaye trained me she told me that this work is so important that that when you need help and ask Heavenly Father for it the answer will come - either by impression through the Holy Ghost or through someone just happening by who can help you. I have found this to be true.

We love what we are doing and are so very grateful for your love and prayers.