Sunday, March 27, 2011

Week Five

Bonjour!!!!
 
This week we officially celebrated our one month anniversary! I can't believe its gone so fast...or that I've survived this long on MTC food. Jk Jk...its a blessing...just makes me that much more excited for French food! haha. Its wierd to look back and think of how shy our district was...and how little french we understood... or that I had any sort of life other than being a missionary. It seems a times like we've been here forever...in a good way. haha Now with one month left till we leave all I can think about is...how freaking excited I am to get to France!!! oh and that I can barely speak french. I think the most frustrating thing is I'm starting to understand what people are saying (I had a magical lesson this week where I actually understood everything our 'investigator' said), but I don't know how to respond to what they say. I guess it will all come with time.
 
Let's see...highlights for the week:
- yup its that time of the month when all the elders hair is getting too long and they have to get really funny haircuts at the MTC barbar...its been good for laughs for us sisters
- This week at our District's "FHE" that we've created on Monday nights, the elders created a questionnaire that we all had to fill out. The best question was finding out who everyone's "type" was. Some guys in our district like asians...some like midgets...and one guy put that he "generally likes white"....we're still trying to figure out exactly what that means.
- I continue to love being a companion with a convert. The only bad thing is when she starts to teach things in french like the Holy Trinity or other catholic doctrine...and I don't realize what she is saying for a few minutes, when I do, I proceed to go into a panic and start waving my arms back and forth and attempt to explain what we actually believe.....she's learning :)
- As we become VERY familar with every hymn we have now resorted  to singing Disney songs everywhere we can. The shower...during study time... in the dorm rooms...c'est bonne!
- We officially celebrated one sister's birthday out of a vending machine. We bought her all sorts of goodies...hopefully she didn't notice that the only place on campus to buy scooby doo snacks was out of the vending machine...and she got like 4 packets of them.....
- The elders have opened up for us and shared their lovely talent of rapping...we've sat through many raps about french, the mtc food, getting letters from girls, etc etc. Tres amusant! Some of the sisters have been sharing their special talents as well...we've heard an "elmo voice" the "bat from anastasia" and many other accents and characters....I may or may not have demonstrated the Smith-lips.....
-Finally, I have taught my district the fine art of Franglais. The most used saying in our district is 'je ne care pas'...or other such useful combinations of french and english. My family would be so proud :) soon they will all start calling their mom's 'c'est la mere' haha
 
I know my letter is short...but my life continues to revolve around being in a classroom ALL the time. I don't know if anyone would even want to sit through a letter of me describing that haha. But I continue to be amazed how loving our Heavenly Father is. Every day has its struggles and difficulties, but our Heavenly Father is always listening. I didn't even know it was possible to feel the spirit so often in one day. I've been wondering why I am so exhausted at the end of every day since all we do is sit and we get 8 hours of sleep...but I thinks its just that the spirit is really exhausting! Trying to constantly be receiving inspiration can be a tiring, but amazing experience! I'm not going to lie...I  wanted to cry a little bit on our one month anniversary...I don't want a month of my mission to be over already! But...luckily I still have many more to go!
 
I love you all and I hope your having a good spring break!
Soeur Smith

Friday, March 18, 2011

Week Four

Bonjour!!!!
Maybe someday soon I'll gain a more varried vocab and make my emails more entertaining! haha So the computers are being dumb and I lost 5 minutes of my time...so sorry if this email is a shortie! Of course the longer we are here the more routine everything is becoming and the less stories I feel like I have haha. The MTC is still amazing. It amazes me all the time how smoothly everything runs despite there being 2000 plus missionaries here at all times. The devotionals are great and are always a much needed boost in the week. This week our "investigators" have been going well. One of our teachers/investigators has a reputation for being very difficult...and the most realistic for a french person. Its tres difficult because although his life isn't perfect, he also doesn't have major problems that would cause him to be searching for something. Its a challenge to find a way to apply the gospel to his life- even though I know it does! But you can't really just tell someone their life will be better because of the gospel...and expect them to accept that haha. But its been great- every day I feel like we grow leaps and bounds. The MTC ( pronounced slightly like you have a southern accent in french...like emm-tay-say)  is truly a wierd time warp in which things move so quickly and so slowly at the same time.
 
The highlight of my week was seeing Gramsie and Grandpa at the temple! (which feels like it was forever ago...) Gramsie emailed me that she was sad she was going to be in the Provo temple on Friday and be so close to me yet so far...and then I was like wait a minute...I go to the temple on Fridays!!! So I emailed her with my last 30 seconds of my time on the computer. It was the best feeling ever to walk up to the temple and see Gramsie and Grandpa sitting on the bench outside waiting for me!!! Loved every second of it! The worst part of the week was that half of our zone left for the field this week. Which is GREAT for them!!! It was such a neat feeling to look around at church and think that within 3 days all these elders would be all over the world preaching the gospel...in french!! And it was great to see how excited they were to leave. But made me sad to think we won't seem most of them ever again...wierd how close you can grow in 3 weeks when you have a common goal. But made me TRES excited for when that day comes for me and we get to head to France!!!! (only 6 more weeks! haha)
 
Other than that the week has been pretty same old same old. Two other sisters and I have become work out buddies. We've been pushing ourselves at gym and it honestly helps give me energy during the day! And we figure we need to prepare for all of those french pasteries awaiting for us! haha We met two elders this week here, one from France and one from Belgium. The one from France was discouraging...he said the French people will never trust or listen to us. But he just made me more determined to love and earn the trust of the French. The one from Belgium couldn't speak much English...but let me tell you if all the men Belgium have dimples like him then I'm moving there permantly haha (maybe you should edit that one out mom lol) Anyways...they both made so excited to be able to speak french because it is so beautiful when people really know how to speak it. And they made me so determined to teach all the people I can! The elder from Belgium is a convert...and although he couldn't communicate enough to hear all of his story I know that if he as a teenager could accept the gospel without his family's support...then there are other people there waiting for the gospel!
 
Oh one other thing this week was that we got a new sister in our district! So everyone in our district is going to France...but this girl came into the MTC all by herself and she is going to Fiji!!! So cool eh!? I'm way jealous ( well you know besides thinking my mission is the best one ever) But we're still trying to get to know her and introduce her to the life in the MTC. But we're excited to have her with us.
 
Oh and I keep remembering little things. Thank you so much for the letters this week! Today I had a record day and recieved 7 letters in one day! I'll tell ya I felt pretty popular! haha It was a nice feeling...thank you (especially my sisters) for writing...really makes my day! Anyways...Sorry if this letter is a little lacking! Life is quite routine here...give me 6 weeks and I promise to have some entertaining stories about my attempts to communicate in French...which hello...I'm so excited for!!! I love you all, I pray for you daily and I know this gospel is the only thing that brings true happiness!!!
 
Je vous aime ( see my practicing my pronouns... you could probably care less...but to me its proof of me understanding French vocab bit by bit haha)
Soeur Smith

Sunday, March 13, 2011

Week Three!

Bonjour!!!
 
How is everyone! I hope good... because you all must be praying very hard out there for me or something because this week has been really good! I don't have anything exciting to report like San Fran...but its been a good week. I don't know how to explain it, but although every day is a roller coaster of emotions, frustrations, and laughter, underneath all those emotions there is underlying feeling of happiness and peace. I can only say it comes from the Spirit and knowing we are donig the Lord's work.
 
This week our district continues to grow closer and closer as we spend more and more hours studying in one tiny little room. The language is still difficult..but things are starting to click! I can actually form a full sentance once in a while that makes actual sense. As well, I'm understanding most of what our teachers are saying, which is encouraging. We've now come into the stage in our program when our teachers become our "progressive investigators". Its a little bit encouraging because both of them are pretending to be people who have no concept of God (one is agnostic and one is buddahist) and one teacher pulled my companion and I aside and asked us if we were ok with it. We said sure, and she was like oh good I thought you too were up to the challenge. That gives me a little more confidence in our teaching abilities. As well, we taught our other teacher and he acted like he couldn't understand a thing I was saying, so of course I walked out of the lesson really frustrated. But later I was talking to him and I said I felt like he didn't know what the heck I was trying to say. But he said no, he understand, he was just trying to get me to elaborate on what I was saying, rather than just the simple french phrases I know. So that was a boost in confidence as well. Basically I've really gained a firm testimony in the gift of tongues because somehow, by some miracle I remember things from high school french I'm pretty sure I never learned in the first place. And things I bombed in tests then, are all of the sudden making sense. Its a miracle! haha but really....
 
This week we've joked that the MTC is some sort of wierd twilight zone. Time here is irrelavent. The days seem to go on forever...yet before we know it its another P-day and a week has gone by. Its hard to keep track of when things happen. Lots of times we'll be like "remember that one time...", then we all pause and we're like wait...that was this morning! We are also under the allusion that we are ALWAYS eating. I think its because meals are our only break from studying. But honestly...your not even hungry and its already time for another meal. Quite strange. Basically the only break we get is gym time (which since you asked mom) is actually one of the best part of the day. Its feels so nice to move after just sitting all day, and its fun to hang out with all the missionaries in a different setting. I have yet to brave the infamous MTC four-square...the elders are much to aggressive for me.
 
This week my companion and I have had the opportunity to teach someone in English. They have a volunteer center here where people (members and non-members) can volunteer to be taught by missionaries...and missionaries can sign up if they want extra practice. We were just walking down a hallway one day when and MTC employee asked us if we would like to teach someone in twenty minutes. And since it was in english we were like well sure! Its been a really good experience. The first time we taught him was mostly just talking about his life. But it was nice because I actually felt like I could! Rather than in French when we can ask the very basic questions. The second time we taught him was amazing. I really felt the spirit...which is a miracle because I rarely feel the spirit teaching in french because I'm so concentrated on the language. It was just a good experience to know like ok I can feel the spirit while teaching...it will come in time with the french. It also made me so grateful for my call. Honestly after teaching in french, teaching in english felt so easy. I knew that the Lord knew I could handle the teaching part just fine, and that He knows I can handle the language as well.
 
Anyways, sorry if my emails are slightly random/boring. Honestly not much happens around here (other than lots of studying) and when I sit down to write my emails its like a race against the clock to remember what has happened in the past week. But when I write personal letters I try to include more stories since I can look at my journal and stuff. But just know I pray for you all every night. I love hearing from you and it makes my day when I get a letter, so thank you for writing! Also (this is mostly for mom) but I really am happy and loving what I do every day! The hard times are just part of the experience...and once I conquer something that I'm really struggling with...its such a good feeling! Totally worth the struggle and the experience of kneeling down and praying for help- and then recieving that help!!! I love you all!!!!! Hope you all had a good week!!!
 
Love, Souer Smith

Sunday, March 6, 2011

Week One!!

Bonjour!
I'm sorry if this email is really quick,but I'm writing you a letter today. Today we only get a sort-of half P-day...next week we start having a normal scheadule. We have our P-days on Fridays, so expect to hear from me then! Also our MTC President said if you use dearelder.com then we get the email that day, and get a hard copy of it. That way we can read it early on and spend our 30 minutes on the computer responding rather than reading.Plus it makes my day when I get a letter :)
My companion is awsome! Her name is Soeur Dawson. She is originally from Venezula but grew up in New Jersey. She has been a convert for about a year and half. Her testimony is so powerful and I feel the spirit every time she tells her conversion story. Her first langauge is Spanish, her second is english and third French. She doesn't necessarily know alot of French vocab, but she has a really good accent and she helps me alot. She is very patient with my accent, because I know I sound horrible haha. There are six of us in my room, 4 of us are going to the Paris mission, and 2 are going to the Geneva-Switerzland mission. One of which is Mary White, one of the girls I went to Jerusalem went!!! Pretty crazy eh?! We are all new this week, so moving in was pretty crazy but now its fun because we are all learning the ropes of the MTC together. There are five other sisters in our zone. (our class is called our district, basically all the french missionaries are our zone)
Apparently we are on this new 'pilot program'. So rather than learn everything in English first, then switch to French we are just jumping straight to French. I guess they've done it couple times before and they said that missionaries who started on the normal program could teach with spirit when they went into the field, but struggled more with the language. But the pilot program missionaries were able to teach with the spirit and catch onto the language much quicker. It is a lot to take in though. We've already taught an investigator twice in French. The first time was a disaster. I don't think anything I said made any sense. But the second time went much better- although I still had to switch to English for many words. Its crazy how quickly things I learned in high school have come back! I remember things I didn't even know I learned! Its been a really crazy learning curve. In three days we've covered just about everything I learned in high school. Although we learn much differently, we don't really have vocab or grammar lessons, we more just speak french and hope we understand/ make sense half the time. This pilot program is difficult, but I really think it will pay off in the long run!
It would seem that we would spend a lot of time reading scriptures and things, but its mostly been langauge study so far. I hear the first week is very different from the rest though, so I'm excited for when we are on a normal scheadule. Many of our classes are just assigned study hours in our classroom in which your just choose what to study. Soeur Dawson and I have started to read the book of Mormon in french, and I think it helps alot with learning the language. The MTC is amazing. Its so crazy to see all these 19 year old boys ahhem, men, learning all this languages and to know that we will soon go all over the world to share the gospel! I love all the elders and sisters so quickely it really is neat. I'm trying to think of what other details I can tell you!.
Just write letters with lots of questions, and I'll try to respond as quickly as possible!
Mom- to answer all your questions. I'm definately not hungry.The problem here is not eating to much. I've only been cold a couple nights, but mostly because we are trying to figure out the thermastat in our room works...next week I expect to sleep nice and toasty every night! haha Sad...sorry guys I really haven't been that homesick! haha The only time I've really felt it is when I was interviewed by our branch president. He asked me if I was feeling homesick, I answered no with a big smile on my face. Then he went about how being on a mission would really bless my family, it reminded me of my setting apart blessing, and before I knew it I was crying haha. But I talked to other sisters in our zone and apparently everyone cried. So I'm sure by the time I got in there they were like 'great...as usual the sisters cry' haha. But honestly we are so busy its hard to remember to be homesick. Mostly I love it here! I can't think about how long we're here because that becomes a little overwhelming, but from what I hear the days are long and the weeks are fast. All the volunteers/ workers seem to like to stop the sisters in the halls and tell us how much they appreciate us being here...so we feel very loved!
I love you all and know I pray about you every day! Can't wait to hear from you! I love this gospel and the more French I learn the more excited I become about being able to share it!
Love, Souer Smith