April 21, 2011

Well here it is...my final words from the MTC!!!! Wahoo!!!! Can you believe...I've been within the same 1 block radius for 8 weeks straight...and now I'm headed to PARIS!!!! You know what that means...send me all the dearelders while you still can! haha

 

This week has been one to remember. This week we finally had an apostle come and speak to us! Richard G. Scott came it was amazing! I don't know how to describe the spirit that was in the room while he spoke to us. He first gave us his written talk and then he put the papers down, took off his glasses, and said "I've been impressed to say some things..." and I was just thinking alright! here comes the good stuff!! haha (yes...i am officially a spiritual nerd) Anyways, it was amazing. First he had everyone in the crowd who was going language-speaking raise their hands. Then he said "I use my apostlic power to give you the gift of tongues" It was so powerful. He did warn us that we still need to study... but it was such a comforting blessing. He promised us a lot of things and it definately felt like he was speaking directly to our district and me because he addressed alot of the fears and worries that come when your facing the field in 4 days (eeeeeek!) He ended with his testimony which was so powerful because when he says things like "I KNOW" you can just feel that he really does KNOW...he doesn't just believe. The spirit was so strong at the end of the meeting that everyong was just silent as we walked back to the classrooms. It was definately a good way to end our time at the MTC.

 

As well my companion and I had the opportunity to particpate in a training meeting for new missionaries. We had to conduct a lesson with a paid actor while a room of newbies watched. When we were first asked to do it I was terrified, but then we found out we were reccommended by our teachers and it gave me alot of confidence. It turned out to be an amazing experience. It made me feel so excited for the field because I can't wait till I'm sitting in the living rooms of REAL investigators. It also made me reflect alot on how far we've come in the MTC, because I remember watching those missionaries 9 weeks ago and thinking they were so calm and knew what they were doing (LIES) but at least I can appear that way.

 

Today we had our last temple trip. It was so amazing. The most spiritual experience I've yet in the temple. The spirit was amazing while in there, the wierd part was leaving. I felt as we walked out the front doors the spirit leave. Just a little bit, because I just had this image of us walking out into a Babylon of sorts. We are leaving the comforts of the MTC where everyone loves us and is so proud of us, to a city where...well Babylon is the best word I can think of. But an elder in our district put it the best way I think. He said "we are sacrificing our time with the temple and these blessings to go and give it to others." Makes me so excited for France!!!

 

I don't have much else to say. I'm so excited to leave, because I know this gospel is true. I know it is the source of all happiness and joy I have felt in my life. I know that the Savior lives and loves each one of us. I know that the atonement can help us overcome every trial in our life. I know that Joseph Smith is a prophet and that he restored Christ's church on the earth. I know he translated the Book of Mormon, and through that book we can learn how to follow Christ. I know the Lord is with the missionaries every step of the way and will help us! Now I just need to learn to say all this in french haha...

 

Love you all!

Soeur Smith

April 15, 2011

BONJOUR!!!!

 

Guess what!? I can officially count how many days we have left in the MTC on two hands (no toes required!) Can you believe it! We are officially the oldies in the MTC!!! We kind of sound like we know what we're talking about when people overhear our french. Really we are just saying the 10 words we know really well over and over again. haha. But for reals, this week has been difficult to concentrate as we all start to feel the affects of leaving soon. At the same time though I think I've started concentrating more because I realize soon I have to ACTUALLY speak french...I can't get away with attempting to say something and then repeating myself in english. I'm not going to lie...I'm excited! We had 3 days of english-fast in our district this week. They were so hard...but also reassuring because it wasn't as hard as I thought it was going to be...but those were definately headache nights.

 

Life in the MTC remains same old same old. We are progressing with our investigators little by little...maybe they will get "baptized" by the time we leave. As well my companion and I had a really cool experience with the TRC this week. The TRC is where volunteers from the community come in and volunteer to be taught by missionaries. For the past 4 weeks my companion and I have concidently had the same 2 volunteers. One is a BYU student who is 19. She wants to go on a mission really bad and is mostly just waiting till she's old enough. She grew up speaking french and has studied it in school. The other is guy who served his mission in Tahiti...so he has a funny french accent (Tahitians roll their Rs and use the 'tu' form fore everything...Parisian french is in the back of the throat more and uses the 'vous' form) Anyways...the guy who served in Tahati always corrects my french...which I really appreciate but I think he thought I was bugged by it. So once our lesson was over he gave us a pep talk. He shared some experiences with us about the times he followed the promptings of the spirit and the times he didn't. It was amazing as he told us the miracles that happened when he would use his priesthood power to heal and help people and wasn't scared to say the things the spirit told him. He told me to not be scared to speak french, because he was a lot worse than I when he left the MTC, but as long as you are on the Lord's errand then the spirit will help me speak it and help the french people understand me. He told me about some of his lessons where if people really felt the spirit they would understand everything he said, while if someone else was sitting right there and not feeling the spirit they had no clue what he said.

 

I've thought alot about this and here at the MTC they keep telling us that we are going on our missions to find the elect. We are going out to find those who have been prepared by the Lord and are ready to hear our message. I am getting so excited to go. Yes there are feelings of fear and inaquadcies with the languages. But if there is such a thing as trusting in the Lord too much I think I'm there right now. I know I have to continually work to improve my french and have the courage to talk to people. But if I do those things then he will help me every step of the way. I think the scripture D&C 84:88 that describes perfectly how I feel right now.

 

Anyways, I love you all and miss you! Thank you for your words of support and prayers!

 

Soeur Smith

April 8, 2011

Bonjour!!!

How is it going?! Thank you for all of the letters this week...I felt tres loved!!! Sounds like everyone is doing pretty well...Mom I am so excited for your fridge!!! Truly.. although I may have laughed out loud when I pictured you sitting in the kitchen hugging it haha. Oh and Chris...thank you so much for writing me!!! I'm going to write back but I'm going to send it to Canada because I don't know when your break is between semesters. Kaila...I'm sorry you have strep! I can feel your pain!!

This week at the MTC seemed really long. Not because the time dragged...just because conferance already feels like it was SO long ago haha. This week has been fairly eventful. We recieved 20 new missionaries in our zone! Which is quite wierd because it means we are the oldies...which means we are leaving soon...which means I should probably know french by now...haha jk but still it is getting a little intimidating that we will soon be in the field. But having newbies have also made me aware of how much I have learned in the past month and how real the gift of tongues is. I swear I've learned more here than I learned in 4 years of high school (of course I can only really talk about gospel subjects...I'm assuming normal french will come when I get there haha) As well this week my companion sprained her ankle...we've been moving very slowly around the MTC...but she is healing quickly. I'm just grateful it didn't happen closer to our departure date and it could affect her departure date. As well, two other soeurs and I have found a great little secret on our floor. We like to call it the Room of Requirement (please tell me you picked up on the Harry Potter referance) but in reality its just a linen closet that serves a very good purpose of being able to get away from all the noise and write letters and in our journal. We call it RR...its our code for "I need a break...meet me in 10 with chocolate!" haha just kidding...but its been great having Soeur White and Soeur Woodward as friends and having our little getaway at the end of the day.

General conferance was amazing in the MTC! I think just being around all the missionaries and striving so hard to feel the spirit made conferance a very special experience. Our teacher challenged us to only write down spiritual impressions because we get the talks in the ensign a month later...but those spiritual promptings only come once. So I tried it and it was such an amazing experience. I still had as many notes at the end of the day, but they meant so much more. One of the strongest things I felt (especially when President Monson was speaking about the Rome Temple) was that we are preparing France for a temple. I know that there is no way one will come while we are there...but speaking with other missionaries in our zone we all had similar feelings. That it is France's turn...and we are helping to prepare the way. Maybe we are all just really pumped for our mission and we are getting our hopes up...but Elder Benar said in a devotional at the MTC a few years ago that missionaries need to stop worrying about whether their thoughts are promptings or their own thoughts because when if your doing the right things it doesn't matter! If your righteous then your thoughts will be alighned with the spirit. I especially loved President Holland's talk at the end. It was very different but so powerful. I wish everyone we are going to teach could watch conferance and be able to feel the things I did...because then how we they not want to be baptized!!!.....can you tell I've been in the MTC for a while now??

That night we also had a really good speaker for our Sunday night devotional. His name is Vai Sikahema...he played for BYU and played in the NFL. Now he is a news anchor in Philidalphia (SP?) Anyways...he started telling us stories about his mission. And he started telling us about one of his investigtors...then he said well let me introduce you to him. Then he brought his investigator from 20+ years ago up on the stand. It was so powerful as they told his conversion story together. After, he had his whole family, kids and grandkids, stand up and show how one conversion has now spread the blessings of the gospel throughout generations. It made me think of my own family history. How Gram and Papa's decision to be baptized changed my life...and how the pioneers on Mom's side would have had to have so much courage to leave everything they knew for a strange religion in the Americas. I am so proud to come from both families and so grateful that I have been a recepitant of those eternal blessings and now have the opportunity to bring that the families of France.

Well, those are my thoughts from the week! hah I love you all and I hope this week has been great!!

Soeur Smith

Week 6- Christmas at the MTC!!

Bonjour! Bonjour!

 

How are you?? Is the second week of Spring Break or is everyone back in school? I'm glad to hear that Silverstar was so much fun!!! Hopefully the snow was the glad...but I appreciate the editing of exactly how good it was lol. Has spring come yet to the Okanagon? Its been fairly nice here the past coupled days...its great when we can do our studies outside...its a nice break from sitting in the classroom.

 

This week has been full of the same old same old. But I've tried to think of some highlights. First- there were some definate French breakthroughs this week. I bore my testimony on Sunday...and I'm sure it was horrid french...but it was a big step from last month when I sat there with my jaw on the ground, a confused look on my face, and thinking what the heck are they saying! As well, in our lessons things have going much smoother! There have actually been circumstances when my companion has been at a loss of words and I've jumped in and given a coherant explanation! haha its a great feeling! To actually know what I want to say and in a very caveman fashion be able to say it! A big improvement from hearing our investigators answers and just being able to respond with "Je sais que (I know that...)" and respond with only a testimony. I'm sure the process with begin again in France...but I'll take my victories when I can! We also learned an amazing grammar trick in which you JOIN sentances...I know crazy right!? We are sounding less and less caveman by the day!! Tres super! We have also been attempting to go on a English-fast...its very difficult! Usually I end up forgetting as soon as someone tells a story and I want to add in my two cents, but everyday is getting better. My teacher told me that a complete English fast is really hard in the MTC...but as long as I'm attempting Franglais in all circumstances that will help. So once again the power of franglais is used! Mostly I just think to what Uncle Gordon told me about getting a headache in France from thinking in French. Everyday at the end of the day I gage how successful I was at working that day by how exhausted I am. Does my head hurt? Check. Am I dead tired? Check. Can I barely form English sentances? Check. Well then its been a good day in the MTC! haha

 

Our district has definately had some spiritual highs as well. We've had alot of experience baring one anothers burderns this week. I've had a relatively easy time in the MTC. No extreme difficulties...but I think I've been blessed with that because then I can use my time and energy helping others. All of the sisters and several of our elders have had an especially difficult week in one way or another. But its amazing how we were all brought together with different backgrounds and experiences that somehow help and support one another. Its been a testimony builder as we have born our testimonies to each other of the healing power of the atonement and its makes me that much more excited to share that with the people of France. One night we spent two hours (yes I realize we skipped language and companionship study) telling each person what we like about them. It was an amazing experience to realize how well we know each other already and how essential everyone's personalities have to been in helping our district to grow. You'd be shocked that they all told me they love how happy I am...and I laugh all the time. I told them about how you all count my laughs when I'm the phone and you never quite get to five before I laugh again. Anyways...I think the lesson from this week has been that yes hard times will come. But if you use those hard times to pray and come closer to Christ, then Satan's plan is foiled because you end up stronger in the end. So naturally, he'll try and get you from another angle. But then if you continue the process and come closer to Christ again. The process repeats over and over until I'm sure the enemy is quite frustrated, and you feel quite uplifted. It sounds like a good deal to me. Not that I'm asking for trials, but I'm grateful for them in the end.

 

And naturally, many funny times have come from this week. Our french continues to be quite entertaining for all. We were learnng reflexive verbs...and one elder instead of saying "I shave my self tonight" said "I shave all of the sisters"....soeur=sister, soir=night...you can see where the confusion comes in haha. But we are all learning, one of my favorite elders here is from China. I love waving at him on campus and helping him with his english. This week as we were all heading back to the dorms he came up to us and yelled "good morning!" and turned away...then turned back and went "Good night!" haha...I hope the people in france will just go with what I say like we did with him. Made me feel better to know we are in the learning process here at the MTC. Finally...you all appreciate this story because you understand my hate for feet!!! Well I lost my planner this week...and the other sisters may or may not have learned about my hate for feet. Well one sister found my planner and made me give feet-high fives before she would give it back!!! FEET HIGH FIVES!!! EWWWWW!!!!

Oh the things we do for entertainment at the MTC haha

 

Anyways- thank you so much for the package!!!! The elders loved the candy (the part the loved the most was when the next morning I said "the candy was good eh?" without even thinking that I was playing into every canadian stereotype and saying eh haha) and the LOVED the letters from Shannon...I think a couple have written back already. The flips flops are a life saver...I don't have to worry about getting some nasty disease anymore. And Pooski I'm loving the dark hair!!! Oh and tell Jeff and Camille congrats on the announcement!!

 

Next we are looking forward to getting 4 new districts in our zone! Which blows my mind because that means we are the oldies...which also means our time at the MTC is coming to a close! So crazy!!!! But I won't get ahead of myself...we still have four weeks! Which brings me to this weekend...Conferance! I can honestly say I think I'm more excited for that than I was for Christmas this year! And that is why I feel like its Christmas at the MTC haha. The best part is that we don't have anything scheaduled between sessions....which means...yes we may get to take a nap! I don't know how to explain my excitement! haha

 

Well love you all, Can't wait to hear from you!!

Soeur Smith