Bonjour!!!
Well this has been a big week. We had exchanges with Brussels. Went to Normady for the baptism of a former investigator of Soeur Pearce's. We celebrated the 4th of July. Soeur Pearce's time on the mission is winding down. And of course, we started teaching Zdrafko. I wish you all could meet Zdrafko. Instead, Ive decided his prayers summarize my week better than I can... so Im sending you his prayers in hopes you get a gist for just how great he is...and crazy every week is on the mission. But this is only going to work if you picture a man that resembles Kramer from Seinfield (mom you were right on the dot!!!) and speak with your thickest russian accent...
Well this has been a big week. We had exchanges with Brussels. Went to Normady for the baptism of a former investigator of Soeur Pearce's. We celebrated the 4th of July. Soeur Pearce's time on the mission is winding down. And of course, we started teaching Zdrafko. I wish you all could meet Zdrafko. Instead, Ive decided his prayers summarize my week better than I can... so Im sending you his prayers in hopes you get a gist for just how great he is...and crazy every week is on the mission. But this is only going to work if you picture a man that resembles Kramer from Seinfield (mom you were right on the dot!!!) and speak with your thickest russian accent...
Prayer 1
Dear Heavenly Father,
Je suis Zdrafko.
I went to work today and talk with good people in this beautiful city of Paris.
And now I am with the missionaries, who are definately not bad people.
Very good people. And brother 'Keem (the member we teach with whose name is actually Ah-King)
In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.
Dear Heavenly Father,
Je suis Zdrafko.
I went to work today and talk with good people in this beautiful city of Paris.
And now I am with the missionaries, who are definately not bad people.
Very good people. And brother 'Keem (the member we teach with whose name is actually Ah-King)
In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.
Well Zdrafko summed up a large part of our week when he said he is with "very good people". Our 4th of July was awsome! We went and ate bbq pork sandwhichs with cheetos and rootbeer with all of the missionaries from our ward. Even though we counted and the non-american missionaries outnumbered the american missionaries in our little band in never hurts to be surrounded by good people and familar food! This week we also had exchanges! We exchanged with the sisters up in Brussels- who just happens to be my MTC companion Soeur Dawson! So for the second time this transfer I got to take a TGV ( that means a really fast train...) up to Brussels and spend a day and night there! It was so cool to go teaching with Soeur Dawson and see the progression that we have both made since leaving the MTC...turns out I actually have learned a few things! I think if you had told me on one of those really hard days in the MTC right after teaching a fake investigator in caveman french that Soeur Dawson and I were going to be doing the exact same thing only with the real in person in a mere 2 months...I would have said you were crazy! But we did it! Brussels was great, although Im not going to lie I experienced extreme seperation anxiety being away from Soeur Pearce for that long! It was good to have an adventure but it felt so right to get back to Paris. Overall my favorite person we spent time with this week though has got to be Zdrafko...just so can get to know him a little bit here are some of the best quotes from him:
- While watching the Restoration film, and Joseph Smith was praying, he turns and says "Im in the same moment"
-(We took Zdrafko to a baptism this week and asked him if he had been to a baptism before. He said he went to his mom's, when I asked what he thought he said it was interesting. When I asked if it was a good interesting or a bad interesting he said...)ZDRAFKO: "Do you like Vancouver, Calgary, or Toronto better? They are all Olympic cities..."
ME: they are all different.
ZDRAFKO: "Exactly"
.........thank you Zdrafko that clears it all up (!?!?!?!?)
-(Me asking him about his future plans...) "No, no, no. THE BAPTISM IS FOR SURE. All other decisions come after that"
-(While teaching him the word of wisdom and law of chastity, including our stance on abortions, in the same lesson) "What if on the écran (screen) you see the future baby, for example, has 3 eyes and 10 fingers, on one main (hand)" We explain, even then you dont get an abortion but if you are living the commandments, such as the Word of Wisdom, then chances of those things happen go down. He responds " I feel lucky I dont have problems with those things"...... We were practically screaming your right Zdrafko you were prepared by the Lord to except the gospel :)
Ok... maybe he is only funny/endearing in real life...but if you aren't laughing just reread those quotes outloud in a russian accent... funny yet? OK if your not convinced here is his second prayer of the week...
- While watching the Restoration film, and Joseph Smith was praying, he turns and says "Im in the same moment"
-(We took Zdrafko to a baptism this week and asked him if he had been to a baptism before. He said he went to his mom's, when I asked what he thought he said it was interesting. When I asked if it was a good interesting or a bad interesting he said...)ZDRAFKO: "Do you like Vancouver, Calgary, or Toronto better? They are all Olympic cities..."
ME: they are all different.
ZDRAFKO: "Exactly"
.........thank you Zdrafko that clears it all up (!?!?!?!?)
-(Me asking him about his future plans...) "No, no, no. THE BAPTISM IS FOR SURE. All other decisions come after that"
-(While teaching him the word of wisdom and law of chastity, including our stance on abortions, in the same lesson) "What if on the écran (screen) you see the future baby, for example, has 3 eyes and 10 fingers, on one main (hand)" We explain, even then you dont get an abortion but if you are living the commandments, such as the Word of Wisdom, then chances of those things happen go down. He responds " I feel lucky I dont have problems with those things"...... We were practically screaming your right Zdrafko you were prepared by the Lord to except the gospel :)
Ok... maybe he is only funny/endearing in real life...but if you aren't laughing just reread those quotes outloud in a russian accent... funny yet? OK if your not convinced here is his second prayer of the week...
Prayer 2Dear Heavenly Father
This is Zdrafko. I am here with Sister Pearce, Sister McClean (I was in Belgium) and Brother Keem.
I want to ask that my future daughter can have a beautiful angel voice like Sister Pearce.
Thank you for that blessing.
Amen.
This is Zdrafko. I am here with Sister Pearce, Sister McClean (I was in Belgium) and Brother Keem.
I want to ask that my future daughter can have a beautiful angel voice like Sister Pearce.
Thank you for that blessing.
Amen.
How cute is that?? Zdrafko has more faith than half of members, when he asks for something he is grateful even before he gets an answer. I think this sums up alot about a mission. So often you don't see the fruits of your labor. Whether its that you feel like your constantly planting seeds or just that you never really see your own progression...its hard to know that the day to day grind of mission life is actually making a difference. Until you have moments like when we went up to Caen for the day. This is the last city Soeur Pearce served in. We went to watch a baptism of one of the women she found and taught. I dont even know how to describe how strong the spirit was when she and another man were baptized. Those are the moments when you know some of the most heartfelt prayers from your mission are being listened too. Another moment that made me realize my prayers are listened too happened as Soeur Pearce and I walked home last night. We decided to walk home along the Seine rather than take the metro. I wish I could do the evening justice. It was perfect temperature, there was an accordian player and a magician on the bridges, everyone was walking slowly and eating ice cream like they were squeezing the last bit of weekend out their Sunday. Im sure at other times of my life it could have had the potential to be quite romantic...but for now I just got to feel my heart swell for gratitude for being able to serve here in the France, Paris mission. Although I still don't speak french perfectly, and I know I have alot of blood, sweat and tears ahead of me. I can be grateful and say 'dear Heavely Father. My mission will change/changed my life. Thank you for that blessing' I know all to soon Ill be looking back and missing those summer evening in Paris.
Prayer 3Dear Heavenly Father
Today I am excited because I understand that it is my baby 10 year birthday.
I am happy to be with Soeur Pearce, Soeur Smith, and Brother 'Keem,
and hopy my future first child can be named Pearce, Smith, or Keem.
Amen.
Today I am excited because I understand that it is my baby 10 year birthday.
I am happy to be with Soeur Pearce, Soeur Smith, and Brother 'Keem,
and hopy my future first child can be named Pearce, Smith, or Keem.
Amen.
Ok this prayer takes some explaining. So after we taught him the Word of Wisdom and the Law of Chastity he then explained to us that these commandments are going to protect his future family. And so today, the day he committed to living those commandments, is actually the birthday for his future children because he is building the foundation for his future children and making sure they are going to be healthy (and not end up with 3 eyes or 10 fingers on one hand) This prayer just reminds me of really how every step in the gospel is a new beginning. That is why our gospel is a gospel of hope. There is a chance to change and constantly become better, and build a better future. This week has been emotional. I think I have felt more than I have felt at any other time in my life. I felt extreme sorrow as I worry about our investigators and think about unfair life has been to them. I have felt pride as we watch the baptisms of people with very difficult pasts find hope in the gospel. I have felt inadequcy from feeling like you can never really 'do' a mission correctly or speak perfectly. I felt pain in my stomach from laughing so hard with Soeur Pearce. And I have felt pure joy, like during moments when Soeur Pearce is reflecting her mission and preparing to say goodbye, and I feel so lucky to be apart of this work and to dedicate my life at this time to it. At moments, these extreme emotions have embarssingly brought me to tears. It was during one of these moments our wise rommate, Soeur Williams, summed it up so perfectly. She said
"On your mission you have to use parts of your heart and parts of brain you've never used before. So you have to give yourself time to break in your new brain parts and heart parts."
Yup this week, well these past 4 months, some definate breaking in of the heart parts of been going on....and as painful as that can be.... I know in the end its all worth it... maybe someday when there is a curly haired bulgarian baby named Pearce-Smith-Keem and Ill know my mission left a mark on the world :)
Love you all!!!
Soeur Smith
Love you all!!!
Soeur Smith
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