December 3, 2012

Ma chere famille,

You guessed it... Pachebel's Canon. RIDICULOUS. I left the states thinking I was safe for a year and a half, but alas. It's everywhere. 

First off. Happy Thanksgiving two weeks ago. Sorry... hah. Je suis en retard. But! I hope that it was great! And that you ate lots of pie for me! And! Black Friday! Luckily, I forgot whether Thanksgiving was this last week or two weeks ago, so I was distracted. But I hope someone shopped like a crazy for me! Elise! Happy Birthday! Sorry I forgot to add that last week... But I thought about you on Saturday! And I hope that all is going well on Temple Square! You're the best! And J-DAWGGG. Or I guess Hermana Glauser... hah. This is the week!! I'm super stoked for you! You will do sooo great! And I'm super stoked that you and pup and Hansen all getta be in the MTC together. You're in my prayers! I love you!

This week, has been the best so far! I love this work! And I love lychee. I seriously don't know how I'm going to go back to life without it. That and singing in french. Even though it's Pachebel. Well, this week we have mostly been focused on working with and serving and getting referrals from members. I never realized it before the mission, but the members are SOOO important in this work! Like crazy important. I'm going to be a missionary for the rest of my life now that I know how much the members can do for this work. So yah, that was the focus of this week. We did lots of service and lots of asking for referrals and it was great! I love the members here. They are strong and stalwart! We're just trying to gain their confidence and trust and have them catch the vision of this work! 

Patita is getting baptized on CHRISTMAS!! Along with Michel (Who's his uncle. I just found out yesterday at church that all our amis de l'eglise are like, related. hah. So that was fun.) But yah. I'm stoked. I'm gonna have a white Christmas! Even though it's really hot here. The best kind! No snow in sight :] But yah. To prepare for the baptism, we've been trying to just see Patita everyday. So we'll teach, read the Livre together, etc. It's been good. Hah. Except. Oh man. This week we were reading in 1 Nephi. An Isaiah chapter. And if you think Isaiah is hard in English... You should try it in French. It was terrifying. But, thanks to the Spirit and lots of prayer, and the help of my companions, we were able to explain the chaper to him. 

Also, I saw my first VERY LARGE cockroach here this week. That was terrifying. We were teaching a lesson, and I saw somthing VERY large scurry across the floor. I tried not to scream so as to not disturb the spirit, but yah, needless to say, I kept my feet off the floor until we left.

We taught a new ami for the first time this week too. Her name's Philemon. We taught her the Plan of Salvation, and it was great! And the best part was at the end when we got her to say the closing prayer. It was so humble and sincere. Really, it was one of the most beautiful prayers I've EVER heard. The Spirit was so strong! There's a phrase in the Bible Dictionary of the scriptures that says something to the effect of, "As soon as we realize our relationship with God, namely that we are His children and He is our Father, prayer becomes natural and instinctive..." etc. I slaughtered that, but look it up for yourself! I have such a testimony of prayer. This work is impossible without prayer. For the missionaries as well as for the amis de l'eglise. It doesn't work without it. The missionary doesn't have the strength and the Spirit to do this work and the ami doesn't receive an answer to their question without prayer. It is ESSENTIAL. And I'm grateful for that. I love prayer. I know that when we pray with a sincere heart, with real intent, having faith in Christ, we can and will receive answers to our prayers. So I invite you to pray as it invites us to in Moroni 10:4. And if we do so, the promise in verse 5 will take place.

Ok family, well I love you! Mom, I think that as long as you pay the tax on your end for packages, it's free here to pick it up. That's what my American friends said... So yah. Oh. And I paid $23 for a bottle of contact solution this week. It was gross. But necessary. Cause I'm out. But yah! I love you family! Write me letters and I'll write you back! Cause computer time is short. I hope you're all doing well and enjoying the Christmas season! Sing lots for me! You are all in my prayers! Oh, and I need Kalei's, Elaine's, and Megs' emails and other than that, I think I got them all.

L'evangile est vrai!

Love, Soeur Santos