The Countdown Begins....NOW!!!!! (Week 6 MTC)

Date: December 29, 2015

Area: Provo MTC

MTC: Sister Kinder

Bonjour Tout le Monde,

This is officially my last week in the MTC. 6 more days to be exact. And while I have been sad, I haven't been very sad at all. Me and my companion are bracing for the worst since we lucked out with having each other and with becoming such good friends. But even then, we are getting really excited and very very anxious. 

I am not entirely positive that I am ready to speak only French. In fact, I am pretty positive that I am definitely NOT ready to speak only French, but I know that I have studied and tried very hard to listen to the Spirit, and in the moment, I will be given what I need to say. The really good news is that if they are really mean and rude, I won't really have any idea what they are saying, so I will just assume it was something nice and try again with someone else. Not knowing a language has its perks.

We had to teach a French person on Skype and we got about 50/50 of what she was saying so there's a start. Me and my companion love each other but we are so grateful we are going to be put with someone a little more experienced. Sometimes we just look at each other and hope that the investigator will keep talking so we don't have to respond to a sentence we could not even understand. And it happens more than it should... But the woman was nice and said our French was perfect. Haha even though she had to ask us to repeat ourselves like four times. Haha so nice.

Oh and for all of you who knew how clumsy I was before the mission, should be happy to find out that literally nothing has changed. I was walking home from the temple on Sunday, and walked into the crosswalk. I slipped and my branch president had to catch me and then after balancing myself ran into a pole. Haha we have some fun moments here and a lot of the times they come at my expense. 

But in all seriousness, I am so glad that I stayed six weeks instead of fast tracking. I know that I have learned things here and felt a Spirit here that cannot be felt anywhere else. And I have met people, teachers and missionaries, who really have changed my life and my outlook on everything. I l know that I am teaching out of the Book of Mormon, the true words of God, and that it gives us the answers to everything we need answers too.

Elder Bednar came to speak to us on Christmas and that was absolutely incredible. He is truly an Apostle of the Lord and he teaches in such a clear way that changes hearts and minds. In all honesty, I don't know how I am going to do this. I don't know how I am going to ever be good enough to be a true representative of Christ. I don't know how I am going to change lives and teach by the Spirit and learn this language. I don't know how I am going to get lost completely in this work. 

But I have a very strong testimony in the power of the Holy Ghost, and a very strong testimony that if I remain worthy, and if I work hard, and pray for help, and then look for answers, I will be able to do this. I know with all that I am, that I am a part of the most important work to ever be. And I am so blessed for that.

I know that this has been the plan for me since the beginning of time. I Was meant to be a missionary. 

There are a group of deaf Elders on our floor. And a lot of them cannot talk. And I cannot understand sign language. And somehow they have become some of my greatest friends. They talk so much for people who cannot talk at all. And they are always so happy. It is such a good example to me. I know that people might not understand what I have to say. But if God has prepared them for this message, they will receive it. And they will be patient enough to hear my broken French. And I know that I can be happy even on the most frustrating of days. 

I love you all. I think about you often. And I think about France often. You are all in my prayers and I know I am in yours and I am grateful for that. This next week is going to be crazy but I am ready for a new adventure. For 18 months I have to put away my starts and stripes. It is so weird I am leaving America. But it isn't that long and I get to keep my colors :)

Beacoup d'amour,

Soeur Trotter

Got Travel/Flight Plans!

​With Brian, our Invistigator :)

With the Elders on Christmas!

With our roommates who are going to Lyon (Seour Bright and Seour McKenna).

President Dowling (:

With the new Elders who are going to Canada and Africa.

We are out of control. Haha what missionaries do when they arent in dresses anymore.

​Frere Pehrson. Other favorite teacher and he gets married in 13 days! Hes the greatest. Served in Montreal. and has been our longest investigator Michel. Michel was hard one to teach.

Frere Adams! Best teacher at the MTC and our Investigator Axel. He is a great actor. 

The whole zone! we are going to France, Tahiti, Vanuatu, Canada, and Africa. We are a diverse group. President Dowling is in the huge hat! Try and find me! haha so many people.

We still toast!!

Bonjour!! (Week 5 MTC) Check out plans and MTC Christmas

Date: December 22, 2015
Area: Provo MTC
Companion: Sister Kinder

Bonjour Mes Amis,

This week has been, well, just like all the other weeks. With a few differences of course. Because there is never a boring day in the MTC. Well, there are a few days that come close, but it can't get too boring when you are serving the Lord. 

We are all getting into the Christmas Spirit though! We had a Christmas tree and then one day our teacher, we call him the "grinch" now, said that we can't have decorations in the classroom. Haha we still love him but we are keeping the nickname. So now it looks pretty bleak in there again. BUT not all is lost. My mom sent me a tree and me and Soeur Kinder have set up all our presents around it in our residence. Plus, my friends here are all really loud and obnoxious. And they are constantly singing Mary, Did You Know. So it is close to impossible to forget about the holidays haha. I love them though. Usually, after my headache goes away haha. 

Other than that though, I love Christmas this year, because we really get to focus on the real meaning. It is all about Christ. My Branch President, President Dowling, asked us what we are going to give to Christ this year, that we haven't given him in the past. So I decided that I am going to give him me. I wouldn't consider myself completely lost in the work yet. I think that will come when I am in the field. But I want to be. I love being a missionary and I want to be so lost in this work, that I don't have time to think about me.

Tomorrow we have to do this thing called Skype TRC. We have to prepare a 30 minute lesson and teach it to someone in France over skype. A real french person. And I wouldn't be so terrified about it, but we have a french girl in the MTC right now and she read my nametag out loud, and it sounded like a different language. It sounded like a giant word. Those french people are so fast! Haha so now I am terrified! We will end up doing okay I think but until then... 

Other than that, not a lot has happened. We got our check out plans yesterday and sometime this week we get our flight plans.

I got a package from my girls too. The Young Women. I am so grateful for them and they're thoughtfulness. I am so lucky to have so many people who love me and support me! 

I have learned a lot this week. Mostly about prayer. Our district was having a hard time a few days ago. We have all had bad days, but it was strange that they were all on the same day this week. Lesson planning was stressful, we had an English fast and it was really hard. We all forgot French it seemed. And it was just hard to see the big picture compared to other days. But Frere Adams is amazing, and he had us each go into separate rooms and say a prayer. To actually say a long prayer, and then not leave, but to stay, and to listen. I realized how seldom we actually do that. I say my prayers and then climb into bed and fall asleep. But I know that He is there. And if we want Him to answer, we have to give Him the time to. I can't call him up, tell him all of my problems, and then hang up before He can respond. He wants to answer. He wants to help me.

I know that this gospel is true. It is the gospel of Jesus Christ. I don't just believe it, I know it. He makes me better every day. I know that it is because of His Atonement that I can be better every day. He was born for me, and He lived His life for me. And He died for me. I am so grateful this Christmas for my life that has been so blessed by the hand of the Lord. I have been so lucky with so many opportunities and so many people who love me. 

Missionary work is the greatest. 

I am just loving being a servant of the Lord.

Beaucoup d'Amour, 

Soeur Trotter

"How silently, how silently, the wondrous gift is giv'n! So God imparts to human hearts the blessings of his heav'n. No ear may hear his coming; but in this world of sin, where meek souls will receive him, still, the dear Christ enters in." O Little Town of Bethlehem

 Our Old Tree!!! Before it was taken!!

Last day with Soeur Johns! She was the best :) She is about to marry into my family! Kind of...

 Soeur Johnson and me are like the same person haha best friends

Frere Pehrson on the end. Or the 'grinch" Hes the best haha just doesnt like trees :)

Opened a package in the classroom just for you dad- that is breaking a rue!

With Sister Anderson and Padbury- leaving to Tahiti so soon!

 Under the MTC lights!

 More! so many presents its like the mini version of grandmas tree. So cute!

 ​​The tree and presents!

Santa Clause! Just kidding just had a ton of laundry today haha

Bonjour! (Week 4 MTC)

Date: December 15, 2015
Area: Provo MTC
Companion: Sister Kinder

Bonjour Tout le Monde,

Things are grand here in the MTC. As grand as they can be for a Sister Missionary who is super antsy to get to France and start teaching people about this amazing gospel. It goes by super slow here but at the same time I cannot believe I have been here for a month. They say that the key to missionary work is work. And that when a missionary works, there really is no time to miss home.

I still miss people, and I think about you all all the time, but it is so true. We are so busy, and the busier we get, the harder it is to worry about silly things back home that we have no control over. Like when I first had to leave, I was so worried about what would happen to my baby (my car). and I just remembered that I had car haha. Being here has reminded me without fail of the things that are really important. Especially around this Christmas Holiday.

Here we have Christmas decorations and we sings songs, but we all are so focused on Christ.

This week a district of missionaries from my Zone had a really hard experience, but it taught us all a really important lesson.

They went on the computer to check something, and half of their their missions had changed from Vanuatu, a French Island to where they had been called, to Mesa, AR. Which I am sure is an amazing mission, but it is not nearly as tropical, and they won'y be speaking French there.

It turns out that their Visas didn't come and they were moved for the next couple of months. We have all become super close so it was sad to see them be split up. And for a few days they were so upset. But we had a realization that as great as France is, and as amazing as the island of Vanuatu is, the gospel needs to go forth EVERYWHERE. And there is a reason those missionaries need to be in Mesa. They are going to change lives. And even if it is just one, then so be it. Because so great is the worth of one soul in the sight of God.

It was a good reminder to me of why I am a missionary.

I got so lucky with my companion. We have our problems, but we are becoming amazing friends. And we refer to ourselves as "L'Équipe du Rève!" Which translates to Dream Team. So true. we have so much fun getting to know each other and planning our lessons. I just wish we were in France together! When we get there we get to teach together the first day.

But I am thinking about you all often. I love you. and i am so grateful for the gospel and for what i am learned from all of you that I will be able to use in my mission. There are no words for how grateful I am for my Savior, who humbles me and strengthens me and comforts me every day. Everyone should have a best friend like that and that is why I am here. He really is my Best Friend.

Beaucoup d'Amour,

Soeur Trotter

"Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends." John 15:13

Me and Soeur Johnson! She just left to Montreal today!!

 Soeur Kinder and I with the Nativity this morning! (:

 Bench Shot!

 Seour Giordano, Seour Brown, Seour Marshall, Seour Johnson, Seour Kinder and I. 

 These two photos are both Us with Elder Roueche. He is amazing and just left to Montreal. great friend!

Bonjour!!! (Week 3 MTC)

Date: December 8, 2015
Area: Provo MTC
Companion: Sister Kinder

Bonjour Tout le Monde!!

Things are good here at the MTC. It is really weird that I am half way through. It has been hard but it has been good for me to learn. It took me weeks to convince myself that the food here isn't bad, and then Sister Brown in my district found a grasshopper in her salad. Haha but other than that, the MTC is great. We all love the one day that we get to eat in the temple though. Thank goodness missions aren't about the food :)

A few days ago we had our lesson with Brian, our investigator. He wanted to know about the Plan of Salvation. So we taught him about the pre-earth life. I could tell that he was a little overwhelmed, so I stopped and asked him if he was okay and he said he wanted to continue. So my companion went on to tell him more. Looking back we should have stopped, but we didn't. And he got overwhelmed. He didn't even want to make another appointment. We were so sad. 

But yesterday he came by our classroom and told us he had to meet with us again. He had thought lot about out lesson and knew he had to talk with us again because he has been so much more happy recently and knew it is because of what we taught him. I know that as missionaries, especially new missionaries, we are going to make so many mistakes. With the language, and with not wanting to listen to the Spirit because we are excited about teaching. But I was really able to learn that I am teaching people, not only doctrine. And that I really need to learn to really focus on their needs. But I was also able to learn that even when we mess up and our words aren't perfect, we have the Spirit with us to teach, and because of that- people will feel it anyways, and change.

I have a hard time with accepting that I am not perfect. But I keep learning that I am not going to be perfect. And I am starting to be okay with that. 

But oh my goodness I bore my testimony in church on Sunday. It was so scary but it was so worth it. It is so weird to do that in another language. I really liked it though and it was nice to hear everyone say super simple things that they knew to be true. Just the simple doctrine. Because that is all that we can say. But the Spirit was still crazy strong. 

Funny Moment: The language is way hard. But this week i said a prayer with our investigator and said: "nous te demandons a blesir Brian avec tous les choses dans sa vie." I wanted to say "Please bless Brian with all the things in his life." haha only in french, blesir means to hurt. so I asked to hurt Brian. Definitely am not going to make that mistake again. haha he forgave me though :) haha.

Anyways, I don't have a lot of time this week. Or any week. But I want you all to know that I love you and that i am doing well. I know that this gospel is so true and that it will bring us closer to Christ than anything else. I am so grateful for the opportunity i have to wear His name on my heart. literally. He makes me better every day. This whole mission is about something bigger than myself. I get to go to France, and eat lots of cool things and see lots of cool places, but better, i get to teach people that the end is not the end and that they have an eternal Best Friend in Christ. I literally have the best calling on earth. 

a le prochain fois (until next time).

 ​Me and sister johnson. we are on splits so much she is practically my companion, Haha she is the best. and her companion sister brown is in the back. Thats the one that found a bug in her food hahaha.

My Training Leader and I. 

Bonjour!! (Week 2 MTC)

Date: November 28, 2015
Area: Provo MTC
Companion: Sister Kinder

Well I thought that the MTC is my place. But I am ready to go to France. That didn't take long. The MTC has its strong points and I know it is making me a better missionary, but I want to teach real people. Problem is you can't do that without preparing. So I am happy I am here. I speak a lot of french now. It is all coming back from high school.I thought about it a lot and San Clemente High School should really start teaching gospel words. It would've really helped

But me and my companion talk in French from 6 in the morning until noon, and then some. The quickest way to learn French is to speak it. We probably sound like kindergartners, but it gets done. 

We have an investigator right now who is actually an investigator. His name is Brian and he is awesome. I didn't think they would give us trainees a real one but they did and it has made all the studying so worth it. The feeling of the Spirit bearing witness to you and someone you are teaching that what you are saying is true is the greatest experience in the world. He just committed to reading the book of Mormon. So even though i am still in training, I still feel like a missionary and it is the greatest calling in the world.

I miss college like crazy and the people I met there and I miss home, but every day I am reminded of why I am supposed to be here. When I first broke my hip I thought it might have been a sign it wasn't my time to go but I was so wrong. There is no place else that would be better for me to be right now.

My companion is amazing and Dallin H. Oaks came to speak to us and that was amazing! And we made 358,000 meals for hungry kids on Thanksgiving. The days go by slow but the weeks fast. And France will be here before I know it. I love being a missionary. It is a great experience.

I know this gospel is true and I am so grateful for it. It changes my whole perspective on everything. it lets me see the bigger picture :)

Je vous aime ( I love you all!) 
Think about you often.

Soeur Trotter

Bonjour!! (Week 1 MTC)

Date: November 18, 2015
Area: Provo MTC
Companion: Sister Kinder

Bonjour Mes Amis! 

The MTC is treating me very well. Classes are how we spend most of our days, but I've got to start somewhere! Some people say that you either are an MTC person or you aren't. I think that I definitely am. I mean, I would leave in a heartbeat to go to France, but the longer I am here the more I realize I need all the help I can get with my French. Apparently four years isn't enough. 

Me and my companion both took French. Her name is Sister Kinder and she actually took it for seven years. But we communicate really well. And we were actually given an ami de l'eglise (an investigator) our third day here. To teach in French. So we were terrified. And he looked at us like we were stupid the whole time. But we tried and he decided to give us a second chance. And we did great that time and we could all feel the Spirit so that was way good.

We left the room and both screamed from excitement. My grammar was still awful but at least I was using the right verbs, conjugated or not... I think... I guess I don't actually know. Haha but everyone here says to focus on the message and the language will come. So that is what I am going to do.

Other than that, it is just a whole lot of class. Me and my zone have our gym time for an hour at night and I make my companion go with me to a work out class every morning... So I guess I am still a gym goer. Haha some things never change. But I just feel the need to do that because they feed us a whole lot. I thought I would gain weight from bread and cheese in France but I might be fat before I even get there. 

Hand of the Lord Moment: I have a lot of trouble speaking up, and the first day I got here they took a bunch of us missionaries into a room and had an investigator there for us all to teach. And I really wanted to say something but couldn't get the guts and so my companion asked for a microphone. I thought she would say something herself but she just handed it to me and made me do it! I needed that! It helped me get out of my comfort zone which I am finding is definitely necessary to be a good missionary. I am getting there! 

I love my district though. We all have a good time and they have become my family away from my family/. We know how to have a good time but we know how to get stuff done and be good. I like wearing my name tag. Good reminder all the time of why I am here. I have to go, but I will write next week. 

Oh, and this one kid from my zone is from Aruba and speaks five languages. And is now learning a another. And I thought one was hard. 

Just want to say I know this is true and don't regret for a second coming here. Cant wait to get to France and teach for real. 

Soeur Trotter

PS: My departure date is January 4. Cant wait.

  Sister Kinder (My companion) and I.

 My District.

Sister Kinder and I at the Provo Temple.

We were so close! haha We couldn't help stopping to take a picture and trying to see through the windows of the MTC, but we never saw her! 

Pre Mission!