Soeur Alyssa Trotter: The "B-word" and other Beautiful Things (Week #16)

Date: March 14, 2016

Area: Paris

Companion: Seour Archbold

Bonjour Tous Mes Amis,

I am officially starting to branch out. It is funny because a lot of missionaries that come to the Paris France mission don't actually ever serve in Paris, because it is so big. And here I am, and I can't seem to get out of Paris! Haha but this week I got to go to Nancy, which is about an hour and a half away by train :) super far, I know :) Haha if I was living at home that would get me to Los Angeles, while here it gets me to the other side of the country :)

We went for exchanges though, and I was with Soeur Poznanski :) she is French, and her dad was actually the mission president before President Babin. So I was a little more than nervous to be contacting and teaching with a Francophone missionary :) I had no desire for her to hear my broken French haha. And she assured me that it was better than I thought it was, but I proved her wrong when like three people asked her to translate for me. Lame. ;)

But Nancy has so much potential! It was weird to be in a city so much smaller than Paris, but it was kind of relaxing and I was able to see how nice everyone there was! And I absolutely love Soeur Poznanski so it made it so much better! I love how much I learn from each missionary I am with. We all have such different qualities and are so different in the way we talk, teach, act :) Sometimes I find myself saying, "I wish I was just more like Soeur ... ...She is such an incredible missionary!" And then I hear that little voice in my head that says "No! Be your own missionary! Just be yourself!" That is something that I am really coming to learn. That yeah, Soeur Archbold is amazing at French and Soeur Marshall is amazing at discerning people's needs, and the list goes on. But I also have things that people need. These people need Soeur Marshall and Soeur Kinder and Soeur Archbold and Poznanski in their own personal ways, but they also need me because of who I am. That is why I was called there. We are all needed in different ways!

Haha so one of my first weeks here, we taught our ami Philip. It was the first time that I had met Philip, he is the boyfriend of our Relief Society President. And he is taking the lessons. And I felt so prompted to invite him to be baptized and to pick a date to work towards! And he said no, that he wanted to one day but needed to find a new apt. and other things before he could be baptized. So that was that.And we have taught him since then and he has become a great friend. :) And on Sunday, Claudia, his girlfriend came up to us and said that every time they read the scriptures and the word baptism comes up, He stops reading and says "It's the B-word. Ohh.. Sister Trotter..." Haha I am just going to take that as a compliment and be happy that whenever he thinks of baptism he thinks of me :)

I don't know if I have updated you on my Filipino's. But Cathy emailed me a few weeks ago and told us that she is done meeting with us. And it crushed my heart! I had just felt so strongly that family was prepared! And so after a few weeks, I couldn't handle it anymore. So we went to their apartment. With cookies of course. But it is terrifying to show up to a place where you were literally uninvited. BUT we knew we had to go. I could not let this family go! So we knocked and Cathy's mom opened the door and was sick, but wanted us to come back! And so we got to do that last night! And apparently Cathy was the one who didn't want us to come back. Malou and Agnes, the others, still love us :) And we were able to bring a Filipino member with us and it was incredible.

I know that teaching with members is important. It is really important. But Gina, this member made that rendez-vous so special! Two years ago she wasn't a member. She was a member of their same church. And she was able to bear testimony to them in their own language and the Spirit was so strong :) And when we left that rendez-vous, they were best friends :) It was truly amazing to see.

Anyways, I could go on and on and on about my week this week :) So many little miracles it was crazy! But I will end with a few funny things :)

1.) Soeur Archbold almost ate an alcoholic filled pastry with the Filipinos..

2.) We had a rendezvous with a girl named Claire who somehow didn't realize that we were missionaries... :) But she is actually still interested!

3.) Its not funny but we found a Chipotle! Haha I used to get stressed out ordering in that Chipotle line at home so you could imagine it in another language...

Anyways, I love all of you. Always remember that whoever you are, be you and admire other people. but don't wish you were like them. Because I am learning that people need to learn things from each other. Because every one is different! I love that! I am grateful to be me, and to be a missionary here, and to have met the people I have met. There is nothing greater :)

Beaucoup d'amour,

Soeur Trotter