Paris France Mission

Paris France Mission

Monday, April 25, 2016

Marriage Referrals and Une Date de Baptême (Week #22)

Date: April 25, 2016
Area: Rouen 
Companion: Seour Spencer

Bonjour à tous,

C'était vraiment une semaine géniale dans la Mission de Paris :) Or in words you understand, this week was so amazing!

I was asked to give a talk last week, and I did what I always do, and Saturday night I started freaking out because I had no talk, let alone in French. Story of my life. Thank goodness I am like my dad and can usually talk for hours without planning much :) Haha so I wrote one, went to bed and then the next morning before church I realized it definitely wasn't in French... scariest moment of my life. So I walked up to the pulpit, said a prayer, and gave my talk. And I know that I was able speak with a power that wasn't my own. And I felt the Spirit as I testified of that Book of Mormon. In french. What an amazing moment to look at those words in English, and just know what to say. He is blessing me, all I have to do is rely on Him. Some of those words I did not know, but I still said them.

So part of me still questions if it was coherent at all becuase the whole congregation was just smiling and nodding their heads. We will never know because Mormons can't be mean, even the French ones :) But I know the Spirit was there and that is all that matters :) It was a good moment.

Now, I have to start off by telling a funny story because it made my whole week, and Soeur Spencer too, because as a missionary you would never except to recieve what I call a "marriage referral." Now, a normal referral is what you say when someone in the ward or another missionary gives you someone that wants to be taught :)

Anyways, Saturday morning we headed out to Le Havre, a city on the coast of France, to have a day of finding with the other missionaries. We took the members contacting with us, found some people to teach, spent time in a new ville, it was just a really good day :) And there were a lot of members there to help! And there was this one man who was talking to us a lot and he was speaking in english and we couldn't figure out why, because he doesn't really speak english :) But gotta give the man credit for trying I guess ;)

Anyways, I didn't think a ton of it. So we continued on with our day, and slowly and slowly people went home and the day came to a close. So we hopped on a train and went home to Rouen. But pretty soon after that the Le Havre elders told us they had some important news for us so they needed us to call them when we had a moment. So we did. And apparently they had a "marriage referral"for me. That man in the Le Havre ward apparently wanted to know more about the American sister missionary and if she was single... Haha awkward... the things you think you wouldnt have to deal with as a missionary. Haha can't catch a break. I do gotta give him a thumbs up for his courage though. It made for a good laugh and probably madez for an awkward Sunday for the Le Havre elders. #parisfrancemissionprobs

But now that I have spent my time sharing that nonsense story with you all that really didn't have  do with anything important, I have to tell you about our amie Hélène! We taught her the other day and before we could even get the words out, she was asking us when she could be baptized. we were both speechless- well not completely speechless because that would have been awkward- but it was an incredible moment and we didn't even know what to think. It is so amazing how the Lord prepares people. When we set a date for June 4, she just looked at us and said "Do you    think that I am ready?" And we told her yes! And then she said, "oh good! I was so afraid you would say that I am not! But I have been praying, and I know that this is what I want to do." And now her cute little family is going to grow up in the gospel and she is going to always have the companionship of the Holy Ghost to be her guide and her comforter. She is so amazing. I cannot explain my love.

It is so amazing how lives can be turned around so quickly and so drastically. The course she is choosing is no where near the one she was on before. And I just look at her little family and smile everytime! Remember the picture of the cute little boy in church I sent last week?! If not I will send it again! He gets to grow up and learn about Jesus and who He is as His Greatest Friend! And then one day he can teach his children the same thing! I am finding it impossible to look at people and to not see their potential with Jesus Christ at the center of their lives. It is impossible. These people need the blessings in their life. With it they know their true potential and the possibilites that are in store for them and their families.

I just have say, being a missionary is pretty dang cool :) Nothing beats it. Nothing makes you work so hard or pray so much. But then at the same time it is the most important thing that I have ever done, and without question the most fulfilling.

I love you all and I pray for you. Know that you have a missionary in France who misses you and can't wait to be reunited. And when things are hard, just remember that you are important in the  eyes of He who created you. That is what I do and it works like a charm :)

I love you!
Keep in touch!

Soeur Trotter


"We must develop the capacity to see men not as they are at present, but as they may become when they recieve testimonies of the gospel of Christ." - Thomas S. Monson :)

Hélène!
Hélène! 
Hélène!

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