Date: June 13, 2016
Location: Rouen
Companion: Soeur Bennett
Hello My Favorite Friends and Family :)
The end of this week will wrap up
this transfer. I don't know how to explain how fast time goes by I saw in my journal
last night that a year ago I was getting ready to turn in my papers for this
crazy experience of a mission. I had no idea what I was getting into :) But only
good things so it is fun to see where I was then and where I am now :)
I was pretty stoked because for
exchanges this transfer, we got to go into Paris! Which is really fun as is,
but even more fun that I served there and got to stay in my old apartment, and
see some of the old people that I miss :) BUT exchanges were EVEN better
because it took my on a little trip down memory lane... all the way back to St.
Ouen and my first transfer with Soeur Clements. And yes I realize that I am talking
about 5 months ago, but it seems like ages ago so I will continue to talk about
it like it was haha.
My first or second week, I remember
going to teach Matheo, the little boy who was baptized in St. Ouen. We had just
finished teaching him, and on our way home, Soeur Clements thought she would be
a good missionary mom and give me a little push to go talk to a woman on the street.
Well, to me, the idea was out of the question, but Soeur Clements little remark
"This woman is ready, you have to go talk to her, she is GOLDEN!"
somehow got me to do it. Because then I started picturing this girl in white,
and I knew that if I didn't talk to her, than no one was going to. And it was
just enough for me to push aside everything telling me not to, AKA Satan. And I
talked to her. And she spoke English, and she invited us back to her home with
her to teach her family!! So there is the background of this amazing story :)
Well, the St. Ouen sector was shut
down, me and Soeur Clements were moved, and I tried to stay in contact with
this family but they were GONE! :) Me and Soeur Archbold saw them once, but
then we were both moved again! And that was the end of the Filipino Family that
I loved so much :)
BUT Soeur Weckesser, the soeur in
Paris right now, told me that for exchange, we were going to go hunt down this
Filipino Family! We didn't have an address, just my memory, and we didn't have
a code for the gate, and we hadn't been invited :) But we had determination and
I was super excited to see these friends :)
Well, my memory didn't fail me, and
we found this apartment. MIRACLE! But unfortunately my memory isn't that great
and the code that I hadn't used in 5 months wasn't really coming to mind.
Shame. Haha I was so mad! But then I remembered that we have something better
than a code on our side. We have the Spirit! Haha and no, there was no code whispered
in my ear, but the Spirit works in other wondrous ways :) So right after a very
heartfelt prayer, this woman walks into this gate, punches in the code, and me
and Soeur Weckesser were stoked! We just looked at each other with big eyes and
even bigger smiles :)
Well, the anticipation was short
lived because that lady that appeared to be so nice, turns around and slams the
gate shut so that we can't get in. And for a second, we were so discouraged.
But we knew that if we needed to see this family, that we would get in :) So
here were the options and the outcomes we had already tried.
1. Squeeze through
the bars on the gate. #toofat #pastrieprobs
2. Wait until
someone came. #missioncurfewkills
3. Call the family
#theyneverpickup
But this is the best part :) I walk
up to the gate right after the lady is out of sight, punch in the code, and we
are in :) Haha that’s right, I was watching her ;) haha Soeur Weckesser was
seriously impressed. You should have seen her face. haha. And I was too for a sec
:) I still don't even know if I typed in the right code, but I know that we
were supposed to get in. So we did. A Heavenly Father who cared about Cathy and
Malou and Agnes wanted us to get in, and so we did! I am learning more and more
as time goes on that Heavenly Father can work so much easier through us when we
are willing to say a prayer to ask for help, and then do whatever we can to
accomplish the challenge He has given us. Even if it means stealing codes :)
But I got to see my Filipinos :)
and I was so happy to see them and what makes it better is that they were even
happier to see me :) I was able to share my testimony again, catch up on life,
and introduce them to the missionaries that are there right now and they even
have another rdv. Turns out one of them just had surgery and the others needed
some company as well :)
MIRACLES! It was definitely one of
the better nights on my mission :)
So now I have taken all my time
telling that story, but it was totally worth it wasn't it? I love miracles, so
while a lot of miracles happened this week, that one meant the most to me, and
I think I am going to remember it forever, so I just had to share it.
But on top of that :) We had four
amis come to church this week! And the wife of the couple that we found
porting, Holy, came, and she loved it :) She met they Elder's amie who is from
Madagascar as well and they were best friends in minutes! It made for the best
Sunday ever and even better is that she felt the Spirit :) That is what it is
all about :) I feel very lucky this week. I have a great
companion, great amis, and I am part of a great ward. We really are a family
and it is a huge blessing, for me, and also for the people that we bring :)
I love you all so much :) This
mission is crazy and unexpected things happen all the time but all of those
little "unexpectations" usually turn into some pretty big miracles.
Because really me and all these missionaries are just the instruments and God
is the one doing all the work :) I know that whenever we are in hard
situations, when we have to do hard things. I know that we can do them. Because
yes, we put in the effort, but in the end we see that it wasn't really us that
ever did it at all :)
Keep your chins up :) I love you
all and so does Heavenly Father :) I am working hard and having fun :)
Soeur Trotter
"I will go and do the things which the Lord hath commanded, for I know that the Lord giveth no commandments unto the children of men, save he shall prepare a way for them that they may accomplish the thing which he commandeth them." 1 Nephi 3:7
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