Soeur Alyssa Trotter: My Birthday! (Week #45)

Date: October 3, 2016

Location: Nancy

Companion: Soeur Petersen

Hello Everyone!

Today is October 3rd. Which means two things! I am extremely lucky that my birthday fell on a Monday, because we get to go hiking today! And it also means that my years as a teenager are officially over. I am 20! Haha although you would never know based off of my general conference behavior. It is never a smart idea to watch general conference with four elders and a back scratcher. I don't know if you remember, but Soeur Petersen has been trying really hard for the last week to bring herself to give me a hug. Well, problem solved. Because I bought this legit back scratcher and it was GENIUS. But these Elder's that I always thought were so grown up got a hold of it, and all hell broke loose. It was like trying to get a two year old to watch general conference :) But the back scratcher was confiscated by my wise companion, and yes, we were able to learn a thing or too :) We even had a raclette party in between as well :) For those of you who don't know raclette, it is a meal that is super french, with a machine in the middle of the table that heats up cheese and cooks meat, and as it cooks, you take it off and drape it over some boiled potatoes. It was so good and I might have to make it a tradition. :) I will send a picture :)

So it was the week of General Conference. Which in itself is a miracle :) But on top of that, we saw some super cool miracles that made my whole week. Starting with Tuesday. Marie-Lord is an amie of ours, who is incredible. She loves her family and she loves us, and even more, she loves the Lord. And as us missionaries like to say, she is GOLDEN. She just radiates happiness. But because she just had a baby and works a ton, she is super hard to get a hold of. God is good though, and we have ran into Marie-Lord 3 TIMES on buses :) how fun is that? And we would talk to her and twice, she would be getting off the bus really fast and wouldn't be able to talk. But three really is the lucky number, and last week, she talked to us for a while and we were able to schedule a rdv for Tuesday! YES!

So, as the days went on, we started to talk about and prepare what we wanted to teach Marie-Lord. And also our other amis. I swear it is summer because so many of our amies are out of town, but we do what we can with what we have :) We have this one amie Patricia, who was almost baptized. She is from Nigeria, and has only been in France for a few months, and she doesn't speak any french. So unfortunately the baptism fell through. She didn't feel super welcome in the ward, as much as us missionaries love her, and I think it is because no one in the ward can really speak english. And we have been so SAD because we just cannot get a hold of her! So with lots of prayers directed towards her and also Marie-Lord, we set out Tuesday, to do some finding.

It all started when we decided that we wanted to walk through a park next to Marie-Lord's apartment. We went, and to be honest, I started to wonder if I really had been prompted to go there, because i was hearing crickets. This place was empty! But we walked about five steps, and as we turned the corner, there we saw her. Her name is Bolinda. She was just taking her daily stroll, when she decided to sit down on her usual bench and smoke her usual cigarette, when she sees two young girls walk up to her, with a smiling faces and a Book of Mormon. Smiles work, my friends, they really do. And in the case of Bolinda, she was able to hear something that she really needed to hear. She shared with us towards the end of our conversation, that while we spoke, she forgot that she was even holding a cigarette, and that she could find no desire in herself to pick it up again. She felt God's love. It was a moment that I will remember for a while and we are excited to see what happens :)

So after an hour with Bolinda, we ran to our rdv with Marie-Lord. and we knocked on the door, disappointed as no one answered, and no one answered, and a minute later, no one answered. But we have faith, and Soeur Trotter should stop trusting her blue, because she had had a feeling all along that it was the wrong door ;) haha but we were happy it was, because we found Marie-Lord and she was there! and even better than her being there, PATRICIA was sitting on her couch! What?! They can't even speak the same language! And that afternoon was fantastic. We taught in english and in french and we felt the Spirit. And Marie-Lord is going to get baptized on November 12th! we are super excited and we really felt the Lord blessing us.

So, I could keep rambling on about things that I have learned and miracle people that the Lord has placed in my path. But I kind of just want to bear my testimony about something that I have been working on.

This week I have been really trying to improve my prayers. I read a quote during my studies that changed the way I see it.

“Our prayers become hollow when we say similar words in similar ways over and over so often that the words become more of a recitation than a communication. This is what the Savior described as ‘vain repetitions’ (see Matthew 6:7).

“Do your prayers at times sound and feel the same? Have you ever said a prayer mechanically, the words pouring forth as though cut from a machine? Do you sometimes bore yourself as you pray

"Will prayers that do not demand much of your thought merit much attention from our Heavenly Father? When you find yourself getting into a routine with your prayers, step back and think. Meditate for a while on the things for which you really are grateful. Look for them. They don’t have to be grand or glorious. …

"Think of those things you truly need. Bring your goals and your hopes and your dreams to the Lord and set them before Him. Heavenly Father wants us to approach Him and ask for His divine aid” (“Improving Our Prayers,” Ensign, Mar. 2004, 24, 26).

I know that some of the most miraculous experiences in my life have come when I try my hardest to have conversations with God. Yes, it takes more time, effort, and a lot more humility then I sometimes am willing to give. But I am learning more and more all the time that those are the times when I receive answers and feel close to God. I can feel Him listen to me when I am willing to listen to Him, and I feel Him watching over me, when i care enough to look to Him. He wants to give me His attention, but to do so, I need to be willing to give HIm mine.

He loves me. And He loves you. i love you a lot as well and I can feel your prayers. I am always working hard and doing what I can to please God. And I know that He is watching over us all the time.

Soeur Trotter

This 6 month old African Baby is almost big enough to eat me!!!

Conference Raclette Party!

Raclette Party!

Hike on my birthday!

Mary Laure gave my companion these hair extensions to practice with, and she put them in my hair! Mary Laure is the mom of the adorable 6 month old baby I sent a picture of!