Soeur Alyssa Trotter: Someone is Sick! (Week #44)

Date: September 26, 2016

Location: Nancy

Companion: Soeur Petersen

Bonjour!!

It has been a great week here in France, for Soeur Trotter anyways. Soeur Petersen is sick. Sick to the point where yesterday while she was sleeping I started disinfecting the apartment. I am pretty sure that I found dust that has been there since 1950 haha. Disgusting. Where is my mom when I need her? ;) but I'm all seriousness, it was great. I even rearranged some furniture haha Soeur Petersen woke up and thought I bought a new apartment while she was sleeping. You do what you gotta do. Now we are just praying that I don't catch whatever she has. It is funny though, because this last week we have been working on love languages. We are trying to learn each other's love languages, because well, it's important. And we are together more than a married couple, so why not?

But what we have found is that apparently I like quality time and physical touch, while Soeur Petersen likes her words of affirmation. But she can't seem to bring herself to give me a hug! Haha it's the struggle of the past two months. So finally, after some pep talks from the elders, she decided to go out of her comfort zone and try and give me a hug. But this week, I'm not about to let her touch me with a three foot pole. The struggle is real. We will get there one day I'm sure haha.

So to start off this week, we took a little trip to Paris for some exchanges with the Soeur missionaries in Paris. Every time we go haha it is like a dream. Not because of the beauty or the popularity of it, but it is so exhausting that it quite literally feels like a dream. And Paris is pretty cool. I was with Soeur Wyson, who is a good friend, and we decided to go try and find an amies house. Well we got lost, and casually walked by Notre Dame, La Tour Eiffel, and even the Arc de Triomphe haha. So it was a lot of walking. But casually running into those places al ways makes us look at each other, smile, and say, "WE ARE SERVING A MISSION IN PARIS." Haha it's funny because even though I served in Paris, sometimes I have moments where none of this seems real. It's like we are in denial.

So basically it was a good trip. It was super fun to be back in the metros talking to people, it is one of my favorite ways to find, and it is ironic because even though I am not a big city person, big cities as a missionary are quite the dream. There are always people to talk to! Sometimes in Nancy as the hours get later, we find ourselves going on people hunts. They seem to disappear that is for sure!

But we came back to Nancy, and it ended up being a really good week. We were able to teach a new amie of ours, Queenie, and she is reading the Book of Mormon which makes us really happy. I am so positive that the Book of Mormon, if read with real intent, and with a prayer in our heart, can bring us closer to Christ. So when, as a missionary, I ask people to read it, and they do, I am the happiest person on the planet. I really do know what this book can do.

Épinal, a city super close to Nancy, had a baptism the other day. And unfortunately the chapels in France are not all super equipped with everything, so they came here to Nancy to use our font! It was a really great day and very spiritual. I loved being able to meet the woman who was baptized and see how happy she was to be following Christ.

I made a goal this week fo be happy. Sounds simple, but on some days it is harder than others. So I made what I call a "Happy List," and every day I write down the things that make me happy. The big things, the little things, the people I love, the times I laugh, sometimes even the trials. And all of it together makes me so happy. For the life I lived before the mission, it makes me excited for what I am going to take from it, but most of all I am learning how to be happy in it, and to keep going every day, thinking of Christ and all He does for me.

I read this the other day.

"Behold, I, Nephi, will show unto you that the tender mercies of the Lord are over all those whom he hath chosen, because of their faith, to make them mighty even unto the power of deliverance." That is in the first book of the Book of Mormon. And it is true. It doesn't matter what is hard, because there are always tender mercies. He loves us.

I love you all. I love this mission. I am happy, especially with what I have the ability to do everyday, and I am excited to grow closer to Christ, with these people I am teaching.

Soeur Trotter