Simply Put...It was Simply Amazing (Week #51)

Date: November 14, 2016

Location: #5 Orléans

Companion: Soeur Robertson

Well My Friends,

This week was, simply put, one for the books. It never ceases to amaze me, who God puts in our path, and when. He takes the most inconvenient circumstances, and turns them into something you remember for the rest of your life. This week, we were blessed with a man named Simplice.

This week, me and Souer Robertson were given the task of bringing the main meal to district meeting, and for one reason or another, we decided to make soup. Well, to feed 8 people, you need a ton of soup. And not thinking before hand, soup is a little hard to transport when you don't have a vehicle. So here we are, walking though the train station, the streets, on trams and buses, with giant pots of soup. Haha on the bright side people kept telling us in smelled good, so at least we are good in the kitchen.

So, as we get on the tram, I notice a middle aged African man, just staring at us. And at first glance, I could've sworn this man was trying to figure out why the heck we were holding a bunch of soup. And I didn't give it a ton of thought. But something pushed me to look at him again, and I could see his lips moving, trying to make out the words on my plaque! Totally not what I thought! So I knew I needed to say something. And as the words came out of my mouth, "Have you ever seen plaques like these before," He decided to speak up at the same time, and He asked, "What are you guys doing here in France? What does that say on your plaque?" Well, my heart started to beat a little faster because I just felt something within me telling me that something was special about this man. So, he asked for our number, and of course we wanted His, and we went our separate ways.

Flash forward 3 hours. Our phone rings, and who is it? It couldn't be the man from the tram! People never call us first! But he DID! And he wanted to meet. The only time that we could do it was that same night, and he agreed to meet us at the church, so that we could show him around and have a lesson. And HE CAME! Words can't explain, and I can't remember everything that happened that night, but this man is something else. He comes from Congo, and he explained that when he was in Africa, he used to always see our church, and he never knew what it meant when he saw "Latter Day Saints." And He always wanted to ask, but he never did! And the years went on, and he found himself in France. And he started on a search, to know which church was the Church of Christ, and would pray and pray and pray to know. And he said that he has never stopped looking. And He said that when he saw us get on the metro, with those big bowls of soup, he didn't know why, but he felt something inside of him pushing to talk to us. And I would like to believe that it was that same person pushing me to talk to him. And I think it pushed us at the exact same time. I mean we interrupted each other!

And He explained that He felt something tell him that he had found something good, something from God. I don't have the words, but the look on his face when we told him that there is another book that testifies of Christ, that there is the true church of Christ restored to the earth, it was something I can't explain. He was so happy! And He kept saying, "Teach me more, please give me more." And we had a member with us who was just dumbstruck. Haha. And we told Him that we

had to go, that it was getting late. And He looked at us and said "You have to explain this. I have to read this book. I have to know. What do I have to do to know. This is too important." So we told Him the Book was his, we testified of its power, and Simplice was seriously so happy. I have never seen anything like it. It was a changing moment for me. To see someone get that excited about that book. It was a reminder of how much of a blessing the Book of Mormon actually is. He flipped through all the pages, saying "These are different names than the ones I know! Are these other prophets? There were other ones? How do no other churches have this? This is too important!" And we couldn't get him to put the book down!

Basically, we ended up practically running out of the church because we were going to be late. And when we got to the tram, we ended up having to wait for while for the next one to come. And Simplice came walking up a few minutes later, and we started talking again. And somehow baptism came up. And I told him that there was a baptismal service the 17th of December, and before I could explain, he said, "What do I have to do to be baptized on December 17th? What do I have to know? How do I prepare?"

Since that night, Simplice came to church. He loved it. He kept talking about this church and how he loved that He feels like it is a big family. And how he knows it is from God. He even signed up on the ward list to bring drinks to the ward party and he came to church an hour early to be in the choir.

I learned a lot this week. But mostly I learned of the important of being anxiously engaged in the gospel. I think that sometimes, because the gospel is such a constant in my life, I forget just how exciting it is. How refreshing it is, how true it is. And what that actually is. If the Book of Mormon is true, this church is the Kingdom of God on the earth today! It IS Christ's church, He IS the center of it, and it is led by a living prophet. We have a book that testifies of Him, that is given to us to lead and to guide us. That really is incredible.

I am super excited for what is going to happen this week, in these coming months for all of our amis, but in this moment, Simplice. He has something in him, I can feel it. It isn't going to be an easy road for Him, that is certain. But he knows what he is looking for, and if he has an open heart, he will find it. I think that he already has, and from the sounds of things, he knows it.

Never forget just how happy and exciting the gospel is. It changed everything, it changes us, it changes our lives for the eternities. We have something grand, something bigger than we can comprehend. Remember the feeling you had, when you first knew the Book of Mormon was true. The joy that fills our hearts. And if you haven't yet, I invite you to read it. There is power in those words. A power that doesn't come from how well we explain things, or from how much we study. It simply comes from God. He inspires us and He fills our hearts. And we can know it is true.

God really blessed me this week. I learned a lot about the importance of listening to our hearts. When we know something is good, whether it is a book, or a feeling we get to talk to someone on a tram, we have to do it. Because doing so could change just about everything, for our own lives, or for the person we talk with. When we follow what we feel, we are led to people, we are led to miracles. God never ceases to amaze me. This mission is insane. But it is something I would never take back. Ever. It has changed my life.

I love you all :) I am having so much fun and I am working really hard.

Soeur Trotter

Paris' Best Pastries! Soeur Roberston like hasn't had any since being here and I am showing her all the best ones! 

Simplice bought us pastries! (:

I went to Paris to renew my Visa! Met up with old MTC friends :)

Super Cool View!

Arts and Crafts with a member! She made a house out of a phone book! :)

                 

Burnt Cookie and The Last Supper (Week #50)

Date: November 7, 2016

Location: #5 Orléans

Companion: Soeur Robertson

Hello Everyone!!

This is Soeur Trotter speaking from the beautiful city of Orléans. I have to just say, God is really great. It is so true that He blesses us everyday in every way. He is blessing us in every aspect of our lives. He even gave us snow this morning! We were slightly super disappointed that there wasn't enough to make a snowman, but we are trying to be positive. Maybe I will get to have a white Christmas after all! But on top of that, He is helping me to bond with my wonderful companion, helping me get to know the members, and He is making me feel super blessed to be a missionary.

I don't have a ton of time to tell you everything, there is way too much to even try to recount all of the stories that have happened. But there are a few that really stuck out to me.

We met this family this week, Helene and Joseph. And they can be explained in one word. Perfect. Just kidding. No one is perfect. But kind of. Listen to this. We scheduled a rdv with this family, and on our way there, we got lost. Shame. We were so disappointed and so we started knocking on doors, and asking people, "Are you Helene?" I guess that is one way to get it done. But we werent having a ton of success. But it was so cool because we talked to them on the phone and Joseph was all like "Stay right where you are. I am coming to get you. Don't move." So five minutes later, there is this big African man walking down the street. Miracle. Anyways, we teach this family and they just soaked up everything that was being said, and they said they want to be baptized the 17th of December! We are crossing our fingers! We thanked them for inviting us into their home, and Joseph just looked at us and said, "Look at everything that you have brought into our home, to our family. Thank YOU!" They are just incredible and they have such a desire to follow Christ. Joseph had a few fears about being baptized for a second time, and his wife just looks at Him, and is like "No no no. You don't understand. They are saying that if this church is the true church of Christ, do you want to be baptized and become a part of it? And yes. We do." Yeah, Helene. Way to tell Him how it is. :)

Oh! And this less active Marie came to church on Sunday! She was so happy to see us, and we were even happier to see her there. And she kept talking about how it had been forever since she had taken "The Last Supper." Haha I thought it was so funny she referred to the Sacrament as the Last Supper. But the more I thought about it, it helped me remember why church is important and what it actually symbolizes.  So that was a huge miracle and we have high hopes for her. :)

Haha so American cookies are a huge thing here. People love them. And we decided to teach some of our members and less actives how to make them! Bring a little fun into the good ole missionary work. And we went over to this one house, and well, we hope that she likes Burnt cookies. Haha it was a fail. But it ended in us singing some hymns together and Fatima is a good sport so she thought it was funny that we failed. She just kept telling us that we were going to get fat from our insane cookie dough intake- it is a real problem, and about how she wished that we had just made crepes instead. Haha next time.

Something that I have learned this week is just how much Heavenly Father loves us. I found this one scripture that says something that Iove.

"But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him." 1 Corinthians 2:9.

I can't explain all the reasons that it touched me, I don't know them all. And if I did, there are too many of them. But I do know that when I read it, I feel something within me pushing me to work a little harder, pray a little more sincere, try a little more to give everything I have to give to the Lord. He has so many blessings prepared for us when we love Him. And I know that when we love Him, we want to show it. My mission has taught me so much, but this week I am really grateful that I have this time to give myself to the Lord, to turn to Him. There is a picture of Christ on my wall at my desk, it is my favorite one. It is one that every one knows. But every time I look at it, there are these feelings inside of me that I know him, that He knows me. I feel so grateful to wear His name and to spend my days in His service, bringing others to Him. Through it I feel like I have another strong connection with my Savior, something linking us together. :)

Don't hesitate to show the Lord that you love Him. He promises us that He will love us forever, and I know that if we keep our end, He always keeps His.

I hope you all know I love you and that I love what I do. I feel so grateful to be a missionary and we have so much fun here. There is always something to smile about. :)

I love you all!

Soeur Trotter

Cathedral Today!

Me and Soeur Robertson!

Burnt Cookies!

With our beautiful Amie Audrey Rose (: We love her!

I have this thing where I have been taking pictures with every lion that I see. Haha you will probably be getting more of these in the future.  But what a cool ride :)

Big Change (Week #49)

Date: October 31, 2016

Location: #5 Orléans

Companion: Soeur Robertson

Hello Everyone!!

We all knew that this was going to be a week of changed. I knew that I was leaving, my baby grew up, and it was time for her to move on to a new companion, and to take over with our amis and the good old city of Nancy. Soeur Petersen really is an incredible missionary. It is funny, because we talked back and forth and back and forth, not knowing which one of us would be leaving. We made guesses nonstop and joked about not being able to wait to be split up. And it turns out that when it came down to it, neither of us were ready to leave each other. After the suitcases were stuffed and shut for the last time, and as we huddled together at the front door on a cold, dark morning to say one last prayer together, we just started to cry. Sometimes I don't realize how much people mean to me until I don't have them anymore to sing to me in bed at night (she has the voice of an angel ;)) haha no but really. She became a best friend, and it made the move about 10 million times harder. But God, as always, promises that sometimes He takes us from something good, to give us something even better. Which, I don't know if it can get better than Nancy with Soeur Petersen. But I really believe, that God knows what I need when I need it. And so here I am in Orléans, trying to figure out what He DOES have prepared for me. And Soeur Petersen is in Nancy, figuring out what He has prepared for HER.

So basically Orléans, for lack of better words, is a dream ville. The members are incredible, and I feel like I am a part of their family. They care about us, and they do what they can to help us. And they love being missionaries. So that's a bonus :) I remember one of my first days here this week, we took cookies by a member's house, Soeur Javoy, and she pulled us inside, sat us down, gave us a snack, talked to us about missionary work, and prayed. Prayed that we could be refreshed and continue to work hard and bring people to Christ. As we left, she looked at us, and said "If you ever need anything, you know where to find me. If you need a boost, a rest, a little support, come here. We are here for you." Talk about having a mom away from mom :)

So aside from that and from getting lost a few times, we had a couple other super cool miracles. If we flash back a few weeks, I believe I wrote an entire email about my love for Africans. Nothing has changed. I just love them. And we have these amis from Nigeria, Emmanuel and Victoria, and their cute little family. We were able to see them yesterday, and Oh la la quelle miracle. They are incredible.

So basically, we get there, and when they see us, you would have thought that they had won the lottery. They were excited to see us! I'll take it :) They were just so happy and so nice! And as we taught them, they just lit up and they asked questions and they were so involved! And the Spirit was so strong. I love that. I love how the second the Spirit enters the room, you just feel everyon's heart open up and listen. When the Spirit is there, I just never want to leave. I just want to stay and stay and stay in that moment forever. And it is in those moments when I start to see these people with a little glimpse of how Christ sees them. And it reminds me not only of why I decided to come, but also of why I have stayed here.

The best part ever, was when we were able to teach them about eternal families. Victoria, the mom, when we asked her what she thought, just looked at us, and said, "That is beautiful. It is so beautiful." And it is so true. It is so important. I love that. I loved being there in that moment with this family, as they learned that there might never be an end to their family. That there is a plan, and we are a part of it. And I just fell in love with this family. we are excited to see what happens. They are aiming for December 17th as the day to be baptized. What a good Christmas present :)

I hope that you all know that I love what I do. It is hard and it is by far the most rewarding and fulfilling thing that I have ever done. I don't know if there could be a greater joy found than in watching someone come unto Christ and be influenced by Him. He changes us, and each person changed, means everything in His eyes. I feel so blessed.

This week I learned a lot about change. It is hard. I keep expecting it to get easier and easier each time, and it doesn't. It is supposed to be hard. But I never cease to be amazed at how fast God shows us that He knows what He is doing if we just look. He knows what He is doing! I know that it is true. and I miss Nancy, i still miss Rouen, some days I still miss home. But I can honestly say that each day is better than the day before. I love that. That each day, i work harder than the day before, I try to be a little better, a little more charitable, a little more humble. And every day is happier and more fulfilling. Miracles come when we turn to Christ. It is so true. I see it all the time. I love Him :)

I love you all, I am working hard and having lots of fun! We even hiked a river today! :)

Beaucoup d'amour,

Soeur Trotter

Saying bye to my best friends before heading to Orléans! It was so hard!

Hiking a little in Orléans Today! Fun!

It's so pretty here! 

Sylvie Finally Went Swimming :) My Life Was Made in a Single Phone Call! (Week #48)

Date: October 24, 2016

Location: Nancy

Companion: Soeur Petersen

Hello Everyone :)

Today is my final Monday in the blessed ville of Nancy. I am headed off to ville #5, Orléans, with Soeur Robertson. :) I have no idea who she is, or the ville, but I have only heard great things about both of them so I am excited to see what this brings. And the best part is, is that I get to serve with Elder Trotter! We served close together once before, but now we are in the same city! that will be super fun. We are still on the search to find out if a couple of our great great great uncles were related or something but so far, nothin.

But, as far as this week goes, my entire week was made with a phone call. Last week, I was able to get an email from one of the members in Rouen, where I served last, and she was just so happy to tell me that there was going to be a baptism in Rouen. Which, in itself is a huge miracle. But this is where the story gets real exciting, and real quick. I don't know if any of you remember, but there was Sylvie, who I was absolutely obsessed with. The one that just made my whole day every day, and she just could not get over her phobia of water! Well, Françoise emailed me that Sylvie had been praying and praying and that she decided that she was going to try and be baptized with the other people being baptized, and that she needed as many prayers as she could get :) So I was definitely in. After that, I just could not stop thinking about Sylvie.

So, on Friday night, I decided to give Sylvie a little ring. And I was able to talk to her and it was so cute because she was so scared and kept telling me how she was not ready but that she had been praying so much. and she said, "Soeur Trotter, will you please keep praying for me? I really want to be baptized tomorrow so that I can go to the temple." My heart melted. Oh la la. of course I said yes!

The next day came around, and I just felt like I needed to fast. So that is what I did. and I called Sylvie a half hour before, just letting her know that I loved her, and that I knew that she could do it, and that Christ would carry her through it. And that night, I got the best phone call in the world. It was Sylvie! Telling me that she did it, that she finally was a member, and that she could finally start getting ready to go to the temple.

I cannot begin to explain the happiness that came into my heart. I cannot begin to explain the number of times that my heart broke for Sylvie, each time she lost faith in herself and moments when we all wondered if she would get there. I am so grateful for a loving Father in Heaven who never lost faith in Sylvie. Who saw her potential all along and who guided her to be able to overcome her fear.

I felt like all noise was blocked out and I felt like there was nothing that could take the smile off my face. It was the perfect reminder for me of why I came.

There is a scripture in Doctrine and Covenants that came into my head the moment she spoke to me. It says this:

"Remember the worth of souls is great in the sight of God; And if it so be that you should labor all your days in crying repentance unto this people, and bring, save it be one soul unto me, how great shall be your joy with him in the kingdom of my Father! And now, if your joy will be great with one soul that you have brought unto me into the kingdom of my Father, how great will be your joy if you should bring many souls unto me!" Doctrine and Covenants 18:10.

My mission isn't over. But the joy that I felt in hearing about Sylvie, made my life. I am so happy, and so is she, and I know that we are going to be friends, literally forever. That is the promise. I am so excited for her and for what is laid out in front of her. :)

This week, we were also able to go to Épinal, another city nearby. And I was able to work with one of the members there, Soeur LaForge, who is incredible! She had a list of all her friends she has prayed about and knew were prepared, and we went by and tried to see some of them. One of them was an adorable Bolivian woman, Zorita, who is so prepared by the Lord. It was such a testimony builder for me as I watched Soeur LaForge bearing testimony to her friend about what has changed her own life so much. And we felt the Spriit. It made my whole day :) The members really are the only way.

As far as the rest of the week, we were able to meet with Maité, and Claudine, two less actives who are just angels. And Maité makes us call her Grandma. She really is like another grandma for me and it is going to be really sad to go. She made me sit next to her in Sacrament and she held my hand the whole time. and i dont know who the heck chose the songs for Sacrament Meeting, but "God Be WIth You Til We Meet Again" wasn't exactly what I would have chosen. it made it like 20 times harder :)

But something I am grateful for is that I have no idea why I am being sent to Orléans. But I know that I will find out so soon and I know that God has a plan. That is the best blessing ever!! He is watching me over here in Nancy, and watching all those people over there in Orléans, and He is counting on me to work hard, to be obedient, to follow His voice, and then He will lead us to each other! MIRACLE!

I love you all- I will have more details next week on everything that happens. It is going to be busy but I say Bring It On! :) I am looking forward to a new adventure. Our amis are in good hands. Soeur Petersen is a stellar missionary and I am so excited to see what happens :) she is worried but I am not!

Soeur Trotter

With Soeur LaForge and her friend! Member missionaries are the greatest :) 

With Claudine & Maité!

I SWEAR she told me she loved me...

What a great district! I met some of my greatest friends here (: I am supposed to be dressed up as wonderwoman #missionbudgetprobs

The temple in Paris is getting there! So Pretty!

Sylvie over in Rouen!