Sylvie... The Investigator? Or the Missionary? (Week #23)

Date: May 2, 2016
Area: Rouen
Companion: Seour Spencer

Coucou Mes Amis :)

So sometimes I make jokes because I think that I am pretty clever. And then sometimes no one laughs. Sad day. Haha but sometimes I come up with something pretty good. And it is even better if I do it in French AND if someone laughs. This is how I am gauging how well I am doing with the French language. :) But our amie Sylvie, if anyone makes it easy to laugh, it is her. She is everywhere all at once and it is my favorite thing ever. She comes to church, she is in the ward choir, she comes to FHE monday nights, we meet with her twice a week, and as of this last Saturday, she is a missionary. I always say that she is more active than the bishop with all of the activities she comes to. (Haha get it? That was a joke!) Haha the mission is killing my sense of humor but I still try.

But the other day, we had this huge finding day and we set up an exposition of pictures and explanations of the life of Christ. And then at the end we had a station set up to explain the Restoration of the Gospel and the story of Joseph Smith. And we called in two other missionary équipes, so there were 8 missionaries, and we all took
members out on splits with us. That means that we went out, every missionary with a member. 16 companionships. So you could imagine what we accomplished. We talked to everyone, all around the church and
invited them to cme feel the Spirit, and to learn a little more about the "Mormons." Everyone here is a little misinformed about the Mormons so it is so cool to clear up the misconceptions. I don't know how many time I have had to explain that I don't wear a bonnet. ;)

I went contacting with Sylvie though. That was a real treat. She is the cutest old woman you will every see, and so graceful and sweet. And violent! Haha that last one was something I recently learned. She got people into the church alright. She was willing to do whatever it took. The best moment ever was when I watched as Sylvie literally pushed a couple into the building. Pushed. As in physically shove them into the building. They took the tour though and liked it so job well done. ;) It is so cute though that she has such a desire to talk to EVERYONE. She did not let one person get away without an invite. My investigator put my to shame!!

Needless to say, the activity was just about as successful as it could be. 4 hours, 23 members came, which is an absolute ton for France, and we gave the church tour to 38 people, and gave away 39 Books of Mormon. Missionary work is taking off here. It is the most amazing thing to see, and even more amazing to be a part of.

Here is something funny too. I have been sick this entire transfer. Which is 6 weeks. So I finally went to the doctor and apparently I am allergic to Rouen! Haha Haha or the pollen in the air or something. Haha I am allergic to the city... What is this life. Haha so weird.

But even though my body doesn't necessarily love this city, I feel like I am at home and I love the members and our amis and I love the work. I am so ready for this next transfer to see what happens and to see who we find in this grand city! It is literally the best place in France to be. Haha I know I am biased but I swear it is the best city :) I just feel such a desire to find people here and each week I want to work harder and I love it!

I just want to share this one thing that I learned this week- sometimes life doesn't play out as planned. My family is moving to Utah while I am here, my brother just got in a dirtbike accident and is in the hospital and I can't be there with him, I am sick, and we can't get a hold of Hélène, our golden amie I wrote about with the cute little family. Life can have so many stresses and more and more pile on and sometimes we think that we cannot handle it. BUT we can. Because someone died for us to give us something to hold on to through it all. And I am learning that happy is a choice. Because it is true. Sometimes life makes it pretty hard to be happy. And it is hard. And we think we can't do it. But we can still be happy. By looking for the good things. Because one day when we look back and reminisce and think about all the moments we have had, we want them to be good ones. At least for me, those are the ones that I always remember.

I love you all so much. It was a hard week but it was a good week and a happy week. Comme d'habitude. He is there and He loves us. I love you all as well and I pray for you. :)

Beaucoup d'amour,
Soeur Trotter

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!