I'm kind of sad to leave! I have loved it here, but we are on a the direct flight to Paris! We leave the MTC Monday afternoon at 11:30 and our flight leaves at 5:30 PM!! I'm travel leader, so hopefully it isn't too crazy and I have plenty of time to call you all!! We land in Paris the next afternoon at 11:30, so a full 24 hours of traveling. I'm so excited to be out in the real world! Plan on phone calls some time between 12:30-4:30 on Monday!! Hopefully I will be able to call all of your cute little families individually for a few minutes! Mom and Dad, I guess I'll call you and bother you on your exhausting vacation in Hawaii... You little bums!! Catch some rays for me, alright Dad??? lol
This week has been SO AWESOME! It is amazing here at the MTC. Sometimes a day could feel so long, and sometimes you could have many doubts running through your head throughout the day, but by the end of the day, you somehow can only remember the good things and remember exactly why you are here and how much you truly love it. I was kind of having a hard time this week because I felt as though I was so focused on myself. I was kind of bugged at the MTC because I was like, "I left on my mission ready to serve others and just forget about myself, but then I get here in the MTC and I'm focused on ME. How am I going to learn this language? How can I become a better teacher?" Then I realized after much thought, "How selfish am I?... I'm not here for me... I'm here for my Savior! I'm here to learn of Him. I'm here to learn how to love and teach as He did for HIM. So He can use me to help others." I hope I can never lose sight of that that. It is not about ME. This is NOT MY mission! This is His mission. I am only His feet, His hands, and His mouthpiece.
Our lessons this week were amazing!! They all went so well!! We taught all about the Plan de Salut (The Plan of Salvation), loi de la chastete (The Law of Chastity), et la parole de sagesse (The Word of Wisdom)! Not even mad about it! We planned the best we could, but for the most part we kind of went into each lesson with the faith that the Spirit would guide us. That is exactly what he did!
Our TRC this week was so fun! We Skyped with a 19 year old member in Paris!! It was so fun!! I am so excited to finally be in Paris and interacting with members, investigators, and, of course, the randoms on the street! I'm so excited to talk to everyone, with my really great French. Haha! It’s coming along though, and I'm very happy about it! Chaque jour (daily) learning new things!
This week we have infield orientation! Also, the MTC asked Soeur proudfoot and me to be the missionaries in People and our Purpose, which is this roleplay thing they do for all the new missionaries! (Sorry, that was a bad description.) So excited about that... No, it really will be fun! It's kind of crazy though! Our time is so short here!
We probably won't teach any more lessons with our investigators. I know they are just my teachers, but it is so fun to teach and see their progress! I really am going to miss my teachers so much! They are such amazing people with such a strong spirit and light about them always!
Yesterday, Frere Pistorius had the quote of the day, and yes, it was when he was making fun of me. As we all know, I say "Riddle me this," every once and awhile. So Frere and I were talking about this evaluation I took one of the first days and then again a few weeks in. My scores the first week were super high, and then the next week, let’s just say I was humbled. So, Frere and I were just having a little conversation about my humbling experience, and he just starts yelling, "Riddle me this. I dont even need to be in the MTC. I'm perfect 5,5,5" So it’s the joke of the week.I'm always everyone’s entertainment here! Not even mad about it!
This week we got all the new missionaries! They are all amazing! We did our orientation and it went very well. I am so excited for them! We had the chance to interview the sisters all individually and it was so fun to get to know them and learn a little bit about who they are and where they come from! Awe man am I so grateful for all of you!! I have the best FAMILY around! You see families that are broken and hurting, and this week I saw some of that heartbreak. So thank you! Thank you for being my number 1, my A team! You are all truly amazing individuals, each with qualities I have tried to emulate ever since I was just a little one following you around in all your big kid activities! So, thanks for being you!
It’s been so fun to see Brother Justice up here on the main campus! He hooked me up with a SUPERFOOD Odwalla! BEST DAY EVER!! He also informed us that Elder Holland was supposed to come today but was reassigned... saddest day ever!! ELDER HOLLAND!!! You know how great that would have been! But, it’s fine. I'm not dwelling on it! I'm sure whoever they got to replace him for tonight’s devotional will be awesome! We had an additional devotional today at the Marriott Center. It was fun to exit the gates of the MTC and see BYU students! Kind of made me feel like a real person again. Haha exit one bubble to a little bit bigger one! I kind of like the bubble! It’s not that bad!
Today was our last trip to the temple for a little while! As I was walking into the temple this morning at 5:15, I was feeling pretty sad that I probably won't be able to attend the temple for a whole 17 months! I continued to think about it as we sat in the chapel, but I realized it was going to be okay! I get to spend the next 17 months of my life striving to be unspotted from the world, striving to make MY body a TEMPLE where the Spirit can dwell, where I can feel the constant love, direction, hope, joy, and knowledge the Spirit and drawing closer to our Heavenly Father bring! I hope I can truly make my body a Temple where the Spirit will dwell chaque jour (every day), so I can share that love, peace, and joy with others.
I am so happy to be a missionary! I love it! I cannot wait to finally be in PARIS!!! This gospel gives us so much hope, so much joy, and all I want to do is share it!! I feel my Savior’s LOVE each day!I am so grateful for it! I am never alone! He will never leave me comfortless! He will never leave you comfortless!!
This was just a letter I had to send to my Branch President so I thought maybe I could share it with you too!
I LOVE YOU ALL MORE THAN YOU WILL EVER KNOW!!!
Have the best week ever!!!
Love,
Soeur Back
President Merrill,
My experience here at the MTC is truly helping me grow and understand the missionary I want to become. The past few days, having a chance to sit down and talk to each sister individually was something I truly loved! In my life, I have come to learn that if you can come to know someone, it is very easy to truly love them! I have loved the opportunity to feel the Savior’s love for these amazing sisters. I have learned so much from their examples. I hope, as a missionary, I will come to know many people and learn to love them as our Savior does. I have seen the Spirit guide me in conversation and in action. I continue to learn each day how vital the Spirit is. I am so grateful for the amazing spirit I feel here in the MTC. I know it will be a little harder in the Mission Field to feel that constant spirit but I know, if I work at it each day and turn to my Heavenly Father in all things, I will feel the Spirit as I have here in the MTC.
I have always had a testimony of this gospel. However, I have not always been truly converted to this Gospel and my Savior Jesus Christ. Before deciding to serve a mission, I came to know how important this Gospel is to me. I came to realize the amazing gift of the Atonement and what it really meant to be truly converted unto our Savior so that he could heal me. I learned that I should be repenting each day, drawing nearer and nearer to my Heavenly Father and Savior. Here at the MTC my conversion has only become more solidified. I have felt more fully my Savior’s love for me and for all those around me! I am grateful for the comfort this Gospel brings. I know I can pray to my Heavenly Father and he will hear me and answer. My conversion to this Gospel grows every day. That is something I want to never lose! It truly is a quest of a lifetime!
Soeur Back
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| Halloween! We matched! About as close to costumes as we could get! |
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| Travel Plans!! |
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