va, ne crains pas*

* Be Still My Soul in French. Translation: Go, do not fear.

Family,

 

This morning when I was waiting in line for laundry, an Elder was writing his family and I just glanced over and his first line was "I AM GOING TO WRITE THIS WHOLE EMAIL IN CAPS BECAUSE I LOVE YOU." I love that and it has Naomi written all over it so I had to share. And I love you but I am not going to write this whole email in caps because it would stress Mom out.

 

La vie est belle! This past week flew by, but each day was really long.  Here is what has been happening:

 

-Saturday marked our halfway point and so we celebrated with a fete. We bought chips and salsa and a bunch of other extremely French party goods, like oreos and popcorn, and come 9:00 we ate and turned off the lights to use these funny finger lights that Elder Wilson's mom sent us. Wallace dropped some beats and Barr danced and we celebrated the fact that in less than 30 days we will be in France! Can't believe it. And it was the funniest Saturday night party I've ever been to. And we popped party poppers. You do what you can at the MTC.

 

-We have started going on "nature walks" around the MTC, which means that we walk the furthest we can to the fence around the premises. So far we have seen mice, quail, and dragon flies. I know. So sad. But just wait it gets better.

 

-Our teacher has been noticing that come our 6-9pm hours of class we are really tired or antsy or slap happy, so the other day he took us outside for the first little while. When we walked outside, Wilson and I walked out from underneath the little coverings and looked up and said "Sun?" and then put our hands out to feel the sun. We didn't know Frere Larimer was watching, and I turned around and there was quite the look of concern on his face. Since then, at the beginning of class he has started drawing "courses" on the board that we do before class. For example: walk to 18M, enter the building get a drink. Briskly walk to 1M and then around the flag poles." Or sometimes we go on walks and he points to things and says them in French and then we repeat them. Insane asylum or old persons home? You decide.

 

-I have this new fascination with Creole. The Elders going Creole speaking are right next door to our classroom and I went in the other day and they gave me a Book of Mormon in Creole. I LOVE it. it takes me about an hour to get through one chapter, trying to figure out what it means. I read it with the French Book of Mormon as well, and it is fun and challenging. I hope I can take a Creole class when I get home. I don't know what it is about it, but I love the language, and I am really excited about learning as much as I can.

 

-This morning at breakfast an older missionary couple sat next to us, and it turns out they are going to Washington DC French speaking, to teach English to West African refugees in a ward there. The man served in France and was a French Studies major at BYU. When he talked, you could just feel how much he loved his mission. He was so excited that we were going there, and it was one of those moments where I realize that I am ACTAULLY going to France. And even though he is a podiatrist now, you could tell that French and his experiences and his love for the people there are still very dear to him. Then we went to the temple and Soeur Hill and I did Sealings. The sealer was so great, because before each name he told us where they were from, what years they lived, etc. We did a lot from France from the 1700's and 1800's. While I was acting in place of these people in France, even though it was hundreds of years ago, I just had the strongest feeling of love come over me. I realized that I will be doing exactly what I did at the temple today: helping families find joy and be together for eternity. What a beautiful thing. I have been worried about losing myself blah blah blah lately, and then dad sent me a great talk by a BYU Professor entitled "Honest, Simple, Solid, True" A quote from it has stuck with me all week and I want to share it. He says,

 

"We are not oysters or abalones, existing in shells--even though that is how we may feel when we become self-involved. We are members one of another, connected to each other, and especially to God, by spiritual sensitivities and obligations profound as eternity. And just for that reason, we become most ourselves when we are most true to God and one another. We become most right to ourselves when we are most right with them."

 

 As I thought about this quote all week, I realized that my focus was too inward, and that like I said in my very first email, we've gotta turn out. This week as I have done that, I have gotten to know people more deeply, felt my prayers become more meaningful, and I feel this increase of purpose. In fearing "losing" who I was, I was missing what was right in front of me, waiting to shape me. I am still ME, and that is the beautiufl part about missions. I get to share what I know, while learning more about the gospel every day and adding to that knowledge. However finite that knowledge is personally, I know that this gospel is infinite and I can help someone find their place within it. I also loved a quote I heard this week from Elder Holland: "It is better to have character than to be a character." 

 

Et Voila. Time up again. Trop vite. Je vous aime. Chaque minute, chaque jour.

 

I NEED INFO ABOUT Elizabeth MOVING TO LONDON THIS WEEEEEK?!? I am so excited for you. Send me a dear elder pronto with details. Somehow knowing you are just across the Channel makes me feel more at home with being away from home. We can send some sister love each others' way when we are feeling lonely.

 

I hope Dan had a lovely birthday and that you are eating at Bombay House or something tonight. How are you all? How is Tru? How is Yale Ave? What is this news I hear of Kevin/Denis's house?

 

The mountains in Provo are beautiful right now and fall is in the air and I love you. Sorry for an all-over-the-place email.

 

Untill next week,

 

Liv

 

 

Also, I am so sorry but no letters this week, PDAY was cray-cray.