une autre semaine au MTC.

Chere famille,

 

Yesterday we pulled out a map of France with our mission boundaries drawn in, and we all sat on the floor looking at the names of cities and towns and regions. They are all just words now, but in three weeks we will be in one of those spots on the map. We have talked about how it will be the disbanding of the Fellowship and we will be off to be brave and do what we went to do. I can't believe it. We have been here for such a while that it seemed like we were never going to leave. The MTC really is a time warp. But it's real! And we are going! I know it is still three weeks away, but it is going to fly. Things have already started speeding up so much, I can't believe it is P-day again. This last week was really good. With the realization that we will be leaving in three weeks came the realization that we will be speaking real French, which means really really fast French. We decided we needed to step up our game. So yesterday we spoke just in French for the whole day. It was so fun and I am in awe at the people in my district. They have learned so much French in the past few weeks and are speaking it WELL. C'est une miracle! There are three French Elders in our zone who are going to Tahiti, and our Elders take every chance they get to talk to them. It is kind of hilarious/endearing/maybe sometimes Soeur Hill and I are embarrassed for them. But hey, they are learning real French and the Frenchies have a little fan club. I have only seen them try to avoid our Elders once or twice.

 

We go to the TRC on Thursdays, and last Thursday we taught a man who speaks 10 languages. 10! And he has the coolest stories. He and his wife met in Paris, met the missionaries, had never even opened a Bible or prayed, and then he said, "I read the Book of Mormon and I prayed and I felt it in my soul and my life has never been the same since that moment and I've never looked back." And they got married in the Bern temple like you! And then they traveled everywhere. Such a cool guy. It was so funny though, whenever we said things like "So how did you end up in Provo?" he would say "Non! Nous sommes en France!" Wanted to fully live the experience I suppose. And then as we were leaving he said, "Come back tonight and my wife will cook you a delicious meal." Ha. We wish. Don't get our hopes up.

 

So our Elders kept on talking about how skilled one of the French elders was at playing foursquare, and I always scoffed at the way people talked about foursquare at the MTC. But they wouldn't stop talking about it, so we headed up to the foursquare courts by the temple and the French elder (who we lovingly call 'The Baker'. He just LOOKS like he owns a bakery in France. As one of our Elders said, 'I just can't look at him without imagining a chef hat on his head, and baguettes in his arms.' You would understand if you saw him.) and we played foursquare. It was hilarious. Who knew it could get so crazy and competitive. I took some video that I will have to show you, comentary and all ("Aaaand Price is back in after a four-year break. He blames it on his 'hammy' but we all know there were some personal issues going on. Let's see if he can prove himself in these Olympic games.')

 

On Saturday we had an adventure. Soeur Hill has had an ear ache for the past little while and it got worse and worse. So we went to the front desk and before we knew it we were at the Health Center down the street and then the next thing you know we are at Rite Aid. RITE AID! It was so weird to be in Provo, at places where I have lived and shopped. And just to reinforce the rest home MTC analogy, we were shuttled there in a van. To get prescriptions. And we had to ask the lady at the cashier to call the MTC to pick us up. My pride has flown out the window. But when we got back to the MTC we had missed lunch, so they took is into the inner sanctum of the cafeteria, which we were embarassingly excited for. It was another world, I have never seen an entire room full of eggs in my life. We were so excited thinking they would say 'Open the fridge, have what you want!' But all that was left were two cold hamburgers. Not into that. So we ate cereal in the empty cafeteria. An anti-climatic end. BUT the adventure may continue today, because she has to go see a specialist somewhere, so back to the shuttle we go!

 

Mom asked me what Sundays are like here. Franchement, they are very long. Esp. Fast Sundays. But I really enjoy them! We have our Sacrament Meeting at 8, then Relief Society, then study time, then meetings sometimes, then our temple walk, and then district meeting, and then a fireside. My branch President's name is President Zimbelman, and they are all great. I haven't been called out of the audience yet to give a talk, but I did say a prayer. I think I may be safe though, becuase we only have a few Sundays with General Conference and all.

 

We have been doing a lot of practice contacting activities lately outside and I actually really like it. There are moments were it freaks me out, especially this thought--just imagine this: A silent metro with people going to work, and I walk up to them and talk to them about religion. At first, and often still, it worries me. But one of my teachers has been so great at explaining what we are doing. She just said that you are you and you know who you are and you believe in something beautiful and you want other people to be able to have it. With that in mind, I feel much more comfortable. And yes, it is something that seems a little abnormal, but I like people and talking to people about what is meaningful to them, so I cannot WAIT to do it in France. Our teacher has also been telling us about her experiences in France and every time my heart just starts beating faster and I realize I will be there. When I get overwhelmed by it, I love to read this scripture:

For your Father, who is in heaven, knoweth that you have need of all these things.Therefore, let the morrow take thought for the things of itself.Neither take thought before hand what ye shall say; but treasure up in your minds continually the words of life, and it shall be given you in the very hour that portion that shall be meted unto every man.D&C 84:83-85

 

I love the idea of treasuring up the words of life. As we live and study and experience, we treasure up in our hearts and minds what we have learned. And then we get to share them with others. I love hearing about what other people treasure up themselves. I can't wait to meet people and find out what they love and believe.

 

I must be off, I reserved a violin and I am going to go play for a while. Elder Barr is an amazing pianist so we are going to try to find something to play.

 

Tell me how you are. I think about you always.

 

I love you oh so much.

 

Love

 

soeur liv rhondeau