Here are some excerpts from the family part of the email that Bethany wrote to Larry and Vicki:
I don't really think I'm training that early. In our mission I'm at about average. A whole lot more sisters will be training earlier and earlier with all of the new sisters coming in... we need them! I am a little nervous, but only over the fact that my new companion and I won't get along, but that does really have anything to do with training, I could have that worry with anyone. It's just that Sr. Lai and I had such a good companionship, near closest to perfect, that it's be hard going back to a "normal companionship". Not that it was terrible with my other companions, it's was normal with their ups and downs, it's just that it was soooooo good with Sr.Lai!
I'm also a little nervous that I'll let the ball drop and we'll lose all of the success we've been having! Seriously, things are going so well right now.
I'm pretty sure that I'll probably be getting my first American/English speaking companion. I have to admit that I've been lucky that all of my companions up to now knew French natively or at least REALLY well. It'll be weird for me to not be able to ask what a word is whenever I want to. However, the Lord has really prepared me and so I think I'm ready. But who knows, maybe my bleu will be Québécoise or something!
Hello everyone!
Well, I'm going to be training. It wasn't a huge surprise considering how many new missionaries we're getting. Plus, Arras really is the perfect place to train. I'm actually the first sister since last summer that has served in Arras, but not been trained here. All of the other sisters were trained and then trained someone else themselves right after. Plus, the weather is finally becoming beautiful, just perfect for a new bleu who's probably nervous and missing her family. It's been sunny everyday for a week, still cold, but sunny.
I have to be in Paris at 10am to have training for trainers. I'll tell you all about it next week. I won't know who my bleu is until right before I meet her too.
Haha! Mom and Dad, you remind me of 20 year olds. Coming back from NYC at midnight and then going off to a BYU basketball game in Mississippi the next day? I don't even know I would have the energy to do that. It's kind of cooler that were not a lot of BYU fans at the game because you got more attention from the players afterwards. Plus, we won!!!!!
Hey hey! After 18 years they've finally put sister missionaries in the Byrd's Spring Ward !! Whoo hoo! I was hoping they would do that before I came home. I look forward to working with them when I get home. Thanks for the picture of them!
That's cool about the social media thing. Did the missionaries show it to you? I haven't seen this video yet. It's interesting that both the Elders and Sisters were at the dinner with you. We're not allowed to do that anymore, even during meetings with our ward mission leader. I guess some Elders and Sisters in our mission weren't able to act like missionaries when they were eating dinner together at members' houses.
Once again, this week was packed with miracles. I feel bad that I can't tell them all to you.
Remember Antoinette, the mother of an autistic son? Well, although our initial appointment went great we weren't able fix an appointment with her. We figured she wasn't really interested. We decided to pass by and we found her at home. Turns out she really was busy...she was in a terrible car wreck and she and her children almost died! Despite that and being nearly blind, she still had read the introduction to the Book of Mormon and had some more great questions. We gave the rest of the first lesson and found out that she feels very alone and scared. She really wants to believe God is there. We taught her about prayer and the spirit and tried to help her recognize how she feels the spirit.
We asked her if she wanted to pray to find out right there with us. She gave a wonderful prayer and afterward she was crying. The spirit was incredibly strong. We all saw, even her, how the gospel will help her. I remember thinking during the lessons "this is why I came on a mission". Even if I never have another experience on my mission like that again, just having one made it all worth it.
We also had an amazing lesson with the Lenfant kids, but to make it better the 18 year old girlfriend of their father was there, Elodie. This poor girl is so lost. She moves in with them one week, but then moves into a homeless shelter the next. This is a constant pattern. I've made it my personal goal to help her. She asked to pray with us twice and cried when Sr. Lai prayed that Elodie could overcome her problems. I know the Savior is looking out for her, it's just hard to see her regularly when she moves so much. She really needs to know that she is a daughter of God.
To all who read this, I testify with all I am that God lives. He is our loving Heavenly Father who wants us to return to him. He also wants us to live happily now while on earth. I know that to accomplish both of these things He gave us His beloved Son, Jesus Christ. He is our elder brother and through Him we can be purified and find joy. I know that the Savior organized a church while He was on the earth, and although it was lost for awhile it has been restored. I testify that through the prophet Joseph Smith, we have Christ's church now on the earth. I know we have a living prophet today. If you would like to know all of these things yourself simply ask God. He doesn't care how you say it as long as you are sincere. I pray that you will.
I love you all,
Bethany
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