July16-MTC

Bonjour ma famille!

As always, I feel like I have a lot to say, but not very much time to write. The weeks go by faster and faster, but the days are still pretty long, which is okay because I have SO MUCH to do and still not enough time to do it.

Well, I am officially half way done with my MTC experience and 1/18 of the way done with my mission. It is crazy how fast time goes.

Thank you SOOOOO much for the package you sent me this week. I loved everything in it. I didn't want to gain more weight so I did just what you said and I shared everything with the elders in my district. Of course they all loved it too! Thank you! I especially loved the pearl bracelet and necklace. I wore them the very next day and I felt so special. I honestly can't thank you enough. I also loved the little picture of mom and dad! I showed everyone and then hung it up right next to my bed. The great love from my family helps me better understand Heavenly Father's love for me, and His gifts to me everyday. I also showed everyone the pictures of the boys. I can't believe how much they have grown since I have left, especially David. I miss those boys!

Alright, well this week has been pretty intense because I have stopped speaking English. From this point on, I will only speak french. I have done it for a couple days so far. It is REALLY hard, but I know that Heavenly Father will help me in my efforts to improve in the language. I have heard that the first week is the hardest and that after that it is a lot easier. I sure hope that that is true! Haha There is another elder who is speaking only french as well and he is a great example to me. When it gets hard I just think of him and I stay strong. Please pray for me!!! I can use all of the help I can get.

Because I am only speaking french, Soeur Strunk and I have been teaching all of our lessons in french, which is also REALLY hard! This week in the TRC (When community members come in and pretend to be investigators) we taught the Word of Wisdom and the second lesson to a boy. It was difficult because he spoke very fast and with a large vocabulary. There were a lot of times when I had to say "Je ne comprend pas, Desolee!" but then he would just say the same thing, just as fast. I learned the importance of letting the spirit teach. He said that he didn't know if he could follow the word of wisdom because it is too hard. I told him that speaking french is very hard for me, but I know that Heavenly Father will help me if I try. I promised him blessings if he tried as well. The spirit was there. After the lesson our teacher came up to us and said "That was amazing! Did you know that he isn't a member?!?!?!? " I almost had a heart-attack. I sure hope that he felt the spirit!

Soeur Strunk and I have actually been teaching A TON of lessons lately. We have tons of "Progressive Investigators" and we teach all the time. It is hard now that we teach in french, but it is really good practice. I am learning and growing so much!

I had a special tender mercy this week. I was having a rough time one day and while I was looking through my box of letters to find an address I found a letter from dad that I had somehow not read. When I read the letter it said exactly what I needed to hear. Thank you Dad for your words of love and encouragement. I know that Heavenly Father knew that I would need that letter, just not at the time Dad sent it. Heavenly Father really looks out for His children.

This week, Jenny Oaks Baker (Dallin H. Oaks daughter) came and spoke to us at devotional. She is a famous violin player and she preformed a lot of songs during her talk. Elder Oaks was there too.

I think Mom asked about my schedule and cloths here at the MTC. To answer your question, The schedule is very busy! I wake up at 5:30am everyday to shower and get ready. Then we have class, personal study, companionship study, language study, teaching time, devotionals, gym, and now I have meetings for Coordinating sisters. We are busy all day and then I go to bed at 10:30pm. It is great to be so productive, but also exhausting.

And I actually love my cloths. I feel comfortable in everything and I like my cloths more than most of the others sisters cloths. Haha

Well, again I am out of time. I love you all and always love hearing from you during the week.

Have fun at Joy's sealing and please tell her how much I love her and wish I could be there.

I know that I have the best family in the world!

Love Eternally,
Soeur Andrea McClaine