OH. MY. LANTA. I only have one week left in the MTC!!!!! We got our flight plans on Tuesday and EVERYONE was freaking out haha so many of the Elders were literally jumping up and down! It's real!! I'm going to live in a different country! AHHH I'm sooo excited!!! So our flight leaves 5:00 Monday Oct 28, and it's a direct flight to Paris so we'll arrive there at about 10 their time. We're leaving the MTC at 11:30 in the morning so I'm not sure exactly what time I'll be able to call...sorry but just know it'll be Monday between 1 and 5 haha sorry I know that's not very helpful!

So Monday we're sitting in class and the intercom comes on and asks for Sister Hawkes to call the Front Desk. I start to panic. Why would they need me there? So I called all the while my heart threatening to beat right out of my chest and they say that I have a new sister in my zone to pick up!! She's from Australia and had just flown in. I was so relieved and excited! So we went to pick her up and take her to her room to sleep and she is SO nice!! She kept exclaiming how beautiful Utah was and how wonderful our american accents are haha and then when we went to breakfast the next day she saw the bagels and was like what are those?  and she tried it and wouldn't stop exclaiming how sensational it was. haha I love her :) The other two new sisters came on Wednesday and we met them and did an orientation and a tour. They are so sweet and so nice! I love them already! Each night Soeur Mason and I go to visit with them and make sure they're doing all right and that's about the extent of our duties other than going to Branch Council. I love being a Sister Training Leader but they'll release us on Sunday..

 

SO. Each Wednesday night they do a How To Begin Teaching Experience for the new missionaries. And they put them in a room and other missionaries come in and demonstrate how to begin a legit lesson with an investigator. and they called US to be those missionaries to demonstrate. OH. Gosh. It was terrifying!! We relied COMPLETELY on the Holy Ghost to say the right things. and we had to do it in English which was really difficult. I can't pray in English anymore btw haha Lovin it. So that experience was really scary but it was a great opportunity because it reminded me of why I'm here. which is to help others to come unto Christ!! I can't wait to share my joy with the people in France!!

So the Tuesday night devotional was...Elder Oaks!!! It was SOO cool! The Spirit was so strong!! It was amazing. I learned so much from him!

 

Our teachers have challenged us to speak French ALL THE TIME. which is really good practice for when we get to France but it's really really hard, but you learn so much faster this way so it's great :)

This week with Ismael we started teaching the Plan of Salvation and we talked more about prayer. He really struggles with the idea of getting answers from God and actually communicating with Him. It strengthens my testimony so much to be able to testify to Him that God does hear and answers every single one of our prayers. Also on Saturday he asked me why Jesus Christ is so important? Why is He different than other apostles? He asked this right at the end so I was unable to answer his question but I promised to have an answer for him on Tuesday and I was studying the scriptures trying to figure out how to explain it to him I became a little discouraged. I don't know how to make him understand the Jesus Christ is the Son of God the only one who could have atoned for our sins. As I sat there pondering, I felt prompted to read 3 Nephi 11. As I read that chapter I felt the Spirit so strongly testify to me that Jesus Christ lived and died for me. He atoned for my sins and He knows me. Jesus Christ is my Savior. I felt the Spirit so so strong. And I know with all of my heart that Jesus Christ is my Savior and He died and suffered for me. And there are a lot of things I don't understand. There are so many things I have yet to learn. I don't always know how to explain things to people especially in French. But I KNOW that Jesus Christ is our Redeemer. And so it doesn't really matter what I don't understand because I have a testimony of Jesus Christ. 

 

Aaaand. Drum roll please....I spoke in Sacrament Meeting on Sunday. In French. I was terrified!! I spoke on Repentance and the Savior. It was such a blessing to be able to share my testimony of my Savior in French to my zone. It was a really great experience and even though I was terrified and I'm sure I made mistakes I'm really grateful I got to speak!

 

Well those are all my interesting stories for the week! The picture I attached is of me with our new sisters. I don't know if you can see it- but I burned my forehead this week with my curling iron. Just like the good ole days. ha!

 

I just want you all to know that I know that God hears and answers our prayers. This week I had a lot of questions and a lot of things that I was concerned about. And every. single. day. God answered my prayers. He sent SO many tender mercies every single day and I know that our Heavenly Father's hand is in the details of our lives every day. God hears and answers your prayers. I promise you that. My testimony has been so incredibly strengthened here. I have such a testimony of prayer because I have seen it in every day. Our Heavenly Father loves us so much and He will never ever abandon us. I'm so grateful for this knowledge!!

 

Quote for the week: However dim our days may seem, the Savior has seen darker.

 

 Love you all so much!!! 

Avec Amour,

Soeur Hawkes