Monday, July 29, 2013

July 29th Letter


 
Hey guess what? I'm going to France.
Salut ma famille!!
Alright. So for starters, this email will probably not be super long. Because I will most likely be able to write again on Saturday, and I want to make sure I have time to send pictures today.
Ummm sooooo I GOT MY TRAVEL PLANS! Woohoo! I'm actually going to France!
I've never been more excited or more absolutely terrified in my entire life. But wow am I ready. I love it here so much and I really am going to miss the MTC. But I'm ready to be out of here.
Second big news of the week. I got a new companion. Again. Haha it's been so crazy. But I still have Soeur Bragg! To spare you the dramatic details, there was a companionship that was having like some problems so now I'm in a trio again. It actually has been pretty hard. Because me and Soeur Bragg had just such a good thing going, we got along so well, and all of a sudden in our last week here everything got turned around. The first night and first day was pretty hard to get used to being in a trio again. And I met with my teacher because I was just so stressed about it. It was stressful mostly because of all of a sudden having to throw her into our lessons right before our ami's baptisms, and when we already have such a good relationship with our amis and she doesn't know them...anyway, I just took it kind of hard. But of course he said the best thing to me. He said, "Well, why do you think this would happen to you right now? Why would God have this happen?" Haha I told him because probably things were just getting way too easy for me. Haha that's what I thought. But then he said to me, "I think it's because that in your time here, and even in the past week itself, your capacity to serve has improved. You are ready to serve, and He is giving you someone to serve." Wow. That hit me. And I realized how right he was. So, the first day was a bit stressful. But now things are just fine! Honestly, she is so sweet. And she is AMAZING at the piano! Oh, and she's from England. So I enjoy listening to her talk. Although oh my gosh I'm already strarting to talk in an English accent after being around her...haha. So that was my big event of the week. But I'm just grateful for this experience. I've only been a missionary 5 weeks and I have already had 3 companions! Haha just preparing me for the field. I really have learned so much through having all these companions. And I know it will help me so much with all the companions I am going to have in France.
Other than that, this week hasn't been super eventful. Just the same working hard, studying hard, amazing missionary work!
One day this week our teacher accidently slept in and didn't show up for class (we made him pay for it with candy) and it was so much fun because I was just like alright welp, we still need to learn French! And I know that we were planning on learning imparfait that day which I understand pretty well, so I got up and just literally taught the class for like an hour and a half. It was so much fun. And everyone kept saying that they learned more in that hour then they felt they had learned in a week. Haha it made me feel good! Honestly...don't like freak out or anything...but I'm definitely considering working here when I get back. I think I would love to teach here. I've been thinking about it a lot, and after that experience I really just realized how awesome of a job that would be.
Wow, watch me turn into a BYU student and a teacher at the MTC. Hahaha. Oh no. Who am I! I'm already changing! Hehe. But I love it. The changes I'm making are so amazing!
I also had a fun experience teaching yoga this week ;) (I thought Abbey would be proud of me) The sisters in my zone wanted to do some yoga on Saturday and I was like okay let's do it! I'll teach! So we just went outside and had like  a serious yoga class. I took it very seriously. Haha. Especially the relaxation part of it. We all really needed that. And it was so much fun! They were all like so amazed at how much it helped them. That's just a little thing but..it was way fun. So I guess those are my two experiences in teaching this week!
So, every week here seems to kind of have a theme to me. Something that I feel like every time I study and all of the speakers keep talking about over and over again.
And this week, the thing that I have been thinking about is authority. Power and authority. And more specifically, MY power and authority.
One day in class we were working on promising blessings to our amis. And how not only bear testimony, but PROMISE them that these blessings will come as they follow Jesus Christ. And my teacher just simply said "You have literally been given the AUTHORITY to promise these blessings." And that really hit me. And then I listened to an amazing talk by Elder Holland last night that talked more about it. K really though, Elder Holland is like the best. Side note.
And I've just been thinking about it a lot this week. The authority I have been given to preach this Gospel. And to stand in place of my Savior. And I wrote something down like this in my journal and I just wanted to share it.
I'm just a 19 year old girl. Just a girl who grew up with dreams of traveling the world and of making a difference. Somehow making my mark on the world.
And now here I am. This is how I am going to have an effect on the world. I'm going to teach the people of France of their Savior. That they are not alone. That there is no reason to ever have to try and struggle through life alone. To teach them that there is a book, and that this book literally has all the answers to everything they will ever need. And that this book was delivered from an angel. And literally came from God.
I'm just a 19 year old. And I've been given authority to stand in the place of our Savior, Jesus Christ. And to do what He would do if He was here on the earth. To literally be His mouthpiece. His instrument. To be led by the Spirit to serve this people.
No matter how many times I feel down, or wanting to give up, or the trials I go through, it doesn't matter. Because it's not about me. It's about serving these people of France. I've been given the authority to do so. And I can't let Him down.
How grateful I am. To have been set apart, to be a disciple of Jesus Christ. No matter how hard this will be as I leave for France, I'm ready. Because He will be with me.
I'm so beyond grateful for this experience. I've been a little homesick this week, and it's been a little hard at times.
But I would never, EVER change this choice I have made to be here. It's the most amazing thing I've ever done with my life. The most happiness I have ever felt.
How blessed I am to have to work SO hard that it even requires a little bit of my soul. It's amazing.
I hope you all know how much I love this Gospel. And how much I know it is true. I will never, ever deny it. And my pray for you is that you don't either.
I love you all so much. Thank you for your constant prayers and support. You have no idea how much it means to me.
I love you all so much!!
Love,
Soeur Magleby

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