Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf

Bonjour!

This week wasn't too crazy, but then again some crazy stuff happened! On Tuesday we had interviews with the mission President and his wife. My mission President right now is President Durham, and him and his wife are the sweetest people! They are so supportive and even though I've only known them for about three weeks, I love them and feel so comfortable with them. Also on Tuesday we started exchanges, so I went and spent 24 hours with a different sister missionary in a different area. It was interesting to say the least. I was with Hermana Leiva  and if you couldn't guess by her name, she speaks Spanish and serves in a Spanish area. So everyone that we talked to spoke Spanish... I don't speak Spanish. However, I found that there are quite a few words that are the same or at least similar to French words so I could pick up a little bit of what they were saying, but definitely not enough to be an active part of the conversation. It's all good though! I had a great time! Hermana Leiva and I ate some really good Mexican food, so overall it was a success! Wednesday and Thursday were just normal days of finding people to teach and then teaching the people that we found. 

 

However, Friday was the best day I have had on my mission so far. On Friday Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf (a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles) came to our mission and talked with us, and it was amazing! He gave us so much counsel on how to be effective missionaries and how to be the best versions of ourselves. It was so spiritually uplifting!! One of the things that he said to us in reference to the Atonement of Jesus Christ was that even after you have used the Atonement and sincerely repented of your sins that you will still remember those sins, but God has forgotten them and just because you remember doesn't mean you haven't been forgiven. You remember your sins, not to relish in them and to feel bad, but so you don't make the same mistakes. It was a really powerful meeting and I'm so grateful for the opportunity I had to be there and hear the words of an apostle as he gave specific counsel. It was AMAZING!!! 

 

On Sunday we had a lesson with one of our investigators named Levi. We have taught him a couple of times and answered any questions that he has had for us, and during our lesson on Sunday we asked him if he would like to be baptized at the end of September and he said yes. So now we will continue to teach him and make sure that all of his questions are answered and then hopefully at the end of September he will feel ready to take the steps into baptism and receive all of the blessings that come from baptism. I am SO excited about his choice and for the opportunity that I have to teach him and to feel of the sweet testimony that he has. I'm constantly being shown the greatness of this work each day and I am SO incredibly grateful for it! I know that this church is true without a shadow of doubt, and I'm beyond blessed by it each day! 

 

Also, just something funny that happened in church on Sunday: this wonderful lady named Betty who is probably in her 70s gave a talk in sacrament meeting and at the end of her talk she says to the congregation, "now this is how I want y'all to remember me when I'm gone" and then she preceded to end her talk by singing the entirety of "When the Saints Go Marching In". At one point she paused her singing and told the entire congregation to join in with her. It was the funniest thing that I have ever seen and there were literally people crying because it was so funny, but Betty is the sweetest person and I'm so grateful that I have the opportunity to know her!

 

Today my companions and I went to a Filipino market and tried this Filipino drink called halo halo and it tasted like Graham crackers drenched in coconut milk except it had the consistency of ice cream and a slushy all in one. It is one of the most interesting things that I have ever eaten, but overall not too bad. One of my companions is from the Philippines so she loved it and my other companion is from Kentucky and we both decided that it was okay and maybe in like 3-5 years we would have it again, but we probably wouldn't buy it regularly. Also the ice cream part of it is called ube and it is made of yams. They also put jello, coconut pieces, and beans in it. It was just super interesting altogether.

 

I love y'all so much and I'm so grateful for all of you!

Love,

Sister Connery 

Some things we found at the Filipino market

Halo Halo

Another great license plate

 My companions and I hiked to the top of a mountain at 6:30 in the morning for exercise

A message that my district leader sent us in French that we translated to show him what he said

 

 After tracting one day my ankle was really swollen so I was going to ice it when we got home, but we didn't have any ice or frozen vegetables or anything. However, we did have frozen egg rolls so I used a scrunchie to hold an egg roll on my ankle as an ice pack