Week 6 - The Final French Semaine

First of all, HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MY BROTHER JACK! He turned ten years old this Tuesday, and I couldn't email him that day, but I love him SO much! And I'm so glad that he's my brother. He's the best and deserves the best year ever. You're doing great Jack! I love you and miss you so much!

It's our last week actually learning french! Tomorrow is our last lessons to review grammar and words that we don't know for sure, and then we dive into Tahitian on Monday. How do I feel about that?

To be honest, I don't really know. I love the French language more than I ever have before - I love speaking in it, and feel so much like the missionary I'm supposed to be when I do. Reading the Livre de Mormon [en francais, of course] has taught me so many things about the scriptures. Of course I learn the language better - I KNOW FOR A FACT that we are blessed for feasting upon the word of God - but I also see the scriptures in ways that I've never seen them before. There are new wordings and translations and meanings in the same words that I've read before, and they become more and more personal with every verse.

But, I'm so excited to learn the language of this people. It's so much a part of their heritage, and it's really fun to speak as well. I learned how to say "Dear Heavenly Father" last night (e to matou matua i te ao ra) which doesn't make a lot of sense yet, but I can say it. I'm a little bit terrified to have to start completely new with a brand new, strange language, but I know that I'm in God's hands, and I'm not learning this alone.

Some hymns that stuck out to me this week:

O My Father

Come, Come Ye Saints

O Come All Ye Faithful

The Christmas Devotional was so good! And on Tuesday, Brother and Sister Teixeira taught us about having a joyful mission, and described how having joy in your mission doesn't necessarily mean being happy every minute. But, the experiences you're having right now in your life, whether they're good or bad, are very specific to you. And this is the only way that you'll have them - is by being here, making choices. They can come no other way. They also said to expect setbacks, to but accept them with open arms. I'm so ready for setbacks!

We had tons of snow this week - it started snowing Sunday morning and didn't stop until the next day. And then the next day, it snowed even more! It was absolutely magical that first day - the snow was just falling so much, the flakes were so big - they got caught in everyone's hair and clothes, and it was so beautiful. Everyone was so happy about the snow, even if they'd lived in Utah their entire lives. The first snow of the season is just so great!

(These pictures with the tahiti flag have everyone from our district! We worked real hard for these. From left to right, we have: Elder Baker, Elder Skidmore, Elder Randall, Elder Roberts, Elder Dalton, Elder Quarnberg, Elder Treziak, Elder Ermatinger, Sœur Sanderson, Elder Jensen, Elder Lester, Sœur Boseman, Sœur Hamilton, me, Sœur Morrill, and Sœur Allen. Catch us in Tahiti in 3 weeks!)

There's still snow on the ground, and it's so cold out here. We're just trying to make our Tahitian clothes work through the low temperatures by adding sweaters and cardigans and socks. We're thinking about trying to build a snowman today for Soeur Hamilton. However, we heard a rumor that it's illegal to throw snowballs in Provo - somebody wanna fact-check me on that?

Public showers are always an adventure, but the cutest thing happened this week - I was in a shower next to a sister who started singing, things like Sleeping Beauty, Mary Poppins, Sound of Music, the works. And as she started singing, I started humming harmonies to her songs. She just kept getting louder and louder, and I would keep humming along - eventually I snuck out before she finished. So I came back later and recognized the girl by her pajama pants, and she told me all about "that girl" who was singing in the shower. I just acted surprised and came back and told my room about it. I guess that's just how I'm lighting the world now - harmonizing to toilet-singing in the public bathrooms.

Also, Elder Quarnberg knows everything there is to know about dinosaurs - so I've been learning french, but I've also been learning about paleontology. It's been great! I love dinosaurs so much!

(This is with our visiting teacher, Frére Roubicek, on the last night he came to teach for us! The funny pictures are just so great)

(This picture is from the night of the Christmas devotional. They’d already moved a bunch of the snow, but her hair looked beautiful and she’s wearing the dress that makes her look like a princess. You can see the snow on the tree - it’s just a beautiful picture. The huge tree all lit up reminds me of the tree of life.)

Final little story - we learned how to say cat in Tahitian last night. Before I tell you what it is, let me explain just how much my companion likes cats. She takes a picture with the MTC cat every week and sends it home in her group email (I'm sorry I'm not that faithful, but the cat really hates being held). She has a cat at home that she gets pictures of on a regular basis, and misses her cat, Meemers, so much. She talks about Meemers, Meemers is her background photo on her iPad...

And the Tahitian word for cat is mimi. Like Meemers! She FREAKED out. I freaked out with her - it was kind of a highlight of the night. It might not seem like a ton of stuff is happening out here, but I guess that's just the MTC.

Your cat-loving missionaire,

Sœur Sperry