Perfection = Completeness – February 9. 2015

Man, that week went by really really fast. I had to write down notes to remember what I wanted to e-mail about today. But first...

HAPPY FLIPPIN' BIRTHDAY JOSH! I am sending everyone's very late presents today, because I finally found a box that was big enough. Well, two small boxes, but it's whatever. 

The house flooded? Oh my, hahaha...I mean *ehem*...I'm sorry. But, hey! You got into the pool! I loved the pictures! Emilee, you crack me up, sister. Yo, Josh, who's that hottie you got a date with? It's no surprise to me because you look like a stud. Way to rock the bowtie. (Mom- I don't know what...maybe to sing a song with Peter Hollens? I have been planning to do that for him for evers. But the Blue Man group would be superb too! I heard they're awesome.) 

What's a Special Needs Ward? 

Anywho, I will probaby comment more on that e-mail as I begin story time. I am glad everyone's having fun and being happy! The pictures make my day. I hope you keep sending them. 

So, last Thursday we went on exchanges with the Sister Training Leaders again and I got to go outside my area. To Fairdale. Scary stuff. I forgot to bring my pillow, but I laid on my baby blankets and I think my neck felt the best when I did that. 

I was with Sister Briggs and she is very funny and is kind of like me. She is shy and often trips on her words like I do when teaching. 

A little bit about Fairdale...there's a lot more black people and Muslims. Most if of them are immigrants and refugees from the Middle East and Africa. In fact there were a few areas that we weren't allowed to proselyte in because of their religions. But, the people we did talk to were my favorite people. They don't have much which makes them humble and very faithful. Every man that we contacted into said, '"Ma'am" when responding to us. I'm not used to being respected like that out here. In fact, there are a lot of rude people that I come across. But I love them anyway, bless their hearts. 

Sister Briggs and I got to teach this woman who had left Haiti about thirteen years ago or something close to that. She was really sweet, but her accent was so thick that I had almost no idea what she was saying. One of the members we brought, M, is from Liberia and I almost had no idea what she was saying either, haha. It was a great experience though and Mary was a great resource to have especially since she is a convert and could tell of how she found that the church was true. 

J was my favorite person that we had a lesson with. She basically taught the whole Law of Chastity lesson by herself. When we began talking with her she expressed how she wanted to have a better relationship with her boyfriend and was studying about love in the scriptures and asked if the Church had anything on relationships and how to help them and Sister Briggs showed her the L of C pamphlet and Jane read the whole thing out loud. She loved it and said, "I am showin' my boyfriend this! 'Cuz I wanna be married. I don' wanna be nobody's baby-momma." Then, she proceeded to turn to me and say, "Sista France, you've been awfly quiet. Can you tell me 'ow living like this 'as 'elped you in your relationships?"  Nothing humbles you more than when an investigator has to ask you to share a personal experience, haha.  

It was a really good exchange and I definitely learned how to really love people, even those who reject us and are mean and nasty. I also learned how important it is to find joy in every moment. 

D is doing awesomely! Satan is still being a brat to her and throwing a hissy fit because he is losing, but she is moving along strong. She as her baptismal interview in Wednesday and is making so many friends in Relief Society lately it is awesome. I can't wait to send you the pictures of her at the baptism. It is going to be spectacular. She asked Elder Black to baptize her, because of the way that he treats her brother who has a mental handicap. She is so excited for it. She even filled out the program in two minutes flat because she already knew exactly who she wanted to speak. 

We met with the K family yesterday and they are still doing well. V finished his chemo for the week and will start again in two weeks. He looks very tired, but is not hopeless. Him and I actually are very alike. He's really quiet and shy. We're best buds. K talks a lot. So, she and Sister ward are best bus, haha. K is doing really well and is taking everything in stride. They are seeing the small miracles in their lives everyday. They are struggling to read the Book of Mormon because of how busy K is with trying to take care of everything and not crack under the stress. But, we left them with little passages to read whenever she and V need a pick-me up. They've commited to do that. We also invited them to D's baptism so, we hope that they'll be there and that V will feel well enough to come. 

Yesterday was my two-month birthday. Ah! Where did the time go?! I am almost done with training which makes me happy, but I'm really sad because Sister Ward will probably be transferred. *Sob of despair* I love her so much and will miss her. But! She is still here right now and we're having a blast. Some people think we're a lesbian couple sometimes. It's awesome. 

I had my first Zone Conference on Wednesday. It was so much fun and I learned a lot. President Brough is like Utchdorf. He uses air force analogies all the time, haha. He is also the funniest man ever. I couldn't have asked for a better mission president. He did this imitation of a dying cockroach. It was wierd. 

Sister Blair gave me a temple dress for free. It was really nice of her and I almost didn't take it, but she said that she had four extra ones that actually fit her at home so it was no big deal. Now I don't have to borrow a dress from anyone while I'm here! Score! I'm so excited to wear it when D goes through the temple next February. When I pulled it out of the bag it was placed in to look at it I almost cried. Mom, it's the same design as your dress...

We are having a great time saving souls and such! Shaking hell is our favorite past time. If there wasn't such thing as weekly planning I would never leave. But, since I have a mental breakdown at least once a week I might just stay for the 16 months, haha. I see the benefits of weekly planning. I really do! I just need to learn how to like it. 

So, my confidence is growing dramatically and it is all because of Heavenly Father. I even walked up to a Mexican man all by myself. Luckily, he spoke English. 

I'm realizing that my confidence doesn't have to be in me, but in my God who strengthens me. 

I also have been struggling a little this past week if my efforts are ever good enough. We are struggling to find new investigators and talking to anyone who will actually listen to us. I was really comparing our success to the numbers we write on the white board in our study room. 

Last night, I pleaded with Heavenly Father to actually feel like I was doing something effective here and he answered really quickly. I've been studying Preach My Gospel and just happened to be in the Success as a Missionary section this morning. Boy, did I learn something. 

In every scripture where God praised Alma or Nephi he never did it when they baptized 130,000 people, but in those times when they were sorrowing over the brethren who wouldn't listen to them and were walking away from those cities. It was then that God praised them for their faith and unweariness in proclaiming the gospel and because of that He would bless them with power. I realized that numbers are nothing. My purpose is to find souls and bring them to the temple, but as long as I am faithfully serving with all my heart, might, mind and strength I will have the power to preach this gospel. No effort is wasted. 

Christ's life wasn't perfect, even though He was perfect. 

I realize that my life here and forever will be about BECOMING. Jesus Christ was born without the knowledge of who He is. The veil applied to Him too. (Phillipians 2:5-8, Hebrews 5:8-9) He couldn't become who He was meant to be until He knew who He was. I learned that perfection does not mean to be without fault, but it means to be complete. Perfection is an attainable goal. It is all about becoming who our Heavenly Father wants us to be. There are no limits! We have been given the Atonement. Sin comes from the Latin word which means to 'miss the mark'. That means we have another shot! Repentance is the gateway to becoming and changing. The refiner's fire is real, but it is essential to change. 

I love this work and I love this gospel. 

The Church is True, the Book is Blue, and Jesus Loves you. 

I'm Sister France and I'm a Hell Shaker. 

Love, to the moon and back and forever,
 your favorite oldest daughter! 

Raye :) 

Pictures:  1) D and I :) 2) Sister Ward and I