Letter #5

Today I’m trying a different email technique...I am going to respond to you and mom and then you can combine them however you want for the mass email, or maybe I’ll have time to do both! we will see :) The good news is that I can change the keyboard to an American one....so as long as I don’t look down at my fingers I can type a lot faster this way! We get a little bit of time after emails to look at lds.org and so forth...so thanks for the tip on the Christmas Devotional! I think we will be watching it with our paroisse at some point, but I am not sure when, and it will be in French I am sure. The Christmas season is beginning here in Dijon, too. There are lots of lights in the city, and they are transforming one of the town squares into a little winter wonderland! It doesn't really snow here (at least not yet) but it might. We have had some rainy days, and last week I bought a few warm things I needed at HandM, but the boots I got aren’t very waterproof so I might have to spend some Euros and get some nicer ones....I hope that’s ok! I didn’t  bring much to layer with for winter...but I haven’t been too cold yet! A lot of things aboutDijon remind me of home....the weather is somewhat similar, a bit colder, but sometimes it is foggy, and we only have space heaters to warm our apartment so we like to close off the kitchen and make it an incubator. Fun fact: toilets have like no water in them here, but the shower has BEAUCOUP de water pressure. Haha, oh the adventures. Our apartment is kind of ghetto, but mostly just quaint, and we have nice big windows with white drapes.

WE are practicing with the ward choir too and our ward choir director is a convert of thirteen years named Doria, who is kind of a sassy African lady with awesome hair, I love her! She always steals our planners and schedules herself in them. Speaking of Africans, we are teaching a man named Abraham who is from Nigeria. He came to church for the first time two Sundays ago and told the Elders in our ward that he wants to be baptized! So, sister Madsen and I took over teaching him....he has such simple faith, it is a joy. We are hoping that we can get in all our rendezvous with him in time for him to be baptized on Christmas. He lives with his friends Rachel (member) and her husband Chrysantus, and their daughter precious, and we are kind of teaching Chrysantus too and hoping he will progress as well. We were at their house this week and Rachel gave us this African food with peimont pepper in it OH MY it was so so hot! But, ca va, it was still good and I survived....and Soeur Madsen assured me that it was actually quite mild and that someday I will have REAL piemont...haha. It made me think of Spencer and Uncle Kent...they need to have some African food!!

Fast Sunday was great here! I had too much on my mind to think about being hungry....this AMAZING family from some country near Albania that starts with a C came to church with two of their four children. We found them while porting a batiment last week, and they readily agreed for us to come and teach them this week. We got to their apartment, which was tidy and beautiful, they brought us some juice and we got to know each other better. Come to find out they are refugees from their country, where they were persecuted for being Christian and not Muslim, and they had to work really hard to come toFrance...all because they wanted to worship Christ. So, we taught them the first lesson, and even though there was a major language barrier since they don’t speak French that well, the Spirit was so strong. Oh I feel so blessed to be a part of this work! Seriously, la chance! You really never know what is going to happen....one minute you have never met a person, but you take them aside and ask a simple question, like, do you believe in God? And the next thing you know you are in a cafe talking about the plan of salvation, drinking hot chocolate, and testifying of the Book of Mormon, or of how you know their child who died in infancy is saved and how they can live together forever. It’s a beautiful, marvelous work. We see miracles every day. Every single day the Lord pours His blessings abundantly upon it, and I feel so humbled that He would condescend to let me be a part of it.

I am sorry to hear of the Wiley's loss, and also Udell. I also am excited for Kyle and Treana! I FOUND ALL LOST THINGS! Thank you for your prayers :) I think they found an apartment for us inMontpelier! We will get to stay here with Soeur Tinorua and Harlene though for Christmas, and we will move down there next transfer it looks like! I love Dijon, it’s like not too big but not too little either. There is beautiful architecture here and sculptures everywhere and ivy growing on everything, I love it. But, of course, the most beautiful thing is the people. I wish I could tell you about every lesson and every contact! We will have so much to talk about when I get home. But, just know I am working hard, I am increasing my relationship with God each day! And we are teaching many people about the restored gospel, it is a marvelous work!

Have a wonderful week! And remember I love you! And tell Anna I loved her email, I am immensely thankful for her support, and that I will respond to all her fun questions next week :) also tell her that the painting she sent me is hanging in my apartment :)

Oh and as for Christmas, could you send me some pictures of the Savior that I could give people? I’d like another copy of my favorite one by Carl Bloch of Christ Healing the sick at Bethesda, and also his of the boy and Jesus, where the boy is holding the palm leaf.

Oh, and the cheese of the week, etorki.....DELICIOUS!

I love you so much. I am so grateful for your goodness and faith, and I hope you know that I am so thankful to be a part of this family. A la prochaine!

Love, Soeur Sarah

I'm bleu dabba dee dabba dye

Dear Family and Friends,

 

We hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving! We got to talk with Sarah for a few minutes from the airport before she left the country! She sounded great! We also received a few photos. I attached a couple that were taken at the mission home in Geneva.

 

We were so excited to receive this email yesterday! We had quite a laugh while reading it since there are many errors which are due to her typing on a French keyboard where some of the keys are different. I decided to go ahead and just send it as it is instead of correcting the whole thing. There are also some French words here and there! I put in just a few notes in bold colored font.

-Laura Waldron

Remember that song from the nineties? It was stuck in my head for the first couple of days I was here....I am SO BLEU! ("greenie")         A greenie is a new missionary and in France they call them bleuThqnk you mommy and dqddy for the e,qils; I love you and I q, so thqnkful for you1 Qnd I q, excited to heqr about the races! Fun! 
(It looks like the 'a' and 'q' have traded places and the 'm' and comma --this will help you in reading this letter)And how is my wonderful brother doing? I m iss you Spencer! writ me if you get a sec?

Well, here I am in Dijon, France! Can you believe it? IT is beautiful here...the houses, the streets (except for the dog poop), the courtyardsm every thing is just TROP BEAU (so beautiful)! But you know what the most beautiful thing of all is? The People. NEver have I known with such a surety that every person on this earth is a child of a loving Heavenly Father as I have looked into the eyes of the people here in Dijon, and testified to them in the streets. BEING A MISSIONARY IS THE BEST! 

Ok, so heres a few tidbits about the voyage here. The flights didn't seem too long and I had some great conversations and gave out some pass along cardsm but I couldn't sleep AT ALL! peut etre (maybe) I was able to sleep like an hour...needless to say my first few days were the most tired I have ever felt in my entire lifem everm 

I know you got a little tidbit from the mission home, ps i; glad you looked at it on google earthm isn\t the mission home beautiful? I need to send you some pictures of it. Soeur Madsen (her companion) is the best trainer in the world, she has an incredible testimony and is practically fearless when we go contacting, such a good example to follow. 

A little bit about what our assignment ism So, we are here in Dijon for an undetermined amount of time until we can get an apartment in Montpelier. I know we are here for a specific reasonm and that we will go to the south when we have done what we need to here, and so we are just praying that we may be able to follow the spirit and that the people in Montpelier will let us buy an apartment sometime soon, It would be kind of nice to stay here the whole first transfer and then go. So, we are basically opnining or "whitewashing" both of these villes, which means that we neither of us were in the ville before (there are three other equipes of missionaries here, but its not like we replaced any of them....and there are no sisters in montpelier eitherm so we will be opening that too) so basically, instead of getting here with a bunch of references and an area book full of amis (investigators) we get to start from scratch....WOO! This is a pretty unique experience, and I am thankful that the Lord has trusted us to do it! And like I said before, I am learning how to contact from an EXPERT!

A few good experiences:

The first woman I bore my testimony to on the street....it was our first night here in Dijon, and I was EXHAUSTED but, we were working anyway. hadn\t even unpackedm Anyway, I bore my testimony to her, I barely understood a word she saidm and I struggled through my French, but it was powerful and I totally criedm ha bien sur. Butm that was one of the most powerful moments I've had so far....I know that I am here on God's errand, and that I am doing His work, and that I have been assigned to labor among these specific people. 

We are visiting a less active member named Giselle. She is an older african ladym who is very sad and lonely, and we are helping her to pray and and know the Savior is there for her. We have had a couple of redezvous with her and are excited to help her more.

Two sisters were baptized last week, and their confirmations were on sunday. The Sabbath was a powerful day, I loved church, and have a new gratitude for faithful members who helped my parents raise me in righteousness...THANK YOU! They had a primary program. and I was truly touched as the children testified of missionary work and talked of preparing to become a missionary....how did I grow up so fast?

Something we like to do when we plan is "fixer des rendevous avec Dieu" basicallym since we are starting from ground zero, we decided in our weekly planning session to set aside specific times where we expected to fill with rendezvous with people we found on the streetm or we would set up a specific route to tract and commit that path to the Lord. We have been able to fill many of these rendezvous, and hope that the people will keep the,! The most miraculous on was with a young man named Nicholas. We had just talked to a grumpy old ;an who told us to go and find someone who believes (which, doesn\t really phase us, its ok to be rejected....sometimes its discouraging, but people like Nicholas make it  all worth it) anyway, we found out that he had grown up in really hard circu,stances, but one day just found God, and converted to Christianity on his own. Our brief encounter on the street turned into a two hour long conversation in a cafe! Oh it was so edifying, I wish I had the time to tell you all about it....anyway, we are meeting again with him tomorrow....please keep him in your prayers! Words can not express how wonderful this work is....I am so thankful to be in this beautiful country, with these beautiful people, who speak this beautiful language, which I am sure I will understand someday! :)

real quickly....I now am allowed to email for an hour, which is great, and I can revieve and send emails with any family or friends I would like. Letters are still better since there is no time limit, but I will do my best to respond to whatever emails I can after I do this big one each week, k? 

Ok, time to sign off. sorry for the spelling errors I am still trying to figure out the french keyboard. 

I LOVE FRANCE! I LOVE THE GOSPEL! This work is true. We are children of God and we have a Savior who loves us.

working hard and loving it!

love soeur waldron

ps yes we had thanksgiving with the othermissionaries at church...we even found someturkey! delish

PPS I might or might not have misplaced my passport...I know you are suprised. Will you cobine your prayers with mine to find it? I know it is somewhere :) 

OKLOVEYOUBYE!

Tout Ira Bien!

Well, she is off to France soon! I will learn her new address and let you know.

---Laura

 

BONJOUR! How are you three? I hope all is well and wonderful in your lives. I am having a GREAT day....my last Tuesday at the MTC! Can you believe it? It went by all too fast.

 

We got our travel plans last week, and it made us all SO excited. That day was also 11-11-11, and at 11:11 one of the districts on our hallways starts jumping up and down the halls saying "onze-onze-onze-onze" hahaha. Some things are only funny/exciting in the MTC. Dad, that's really cool that you ran an 11K that day! And mommy, I'm so sorry about your toe! I'm also sorry that I laughed when I read about it..it's just, I don't know any one else but you or I that could break their toe while teaching piano lessons on a Boggle game box no less. hahahaha. Oh mommy, I hope it feel beter soon, boots are no fun. How are you Spencer? How is work going?  

 

Now the moment you have been waiting for...YES I do get to call you from the airport! WOOOO!  

I leave monday morning! I can't wait! I have a couple of layovers, so I will call you from one of those. Most likely, I will call you from Chicago around 3:50 chicago time.....but I'm not sure. I could also call you really late that night, or early the next morning. Just be ever vigilant for you phone that day, ok? (This is a bonus phone call for Mom and Dad since the only other times we will get to talk with her on the phone are Christmas Day and Mother's Day.)

 

I'm thankful for the priesthood we had in our home growing up. I have been studying about the Priesthood a lot this week, and I am just so thankful for it. Wow, I just started typing about prophets and I was having a hard time expressing my testimony about it in English! But, I am thankful to know the pattern of the Lord - He called prophets anciently, and each of those prophets had authority from God to direct His work, and each of them testified of Jesus Christ. I know that Christ did live on the earth, and establish His church and gave His priesthood to the apostles. I know that after centuries of darkness, and confusion, the truth was restored to the earth through the prophet Joseph Smith, and that we are blessed to live in a time where we have a prophet on the earth today, Thomas S. Monson. I am so thankful that the priesthood is again on the earth, and for all of the worthy priesthood holders that have blessed my life in countless ways, and that through the Priesthood we can participate in ordinances, like baptism, that allow us to qualify for eternal life. I know that repentance is real. I know that the Savior's Atonement is more powerful than we imagine, and that He suffered, died, and was resurrected that we may all return to live with God.

 

My time is almost out. I love you. I think of you. I pray for you. I am trying everyday to be more and more dedicated to this work of the Lord, and to be a worthy and willing servant of Him. He gives me so much peace and assurance.

 

Never forget He loves you, no matter what.

 

Love, Soeur Waldron

I Believe in Christ

HELLO!

BONJOUR!

 

Today is a great day to be a missionary. So is everyday!

Notable happenings this week: Elder Richard G. Scott gave a devotional about revelation, and testified to us of always having something to write down spiritual thoughts in, and about finding revelation in the scriptures. He had a lot of missionaries participate, and was a wonderful experience. I know that he is an apostle of the Lord Jesus Christ here on the earth today, and how powerful it was to hear him give his special witness. I know that Heavenly Father loves us, and because He loves us, He sent His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, to suffer and to die for our sins, and open the way for us to come and return to live in God's presence. Just as in days of old, God has blessed us with a prophet in our day, to testify of Christ and speak the word of God. I know that the Book of Mormon is true, and that the Gospel was restored by Joseph Smith. We can recieve personal revelation from the Holy Ghost as we pray, read the scriptures, attend Church services, and strive always to follow the commandments, and keep our covenants. Repentance is wonderful!

 

This week, I studied from the Book of Mormon, King Benjamins address, and next week I will be studying about Abinidai. I am making new language and personal study goals, and am loving French and loving the gospel!

 

I have to go now, but please know that I love you! Send my thanks to ALL who have been writing me, and I promise that I will write back as soon as I possibly can - but until then, just know how thankful I am for your support and prayers for me and my companion.

 

Je vous aime toujours!!!

 

Je sais que Jésus-Christ est notre Sauveur personnellement.

 

Love, Soeur Sarah Waldron

 

PS mom - sister Beck came here last week, too! and Also, everyone, sister madsen from danville came to speak in relief society two weeks ago! More on that next time. LOVE!

Pictures!

Sarah was able to go to San Francisco to the French Consolate! Who would have guessed she would take a quick trip home?

Just before entering the MTC

Such a good looking missionary, no?

This little light of mine, I'm gonna let it shine!

For some reason, that was the song that I started singing as we walked back to the Missionary Training Center in the wet snow this cloudy provo day...it reminds me of how on of my friends, pretty sure it was megan F, would tell me 'Be your own weather' or 'You make the weather' or something like that. Maybe kelly said that. I don't know, but what I do know is that I love my friends immensely, I think of them (you all) often and what I have learned from you and it brings me strength and comfort. Thank you for your letters, your prayers, and your goodness, and for your light! Let it shine!

 

Something wonderful about rain is how it makes the earth seem new - I love the smell of the outdoors just after it rains. Newness is a concept that you grow to be very familiar with as a missionary. Each new day is an opportunity to serve the Lord a little more, a little better. Each weakness you discover is a new occasion to turn to the Savior, and experience His Atonement, which allows our weakest qualities to be fortified and strengthened through Him. Each week we partake of the sacrament and renew our covenants. Each day we learn new things. So much is new.

  

I have a new companionship with the other two sisters in my district, Sister Sabrina Perkins and Sister Lara Ellsworth. I love them immensely and we are having a great time. They make me laugh, and I make them laugh...especially last night when I accidentally prayed for our 'petit amies' (boyfriends) instead of our 'amies de l'eglise' (investigators) hahaha. Speaking of French, please tell Brother Bize thank you so much for his letter! It was wonderful to recieve his encouragement, and to hear it in French! I love the language, and am so excited to continue to improve. I don't have the time, unfortunately, do specifically mention everyone who worte, but please know that every letter is appreciated, THANK YOU!

 

Sister Dalton, the general president of the young women organization of the church came to speak to us in Relief Society on Sunday, she emphasized the need to have a list of scriptures that bring us strength, I am going to do that, will you do that too?

 

Watch Mormon messages this week any time you have a moment on mormon.org, I promise it will brighten your day and you will feel the Spirit of God.

 

God wants to speak to us, and He will as we seek Him and earnestly strive to align our lives with His will, and eliminate the worldy noise that distances us from Him. He is near. He is aware of us. He works miracles in our day, big and small, and I promise you will see them in your life if your look hard enough. Love life. Love the Lord. Speak to Him, He will listen and respond, in His loving way and time.

 

Bonne Journee! Je vous aime toujours.

 

Love, Soeur Sarah Waldron

MTC Happenings

Sent: Tue, October 18, 2011 1:46:09 PM
Subject: La Prière est comme un Phare!

BONJOUR!

 

And a good day it is! I like the French version of the hymn 'Did you think to Pray' a great deal. It has been stuck in my head a good 75% of the time lately. The title of this e-mail is from the chorus 'Prayer is like a Lighthouse'  - it is so true and reminded me of my sweet mommy and how you like lighthouses too.

 

Well, there are so many good things to say! Lets start out with the exciting firedrill that we had at the MTC(Missionary Training Center) today. ALL (and I mean everone) people in the MTC had to evacuate, and we walked accross the street to the field. It doesn't sound that exciting, but it was freezing cold, and there were several elders and sisters who obviously weren't ready for the occasion (my personal favorite was the elder who was in his robe and slippers...but don't worry, he remembered to put his name tag on. Elder Jones, going to Haiti. Also, there was an elder with no shoes on, who's companions carried him triage style) and they blocked off all of 9th east for it. Anyway, it was hilarious. I guess we are easily entertained here.

 

Another funny thing - somehow we discovered that if you put a pass along card right behind the peep hole into the classroom, at just the right angle, all you can see is the face of the person on the card. We also think that is super funny, especially when people get startled by it. Again, this is probably only funny to missionaries who find creative means of entertainment.

 

I SAW HANNAH ELIZABETH MILLER WALKING TO HER CAR FROM WORK! I frequently see Rita, her trusty steed (car, Sarah's car is named Jerome), but I was walking up the stairs in one of the buildings at the exact right time the other day and I just stared and put my hands on my cheecks 'HANNAH!' haha. She was wearing her tan/brown striped cardigan. and had her hair in a low bun- it was a great moment. :) (Hannah hasbeen Sarah's college roommate for a long time and is still going to BYU and working near the Missionary Training Center)

 

wow the time is going fast today!

 

People I've seen: Elder asnd Sister Halversen! I see them almost daily. My favorite was when I saw Elder Halversen for the first time, he kept repeating how happy he was to see me and how great he thought I looked, then he mentions to my companion 'oh, and you look great too, but Sister Waldron and I grew up together!' Adorable. I love them. I also see Sister Van Vliet often, I saw Elders Curtis and Higbee a while back, Elder Ganschow from Danville too, ummmm, Clark Peterson (teacher) and lots of people from art, and I'm sure there's more but its too hard to think of them all. Yay!

 

Would you be interested to know what I do every day? The scedule is a bit different each day (order wise, and p-day- -the day we have to write letters and email and do laundry and some other things-- is way different) but, it consists of: Get up at 6:30, ready by 7, unless you have gym or service. Usually the first thing is daily planning session, and then a half hour of personal study. We have a half hour for breakfast, and then either have a 3 hour class or some more personal study. The rest of the day, we will have lunch, another 3 hour class time, more personal study if we didn't already, 2 hours of language study (one on the computer program, one out of the other study materials) and on Tuesdays we have devotional and Sundays are also way different, maybe I will explain that in my next letter :) we have two teachers, Frères Corbett and Starita, and Brother Starita wanted us to MAKE SURE we told our families HELLO! Haha, they are both GREAT teachers, we are blessed. Oh by the way we also get to eat dinner, and we even get ice cream twice a week. I pretty much have the cafeteria down to a science by now. And we also have time to shower, and have companionship prayer, and other things like that. Dad was right - we pray so much! It is great. What a wonderful gift to be able to talk with God! And He listens, and answers us!

 

I am learning how to be a better goal setter. I am setting some more specific language and personal study goals, and I will be excited to report to you on them next week. (by the way, I love French, and it is coming along fine)

 

The greatest kind of preparation we do on P-day is preparing for life, both on this earth and after this earth, by attending the temple. Go to the temple. It is wonderful. If you are unable to go inside at this time, just go and sit outside it. Oh I love the temple! And I love families, and I know that God loves families too.

 

Sometimes as a missionary, you have the opportunity to step back and evaluate what you are doing, and why. Well, one conclusion I have come to, is that we cannot be Christ like and selfish at the same time. Christ's ministry on the earth was for us. In Moses 1:39, it tells us that God's work and glory is to bring to pass the immortality and Eternal life of man. Our eternal lives are of the utmost importance to God. As a representative of Christ, I have the blessed privilege of doing His work here on the earth, 24-7. The more charitable I become, the better I become as a missionary.

 

God loves us and He knows us even better than we know ourselves.

Our trials allow us to increase in faith and make our weaknesses strong.

Read Kind Benjamin's address in the Book of Mormon, Mosiah chapters 2-6. And know that Doctrine and Covenants (another book of scripture) section 31 is a motivating passage for me, and that I love and miss you dearly, but I am trying my hardest to be the best missionary possible and to devote myself to the work so that we may all be blessed, and I cannot wait to serve the Lord and His children in France and Switzerland.

Families can be together forever, God's plan is for EACH of His children to return toHim, He loves us more than we think he does.

 

HAVE THE BEST WEEK EVER! Thank you times a million to everyone for you letters, your prayers, and your love.

 

Don't forget to smile! And don't forget to pray!

 

Love, Soeur (Sister) Sarah Waldron :)

 

MTC Mailbox # 82

FRA-LYON 1122

2005 North 900 East

Provo UT 84604