José is getting baptised! I've learned how to bear a grammatically passable basic testimony in Spanish and just enough other words to really do a number on my French after every lesson with him. Soeur Illizarbe thinks it's hilarious every time I say "c'est bueno!" And has to pause her translation to laugh.
We have some awesome members who translate for him in church, come to lessons, and are just generally absolutely amazing missionaries. Lots of the Americans speak Spanish better than French (and German, Japanese, Tagalog, Swahili, etc... Mormons, amiright?) And we have some members who have spanish parents. Jose rocks and he brought his own self to church the first time we met him and is just generally awesome. There's hard times here but also miracles too.
Turns out A speaks Spanish too and she started explaining Sunday school for him. Because why not. Seriously, she's taken the idea of ministering and is running with it and doing great things.
This email will be really short because we went to the temple today (yay!) But I love you all and will hopefully be able to write you next week on the correct p-day.
Music request for the week is "in Christ Alone I stand" by Owl City, and Mom, if you'd please put the "Orgins" Mormon message on the blog with the links for it in Spanish and French too? And I'd suggest everybody watch it!
(mom can't find the spanish or french and will have to keep looking)
We've taught a few people this week that really connected with Joseph Smith's experience. He had questions, they have questions, they both wanted answers, and now they're looking for God to respond. But it's hard to respond to a question that is never directly asked!
Challenge for the week: Try to picture yourself as someone who has never heard of any of this before. They might have met the missionaries once, they're sitting at church, they're all alone, they don't know anyone and somebody at the front of the room is talking about something that makes no sense and is different from anything you've ever studied. You've been trying to read the book of Mormon and that Nephi guy just beheaded somebody and you're reasonably sure that is against the 10 commandments (Sorry, J....) but you're going to give this your best shot anyways.
Then please encourage and support someone who is going through that situation right now. Show them the love you and the savior have for them, and welcome them home. They may not speak the same language, literally or figuratively, but everyone needs a little compassion.
The picture is the verse that says "I will not leave you comfortless, I will come to you." In French it says "I will not leave you orphans, I am coming to you."
This turned out longer than I meant again but I love you all, the church is true, the temple is still awesome, sun burns are still a thing and mosquitoes think I'm delicious but I'm happy to be here! Give someone a hug for me!
-Soeur Alyssa Amott
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