Week 6! (mtc) September 21, 2018

Bonjour! This week has been so busy! With everything winding down so quickly and preparing to leave and start my mission in the real world, my emotions have been everywhere! Sometimes I feel so ready to go! Other times I feel utterly under-prepared and scared. But I know that I am here for a reason and I am so excited to go and teach the people of Montreal! I know that the Lord and the spirit will make up for where I lack and that He didn't send me here to fail. There have been so many testimony builders this week. On Tuesday, Elder Anderson came and spoke to us. He was the sweetest! The spirit was so strong! Afterwards, he came out into the crowd and started shaking hands with people. I didn't get to, but I was only about three people away from him! The spirit he had about him was tangible. And something truly remarkable happened. All 1000 of us missionaries began singing along with the postlude music , we thank thee oh God for a prophet and Called to serve. It was not planned. I have never before felt such a spirit of unity and power like I did that night. It was miraculous. It brought me to tears and I felt such a strong feeling that this was right. I was exactly where I needed to be, doing exactly what the Lord wanted me to do. This church is true. I know that because the things I have felt the spirit testify to me that are true, could not be of man. They are not. They are of God and I have felt that witness. I know that this is the only true church on the earth. I know it. I have felt so much joy in this work this week. We have been teaching this fake investigator named Miriam. She agreed to be baptized this week. I felt so full of joy. I can't even imagine the joy that I will feel when bringing real actual people, God's children back to the fold. I love this work. I have been studying a lot in 2 Nephi this week, with Jacob talking about Isaiah. He said that the Gentiles will carry the people of Israel on their shoulders. I never really understood what that phrase meant until just recently. We are the Gentiles, and carry them on their shoulders- that's missionary work! We are carrying people back to the fold. My choir director told a story about when he was helping at a girls camp. Thus little girl didn't know how to swim, so he let her hang on his back. He wasn't strong enough to swim back to shore and the current kept pulling him in circles. The bishop at the time through him a rope and pulled him back to shore. We are carrying people, but without Christ, our lifeline, we will drown. This is HIS work. I have a testimony of that. And I am so grateful to be a part of it. I love my Savior. I am so grateful that He is always there, constant and strong in this whirlpool we are living in. I know that He can help us through anything and everything. I am a walking testimony of that. I love Him so much for that. And I am so excited to do His work. This gospel is true. The book of Mormon is true and because it is true, everything else is true too. I love being a missionary! Next time, I write, I will be in Canada! I hope you all are doing well. Thank you so much for you kind words of encouragement. I love you all so much! Love, soeur Bates