February 12, 2019

Salut mes amies! Wow what a week! Time really seems to be flying by! I can't believe that I have been in Laval for 2 weeks already! This place is really growing on me. It was hard at first because it is very different from Quebec, but the ward is solid, the people are kind and the work is moving forward! We have been teaching this great lady named Lourdia . We had the most amazing Plan of Salvation lesson with her. We drew it out and and explained to her what the true meaning and goal for our lives is. She was so excited and wanted to know how to get there. I have literally never seen her so excited! We told her we would come back and explain it next time. She was so excited that she wanted us to come back the very next day! (Then she cancelled on us and we had to reschedule it haha, mais c'est la vie;) They had the lesson with her yesterday, but we were on exchanges so i wasn't there. Apparently it went very well and she knows now that her next step is to come to church. She committed to come on Sunday! We are so excited! Shes seriously so awesome! Very elect. Exchanges yesterday were so good!! I was with sister Garcia in Mascouche! I really loved that area. It had a great spirit about it. I learned oh so much! We tried a new approach to knocking and it went very very well! A couple people said that we could come back and some said that they would come to church! It was so cool! I gained a lot of insight with how to better and more effectively learn French. It has been hard because both sister Stephenson and I are still so new and don't speak as well as we would like. It has made the work a struggle sometimes, but the Lord has blessed us with very patient people. We have been working a lot with members. In the lessons that are really hard to understand, the members make up the difference. It has been a huge tender mercy. The Lord blesses us in so many ways that seem ordinary but are truly miraculous. (Go and read the bible dictionary under the word miracles. It really changed my outlook on things today) I had a gift of tongues experience on exchanges. We were having dinner with this family that was VERY Crois. And they spoke very fast, oh mon do. I didn't understand a whole lot when they were talking to each other, but when they said anything directly to me, i understood it completely and I was able to respond to some harder questions in a way that actually made sense! I definitely surprised myself! I know that it was the spirit helping me. The Lord gives us what we need not what we want. I want to be able to understand everything everybody says, but instead the Lord helped me understand and say only what i needed to hear and say, in the very moment that I needed it. It was incredible! I know that this is the Lord's work. I say it every time. but i am so grateful to be a part of it! It is so many people! I love my Savior! Love, Soeur Bates