April 30, 2019

Bonjour tous! This week has been SERVICE ORIENTED! And it has been marvelous. There have been a lot of floods with all of the rain and snow melting and it has caused a lot of trouble, even for members in the ward. So we have been helping a lot with that. We picked up trash at a nearby park where the water had brought in a lot of garbage and we also helped a member whose basement had flooded. We went there twice and we will be going back next week as well. There is also another member who has been very sick. We have been going over to her house very often to help her make food and clean because she has been too weak to do hardly anything, the poor thing. It has been such a blessing to help others. It makes me grateful for my own health and safety and home. I am so lucky to be so well taken care of and blessed. The weather is trying to decide whether or not to warm up or not. Some days its chilly and windy, other days it is so pleasant. After this long winter, I am ready for the sun! The longer I am here, the more and more I love the people I work with! The members here are so so sweet and so missionary minded! We invited a member frere. Senechal to come with us to a lesson with Lourdia and Ètienne. We have been working with them for MONTHS to come to church. But they live far out and they just weren't super dedicated so it was hard. But frere Senechal offered to give them a ride to church on Sunday. Their WHOLE family! They came in and all sat on the front row. It was the cutest thing I think I have ever seen!! We were just so so happy!! They had such a wonderful time! The members were so so great and welcomed them and made them feel loved and because of that, they had a wonderful experience! We hope that they will desire to feel the spirit they felt here so much that they will do whatever it takes to get to church. That is true conversion and that is our goal. We had a lot of meals with members this week too which is always my favorite thing! I feel at home with my family when the members invite us over and that is such a sweet blessing. Also, we get tired of microwave quesadillas sometimes so home cooked meals are always much appreciated haha! I feel like I blossomed a lot this week. Some weeks are just better than others and this one was great because we were so busy and focused on good. Nothing feels better and more rewarding than that! I felt a lot of love for our amies.. more than usual. I truly truly love them and I feel like they felt it. We saw some progress with a lot of people. I hope we can keep doing what we are doing and help them to see all of the blessings that are in store for them within this church and gospel. I love my mission! We were in the homes of member and amies representing about 7 different cultures this week! I am working with and teach so many different people and I love it so very much!! We passed by a lady from India, named Kamal. She had some friends over and they let us come in and talk with them and share our message. They gave us this Indian treat called Kihr (I think...) anyway, it was delicious! Kind of like rice pudding but better. She said we could come back whenever we wanted. We talked with and taught a lot of people from Haiti and Guatemala as well. I love the cultures. I love the people. I love that we are all children of the same loving Heavenly Father. I appreciate all that I am learning. I love this work so so much! I love representing my Savior. I read something that struck me the other day in a missionary manuel that said, you are not here to represent yourself, but Jesus Christ. That comforted me because it reminded me that I don't have to worry about what others think of me. I can "make a fool out of myself for the Lord" and not be bothered if people reject me because its not ME. And it's not my problem. I am here as a messenger of truth. The people who are prepared will recognize that, and those who don't will continue to be prepared. This work will keep moving forward and I am so proud to be standing in the ranks! I love my captain and my Savior Jesus Christ. I am so proud to wear his name. I love him. I hope you all are well and happy and seeing the good in the world. As long as God lives, it is there. Love, Soeur Bates

April 23, 2019

Bonjour mes amis! So a lot happened this week! Lots and lots of lessons including two new finds! We had a missionary from the ward come home from her mission in New York! Sister Lucas. She is so awesome! We got to go to her homecoming party. It was really revitalizing to see her with her family so happy. I am so looking forward to that! But until then, I have a work to do! And man is it going by fast! We were supposed to have transfer calls on Saturday, but for whatever reason, they postponed them to last night! Sister Atwood and I will be staying together here in Laval! I am so happy! I love it here. I love the members, I love our aims, I love my sister! I am so excited for another great learning transfer! I learned a lot about myself this transfer and what I am capable to do. I am finally beginning to be comfortable with understanding French. It still takes some concentration, but it's coming quick! I have had to exercise a LOT of courage and faith this transfer. It has been downright hard sometimes! But my Savior was there. He gave me tender mercies, and strength to continue on more times than I could count. I felt such a great appreciation for him and his suffering and atoning for me. I don't know how he did it. I crumble so easily under pressure and trial, but He didn't. I am so grateful that he didn't. In the beginning of Preach my Gospel, there is a part where it says something along the lines of "whether they understand it or not, people NEED the peace and healing that comes through Christ's atoning sacrifice" They NEED the hope. So many people I talk to brush off this invitation of the restored gospel so quickly, without stopping to consider how it could change them. It can change everything. I know that because I have seen it. The people who take that tiny step of faith to just listen, and then act find joy unlike anything they have ever experienced. And it changes them. It changes their lives. It changes everything. People don't realize it, but they NEED the gospel. So that is the question that I have been really pondering this week. How can I help people to see why they need it? I was reading this talk that elder Uchtdorf gave at a missionary conf. He told the story of an elder who was fearless. the elder said, "we are told to be bold, but not over bearing. Over bearing is to be bold without love. But if people can truly feel that you love them, you can never be too bold." I LOVE that! It all starts with love. When we love them, they will be more likely to listen and also to act. So I want to encourage you this week, pray for the help to love people. ALL people. And then, go do something about it. The love you feel for someone won't do them a bit of good if you don't effectively show it. As we do this, I know that opportunities will arise that you never expected, from people you would never expect. I know that my Redeemer lives. I know he gets me. I know that he loves me personally. I feel it strongest as I am serving and loving God's children. I sure love my savior so much! I hope that all of you had the most wonderful Easter! I love you all! love, Soeur Bates

April 16, 2019

Bonjour a tous! This week was busy! We had a new trainer trainee meeting so we got to go to Montreal and sister Atwood got to see her MTC district altogether with their trainers so that was super cute! President and sister Phillips message was so wise and inspiring. I love them so much! We also had exchanges yesterday. We have the best STLs! I got to go to Montreal with sister Ellis and it was so much fun! That was my first time serving on the island! It was different but I loved it so so much! We had a miracle where we went to pass by a guy who wasn't there, so we tried a pass by who was in the area named Michelle and she let us in and we taught her about baptism! She agreed to come and watch a baptismal service so that was super super cool! It turns out that sister Ellis had met Michelle before very briefly months ago on an exchange. She had been thinking about her this last week so the fact that we ran into her was a miracle! So so cool! We also taught the cutest family of all time who are on date to be baptized in a week. They are so elect and so amazing. i felt so much love for them and I have only met them once! We had good finding time and I learned so much. Sister Ellis is training too so she gave me some really good advice on how to help my trainee. It was wonderful and much needed. I love learning from these stellar missionaries. They are so wise and kind! We had great lessons this week as well! We had a super powerful lesson with Lourdia and Etienne. We listened to president Nelson's address and it really really touched them. We invited them to be baptized and they said they still wanted to watch a baptism before they committed. There was one the very next day! Unfortunately it didnt work out and they couldn't come so that was sad... But there is one this Friday so we hope to get them there for that one! We feel like they are so so close! We also had a good lesson with Josianne. She is a total sweetheart. She was going through a rough time, so we brought her cookies and had a good lesson with her. She promised us that she would read in the Book of Mormon because she was grateful that we were thinking of her. Nothing else she could do would bring me more joy than that! But the biggest miracle of all was this guy named Bahati. I found him facebook finding last conference, and we have been talking. He told me a week ago that he would come to church which was amazing! Then Sunday morning he asked if we could find him a ride, but it was a little too late for that. We asked him if he would be able to take the bus this time and we would find him a ride next week and just assumed that he would choose not to come, but he CAME! We were ecstatic! When people take a step of faith like that, nothing compares. My joy was SO FULL people! But there's more! The elders are teaching another guy named Issacc who is actually the one getting baptized this Friday and it turns out, they are cousins!! WHA!? They didn't even know that the other was here! He said that he would definitely come to his baptism and he told us that he just wanted to learn a little more about the gospel before he gets baptized.... be still my beating heart... When things like this happen I feel so much gratitude to my Heavenly Father because it is proof that this is his work. He is at the helm and he is preparing people and preparing us for people so perfectly that it could never be a coincidence. I am so excited to see what happens with Bahati on his journey, but I have a feeling that he is ready and that he has been being prepared for a long time. I love this work so much! (lol i feel like i say the same thing every single email, but its hard to know how else i can articulate how i feel about missionary work and my Savior) I love the Lord and I am proud to be about my Father's business, walking a very similar path that he has already tread. I am grateful to have this time to get to know him better. It is worth it. "It's the kingdom of God or nothing!" I love you all dearly and hope that life is treating you well. Much love! soeur Bates

April 9, 2019

Bonjour mes Amies!! SO much happened this week! At the beginning of the week, the weather was beautiful! All I needed was a light jacket!..... But this very moment it is snowing again.. C'mon Canada, really? I HOPE it is the last time!! I am so ready for no more snow! Haha. On-t-que (anyways) We had a lot of lessons this week and I learned a lot from them. We did some service, helping a friend of ours sort her pantry. It was a lot of fun! And then conference! Oh my Lanta! Conference this week completely blew my mind! There were a lot of themes that I noticed that really stuck with me and touched my heart! The first was temples! There is so much missionary work to be done and most of it, we cannot even see! Just think about how many people have lived on this earth and have died without ever hearing the truth! There are so many people on the other side that are prepared to hear it and many more that are waiting to be taught. I have had this reoccurring thought these past few years that there is a reason why so many good and godly people are being called back home. Heaven needs missionaries! There are millions of generations that need missionaries. I felt like this conference solidified that in my heart. That brought comfort. I know where my dad is, I know what he is doing, and I love that we are both doing the same work at the same time, very much in the same place (since his mission is soon to be mine) the second theme that i got is that there is absolutely no time to waste. These are the last of the last days. There is much to do and we can either choose to be a part of the winning team and live, or choose to remain normal and lose what could have been ours. There are no fence sitters in this game. I especially loved elder Anderson's talk about how we need to be a people ready to receive Christ. He can't come until there is a righteous enough people ready to receive him. So, the best thing we can do as members of the church of Jesus Christ is to become true disciples personally. I felt the urgency in his message and it inspired me in a very real way to be better and to be more focused in my preparation and personal development. I know through elder Bednar's talk that I can do that by using the Come Follow Me program and through daily scripture study and prayer. There is absolutely no way to truly know our Savior than by any other way. We could read every piece of information that was ever written about Christ and not know the smallest part about him. It is though prayer and scripture study through the power of the holy ghost that we know Him. That is a promise from the God that has existed since the beginning. The means and the right way has not changed. It won't change. I see too often in people that they don't truly believe that they need to read and pray every day, but they don't understand the danger in that. Time is running out and we all need to figure it out if we want our judgement day to be a glorious experience, not a shameful and guilt filled one. I am so beyond grateful for our prophet president Nelson and for the apostles and all of the speakers that pricked my heart and made me want to do and be better. We don't realize how lucky we are to have direct revelation straight from God. I know that President Nelson is our prophet today. I know that he is inspired and I know that he is preparing us to be prepared for Christ's second coming. I know that it is soon. And I know what side I want to be standing on when he does. I love him. I am honored to serve him for this short time. I hope that conference for all of you was as inspiring as it was for me! I encourage you to go back and study those talks again. We forget too easily and we need that spiritual nourishment chaque moment, chaque jour! I love you all, and you are in my prayers. Much love, Soeur Bates

April 2, 2019

Bonjour mes amis! This week has been very out of the ordinary! We got to go to Montreal twice for zone conf and stake conf! Both were so incredible! We got lost driving to Montreal the first time for zone conf and so we were late, so that was stressful. But it ended up being such a truly uplifting and motivational conference. We talked a lot about how powerfully the Book of Mormon testifies of Christ. It does! We did this exercise where we looked at Mosiah 3. We only read about 4 verses but already we were able to fill a blackboard of how many things it testifies of about Christ. It was so amazing. The Book of Mormon truly is the strongest testimony we have on the earth. It testifies of truth and I know that the honest seeker who reads and prays about the Book of Mormon with a sincere heart WILL know truth for themselves. Truth is the same yesterday today and tomorrow and I know that the Book of Mormon is true. That was Wednesday, then on Sunday, Elder Hamilton from the 70 came to speak to us and it was incroyable! He is so awesome! I found a lot of answers to my questions and concerns from his talk and from zone conf too. I know that we are lead and guided by truly inspired men of God in this church and I am so beyond grateful for that. Speaking of which, General Conference is this weekend and I can' wait!! I know that there are some truly incredible things coming. I can feel it! The rest of this week has been good! We invited a lot of people to baptism! Like 5! Haha. we got one yes, and like 3 maybes so that's awesome! We had a lesson with my favorite person ever, Saphira. She is the one who wants to be baptized. We taught her the gospel of Jesus Christ and by the end we asked her if she would be baptized and without hesitation she said "yes of course, I know its what I need to do." This girl is 13 years old people!! All we have to do is make sure her mom is okay with it and she will be on date. I love this girl with all of my heart. She is just so so ready!! My joy was sooo full! After the lesson soeur Atwood and I went to the car and just squealed! Haha we couldn't keep it in! Moments like those make all those really hard days okay. I love that Satan has to push us for days before we break, but Christ only needs 1 minute to fill us with more joy than we have room to receive! That is how joy works and how sweet it is! I love my mission! I am so excited for the days to come! I know that the future is so bright and that there are great changes taking place to prepare us for the great day that is to come when our Savior comes again in all his glory and with all his peace and healing. The world is so ready for Christ to come back. Now its really time from the people to be. I know that this church is true. I KNOW that. I know it is true because Christ is at the head. HE directs this church through prophets, through president Nelson. I am so so excited to hear from him his weekend!! Come with questions, come prepared. I know that you will be as edified as you prepare yourself to be! I love my Savior! and i love his work. Soeur Bates