I leave the MTC for Paris on Monday! I have learned so many
things in my 5 ½ weeks here. Before one of my classes, our teacher, Frere
Nelson (who just got back from serving in our mission), took some time to talk to
us about what our first day will be like in France. I was grinning
from ear-to-ear, like a 7 year-old on Christmas morning, the entire time he was
talking. I love him as our teacher … his accent is incredible and I hope mine
ends up sounding that good! Anyway, he talked about the long and cramped flight
there and how restless he was to get there. Haha, I’m going to try and sleep
though! He said that we will go to customs and get our passports stamped. Then President
Poznaski (our mission president) and his wife, along with the two assistants, will
pick us up at the airport and feed us. We will then get on a 45 minute train
ride to downtown Paris where we will be given a "mother" (another
sister missionary) that will take us contacting, or talking to people on the
streets, for a hour around Notre Dame and the streets of Paris for the day.
Talk about exciting! Ahh! Then we will get back on a train and head to the
mission home. He said it is absolutely beautiful and is in a super nice neighborhood
with lakes and swans; basically a 19-year old girl's fairytale dream. He showed
us tons of pictures and shared some mission experiences and stories with us. I
couldn't contain my excitement! It still feels so unreal that I am going there –
but it really started to hit me. I can’t wait to get there, but I also know
this last week at the MTC is super important, and that I need to study hard and
stay focused and learn all I can from this wonderful and spiritual place.
I have been participating in the MTC choir, and guess what?!
We have been given an opportunity of a lifetime! The first weekend in April is
General Conference, which is the first of two semiannual conferences the church
has each year, where messages from our church leaders are broadcast from Salt
Lake to the entire world. I have been to those sessions in person, and they are
truly inspiring and so spiritual. There are two general sessions on Saturday
and two on Sunday. In between the two Saturday sessions, they will be doing a
short story on the influx of young missionaries that have answered the call to
serve. As we were practicing one night, we were told that a film crew was
coming in to film us singing! So make sure you all look for me singing ... I am wearing a bright orange sweater in the fourth row on the left side! We sang a song called "Like Ten Thousand
Legions Marching" which will be played in between the conference sessions
on Saturday. This song was written specifically for us to sing (and has never
been sung before) for the hundreds of new missionaries who are now going out to
serve around the world. I feel so honored to be a part of this incredible
movement!
The MTC has been like an incubator; a controlled environment
with conditions maintained for our growth and development. I have gained
strength here to help sustain me in the mission field when things get hard. We
have been asked to leave all forms of comfort behind, and come to this
incubator, where we must learn to rely more fully on the true comforter … the
Holy Ghost. As I have tried to do that I have seen a change in myself. The Lord
has humbled me and I am learning that I am going to have to truly rely on him
to do what I need to do as a representative of the Savior.
I love the Easter season. Ever since I was a little girl, I
remember going on Easter Egg hunts or searching around the entire house for the
basket the Easter Bunny had left me. But I also remember going to church every
Easter Sunday, wherever we were during our spring break, and feeling the love
and gratitude for my Savior Jesus Christ. It truly is remarkable to think
that the possibility of eternal happiness was brought about by five words:
"Here Am I, Send Me." Our elder brother, Jesus Christ, stands between
us and the creditor, willing to pay the debt for our sins. We are debtors, but
receive mercy through His sacrifice and through His Atonement. We have been told
that we still must rise above the natural man and pay off that debt
by doing the best we can by turning our lives to follow Him and His
commandments. In church this last week, I was randomly called on to share my
testimony of my faith in the Atonement of Jesus Christ ... in FRENCH. As I
walked up to the pulpit, I said a prayer in my heart for the words to say and
to have the Spirit with me. I feel so blessed to know that all of my prayers were
answered. It was neat sharing my love for my Savior and for his sufferings in a
foreign tongue, and as I did, I could still feel the spirit so strongly. I
testified of the importance of USING the atonement in our lives to receive that
peace and comfort, knowing that we can repent for the big or small things we
have done wrong. Easter signals the completion of the Atonement. While life is
hard at times, we are told to "Be of Good Cheer; for I have overcome the
World." I know that the Atonement makes up for my inadequacies and
limitations.
We were also able to watch two videos that really touched
me: The YouTube clip, "Atonement: How it Applies to Missionary Work" and
the film, "The Testaments". It was incredible to see the resurrected
Lord and Savior Jesus Christ visiting the Nephites and healing them of their
sicknesses and blessing the little children. One of the girls in "The
Testaments" reminded me of my sweet and littlest sister, Sophia. She had
incredible faith in Jesus Christ and had such a sweet smile. Aw, I miss you
Sophia! Anyway, as my time to depart for Paris comes closer and closer, I have
noticed that I have become a little anxious. But knowing that Jesus Christ
REALLY did come to Earth, and that died and suffered for MY sins, changes
everything. I don't know what I would do without that knowledge, and not only
that , but the knowledge that Christ LIVES. He was resurrected and leads our
church today. I know that we can all come to know the life of our Savior as we
continue to study his words and life in The Bible and in The Book of Mormon
(Another Testament of Jesus Christ). I would encourage you all to remember the
Atonement in your life, and to USE it. It is a gift … and something that will
truly lift us up from our burdens if we recognize the powerful influence it can
have on us in our lives.
I love this gospel and I am so excited to serve the people
in France and get on that plane next Monday. My faith in Jesus Christ and the
Atonement makes this overwhelming task seem doable, as long as I put my faith in
Him. Thank you for your support and for the way you each live your Christ-like
lives. I would encourage you to remember our Savior during this Easter Season
and find a way to implement the gift of the Atonement in your everyday life.
I love you all … have a wonderful week! Just a reminder not
to use my MTC address anymore after this week … send any mail or packages to
France! Also, you can e-mail me now at madeline.vance@myldsmail.net! I look forward to hearing from you!
Take care! Happy Easter!
Love,
Soeur Madeline Vance
France Paris Mission
23, Rue du Onze Novembre
78110 le Vésinet - FRANCE
