BONJOUR FAMILLE!!!
So this week a lot happened--as you probably know. We went to San Francisco on Thursday to get our visas and we were able to see the city for a bit. We saw Ghiradelli square and Fisherman's warf and pier 39. We went to the Golden Gate Bridge but avas...it was foggy. We have a theory though. It's like a first date. You can't give away all your secrets all at once. San Francisco is playing a little aloof so that we will come back for more. The coolest part of the whole trip was that we got a little bit of time to tract. In the airport, I met this man who was heading to Salt Lake for the first time for a conference. He came up to me and asked how long the flight was to SL. When he saw our tags he read "Church of Jesus Christ?" Apparently he can read french! What does that mean? And we started talking "So are you like a nun or something?" "Actually no. Sister Callister and I have decided to set aside 18 months of our life to serving God and helping others come closer to Jesus Christ". He was floored. He kept saying "wow. That is so cool. I can't believe that. That is really such an awesome thing". He wanted to know more! So we talked to him a little bit and then we gave him a pass along card that had Soeur Callisters testimony in it. After that we just talked about his business and his life here in the states. After the flight, I hear "Hey! Hey! Excuse me! Sister!" I turn around and I see that same man coming towards me. He comes straight up to me and looks me square in the eyes and says "Thank you so much for that card. I am heading to my hotel right now and I'm going to look up that site (mormon.org). I am really excited about it. Thank you so much. Thank you. Thank you" And then he walked away. I was shocked! I felt an overwhelming love for him and I just wanted to continue teaching him and be there for him to answer questions and teach him how to find answers. Anyway, I wish him the very best. It was an awesome experience. Also, side note, have I been to San Fran before? For some reason Pier 39 looked SO familiar. Espeically the Aquarium of the Bay. Have we been there as a family? Like when we did the Redwoods/Whale watching trip?
Teaching our fake investigator is the funniest thing ever. He is actually our teacher (and he has started teaching us now). The funniest part was when we were teaching him about the plan of salvation. We had planned our lesson anticipating he already knew the story of Adam and Eve and that he could recount it to us--mistake!! When we asked him "Are you familiar with the story of Adam and Eve" He said no! He pretended like he had never heard of them before! Me and my companion look at each other and we keep repeating to him Adam and Eve in every sort of combination. We had NOT prepared the lesson of Adam and Eve in French! STRESS HAHA!! So we go to the board and we start speaking in caveman french (Book Good. Fruit Eat haha) and drawing pictures on the chalk board. The highlight was when he said "So what you're saying is that God told Adam and Eve, if they didn't evat the fruit, the fruit would eat them?" BAHAHA oh fail. The really cool experience of this lesson was actually at the end though. We were teaching and Soeur Carter was doing a great job of answering questions. Suddenly I felt really strongly that I should bear my testimony. WHAT THE WHAT! I can bear my testimony but I felt I should say very specific things and I did NOT know how to say that in French. Finally I folded to the Spirit's wishes and I asked if I could say something really fast. I bore my testimony without any trouble at all. The gift of tongues is real. I was able to express what I wanted and I felt like I was just speaking. The Spirit was very strong. Nicolas was very receptive and he decided he would read the book of mormon haha even though in real life he's already served a mission. Well I left and I felt that Nicolas as a real human being (not our fake investigator) needed to hear some of things in my testimony.
Anyway, the next day I went to S.F. and I didn't think much about it. Well I guess that Nicolas came into our class and revealed himself as one of our teachers. He said we were doing INCREDIBLY well. That it is flooring the other teachers that we are teaching 30-45 minute lessons. In the past, the first 2 weeks, the missionaries teach for 45 minutes all together. So each companionship is like 6 minutes. He then said "Soeur Bitter said the most beautiful thing. She said 'I know I am not very important but I know that if I pray, God will respond to my prayers. I may not be very important but I am very special to him and so are you Nicolas". Something like that. I'm glad I wasn't there because I feel I would have been pretty embarassed. I thought that was nice of him to say and then I didn't think much more of it. Yesterday though, at the end of our lesson, Nicolas bore his testimony and said that he has been going through a hard time. At that moment I felt that he had needed to hear what God had told me to say in my testimony. I realized then that missionary work is about bringing others unto Christ REGARDLESS if they are investigators or not. We need to help and uplift and strengthen even the most stalwart followers of Christ. We all need help at some point.
Sunday is really the best day. We watched an old talk (devotional specifically for the MTC) by Elder Bednar. It was called "Character of Christ" and he really highlighted the difference between having a testimony and being converted. He said that if we only have a testimony of the Gospel, we will most likely fall away. It is only when we are truly converted and striving every day to become more converted that we can be sure that we will always follow God. He talked about how the Character of Christ is about looking outward instead of inward. The natural man wants to look inwards. What are my needs? My problems? "I want Baptisms. I want investigators. I want lessons" me me me me me. But when we focus more outwards and focus on others, that is when we truly find ourselves.
He told a story of this phone call he got one time. He was in the shower and his wife comes in and says "it's an emergency. You have to get on the phone now". He was the stake president at the time and so he runs to the phone and on the other line is one of the Relief Society Presidents of the other wards. "There has been a terrible accident and three of the young women were involved. They are being transported to a hospital near you and I need you to go and identify them. One has been confimed dead and the other two are in critcal condition. Can you do this President". He replied that of course he would. Continuing to talk to her, he discovers two things. 1. one of the daughters is definitely hers. He is not sure which one and neither is she. Is she dead? Is she alive? 2. He hears that she is actually on two phones. One with him and on the other ear she is on the phone with the nurse who is with the girls. Suddenly he hears the nurse tell the R.S. President. "We have successfully identified the deceased young woman. She is your daughter". Elder Bednar can hear this through the phone and he does not know what to do or say. What is going to happen next? At that moment the R.S. President said "President, we have just found that the two young women who are in critical condition are ___ and ___. We need to notify their parents and let them know that they are going to be fine and to meet us as the hospital." She continued to give instructions to Elder Bednar. He was floored! This woman, who just found out that her only child--and only family since she was a single mother was dead, was concerned about the welfare of others rather than the welfare of herself. No one would have blamed her if she would have crumpled to the floor and mourned the death of her child but instead she took the opportunity in a time of stress and need to turn out and serve others.
To add the story, the day of her daughers funeral she gets a call from a "Self-centered woman of the church" (as Elder Bednar put it). She was unaware of the situation with the R.S. Presidents daughter but she started to ream the R.S. President saying "I've had a cold! And NO ONE has brought me any soup! that is your job as the relief society president! To take care of the other sisters" instead of making this sister feel bad or guilty, The R.S. Presdient apologized and she herself delievered some home made soup to this woman on the way to the funeral home. God did not spend his earth ministery in an office behind a desk. He spent it among his brothers and sisters, serving and helping and healing them. Even after suffering in Gethsemane, he took the opportunity to turn out and serve others by healing the ear of the Roman Guard. That could have been a perfect time to mentally prepare for the cross or worry about his own needs. Instead, he was completely focused on the welfare of others. It was a life changing talk. I think we all left feeling extra selfish and that we needed to improve.
Anyway, I have lots more to write but the time says I only have 2 more mintues!! I love you all so much
Mom, in response to your letter-San Francisco was amazing. It was an awesome escape from the MTC and i felt like for once I was able to eat real food!! WOHOO!! Also, I discovered there that I want to end up in California. It just made me happy being there. Or maybe it was the stark contrast of the MTC v San Francisco. We flew out Thursday morning and caught the last flight back Thrusday night. I have been getting your dealelders just fine :) they are great and they always make my day. Also, the blanket was perfect!! I have been sleeping so well. Oh random story! Our floor flooded! Someone left the faucet on and then a pipe burst haha! Everyone's rooms were in water excpet ours and the other sisters in our distict. A few sisters woke up to a couple inches of water in their room. How sad. It smells but we were SO LUCKY!! HAHA That is so funny that your visiting teacher knows my companion! Soeur Carter says hi!!
I bought the usb sd card thing so I could upload pics and the only other thing I can think of that I would need is a sweatshirt. Fail on my part. Also, if you feel so inclined to send any sort of real food, it would be much appreciated. Eating a spinach salad every lunch and dinner and a banana every breakfast is getting kind of bland. I WOULD KILL FOR SOME CASHEWS!!
OH LAST STORY!! I went to the temple today and did sealings. THEY WERE AMAZING!! I think I can count maybe 9 other times I have felt the spirit that strong. That is the center of Gods Gospel. Us returning to him and being with families forever. I loved it. I thought of how grateful I am to be sealed and that I can be promised to see Matthew and Ryan again if I do my best.
Oh and yes! Elder Ballard came and spoke to us last Tuesday!! I found out right after I wrote you guys! It was amazing! He talked about the enabling power of the atonement and for us to stop stressing. We already know the doctrine. Where Kolob is is not the doctrine. We all know the doctrine so stop stressing and just pray.
I love you.
Aubrey and Kati, I love your letters--I hope you're getting mine. I sent you two already. mers, I lvoed your letter last week and I sent you one! Let me know if you're not getting them.
Avec Amour,
Soeur Kari Ann Bitter
P.S. Tell Grandma Bill I've been thinking of her! She's been on my mind for some reason so send her my love!!!
P.P.S UPDATE THE BLOG!!!
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