France here I come!

Sœur Berge and one of her teachers Frère Smith

Sœur Berge and one of her teachers Sœur Judd!

Dear famille et amis,

So this week was a really cool week. Guess who we got to hear from? Elder Robert C Gay! Way cool! He gave a great talk and I went and shook his hand afterwards and told him it wasn't the first time I shook his hand. Really neat experience.

I can't believe my time here at the MTC is coming to an end. I've made so many wonderful friends and created so many amazing experiences, but I'm not sad it's over. I'm just getting so excited that my time to change lives is finally here.

We leave here Monday at 11:15.  We're taking the Front Runners up to SLC airport and our 10 hour flight departs around 5 I think. So I'll probably call sometime around 1-3 utah time (3-6 your time?)

I got your package! Thank you so much! I loved it :) Also add Kristen Judd on my facebook. She's one of my instructors here. She added me. You just have to confirm her.

We had in-field orientation off MTC campus in a chapel we had to walk to. It was a LONG day, but I got to meet Elder Christansen from the District :) That was cool. He's from Cocoa beach. He's a funny dude.

Today we had to say goodbye to our instructors :( It was sooo sad! I love our teachers. We see them almost every day! We've had some good laughs. Sister Hutchins even wrote this super long poem about our district. It's hilarious.

The MTC is super different this week. All of our meals aren't in the cafeteria. They're in the gym! Super strange. It's because it's mission president conference week this week and they're receiving all their training and stuff. It's way cool.

Today has been a crazy day. We did laundry and it was PACKED! Every washer was taken and you have to fight to even get one. We we're supposed to have service, but since we're leaving it's kind of half our P-day. I'm about half-way packed, but we have some good times in the laundry room. Awesome memories are made for sure :)

Something I've learned this week is 'We don't go on missions to preach the gospel; we go to find the ones that are ready to hear how they can change their lives.' I really encourage everyone to go onto LDS.org and watch the video called 'Earthly Father, Heavenly Father.' It's about relating fathers on earth to our father in heaven. My favorite part is at the end, "Of all the titles of respect and honor and admiration that are given to diety, he asked us to address Him as Father." Out of ALL the titles and all the extraordinary names used, he only asked us to call him father. The world needs to give a greater respect to the title 'father.' A father is someone who created us with the potential to be like him. They provide for us and they watch us go through tough times and make mistakes. A father is someone who thrives off of the growth of his children. I'm so grateful for both of my dads.

Overall, I can never express my grattitude enough for my trials and for the pruning Heavenly Father gives me. I'm grateful for Him giving me the opportunity to grow. He allows me to practice my faith and my agency to prove myself to him. Faith has the power to move mountains; but don't be suprised when He hands you a shovel.

Now I am blessed with the opportunity to go forth and give Him my all and help others come unto Him. It's my time to use what I've learned from my past experiences and try to relate to the people of France as well as learn more from them in the process. How grateful am I for the opportunity to serve a mission. It's going to be the best 18 months of my life. I choose to be happy, I choose to help others, I choose to give my all because I know Heavenly Father lives. He loves all of us and some of us don't know He even exists. Jesus Christ died for us and he suffered every grief and pain of the world so that we would have the chance to allow His Atonement to play a role in our lives and to take away the sorrow we go through. Whether we seek forgiveness or seek to forgive, He can and WILL help us. It's our choice to allow Him to have that role in our lives. Jesus Christ will heal all. So let Him.

I can't wait to hear from you :) I love you all and pray for you daily. I also really appreciate all the love and support so many of you have given me. I've really felt so much support and it gives me strength to know I have so many people praying for me. I won't let ya down! France here I come!

Stay righteous, be true, be you!

Avec amour,

Soeur Berge