My Film Debut

 

So this never sent from last week. Whoops.
Iaorana tout le monde! 

This week was a crazy one so strap in for some spelling mistakes and stories.

(Hopefully I don't sound impatient and tired in this email. We just took an hour and a half to drive 10 miles so I am this close 👌 to losing it.)

Speaking of impatience, I made my film debut this week when I appeared in a Facebook video about patience and virtue! I went on exchanges with Hermana Lander y Hermana Bascom. They speak Spanish and made a video detailing the lives of a woman without virtue and a woman without patience who fight until a shoulder angel teaches them about the Christlike attributes. The video was in Spanish and because I do not speak a lick of Spanish, we figured out which character had the least amount of lines and assigned the part to me. I was the unvirtuous woman and my Spanish vocabulary now includes such insults as "you're ugly" and "nothing can fix your face." The link to the video is included in this email. https://www.facebook.com/groups/629832294855514/permalink/659631545208922/

Being in the Spanish speaking area for a day was quite fun! I was able to use my French knowledge and could follow the lessons pretty well. I had one of the Hermanas translate my comments for their friends. 

If anything, my day in the Spanish area taught me that the Holy Ghost truly transcends all language barriers. I felt that in the mtc when I was able to learn Tahitian and French, share my testimony, and understand the testimonies of others. Even if I couldn't always understand what the Hermanas were saying, I could still feel the Spirit throughout our lessons and contacts. The gift of Tongues is real my friends! 

This week, we volunteered at an alzheimers fundraising and awareness walk. It was fun to cheer on the participants and see the hundreds of people who came to the walk to show their love for those they know with alzheimers. One of my favorite things from my mission thus far has been the opportunities to do service. I love the description of Christ in Acts that says that He "went about doing good." This is a quality that I really want to develop- seeing service opportunities everywhere you go and then doing them. 

We had an amazing zone conference this week with Elder Pingree of the Seventy but alas, I am too tired to think of what he said. Trust me when I say that it was good.

And lastly, ma petite pensée spiritelle pour teie mahana: 
Hymn 85, How Firm a Foundation, is an absolute bop and you should all go listen to it right now. Most of the hymns of worship are us speaking to or about God or Christ- nearer my God to thee, I need thee every hour, etc. However, How Firm a Foundation is one of the few hymns where the perspective is reversed and God is speaking to us. 

"Fear not, I am with thee, o be not dismayed.
For I am thy God and will give thee aid. 
I'll strengthen thee, help thee, and cause thee to stand...
I'll never, no never, no never, no never,
I'll never, no never, no never forsake." 

I really love looking at this hymn through this perspective shift. It is true that we should pledge to never forsake and forget God but it is a fact that He will never forsake and forget us. 
As Jeffrey R. Holland said:
"Of course, we are speaking here of the first great commandment given to the human family—to love God wholeheartedly, without reservation or compromise, that is, with all our heart, might, mind, and strength. This love of God is the first great commandment in the universe. But the first great truth in the universe is that God loves us exactly that way—wholeheartedly, without reservation or compromise, with all of His heart, might, mind, and strength."

This email is getting too long so if you made it this far, je vous aime. Ua here vau ia outou. Te amo. 

Nana! 
Sister sœur tuahine Hatch

Pictures!
Me, the Hermanas, and the absolutely precious Ramiro
Alzheimers walk!
Shoulder angel?
Zone
More pictures from the walk






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