France Paris Mission 2014-2016

Week 2 --- first letter (e-mail) home

Thanks so much to everyone for all the wonderful comments and Mom I know Sophie is adorable! 

This first week at the MTC has been overwhelming to say the least! Haha! You just get thrust into the thick of things the first day, and you spend a lot of your time in class. One of the hardest things is that your teacher ONLY speaks en francais! I've been able to understand most of it, but speaking it has been a little difficult. Although compared to how it was on the first day, I've become a lot better. We have already taught two lessons to an "investigator" named Quentin (pronounced Conton). We (my companion Elder Williams from Tulsa, OK and I) taught him how to pray and about the Restoration and Book of Mormon....all in French. It was very difficult, and we stumbled a lot, but we were able to get the point across. 

Elder Williams and I started out kind of awkwardly (he doesn't talk much) but we've slowly become closer and he's been a great companion. Our district leader, Elder George, is from Norfolk County, England. He's probably really annoyed with all of our questions and stereotypical jokes, but he deals with it. I really like him a lot.

Our Zone is made up of French speaking missionaries going to Paris, Lyon, Montreal, Washington DC, as well as a few Haitian Creole(simplified French with African influences) speakers going to Florida. Our Zone Leader, Elder Deakins, and his collegue, Elder Gunter, are some of the funniest guys ever and they have been extremely helpful.

General Conference was this weekend and I must say, the Spirit we all felt was beyond amazing, and a TON of personal revelation was received. We also had a devotional Sunday night with Vai Sikahema, a Stake President from Philadelphia, who knows the MTC President really well. He told us to write home with one thought that really stuck out to us as we listened, so here it is: No matter how long it's been since you were fully active in the Church and no matter what you've done, you can ALWAYS come back to FULL fellowship and be completely converted to the Lord.

Also on Sunday, (yes our days are VERY long and VERY packed) we watched a devotional given by Elder Bednar at the MTC a few years ago called "Character of Christ." It was the most powerful thing I have ever seen or heard! I would tell you about it, but I want all of you to go watch yourselves, it will change your life.

Today, we went and did the 6:00 session at the Provo Temple. It was so wonderful to be back in such a holy place, and it was exactly what was needed at the end of this long week. But I must say, I love P-Day! I even got to take a nap after the endowment session! C'evait tres marveilleuse! 

I have to say I don't like Belgium.... We had to go and get some tests done so they would let us into the country. We got our blood drawn, and now I have to go produce a stool sample and bag it up for the MTC clinic.... This will be awkward...

Anyways because of that I have to go, but I love you all so much and I know beyond any doubt that what I'm doing is the best thing for me and the rest of my life. L'eglise est vrai!

Love Elder Jorgensen.

P.S. pictures will be coming next week (I forgot my camera at the residence hall on the other side of campus)
P.P.S. Thanks Grandma for the letter, and thank you Sarah and Dusty for the card and picture. It made my day!

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