2/12/13 Last Week in the MTC!

Bonjour Ma Famille,                                                                                 

Three very happy sisters with their travel plans!

This week has been phenomenal...I'm pretty sure that I say that every single week, though.  I am just absolutely loving it, I can't believe that this is the last email that I will send you from the MTC.  I leave for France on Monday and am so stoked!  We got our travel plans this week and it's crazy how excited we all got.  Holding the flight information in my hands made it all seem so real.  I will be living in France and get to share the Gospel with all of the people there.  What could be better than that?!  I am the luckiest girl in the world.  I went to the temple for the last time in a year and a half today.  I absolutely love the temple and it was such a cool experience.  There is nothing like sitting in a session with tons of missionaries anxiously waiting to serve the Lord.  While it was sad to realize that I would not get that opportunity again for a while, I left with a total sense of urgency to spread the Gospel so that others can experience the joy that I do.  I want everyone to be this blessed.  I don't know how I was able to be so blessed, but I know that God has entrusted me with a lot because of it and has high expectations for me.  I hope that I can live up to the incredible blessings that He has given me and live up to my full potential.  I am so excited to bring others unto Him.

A mission definitely has a way of stretching people.  So this coming Sunday, everyone that is leaving is doing a special musical number in church.  While we were practicing, I offered to play the different parts on the piano so everyone could learn their sections.  At one point, they all had the "brilliant" idea that I should accompany the peice and do an entire verse as a duet with Elder Clarke who will be playing the violin.  I am the girl who refused to ever tell anyone that I played the piano.  I did not play once in seminary and only played a couple times in young womens when forced.  Now I am playing in a musical number in sacrament meeting.  I didn't think I'd be having to utilize this talent so quickly, but I'm actually kind of excited (Mom, I know you definitely have a smile on your face right now.)  It should be good, I'll let you know.

One thing that I have been studying a lot this week is charity.  We had a great devotional from Elder Clark, of the Seventy, that I really enjoyed this week.  His talk really got me thinking about how important it is for me to love the people that I will be serving and teaching.  Christ is the ultimate example of charity, as charity is the pure love of Christ.  If I am to become like Him and be His hands in this work, I truly need to more fully develop this attribute.  Christ loves everyone and He loves them all equally.  This made me think of all of the incredible people in my life, those in my family and my close friends who I absolutely love.  If Christ loves them as much as the people of France that I'm about to teach, how cool would it be if I were to try and feel the same?  I know that it is so important for me to love these people as Christ does, this is how I will be able to teach with sincerity and invite the Spirit into my lessons.  Elder Clark also said, "If you start worrying about somebody else's, God will help somebody start worrying about yours."  I know that if I can truly lose myself in this work, those who I love and worry about will be blessed as well.  I am so excited to have this opportunity and am already receiving the blessings.

Another thing that I have loved this week has been my nightly runs.  Every night Sister Anderson and I go to the track and run about five miles.  But, that's not the cool part.  We have awesome, deep Gospel conversations as we run.  We discuss our goals and what we have been studying.  It is the greatest.  People give us really weird looks, especially when we're having the conversations in French, but it is always one of the highlights of my day.  I really have learned so much from both of my companions and feel so blessed to have gotten to have them.

Just a little bit of information before I leave...

I will most likely call home between 9:30 and 11:00 AM on Monday while I am at the airport.  

I am so excited to talk to you all!

I will be sending one of my suitcases home...I brought way too much stuff!  The way that works is that I will send it to a place in Provo called Postmart, they will call you, and you can go pick it up whenever.  If you do it within the first couple days it is free.

Lastly, obviously you will need to start sending mail to my address in France.  But, if you would like to send any letters to me beforehand, I wouldn't send them any later than 

Thursday--otherwise I probably won't get them. 

Thank you all for everything.  I have truly felt your support and love as I have been serving my mission.  I love and miss you all so much, but there's no where else I'd rather be....except for maybe France.  Have a great week!

Je t'aime,

Soeur Alisa Hulme

A nice surprise for Alisa... Josh Powell returned
to the MTC for a few days before heading to Spain.
It was also fun to see David McNamara and so many
others from our ward.

A little bored with the menu, Alisa started  to eat
according to food color.  This day was orange
and green.