Joyeuse Paques!!! :)

 Excited to open the easter package!!!

 My companions were way impressed that these were hand-crafted, not store-bought!

 It was a very happy easter!!

Every week our branch color-coordinates. It has been a tradition for a long time apparently! My companion only owns red, black, and navy. So here are us sisters in red! The new girls are both 23 and done with college as well. I am definitely the baby of the pack.

 Our whole new zone! One new district is Haitian-Creole speaking going to Florida, and everyone else who is new is going to Paris. 

 We love our district!

 Getting creative with the angles.

we love missionary selfies.

I think everyone should spend an Easter in the MTC. It has been such an amazingly spiritual weekend! The MTC really helps put things into perspective. Easter was so Christ-centered, it was incredible. I am so grateful for my Savior and his Atonement. Without him, I would be nothing.

On Sunday we had a giant sacrament meeting for the whole MTC, and Dieter F. Uchtdorf came and spoke. It was pretty incredible because he is the first member of the First Presidency that has come to the MTC in 4 years, so we got pretty lucky! (And last Tuesday, Elder Andersen came and spoke. Double whammy!) Uchtdorf's talk was INCREDIBLE. It was the perfect combination of an Easter talk and a missionary talk. I wish the whole church could have heard it! Essentially, what he talked about was how before Christ's death and resurrection, the apostle Peter was afraid. He had the beginnings of courage, but ultimately, he was scared. He denied Jesus thrice. But then, once he saw Jesus resurrected, he became a fearless missionary who "feared no man." He was able to preach the gospel even at the risk of his own life. This isn't "doctrine," but tradition says that when Peter was imprisoned, his testimony was SO powerful that they constantly had to replace his guards because he kept converting them. Uchtdorf said that Christ gives us the power to "fear no man" as missionaries as well. We cannot be afraid! As missionaries, we are essentially the extended arm of the 12 apostles. It is our duty to teach and testify fearlessly. It was exactly what I needed to hear!

Then, kind of a funny story. I love my compy, she is 23. Anyway, so as we were leaving the meeting she decides that she MUST meet Uchtdorf, and that she had been praying that she would be able to talk to him. So, she starts running around the building to get to the door that he would come out of. On our way, we ran into a member of our Branch Presidency and his wife, the Dowlings. My comp asked if they had seen him come out yet and they said they weren't sure. Anyway, so we stood there for a second, and lo and behold, he came out of the door! He shook our hands and wished us a happy Easter, which was pretty cool. 

Well I hope you all have an amazing week! Gardent la foi. (Keep the faith.) Love you all!

Soeur Gardiner