Trip to San Francisco

Bonjour ma famille!

Sorry I haven't sent you a letter or an email yet... I wrote you a letter the first night, but every time I got a chance to get letters to mail it, the store was closed.  Yesterday, Monday, was my p-day.  I didn't email you, though, because I was with the first group that went to San Francisco to apply for our visas.  We had to get up at 1:30 and didn't get back until super late, so I didn't have the chance to email or do laundry and stuff ha.  San Francisco was a way good experience though!  We placed six pass-along cards and found someone who wants to learn more and meet with the missionaries in San Francisco.  Also, I had the best breakfast sandwich EVER in a little shop down the street from the consolate.  But, I'm sorry, and I will be better!   

Anyways, my companion's name is Elder Gilson.  He's from Grande Prairie, Alberta, Canada.  He's dapper as all heck (direct quote from Elder Gilson).  There are four other elders in our district and six sisters, too.  I love my district so much!  We all get along so good!  We are a family at the MTC.  I love it here!  The Spirit is so strong and the people are amazing!  It probably won't make sense, but within the first half hour here, we felt like we were all best friends and had been here forever (but not forever in a bad way)!  We have so much fun and help each other be better! 

For the first six weeks, we are learning French.  Then, for the next six weeks, we will be learning Tahitian in French.  So, I only know a few things in Tahitian that we randomly looked up.  But, we're learning French a lot faster than I thought.  The second day here, during our first French lesson, we learned to pray.  Then, the next day we learned to bare our testimonies and had our first lesson with our investigator Vetea Teihoarii (pronounced Vay-tay-a Tay-show-are-ee).  My comp and I were super scared, actually.  But, as soon as we started teaching, the Spirit rushed in and we were super calm!  For how little we know French, I think our lessons are going really well!  We've now had three lesssons with him, and we've been happy with how they all turned out!

Sunday, Elder Gilson and I found out that we are going to be the new zone leaders, starting next Sunday.  I felt super overwhelmed and inadequate, but the Spirit confirmed that it's what God wants to happen.  That night we watched Elder Bednar's talk called, "The Character of Christ."  It's a talk that he gave at the MTC a few years ago...and it was AMAZING!!! I've never heard him speak like that before!  I realized a lot of things that I need to improve on!  Also, I knew that, honestly, I can't be a good zone leader.  I'm not adequate.  But, as I do my best and rely on God, He will bless me with the capacity to be the zone leader that He wants me to be.  That same advice helped me with French, as well.  I've been wanting to learn French faster than I feel like I am.  That same advice helped me know that as I do my best and rely on God, I will know all the French I need to know at that time.  Well, I have to go, but I will make sure to email and/or write you regularly.  I love you guys!

Je vous aime,

Elder Jessop

P.S. One of the Tahitian things I learned was Hakuna Matata (don't know if I spelled that right).  In Tahitian, it's Aita Pea Pea (pronounced Eye-ee-te Pay-a Pay-a).