Lyon II 4

Hello everyone.  Good week, there is still goo coming out of my body, but I am feeling better.  I am taking vitamin C and other goodies that the doctor gave me, so it should be killed soon.  Elder Frandsen is still sick as well, but diong a lot better.

Also funny thing, I had a dream the other day that I was home, and that max was still alive, you think he has got another six months in him?  I thought for sure that I would not see him again until the milenium, but now he might pull through.

Ok, getting to the questions:  Our amis are doing well.  Fabien passed his interview, so he will be baptised this coming sunday.  Tho other ami who was supposed to get baptised isn't looking like that is going to happenh.  He is ready, but he is only 11 and his father thinks that next week is a little soon, so we have to wait on that.  The brazilian lady is not answering our calls.  we'll keep trying though for a while to get a hold of her; 

We have not gotten anything fixed for skype calls, sorry, but It should not be too difficult, the members here aere great, just plan on getting the call early in the morning again, I'll tell you for shure when the next monday.

I'll get you your perfume, but ... the money is kinda running low, and french perfume usn't the cheapest thing in the world... just letting you know/  Love you!

The weight is still coming off, I am waithing for the next soldes to buy a suit which will be just before or after my birthday.

I guess I wasn't clear, Michael Jackoson is already a member, he is just starting to come back again after some time of inactivity.

We make calles to our district leaders several times throughout the week.  We talk with the assistants once a week, and we call the members on four zone every now and again.

yes there are missionaries again in Avignon, they have a person engaged for baptism as well.  They are seeing some good success.

Elder Frandsen has been out not quite a year, he is five transfers behind me.

Tuesday:  zone conference.  President also did interviews.  It was really good, but it seemed a little routiene, of course it was about the seventh time they had done this presentation for the other zones, but still it was very spiritual.  Then we went on exchange witht the elders from corsica, because they were in Lyon for the conference, qnd they didn't leave until the next day.  Elder Iaoniddis and I did contacting for pretty much the whole night.  He is a good missionary and seems almost too happy sometimes.

Wednesday:  saw michael, then Haeven who is doing wello, then Wanda someone who we had seen before, she is pretty golden.  It has been one week sicnce she has had the book of mormon, and she is already in third nephi. She does not want to ... s'engager in one church yet though, so she has declined our multiple invitations to be baptised, but she will some day, she really knows it is true.  Then we saw Fabien had a good rdv about the priesthood.  Then had dinner with a member family who are some of the nicest people in the worlld.  I felt a little bad eathing their food though, because normally the members are pretty well off, but this family ... it is evident that they do not have a lot of money, and it might have been a little of a sacrifice to feed us.  They really are wonderful.

Thrusday:  Saw Kate another lessa ctive member.  We invited her to invite her friends to a big stake activity we will have this comming saturday.  That should be fun.  then saw another lessa ctive lady who is wanting to come back to church, but needs to change when her nurse comes and sees her, because the nurse comes sunday mornings.  this summer she said she will be able to start coming again.

Then Elder Frandsen and I went to the doctor and got some pills to cure the pain.  And we filled in for the sisters in teaching the english discussion thing.  though only one persone came, but still it was enjoyable.  We went home a little early to sleep and heal.

Friday:  saw our JW friend who talked a lot about war and how governement is evil, and the name of God being Jehova... they didn't want to listen, so we dropped him.  They do believe that God and Jesus are different poeple, just that Jesus isn't a god, I am not sure what they think about the spirit.  They do not believe in modern revelation, which doesn't make sense since I showed them a scripture in the bible that says in the last days there will be lots of revelations and other things... really bluntly like that too.  Anywho they didn't want to listen like I said.  then we saw Fabien again and got his  baptismal progaram worked out.  Then Haeven who is still doing really well.

Sturday:  Did some pass backs, E Frandsen slept... no that ws sunday he slept.  Then we went to the Sister equipe's baptism, that was really well put on.  The cool thing is that they were the kids of a reactivated family, so two baptisms, but htere is a whole family of five or so that is coming to church again, really a good experience.  Then we saw sr. Cilpa an old handycapped less active whodoes lots of missionary work and is really just a joy to be around.

 Sunday:  Church good, Sw some members, went to some meetings, ate some foode, E Frandsen slept, Then went to a place called croix paquet to prt, it is a pretty part of lyon that really looks French.  the bigger part of Lyon just feels like any big city, but croix paquet you get the cobble stone roads and rolling hills and all that good stuff.  It is a fun place to work.

Ok, well I love you all more than eanything.  I m excited to see you again.  Do you realize that the next time we see each other after calls will be in person?  I'll probbly be home for halloween, so get my costume ready.  I'll telly ou what I want to be latter.  Today should be lots of fun since the tother elders aer doing shopping for food, it givesu s more time to play.  sadly the weather is poopy, but oh well,

By the way, Lyon seems to eitgher be in summer or winter weather.  It has been on and off cold or super hot this week.  It is almost mai geeze, I hope it warms up soon.  OK love you lots bye!

Lyon II 3

Hello... er hola, er Strasveil (russian), er Bonjour.  Hey all I am in Lyon again.  That is the city where I started my mission, though I am in another ward on the other side of town.  it is cool to be back.  Je vous aime tous!

Yeah, I am talking to a lot more people here that I was the first time around.  That was just me and Elder Frandsen that talked to 700 ppl; but he is feeling a little sick; so this week we only got 550 or so.  Our president has been pushing remembering to talk to at least 50 people a day.  We have been focusing a lot on member work, and I guess our contacting was slipping.  Elder Frandsen and I decided that in a city as big as Lyon, it would be easy to get 100 people a day, so that is what we did.  I it is neat, in one week, we got about 15 numbers, and fixed a total of five or so rdvs... which makes you think just how many people say no ha ha, but it makes it worth it when the person says yes.

We are walking a lot.  I have lost four more pounds since getting here.  We are entering the 235-240 weight area.  I feel great, It is crazy to think that I have lost the equivalent of a... Pig... I don't know, how much do those weigh?

The homeless people all have big smelly dogs.  It is all the old ladies that have the Bichons

I think that I would have enough time to write letters if I really put time in it.   You need to understand though.  It is hard to stay in your boring apartment when there are castles and chateaux and a huge park with giraffes and Elephants right next door.  I am falling behind on my letter writting.  I was planning on sending all of you ones individually and then some to the recent converts.  

 No wonder I never get any letters I haven't written anything in a few transfers now.  Who would of thought that I would have to make an effort to get letters ha ha.  Ok, next week I'll get to it.  Though, I'll probably need to take a few weeks to get all those out.

 Saw the Italian family in their store in the morning, and prayed with them.  We kinda dropped them for a while, because they said they cannot close their store on Sundays until September, so we are still dropping in every now and then pour prendre les nouvelles, but we will hold off teaching them until then.  They are totally going to be baptized, they just need to come to church.

  Then we saw Heaven, a cool kid of a less active who isn't baptized, who is going to be baptized the 11 mai,a so pray for him.  He is a cool dude, and is learning way fast/  Then lots of contacting.

 Zone training meeting.  If you have forgotten what that is, it is a district meeting, but with our zone, and me and elder Frandsen do that.  I t went well.  hopefully it was inspiring.  It was a little fun too, because Corsica is in our zone (we do NOT do exchanges with them, that is the assistants, who is NOT me and elder Frandsen)  So we had them on the big projector on skype in the mission office.  I felt like some sort of CEO at a business meeting, only spiritual.  We are in the big city now.  Then we did some talking to people, this is when Elder Frandsen really started getting sick.  We went home a little early, he went to bed and I made calls.

Weekly planning, then we had a few people who didn't show up to appointments, and then we went to this place called the croix rousse.  The place is crawling with JWs and everyone thought we were the witnesses.  yuck.

 saw Haevan (pronounced like Evan) again, then Fabien; a cool Black young adult who is going to be baptized the 5 of mai (side note Jonah another kid of a less active, like Haevan is also getting baptized the 5 mai)  Then we had a raté-vous (they didn't show up)  and then Elder Frandsen was just about dead, so I almost carried him home.  

  First Sunday in the Villeurbanne ward.  It was good, it was the ward conference, so there were lots of people from elsewhere.  All together, we were about 110. Not bad.  Then we ate, Elder Frandsen was puking, so I organized the apartment.  Then he wanted to get out of the apartment, so we ported the night out.

Today was fun.  We got the apartment all clean and shiny, I bought a new journal because I have filled all my other ones.  This is a big one which will definitely last me the rest of my mission.  it kinda looks like an old spell book... fun fun.  Later, we have two rdvs.

I am still enjoying life.  It is hot now.  like 70s.  We are not wearing our suit coats (glorious).  Elder frandsen is still pretty sick, better, but still we will call Sr Roney to fix something with a doctor.  We are sure it is a sinus infection.  It doesn't look or sound fun, I just hope I don't get it.  

Love you much.  The gospel is true.  Peace love and good will and all that ciao!

Lyon II 2

Ok, email time.  I am still getting used to the french keyboards, but it is starting to come back already.  You can change the keyboard to American, but it has been so long since I have used one of those. I have no idea where all the keys are.

Answers:

  Our Zone is the following:  Us (Elder Frandsen and I are both Zone leaders; it is always like that where both comps are ZLs)  The second Villerbanne equipe who live in our apartment and one is called Chinese speaking.  Two equipes in Gerland which is South Lyon,  The five office Elders, and Clermont Ferrand.  So a pretty small area, but the same number of equipes as before.
Our apartment isn't huge, big enough for four elders, but it is a little tight.  It is fun though irealy like everyone in the appartement.  It is in a big builing in a jewishs area.  There is a jewish store in the bottom of our building actually, they have lots of cool hats.   We live on the 3rd floor here, but the 4th floor if it was in america.

I only did baptisms in the Jordan River temple, nothing else.  I have only been to the draper and provo temple besides that. 

Conference is streamed on the internet, so people can see it at their house,  It is played in the chapel here though, actually in the Ecculy chapel (the other side of town where I started)  The three wards in Lyon all went to thqt one building, so there were a decent number, about the size of one small ward.  We see Saturday morning session Saturday evening, priesthood is Sunday morning, then Saturday evening; then Sunday morning we get to watch live.  Sunday afternoon starts at 10 at night here, so we don't get to see it, and the chapel is closed, so we have no way of seeing it anyway.

I do not know when mothers day is.  On a mission; you don't even realize that it is a holiday or not, the only difference for us is the stores are closed.  So paques ...er easter is a little annoying because you can't do your shopping.  The transfer goes until the 12 of may, so yes or no depending on when mothers day is... apparently that means calls are just before the transfer (according to the other missionaries here in the internet café)

OK; this week went really well. Monday I was just shell shocked the whole time.

Tuesday we saw Micheal who is a less active who just moved in to France two months ago.  HE  wasn't on the ward list; or anything, we just "randomly" contacted him on the metro.  He is sweet!  Originally from Nigeria, he lived in Spain for a long time/  then we saw two other less actives:

Wednesday we taught Jonah, a 9 or 1à year old child of a partial member family.  He wants to be baptized; and has a date for a few weeks; I honestly do not remember.  He is a good kid.  then we saw the family Spataro, a classic Italian family.  If you see the Italian store that is just next to our apartment, they own that.  They are really cool as well.  Only the father really speaks french though, So am I going to learn Italian now?  Probably not ha ha.

Thursday  Saw another sweet old lady who just recently started coming back to church.

Friday Saw Micheal again and his two Nigerian friends, I went on exchange with the office elders; and we did some contacting in ville.

Saturday  got a new ami, a ç year old kid of yet another less active member  who is coming back to church.  We are going to try and set a baptismal date with him in the next couple days.  Then conference.

Sunday was conference all day.  We did talk to a cool slovakian guy in between sessions, but nothing big.

that is really all for this week;  No, there is more.  A really really cool miracle that made my week.  A less active family in Avignon, the family Ughetto.  When I was in Avignon; they were all inactive, then we got the mother and two of the four kids coming back, and one of their  kids was baptized.  I just recently heard that The father and the other two daughters are now active again, and their last unbaptized kid was just baptized, and they are going to the temple to be sealed in the next month!!!!  Ah it is so cool to hear things like that.  Especially when it is people that you know and care about and have been praying for often.  God really performs miracles even in France.  I LOVE THE LORD.  

Thank you so much mom and dad for providing the money needed so that I can be on a mission.  It has and is changing my life.  I have never done so much good in my life, I just feel so much love for these people, it is kind of weird.  Sometimes it is hard; and it feels like even though all you are trying to do is help, no one wants anything to do with you, but you just keep working with faith; and then really cool things like that happen.  Missions kick butt!

Love you so much;  Have a good week;  I love you emails, don't hesitate to make them longer and to throw in pictures as well.  I know how you are just taking pictures all day every day.  =D  Bye

Return to Lyon

Hello family, friends, future missionaries who are spying on my blog.  let us answer the questions

So I am sure you are all excited to know what is happening... or rather what happened,  so let me answer your other questions first, and then I'll get to that

I forgot to give advice to the person in our ward who is going to our mission.  Well, one be obedient, two write in your journal, three, take pictures, four, only bring an umbrella, the people will try to tell you you need q raincoat, but you will never use it.    Other than that, just be good, start reading preach my gospel, particularly chapter three.  Have faith

The luggage is still in one piece, they look like they have been through a lot though:  However I think they will hold for the rest of my mission.

Easter was great, I'll tell you more about it later

We have a rvd fixed with the guy who came to church, but we have not seen him yet.

Yes we saw castles, I'll see if I can send pics, I don't have a lot of time

I think I have all I need for the moment thanks =D

So, where am I?  Well, je vais casser la baraque, I was moved, in France; to Lyon again.  I am in the Villerban ward now however, it is the other side of the city.  My new collegue is Edler Frandsen from Highland Utah

I am zone leader btw.  Elder Frandsen is on his 8th transfer or something.  Anyway, I got to Lyon about 1 o'clock, We have had to do a bunch of things telling people where to go and directing at the train station, so That is why we do not have a lot of time to do emails.

I am also on the french keyboard, so I am typing really slowly.  I am excited to be in Lyon again and be with Eler Frandsen, He was my zone leader when I was in St Etienne, and he is still here in Lyon. 

I did miss France a little, I love Switzerland, and the ward in Yverdon was awesome.  It was probably the hardest ward to leave.  I did miss the Sense of Freedom in France though,  There is a joke in Suisse that everything that is not forbidden is required, and it really does feel like that sometimes  ha ha. 

Easter was really cool.  The stake president spoke and that was incredible.  Then we had Lunch at the presidents family's place Just a beef roast with rice, it was really good.  They also insisted that We could stay with them when I come back after the mission.
Then we had dinner at the bishop's house crèpes, they make them a lot smaller in suisse, or maybe that was just his family thing.   a good day to end on. 

I am sorry that this email is all over the place and not too detailed, I am just a little shell shocked I think.  I was really convinced that I was staying in Yverdon.  This internet café is also playing music really loud and that makes it difficult to concentrate. 

It is interesting.  There are so many people here; I got used to the nice quiet farm ville life, it is the big city again.

Well that is about it for today; I'll send pic s to make up for the lack of text.  Then I promise next week's email will be better. 

Love you all very much, have a wonderful week.