Angouleme 9

Hello everyone.  That is really sad to hear about max.  It sounds like he went fairly quietly.  It is too bad, because I was really thinking that he would still be alive when I came back.  Well, I am sure he is with grandma again and has large fields to peep in. 

I suppose you want to know where I am and what happened to me and all that.  Well I am Still in Angouleme.  My new colleague, the third for this transfer is Elder Swenson.  I only figured out Friday that he would be coming.  He came Saturday night.  And Elder Sohou left Sunday morning.  He didn't even get to go to church to say goodbye, so that was a bit of a bummer but, things are good and we are still having miracles.

Monday: 
We Spent the whole day with Sebastien pretty much... he is very tiring haha.  Really it is like being with a two year old all day.  He is a good kid, but really just needs to calm down.  We saw a church and walked around  Then had an FHE with Seiko and his fiancée Audré.  They are super cool, and Audré just needs to be baptized but she isn't "converted enough" to be baptized as she says.

Tuesday:  Contacted a young chap in the morning (about 25 years old.  I don't know why I said young chap) and he actually let us come to his place to teach him.  His name is Rémy and he was just a bit drunk when we met him... In his apartment there were champagne bottles, beer cans and other alcohol everywhere, and he was playing some Satan music when we got there.  Luckily he turned the music off.  It was honestly a little scary at first, but he is nice.  and we just talked about Rien et de tout.  then we had a lesson with another new ami Marie-adèle.  She has mental issues. i don't think we can really help her much, she needs some therapy.  We did agree to take her to the doctor's this week, so we'll see her again there, but after I really don't know what we can do.

Wednesday:  Had a FHE with A few members.  It was fun, we read president Monson's discours in the general conference about obedience with the story of him playing with matches.  It went well.  Then we taught Fernando the plan of salvation.  His daughter is really cute.  She kept handing me this big ball; and all of her other toys.

Thursday:  I went on exchange witht he Zone leaders and I went to Bordeaux.  It was interesting to be back in a big city doing work.  It isn't as big as Lyon for sure, but still I have confirmed my theory that Bordeaux is the biggest little town.  I don't think I saw a building taller than three stories, but it simply never ends.  I think right when you leave Bordeaux, you are just about to Angouleme, or at least that's how it feels.We taught this cool student, and then had this Young adult meeting in the nicest young adult center that I have ever seen.  I slept in their apartment with the assistants because we were having zone conference the next day. I got bit by lots of spiders or mosquitos.

Friday:  Zone conference.;  It was good. We talked about inviting people as our purpose.  We are here to invite people to partake of the cake that is the atonement, not shove it in their face.  It was also interview tours.  This was my last interview with president before my dying one where he tells me to get married.  It was really good and spiritual.  I asked him about BYU and he said that the system changed about a month ago where I have to "get everything worked out" and then he gives me the ecclesiastical endorsement whatever that means.  So he officially gave me permission to take time of BYU's website to figure out what I need to do.  So that will be fun

That evening, we had an awesome experience with a family of five.  The couple is great, the husband if from Martinique and the wife is French but lived in New Caledonia most of her life.  They are super nice and invited us over again this week to eat with them.  They could be really golden but it was a little difficult to teach them because the kids were really loud.  Then we taught a less active family who didn't come to church though they said they would.

Saturday:  Saw Rémy again.  he has a really really bad alcohol problem.  So much so that I think he could be physically in danger with the amount he drinks.  We had a sort of testimony meeting, and we fixed another rdv, hopefully to throw out all of his booze.  Then we did weekly planning since we didn't do it last week because of exchanges.  Then we picked up Elder Swenson and saw Fr; Bordichoux.

Sunday:  Elder Sohou had to change his tickets at the gare in the morning.  We did that and we saw him off.  A member took us to church about 10 min late.  It was really good and spiritual.  We had two amis there and Five less actives!  we were quite nombreux. 

Today looks like it will be another tranquil Pday.  Honestly we haven't planned anything, so we will probably sleep... I didn't get a lot this week for some reason, so that sounds pretty good.  With Elder Sohou I felt like I had all the time in the world, but now that he is gone, I'm the old one again.  Don't worry I am still working hard, but I am tired.  I am glad we had some good success this week.  I have probably told you before that the mission is definitely the hardest thing I have done so far.  Particularly when people have problems and they look at you to help them, and you feel as though you have no experience and can't relate to them at all (speaking of Rémy)  Thats when you just need to really rely on the Lord, because I cannot understand these people.  They have had it pretty hard, normally because of their bad choices, and buff, it is fatiguing ha ha.

I don't get why so many people think they can go without God... it is real ... not easier, but so much more doable when you have him working with you.  I love the Lord!  PS, do you realize that you will only get 8 more emails from me?  weird huh?  Love you so much have a great day!  and week!