So let's get right to it.
My
guitar playing is doing fine. i would not say that I have gotten any
better. I can't really look up anything new to play except for figuring
out the hymns which I have figured out a lot of them. I would say that
I am about the same as before. so voila
It
would be fun to do another American night, but the 18 October here
there will be a talent show, and the members signed me up for that, so
I'll get another chance to perform on my french tour.
Yes
French people love American cookies. that is because they just can't
seem to get it right. There is no such thing as mixes or pilsbury so we
make them from scratch.
We had the activity just in the chapelle.
They
provided everything to eat. They call hamburgers here steak haché
which is the same thing, and normally it is 5 euros for 10 of them, so
not cheap, but not rediculous. They eat steak haché fairly often, but
they don't make it into a burger so much, usually they break it up, or
serve it as a "steak" or something like that.
We
write the mission president every week just to give him an update, say
how we are doing and say any miracles etc. so that will be good.
If
you could take this paragraph out of the blog version that would be
nice, thank you. So as far as number of baptisms I have participated
in. Including Hocine, that makes 20. I feel super blessed to have had
so much success. There are still many missionaries who go their whole
mission and only "baptise" one or zero people. Obviously it was no
stroke a genius on my part, and it wasn't me alone. I just kept my
hopes up, worked hard, and lots of other missionaries worked hard, and
members too, and angels, and God, and people just happened to say yes ha
ha. it is interesting, because for most everyone who was baptised,
they were all pretty golden and basically members already. I guess that
fait partie of how the wicked will get more wicked and the righteouse
will get more righteous. I want to make that part of my homecoming
talk, I just need to find a way so that it doesn't come off as boasting .
Je ne veux pas me vanter.
This
week was really unique. So en gros, we stayed in Montpellier until
thursday evening. today we had a memeber give us a stove and a fridge,
and I left my sac in his car, so I can't give you a great day to day,
but I'll try
Tuesday:
We went to Perpignan actually. Did our studies in Montpellier and the
ZLs got us trains to get down there for the day. The sisters met us
and showed us the church and where things are found. We then Spent the
rest of our time there calling people and going through the area book.
The trip is Two hours, so it took a big chunk out of our day.
Especially since the train going back was an hour late. We did get our
phone though and area book which are essential.
Wednesday: We
did service with the Montpellier elders (Edler Pilstick and Swenson) at
this old lady's house that has lots and lots and lots of cats. I wish I
had taken a picture, because it was really just as bad as you can get.
The apartment smelled terrible and there was hair and cat pee
everywhere! we counted 26 at least, and she said that she had two who
fell off the balcony and haven't come back yet ha ha. Wow. Then she fed
us... something I have never had before, I forget what she called it,
but it was canned carrots and green beans in mayo... it was worse than it
sounds, because it was really more mayo with some canned carrots and
green beans, and then some microwave chicken patty things... with cat
hair everywhere... I am glad we have the promise that we can't be poisoned, because I don't know what would have happened sinon. Then we
did member sparking with the Guitar in Montpellier.
Thursday. We did some guitar contacting, and tried
to sing to people..; they weren't too fond of the idea (the french),
Then we ate with another missionary equipe in the city Elder Yang (who
was in my apt in Lyon) and Elder Taylor. It was fun to catch up with
them. That night some trainers and their new missionaries were coming
through to their prospective villes, and we got the keys then and
organized everything. to get on the next train to perpignan. We got
into our apartment about 9 in the evening.
Friday: Wow, the apartment is huge! Three bedrooms, a huge
living room, a huge kitchen and a bath and toilet thing... and it is
empty. When we got there, all there was were two mattresses, and a few
boxes with our desks in them. We spent the better part of the day
putting together the essentials, the kitchen table and the desks. The
place smells kina bad too. it smells like stagnant water and ... sulfur
or something. We though it was coming from the pipe where the washer
should be hooked up. So we just poured a few glasses of water down it,
and it helped, so we just do that when it starts stinking up. And we
had our first dinner appointment with the DMP. It was a party ha ha.
him (he is like 24) his wife, the sisters, us, his two cousins, two of
his wife's cousins, and a couple other JAs from the ward. We had
raclette. it was lots of fun. But certain people were teasing the Dmp
because certain missionaries have not seen him for a long time... and he
didn't like that. and the people involved apologized, and I think it
is good. at least I hope. The last thing we need is drama with the
members especially with our DMP (Ward mission leader)
Saturday. We set up a book shelf and our beds, took a freezing
shower because our hot water is turned off. and such. we did some
calls contacting, and had another dinner appointment with a member
family, the Benedetti. They are super nice and we had a good meal of
Gratin a potato meat dish thing with a tomato salad. They worked it out
of us that we didn't have food, or a fridge or a stove or anything, so
they started getting us hooked up, and lent us their iron and microwave.
They are so nice. Earlier that day we also taught David who is an
awesome Spanish guy who doesn't speak a ton of french, but he is
learning. We fixed a date or re fixed rather for the 5 October to be baptized. The other missionaries had already taught him almost
everything, and he seems pretty golden and ready. Then we taught a guy
Judacaël who comes to church and is in his own words 80 Percent mormon.
He is just afraid of commitment and won't accept to be baptised yet,
but he is so close.
Sunday: Great day at church. We were about 80 so
that changes from barely 30 in angouleme. The ward is great and
awesome. David came and brought a Spanish friend. We are going to
hopefully see both of them the next week... this one. then we had
dinner at the Bishop's house. The bishop is super young here too, like
30 I think. He is really cool, and happy to have elders in Perpignan
apparently it has been three or four years since there were elders here.
Today like I said another member lent us a stove and
fridge, so we need to go buy food to fill it. We have been eating
apples and cereal basically when we weren't eating chez les members. so
it will be nice to actually make some real food. The sisters gave us
that, so that's why we were eating it.. well a member bought it for us
and the sisters gave it to us.
I like perpignan a lot. It looks like saint george.
There are palm trees and mountains. We are about a 30 min bus ride
from the sea, so we'll do that one of these days if not today. Then
yeah. I am happy. It is really warm here. So many Spanish people!
Elder Castillo me apprenda el liguna, y ... ca commence h aha.
Have a good week. HAPPY
BIRTHDAY JJ I remembered it, but I couldn't get to you until today. I
hope it was a good one. Stay sage. Keep smiling and rocking and
rolling. Don't go too crazy though. I know the church is true and that
God is looking out for us. See you next week.
Con amor;
Elder Crossman
