WEEK 60

Well everyone I am staying another transfer in Dunkerque! They don't
want me out of here yet. Looks like my damage hasn't hit hard enough
yet;) no I'm just kidding. But yes I am staying in Dunkerque for a
third transfer and things are going to be good. My new companion is

one transfer older than me. So ya! It'll be a good time. So keep the

packages and letters coming my way:)

 

Elder Tanner Libby

150 Quai Des Anglais

59140 Dunkerque

FRANCE

MONDAY NIGHT
Well there isn't a ton to say about tonight. On the way home from the
church we hopped on the bus with the really cool bus driver from a
couple weeks ago! It was fun to talk to him for a little bit on the
way home. He's really nice and he's fun to talk to. He asked me if we
were doing our mission tonight ;) he probs thinks I'm part time then
we got home and ate some dinner and made our way to the less actives
house from the other night. The one who used to be in the branch
presidency. He told us that he wanted to show us some of his music
cause I guess he writes music! So we went and spent the night there
while he showed us some of the new stuff that he is making and going
to make an album with. So that was fun! Then he showed us his gospel
library and man that thing is full!! Haha he has tons of church books
and tons of journals! It was cool to see them all. Then we made our
way home for the night.
TUESDAY
well today was an interesting day! Haha to start out we had our
studies and then we had decided that our less active that
has just been coming back to church, we had a rdv with her tonight and
since she couldn't make it to conference this last weekend, we thought
it could be a good idea to share president Nelson's talk with her!
About how amazingly important women are in the church and stuff. So
for language study we made our way out to the church to download that
and get it on our USBs to share tonight. When I was on the computer
and moving the file of the talk from one folder to another, I found
this video clips with missionaries and was like what is this? So I
clicked on it and it was like a legit movie and the opening scene was
some missionaries playing basketball. So I was all ok why not we'll
see what these are haha so I moved them onto my USB as well. Then we
went to try to find this less active and we found his apartment but he
didn't answer....so we'll try again soon. So we came home for lunch
and I turned on those movie clips and it was the weirdest thing we've
ever seen!! It's a movie about these missionaries in, we think, LA and
like honestly it's just so weird. Like they were in a neighborhood
during a shooting and saved this one dude who later gets interested in
the gospel and it was just really interesting....sadly tonight when we
went to finish it, there were 5 different files and I didn't have
number 4 and so we missed like a half hour right in the middle and
don't know the entire story! It was so weird!! So after lunch we went
out to contact and had to go to the gare to print off some train
tickets for district meeting tomorrow. While walking around the phone
rang and it was a member who asked us what we were doing tonight and
asked if we'd be interested in coming over for dinner! And so we told
him we had some plans already, and asked if we could come over another
night and he said that they had to leave town on Thursday and that
they would need us to come over tonight if we went. So we made some
calls to clear up our night and then got ourselves a dinner appt!!
Then we went and  made our way to a current investigator's house for our rdv! We had
SUCH a cool rdv with her today!!! We taught her the first three points
of the plan of salvation (pre-mortal life, the creation, and the fall)
and she just took it right in! She's also been reading from the Book
of Mormon and said she's going slow so that she understands completely
what is happening! When we explained to her that the fall of Adam and
Eve was a part of God's plan for them to learn and gain experience she
said, 'ya that makes sense. I've never thought about it like that.
Cause if they stayed there like that, they wouldn't have been able to
find happiness cause they didn't know what being sad was like. And
then we wouldn't be here. Ya makes sense.' And then me and Jorgy were
all YESYESYESYESYEYSYES!!! It was soooo cool!!!! She's doing really
well and progressing slowly but surely. We don't know if she
understands that we're there to convert her though...so we'll see what
happens:) then we went to dinner at this members house and we started
off the night by him showing us some stuff on the maps app of our
iPads and talking in their front room for a while and then we went in
for dinner and they made us some really yummy beef steaks with
potatoes and mushrooms!! It was delicious! It was also fun to be the
spoiled missionaries. They even pulled out their non alcoholic
champagne for us!! That's when you know you are special;) plus that
stuff is good!! Then he gave us a ride home for the night and me and
my comp finished up our weird movie things we found!
WEDNESDAY
Well we had district meeting today and so we had to get up and moving
this morning. We made some pizzas to eat today and so we were making
those first thing and then had to get out to catch our train. As we
walked outside it was drizzling and my comp said 'hey at least
it isn't raining hard!' And right after that it began to pour! So we
decided we had just enough time to run in and get our umbrellas. So we
went in and got them and then we left again and as we stepped outside,
it wasn't raining anymore. So that rocked haha. We got our train and
got into Calais and had to wait for the other elders and so we were
all just playing on our iPads while waiting! The other guys finally
got there and so we started district meeting and one of the elders
going home this transfer gave us some last words of advice. It was
good. Then we ate and had some killer good Oreo shakes! Then we needed
to get out and catch our train home. When we got home we had gotten an
email telling us that my comp had received his package from
his mom finally! So we went and found that and, bless her heart,
Sister Jorgensen bought me some Oreos!!! I was pretty happy. We then
had to go to Jean Paul's to make some photocopies for ny comp's

legality cause tonight we were going to PARIS!!! That's my
happy place lol I love Paris and it's been too long since I've been.
We were at Jean Paul's for a while and while my comp was making his
copies and printing things off, I played sudoku and then we sang some
hymns with Jean Paul. After that we went and did some contacting
around Dunkerque before we took dinner and had to leave. Then we left
and caught our train to PARIS when we got in we had to go and buy
metro tickets and surprisingly it was not as expensive as we thought
it was going to be! So that's a bonus for us. We took the metro and
the trams into Versailles and I got us all the way to the APs
apartment without help! I know Paris like the back of my hand! Maybe
that means I'll serve here someday! I would honestly love that. Paris
is so amazing and I encourage all to come and experience it at least
once in your lives! So we got to the APs apartment and I got to talk
with elder lattin again! He was my district leader when I was in Metz
and is now an AP! So congrats to him I guess. Hahah
THURSDAY
Well we got up this morning and had to get going pretty quick cause
the elders in Versailles had to leave as well for a meeting that they
had this morning. We left and they took us to the mission office to
see if we had any mail that was there and I had a couple of letters!!
Then we went and got on the trains to make it to the legality place
for my comp. We got there and we're waiting outside for it to
open when we turned around and saw some other missionaries that were
coming to do the same thing! So we hooked up with them and my comp

 and this other elder got to do it all together while me and
his companion and a visa waiter missionary from France waited. After
about an hour and a half they were done and that left us with a good 4
hours before our train for Dunkerque left back home! So #parispday! It
was a blast. We spent the day just going around in Paris and stopping
at the most important places. We went and saw the temple which is
coming along so nicely!! I have pics for you. And then we made our way
to the Eiffel Tower and on the way there we ran into these really nice
people from California. It was fun to talk to them. They were on a 5
week trip of Europe. I think I'll do the same one day;) we got to the
Eiffel Tower and all of the sudden 2 more missionaries appeared! So we
sat and talked with them and one of them said to me, elder, I dare you
to go up to that African and bargain off an Eiffel Tower for as cheap
as you can. And so I said ok! So I went up to him and said how much
for that one? And he said 7€. Then I said 2. And he said 3,50. And I
said 3. And he said deal! Hahah so I got an Eiffel Tower for 3€ which
was pretty funny! Then we left and had to go get lunch cause it had
been since last night that we ate haha so we went and got some crepes
and paninis which were delicious!! Then me and my comp had to leave to
get to the gare to catch our train home. For some reason the train
ride home today was like a half hour longer than last night....so by
the end I was READY to get off. We got home and went in for dinner and
I literally just took a nap! Paris takes it out of you! But then we
had to go and get to our rdv that we had with our less active.
She had told us she was making hot chocolate and that she invited

the gay less active over... So we got there and thought that
since she didn't have the chance to watch conference that we'd show
her the talk by president Nelson that was so good and directed to
women! She told us that after the talk that she was grateful to hear
that and grateful the church was finally starting to realize the
importance of women...AGH!!! She makes us crazy. Anyway we left and the gay less-active

walked us home. I haven't really talked a ton about him lately
cause it's a complicated story, but long story short, he was almost
excommunicated last week but he pleaded for one last shot and asked
for real help in repentance and tonight he told us he really was
changing and starting to read the scriptures, and he seemed legit and
sincere! And he had watched conference last week! We were so shocked!
So we are excited to see where that goes. We went in for the night and
I cut off my hair
FRIDAY
Today I got up to the alarm but the thing is, me and my comp have 2
alarms. One at 6:20 to wake us up and one at 6:30 for us to get
up...so at 6:20 I got up and turned off the alarm and then went back
and laid in bed waiting for the next one...I woke up and....it was
7:48 and the dumb second alarm never went off! I was mad. So we got up
and hurried to get ready cause we had to go and catch a train to
Amiens for an exchange with the ZLs. So we went and bought some snacks
to share for the night with them and then headed to the gare. When we
got to Amiens the ZLs were waiting for us at the gare and we made our
way to their apartment to eat lunch. Elder Powelson told me that I was
his last exchange before he went home so you know I was pretty happy.
We ate some food and then planned a little bit for our day. We started
off by going to one of their recent converts apartment and talked with
him for a good hour before we shared the little thought we had
prepared. He was asking us all about movies that he should go and
watch and we were telling him our favorites hahah of course I was good
at that one ;) we all know I love myself a good movie. After we had
spent a good amount of time there he asked for a picture with elder
Powelson cause it was his last time at his house before he left for
home. We then had to get to the church cause we had a rdv with one of
their investigators. We got there and a member was there to help us as
well. We sat and talked and waited for their investigator and talked
to the member for 40 minutes til he showed up! It was fun. The members
are always fun to talk to. We taught the plan of salvation. Just a
little explanation of the whole thing to get him used to it before we
went into the details. It was a good rdv! Then we had a dinner appt
with some members tonight! They had invited tons of their members over
and even some investigators! It was a blast. These people were from
Madagascar and so the meal was super good. Foreign food is always a
blast to try out! After talking and having fun we realized that it was
already 9:30 and that we needed to get home. So we sang a quick hymn
and then took a ride home with an investigator who played some maroon
5 in the car. Let's just say that elder Libby was in his happy place
for a little while. We got home and played some monopoly deal before
going to bed. It was quite a fun last exchange.
SATURDAY
so we found out transfers today and like I said I am staying in
Dunkerque for a third transfer! My new companion is elder Sorensen.
I've met him once but I don't know anything about him so how about
next week I fill you in on him;) my comp actually got called this
morning to be a district leader in Le Havre and he is pretty excited
about that. We woke up this morning and had to get ready pretty
quickly cause the ZLs had a baptism this morning and needed to get to
the church on time. So we got up and got ready and then headed out the
door. That exchange was really fun and I am definitely going to miss
elder Powelson! He's a really cool guy! We walked to the gare and
waited til our train and then headed on home to Dunkerque. Since we
weren't home in time to look at the repertoire to see transfers, Soeur
Walton called me and filled me in on what was going down! To say the
truth I was kind of sad when I didn't get asked to train a bleu cause
I really wanted to. But I know that the Lord's plan is not always what
we have planned. So I am excited to meet elder Sorensen and I hope
that one day I get to have a little baby bleu! We got home and ate
some lunch before heading out to the church to start to set up for the
big party that we had tonight! We got all the chairs set up and all
the tables up and moved the big wall and then people started coming!
We all ate and played and laughed and talked and lots of investigators
and less actives came. Some that we'd never seen before and some that
wanted to learn more about the gospel! So it was a really good turn
out. Even Anna came and was walking around and playing with Soeur
Foutrein! It was really good. We had a little game of bobbing for
apples and lots of members and missionaries got to play. Sadly there
wasn't enough for me but I'll send pics of the branch president and
some missionaries playing! It was a fun time!! We then cleaned up the
chapel and got everything back in order and made our way home for the
night. I'm excited for next transfer. I love my comp, but it is time to
move on and get out of each other's hair while we are still on good
terms;) plus it is always good to just have a change.
SUNDAY
Well today was branch conference and it went really well! We had a
visit from the stake president and some other stake representatives me
had some really good talks and lessons. My favorite was given by the
second counselor in the stake presidency and he talked about prayer
and why it's so important and the blessings that come from having
prayers that mean something special and are more that just repetitive.
It was really good! Sadly our investigator couldn't come to church today cause she
had to watch her grandson and so today we had a ton of people for once
and she wasn't there! Dang! But she told us that she was planning on
coming next week. So I hope she comes! She is doing great!! After the
sacrament today, we had a small branch council where the stake
presidency asked us what we thought we could do to help make Dunkerque
have success. We finally decided on having one night a month where
we'd all go and visit some less actives and try to out what they're
situation is. So that is going to be good. There are going to be
people that come in from the stake and help us out as well! So that
will be good. Then we ate lunch with all the members and talked with
them before everyone started to leave. When we had finished up
cleaning the chapel and getting everything in order, we made our way
home for weekly planning. Haha it took a decent amount of time this
week and we were in for the rest of the night because of it. We had
like 10 or so minutes before dinner when we finished so we decided to
try to clean out this huge mess of a closet that we have and we only
got like 2 shelves cleaned off, so we are going to have to come back
for more cleaning soon. It was a mess. But it was a good Sunday!
Well there goes my week! Things are coming along here in Dunkerque!
It's going slowly but surely. Thanks for all the prayers! I love and
miss you all. Can't wait to here from you! Bisous. (kisses)
Elder Libby