WEEK 89

Salut mes amis!! Pour vous dire, tout au commencement, nous avons eu une semaine très difficile....haha nous avons fait beaucoup de travaille, nous avons marché partout, nous avons parlé avec tous ce que nous pouvions, et nous avons reçu rien......alors nous sommes un peu déprimer mais nous allons continuer. Nous espérons que cette semaine ira mieux. Ce samedi nous saurons les mutations alors, ENVOYEZ TOUT AU BUREAU DE LA MISSION!! Je vous dirai qu'est-ce qui se passe semaine prochaine.  (Hello my friends!! To tell you, at the beginning, we had a very difficult week .... haha we did a lot of work, we walked everywhere, we spoke with all we could, and we have received nothing ... ... so we're a little depressed but we will continue. We hope that this week will be better. This Saturday we will know the transfers so until then SEND ALL THE OFFICE OF THE MISSION !! I'll tell you what happens next week.)

 

Elder Tanner Libby

France Paris Mission

131 Boulevard Carnot

78110 Le Vesinet

FRANCE

 

 

LUNDI SOIR

Well just like the past few Monday's, it's been super weird at family home evening cause there are just not a ton of people there! We had a little lesson given to us on temples and that was really good cause I am getting so close to going home and going back to the temple! I'm getting so excited. To end the night we were all sitting around the table, eating chips and telling stories of life and what not. It was a good family night.

 

MARDI

Well today went by pretty smoothly. The weather for the past few days has been pretty nasty and there has been lots of cold wind and rain....it's been quite a bummer to be honest. When the weather is cold and nasty like this, there isn't a ton of people outside and so it makes it really disappointing to go out and work cause it feels like we just walk around and do nothing all day. So anyway we have been doing lots of contacting in the nasty weather lately, but we know that soon it's going to pay off! We got up this morning and we went and caught our train so that we could get into Charleroi for district meeting. When we got in we were waiting in the gare for the other guys to get there when one of our ward members, who I guess works at the gare in Charleroi, walks up to us and starts to talk to us! It was cool. When we had all gotten there, we all went and caught the bus up to the chapel and then we started district meeting. We had a formation given to us today on the importance of the language we speak and why it's important that we learn and speak the best we can. I have to say that it was a lot better than last weeks and I actually had never heard a formation like that! I just want to take a minute to say how thankful I am to learn the French language. I can't explain to you all how much I love it. It sounds cheesy to say it, but I feel like a little piece of me has awakened because I've been learning it. Like it just feels natural to speak French. It feels like it's a part of me. And I have been so thankful for the chance to learn the French language here for the past 2 years. I do love it! Anyway after we finished we ate lunch and then we cleaned up and we headed out and made our way home and then when we got here it was raining and no one was outside because of the rain and so we decided we'd go up to the church and look up our online referrals and see if we had any and so we did and we had 2 and one of them lived just right behind our apartment and so we went home and we tried to contact him but he told us that he wasn't interested anymore and he didn't have the time and so we just made our way out to contact and then elder Anderson realized that he didn't have his iPad cause he'd left it at the church and so we had to make our way back to the church and then get his iPad and then to end the night we went and contacted and sadly, there was nothing too crazy that happened and so we just went and got some frites and a Coke and then made our way inside for the night and ate dinner.

 

MERCREDI

I'll tell you what! I am so done with this rain and cold wind weather! WHERE DID SPRING GO?! Haha it has been so hard to find these new investigators cause no one wants to go outside when the weather is nasty and so it is just hard. But we are still going and waiting for the weather to get nice so that we can find the people who are really ready for the gospel. So this morning we got up and we went to study and during studies the rain just wouldn't stop coming and so when we'd finished studying, we decided that since the rain wouldn't stop, we'd stay inside and plan for this fireside that president Babin has asked us each to have in each of our wards. So we were inside for the first session this morning talking about what we wanted to do for this fireside and how we wanted the ward to help and what we could do to make it so that this thing really helps us out as missionaries. The bishop had told us a few weeks ago that he wanted to do some sort of bbq and so we were planning around that and how it we wanted to integrate all the members and make it so they each had something to do so that it turns out great. We really planned for just about everything. It was good! We then too lunch and after lunch the weather had seemed to clear up just a little bit and so we went out and we walked around and though the weather had cleared up a little bit, the skies still looked nasty and so we were pretty much the only ones outside and when we stopped the few people outside to talk, they didn't really want to talk because they were in a hurry to get out. So we walked a lot and got some no's...we then went and took a potty break and then we went out again and went to go and try to see some less actives that we hadn't heard from or seen in a while and so we went and tried this one family, but they weren't home and had someone there babysitting their kids and she told us to call them next time so that we could get them. We then went and tried to see the other one that we had in mind and she let us in to talk and invited us back over next week to go and eat with her and her son. So that will be fun! She said she'd even try and come to church this week! We then made our way inside to come and eat and we were just sitting here and all of the sudden the doorbell rings and so I go answer it and it's the elders from Braine and Nivelles.... We were like what the heck and they go we got permission to drive over here and come and steal 2 mattresses and so we had to sacrifice 2 mattresses and give them to them. We then told them since it was already 8:35 that they should just stay the night and their excuse was so stupid...they were all, 'I don't feel good so we need to leave so I can sleep at home.' We were like why'd you come then?! Haha it was disappointing to have them like that and then they just left haha so anyway

 

JEUDI

Well today was a long day. Haha my feet were so done after today! All we did, all day, nothing but some contacting! And I'd love to be able to say that we saw some major miracles today, but I guess the greatest miracle we saw is that we were able to walk around and try to talk to people about the gospel and we made it through the day. Even when we don't see the success throughout the day, I think it's still important to remember what the little boy in the Mormon message, You Never Know, says. In his prayer he says at the end, Thank you that we could get all the things done that YOU needed us to do today, which in turn makes the mom go back and think about all she did for HIM. If you haven't seen that Mormon message, please take this intermission time to go and watch it. It's 10 minutes and it will change your day:) READY GO! Ok did you go watch it? Ok seriously stop reading and go. READY GO! Ok now have you watched it? If yes, thank you, if not, READY GO AND WATCH IT NOW:) ok anyway. Hopefully you've all watched it by now. Today we started off with studies and lunch with Patrick which went well as usual. He told me today that he wants my wedding to be next year during the time that he is in Utah, which is next July, SO future wife, WHEREVER YOU ARE, I guess we should see if that should work?? Give me a call. so after that, there literally isn't a ton to share with you. We were supposed to have a rdv with Adrian today, but he texted and canceled on us earlier and so today we legit just went walking all over and contacted all day long. We got a text from the less active that we went and saw last night and she was asking if we would come and meet her at Quick, which is this Europe fast food restaurant that's worse than McDonald's....so not that good, cause she wanted us to come and sign this birthday card that she was sending to an old missionary that served here. I don't know him, but she wanted us to sign it. She bought us dinner and then we ate and had to leave to go knock some doors. Again just like this afternoon we talked to a few nice people but there was nothing really that happened. No one said yes and no one said come back either:( so after that we just headed home for the night. Elder Anderson has been watching a face to face event done by the church with Lindsey Stirling and she was talking about her mission in it and saying how there was a period of time in her mission that went for about 6 months that she called, THE GREAT DROUGHT. Lol I've decided that this is our drought. She said that the importance wasn't looking at what we are doing wrong, but what can we do more. So I'm currently trying to figure that out;)

 

VENDREDI

Well today was probably the best day that we've had all week! We only taught one lesson, but we also got in to see Emmanuel and Claudette for the first time since last week!! So that made it all the better:) we got up this morning and had to skip a part of studies to go and make it to this rdv that we had with this potential investigator named Madi. I am not even kidding you when I say, he is bob Marley. Legit they are the same person. As he opened his door he had this black skin with these long dreds and was like, What's up braddas?! Lol the good thing is, we didn't smell any tobacco or anything and so we hope he's clean! But we had a good discussion with him and found out that he was born Muslim, tried out Catholicism, but now has decided not to have any title, per se, but that he is just someone who believes. He told us that he had agreed to meet with us cause we were people that believed and he believed and so he thought that could be good to sit and talk. After our rdv he told us that he'd call us when his time freed up a little bit and that he would let us know when he will be able to meet again. We then left and made our way to Emmanuel and Claudette's and we had planned to just go and see them and sit and have a lesson but we got there and got upstairs and they had plates all set up and Emmanuel had brought home half of the Chinese restaurant for us to eat! Haha we sat down and he was all I made all of this! Try it! Lol so we sat down and had a full on Chinese buffet with Emmanuel and Claudette. It was fun! We were able to just sit and talk and it was nice. But I'll tell you one thing! I hadn't seen Yannick since Sunday, AND THAT KID HAD GROWN! Like honestly! He was HUGE! I was like why did you all the sudden grow so big?! He just looked at me and smiled. Ah that little kid is just.....ah! Anyway after that we went and had to renew our bus passes and then we came home and we did our weekly planning. It wasn't too bad this week, we didn't have a ton to plan for. So when we'd finished it all up and we'd called Frere Chung and figured out all that we needed to, we decided that we would head up to the church so that we could finish up this little quiz that we needed to take cause elder Anderson is a bleu and we needed to do his first 12 weeks stuff haha so when we got up there, all the youth were there for mutual and they invited us to stay and play and eat with them. So we did the little test thing and then we went and spent the night with the youth and ate with them. We have such a fun ward!!

 

SAMEDI

I got one word to say. DRAMA. Like seriously. Let's move on from high school. Ugh. People. Lol today we had a finding day in Charleroi which was good fun, but sometimes just the things people do and say....it really bothers me haha. We got up this morning and we left to make it in on time. For the record, I had told our district leader that we needed to leave early for our rdv with the Pesesse's and he told me that that was ok. So we got in and we got all paired up for our splits and what not and me and elder Anderson got to go and spend the morning with Patrick again!! Twice in one week was too great! We had fun and it's always fun to be with members, let alone Patrick! So we went with him and it was funny cause we were contacting and everytime someone would walk past he'd be like Why didn't you talk to them, or someone should have got them! I was like Patrick you should get them when we don't! You are a missionary today too;) and he goes, oh! Ok I'll try! Haha it was fun. Sometimes members are just a little scared and they don't really know exactly what to do cause they feel like people might judge them, but the only thing you need to remember is to just share your testimony with them! It's so simple, you'd be surprised!;) I challenge you all to go share your testimony with someone. Whether it's the lady behind you in the Walmart checkout line, or the man across the gas station. You will feel a change in your life as you share the gospel. There's a quote by the first presidency in preach my gospel that says, 'The Lord will reward and richly bless you as you humbly and prayerfully serve Him. More happiness awaits you than you have ever experienced as you labor among His children.' So go do it! You won't be sorry! So after we finished up our contacting this morning, which went fine...we got one lesson, so that's good! We went and met up with everyone else at the church. When all the members left, we decided to all go get lunch as missionaries. So we left, and this is when the #DRAMA happened. For some odd reason we split off into 2 groups, and I kid you not, just like high school, the other group, who knew where we were going, split off and left us in the dust. We had NO idea where we were going and so we got off and found a macdo and called them, cause they didn't call us and tell us where to go or what to do (WHAT THE HECK??) and they said to just go eat there and we'd meet up later. So Anderson was with that group for some reason and I told the elder on the phone, me and Anderson have an important rdv tonight, we need to be at the gare at 2:45 to catch our train and he goes, ya we'll see. I was a little angry haha I was like NO YOULL BE THERE THANKS. So we went and ate and then went to meet up at the gare to which they all showed up, thankfully, and me and Anderson caught our train. I was a little disappointed by this kids attitude, but we got on the train and Anderson was explaining the situation from his point of view and what he heard, and he said that this elder was not being very nice to me... Really? I thought I left high school? Lol it's really sad sometimes how people think they have to be 'cool' #amirite?? Anyway we got home and got to our lesson with the Pesesse's and tonight we wanted to invite them to baptism! Chung even came with us and it was a good rdv. Sadly they told us that they have so much going on during the month of May that it was going to be near impossible for us to see them, so when we wanted to invite them to baptism, the spirit just didn't feel right. So instead we invited them to church and they told us they would totally come, but that the next few Sunday's were crazy busy. So we are gonna have to go with that! After we had our rdv with them, Chung told us that we were just next to the neighborhood where a sister in the ward lives and she had just gotten home from her mission last week and so he said that we should go and see her. So we went and shared a little message with her and it went really well. She's a sweet lady who just got back from the Swiss Temple Mission and she was just so happy to have the missionaries over. After that we headed to the chapel to try and figure out the heat so that we wouldn't freeze again tomorrow like we did last week.

 

DIMANCHE

Well whatever we did last night at the church didn't do anything! It was freezing when we got there last night and even colder today when we got there. BUT the spirit during fast and testimony meeting was so strong! It was such a great meeting. This ward is so special and I can't even begin to describe how I KNOW, without a shadow of a doubt, that I was MEANT to be here in this ward. I know that I was supposed to meet all these members. It's crazy how they all have a special place in my heart. They each are just so personal with me. Every single one of them cares specifically for me and comes and asks about my family, or our investigators or even me. It's honestly been just amazing to be here in Namur. I can't even explain it. I know I am supposed to be here. And the fact that I could be leaving next week kills me:( I don't ever want to leave! But anyway, we got up and out of the apartment just in the nick of time and caught the bus just as it passed our house and went off to church. We had ward council this morning and it went well. We announced our open house that we want to have and they all seemed down for it and so we were happy! We then had sacrament meeting and because of the cold, we thought the bishop was going to cancel the rest of the meetings. It was only 50 degrees in the chapel.... It was cold but the spirit made up for it;) it was a great fast and testimony meeting and we had many testimonies which touched me and helped me in ways that I'd been praying for lately. We then had the rest of our meetings and after them all Pierrot came up to me and asked if we'd be willing to go to see his friend with him who is in the hospital because of a heart attack. So we went with Pierrot, Annabelle and Louis and had a fun afternoon with them at the hospital! I got to learn all the fun terms and get reminded of how much I love all that stuff. His friend has to get a triple bypass surgery so we'll be sure to pray for him right??;) he asked him if he wanted a blessing and his friend said for the moment he was ok;) he isn't a member so it's totally normal. Anyway. We then left and Pierrot and Annabelle wanted to get us something to eat so we went and ate:) it was a good fun time. Spending time with them is like spending time with my friends back at home. They remind me of my friends so much! They told me that they are planning on coming to Utah next year in about July, so I needed to plan my wedding around then;) LOL. After we finished up with them, me and elder Anderson spent the rest of our day contacting and trying to talk to people. It was a good day, with lots of sun and lots of people. The only problem was that none of them wanted to talk....so that was disappointing. We ended the night watching some videos for the 12 week program for elder Anderson. It was a good day!

 

Et voilà. Comme je vous ai dit, cette semaine c'était un peu décourageant...on n'a pas pu parler avec beaucoup des gens, parce qu'ils ne voulaient pas parler avec nous. Malheureusement, ça arrive des fois en tant que missionnaire. Mais nous avons confiance que cette semaine sera mieux! Prions que je reste ici à Namur une mutation de plus!! Je vous dirai quoi la semaine prochaine. Merci pour vos prières. Continuez de les envoyer! Je vous aime tous. Voici une bonne semaine!:)  (There you go. As I said, this week it was a bit daunting ... we could not talk to a lot of people, because they would not talk with us. Unfortunately, it happens sometimes as a missionary. But we trust that this week will be better! Pray that I remain here in Namur one more transfer !! I will tell you what the next week brings. Thank you for your prayers. Keep sending them! I love you all. Here is a good week! :)

 

Elder Libby