WEEK 27

et les numéros continuent �  escalier!! je ne peux pas croire que j'ai déj�  passé mon marque de 6 mois! oh la la...ça c'est bon! comment ça va les gens? j’espère que tout va bien. je suis venu de savoir que je ne parle pas beaucoup de français a vous tous donc je vais commencer �  faire mieux! j’espère que vous tous pouvez traduire ça! (and the numbers continue to climb!! I can not believe I've spent my 6 months! oh la la ... it's so good! how are you people? I hope all is well. I came to know that I have not spoken much French to all of you so I'll start doing better! I hope you can translate all that!)

MONDAY NIGHT

well tonight was fun..we had a rdv with a new ami! it went really well and he was really receptive and agreed that he wanted to meet again! he is a really cool guy. he goes around all of france teaching driving courses for trucks! then we went around contacting for the night and then we went and got kebabs! so that was a fun night!

TUESDAY 

well today was like the funnest day ever! i have seriously grown to love one of the families in my ward with all my heart. even though the dad assigns me talks in sacrament meeting....haha i do love their family! we got to go over to their house today and to make food and learn how to cook like a french person! it was SO fun! we started off the day contacting and we literally just walked around and talked to everyone! nothing too special but around 4 we walked inside and waited for our ride there! when he got to our house we ran out and hopped in the car and got to their house where the daughter showed us how to make the best french meals ever! we learned how to make ratatouille and tartiflette! ahhh they were amazing. we spent a lot of time there making food, laughing, eating, having a blast! ahh i love them! then we made our way home and the zl's were here for district meeting in the morning!

WEDNESDAY

today was super long and super tiring but it was super good and you only know you've had a good day of missionary work if you are tired at the end of the day! today we had district meeting and that's pretty much what we did all morning. we were just getting ready for that and making our way there. it was a really good meeting on the importance of faith in missionary work! it was really good. we had a really good potato meal and made some italian soda's! it reminded me of Ben and Jesse's farewell and then i got a little friend home-sickness! haha then me and my comp went to a rdv we had with this less-active that we found a few weeks ago and it was good. he let us in and he let us talk! then we had another rdv. we got to the church at 4:30 and she didn't show up until 5:30 and we didn't get out of there until 6:30....ahh it was killer! but it was a good lesson and we saw some potential progress with her! then we were supposed to have a rdv with another investigator but he didn't show up and so we made our way home and stopped at McDs for a late night snack!

THURSDAY

well the luxembourg elders were here today for an exchange and so when we started our studies and then for comp study we had a huge comp study with all 6 of us and it was actually really good. i learned a ton and got so many new ideas for my own studies! it was so good and lots of fun. then the lux elders decided that the wanted some kebabs so we made our way to eat them! then we went back home to find some less active names and we walked all around metz trying to find these people! that literally took forever and we got a lady to say come back tomorrow so that was good. then we had to go and get ready for our lesson with one of our investigators! we had a good lesson with her and she was telling us all about how she loves studying the scriptures and it's just a blessing in her life. she keeps telling us how much she loves coming to church and how grateful she is for us being patient with her so it's been quite an experience with her! keep her in your prayers for me! we gave her daughter her own book of mormon and that was exciting to see how happy she was! then we made our way home for the night!

FRIDAY

how is it already my 6 month mark!? oh my haller it is so crazy that it's already here! i got a little homesick today....and by a little i mean a lot! haha who does weekly planning on an anniversary? i cannot think of anything worse to do....what a bummer. but that's what i did and it took forever to do! haha we went out contacting and nothing too special happened but then we came in and weekly planned and took lunch! then after all of that we both felt like we should walk to the church cause we just had this feeling. so we walked there and nothing really happened...we don't know why but we just did like we felt we needed to! then we came home and burned a tie for my 6 month mark! the whole apartment stunk but it was definitely fun!!!

SATURDAY

today was kinda boring but it went well and all good things came from it. haha we had a goal today to have 4 lessons and we got 3 so that was really good! we started off with studies and today i finished up with doctrine and covanents! it was really good. those last few sections are really important and i loved them! then we went contacting and nothing too exciting happened yet but after lunch we went and had a rdv with a potential and that was good and then on the way home we were stopped by a man with his kids who asked to talk to us! so that was amazing! he said he wanted to meet again! then we were eating dinner and got a call from one of our investigators asking if we could meet again! so that was amazing. we got 3 lessons in one day! it was really good! the lesson with our investigator took a lot longer than we thought it would and she talked for a really long time, but it was still good! then we came home for the night!

SUNDAY

it was a really good sunday! our two best investigators both came to church today so that was really good! we taught one about the priesthood and he was really happy to hear that someday he would be able to have it! he was also really excited when he found out that he could pick who he wanted to come to his baptism and that he could pick who he wanted to baptize him! he said he'd think about it and let us know. the rest of our day was kind of a normal missionary day! we went out contacting and porting to finish out the night! it was the first time in almost 2 weeks that i'd been porting! that's weird! but it was good. 

well that's my week! thanks for everything from everyone back at home! i love you all! i can't believe i've only got 18 months left in this place...that is so weird! keep the prayers, mail and packages coming! love you!

elder libby

 

WEEK 26

well this week FLEW! i don't know about you all....haha but it was so fast and i cannot believe that it is already monday. but i will tell you how much fun i had this week! it was definitely a good one!!

MONDAY NIGHT
well all four of the elders decided that we wanted to go shopping for the last hour of our pday and we got some really niceeee comfy shoes! it was really fun! then we made our way home and the ladies who were here from slc were going to take me and my comp out for dinner, and grocery shopping. so we got to the grocery store and we were walking all around and got some groceries and went up to the cash register and those two paid for our groceries! it was so fun to be with them! then we went out to dinner and it was a Franco-American restaurant! so good and the dessert was KILLER. don't worry. there will be pics:) we had so much fun just laughing and talking. it was like a little taste of home for a while! we got home a little late.....tsk tsk i know, but you have to be able to take a few pictures right??

TUESDAY

one of the elders decided he wanted to start exchanges today. so that's what we did! we woke up and got our exercising on and then we started our studies. i was supposed to give a talk in Church this week so that's what i worked on. i was getting all ready for that. it was good. then we started our exchange! we had comp study and it was good. we started our language study and in the middle of it, i decided that i really wanted a kebab. so that was what we did for lunch! then because i was feeling so full, me and my exchange comp decided that we would take a late dinner. so we went back to the apartment and found some less-active names and addresses and went out walking! as we were walking down one street we heard a car come rushing up to us and someone stuck out their head and yelled at us...i was thinking some crazy french teenagers...but it was Debbie and Karen, my news friends from slc! haha they pulled us over and asked if we could help them out later with the post office and filling the car with gas. then they gave us some chocolate and sent us on our way! they are so cool. we went and met with a less-active who let us in and he told us we could come back next week too! so that was awesome! then we were just out contacting and we passed a camera store and i realized that i was spending a ton of money on batteries for my camera, that it would make sense to buy a camera that i could just charge...so #impulsebuy i tried to buy it...but they didn't take card! so the lady told me she'd hold it! we were walking out when Debbie and Karen called and asked for help so we went and helped them at the post office! it was fun. we took some pictures and helped for a little bit and then made our way back to go buy my camera! me and my exchange comp ended the night porting out a neighborhood that me and my regular comp found ... and getting cokes from the mcdonalds! then we went home and played with my new camera!!

WEDNESDAY

today was soo awesome because, WE WENT INTO PARIS. as we all know paris is where i am supposed to be ... i wasn't supposed to grow up in kaysville. paris is one amazing place! #hahailoveparis. we left metz around 730 in the morning and were there all day long! we got there and made our way to the chapel there for our zone conference. it was around 930 and it started at about 10 so we did really good! we had some really good lessons on the importance of ward mission leaders and how we need to prepare our papers for them with intent of the ward help. it's something that me and my comp are applying in our weekly planning now. then president babin gave us a really good formation on what real intent was and how with real intent as missionaries we can do ANYTHING. it was really encouraging! he is so cool. then we had lunch and president babin surprised us with MEET THE MORMONS!!! he told us that it would be playing as we were waiting for our interviews with him and his wife! so i was pretty happy and watched the whole thing. i may or may not have cried during the missionary part, i'll let you ponder on that! then we decided we wanted to walk down the street to notre dame! took some pretty cool pics there too! then on the way back i found a little vendor that was selling little eiffel towers 5 for 2 euros....so i bought them! then we went back and had interviews with president and sœur babin! it was really good. i got some advice i really needed. such a good day. on the way back we BARELY made our train. it was like a movie...we ran and hopped on the train as it was pulling away...just kidding it wasn't pulling away, but as soon as we got on and the doors closed, it started moving! we were running all through the gare trying to get to it! it was fun!

THURSDAY

well today was really kind of sad....haha we had to say goodbye to Debbie and Karen! it was kinda hard and i only teared up a little bit! haha no i didn't cry. but it was sad! they were headed back home. we were doing our studies and got a text saying they were here so we made our way down to go see them and they had put together some bags for us! haha full of cookies and m&m's and a bunch of good stuff! not to mention some blankets! ahh they are so cool. we took some last pictures, hugged it out (shhhh) and then said goodbye! it was sad. but all was well! we then went upstairs and continued our studies and i wanted a baguette so i threw it in the oven. we then had to go to the Church to print off some stuff and then contacted our way back to take lunch! we were just trying to fill up the time walking around the apartment until i remembered...I LEFT MY BAGUETTE IN THE OVEN! holy crap i was so scared! i ran in the apartment building and ran upstairs to our apartment and it stunk so bad like burned something! haha so i ran to the oven and turned it off and opened it up and my baguette was just really burned black! haha i was so relieved it wasn't worse....i am so stupid!!! we then took lunch and made our way out to go contacting. we walked all over the place! it was so cold that we came home so i could put my long underwear on and then went out porting for the night. that's about all we did all night!

FRIDAY

well today was pretty chill..not a ton happened. we woke up and remembered that we had a passback so we ran and did that. we met a little indian lady who let us in cause she wanted to know what we had to say about jésus christ. it was really good cause we got in and we started getting to know her and who she was and then went straight into the restoration. we got to a couple points and i had the impression to pull out and show her a picture of my family when we talked about the gospel blessing families. it was so cool! then my comp was all, let's stop there....haha so it was a bummer and she said she doesn't know when she can meet again, but gave us her number. so that was good! then we came back and we weekly planned for a good 3 and a 1/2 hours! haha it was a long weekly planning but it was really good. then we were invited over to a members house for dinner so we made our way there and they fed us raclette! which is just potatoes and cheese with some bacon and meats. it was really good and really fun!

SATURDAY

today was kind of miserable...haha i'm a really bad complainer i know but it was just a long tiring day and it was rainy and cold and made me a little depressed and i missed my family and it was just sad...haha but the work still needs to get done, and it needs to be done with a smile, so that's what i did. haha it was hard some of the time but i did it! we started out with our studies and they were good. for lunch one of the elders told us he was making us a man quiche which was a quiche with some meat in it. so that was really yummy! then we realized that we forgot to make a progression sheet for the ward mission leader in our weekly planning so we took a good 45 minutes to do that! then after that we went contacting and we walked all over in the pouring rain! we walked so far we found ourselves at the restaurant that Debbie and Karen took us to the other night! we made our way to the Church cause we had a rdv with a new investigator. she showed up a half hour late and talked for a solid hour! haha it was a long rdv but good. then we ran over to a members house to teach a spiritual thought. it was good. after that we went home for the night.

SUNDAY

today was good! i had my talk all prepared and everything! we got to Church and all was going well and i went up to one of the bishopric to tell him it was done and he told me i don't have to give it til the 8 of march! ha so i have it prepared for then! but we had really cool meetings today and it was really spiritual. the counselor and his family invited us over for dinner on tuesday night and they're going to teach us how to cook all of the dinner! so we're super excited for that! then the other counselor in the bishopric was here today so he invited me and my comp over tonight! so that was even better! we met with our investigator who set the baptismal date after Church and he told us that he's still working towards the goal of baptism on the 14 of march so please keep him in your prayers! he is doing really well, he just needs to figure out what he is going to do with some stuff in his life! then we went to meet with another investigator cause she'd been skiing for the past week and we hadn't met with her. she is doing well also! she got super tan at the slopes and made me miss skiing a lot! she's super funny and i love her. she told us she's planning on coming to Church this week! #progressionamirite? then we went home and planned out the thought for the family we were visiting tonight. we went to their house and they made us this chestnut chicken, we talked about how they met and got married and played around with their crazy kids and weiner dog! it was a very fun night!

well that was my week! like i said it went super fast but it was super fun! i'm so glad to be here! thanks for all the prayers and support. i'll talk to you all soon! over and out! ttfn!

elder libby

 

WEEK 25

well this week was really fun!! haha me and my companion had quite the fun week. we did lots of service and had the opportunity to meet some really cool people. it was just a really fun week! we got a new elder in the apartment and we've been doing service all week! and we've been treated as if we were in-the-states missionaries! haha man am i jealous of them! haha but here's why i'm jealous....

MONDAY NIGHT

nothing too exciting happened tonight to me and my comp...we went out porting for the night and on the way home i really wanted a coke...just like any other night right?? haha so he was nice enough to walk with me to the store and get a coke with me.

TUESDAY

well today one of my favorite elders in the apartment was being transferred...it was kinda sad....:( we had our studies this morning and since the bishop and his wife are in america this week, she asked me and my comp if we could cover for her in institute this week. so that's what my studies consisted of this week! this morning i had some stuff to mail to the mission home so we had to run to the poste and then we went around contacting in metz. metz is such a cool town. you should all come someday. then for the one elders last day, he wanted to do this thing that they do in france called MARDI-FOU (foo). that is when you get a large pizza from domino's and a large yop, which is a yogurt drink and the challenge is to eat the whole pizza and drink the whole drink. it apparently has been impossible and everyone who does it throws up...haha so we did it. and there was only one person who ate the whole pizza and drank the whole yop and didn't even feel sick. who was it?? ...ME. haha they all cast bets before we did it saying that i wasn't gonna be able to do it! but i proved all the others wrong. we spent the rest of the afternoon though letting all the other elders stomach's settle...wimps...haha jk but they didn't even finish...come on! after our dinner break, we had a rdv with one of our strongest investigators and our little lesson this week was on teaching our children to walk in the truth and we asked if she'd be open to letting her daughter come in on our lessons too and she said yes! she said she really wants her to learn what we're teaching. as we were getting ready to leave, she told us, "thank you for being patient with me." ahhh it was such a good rdv! we got home and were all sitting around talking and about to go to bed when the phone rang...it was a lady from salt lake city utah who's aunt who lived in metz had just passed away and she was wondering if the missionaries would be available to come help translate at some banks and attorney's offices! say what? so me and my comp said yes!

WEDNESDAY

so we needed to be to this ladys apartment at 10 this morning so me and my comp had shortened studies and made our way to their apartment! we got there and they invited us in with welcome arms! it was like we took a step back into america for a little bit. we walked in and they had been going through all their aunt's stuff and cleaning out. we needed to get to the bank to settle some things so off we went to translate! no worries, we had a dictionary! we aren't professional translators you know. haha that was really fun though! then we went to the attorney's office and that was really fun too. lots of terms that kinda gave me a little headache! haha we made our way back and they then told us that they were buying us lunch! it's so weird to have someone taking such good care of us! it's like they knew us :0) we took them to get kebabs (what else??) so that was really fun! we got back and started helping them clean up in the apartment. we found so many treasures! i found an american rice cooker. and they let me keep it! i found a space heater. and they let me keep it! i found a juicer and a toaster! ahh it was like christmas morning all over again! so much fun. we finished helping them out and went home for the night and met the new elder in the apartment. he's from st george and he is pretty cool! i took some pictures with him this week so that was fun! me and my comp also went porting to finish out the night. it was good!

THURSDAY

so today we got to go back with debbie and karen the sisters from slc and helped them for the day. we started off our day with studies and then made our way over to their apartment to go with them to the life insurance place for their aunt. we got there and they had spoiled us with some patisseries and little breakfast things...it was awesome! we then got into the car and this little french lady took us for a drive to the life insurance place, and let me tell you. french drivers are so funny and so scary! haha she was zipping and zooming all over the roads and honking her horn and cussing up a storm! haha it was hilarious but i feared a little for my life! she then tried to park in a TINY parking spot and was killing me! she was like, i know i can fit in here...haha it was good. then the parking meter wouldn't work and let's just say....OH LA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA!!! ahhh old french people are the greatest. she then walked us over to the life insurance place and she was walking in the middle of the roads putting her hand out to tell cars to stop...haha it was an adventure! then after all that we went back to the apartment and we took lunch and went through some of the aunts jewelry so that debbie and karen could take what they wanted home. it was fun to see them remember all that their aunt had worn and loved. it was a cool experience. we actually ended up finding some really old francs from like the early 1900s and they told us we could keep them! so that was cool! then i guess they found some money from the aunt stashed away and decided they'd treat the two of us to dinner! it was really fun. we went to this italian restaurant and it was really good! they are such a fun group!

FRIDAY

well we'd been in contact with the senior couple of our area telling them that these ladies had some furniture that they were trying to get rid of and wondering if there were any apartments in the area that needed new furniture and such! the church is apparently opening up a new area close to here and the senior couple just got the keys to the apartment and they need furnishings! so they were more than happy to hear we had some. so we planned to meet today around 2 to load up cars and bring things to the storage unit in our building and all that jazz. so we started weekly planning but didn't finish and we had to get over to help load up the car! so that was fun. we got over there and we took down some furniture and loaded up the car. we couldn't fit a ton in there so we had to bring some over and store it in our apartment storage so that they can come back and get it later. that took a lot longer than we thought and by the time we knew it we had to get to the church to teach institute! it went well! it was on the law of consecration and we got done really fast....does that mean i'm a bad teacher?? idk...but then we got talking one of our ward members who attends institue, and has become friends with my mom, and she showed me all the pictures that my mom has been posting of me that debbie has been sending her! haha it was fun to see how much my mom appreciated it. the sister from our ward then gave us a ride home for the night.

SATURDAY

well because yesterday we had to spend the whole day packing up furniture for the senior couple, we still had weekly planning to do...haha so that's pretty much what we did all day long! i actually really wanted a kebab for lunch and the new elder from st george hadn't been to the world famous tezel yet so we decided that we'd go for lunch! it was really good! then me and my comp planned from 12:30 all the way til 5 haha ahh that was killer. we then took dinner and made our way out to go porting! as we were walking out the door we got a text from debbie and karen telling us they had a dessert for us and were wondering how they could get it to us. so we met up at mcdonalds and they bought us dinner and gave us the dessert. this really good french cake thing! they then took us home for the night! we've been super blessed to come to know them. they told us too that they were coming to church tomorrow!

SUNDAY

well today is really good cause i finished my whole journal! haha i get to start a new one! first journal i've ever finished in my life! and i'm only 18. someone beat that. it was a really good feeling! well me and the new elder were asked to teach a lesson in primary today...and the lesson was on the atoning sacrifice of jesus christ. i don't even know how to teach about that in english...let alone french! haha just kidding! but still...it was interesting, but we had fun with those little french munchkins. then we went to the investigators class and that was really good ...our best investigator has been coming every week! he's still doing good and we still have a baptismal date! then we walked upstairs and debbie and karen were right there and asked if there was somewhere we could go to take pictures because they wanted to send my mom a certain one....so we went upstairs and she pulled out a bunch of hearts...haha we had a little photoshoot in the middle of the church! it was good. they are so good! then we came home and had lunch and went out contacting! funniest thing ever...these geese in the river were like trying to fly but were walking on the water. like jesus. it was the craziest thing ever...i got it on video and it sounds weird to describe but it was so cool! haha then we went out porting for the night and talked a lot about what we want to do after the mission and what we did before! that's the good thing about having a good comp. i can talk about anything with him!

so there was my week! it was really good! thanks for all you do for me! i love you all and i've been really blessed this week. i got a little taste of an american mission. it's been amazing! i love you guys! talk to you soon! au revoir!

elder libby

 

WEEK 24

Hello all,

well what a fun week! it has been very good and very fun! lots has happened this week but i want to first let you all know that i am not being transferred yet! all is well in metz for now, until about the second week in march. you can continue to send letters and packages to 

elder tanner libby

6 rue henry maret

57000 metz

france

we learned just the past couple weeks to NOT use fedex...they charge up the you-know-what to the recipient and it is NOT worth all the hassle:) so we've decided that the best is the USPS:) just for future reference! not saying that i'm expecting anything or anything!;) this week was really good and i'm starting my 4th transfer and about to hit my 6 month mark so life is pretty good! k here goes week 24!

 

MONDAY NIGHT

me and my comp went out to finish up a neighborhood of porting and there wasn't anything amazingly amazing that night so it was just a night of porting; touching the lives of all the people who slam their doors in our faces! haha just kidding, but ya that sums up our night!

TUESDAY

today was a really good day full of really good food and a really good spirit! haha i know that i said in the last email that the church here in metz is almost finished so we can have district meeting here but we had heard rumors of this TOO DIE FOR burger joint back in lux...the burgers were at least 15 euros each so i mean they have to be good right? and so we all decided we wanted to do that. i can now cross "eat a hamburger in luxembourg" off my bucket list! haha not a lot of people can do that so i was pretty happy! we woke up and headed up to lux to get district meeting good and overwith and took some pretty fun photos! the burger was literally delicious. it was worth the 17 euros...haha it was called the new york and it had a fried egg on it and when they brought it out to me, it was dripping yolk from the egg....ahh! killer! but we all know that i'm a sucker for a good burger joint with some fries. so ya...that was like the highlight of my day. then we were on the way home and all the elders were talking about how freakishly large my leg span is when i do my morning leg lifts...haha yes i do leg lifts in the mornings....make fun all you want, but i'm gonna have abs when i get home:) so when we got home i did some leg lifts and i don't look that weird...haha? swimmer's curse? we then had a huge district discussion on how we can get members in on missionary work, and then had a rdv with a family from our ward again (the ones who hosted my christmas skype)! it was so fun. the meal was delicious. a tomato and potato filled with this meat that made me sick i ate so much! ah it was killer! the french are amazing in the kitchen! then their daughter lent me her cookbook so that i could copy down a bunch of recipes! haha i was happy! it was a good night!

WEDNESDAY

today started off really well. we went out right after studies and we taught 3 different lessons, got 2 different numbers, and 1 future visit! it was really good and i was quite happy with the success that we saw just in the first few hours of the morning! for language study i started to translate recipe's from the family cookbook i had borrowed so that when i get to america i can bring some french lovin' back home with me:) then we went out contacting and i don't know why but i was just talking to everyone. i was literally stopping people in crosswalks and just talking to a ton of people...haha it was fun. then that's when we got all of our lessons and ya it was cool! then i went and got a baguette for lunch and then we went to this book store cause now my comp wanted a cookbook so that was fun! then after that we went on some less active finding adventures and didn't find any...bummer deal! haha but i wanted to make some cookies so that i had some cookie dough to eat so we went and bought some cookie ingredients and headed home to figure out what to teach our new investigator! we headed to that rdv and it was really interesting! haha he is so far off on every topic and didn't really understand the plan of salvation...haha it was interesting! then we hopped on the bus and heard some english speakers! they told us they were from america and were going to georgia tech! they were really cool! i then went to buy a coke with my mcdonalds fund:)

THURSDAY

today went really slow and really fast at the same time....haha i had a lot on my mind all day so it was like not a bad day but not like the best day ever...i was thinking a lot about transfers today and i was really distracted all day because of it...I know its not right but life goes on! we were just doing language study this morning when one of the missionaries whos being transferred came in and told us we were going to get kebabs today...haha so we went for lunch and i got a durham. it was really good. it is pretty much a kebab in a tortilla (still dont know the french word for it) but it was delicious! we then went less active finding again and that was an adventure cause i found an umbrella at a bus stop that someone had left behind and that's good because the one i had was broken! #blessing. so i took it and opened it and it was huge! if i get caught in wind with it, i'll fly away like mary poppins! haha it is massive but so fun to play with! we then took about 20 minutes out of dinner to go and make copies of a bunch of recipes and swap some music on our usb's when the phone rang and it was an ex-investigator who said she wanted to meet tonight! she met us at the church and as we taught her the plan of salvation, she had lots of questions and was debating that satan was stronger than god...so keep her in your prayers! 

FRIDAY

today was really long! like longer than any other weekly planning friday! haha we had our studies and then went out contacting for a couple hours and came back in cause it was dumping snow! but that was ok cause i had my parachute/umbrella! it was just really cold when we came in. we then took lunch and did weekly planning and that's literally what we did the rest of the night! ahh haha around dinner time the same missionary that’s transferring came in AGAIN and said that we had to go to kebab's once more before he left, so we went the kebabs AGAIN haha but then after that we came back in and we took time to finish our weekly planning and we did transfer prophecies! it was a fun way to end a really long day! haha

SATURDAY

today we woke up and we started our studies and when it got to comp study we couldn't even focus! we were all waiting for a phone call thinking that someone would either train or be called to a district leader! we were just waiting! and around 11 we headed out the door to check the repertoire at the computer! it was fun to get on and see where everyone was heading! i am staying in metz with three other elders and only one elder is leaving! he is heading to compiegne...i don't know how i feel about that! haha he's been here since i have and he's pretty much my best friend right now, but we all have to make new friend's sometimes right? we then had a rdv with this less active in the ward who told us all about how her neighbors are stealing her keys and bugging up her apartment and so she has cut off all telephone and internet connections and stuff and how she can't leave her apartment cause her neighbors will break in...haha if it's true, that's an amazing story! but she started crying at the end of the rdv and told us that she is very thankful for us cause she was praying for the lord to send her angels and about 10 minutes later we called. so that was cool. then we went out to a rdv with another investigator! it was good. same as the other two rdv's about the plan of salvation...she has lots of questions and doesn't agree with a ton of stuff...pray for her too! then we contacted to finish up the night in the dumping snow again! it was really fun!!

SUNDAY

well today we had a rdv right after church with one of our strongest investigators and....WE HAVE A BAPTISMAL DATE!!!! save the date!!! march 14!!! it was really good. we had a member come in with us who made a lot of things logical to him. she compared setting a baptismal date to a marriage date. you aren't gonna get married two days after the engagement. you put the date in the future, wait and work things out, and pray to know if it is right. she said that if he did that, the lord would answer. so he set a date for what just might be my last saturday here in metz!! it's the end of next transfer. AHHH! i was happy! then we went home and figured out what we need to do! haha another family invited us over for dinner tonight and so we had to go get tickets for a train ride to their house. it was a fun night and we had lots of laughs! they are a good family and i love them with all my heart! they are so good! then we came home for the night and did some more on getting ready to prepare for a baptism! ahh what a good day!

so this week was really good! thanks for all the support and letters! keep them coming! i haven't gotten any for a while! but i'd love some! love you all! 

elder libby!

WEEK 23

hello all! how is life?? i hope all is going well! so today, one of the elders in my apartment who is from logan, his dad is in france for a business trip. he was kind enough to call my mom and she got to send me a little love in his suitcase :0) he stopped by our apartment took us all out for lunch! so that was really fun! this week has been really good and it FLEW by...literally time flies when you're having fun! and you're always having fun when in FRANCE right?? so um ya! here we go!

MONDAY NIGHT

well because we are probably not the smartest kids in the east of france me and my companion completely forgot about having to prepare a meal for district meeting so we went to go and find some stuff to make fajitas! it was lots of fun we went all over metz trying to find tortillas of all things! haha what's the word for tortilla in french? we don't know...but it was good fun! then we were on our way home and we walked past the kebab shop and thought of how good that sounded and we stopped and got kebabs for dinner. #kebabnumber1 for this week, then we went home and called it a night

TUESDAY

so today was my 5 month mark! january 20 already! and we completely didn't even remember til like 8:20 at night...so we didn't even get a lot of celebrating in! i was bummed... but all was well cause in the end i got ice cream! so for the first time since i've been here in metz we actually had district meeting here in metz! we got ready and the lux elders called and said their train was delayed and then district meeting was delayed til like 12! haha that was fun stuff. we had a really good lesson and even better food. when you put the time into it, lots of good stuff happens! the meal was good and we laughed and talked and had lots of fun! then after that we headed back to the apartment and showed off all the stuff we had bought yesterday at soldes (its like, "whoo-whoo, mid-summer blowout!", all the merchants put their items on 75% clearance!) next, we just got a new ward secretary and he asked us if we could take all of the information for the new ward list and make it beautiful for him so that was hard....haha but we did it in less than 3 hours! me and my companion were then alone in the apartment cause the other elders went on an exchange in lux so that was fun! we got on the topic of who we thought we would marry...and that was fun....haha thinking of home and after mission life does not make time go fast! but we had a lesson with our newest investigator that night. she is the one we have who's husband was just released from the hospital because of diabetes...rings a bell for me huh? love my sis macy :) but that was really bizarre. we taught her the first part of the plan of salvation and she said she doesn't think we lived before this life cause if we did, we would think back to that a lot and that is looking back... she believes that god wouldn't want us doing that. so that was fun and haha interesting.! then we went to buy ice cream to celebrate my 5 months here!

WEDNESDAY

today was really good! it really was almost exactly what i needed! i've been thinking that this transfer is my last in metz and i've been really sad about it cause i don't wanna leave! haha things are just getting good we've got about 5 solid ami's and i feel like i'm starting to see "the fruits of my labors..." is that the scripture? idk. but ya! i was really nervous about it all day! but i read a really cool scripture in personal study that helped me.... D&C 84:81-84. "therefore, take no thought for the morrow, for what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink, or wherewithal ye shall be clothed. for, consider the lilies of the field, how they grow, they toil not, neither do they spin, and the kingdoms of the world in all their glory, are not arrayed like one of these. for your father who is in heaven knoweth that ye have need of all these things. therefore, let the morrow take thought for the things of itself." it was really cool! it answered my question! and i loved it! then me and my comp went contacting. not a ton happened while we were out but we did find georgia tech and a lot of english speakers! haha that was fun! but then we went to the gare to get the zone leaders cause we had an exchange with them tonight! so we got there and i knew who my exchange was with. it's a good thing i love that kid with all my heart cause i sure do spend a lot of time with him! we then got the apartment and set all the goals for our exchange, the zl's companion told us that this parents gave him some money as a reward for having 6 months left in his mission and that dinner was on him! so #kebabnumber2 haha for the week! haha they are really good! we had a rdv with a family in the ward that i love and we shared a spiritual thought with them! it was really fun. they are such a nice family! then we made our way back home and went and bought some drinks for the night!

THURSDAY

today was a really good day! we were finishing our exchange with the zl's and we had to go to the church so that they could do some sort of confidentiality thing that all zl's have to do at the end of transfers...so that was fun and it took forever! haha we got to the church around 9 and we didn't leave til like 12:30!  the time went kind a slow but it was good. we then had a meeting with the ward mission leader! so we got on our train and we headed to his house! it was a good meeting where we discussed a lot about this new initiative france is doing where all the members are being challenged to hand out books of mormon or something like that! it was really good. then we talked about our ami's and we ate some snacks and made our way home! by that time, me and my comp had a rdv with another investigator! we got to her house and talked about a little story in the january ensign...we couldn't figure out what to teach so we talked about a spiritual thought. it was really good and she loved the little story about the lady giving her flowers away! it was good. she told us she was going to come to church on sunday too! so that's exciting! we then just contacted to finish up the night! it was a good day!

FRIDAY

well today was good except we had weekly planning! i'm such a complainer but weekly planning kills me! it is so not fun. but anywhoo. last night the two other elders in our apartment walked in and had been shopping...that's a no no but they said as long as you take the time out of your meals, it's ok...so, after much debate, we went shopping during lunch! at least I didn't eat a kebab that day. i found this coat that is to die for! haha it is the nicest coat ever! but it was one size too big and wayyyy expensive so i was kinda sad when i couldn't get it! but life goes on! haha we then had a rdv at the church with a member to go home teaching! so we made our way to the church to do home teaching and that was good! he based the lesson off of a talk in the ensign this month and it was good! the guy really wanted to just talk and so it was good for him to talk! then we had a meeting with the forbach branch president because we need to get things going there! so that was really good. he answered a ton of questions and really helped us out! then we talked to some other people that were at the church and made our way home and ended the night with a coke and a baguette! it was good!

SATURDAY

today was literally kind of miserable haha no nothing bad happened but it was just really long and i didn't like it! haha we woke up this morning with a big thick blanket of snow! which was awesome until we had to go out and work in it! haha we started off today with studies and then we all decided that we wanted kebab's for lunch....#kebabnumber3 ahhh i know i am so bad...3 in one week?! how can i do that!? but they were really good so i kind of don't even regret it! haha but anyway after that we went to go and do some less active finding in the snow and both places we walked to, the people didn't even live! so we really didn't even do anything but find empty apartments! ahhh but anyway. after that we came home and took dinner and then we went porting and found a less active family there and we shared a spiritual message with them so that was good. it was a good way to end off the day.

SUNDAY

today was really good! we had church obviously so that went well. one of our investigators came to all three meeting just like he regularly does and that was really good! we got invited to a members house for dinner and so that was really good! another exciting thing is that another investigator came for sacrament! i was really happy! then we had a CES devotional afterwards and our investigators stayed for it! it was really good! when we went home, we needed to take the train to the members house for dinner and when we got to his house he walked us to his car and said, we didn't have a ton of time to make food so is KFC ok? haha so we went to the drive-thru and got KFC for our sunday dinner! when we got back to his house it smelt a little like something burnt from the kitchen so we don't know if they just burned dinner or what, but it was good and fun! lots of fun! then we went home and finished off the night with some contacting!

well there's my week! lots of fun stuff and lots of progression! if anyone is sending packages or letters from now on, maybe send them to the mission home just to be safe! i don't want them to get lost incase i transfer! thanks for everything! love you all!

elder libby

 

WEEK 22

hey everyone!! it's been a week and this week the internet cafe is closed so i have little time to write. sorry but this letter might be a little short and fast! but that's how we like things right? this week was really good. i got a better understanding and stronger testimony of the importance and blessings of fasting! it was an amazing week!

MONDAY NIGHT

so me and elder Q went porting to finish up the night and it was pretty good! we talked a lot about friends from home and i realized again how much i love all of them! haha we talked about school and what we wanna do when we got back and what we were thinking of doing for jobs and it was a pretty good night!

TUESDAY

no more going up to luxembourg for district meeting cuz the church in metz is almost done with construction! so we're just gonna come here now! that's gonna save us a lot of money! haha and i'm really glad cause spending all that money just for a 45 minute meeting and a meal is not worth it to me! so district meeting was good today and the food tasted better! that made all the difference! the other companionship had an exchange with the lux elders so they all came down to our apartment so that was a fun night! but we had a rdv when we got back and they were really good! we then had another rdv with this one guy that we found in our potentials list and when we got to the meeting place he didn't have enough money to go on the bus so we had our rdv in....MCDONALDS! haha it was good fun! we taught him the first lesson and he wants to meet again!

WEDNESDAY

today was long and it felt like we weren't doing anything when we really did a lot! haha it feels like it is always on wednesday's when me and elder q never have anything planned so we just go contacting and stuff all day! so that's exactly what we did all day. and, we went to get kebabs! we went less active searching and we had a rdv with an ami! this ami gave us some pates (liver hors d'oeuvres) and it was good! it was a long day with not a ton of fun or interesting stuff!

THURSDAY

today was such a good day and i realized how much our heavenly father loves us! it was amazing! we had a normal day but we had scheduled a rdv with this less-active/recent convert that we have been scheduling rdv's with for a lot time! she would always cancel the day of and so we were hoping that today she'd come to this one! our day had been full of contacting and stuff til we had to go to or ward mission leader meeting! it was really good and we talked a lot about less actives oddly enough! so when we got home we went back to the church to wait for her...i really wanted her to come cause i wanted to figure out how she was doing! she finally walked in the door and she told us a lot of personal things and just broke down crying! she told us that she knew she needed to be at church but didn't know how eveyone would treat her. so i couldn't even talk cause i was about to cry! the spirit was so strong and as elder quist was bearing his testimony and saying how christ loves her, i could see the spirit touching her. she told us she'd come back to church cause she's made plans at work for this week to be the last week she works sundays and she'd come next sunday but that she wanted to meet once a week with us! it was amazing and as soon as she left the church, i cried with relief! i was so happy to be able to help the lord in helping the people we teach realize his love for them!

FRIDAY

today was super long and tiring! but that's the way it should always be right! haha so we had studies and then right after we took lunch cause we had a day in forbach! it was really good we got there around 1 and straight off we started looking for a map so that when we got back home we could find some less actives and do some fun stuff with the map! so elder q didn't do anything and it was all me trying to find my way around asking people where they thought i could get a map ... and i did it! i was really happy! then we went and got kebabs and yes i know...two in one week was bad...i'm sorry and i repented! haha but then we went contacting and porting all around out in forbach! it was a really good and really exhausting day! but we did it and made good things come out of it!

SATURDAY

so today was weekly planning and it was really good. haha i just really don't like weekly planning...so we did that til about 3 in the afternoon and when we had a rdv with a new ami that we found last week while going through the potentials! and when we got to the church she walked up the walkway and had her son with her! it was super cool and a super good rdv where we just had to finish up the restoration! it was really good! then we had a rdv with one of our very strong investigators who is trying to decide on baptism and we taught her about fasting and as we were preparing this morning for that lesson, we got the feeling of maybe asking her if we could start a special fast for her to know the truth...and she said YES!!! so we did and i felt amazing! it was one of the most spiritual experiences! she is amazing and i love her with all my heart!

SUNDAY

today at church was really good! Another of our strongest investigators came to all three meetings again and it was really good! me and elder q thought of 5 families that we could ask if we could go over to have a meal and share a thought with them and we believe that it was because all the fasting we were doing, they all said yes! so i was pretty happy! it was really good. then we left and headed home and started to mess around with the map that we got in forbach! so that was really good. we got it all messed around and all marked up. it was good. then the bishop and his family invited me and elder q over tonight to share a spiritual message and eat crepes! so that was way fun! we spent the rest of the night there. it was good to have another english night! such a fun family!

ok i'm super sorry that this is short and not a ton of info...this week was weird cause of the internet cafe! i love you all! keep in touch! i love you!

elder libby

WEEK 21

dear everyone,

well what a week! haha i first off wanted to thank everyone for the prayers and love towards me and my other missionaries in france! it's been quite the interesting and kind of scary week but honestly there is nothing to worry about when you're in the Lord's hands and on his errand right? we've been very safe and very aware of everything going on and we are truly watched over and blessed all the time. me and the other elders here in metz are actually a little happy to hear that our small town in France made world news! so a little good comes out of everything! look for the good and it will come haha that's my little shpeel to you all this week! ok here was my week!

MONDAY NIGHT

not too much happened tonight! me and my comp went out porting and we talked a lot about people from home and how we missed all our friends and it was good but made me think a lot about all of you! it was good and fun though and sometimes you need to just vent and make things better right? haha it was a good night. then when we got back the ZL's were here for an exchange with the other equipe! so we got to talk and have some fun with them! my zl’s mom follows the mission page, just like my mom, and when he told her he’d be in metz, she told him he’d better give elder libby a hug from his mom! so, he gave me a hug from my mom who had gotten it from his mom who had gotten it from my mom (at least i think) so it was really worn down once it got to me, but still good!  haha

TUESDAY

we woke up and had to hurry fast to district meeting in lux! just kidding not hurry but it always seems like we have to cause we have to be out of the apartment at like 8:30 and usually we don't leave until like 11 so its always a little bizarre. but we got on the train and once we got on the announcer lady came over the intercom to tell us that there was a problem on the rails and that we wouldn't be getting to luxembourg anytime soon. so we were on the train to lux for 2 hours when usually it takes just less than 45 minutes,....haha that was fun! we finally got there and had a really good district meeting and then ate some food and took some time to be chatterboxes and then all was well! haha then on the way back to metz we were all telling each other a bunch of jokes and stupid riddles and making everyone mad cause they couldn't figure them out so that was pretty funny cause me and the one zl knew them all so we kept playing them and making the others upset cause they couldn't figure them out! haha we got home and then my comp realized he needed to shave but had no shaving cream...so we walked and contacted people on the way to the store and went to buy some shaving cream! that was fun and really cold! haha the weather here is freezing! then we got home and took dinner and went out porting where we found this really nice lady who let us in her home to un-thaw and told us i know why you're here but i'm already catholic and i am saved. she told us she let us in because what we were doing is something extremely important and she didn't want us to freeze to death. when we were about to leave i asked if we could pray, she then grabbed mine and my comps hands and held them tight and we prayed! she then told us she would bisou us (double kiss on the cheeks) but she is a little sick. haha it really touched my heart. she was amazing! we then came home and finished off the night!

WEDNESDAY

today was just the weirdest day...like i did not feel like myself at all...haha! it was so weird like i was all over the place and i couldn't concentrate on anything and i just felt really weird. when studies started i couldn't stay focused and i was all over the place and falling asleep...it was just a really weird day and i don't know what was the matter. maybe i just didn't sleep good last night? it was really bizarre. but anyway then we went contacting and i had a letter to drop off and we went in to send it and they have changed all the prices on stamps and everything! they used to be .98 euros and now they are 1.20 euros....so i won't be sending a ton of letters home soon...i'm kinda poor...haha! but then we went contacting until it was time for lunch! we got lunch out of the way and made our way around metz trying to find some less-actives that we could meet. we found this one in a building who was ironically the son of another less-active lady that i've met with a couple times! so that was exciting! we got home and found the relationship and figured everything out. i was pretty proud of myself for figuring the stuff out! then we went contacting and i wanted a patisserie...i had a weird day so i can have one right? i bought a little cream puff and it was delicious. pretty cheap too! then we went home and took dinner for the night and then just went porting again! i told my comp some fun senior year stories again tonight! gosh i love all my friends! i miss them so much. but all is well. soon enough i'll see them again!

THURSDAY

today was really good! they are starting to take down all the holiday stuff from christmas and i think that is helping a lot! this holiday season was just a little rough cause i was away and i wanted to be with family and friends...but it's good now cause it's over and i think my homesickness is finally vanishing away! so i'm really grateful for that! after studies me and my comp went contacting and while we were out he asked me if i wanted to go to mcdonalds for lunch! ummmm....YES! #FIRSTMCDONALDSRUNINFRANCE!!!!!!  you could say i was a little excited! haha it cost me a lot but i got a coke and fry for 5 euros...haha youch...but i'm only gonna make it a rare thing so don't worry i won't be spending nonsense money! i took lots of cheesy selfies so that was fun! then we had dmp and this week was really good. we introduced our new investigator and it was really good! we talked a lot on being able to nourish them in the gospel and how to do it! it was really good. we then had a rdv with a less-active family and they had completely forgetten about the rdv so they let us in for just a little bit and then told us all the drama in paris and what had been happening. what a sad day for everyone! but then we went home for the night. on the way home my comp asked me to explain what grey's anatomy was...haha… he HAD been listening to my senior year chatter! i was really excited to pull someone else in on my strange addiction! haah. and i want to be a dr. when I grow up!

FRIDAY

today was pretty good. we didn't do a ton but we did at the same time! we had our studies and then we had weekly planning.... it takes forever, but it is good and if we don't do it our week is crazy and chaotic. we went way in depth to the area book and talked tons about our amis and we had lots of fun too! it's funny how off topic you can get. but it was really productive and we did what we needed to do. we were talking about the family who hosted our skype calls, and literally after i said how much fun they are, the phone rang, and it was that same sister saying she had a letter from my mom! so she asked us to meet her at the church and she gave it to me. this sister had taken a couple minutes to email my parents and tell them we were so safe, and my mom emailed her back telling her about all the #answerstoblessings from this week, and that they knew at home i was safe. it was really good to hear from them and to see how touched this sister was from doing that little act of email service. she was very grateful my mom trusted her to deliver this message! then we had a rdv with our new ami and we made our way to her house and had a good rdv talking about how important the bom is and how she needs to read it and how she believes that it's true! she's truly been prepared by the Lord!

SATURDAY

today we woke up and we had studies and then finished off our weekly planning and when we went outside to go contacting there was NO one outside and so we went back in and got hardcore into the area book and got way in depth of what we need to do with our area! so that literally took like all day and we just did that! then we had a rdv  where we discussed the importance of going to church. our investigator told us she'd even come to church tomorrow!

SUNDAY

today was ward conference and so church was really special! we went and we had good meetings where one investigator came. he is so integrated with the ward it is phenominal! then during sacrament, some other investigators walked in! it was amazing! we were all so touched by the stake president's talk and i think we might be making progress. the first one told us that he is still praying and wants to be baptized but wants to be sure. he asked us to continue to pray for him so that is really special to me! we then had a ward meal after and our investigators all stayed to eat! by the time that was all over it was about 2:45 and we needed to head home and stay inside. there was a peace walk all over france today and we were instructed for safety to stay inside and on the way home, i kid you not....THOUSANDS of people were walking on the streets of metz. it was really cool to see. the rest of my night was just spent in the apartment and staying safe! haha not a ton happened!

well i had an amazing week and it's all thanks to you! thank you for the prayers and continual support! i love you all and miss you more! thanks for being my friends and family! talk to you soon!

elder libby