WEEK 32

well this week was a blur!!! we were so busy all week long trying to get everything in line for the baptism and we literally were just running busy and it went by so fast! which is always really good and makes all the better! things in reims are going really well! i'm really getting along well with all of the members and i'm having fun while working! and as we all learn from Charly (the movie) we have to have fun DURING the work! WA-TER-FIGHT. can you say that for me dear?

MONDAY NIGHT

we had a really good rdv with our investigator (who is being baptized on saturday) tonight and we had a member come with us who is from canada, so she speaks fluent english and french and she's pretty awesome! we had a really good lesson on the #LAWOFCHASTITY #firsttimethisweek it was really good and he said that he was of course going to follow it because he is married and that when he was back in Rwanda he had some sort of life changing experience when he did something....sorry that's only funny if you know him i guess...he always, in every rdv, tells us something life changing that happened back in Rwanda that somehow he relates to the lesson! so that's why i put that! it was good none the less!

TUESDAY

well today was super long and really boring!!! haha i was so happy to finally be in and not have to worry about the day any longer...not that it was necessarily a bad day, but we were at the church for a consecutive 5 hours and we still can't figure out how....it was super long though!!! i wrote and sent some letters home and that was really good. then we were walking around in centreville and i found a store with a really cool tie and thought that i deserved a small bday present from myself so i went and bought that! we then had a rdv with a less active who really loves the missionaries and he took us to mcdonalds and bought us some ice cream while we talked. he was a really nice guy and told us that sometime soon he wants us to come to his house and spend a good 3-4 hours with him! haha so we'll have to see if that happens! then we had a rdv with our investigator for baptism again and we brought the mustard member and they talked for almost an hour about how much they love africa and the people. so me and my comp had to just sit there and listen...then by the time we had finished the lesson i think we had been there for about 2 and a half hours with them! ahh we had another rdv with a recent convert and he would be there in about a half hour so we waited for him and he ended up showing up about 35 minutes late and we were just sitting there waiting! but the rdv went super well and he told us all about his patriarchal blessing and we answered his questions that he had about prayers and stuff and he asked if he could pray for us to close the lesson. it was really good! the members here in Reims are amazing!

WEDNESDAY

well today was the first district meeting in Reims and for that we have to go into this town just outside of paris (DANG ;) ) but i was super excited to get there cause in my new district is a soeur from the mtc named soeur clawson! we were in the same mtc district and me and her got along so well! i was super happy when i got the news we were in the same district! so we got there and we were both really happy to see each other! it was really fun to be able to talk and get up to speed with our new lives. we had our meeting on contacting today and it was fun cause we actually got to practice and it was fun/awkward to be able to do that for each other! we then had a really good lasagna that the soeurs made for us and that was really filling! holy cow i had the worst food baby ever. haha! but anywho we talked and ate and laughed and had a good jolly old time! then me and one of the zl's got to have an exchange! i was super happy! elder nelson is one of the coolest kids i know! he has a smile on his face even when he's frowning...which is never. so he always has a smile. he is so happy! we had a rdv and it was really good! they have a baptismal date with and it was really good #LAWOFCHASTITY #secondtimethisweek. then they had their meeting with the ward mission leader and ward counsel so we were at the church for a while! it was good though. we got those meetings done and then went in for the night.

THURSDAY

today was like a really momentous occasion cause i realized that i got my mission call a whole year ago today!!!!!! i can't believe that it's already been a whole year! it was really weird to have that in the back of my head all day. i still remember how i was sitting in AP calc and i gave my phone to Ms. Barney and told her that she needed to tell me when my mom texted me cause we were taking a test that day, and i was not concentrated at all! don't ask me what my score was on that test, cause first off, i know that it was horrible, but second off it doesn't matter cause i passed AP calc! haha i remember after the test i went over and i had about 5 texts and a couple missed calls from my mom! and she knew i was taking a test! i remember getting mad at ms barney cause she didn't pull me out and she said, "TANNER, be quiet. You were taking a test. Plus i don't know how to work your phone!" ahh that was a fun day! we finished up our exchange today and we went and stopped by a boulangerie and it was really yummy! i got a pain au chocolat and a religeuse! super yummy! then we went into paris and made our way out to Reims again! when i met up with my comp we made our way to the apartment so that we could take lunch and i decided to make a picture wall! haha and me being me...i forgot to take a picture of it, so i'm going to take one this week and i'll send it next week. but a future congrats to all who made it on #thewall then we had a short rdv to get everthing in order for the baptism and then another rdv #2in1night! it was really good! #LAWOFCHASTITY #thirdtimethisweek haha i taught that lesson 3 times in one week...is that crazy?? hopefully not a sign from upstairs :/ jk it's not. but it was a good rdv and i'm starting to make friends!

FRIDAY

well today was super busy but went by in the blink of an eye! it was really good. we started off by contacting to the gare so that i could print off another picture to put up on #thewall so that was good. then we came back and took lunch and went to go searching for our ward mission leader. apparently he is like a LEGEND in the ward of Reims and is like deathly ill with the Grip right now and i haven't met him and everyone is so worried about him cause he hasn't been to church in 2 weeks and that is not normal for him! so we went searching for him and when we got to his house and his son answered the door and said thank you for the visit but we couldn't come in cause he was really contagious...so we made our way to a rdv that we had with this member couple who are really old but they love to have the missionaries over to just talk sometimes! she told me she wants to try to alter my suits so that i can look french! so we will be doing that soon! then we had a rdv with a less-active who has some type of really bad sickness or cancer with his pancreas i think and he asked for a blessing. so we were able to offer him that! it was really cool! he was really nice and said that next week we were all going to make cheesecake together! so that makes me really excited!

SATURDAY

well today was very good, but might have been one of the longest days that i've had in a while!!! haha it was finally the day of the baptism and it turned out really well. after studies we ran to the store so that we could make some quiche for the baptism and then came to the church so that we could start filling the font! it took like a good 3 1/2 hours but it finally got filled and we made our way home so that we could get dressed and make it back for the arrivals and when we got back to the church, we found out that the font had a leak and it had gone down a good two inches!!!! so we hurried and turned it back on and luckily it was filled when we started. it was a great experience! i got to conduct the meeting and my comp baptized him! it was very good and i'm grateful for the experience! he invited some of his friends and one friend was really interested in what we were doing so she took our number and told us she wanted to learn more! so that would be very cool! we then had to clean everything up and a member, who served in england so he speaks fluent english, helped us and we ended up staying at the church talking and laughing with him til 9! he is very cool. he is actually the uncle of one of our amis so we meet and see him quite often!

SUNDAY

well i really hope that it was just because today was daylight savings time in europe, but it was just a really rough start to a day! it all started waking up...after losing an hour i really was struggling! haha my back was really messed up...then i shaved and when we were walking out to go to church and my comp said that there was something on my collar so i went to look and i had cut myself shaving and there was blood all over my shirt! so i had to change shirts and then we were on the way to church and my comp told me he forgot to tell me but we were helping to teach the lesson in priesthood....and then our newest member, who was baptized yesterday, didn't show up to church until half way through sunday school! ahhhh but other than that is was a great day....we had a good-ish lesson in priesthood, then a nice lesson in sunday school, and we confirmed out new friend in sacrament meeting! it was nice. then we had ward counsel after sacrament meeting and then went home to eat lunch and to weekly plan..it was a really packed day again! we noticed that one lady who came to the baptism wasn't at church today and decided that we'd go and stop by her house to see if she was ok! so we called a member and he said that he'd love to come with us and so we went and she said it was because she was sick, but she invited us in to talk and have a spiritual thought! then we made our way home for the night. it was a good day.

well there was this week! super packed and a lot to say, but when you have a lot to say, you have a lot to say! thanks for the prayers in my behalf! i really need them. i love you all! keep me in your thoughts! talk to you soon

elder libby

alma 29:9

 

WEEK 31

well here we go on to transfer 5!!!! i can't believe that i am already at this point...where the heck does time go?!?! well. i officially got to reims and all is well in the 2nd best city in france...not quite sure if there will ever be a city that beats metz! my new address is:

Les Missionnaires

Elder Tanner Libby

135 boulevard Pommery

51100 Reims

France

go ahead and start sending the packages and letters :) my last week was like a huge emotional rollercoaster...i don't know how to tell you about it. it was really hard leaving metz...i may or may not have given lots of hugs...so just don't go tattling on me! it was a really good way to end my time in metz. but here we go in reims!

MONDAY NIGHT

a member family had invited us over for dinner and so we had planned our evening around that. it was really a fun night! before going there, we went and took some pics of the really cool old cemetery just across the street from the church. it was so cool. europe has the coolest stuff. sorry to all you back in america! haha i will attach some pics! but we had a train to catch so we went and caught that and made our way to dinner. we had a really fun and calm night....i mean as calm as it can get with a family of 9;) i love them with all my heart!!! we had some good food and took some pics and i was going to walk out with only handshakes until i saw soeur's face...i gave her the biggest hug. i am going to miss her so much! she is a saint. one of the best women i know on the planet. i am so grateful to know her. we made our way home and i shed a couple happy tears but all is well. thank the lord for FACEBOOK! haha

TUESDAY

well i was really busy packing and doing all the normal transfer stuff so that is really fun i guess...i bet if you were to poke a needle in my bags they might have exploded...they were really packed. and i am still so surprised that i fit everything in them! but we got a panicked phone call from one of my favorite investigators last night saying "il faut que je vous vois avant vous partiez!!" (I need to see you before you leave!) so we ran off to her house for lunch and we talked and she gave me a big hug and we took a couple last pictures. she really is such a good person. i'm really interested to see what the elder's in metz do with her next. then we had agreed to go and help a member do some service in her new apartment so we got to go and do that. we had to take a ton of wallpaper off and put some new wallpaper on...in french the word is pain papier.... bread paper?? i thought that was funny. so anyway thanks to my daddy-o i kind knew what i was doing and all the other elders just sat there and watched me as i showed them how to take it down and put the new kind up...that will also be very interesting to see how that turns out since i'm not there anymore! then we made our way home to go over to another member family's for dinner! it was the last night and i saved the best for last. hahah i literally just love every single person in that family. they have a special place in my heart, FOREVER. i am definitely going back to metz just to see them!:) we cried a little but it was good. there was no good-bye's...just à la prochaine!! (onto the next)!!

WEDNESDAY

well today was really weird...honestly it felt like i was just going into paris for the day and everything was fine until i was all alone on the train going to reims...i rode in naked...(missionary term for being alone...don't worry i was literally fully clothed) and it was the most bizarre thing ever! haha but i got here and all was well. we got to paris around 10 am and i was so looking forward to seeing all my friends and stuff, but as soon as they got into the gare, they'd have to leave! i didn't get to talk to almost anyone! i was a little bummed. but we got to talk to the zl's and chill with them for a while. i got on my train and there was a human accident so we were stuck in the train in the gare for like a whole 2 hours longer....then we left and we finally got to reims and i didn't have a phone so i just had to wait at the gare til i saw some missionaries coming. and just when i thought they might have forgotten about me cause of the delay, i saw some missionaries running after me! haha it was perfect timing! we ran off to get some bus passes and didn't have any time to run to the apartment so we dropped my bags off with the other elders and run off to our rdv. there is an ami here in reims who has a baptismal date for this saturday! we met with him and his family and we are going to be teaching them pretty soon! it was a really good rdv. we had the spirit and the member brought pizza so how could it have gone better?? it was awesome. then we went home and i started unpacking....it is so weird!!!

THURSDAY

well today was literally just like the weirdest day ever...i feel so awkward here...haha! i don't know. it just doesn't feel normal. i was really looking forward to waking up from a dream. i was really thinking i was about to go home back to metz cause i was just on an exchange! but that didn't work...but it's ok! change is super weird but it is reallly good! so we had a really good day we started by going to the gare to look for tickets to get into paris for a meeting that my comp had to go to for district leaders. so i am the district leader monkey then went and ran around trying to finish up some last minute errands and such. we were running around all day that we even forgot to take lunch! haha so that was really funny! we went and found a certain mormon message for a lesson that we had with another investigator. she is the niece of some members here and is currently almost 17 years old. she is super cool and she loves the gospel, but sadly, her parents will NOT let her be baptized. in fact, we are actually teaching the missionary lessons without her parents knowing and she is planning on being baptized once she turns 18! so that is exciting! her aunt and uncle, who are siblings, not married, interesting, i know, are they nicest people ever! it was a really good lesson on the word of wisdom. one of the members told us he wanted to come as well to bare his testimony on the word of wisdom cause it was the reason he converted...and that made me think that he had a problem with alcohol or cigarettes before being baptized...assumptions...but he tesitfied of it cause it helped him with his addiction to MUSTARD. hahaha!!!!!!!! i was dying inside! he was saying about how it helped him to realized he needed to cut back and stop eating it so much!!!!! oh man...so classic..won't soon forget that! but it was a good lesson and that finished up our night!

FRIDAY

well friday always means weekly planning right? haha it literally took all day trying to plan for the baptism and getting everything in line for that...we started right after lunch we planned and didn't even have time to finish...so right after all that we ran to the gare to pick up tickets to get to paris tomorrow and then made our way to the church for a priesthood executive meeting. we met the bishop and his counselor's and they asked me to bare my testimony in church on sunday and so that will be very interesting! we got home and started planning out our day for tomorrow cause we "UNFORTUNATELY" have to go into paris at 10 and come back around 4 for a half hour meeting at 2! #onlytraintimes so we get to go all over tomorrow!

SATURDAY

so we woke up and had our studies and worked on all our morning activities and then the phone rang and it was the ward mission leader asking us to go and open the church so the stake patriarch could come in and give a patriarchal blessing. so we made our way there and chilled and waited for him to show up so that we could leave and head off to PARIS for the day! we got there in the nick of time and got on the train just as it was about to take off! once we got into paris, we decided that the first thing we were going to go and see was the arc de triomphe! it was amazing! and because we are legal citizens of france, we got to go all the way to the top without paying! so that was amazing! it took a good 10 minutes to climb to the top, but just like everything in paris, it is ALWAYS worth it! then we made it to the church for my comps meeting and me and the other elder from the other district went and found the LOUVRE!!!! haha it was so big! we didn't get to go in, but we got to see the big pyramid and it was very cool. paris has my heart. i love it there! we got home and had a rdv with our ami again and it was really good! he is so ready for baptism! he's a good example to me.

SUNDAY

well today was the first here in reims and it was really good! i've never met so many nice people! haha jk they were really nice, but just like any other member towards the missionaries! they were super nice and we even were invited over tonight to a members house for dinner! it was really good. we waited for our investigator to come to church for the whole first hour...why he was late, no one knows, but he came! we then took him to gospel principles where we learned about the law of the tithe! he agreed to follow it. it was really a good lesson! we then had sacrament and i had to bear a 5 minute testimony in french, which is a lot harder than it sounds!!! haha but all went well and i got it done. lots of ward members came up and talked to me after so that was really good. we have a member in our ward who is from canada and speaks english and that is who invited us over tonight! she is so cool! we got home from church and tried to finish up weekly planning, but didnt...ahhh! we finished what we could and then made our way over to dinner! we shared a spiritual thought and she asked for a blessing so we did that! it was good. she is a really cool person! but i was really impressed with the ward this week. it was quite a change, but definitely a good one! i love reims!!

thanks for all you all do for me!!! i love you!!! keep in contact and i'll talk to you soon!!!! love you!!!

elder libby

 

WEEK 30

well there it goes! my first ville...my bleu ville....i am getting out of here! haha sad but true. and i am so excited! my new ville is REIMS! you say it like France but without the F!!! so i am so excited!!! change is always good and i can't wait for the new adventures that are coming my way! also i wanted to throw in a congratulations to courtney (my sis.) and spencer! i don't think august 21 is a bad day for a wedding at all! that's the start of my second year! haha congrats guys! ok here goes week 30!

MONDAY NIGHT

well my comp had a doctors appt and so we went to that. he has something wrong with his leg and so we are trying to figure out what's going on. so that took a good while trying to get all the x-ray's done and stuff. then we went to the church to have our rdv with a new investigator! it was good. we taught the middle part of the plan of salvation and he was really interested! we then went porting and came home for the night and ended it with kebabs! haha always a good end to the night.

TUESDAY

it hit me today that my year mark for getting my mission call is coming up on march 26...that is so weird! today was started off by me and one of the other elders taking a little exchange! yesterday i had him combine a few sd cards for me so that i could send one home to the family in a package and when i was looking at them later in the night, i didn't have 2 months worth of pictures! so i was really worried but when we got to the computer, they were being read on the computer...so i don't know what happened but as long as the computer and my usb read them, all is well! then we got back with our comps and had to make some calls and then we had a rdv with the less-active that we've been meeting with for the past few weeks. it went well but he pretty much told us that he has no need or interest in the church as of right now...so we'll have to see where that goes...then the phone rang and my comp got a call from his trainer in the mission who was ending his mission this week, so they were on the phone for a while! and during that time we walked to his doctors appt to have the lady look at his xrays and she said that the problem is his feet! so he has to get some medicated in soles...sound like someone else?? haha! then we went porting and came in for dinner. i made a couple video journals for the package home and i'm sending it off tomorrow! and we got some mail today from debbie! she's so cool! and from the coburn family! thanks for the love!!!

WEDNESDAY

today was really cool. can i just say that i love the royer family with all of my heart?? they have a son who is in our ward and we were invited over tonight to go one last time before i left metz and i just love them so much! when he was dropping us off he said "look, proof that missionaries can have a fun night without having to open the book of mormon!" haha he kills me! i love them! but it was super weird to think that today was my last wednesday in metz....weird!! we had district meeting today and it was really good. we learned about the importance of making and keeping commitments! the we went to kebabs for lunch, i dropped off my package and we got a new referral and so we went to go find her and it took 45 minutes to get out there and she wasn't even home....so we took the 45 minute bus ride back! then we went over to another family's house and it was super good. i love that family!

THURSDAY

today was really good! we finally got all of our dinner appt's figured out for the last few days..haha! so that's really fun. we started off contacting all over and trying to find the pharmacy for my comp to go to to get some drugs for his leg...so that was fun! once we got them we made our way home for lunch cause we had dmp today in thionville! so we got there and it was good. we got to talk a lot about things that needed to be discussed and then they invited us over sunday night for dinner one last time before i leave! so we were really excited for that as well. so many good familys here in the metz ward! then we got home and contacted and ported and nothing too exciting happened! but it was really good. a good way to end the night.

FRIDAY

today i was really grateful for another of our investigators! she invited me and "Ben" over...she never calls me elder libby....it's always "tanner"! haha she made us a really yummy dinner and we talked and got to meet her boyfriend and it was really good! she's so special to me and i love her with all my heart! we had my very last weekly planning in metz today and i couldn't be happier! haha we all know how much i don't like weekly planning! but ya then we decided that we would go see if that referral that lives 45 minutes away was home...so we did and she wasn't again! we did happen to hear some michael jackson thriller on the bus and let's just say that i was in a little bit of heaven! let's just be glad the music video didn't come on too! haha.

SATURDAY

repertoire came out and we found out where i was going!!!! so funny inside story....when i first got my call(about a year ago from now!! crazy!!) i got on insta and fb trying to find some people who were going to the same mission and who was there now and what not...anyway, i found this one kid named elder wickern and thought he looked super nice and cool and for some reason i just remember thinking how cool it would be if he were my trainer or if i was comps with him sometime. but i looked on the repertoire today and guess what???? ELDER WICKERN IS MY NEW COMP!!!!!! hopefully he doesn't think i'm a creep or anything....we'll just have to see! i am super excited to go to Reims! i hear they have a car too, so i get to drive in france!!!! #dreamcometrue!!!! i am so excited! after all the excitement was over it was time to get back to reality and find the referral and just like normal she wasn't there....so that was a bummer...then my comp needed to go and look at something on the computer and so that's what we did next...we went and found that out and then went porting and then a spiritual thought at another member house one last time, who I just love!!! then we went and got kebabs one last time...it was kind of a sad day but all is well! i'll live!

SUNDAY

first off...today is mine and mom's huge car wreck 10 year anniversary...i'm sure if i ask nicely she can include a pic for all of you to see....10 years and still going strong! and there were only minor setbacks because of it...crazy! but today was literally one of the best sunday's in the mission. i loved it! i got to talk to lots of people in the ward and i am really going to miss them! but it is going to be really good! during sacrament meeting i saw a member of the bishopric look at me and smile a bunch and at the end of the meeting the bishop stood up and asked me to go and bear my testimony! so that was funny. he was smiling the entire time! then after the meeting his daughter came up to me and told me that he only laughs because he loves me! so i'm really going to miss him. i got a few fun treats and letters from the members and a lot of them told me the only thing they'll miss is my smile...so compliment or insult i don't know....:) but it was really good. we were invited over to another family's house for lunch and it was really fun! they were singing southern gospel songs the whole time and talking in their native Surinamian language most of the time but soeur made me this really spicy salsa stuff and let me take the whole bottle home! so i was really happy! then we went to the church to take some last pics and stuff. we needed to get to the gare to catch our train to dinner! so we went and did that and talked and laughed with that family for the night! i love them! when i was leaving, the dad gave me and hug and grabbed the back of my head and lifted up a leg! haha he is the most awkward dude i just love him with all my heart! he is so great!!!! i'm going to miss them!

i am super excited for this week! thanks again for all the love, prayers and mail! i will let you all know my new address next week! but for now, i'll talk to you in reims!!!! love you!!!!!

elder libby

isaiah 53:5

 

Ahhh. This just arrived in my inbox from one of the members that Tanner just L.O.V.E.D. and hated to leave ... delivered by an angel moments before I hit "send," and so I thought I'd share:

 

Hello Karin,
"One day you wake up and realize you're given the opportunity to change someone's life for the better. You get an idea, don't think twice and run with it."

I have this quote on my computer. I read it everyday. But when I read it today, I  don't know why but I thought of you. I just thought that I should share some of my thoughts with you. I don't pretend that I "will change your life for the better"  with this email, but I just thought I should write you.

We had the elders over tonight. It was Elder Libby's last night here in Metz and my family and I really wanted to have him over before he leaves. We had a very good time tonight, together. We laught a LOT! Elder Libby shared a little spiritual thought, and he got us all in tears. Even my dad!!! Believe me, I don't see my dad crying very often.

I just want to say thank you for raising such a good person. He has been a wonderful friend and missionnary for me the past few months. Life hasn't be easy on me latey, but he was there for me. You know, when you go through trials alone, having a friend around just saying "Hi" with a huge smile, or craking a few silly jokes makes everything different. 

I have seen your posts this week about the car accident you had a few years ago, and it got me thinking that I am grateful nothing happened to you so I have the chance to know you and Elder Libby. Even if I haven't met you (yet!), your example, for what I know about you, brings me a lot. You are an incredible mom. I have seen a few things you have done for Elder Libby's mission, and they are terifics! He is very lucky to have you as his mom; and he knows it!

You have a wonderful son. He is doing an amazing job as a missionary, and as a person, here is Metz, and he will do the same in Reims. You can be really proud of him. My main thought tonight is just that I am grateful that he left his family for 2 years, to be with mine for a few months.
We will pray for him but he knows he can ALWAYS call us when he needs (he has our phone number :) ). 
I guess it is the most awkward email I have ever written, but sometimes when the Spirit tells you to do something, you don't "think twice and you do it".

Just know you can always write me if you want, even if Elder Libby is not in Metz anymore. I will be happy to keep in touch on anything you want :)

Have a wonderful day,

Pauline :)

 

WEEK 29

well hey everyone!!!

how's things back in murica? haha things are really good here. transfers are next week and i cannot believe that i will be leaving metz!! we find out this saturday where i will be going but we've all got suspicions that it will be somewhere in belgium! (keep your fingers crossed! apparently the fries are really good there!) so ya from now on! any letters or packages! send them to the mission bureau! the address has changed so here it is:

Elder Tanner Libby

131 boulevard Carnot

78110 Le Vésinet

France

please send them there until we know my next address! thanks! ok here is the week

 

MONDAY NIGHT

not a ton to report but i had a huge #impulsebuy and got my early birthday present...haha a really nice 69 euro watch! it is really nice! and yes there are pictures! then we all went to get kebabs and we were looking at my watch and i was really happy and it was a good night! haha then we went out porting to finish up the night!

TUESDAY

well thanks to one of the best members in metz who gave us a cooking class, we made the BEST tartiflette ever! except for the fact that right after we had finished eating it i realized that i forgot to take a picture of it...so that was a bummer...i guess i'll just have to wait til the next one! we had that for district meeting and it was killer haha #prointhecookingclass #amirite? the other elders made a really good ice cream shake too so that was really good. all in all a really good food day for our district meeting! party that up. the rest of our day consisted of contacting and porting! we got a referral from debbie and karen, my new friends who were here from salt lake and california. an old friend of their aunt, and so we went and contacted her and she said that she was very glad to see us and asked us to come back in a few days and she'd sit down and talk with us! so that was really good! we spend the night porting and then i wanted to print off a couple pictures from home! so we went and did that.

WEDNESDAY

so today i realized that i am really excited to get transferred! haha me and my comp were talking all about it, about how being together with someone for 14 solid weeks can be difficult cause we literally are running out of things to talk about! so i got super excited and we were talking all about that for a while! we went out contacting and i got a letter from my momma so when we got back and came in for lunch i got to read that and that was pretty good! i loved the card so thanks mom! we had a rdv with the less active that we found a few weeks back and we went in and talked all about the plan of salvation and it was a pretty solid rdv! we then needed to get to the church to find an address and a number so we went there and came home for dinner and then went to the post office so that i could buy a box to send home a package! then we ended our night by porting and we ran into a family that had met with the sister missionaries years back when there were sisters here in metz and they just got back from a trip to st george about a year ago and they loved the mormon "cathedral" there! haha i miss that temple! wave hi at it for me the next time!

THURSDAY

today was full of stuff so it went by way fast! haha and i was so happy! it was really good. we started out with our studies and the whole apartment got into this huge conversation on like eternal laws and concepts of the gospel and lets just say that i found out that i know almost nothing about this church...haha but seriously though. then we went out contacting and we found this little kind of gas station without the gas pumps store that had lined paper! not graph paper! #infrance?? so that was really exciting and we couldn't resist not buying a little book. so we did that and then went in for lunch. we had a meeting in thionville for dmp and so we made our way up to that and it was good. we ate cookies and ice cream so that was really nice! never complain about that! then we came home and took dinner and then made our way to one of our investigators houses for our rdv with her! it was good. our goal was to ask her to pray every night and have her start praying with her daughter. i shared some personal experiences of answers to prayer and the spirit was so strong i started crying! haha so it was a really good rdv

FRIDAY

today was super long...and i'm not even going to sugar coat it...it was long....but we do what we have to do with a SMILE :) i realized today how fast time is going. some friends from home have already been out on their missions for almost 9 months!! i can't believe it...haha but we had weekly planning today and it was really long but almost my last one here in metz...that's freaking bizarre! haha then the other elders had a rdv with a less active but she wouldn't let them come over alone so we had to go with them. she talked a lot about her conversion story and how she couldn't leave her apartment cause all her neighbors are trying to break into her apartment...so we really got to know a lot about her neighbors! she asked for a blessing and then we went porting and came home and finished up weekly planning. one of the elders told me that he wanted to give me a massage! so that was fun! it was a good massage too!

SATURDAY

saturdays are always so long it seems! haha i have no idea why but they seem so long...haha they are literally days of contacting and porting...it is so long! but they are good. we started off with studies and then we went contacting and while we were contacting we got a call from the other elders saying that they wanted us to go to kebabs with them! so we made our way to kebabs! we got them and then made our way home and we found a few less actives that we decided to go and find. we found them but none of them let us in...so that was a bummer! but we walked and talked and laughed...i realized how much i miss movies! haha but it was good. we went and tried to find a lady that told us to come to her house a couple days ago and found the building but we couldn't find her...so that was a bummer. we then went out porting and came home for dinner late...and while we were sitting there, a couple of us got a random craving for soda! so we ran to the store before it closed and bought some soda and it was really yummy!

SUNDAY

today was such a good sunday! honestly probably close to one of the best ones that i've had in a long time! we had a really good day. we did have a little bit of a set back....we had a rdv with our investigator who set a baptism date today and he told us that he is feeling like baptism is something that he is not ready for quite yet. he told us that he really wants it but for some reason it doesn't feel right right now. so he has decided to push it back a few weeks! which is really good. i'm really glad that he was brave enough to tell us. so i am really happy for him! i'm really sad that i won't be able to see it, but HIS baptism is not about ME. and that's just something that i had to realize. today in church i had to give a talk...haha it was really interesting. i'll tell you that much! it was on the talk from this last general conference by jorg klebingat called approaching the throne of god with confidence! so that was fun! then we were invited over to a members house for dinner. i'll tell you what... we got about 5 different dinner appts this week and it's all because of me leaving! haha that was awesome! we only have 2 free nights this week! we got home and went to meet the lady that debbie and karen referred us to and she made us this really yummy tarte and gave us some coke and we talked for a good hour! she was really nice! then we got to our dinner appt and they made this really yummy pasta with pesto sauce! it was really yummy! we then got home and another member invited us over to dinner next week! so that was even better! this member has become my very close friend and she was then talking about how she might cry when i leave cause it'd be like losing a best friend....i almost started crying! haha i love her!

so ya! this week was really good! keep all the letters and packages coming! i seriously love them! i'm excited to see where i will be going next! i find out on saturday so be sure to read next week and see where i'm going! thanks again everyone! que dieu vous bénisse! à bientôt! (God bless you! See you soon!)

elder libby

 

WEEK 28

well hey everyone! so like i cannot believe it's been a whole week....i cannot believe how fast time flies! but i guess it does go fast when you eat and contact and sleep and then do it all over again! gotta take advantage of the food in france right? might not ever get the opportunity again! it's pretty crazy how i keep eating all this new food and keep losing weight....haha #luckyboy haha just kidding i don't know. you'd think that kebabs would make you gain weight??

MONDAY NIGHT
not a ton of stuff happened tonight! we had a rdv with a new investigator that we met a few weeks ago and we taught him the beginning of the plan of salvation! it was really good. then we walked all around and found ourselves at tezel and ended up buying kebabs...it's becoming a monday night ritual! it's one that i wouldn't mind keeping! apparently the kebabs in metz france are the best in france! so gotta take advantage, #amirite?

TUESDAY

today was really funny cause it started off with some pretty funny scripture study! i read all about noah and the ark and i read gen 6:14 and was dying cause then the rest of studies i was thinking all about evan almighty.....SHEEP!!!!!!!!! haha i'm so pathetic it's funny! then me and my comp were in charge of the dessert for district meeting so what did i make?? COCOA CAKE!!!! (editor's note: this is pretty close to what you would know as coffee cake, but affectionately named by grandma and grandpa libby, and an-every-sunday-morning-ritual at our house!) it was actually super good not to toot my own horn! but ya it was really good! we had a really good lesson on obedience and the spirit was SO strong!!! i was asked to read the story in 2 Kings 5 about Naaman and the water of Jordan and i couldn't even finish the story i was crying so hard.... jk i finished the story but i did cry through almost the whole thing. what is it with this mission thing? it makes you softer than anything else...but that was really good. the elders made some cafe rio pork for lunch and that was amazingly delicious! not as good as the chicken but still good! then me and my comp went out and were contacting for dayzzzz that took a really long time! then came home and i wrote a few letters home and then we went porting for the night! it was a really good day.

WEDNESDAY

well today was really long and really short and tiring and all that jazz! aha it was really good though. a lot got done and not a ton of stuff to report! we had a really funny experience this morning though...we had just finished studies and the buzzer rang so my comp went and answered and i was looking out the window and i saw a car and then he gave up cause no one was answering on the phone, i saw the wife of our ward mission leader running away to the car! haha so we tried to get her attention but she didn't answer. so we went downstairs and they had left a letter in our mailbox and it was an invitation to our meeting with him tomorrow! haha it was the funniest thing! maybe it doesn't sound funny to you all, but if you knew our ward mission leader, it would be hilarious to you all! then we had a couple rdv's tonight and they were alright! not a ton to report...but on the way home, we ran into a prositute on the road... #canisaythat....it was scary....

THURSDAY

today was really a good day. it was really low key and just a good day. so we were contacting all morning and i realized that i had a few people who needed letters from me and i hadn't written them yet! so at lunch i wrote a few letters and we went and mailed them off! we then had our dmp meeting (french for ward mission leader meeting) we got to thionville and he had locked himself out of his apartment and so we had to have our meeting in the thionville library! so that was fun. we then came home and took dinner and then went porting for the night. it was a slower day and not a ton went on but it was really good!

FRIDAY

today was super long and super good and ended amazing! so how is that for ya??? it really was super good. i was reading in genisis today about abraham and how he was commanded to be circumcised and how funny it was worded...they make it sound like a huge family party! haha i was laughing in studies! it was just my immature self...sorry i'm not grown up all the way yet...it was really funny though. then we had finished studies and decided to go to Tezel for kebabs before we started weekly planning! too good to resist and we needed to be focused during planning right? so we went and it was delicious as always! weekly planning was good...super long but necessary haha then we made our way to the church cause we had a rdv with one of our super awesome investigators, and one of the ward members was going to come with us. we were going to have the sister from our ward talk all about relief society and primary and young women's cause that is what we are currently trying teach our investigator. we want her to come to all 3 hours of church. and let me tell you. if any of you go on a mission and need a member at a lesson, ask the sister from our ward! she did an AMAZING job. she was killer and taught the whole lesson for us, and even related it to the atonement and shared some scriptures in isaiah that made it so spiritual! it was amazing. she is so cool. i love her to death! Our investigator told us she'd be out of town this weekend...but we'll see if she comes the next time! it was so good.

SATURDAY

well one of the elders surprised us all with an exchange today, so we mixed up the companionships and I was with another missionary all day and it was really fun! we started off with meeting this new member who moved here from the paris region and he didn't know where the church was so we met him and took him to the church. we gave him a tour and shared a scripture with him. it was good! he seemed really cool! then we had some stuff to do on the computer and then we bounced to go see a less active! the bus didn't come for a while so we actually did some contacting and then made our way to his apartment. it was in the middle of the ghetto and it really stunk! haha but we met and shared a spiritual thought and then headed out. we then walked around and started to port in their area and it was really fun cause they have been porting in downtown centreville, and that's where all the really cool french buildings and apartments are! it was really fun! then one of their ami's called and asked if we could meet, so we went to his apartment and read some of the book of mormon with him. it was really good. we then headed home and finished our fun filled day!

SUNDAY

today we had a really good day. we had a solid church meeting and lots and lots of people showed up! it was really good. we had a really good lesson with another one of our investigators! he is doing really good and things are looking really good for the baptism he scheduled next week! we will have to see what happens! he is doing well though so thank you for the prayers on his behalf. he says hello to all the friends in america! we then came home and took a ton of time contacting and waiting around for tonight cause we were invited over to the bishops house for raclette! which is a french potato and cheese meal that i'll have to make for you all when i get home. it is delicious! so when the time came, we all headed out there and had a really fun night laughing and talking. they are american so it's always fun to be there and talk with them. that pretty much took up our night cause we didn't get home til late and then we all headed to bed!

these past few weeks have been flying by and i can't believe that my time in metz is almost over! just about 2 more weeks and i'm out of here! crazy to be a growing-up-missionary! thanks for all the love and support. miss and love each of you guys! que dieu vous bénisse! (God bless you!)

elder libby

 

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