NEWS
(INVESTIGATOR'S NAMES HAVE BEEN CHANGED TO MAINTAIN ANONYMITY)
JULY 15, 2013 - This week's shinanigans!
Well.. The work in Salève continues.. Slowly. I don't have very much time at all today to write, so I'm so incredibly sorry if this is short. It's difficult when you have rendezvous on your p-day because you have to sacrifice time those. But hey.. Rendezvous are great at this point...
We are having a really tough time lately. we were dropped by basically everyone.. we had the coolest miracle man ever! had an incredible rendezvous with him, but still.. He dropped us. As of now.. we have no progressing amis.. So we're still searching. Missionary work is so hard here.. But hey, we keep going.
I've learned a few things..
First: this work is physically, emotionally, and spiritually draining. There are few things harder than spending ALL day walking in the sun being told you're stupid, and your wasting your time, and you should just go home. And having every other person try to convince you logically that God doesn't exist. I'm so grateful for the testimony that I have, for the joy that I've seen in my life, and in the life of my friends as we live the gospel, and I'm grateful for my little bed that I have. (even though my back has never hurt more than it does now.. I stretch for the entire half hour morning exercise time, and that helps me get through the day..) I'm also so incredibly grateful for my morning study time. It truly is one of the things I look forward to more than anything around here. I recently started studying Jesus the Christ. Wow.. this may come as a shock to some of you, but I literally cannot put it down. I think about it ALL day! I look forward to study time because it means I get to read that book. It's incredible. EVERYONE should read that book!!!!! holy smokes. Already, I feel so much closer to my Savior. He is truly incredible isn't he..
What an honor it is to wear his name..
To answer some of your questions...
I got your amazing package. I honestly haven't eaten any of it yet.. There was some mix-up with my funds for this month, so basically I have nothing. And we've been trying to live off of just Elder Dieduksman's.. So.. that package, is kind of our last resort. But, I think we'll be fine. We're just living EXTREMELY frugally.
We cook basically ALL of our food. Except for the two dinner rendezvous we've had.. (which happened to be the same meal back to back... chicken and fries... ok.. I know I'm American, but COME ON!!) ha. Anyway. I think we'll survive. :)
Sometimes I feel like I'm getting so fat here, and then other days I feel like we aren't eating enough to give us the energy we need to survive... I think next month will be a little better when we have twice as much money.
Syd: Um.. The croissants are great.. but super expensive. I don't eat them a ton.. But we do get our morning baguette every once in a while. Sadly the bakery's here in Switzerland aren't quite French... :(
We are in a Ward of about 90 active members. They have the reputation of being the BEST ward in the entire mission. (even the president has said it, so it's true! ha) But yeah, They are fantastic!
One quick miracle, that I thought was pretty sweet. and kind of funny.. (explains the pictures)..
We spent this week going down to the little villages that border France trying to find some people. I've been having these over-whelming feelings that we needed to go down there, but something was telling me not to go quite yet. Well.. Thursday morning, we woke up, and I just knew that it was the day to go, So we changed our plans, and went down to this little town called Cartigny. (google map it. it's SO PERFECT!) Anyway. the bus dropped us off at this little cul-de-sac area thing called "Cour des Miracles". SO... we KNEW we had to knock the three doors that were in that cul-de-sac. But we have been trying our hardest to include more prayers in our work, so before EVERY contact or before EVERY door, we say a prayer. We prayed to know exactly what we should do before every door. And we had an overwhelming feeling to take the book of Mormon out of our backpack and just hold it, then go knock the doors. We did, and in the farthest corner (behind the blue work truck) there was a little girl. We asked if her mom or dad were home, and in adorably perfect French she said that her mom was home but her dad was at work. Mom then came to the door with three other little kids attached to her ankle. Speaking perfect English! (turns out they are from Canada). She said, sorry but they had to catch a plane in two hours, and tried to shoo us away. Then as I'm about to walk away, Elder Dieduksman simply says, "have you ever heard of this book?" (motioning to the book of Mormon in his hands). Then she stopped what she was doing, and said "OH THE MORMONS!! yeah! I actually started reading that book! I have a ton of questions!" (then we both peed our pants a little). Then she said, "sorry, not right now though, we have to hurry and go bury a hedge-hog, but then we're flying out TOMORROW (yup she lied about the flight earlier.. **people lie to us daily, don't freak out..). so maybe can you come back around Christmas time and talk to me, oh, ps. do you have a copy of that in English?"... well.. to make a long story short. we went into their back yard, helped them bury a hedgehog, (heaven knows why there was a hedge-hog involved), then they as a family said the most hilarious prayer I've ever heard, celebrating it's life.. And they prayed that "we all can life a fulfilling life like the hedgehog. and... um... amen". ha. she then said, "well.. yeah, we're not looking to change religions or anything, but Mormonism is the fastest growing religion, so i'm interested to know why. see ya around Christmas?" haha. yup.. maybe me, or someone else. But definitely the missionaries will see you.. haha.
That's all I really have time for.. But just know that I love you all, I appreciate all the Prayers. I really and LOVING this.. and now that I read what I just wrote it probably sounds really really negative. It's not. we still see miracles every day. :) I'll write some more next week. Love you!
I'm SO glad you're loving Spain by the way! (especially Justine!)
Got to go!
Love you!
PS... also, I hope I don't forget.. But papi's birthday is in 9 days I think... (oh boy I hope I know my own father's birthday.), and If I don't get time to make a deal out of it later, HAPPY BIRTHDAY PAPI!!!! I love you!
We are having a really tough time lately. we were dropped by basically everyone.. we had the coolest miracle man ever! had an incredible rendezvous with him, but still.. He dropped us. As of now.. we have no progressing amis.. So we're still searching. Missionary work is so hard here.. But hey, we keep going.
I've learned a few things..
First: this work is physically, emotionally, and spiritually draining. There are few things harder than spending ALL day walking in the sun being told you're stupid, and your wasting your time, and you should just go home. And having every other person try to convince you logically that God doesn't exist. I'm so grateful for the testimony that I have, for the joy that I've seen in my life, and in the life of my friends as we live the gospel, and I'm grateful for my little bed that I have. (even though my back has never hurt more than it does now.. I stretch for the entire half hour morning exercise time, and that helps me get through the day..) I'm also so incredibly grateful for my morning study time. It truly is one of the things I look forward to more than anything around here. I recently started studying Jesus the Christ. Wow.. this may come as a shock to some of you, but I literally cannot put it down. I think about it ALL day! I look forward to study time because it means I get to read that book. It's incredible. EVERYONE should read that book!!!!! holy smokes. Already, I feel so much closer to my Savior. He is truly incredible isn't he..
What an honor it is to wear his name..
To answer some of your questions...
I got your amazing package. I honestly haven't eaten any of it yet.. There was some mix-up with my funds for this month, so basically I have nothing. And we've been trying to live off of just Elder Dieduksman's.. So.. that package, is kind of our last resort. But, I think we'll be fine. We're just living EXTREMELY frugally.
We cook basically ALL of our food. Except for the two dinner rendezvous we've had.. (which happened to be the same meal back to back... chicken and fries... ok.. I know I'm American, but COME ON!!) ha. Anyway. I think we'll survive. :)
Sometimes I feel like I'm getting so fat here, and then other days I feel like we aren't eating enough to give us the energy we need to survive... I think next month will be a little better when we have twice as much money.
Syd: Um.. The croissants are great.. but super expensive. I don't eat them a ton.. But we do get our morning baguette every once in a while. Sadly the bakery's here in Switzerland aren't quite French... :(
We are in a Ward of about 90 active members. They have the reputation of being the BEST ward in the entire mission. (even the president has said it, so it's true! ha) But yeah, They are fantastic!
One quick miracle, that I thought was pretty sweet. and kind of funny.. (explains the pictures)..
We spent this week going down to the little villages that border France trying to find some people. I've been having these over-whelming feelings that we needed to go down there, but something was telling me not to go quite yet. Well.. Thursday morning, we woke up, and I just knew that it was the day to go, So we changed our plans, and went down to this little town called Cartigny. (google map it. it's SO PERFECT!) Anyway. the bus dropped us off at this little cul-de-sac area thing called "Cour des Miracles". SO... we KNEW we had to knock the three doors that were in that cul-de-sac. But we have been trying our hardest to include more prayers in our work, so before EVERY contact or before EVERY door, we say a prayer. We prayed to know exactly what we should do before every door. And we had an overwhelming feeling to take the book of Mormon out of our backpack and just hold it, then go knock the doors. We did, and in the farthest corner (behind the blue work truck) there was a little girl. We asked if her mom or dad were home, and in adorably perfect French she said that her mom was home but her dad was at work. Mom then came to the door with three other little kids attached to her ankle. Speaking perfect English! (turns out they are from Canada). She said, sorry but they had to catch a plane in two hours, and tried to shoo us away. Then as I'm about to walk away, Elder Dieduksman simply says, "have you ever heard of this book?" (motioning to the book of Mormon in his hands). Then she stopped what she was doing, and said "OH THE MORMONS!! yeah! I actually started reading that book! I have a ton of questions!" (then we both peed our pants a little). Then she said, "sorry, not right now though, we have to hurry and go bury a hedge-hog, but then we're flying out TOMORROW (yup she lied about the flight earlier.. **people lie to us daily, don't freak out..). so maybe can you come back around Christmas time and talk to me, oh, ps. do you have a copy of that in English?"... well.. to make a long story short. we went into their back yard, helped them bury a hedgehog, (heaven knows why there was a hedge-hog involved), then they as a family said the most hilarious prayer I've ever heard, celebrating it's life.. And they prayed that "we all can life a fulfilling life like the hedgehog. and... um... amen". ha. she then said, "well.. yeah, we're not looking to change religions or anything, but Mormonism is the fastest growing religion, so i'm interested to know why. see ya around Christmas?" haha. yup.. maybe me, or someone else. But definitely the missionaries will see you.. haha.
That's all I really have time for.. But just know that I love you all, I appreciate all the Prayers. I really and LOVING this.. and now that I read what I just wrote it probably sounds really really negative. It's not. we still see miracles every day. :) I'll write some more next week. Love you!
I'm SO glad you're loving Spain by the way! (especially Justine!)
Got to go!
Love you!
PS... also, I hope I don't forget.. But papi's birthday is in 9 days I think... (oh boy I hope I know my own father's birthday.), and If I don't get time to make a deal out of it later, HAPPY BIRTHDAY PAPI!!!! I love you!