Hello everyone!
So this week has been a great one! Lots of things happened and it went by fast! So just to make it simple I will start on Monday.
The zone leaders had to go up to Lyon for a leadership meeting, so they gave us the keys to the apartment and when we finished up the day in Montpelier, we stayed the night alone in their apartment. It was cool to be in Montpelier for the weekend, we saw lots of cool places while we contacted. I want to server there someday!
We had to wake up early the next day so we could make our train to Nimes. When we got into town we had enough time to do some studies. After our studies we went and did our groceries.
We contacted most of the day, and then we got a call from the Zone Leaders. They asked us if we could go to the Gare to meet up with Elder Stalh who was coming in from Avignon alone. They wanted us to stay with him until the other Montpelier Elders passed through Nimes. So we sat around for a while due to Strikes with the trains.
The next day was a miracle day! While contacting, I saw a guy on a bench, so I went up to him and asked him the Questionaire we always do. Then I sat down next to him and asked him about his family and what he did. His name was Eustache, and he's from Africa. We taught him a little about the restoration, and then gave him a Book of Mormon to read. I got his number and he said that we could talk the next day.
We went to go pass a pass back, and we couldn't find it, so we passed a member that was in the area. When we came in, we found out that the members son was there as well. He used to be in the ward, and he helped us with the Less Active List. He circled a lot of people he knew that would be good to work with. He then asked us what we were doing the rest of the day. He said that he could take us to an outer ville to pass a few less actives. We said that would be great! So he started getting ready. While waiting, the father showed us his church book collection. He had a 2nd Edition French Book of Mormon from 1910. It was really cool to hold a old copy of the book we always try to give out to everyone.
We went to the outer ville, and we went to a small French village and tried to pass one less active. She wasn't interested at all, so we went back to the car. There was another less active just a bit father away, so we passed them. It was an old ward buddy of Emmanuel ( the guy driving us). The member husband wasn't home, so we talked to the non member wife. She had 3 kids and we talked for a bit, and she said that the husband was coming home in a few mins, so we stayed and gave a spiritual thought on the Temple. We testified of it and told her how much it would bless her family.
She has some issues with religion at the moment, so she said that she needs some time. The husband finally arrived and we all talked for a few mins. The two friends caught up on life, and then we had to leave. By this time it was pretty late.
On the next day we contacted most of the time. We had a few rendezvous that we had, but 2 of them fell through. We did manage to teach Ricard about the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We only did the first half, and then we read the introduction of the Book of Mormon. It's really important that he starts reading. He told us that he's not searching for a different church, but he is happy to learn more. We need him to have a personal spiritual experience with the Book of Mormon to really progress now.
The next day we went to Montpellier for Zone Training. We had really good training on how to be more consecrated and what we could do to increase our productivity. We all told why came on a mission, and then why we have stayed in the mission.
We made goals on how to find more people to teach, and made plans to be more obedient. I'm really glad that we had this training, because those are the areas that I am working the most in.
After Zone Training on the train back to Nimes, I talked to a guy who was sitting across from me. We ended up talking about the Restoration and then we gave him a Book Of Mormon. He said maybe in two weeks he would be free, so we will text him in a few days.
We went straight to the park when we got off the train. We scheduled a Rendez-vous the day before and it was almost time for it! So we met with our potential ami Carlos. We went to the Gardens and we sat down and talked with him. Carlos is from Portugal, and has met with the missionaries a few years back. We went over the restoration and just about what he knows already. He wants another Book of Mormon, and said that we wants to meet again. He speaks a little English and likes to talk REALLY FAST.
On Saturday we went with Fr. Bell to go help move a lady into a new apartment. Her name is Fatima and we walked about 25 mins to go to her house. We rang the door bell and no answer, we heard voices on the other side of a wall. I boosted my head over it, and saw a lady working in her garden. I asked her if she was Fatima and she said yes, and then she asked why I was putting my head over the wall. I said we were here to help you move. She said she wasn't moving, and asked me if this is how I always get my rendez-vous. I asked her to see if we could talk at the door. Turns out she was the wrong Fatima. We went to a wrong address. We have a few different Fatimas in our records.
So we walked all across town again, and made it to the right house. We helped move stuff and put it into a van. The man who was helping us put stuff in a wrong way, so there was no space. Fr. Bell, Elder Williams and I took everything out again and we redid the van. At the end we managed to put everything in and did the move in one trip.
We walked across town again to meet Fatima and her friends at the new apartment. We took everything out and then we placed it in the apartment. It was already pretty late in the afternoon so we said that we had to go, but we will try and pass by to say hello and talk with them.
After showers and studies we went out and contacted. We got into a long conversation with a drunk guy and he turned out to be pretty interesting. He talked about finding things out for yourself and mediation. He took Elder Williams arm and started to do weird movements and touching his fingers. He took a Book of Mormon and said that he wants to talk again.
We went after that to the Bell family's house for dinner. While walking we heard a loud noise behind and I got really scared. Turned out to be a lady with a blow horn for a birthday celebration. It was actually pretty funny, but I still was shaking from the shock. They were nice and I gave a high five to the lady with the birthday.
We made it to the Bells and Diego the son had a friend over, so we taught the family about faith in Christ. We read 2 Nephi 31 with the family and told the friend why we were missionaries. The friend seemed to like the lesson. He's 14, so we can't really do much. Diego said he will try to talk to him.
We had church the next day, and Ricard came! During sacrament meeting we sang Called to Server and Ricard joined all the men while singing it. We then taught him after sacrament the Gospel of Jesus Christ in detail. We talked about authority and the Priesthood. Ricard still has questions on that, but we told him that he needs to read the Book of Mormon to really progress.
After church we had to go straight to the park to meet up with a girl I contacted a week ago. Her name was Margo and she brought her friend. We talked to them and briefly went over what we believe and why we are here in France. They both are 18 and don't have really any religious background, so it was good to explain simply what we believe. We gave Margo a Book of Mormon and we invited them to come to church next week. They are going to London for a trip with their school this week, so we can't see them this week but on the weekend.
After the lesson, we did our weekly planning and we went over to the Bells for dinner for Family home Evening. We had to go quick because it was raining really hard and we had to run home.
So it turned out one a great week! We found a few good potentials that we will try and work with. We have made a mission plan for the ward to help improve the spirit of mission work. So we will try to see all the members and help get referrals from them so we can teach their friends. It was a great to have Zone Training too because I am trying to be more diligent and hard working. So I'm glad we had a great week, because we found a few people to have potential with. So, that's the things going on this week! It should be getting hotter here soon...
Well I love you all, and hope that you have a good week! The work is starting to move here in Nimes!
-Love, Elder Race Acheson
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