Events I experienced:
On Monday, we did emails, bought stuff for our new apartment, and had FHE at our DMP's house, Frère Vill. That's about it. Productive day haha.
Tuesday we weekly planned, and had a rendezvous with Nes. We talked about the commandments, and it went very well! He expressed his strong desire to be baptized and follow the Lord, he is a great man. I'm so very thankful for him and his efforts to follow Christ. He believes that the Book of Mormon is true, and he reads each day!
On Wednesday, we visited JC Chal, a less-active who lives 2.5 hours away, at the very edge of our sector, at the border between us and Clermont-Ferrand. He is incredibly kind, and has a strong faith. He isn't doing well mentally, but he is so righteous. We got a ride from Frère Vill. That man is a saint. Dropping 6 hours out of his day for us! He is so cool. I wish every member was as helpful as Frère Vill. On the drive back, I talked to him the entire time about his family, my family, the gospel, music, career choices, and everything else imaginable. Super cool bonding time!
On Thursday, we had zone training in the Bordeaux chapel (the first building constructed by the church in France!) Our zone is pretty legit I must say. It was a great great time! We got our Christmas pass-along cards, the temple brochures in French, and we came up with ideas on how to make the Mille Membres en Decembre (1000 members in December) work. Since we have a 5:30 curfew, it's hard to do missionary work as usual. Satan thinks he's scored a victory. But the Lord has inspired President Brown to challenge us to use this opportunity to our advantage by teaching with members! We can be outside the apartments after 5:30 if we are with a member, so this is a great way to expand our member teaching pool! Just as the Fall seemed to be a victory for Satan, with God's help, we can use it to our advantage and make it a good thing. We can show Satan that terrorist attacks in Paris can only make our mission better!
Friday was a weird day. We taught Nes, it went well, got a new ami named Je, gave him a Book of Mormon, had a cool mangez-vous with a less-active and Nes. As we called Nes to confirm a rendezvous for tomorrow, he told us he was in a psychiatric hospital, because of all the stress he's enduring with his lodging situation and everything. So the day ended on a sour note, and we're really concerned for him. He's tough, I know he'll get through though!
On Sunday, we shared the new Noel video with everyone! We ate with the Cal family again on Sunday. It was a good day. We also visited Nes in the hospital, he's doing well. He hopes to be discharged on Thursday. We had 3 amis at church today, it was pretty awesome!
Lessons I learned:
President Brown called us during dinner on Sunday and we were eating, and I looked at the phone and it said "E Pres Brown" and so naturally I almost had a crise cardiaque. Turns out he was just calling to make sure we had heat in our apartment. What a nice guy. Haha I almost died. Elder Brill laughed a lot, it was a good moment. I think I'm still shivering. Lesson learned: don't freak out when your mission president calls you. It might be fine! Just kidding, it might be because he's sending you home. Ya never know.
(free) Advice I have:
"The Shield of Faith" by President Packer, from the April 1995 general conference. An excerpt: "The ultimate purpose of all we teach is to unite parents and children in faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, that they are happy at home, sealed in an eternal marriage, linked to their generations, and assured of exaltation in the presence of our Heavenly Father." The perfect Christmas gift to give, the gift of the Gospel!
As Jeffrey R. Holland has taught about Satan, "...But apparently his effort to stop the work will be reasonably well served if he can just bind the tongue of the faithful...I am looking tonight for men young and old who care enough about this battle between good and evil to sign on and speak up." We do not have the right to bind our tongues, to not speak up about the gospel. Our brothers and sisters are in need of access to Christ's atonement, and we are the ones who can help them! This Christmas season, please speak up. Please share the reason for the season. What will happen if you share the gift? The Savior tells us what will happen: "Rejoice ye in that day, and leap for joy: for, behold, your reward is great in heaven."
I encourage everyone to share the church Christmas videos with somebody! The Christmas videos, "He is the Gift" and "A Savior is Born" are great ways to share the gospel and give the gifts that He would have us give His children. There is no better way to thank Heavenly Father for His divine gift He gave us, His Son.
Hey I love you all! Thanks for the words of support and your prayers.
Love, Elder MacArthur
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| Zone training |
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| The moving elders! They took our dresser away and gave it to Fribourg. It took a while. |
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| Gospel Principles! I got bodied hard by Frère B haha |
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