5-16-16!

Hello hello friends. Things were good this week! Very new, a little challenging, but great.

Events I experienced:
Monday, lots of trains to Nice. Long day, but pretty fun. I rode with Elder Thangaraj to Marseille, where the whole zone met up, minus the Sisters. We had lots of fun together, it'll be a fun transfer! Then we all got on a train, minus the Corsica Elders, and we went to our respective sectors. Elders Lutu, Raherimandimby, Nadauld, and I got into Nice, then unpacked and ate dinner, then planned.

Tuesday was great, we did emails, had RCM, lots of cool stuff really. We met one of Bono's cooks. We might get to meet him and U2 in June! That would be awesome!!

Wednesday, we did lots of contacting and had Ward council. We met a lady from Utah who took our pictures and sent them to our moms. Then we met and old sister missionary who served in Nice a year ago, and her family took more pictures to send to our moms haha, it was pretty fun.

On Thursday, I went on an exchange with Elder Loosle in Saint Raphael! It was really fun, we taught a cool English class and lesson to their ami M. He's really set on getting baptized, and he's Tahitian, so he's super cool. He even took us to an old WW2 memorial. Pretty cool guy! I bought a big ice cream by the boardwalk in St. Raph, it's really beautiful.

On Friday, we all got back to Nice and waded through the gare traffic for the Cannes film festival. We saw another old missionary, Elder Pittsenbarger! He's pretty cool, Elder Loosle and I talked to him a little bit. He was helping all the Americans use the ticket machines, it was pretty funny to watch them struggle haha. Afterwards, we all got kebabs, then Elder Nadauld and I weekly planned, and we taught a less-active named J at K's house. K is a recent convert, also the Assistant Ward Mission Leader. He's amazing! J is a cool Chinese guy, he wants to be a stock trader. We talked about the sacrament; the lesson went really well. Then K fed us a great meal, poisson cru! And he gave us Mountain Dew. K has friends in high places.

Saturday was good too, we did yard work for a former member and his wife. They are really old and the sweetest people ever, to the point where this old guy is calling you "my dear" and stuff. Pretty weird but he's old and French and a little off, so it's fine. They gave us really classy snacks, because they're pretty well-off, like lots of Niceans.

Sunday was great, we had church and a meal with the single adults afterwards. Then we taught Lé the plan of salvation, it went really well. He's awesome. Then we went to the church to enter numbers in for the zone, did some porting, then had dinner with K! He made some delicious food as usual. He made a really good cake. He is the third Nephite.

Lessons I learned:
I learned this week that change is good! Challenges are meant to stretch us, push our limits and expand our capacities. I've been reading in Helaman this week, and there are some great stories in there. Néphi the prophet was an incredible man who handled change and difficulties really well. When he was thrown in prison, he relied on the Lord to deliver him, and as a result, hundreds of Lamanites were converted and the church grew. He used hardships as a tool to advance God's work. I hope to be able to do the same.

(free) Advice I have:
"Tears, Trials, Trust, Testimony" by President Monson, April 1987 Gen Conf "...That long journey, made under such difficult circumstances, was a trial of faith. But faith forged in the furnace of trials and tears is marked by trust and testimony. Only God can count the sacrifice; only God can measure the sorrow; only God can know the hearts of those who serve Him--then and now." I love President Monson! He's too cool.

I love you all! Thanks for listening! :)
Love, Elder MacArthur

Upper Nice

Picking cherries

K makes an awesome cake

Ben with the former Sorella Spicq (& friend) who knew Marilyn Bradford in Italy

Ben & Elder Nadauld with the Wallace family in Nice.  Soeur Wallace served in Nice about a year ago.  Thanks to the Wallace family for emailing to the moms.

Ben & Elder Nadauld met another LDS tourist who took their picture then emailed to the moms!  On the same day!