Rentrons Joyeux (5-21-2017)

Hey all,

I am going home! It was an amazing week.

The Paris temple consecration was incredible. A house of the lord in France, at long last. I know that it is His House. The power of the temple is real. I hope to go there one day to "get temple together" as President Brown says, with my future wife.

Vive la France, God bless America.

This work is all true, I know it is. And that makes all the difference. I am converted forever. A marvelous work and a wonder has happened inside me.

Je sais que Jesus Christ vit. Il m'a racheté de la mort. Je l'aime, parce qu'il m'aime aussi.

I love you all. I will see you soon.
Elder Ben MacArthur

5-15-17!

Hey everyone, this week was awesome!

The B family continues to do well, we saw them twice last week and they came to church. And Oc, the member who was baptized in Côte d'Ivoire, stayed for all three hours and a Ward meal afterwards! She's going to participate in the cultural celebration on the 20th.

JY, in the same family, came and played soccer with us on Saturday and loved it! We read in the Book of Mormon with him afterwards, and gave him some white shirts and ties to wear at church, upon his request. I'm glad to see my old shirts stay useful.

A cool miracle: T, who I mentioned last week, mini-dropped us after that wonderful first RDV we had. He got mixed up with some evangelists who convinced him the Book of Mormon was made up. So he said he preferred to get the truth from the Bible. But our wonderful members stepped in and saved the day! Fr. D called him, and invited him over to dinner on Saturday before church on Sunday. The dinner went well, and the next morning, another member, Fr. B, invites T to church on the spot. T said he would be there!

And he came! Our members didn't just give up and do nothing, they went to work! T stayed for all three hours, and loved it, even stayed for the Ward meal as well! We are going to invite him to accept a baptismal date this next week, and he will accept it, no question.

Despite Satan's best plans, T is still on the right track.

Without our members, it would have been impossible.

These past few weeks have been hard for me. Elder Eberhard was kind enough to give me a blessing to help me not worry about going home, etc. I was filled with a sense of reassurance, that as I prayed always, kept reading the scriptures, and sought diligently, that all things would work together for my good. Things will work out. I know that.

I have loved my mission so much. I am so grateful to be here for the consecration of the temple! What a way to end my mission.

I love you all!

Elder MacArthur

Dinner with TA and family

Last District Meeting

The last Mille Feuille

Lunch with W

5/8/17!

Hey everyone!

This week has been a week of miracles. I only really have time to share four of them.

Miracle 1:  On our way to miracle 2, Elder Eberhard contacts a young woman. Who is she you may ask? A less active from Bergerac, who now lives here. She is now going to come to English class.

Miracle 2:  We got a referral from a bishop in the Ivory Coast (Fr. Cal) to teach his family, the Bo family. Here is the text: "merci de mettre tout en oeuvre pour leur conversion." Meaning, please get things started for their conversion. We go over, and they already want to be baptized. Already! They know the church very well, Fr. Cal is the brother of the family's mother, Ro. She is incredibly prepared. And her daughter who lived with Fr. Cal for a few years? Got baptized there. She's a member too! She hasn't gone to church since she's been back. And they all want to go. And they came on Sunday. They came and they loved it. The young girl who is a member, O, she is going to participate in the cultural celebration at the Paris temple dedication on the 20th! BOOM already integrated. All the YW love her. And Ro, at RS, told everyone she would get baptized. Ro's brother who came, J-Y, also accepted a baptismal date for June 24th. Incredible miracle. We've taught them

twice already, and a third time at church.

Miracle 3:  A wonderful member named Alexis Defranchi (go watch his I'm a Mormon video, it's great) introduced us to a friend of a friend. The referrals' name is T, and he might be more prepared than the Bo family. He has been seeking God for a year, but hasn't joined any church yet. First question he asks: "how do I know that the man who baptizes me has the authority of God to do so?" Wow. INCREDIBLE. He wants to be baptized. He even wanted to do a pre-baptism on the spot, to prepare himself. It was amazing to see his desire. T will be baptized soon, no doubt about it.

Miracle 4:  A man Elder Ramsey and I started seeing again, S. H., was recently reactivated. This man had many problems, not 6 months ago. Now, he has a recommend for the Paris Temple Consecration. What a miracle! He has completely turned his life around, turned it over to the Savior, and look at what happens when we do that. Amazing.

I love you all! I love being a missionary! It's a good thing that I can be a missionary forever, wherever I am. If we have a desire we are always called to the work, no matter our assignment to labor.

Love, Elder MacArthur

Dinner and Family Search with the J's. We got to listen to French Disney music on the way back. It was fantastic.

We are actually at a gym right here. We are going back next P-day.

Elder Smith. What a man. I love him too. Go England.

Family history! Finding names like crazy.

Sleepy :)

My old comp, Elliot Burri. What a stud. I just think this picture is so cute. I love this man with all my heart. I would take a bullet for him. Random picture but why not haha.

We found an ancestor ready for the temple with the G's in 1 minute, 4 seconds.

Dinner and Family Search with the J's. We got to listen to French Disney music on the way back. It was fantastic.

May 1st, 2017

Hey everyone! This was a great week.

Monday: Plane

Tuesday: Exchange with assistants in Ecully! I was with Elders Bouaka and Underwood. It was super fun, I got to visit the Obs, Zs, Bs, and I saw Bas and Sr. Rop. It was a real treat to see all of them again before I go home. I love those elders so much. My first échange as a district leader was with Elder Underwood, way back when.

Wednesday: We helped the Mouts pour concrete for their pool. We did this the whole day almost! It was really fun, we mixed concrete and wheel barrowed it to the backyard.

The rest of the week was a blur, we got 4 amis (Ant, Cyn, Ru, and Wen) at church. We haven't seen An in a long time. Hopefully we see her this week.

Sorry I kinda have la flemme for writing. But I guess I'll see you all soon so it's ok right?

I love you all!
Elder MacArthur

In Lyon on exchange visiting Bas

Canned tomatoes, canned ravioli, and canned peas. Eating like kings. We need to buy food.

On exchange in Lyon with Elders Eberhard, Underwood, Bouaka, and ??