Feb 25, 2016 - Transferred to Troyes, France and new Hawaiian companion, lotsa pics

First pair I trashed :D haha look at the heels on those suckers! I kid you not, they were fine three or four weeks before that!

Well I look like an idiot but it's not Worth loading another photo so oh well :D. This is me and a recent convert

Sayin goodbye to Frère Desvergez, my DMP in Nogent

Felix; this is the member who almost cried when I told him I was leaving. Behind is Frère Ihout; the guy we helped with his move several times:

This is saying goobye to the Bouchiquet family; the people who had us over Christmas Eve: She is an English professor and they're just awesome.

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I assume this is Adam's new Hawaiian companion. 

Okay, family! So here we go, I hope you all got and enjoyed my pictures, if not Mom should have them, sorry I am late on the letter, I'm writing here in the apartment tonight, so I hope it finds you all safe happy and well. :) 

NEW ADDRESS

Les missionnaires

Elder Adam Grant Edwards

1  Impasse Jacques Julyot

10000 TROYES 

France

BTW you say Troyes not like "Troyez" but like Twah. Just FYI because this town's name is especially difficult for English speakers, me included. :)

Here are videos giving you the broad, overall feel and picture for this past week and what me and Elder Kaonohi are trying to do:

(See other two emails with videos, too big to put here)

All right! And then I know that you might feel ripped off if I just stopped at that and called it quits, so here is some literary review of what I've been up to with my new awesome Hawaiian companion: 

Monday and Tuesday: still in Nogent. Which is weird, already feels like more than a week ago. We were lucky enough, Elder Malloy and I, to be invited over by several members those days, notably the Doumbias Monday, The Bouchiquets Tuesday, and I believe also the Kusselings Tuesday. :D It was incredible. I think you have pictures of all three of those. Great member appointments and I really will miss those people. I do miss them already. When I listen to certain music, it makes me think of the Nogent apartment and the people I knew there and members and how many laughs we had, we were so close-- it's just so painful sometimes. But man, it's also good to be here in Troyes. :D Can't complain. Gotta keep happy and smiling. No other way to live life to the old Adam. 

Anyways, we're bored with that subject, let's move on to Wednesday. It was a very smooth, uneventful P-Day, I got to think of Dad and wish him happy birthday, and it was surprising because it was definitely the shortest [transfer day] I've ever had as far as that goes. Felt the shortest, anyway. I mean, I've had 2 1/2 hour trains before just from one city to Paris (coming in from Nantes, for example) and so, yes, just being here and fine and dandy about 2 PM was nice indeed. I even had an extra bag (haha embarrassed) because I didn't want to leave behind the cool basketbal shoes that I'd found in my last apartment, they're sweet NIkes and they fit me perfectly and so yeah. Haha I'll have to lighten up my packing next transfer. Boy I just have a BUNCH of books too. Figures. :D I have a decent amount of French language study books alone so it's kind of fun. Wednesday we were picked up by a member (as, again, neither I nor Elder Kaonohi know the town at all aside from our own humble experience of 5 days-- haha if one of us hasn't been somewhere, the other one hasn't either), and he dropped us off at our apartment. 

We then were able to unpack and unsettle and talk a bit, but no fear! We got to work after a while. We went out to teach our first member present lesson, or rather a lesson for a less active member, and it was great! Her name is Bernadette. She's cool. Also this is weird to teach sisters like this because habitually since after Charleroi I've been in villes where we have sisters as well, so I've usually given sisters to be taught by the sisters, but now, here, we're just in a cute little smaller-town, although decent sized town ward, so as far as missionaries are concerned, WE'RE IT! Haha the ward spoils us so bad. Everywhere we go it seems like they try and feed us, give us juice, or crackers, or snacks. I think they sensed our energy when we came in and we just want to keep it up. I think members really like good energetic hard working missionaries, so I want to be more like that. 

Anyways. That was Wednesday. Let's now progress in speed because I'm tired and you're all probably wondering when the novel will be over. :D JK read on it's interesting I promise. Ok. Thursday we did lots of stuff, some contacting, went to see a member family (yeah we're that boss already seeing members that's K's idea) and then we got to go to Ward Mission Leader Meeting and then Priesthood Executive Meeting and then Ward Council all the same night. WHew. It was awesome we love meeting members :D I loved it, reenergizes me hard-core. 

Friday. We went to the Bernardi Sr. family's home. Frere Bernardi is one of the guys who is always down and ready to teach with us, so we like him a lot. We did that, had a nice long lunch at their house, saw cool MISSIONARY BOOKS where they keep papers and records of all the missionaries they've ever had since like forever in their ward (seriously I mean I saw like ten and more missionaries I knew in those things it was crazy, and they go back many many years), then came home, then went back out to go to a ward activity called "Missionary Video Night" where we watch a Church video once a month and invite all our amis and members and less-actives to come. It's great. We watched Finding Faith in Christ. watch it y'all who need faith in Christ. You should find it it works. 

Saturday we taught Andrik, an amazing ami, and the Spirit was with us. He taught so strongly. We are learning a lot lately about contacting all people possible and just opening our mouths without fear of the consequences or what the people will say. We were able to talk with him and he shared some really personal things with us of how his family needs help and things like that, won't share the details because it's private. But boy, it was so cool. He started talking about baptism and how he hadn't felt ready for baptism before, but how now he was feeling like he was ready (miracle because this was the first time we had seen him, our companionship) and WOW we threw out the baptismal challenge and he accepted, the guy's making a covenant of faithfulness to God in the next two or three months, I'm not going to share the exact date I guess because I feel like that's private too. He is so cool, comes from French Guillana in South America. So golden, prepared. 

We then went to the Faria family's house, Portuguese family, and they were awesome and gave us good food, including a pineapple upside-down cake. :D Thought DAd would smile at that. I like those too you know! Also saw an ami for the first time, Laeticia (Lay-TEE-see-uh) and that went really well. With these situations of coming into a ville when you're both brand new (whitewashing), you really need to get a first RDV with all the families and investigators and stuff to get a feel for who they are and what they need, etc. So we've been doing that. 

Sunday -- we went to church, got to sit by and meet a bunch of new members, but to us there were a rather few amount of people there, or at least so it seemed, so we made a goal to fill the chapel with those less-active and soon-to-be-amis who need the Lord so badly. And we need them! This is a very tranquil ward, the culture of this town is very slow moving and relaxed, so it is hard to get them out of their comfort zone. It's ok though. 

Sunday afternoon we went to visit Sister St. Marc (spelled with a C in French) and ate at her house (also ended up being late because we talked with the bishop forever and the member who was supposed to give us a ride was waiting on bishop...hahaha we found this out after...). Also that talk with Bishop for a while was great. He reminds me a ton of Jayson Davis, his face and mannerisms and all. I'll have to get a picture we're going by his place next Wednesday. We finished weekly planning, thought thoroughly of a good vision for this ward, and we think it involves activities to bring amis and less actives out and keep them out and also just to fill the chapel on Sunday with repentant, happy smiling sincere souls. We could really feel the power behind that goal and we are going to work to sustain it. We're going to work really hard. It is necessary to talk to at least once person a day in a really uncomfortable situation-- one you don't think you would have talked to yesterday. That way you always grow. :) I'm trying to do that and talk to everyone and it's great. It'll be hard to keep it as energetic and hard-working as a couple of our first days were, but I'll do my best. 

BTW, my blue, Elder Walton, is a district leader now! Congrats for him. Yay. 

And now here I am Monday night with a fairly uneventful PDay behind me (played piano for a while, felt good, had been a few weeks I think--haha weird I totally forgot about it). We went to see Laeticia with a member and then to visit a less active member, Elisabeth and her friend Jeannot (Jzuh-NO) and that was good. Yay! We're going to be having a great finding day tomorrow with the WHOLE District right in our ville of Troyes. That's how we're doing district meetings now this transfer, we go around every week to a new ville of one of our equipes and we just all find there all day, doing district meeting and lunch in the middle, and hope to just super-boost our missionary lessons, amis, and work in each of our villes. :D With energy, smile, Spirit, nothing can go wrong. I love the Spirit and how it guides me in every aspect of my work.  

Keep your spiritual shields high and strong. The adversary and opposition are strong but don't let them get to you. :D It's eventually you who will decide if you want to let faith hold out or if you want to let doubts affect your faith. Faith is the right choice. 

Also I love Elder Kaonohi. He works hard and is chill and loves life and is just so much fun. I've already pretty much told him everything about me, he is just that good of a talker and listener. So I am in real good hands here. Having lots of fun. :) We laugh well. 

Ok well I better let you go. Y'all have a good night. Love ya ad talk to you later!!

LOOOVEEEE YOUU FAMILYYYY 

Love lvoe love <3 oops too much sorrry

Elder Edwards