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| This is the big cathedral in Noyon. Pretty cool huh? |
Hey family and friends! I'm doing well and I hope you all are having a
fantastic June.
We heard about the shooting in Florida, so sad. Please keep those
people in your prayers. God bless America and the people and land I
love.
This week we had a lot of fun. Lots of good things happened. Also a
few hard moments. But nothing a bit of grit and a Spirit-driven
missionary can't handle, right? :) Christian, our investigator we met
a couple weeks ago, dropped us; haha I'm almost wondering if he was
drunk when he answered...? Anyways made fun of us when we called him
and then hung up hahaha. We were just like "okay.." HAha. So we're
apparently not going to be teaching him anymore. BUT Anthony is still
a boss. Dropped us for a while, until the end of the school year, but
hopefully will be able to pick it back up once that happens. :) really
nice kid, good dude, just like 19 or 20 so it'd be really cool to see
him start investgating seriously with regular appointments and stuff.
Real good guy.
Well, let's take it from the top, shall we?
Monday was pretty chill. Francois, our ward mission leader, drove us
to the store like he usually does (such a boss), because we live kind
of far away from big shopping stores. And I got to send Dr. Kerr, the
head of the organ department at BYU-I, a video of me playing the
organ! So that was really sweet.
Tuesday, we had like three appointments fall through. Hhaha at the end
of that day I was just kind of like, "Today just was terrible." But
hey experience right? DC 121 it'll all be for our good. So yeah. Also
had district meeting, that was pretty cool. Liked that. Decded there
to work on diligence and patience for the week. After district meeting
we were just chilling in the Paris chapel because our train was at
like 5:30 PM (thanks strikes love you a bunch) and district meeting
finished not too long after 12, so we were just chilling there, then a
few of our missionaries said they wanted to go out contacting. And I
was like, "Nah..." But then after a while I was persuaded. So me and
Elder Fonua, my district leader, went out contacting in the heart of
Paris. (Met like a solid two or three American members/families so you
should have gotten a couple pictures sent to you Mom and Dad) and man
it was fun. Talked to several really cool, realy nice people, even
found one former investigator, and one LEGIT LADY who was in her
forties or fifties, really really cool, and she was interested, stayed
and talked to us for a solid ten or fifteen minutes (that's really
good in any big town, don't care where you are), and there you go!
Took her address AND phone number (that's pretty rare) and passed her
to the Paris LIlas missionaries whose area it was. It was a really
good experience. Also got to talk to a couple pretty sick American
people who weren' tmembers. REally cool. I learned a big lesson--when
a loss of motivation is felt, I should respond with MOTIVATING
ACTIONS, not just give in. It is actually in ACTING that we find
motivation and energy, not sitting around. Real good life lesson I
feel like I'm maturing and growing up every day. We also got to go
over to the bishop's house, that was super sick, loved that. Made us
some good food and their family is very numerous. Gotta count the good
moments, you know? Looking back that was a quality day. :)
[Mom comment: This next paragraph is every missionary's dream!]
Wednesday we had a bit of contacting and went on a Francois Field Trip
(#ilovecars) and went wwayyyyy west in our area (we have a BIG area if
I didn't say that already) to a big town called BEAUVAIS. Pronounced
"BO-vay." Cool place. Really pretty and green and even pretty decent
sized. Even bigger than Compiegne. We were there to do some referral
hunting. In the last couple weeks we'd received like three referrals
from Church headquarters (usually meaning these people either found
the church online or went to a visitor's center) who lived in
Beauvais. So we went to go cash in on some serious spiritual
preparation. :D We came. We saw. We taught (-quered? What) PRETTY SICK
chance to teach a bunch of Haitian and African people, all neighbors
or family, in this one lesson, in this one house. So get this. Meet
Orvlyne "Orve-leen". African woman. Really believing and Christian.
Puts her name and info online to get a missionary visit. RDVs for the
last while haven't worked out because either we or her had to cancel
every time (they've been trying to see her since before I got here).
But guess what? We finally get there, we thought she wasn't home, we
were about to turn our backs to the door, and then we hear something
inside. What is it? Well it's Orvlyne of course. She proceeds to
invite us in, offers us drinks, and proceeds to call SEVERAL friends
and neighbors, saying, "hey, how are you doing? Are you home? I've got
the missionaries over right now, do you want to come over?" Hahaha :D
It was the most classic believing African sort of "party" lesson ever,
if I may. We started the lesson with her, Restoration of course, and a
few people come to her back door. It's her neighbors, a mom and
daughter. Orvlyne's son was then brought down from upstairs
(interrupted his nap sorry bro :D) We're now teaching four people.
Then another group comes, her sister this time. Maybe her daughter?
So we end up, visiting one single referral, teaching FIVE Christian
people around a dinner table about the Restoration of the Gospel of
Jesus Christ. We finished with our testimonies and telling them that
if they read the Book of Mormon, they would know for themselves that
it is true. I felt kind of shaken up during the lesson because of the
apparent doubts of one of the people present, but then I was also very
hopeful for the neighbor and her daughter. Very believing, open
people, the daughter especially was excited to receive and read the
Book of Mormon. We're going to try and go back and see them in the
next week or two. I know that things can seem awkward sometimes, but
they don't need to be. Nicest people in the world. Loved it. Great
experience.
Thursday we were able to visit with our investigator Emmanuel, who is
a really nice guy in his 40s, and we talked about a lot of n'importe
quoi (whatever/everything) BUT we actually got to share a significant
part of the REstoration with him, which was a success because normally
you can't get a word in edgewise with that guy. So that was cool.
CHallenged him to keep reading the Book of Mormon, he's in Mosiah or
so, and we also decided to stop teaching him for a while, as he
believes there cannot be one true church, and he's kind of got a weird
mix of many religions in his belief system. So it's kind of hard to
teach him. You know what though, maybe second thought I shouldn't let
that stop us. He's still an important son of God. Maybe we oughtta
give him another chance. Any thoughts anyone?
-Later that day, we were pleased to go by Noyon "Nwai-ohn" and visit
Elizabeth, the recent convert lady from Nigeria, for the first time in
her new home. She just moved because assocations giving her money told
her the place in Compiegne was too expensive and that she had to move
there. So we got to go see her and contacted one or two people there
too. Got to talk to a really young-looking couple with their little
baby boy, they were really nice, and I think a little weirded out, but
we took their phone number and hopefully we can see them again. Then
spent 40 minutes that night waiting with Francois for a less active
sister to pick us up so we could teach her at her home, but to no
avail. She never showed. So we just had a good ol' time hanging out
with Francois and talking about whatever. Haha. I love hanging out
with Francois.
Friday was a pretty hard day, probably the hardest of the week. Three
out of four rendez-vous (apointments) fell through. In the early
afternoon, we went to a city in our area called "Creil," south towards
Paris, and we were supposed to have two quick appointments with less
active members there, and both of them fell through. Haha. But a
member driving by saw us and said, "Hey elders! Where are you from?"
And we're like, "Compiegne!" Was really cool because it's not every
day you get a member drive by you, especially not in a town that's far
from the city where your church is. So still had a couple cool
moments. Also got to help a lady in a car with directions. Got a great
rendez-vous about the Priesthood with Seye (pronounced "Shay - yay")
our other more recent convert from Nigeria, and that was to prepare
him to receive the Melchizedek Priesthood, which is pretty cool! We
were pretty happy to do that. I was impressed by Elder William's
knowledge of the Priesthood, too, that was cool to see. Also went to
go and see Chantal, our French recent convert, she's doing really
good, it seems, I worry for her a little bit sometimes, but you know,
I think she's doing all right. Really doing well on the outside
anyway. And she doesn't hide her feelings (French people say it like
it is man) haha. So she's doing well. We visited her with her home
teacher, Frere Judas, who also was kind enough to be our chauffeur to
her house and back, and we talked about missionary work and also a
bunch of other questions she had. Pretty cool. And get this SHE MADE
US CREPES ohhhhhh yeaahhhh wahahat now And then it did came to passeth
that we did eat a great many of them. And now behold, I, Elder
Edwards, said unto my companion, "Behold, I will go and eat the
crepes as she hath commanded." And we did partake of the fruit of the
crepes of life. And we beheld that its fruit was sweet, beyond all
goodness that we had ever before chewed. And we did not finish for a
long time. And on the seventh hour we rested and said, "it is good."
Sorry if that was too far---I mean I guess you use the scriptures for
humor on your mission so plesae know that is with no disrespect for
the prophets or for the Lord or for scriptures. :D
Saturday we just had a bunch of cool stuff happen in our Auxerre
finding day. Got to talk to a really cool chef guy on the way there,
he gave me some good cooking tips (heaven knows I need them), and we
pretty much just had to eat and contact for like 20 minutes and then
go, it was said but we would have gotten home kind of late if we'd
taken a later train. So there you go. Got to hang out with members
from Auxerre. Shout out to Elder Wells man, people still remember you
there.
Sunday was a jolly old saint Nicol-- Sunday day. Got to go to Torcy
for a great big stake conference. Was pretty cool. Got a ride with
Virgil and Karen, a great member couple who have been married for a
short while. Virgil is French, and Karen is from Panama. Cool people.
Got to chill with a lot of my Nogent buds, including "Peach," or Frere
Doumbia, the Letuaire family, and Xavier my old ward mission leader
all from Nogent. and missionary buds (I know like everyone in the
stake now I swear) and it was a good time. Even got to hang out in the
Torcy chapel afterward while Virgil and Karen were getting their
interview to be sealed in the temple!! (Got to even eat members' food
and had a jolly old time joking with other missionaries waiting there
too stories galore) So there you go guys. That's my Sunday. ALso got
to go to Karen and Virgil's house afterward, that's the kind of
saintly people they are, just invited us after the meetings even
though they were both already super tired. Virgil is a professional
cook and he has to work Sundays so he has been really tired and worn
out lately, really good hard working Dad, just like you dad, and out
of the goodness of his heart, went to work on a little meal and
dessert for us right away when we got to their home. Was so great. We
joked a lot and it was fun. Got to help Virgil practice his English
(30 percent of members like oding that with us here in France--the
rest prefer to help us speak French which is fine, we need it). And of
course got to hear them speak Spanish. Virgil speaks legit Spanish.
Monday is PDAY. Right up there with Christmas. Tomorrow is flag day.
God bless America!!!!!!!! And remember everyone thank your blessed
father and your Heavenly Father this week and this Sunday, father's
day is coming up.
Love you all, family! MIss you and you too, my friends! Love thinking
sometimes about good memories and good times with all of you, also all
my good leaders, mentors, teachers, all they taught me. So much joy so
much fun. Also motivates me to stay strong and stay a good strong
missionary. I think it's impossible for any missionary to mess up big
time as long as he keeps the Lord and those people in his memory, the
people who worked to hard to prepare him for his mission. So thanks to
all of you. Can't wait to make some great memories with all of you
once again once I get back! I'm going to go CRAZY on temple visits.
Can't wait. :D It's going fast. All you can do is make the most of it.
Alma 34 do not forget to make the most of this precious, short time
that God has given us. If you don't use it, it'll pass you by guys.
Don't ever forget how important it is to repent and stay on the right
track.
Have a great week!
Love,
Elder Edwards
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Hey Mom! Love you tons. THank you so much for your kind and thoughtful
voice recordings. I'm pretty impressed you could do that while you
were working out! Nice! I will definitely think about studying Nephi
and doing things like letters to God, I wrote those down as goals for
this week, as well as gratitude journaling. I know that's a habit the
Lord really wants me to work on.
Thanks for all your faith! It inspires me. Love you so much mom.
So cool to hear about the class you taught and the big one you're
going to teach! Good luck with all the preparations.
Also I forgot to tell you and Dad that we had a really cool experience
yesterady. A French man, who is a non member, was introduced to me by
a member of the ward. We came to find out he lives in our ward
boundaries, not far from Compiegne, in a town called La Croix St Ouen.
He was really excited to meet with us-an American member friend is
staying with him this week, apparently this guy has known the Church
for a while and has gone to church before in America, as he travels
there often, but has never come here in France. So we are really
excited to teach him this week, prayers for Stephane would be really
appreciated!
You should put Gabe on the Elevation waiting list. The first time I
went, lots of people who at first were put on the list got to go in
the end, because a lot of people didn't end up going, so you should
definitely do that. I hope they have fun! That's such a cool fun
experience for them.
Thanks for telling me about your awesome temple experience and date.
Please tell me about the spiritual experience you had sometime. By
the way, do you know of any books or files that have ancestor
conversion or mission stories on them? I'd really like to get one or
two of those if you have a moment. I know you're really busy but
that'd be really nice, maybe Grandpa Budge who served for 9 years or
something.
Congrats to Grace for Sim week! And have fun Hyrum and Gabe with
Grandma! Love you lots mom hope you have a good week. Bye!
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