Week 17 "Lilloween"

Hello, everyone! Good to be on the ol'computer again.  

   Well as you all know, this week was Halloween, and here in Lille, the two wards organized a big activity that they called Lilloween, because, you know, we're in Lille, hah.  So I didn't know that the French people celebrated Halloween and I've heard it varies here in france but in the north, especially in our ward, they went all out!  The day of, we took lots of cardboard, fabric, and other things and basically built a Haunted House in the relatively big primary room!  The house included two prison cells, a creepy hospital room, electric chair, a sticky gooey tunnel, and a treasure chest with candy at the end!  The preparation for the event was really fun, and it gave us an awesome opportunity to help the wards. I never thought that I would be doing something like this on my mission, but it was way fun to be a part of! 

wednesday night when we went to eat at our bishop's house with his family

   Also this week, we had some great lessons with one of our investigators D.  He is an older man who is very soft spoken but feels the spirit and is very kind, and we had the opportunity to meet with him for six days last week, wow! I have really enjoyed getting to know him and since he's a quieter sort of guy Elder Johnson and I are usually the ones starting conversations with him, and although he doesn't say that much I feel greatful for the opportunity we have to reach out and be his friend.  Also, another companionship referred us to a new investigator named A.   He wants to be baptized, and he is really busy right now training to be a pastry chef, but we are trying to meet with him as often as possible so that he can be baptized.  The coolest thing about it, for me at least, is he speaks perfect english, woohoo!  So I get the opportunity to teach someone in my native language, which I am so grateful for!

   I think the best part of the week was our personal interviews with President and Sister Babin.  I expressed some of my concerns in the work, and how I am pretty hard on myself, because I don't follow all the promptings I get, or I'm scared to raise my voice when I know how something should be done and I don't do anything.  Sister Babin was so comforting to me, and she told me to not be so hard on myself, and gave me the scripture 1 John 4:18 "There is no fear in love, but perfect love casteth out fear"

Emailing this morning

   There are a lot of fears I have on my mission, and I don't know why but here at the beginning I just feel like sometimes I don't know what's going on, and stuck in a time of self-doubt and worry.  But I can change all of that.  Although I have these times, I have times of real, true peace and happiness as well, and a lot of that feeling comes from remembering and using the atonement as often as we can, which is every day!  I bore my testimony in church yesterday and said, If you don't believe the church is true our you have doubts, stop believing it's not true.  Once you believe it, it will become real.  This church, the gospel, the atonement is all real and true, so why not trust and use it?  Man, I wish I could be better every day, but in my constant pattern of mistakes and improvement I think I'm being humbled.  I continue to try my best out here every day, and all in all, this is the greatest experience!  Thank you for your prayers, thoughts, and good works.  Love you all!

Elder Jamison Jones

Lilloween

My Halloween Costume

Yummy cake