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| Sunrise from the Versailles/Assistant |
I did an exchange with the Assistants, went to their beautiful area -Le Vesinet, and we found new people to teach.
Elder Trotter and I worked out in the morning!
I made Bearnaise myself, it wasn't that good.
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| Sunrise from the Versailles apartment (a different view ) |
If you've got more time read on.
Surprise last Monday morning, the assistants called and said they would be doing an exchange the following day, so I packed up my bag and took the RER to Versailles. I felt sort of intimidated at first to work with the assistants, but then realized that they're normal missionaries like everyone else, they just work hard and obediently. I saw through them a good example of how to work harder. I happened to go to their sector on a 'consecration day', which was completely devoted to finding new people to teach. 'Oh man this is going to be a long exchange (it lasted 48 hours on top of that, big exhale phooo sound)'. Even though I felt tired from all the talking to people everywhere we went, we met some promising people who want to see us again. Our efforts were met with some success. Then again not everyone we talked to accepted to see us again, it felt most rewarding to work hard and not let as many people slip through the cracks as we sometimes do. Overall we taught about ten lessons in that period, wow, so cool!
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| RER on Sunday |
So I don't know what changed our how exactly it happened but something clicked and we're out working out every morning. We went to the park to work out Friday, went running Saturday, rested Sunday, and went running again Monday. Wow it feels good that both of us are hitting the pavement working out! I think Elder Trotter has felt better since we started exercising. This all started right after our exchange with the assistants. In addition, right after we got back from the exchange I got some huge package from home, and Elder Trotter got one too! We took a moment to bask in glory of our packages then we made some soup from one of the mixes. We proceeded then to teach Y, who we hadn't seen in a few weeks but he wants to be baptized, so we will work with him for the next two months so that happens. Also, we saw J at night and watched "The Restoration" together. Because English is his second language, we decided to do more audio-visual lessons, and his understanding really increased.
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| Me and ElderRivas contacting a lady! There were three people on this exchange, part of the time we were with a Paris zone leader, so this is me and elder Rivas contacting a lady. |
Remember how I went to the assistant's area for their whole entire day of finding, well I got another one when came back to Torcy! We went contacting all day with a district meeting in the middle. We had a cool miracle, I went through a progress sheet calling people...it was super old. These people had given the missionaries their number two years ago, but nobody had left comments on them, so one of the
people out of the fifteen or so I called answered and said, "This really isn't a good time I just lost someone in my family" (Um actually the perfect time!). I told her how we believe that people don't go away forever, their spirit is still there, just somewhere else, and she said. "You know, that sounds interesting, not this week but next week will you call me back?" WOO Yeah!"No, I didn't say "Woo yeah" on the phone, but that's how I felt. Coming home from all the contacting we did today we met some interesting people. First, I ended up talking to a man at the bus stop, I think this guy represented my sister Abby, because I ask him how he finds happiness,and he says, "By being present." I almost laughed because Abby tells me that all the time, and he reminded me of the need to enjoy the moment we're in, whether our circumstance is good or bad. After that we met a guy who had major back problems and I was like, Oh I should talk to him; he was really nice and we left him with a prayer. Then we met Sebastian and his dog 'ferocious'. Last contact of the night, one of those hey let's talk to one more person experiences. I had a lot of those this week, and I felt very filled by taking more and more of those chances. I took a lot of risks! It was great!
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| My French Study, My Dictionary, and the Cookbook 'comme un chef' |
What else did I realize this week?
I like living in Torcy because the kitchen in the assistants'
apartment is tiny and I felt like Buddy the Elf. I realize that old French cities like Le Vesinet are SO BEAUTIFUL.
I think that if you have enough faith you can do anything, but work your way up, because it's impossible to have no faith then have a lot at once. I realized that even though I should follow the recipe for Béarnaise sauce I should use common sense as well, adding half a lemon and it was way too strong haha! I know that in order for anything to happen in the work we have to leave the 'flow' of normal grind of life and follow the spirit, THAT'S SO important. I realize that no matter how much you want a circumstance to change, you have to wait on God and trust things will improve. Elder Trotter is more obedient and I don't know how that changed but it did.
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The recipe for Béarnaise Sauce |
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| My attempt at making Béarnaise Sauce |
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| Following Directions |
I love you all! I think that the scriptures and things that have been helping me through this time have been personal revelation and prayer. Asking the Lord what I can change and not worrying about other people but just changing myself. And honestly that's the best thing. And to cap off the week, just to tell you all and Abby. We went running this
morning it was freezing, I was thinking about a lot concerns I have then the town city bell for 7:00am went off (with such a distinctive European sound) and I just basked in the present moment, running in the fields in France on my mission. So exhilarating and beautiful!!!
I lived in the present, I was present! - There you go abby!
Love
Elder Jones
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