Object Lesson

January 26, 2015

Hello Family!

It's good to hear that you're doing well.

As for Elder Davis and I here in Le Mans, we are seeing success. I'm starting to feel like the same things happen in all of my villes. I come into a ville and immediately we lose contact with all our "golden" amis. Then we work super super hard for the next 6-9 weeks searching for new amis, then little by little we are blessed and we get create a teaching pool with amis that we are able to see at least once a week.

This past week, we started out with exchanges in Alençon! But with a suprise! At district meeting, there weren't two elders that showed up from Alençon, but three! Elder Madsen and Elder Connelly will be serving with Elder Raveneau, a visa waiter called to serve in Canada, until Elder Raveneau gets his visa.

District meeting was pretty cool, I was volunteered by my dear companion for an object lesson during. For the object lesson, there were two plates of chocolate pudding with whipped cream. We had to suck up the chocolate pudding to find the "prize." I found mine super fast, then continued to suck up the chocolate pudding (I mean, who doesn't like chocolate pudding?) while Elder Oviatt (Zone Leader in Tour with Elder Smith!!!) sucked up all of his without finding his prize. After he was done, District Leader Elder Madsen handed him his prize. It was then compared to finding amis. When we go out finding, we all have the same goal, to find an ami. Sometimes certain équipes find new amis faster than others, but if we are diligent, we will win the prize.

Then after the meeting and district meeting meal (Burrito Fête!) Elder Davis and I went over to Alençon for our exchanges. I was with Elder Connelly and Elder Raveneau. It was like a pretty normal day. We went out finding and contacted people with the usual responses. Then Wednesday afternoon, we went and passed by one of their amis. They have been trying for the past two or three weeks to get in contact with him, but haven't been able to. We were blessed and he was finally home. We shared a quick spritual thought with him and then set up another RDV with him.

Elder Davis and I then took our trains to get back to Le Mans. We had a rendez-vous set up with a potential ami named Jackie. We called him when it came time for our rdv, but he thought it was supposed to be at 19h30, not 18h30, so we just contacted around for an hour until he would be able to be there. He came and brought a friend with him, Pauline. We talked about our purpose as missionaries and then shared Joseph Smith's story with them and gave them a Rétab pamphlet. The spirit was so strong as we testified of the Rétab and the 1st vision. I know that Joseph Smith saw God the Father and His son Jesus Christ. I know he was called as a prophet to restore the true church with the proper authority, the Priesthood, on the earth. We invited them both to baptism, Pauline accepted, sort of...and Jackie declined, mostly because, at least what we deduced, he's not really sure what he believes in. But he is willing to learn and he seems willing to act and keep reading engagements.

Sunday, after Church, I had a really cool experience. As Elder Davis was making short cakes, I decided to make some called to set up some rendez-vous with amis. I saw a fiche (pronounced as "feesh". That's just France Paris Mission lingo for an amis' teaching record.) of an ami who had been taught a couple times, but there wasn't a reason as to why he was dropped. So I called him. After a 30 minute conversation I decided to just end the dialogue, politely, and we won't be seeing him. He said blantly that the message we share doesn't make sense and that he'll never believe it, so I proceded to try to understand what he didn't understand. And basically, he didn't understand anything. There's a reason to this experience that I'm sharing with you though. While I was talking with him, I had no troubles with French whatsoever. I didn't stutter, I was confident, and I stayed calm the entire time, too. I know that the Gift of Tongues is real. It was super cool to literally be the mouth piece. The spirit was speaking, not I. I really hope sometime in the future this ami decides to change his mind.

And that was my week. It was a really great week. :)

Also, here is a photo of Elder Davis and I on our way to Strasbourg a couple weeks ago for his legality.

As for the application, yes, I'm working on it, and I plan on having it done if not this week, the next week. But I do think of the questions in the "spare" time that I have. I really want the scholarship.

I love you all!! Have a great week! :)

-Elder B. Stanton Wilson