Sixty-one

This week was LEGENDARY!

There are so many things that happened I will have to go day from day.

Monday-Wednesday were solid days. We are working more with members

because we have found that is the best way to do missionary work.

Thursday it was an almost nine hour trip to go to Brive for the

baptismal interview of Soeur Cojan. We went to Angouleme to Libourne

by train! Libourne to Perigeux by train. Perigeux to Brive by Bus and

then back again except we took a train between Brive and Perigeux the

second time through. The baptismal interview went great! Soeur Cojan

was really prepared, as well her husband is a acupuncturist so I had

a good time talking to him about acupuncture. He told me there are 5

different reals/ways to do acupuncture and each having to do with

fire, earth etc, he told me he practiced the 6 type. I forgot the name

of it but it was an interesting conversation and an even more awesome

baptismal interview. 

The Brive chapel was dedicated less then 2 weeks ago so the actual

church was brand new and really beautiful.

Friday was planning for the week and for the baptism.

Saturday was the big day. The baptism was at 15h and it was the most

spiritually strong baptism I have ever been to. Her children came and

we had some less actives come as well. Frere Humblot gave a talk on

baptism and I gave a talk on the Holy Ghost. Nobody that was there

could play the piano so we sang with a clarinet played by President

Savreaux. After we ate 5 different desserts so that made the event

that much sweeter ;) Nathalie was super prepared and she felt the

Spirit very strongly during her baptism. I think everyone that came

did. It was like an actual heavy, comforting feeling every felt. I

know I did. Truly the power of God is manifest through his ordinances.

(As well we bought her flowers so that doesn't hurt at all either :)

Sunday was awesome because at church we had our Amis come that

basically are looking for a church to join. Fridolin was contacted 3 years ago. For the baptism of Nathalie we texted all the contacts in our phone to come (which is like a couple hundred  :) Fridolin was one of these contacts and he had walked 45 minutes to come. He missed the baptism but he became friends with Christ Kevine and he came to church. Christ Kevine brought one of his friends as well. During Amis class we taught these 2 investigators with our two recent converts (Nathalie and Christ Kevine).  It was so powerful they both basically taught the lesson and they both shared strong testimonies. During this whole ordeal I felt so lucky to be surrounded by such awesome people.

That was my week! Elder Sorrensen and I are staying together for this

next transfer so I will be here in Angouleme for 6 months! It's super

awesome and some really good things are happening here and it's a

blessing to be a witness of it!

Have a great week!

Elder Duffy

Sixty

I tried on french suits, but did not buy one.

Another week has passed by? Crazy!

So I have noticed that my emails have started becoming too much of a

thought journal, so this week I will recount what I did :)

So in the last couple weeks I have been blessed to give 6 baptismal

interviews and each interview has been quite unique. Everyone has had

a different story, but at the same time they were all quite similar.

Each person had differing strengths of testimonies, 

but they all had the underlying base of hope, faith, and charity. 

All 6 of them have been been baptized and we have another baptismal 

interview this Thursday in Brive.

Nathalie is getting baptized this Saturday and the Zone

Leaders are coming up this Wednesday to give her the baptismal

interview.

This week another highlight was we had a lesson with Florent at the

church and after he invited us to a HUGE ping pong club just a 5

minute walk from the church and I played one of the best ping pong

players in France! He smoked me good! 

Honestly he wasn't even trying but it was really fun to play against him.

As well we had Zone Conference last Tuesday in Bordeux with the

Bordeaux and Toulouse Zones. It was really enriching and a good time

to see President And Soeur Brown.

That was my week :) I would invite everyone to read Moroni 7: 40-48. I

felt the Spirit a lot when I read it today.

40 And again, my beloved brethren, I would speak unto you concerning

hope. How is it that ye can attain unto faith, save ye shall have

hope?

41 And what is it that ye shall hope for? Behold I say unto you that

ye shall have hope through the atonement of Christ and the power of

his resurrection, to be raised unto life eternal, and this because of

your faith in him according to the promise.

42 Wherefore, if a man have faith he must needs have hope; for without

faith there cannot be any hope.

43 And again, behold I say unto you that he cannot have faith and

hope, save he shall be meek, and lowly of heart.

44 If so, his faith and hope is vain, for none is acceptable before

God, save the meek and lowly in heart; and if a man be meek and lowly

in heart, and confesses by the power of the Holy Ghost that Jesus is

the Christ, he must needs have charity; for if he have not charity he

is nothing; wherefore he must needs have charity.

45 And charity suffereth long, and is kind, and envieth not, and is

not puffed up, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh

no evil, and rejoiceth not in iniquity but rejoiceth in the truth,

beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth

all things.

46 Wherefore, my beloved brethren, if ye have not charity, ye are

nothing, for charity never faileth. Wherefore, cleave unto charity,

which is the greatest of all, for all things must fail--

47 But charity is the pure love of Christ, and it endureth forever;

and whoso is found possessed of it at the last day, it shall be well

with him.

48 Wherefore, my beloved brethren, pray unto the Father with all the

energy of heart, that ye may be filled with this love, which he hath

bestowed upon all who are true followers of his Son, Jesus Christ;

that ye may become the sons of God; that when he shall appear we shall

be like him, for we shall see him as he is; that we may have this

hope; that we may be purified even as he is pure. Amen.

Have a great week!

Elder Duffy

Fifty-nine

THE MISSION IS THE BEST THING FOR ANY 18-25 year old TO BE DOING WITH THEIR LIFE!

Hello loved ones, family, acquaintances, mission blog readers, and

everyone alike:

I hope you passed a legendary last week.

Angouleme is ever beautiful and fall is almost fully ripe. The

mornings are quite crisp and the afternoons are sweater weather. It is

quite an enjoyable part of the year. It is interesting how the earth

has a life/mood cycle, just like us. We both have our sparkling

springs, summer highs, autumn reflections, and winter depressions. We

both have scars created from ourselves and from others. We both take

up place in the universe, we are both living organisms. If Mother Earth

could talk I wonder if she would ask herself, “what is my part in the

universe?” 

How much we share in common.

May we all turn to the way, the truth, and the life. Jesus Christ is

the light that shines constantly on us. His words and life should be

the center of our attention so that we can look unto Him and live. He

will gives us warmth, hope, and give us life, just like the sun

permits life to flourish on this earth. I find it interesting that the

places on this earth that receive the most warmth and light have more

abundance then their northern and southern neighbors.

Sorry for going off like that :) I have just been thinking of the

comparisons between us and the earth recently.

Nathalie is getting baptized in 12 days! It's super cool and literally

we have been seeing a ton of miracles here in Angouleme! France is so

awesome!

Love ya all and have a great week!

Elder Duffy

Fifty-eight

Hello everyone,

Since this week we were all  blessed to be given the chance to

hear/watch general conference, I would like to focus my thoughts on

this wonderful event.

Here is a list of things that I have learned from this conference:

1. As in most everything else, conference is what you put into it.

2. Revelation is giving to us according to Heavenly Fathers timetable, not ours.

3. We must be willing and ready to act on the revelation we do receive.

4. If The Book of Mormon is the book that can bring a man closer to

God than any other book, shouldn't it be the Book we read the most to

get closer to the source of truth?

While watching the Saturday afternoon session of conference we were

with two members, one being a recent convert, and as well, one

investigator. The investigator, Florent, paused during the conference talk and he simply said, “this man is sincere”. It was interesting how he felt the message in his heart.

Why do we have general conference?

Here are some thoughts:

1. It gives the general officers of the church a chance to talk on subjects they receive revelation on.

2. When we are gathered we are stronger.

3. Repetition brings gradual perfection.

I don't have have adequate time to deepen my thoughts in this email, but I would challenge you to think of the following questions: 

1. How will this conference change my character and actions?
2. Do I have a strong testimony of the messages shared?                                                                                   I invite you to do this now because I have done it myself.

Love,

Elder Duffy

Fifty-seven

Fall has arrived here in the southwest of France! The days are warm, but you can feel a change in the air.

This week we have had a lot going on.  We have had ups and downs.  The mission is a challenging, humbling adventure.  I have been thinking about how a lot of characters in stories involve adventures where the character finds themselves.  A lot of time I believe you must leave where, who, and what you know in order to figure out life.

This week we had two people commit to baptism.  Their names are Nathalie and Seda.  They have a lot of faith.  It has been a fantastic experience for Elder Sorensen and I to meet, teach, and learn from them. 

We also met a lady named Joanna. She is from Tahiti and was born in a LDS member family. She has lived in France for the last two years, and yesterday was the first time she has attended church in France. She enjoyed the hymns and lessons and we will begin to meet with her.

For me, missionary work is pressing steadily and confidently forward. This is the Lord’s work for the salvation of mankind. Through our agency we can

choose to become like Him. My goal this week is to pray earnestly and humbly so I can become closer to my Heavenly Father.

Love ya all and have a fantastic week!

Elder Duffy