Twelve

I am staying in Montpellier but have a new companion named

Elder Hansen. I am really excited for this exchange. My companion Elder Lythgoe is going to a place in between Marseille and Nice and it was sad to see him go. Also Elder Perry returned with honor.  We have two new Elders in the apartment and they are both cool. 

This week I was pretty sick.  It was hard but I remembered Dad gave me Imodium which helped so much! Dad thank you again.

Next week I will send more just know I am feeling better and excited

to start my second transfer. 

I love you so much and thank you for

everything you do.

With Love,

Elder Duffy

Eleven

This week has really gone by so fast. It is so true

that the mission flies by.

The French is coming. I feel like I have made good progress but I

definitely have a long way to go. We watched about half of General

Conference in French and I am not going to lie it was a struggle to

focus but what doesn't kill makes you stronger right?:)

This Friday is the day when I will see if I am staying here our going

somewhere else. I really love Montpelier but not my will be done. 

Montpelier has so much potential. I know missionary

work will keep on going stronger and stronger then before.

One of the Zone Leaders, Elder Perry,  is returning with honor this

week. It has really been a blessing to live with Elder Perry and Elder

Shaw because they really are amazing missionaries who are

dedicated to Heavenly Father and missionary work.  They have really

helped me as I strive to get better.

For the food experience for this week/transfer, I ate rabbit. It was

actually really good. it was a lighter chicken. I am not going to lie

it was hard not thinking of cute little rabbits while eating but it

was good nevertheless.

For the spiritual thought this week: I really loved Holland’s talk in

General Conference about MOMS. I got a little teary. 

The more I have been the mission the more I have realized that

I am not my own. That everything I am is because of my Heavenly and

Earthly Parents and my older brother Jesus. Literally without those

key 5 people I am nothing and would be nothing. I just have to say I

am so thankful for them and for everything they have done for me. I

would like everyone just to think of the part Jesus has played in their

lives.  

I love the Gospel and I love all of you.

I think of you often (but not to often):) and please stay on

the right path to find your personal destiny and internal peace.

Love you all and I know even more than that, that Heavenly  Father loves you,

Sincerely,

Elder Duffy

Ten

This week has been really cool. We had a a huge conference with a

third of the mission in aix en Provence. 

Aix en Provence is by Marseille. I guess Marseille is like super sketch in some parts and missionaries need to be in by 6 pm. For the conference Elder Adler spoke.  

He is in the third quorum of the seventy. We talked about really focusing on the temple and not just baptism.  Baptism really is just a stepping block to the temple. 

We had a really good French meal so that never hurts.  I

had a good conversation with someone I knew in high school: Elder Wade.

In France if you go right into religion it doesn't work out very well.  One thing we do for contacting is talk about families and tie that into the gospel.  People are usually more open to that.

Cool experience for the week: I was on a train about to get off and

I had the feeling that I should compliment this random guy on his bag.  After I did that the guy just started talking to us and he was really cool. He said “are you the Mormons?”  and we said, “Yes”. 

After that he said, “my girlfriend goes to sports extreme” (which is like a sports thing at the church). Then we invited him to come so hopefully he does :) 

It was just really cool to see the Holy Ghost guiding me. So that is my challenge for everyone this week.  Do the prompting they feel from the Holy Ghost. If you don’t know what the Holy Ghost or Holy Spirit is there is a really good

definition on mormon.org.

Well, everyone make it a fantastic week and if your ever are feeling

down, just smile till you feel happy. Believe me it works:)

Love Elder Duffy

Week Nine

Hello Everyone!

Montpelier is awesome. There are pigeons everywhere and many diverse

smells. If you get my drift;) my companion is Frere L he has

been out for just over a year now. He is the district leader. He is

from Heber, Utah and is super good at soccer. 

We live with the zone leaders Elder Perry and Elder Shaw. Everyone is great, and chill at the same time.

This week was crazy because we housed the APs and the missionaries

from Nimes. We had a bonne nettoyer today.

It is so sweet just to talk with people on trams and stuff and help people. It's so true the scriptures when it says, “when you lose you life serving others is when you will find it”. I invite everyone both old and young to prepare now to

go on a mission because there are so many people out in the world to

help and so much to see. 

Every time I study each day my mind is blown how amazing the gospel is and how amazing everyone and everything is. I have come to know how minuscule I really am. Being a missionary is not about being perfect with everyone but it is trying your best everyday.

Spiritual story for this week. So we have an investigator named E.  He was

going to be baptized the 20th but it has been pushed back to October

10. He has had some problems with the commandments. This last lesson

we had with him was all about he commandments and why they are so

important. During the lesson he just went off and bore his testimony

on the commandments and the Spirit was there making everyone feel

peace. 

We have a lot of potential friends that so close to being baptized. My companion and I decided that we are just going to invite them to be baptized and see

what happens. Because they all have a testimony. I think that just

need a commitment to get them to that next step. So please feel free

to pray for them especially E.

The ward is here in Montpelier. There are just over 100 people that come

every week so it's pretty good sized. There aren't a lot of less

actives so that is really cool.The members are all really nice and

want to do missionary work. So you just need to bring Amis and they

will take it from there.

I would just like to share my testimony that I know the gospel is the

truth. I call it the truth because this isn't just religion it's how

things are. We have a loving Father in Heaven that loves and wants to

bless us. He sent us here to grow and gain experience and to get

better. He knew we would fall short of getting back to Heaven, so he

gave us a Savior. It is so simple. I invite everyone that is not a

member that is reading this to learn as much about the Gospel of Jesus

Christ as you can because I promise it will bless your life and give

more peace then you have felt before. I invite you to call the

missionaries. They aren't perfect teachers (believe me) but they will

try the best to help you. As missionaries we are not here to

persuade but here to invite and help you on your own personal journey

to find meaning and happiness. 

Week Eight

Hello everyone,

Missionary work is awesome. This week we have been doing a lot. Sorry about last week and just sending one email. I was still a bit frazzled.

France is so FANTASTIC!!!!! It is tres different then America but it is super cool. I feel like I take the beauty for granted a lot but when I think about it and look around it is so beautiful. 

Montpelier is a student town. Students are open to talk to. Last Sunday I fasted that I would be able to talk with people and it worked!!!!!! It is still a challenge but I am getting better talking to people on trams and stuff like that. I am definitely not perfect but step by step I am becoming more fluent.

So this week I had a transfer in Nimes.  There was a colosseum in the middle of the town. There was a lot of roman influence. The mission is really weird and awesome. Like everyday is like the same thing but everyday is so different.

The scripture that has touched me the most on my mission is in Enos. When I think of life in general it is such a privilege. I have come to realize more and more that I am nothing but with Jesus and Heavenly Father I can become everything.

So funny story for the week. I was on a train going to a member’s house to have a lesson with a Amis de l'eglise  and dinner. I saw a lady and her dog. I really wanted to pet the dog, so I went over and said puis je petter votre chien. I thought that was right for, “can I pet your dog” but it is not. You will have to look it up. I didn't even know it was wrong but then some people started laughing pretty hard so I knew something was wrong. :)

Well love everyone and have an amazing week!

Elder Duffy

Week Seven

Hello family!

Sorry to everyone but I can only write one letter this week because I am using a french typing board and it is really different:) Well I am France.  Specifically, I am in Montpelier. It is super awesome here. President and Sœur Brown are very kind. My companion’s name is Elder Lythgoe. I live in an apartment with the zone leaders and my companion and moi. I am super blessed to be surrounded with such great missionaries.  

We take the public transit, and it is crazy. So we are teaching a lot ici. Probably  2 or 3 lessons a day so that is super cool. We also have a baptism on the 20th. His name is Eriva. He is a student right now and he is from Albania. The members here are also super fantastic and really outgoing and support us really well.  The sisters had a baptism last Saturday…his name is Frands. I helped with it because Frands uses a Wheel chair and there was three of us that had to help with it;:) Super cool. 

Sorry about how the email sounds, its just really weird taking this long to type.

I had my first baguette today and it was delicious. Highly recommend them.

Something that I have been struggling with is talking with everyone. Its super dur pour moi but I am working on it. I'm not going to lie I understand like un peu of what people are talking about. But it is coming slowly but surely. I will have stories to tell when we Skype:) Well know I am doing well and and taken care of and I love all of you and sorry for not writing to each one of you.

Avec d’amour,

Elder Duffy

Week Six

Dear Parents,

We are happy to let you know your son arrived safely in Lyon.  He was met at the airport by President and Sister Brown.  After arriving at the Mission he had lunch, had his picture taken, took care of paperwork, and had an individual interview with President Brown.  Tonight he will have dinner with President and Sister Brown as well as the other missionaries that arrived today.  He will stay at the Missionary Hotel in Lyon tonight.  Tomorrow some will go to legality and then he will meet his new companion who will be his Trainer. Then he will have training with President Brown and the Assistants to the President.  After the short training he will leave with his companion to go to his first area.  We will send you his address and companion's name tomorrow.

Please see today's photo in the attachments.

Thank you for sending us such a fine young man.

Sister Sweeney