Twenty-eight

So funny story, I deleted all my emails accidentally before they could send.
I will have Soeur Spackman send photos. Love you all and I am so sorry
and I will send a super big email next week. But this week I finished
the Book of Mormon in French and Elder Brill and I  will be getting a
car starting March 1 and I will be a driver. Once again so sorry I
just accidentally deleted everything I wrote and I ran out of time.

Love ya,

Elder Duffy

Envoyé de mon iPad

Twenty-seven

Hello everyone, sorry for not emailing last week :-)

I didn’t have Wi-Fi because I was traveling to Lausanne. A lot has happened the last two weeks.  

Two weeks ago I was on the exchange in Dijon with Elder Barbin. We had

many miracles.  We talked to a family.  After a few moments of conversation they said, “It’s really funny that we ran into you, because we had just prayed for God to let us know why we survived a car accident a couple months before.  The spirit was really strong and we had a good conversation. 

I went straight to Lausanne for a finding zone day. We went to four different cities: Bienne, Neutichal, Yverdon, and Lausanne.

As a a zone we had 416 conversations 46 lessons.  It was intense and a long, tiring day but super awesome. I love miracles. 

We have two baptismal dates for Eric and Luigi. Eric is super cool. He is a doctor studying here.  He’s actually part of Doctors without Borders.  He is 35 years old.  (He is the first investigator that I've had that has

taken notes during rendezvous :-)!  Our other investigator is Luigi he's a

student going to electrical school.   

Last week I ate goose for the first time. It was actually really good and a lot like duck. Another cool miracle: right after we left our apartment we had prayed to find a family.  Right when we left our apartment we saw family and we knew we had to stop and talk to them. We asked for directions and they gave us directions.  We told them that we would love to give them American cookies to show our thanks.  (Actually they gave us the place where he works and we went

the next day.)  His name is Niko and he is super cool. He actually ran in two Olympics for Canada and four world championships (100 m and

200 m).  

This last week we went to Annemasse for a conference.  I was able to see several of my friends that I’ve met on my mission.  Elder McKee, Elder Lythgoe, Elder Hansen and Elder Richmond.  The conference was probably the best

conference I have been to. The subject of this conference was how we

can get past opposition.  Also how to find families to teach.  It is what we have

been focusing on…(trying to contact every family and stroller that

we see).   It’s been pretty fun and we have seen miracles, and we are finding families.  

I would like to say something to anyone that is thinking or not thinking of going

on a mission. Go on a mission!  It is really the best decision you can

make. Even if you have things going for you and you don't know if it will

still be there when you come back… Go on a mission! I know if you

go on a mission Heavenly Father can change you in ways that he

couldn't have if you stayed home. I have really seen that in my own

life and I've seen how you become a better person. As I work hard and be obedient to the rules (I have not been perfect) but I can honestly say that I've tried my best.  I know if you do, you will receive all the blessings Heavenly Father has just for you. 

This is the last week of the transfer! This transfer has

gone by so fast. Elder Richmond is really a great missionary and a

great man and it has been fantastic serving with him. 

Something really important that I have learned is to love everyone around you. 

It’s really hard to do that all the time.  As you try to do your best to love others, work hard, and be obedient, you can find the joy of being a missionary.

I also found out I can juggle seven juggling balls at once.  It is

pretty sweet :-). I actually really do hope that I stay for the next transfer.  

We might actually be getting a car because our area so big. I would be the driver :-) 

We went to a Columbian restaurant/food laundry.  I sent some photos of Colombian food that we got for free.  We had a nice chat with the guy from South America while we ate.  

A shout out to Caden and Melissa.  

Their marriage pictures are amazing! They really are super sweet! Another

shout out to my sister Jenessa who just got into the BYU nurse practitioner 

program…she is amazing! 

Shout out to my dad who taught me to use voice activated software…so if there is anything in my emails that doesn't make sense that is why.  Another shout out to my mom who all this and everything I am would not be possible.  I love you so much mom :-)

If you don’t know if you want to go on a mission go.  It’ll be the best

thing you ever do.  It is definitely super hard but it is where

you can grow the most. Just do it.

The scripture that I would like to share this week is actually the

scripture my mission scripture scripture is D&C 68:6.  Wherefore, be of good cheer, and do not fear, for I the Lord am with you, and will stand by you; and ye

shall bear record of me, even Jesus Christ, that I am the Son of the

living God, that I was, that I am, and that I am to come.

I love you all and remember never fear because you're never alone.

Love y'all and enjoy the ride ;)

Elder Duffy

Envoyé de mon iPad

Twenty-six

No email this week...Elder Duffy didn't have internet connection.

Twenty-five

So this week for me was crazy! So let's start off from the beginning.

Monday:
This day was weird. So we had a normal P-day. Then at 6 we had a rendezvous with a part member family and it went well. With this particular family the hardest part of all of it is their motivation. After that we received a text from one of our friends who needed help with his lock. So long story short we tried to help and we thought we had fixed the problem, so we tried the lock and the door locked but wouldn't unlock! So basically we got locked into his apartment and were late getting home. (This is a good post mission story you will have to ask me about ;)

Tuesday:
Tuesday was a really good day filled with lessons and they went well. Something that I need to work on with lessons is to not be just in a lesson mode and put more of my heart into it.  So I will work on that.

Wednesday:
Today was a traveling day going to Lausanne and watching a conference shown to all the missionaries in the world. It was cool just sitting there with my zone just thinking that we all have a common goal.


World wide mission conference notes:

• Most important thing we do as missionaries is testify of Christ and invite others to come.
• If you are ever unsure what to say is invite others to come unto Christ
• Matt 2:32
• Teach simply
• Adapt to needs
• As your understanding of the Atonement grows your desire to share the Gospel and effectiveness will grow
• Study and love the Book of Mormon, if you do so your investigator’s faith will grow
• Teach repentance and baptize converts, repentance means to change, change of attitude and might change of heart
• Repentance is key to true conversion
• Real intent means, I will act to the answer of my prayer
• Teach those who we teach on our knees, and kneel to pray with those we teach.
• Moroni 8:25-26
• We have the responsibility to be worthy vessels to bring the Spirit with us in the teaching situation
• Obedience is how we can be worthy
• The Holy Ghost is the teacher
• Teaching is not talking, it is listening and observing 
• Focus on people while you are not talking
• If we try our best  the Spirit will guide what we say
• We testify and ask questions in preparation to invite to act
• We need to follow up
• Treasure up in your mind continually the scriptures
• Know people’s names
• Pray, and have a good attitude 
• Talk with everyone 
• Study Preach my Gospel daily

Thursday:
We had district meeting in Lausanne. The main subject was just the importance of the family and how we need to focus more on the family. After district meeting we contacted in Lausanne for about 3 hours.

Friday:
Friday was legendary! So we had a finding day, which is basically a day of all contacting ;) It was super awesome. As a district we had like above 150 conversation, 17 lessons, and like 27 new potentials. Really I feel the presence and direction from the Spirit during contacting. We meet some really cool people like a person on the rugby France team who can do 300 push-ups in a row, professional high jumper that will hopefully be in the olympics in 4 years.  It was great to talk to them.

Saturday:
We got back into Besançon and it is good to be back. We did our weekly planning and had a few appointments.

Sunday:
Had church and had a busy day going to appointments. We are blessed with a lot of friends here in Besancon.

Today:
We went to the Citadel! It was beautiful!  I will write more about it next week but I was within one foot of a really big male lion. Stay tuned until next time!

I am so glad to be a missionary and I am so glad for the Gospel and for the peace and hope it brings into my life. The Gospel makes all the difference!

Love you all and have an amazing week.

Elder Duffy

Twenty-four

Hey everyone!

So this week has just flown by, like it is crazy. If the myth is true
that the mission just keeps going faster I don't know what I am going
to do :)
So this week and really this whole transfer Elder Richmond and I have
just been trying our best to go as hard as we can, and we have been
seeing miracles.  Something that our mission President has really been
focusing on for this year is for us to work with families. He has this
focus because the Paris temple will be done this fall and it is just
super cool and we are trying to prepare as many families as we can. We
have been blessed with a couple families here in Besancon to work with
and with the Lord's help they can make the next step of baptism and
prepare for the temple.
Also this week I was in Dijon for an exchange and Lausanne for a Zone
training, so a lot of traveling around but it was super beautiful,
especially Lausanne in Swiss because it is on a really big lac with
the Alps just towering above the city. Really I am so blessed to be
serving in this mission! So my zone has 20 missionaires and only 4 are
American. It is that way because Americans can't serve in Suisse, so
there are a lot of nationalities, African, Islander, European. It is
just much fun to be with them and be apart of all there different
cultures.
This next week we will actually be right back in Dijon and Lausanne,
so we will be out of Besancon for 3 days this week, so it is kind of
hard but ca va, tis le mission :)
Something that I have really learned this week is to be humble, if you
are humble, work hard, be obedient, and have charity on your mission
and give everything to Heavenly Father, your mission will be an
absolute success, even if you don't baptism anyone. Really the mission
changes you the must when you don't even think about and think
outward.

I hope everyone has an amazing week and please help the down trodden
and be patient with human flaw, because we are all in this journey
together, so if something is hard in your life, take it on with a
smile and a skip in your step and you will look back and be so
grateful for what you endured and what you have become.

With love,

Elder Duffy

Twenty-three

This Monday I left the Montpellier apartment at like 7:30 in the morning. I took a train to Lyon with Elder Withers who was returning home. We had a really good chat. I then waited at the Lyon train station for 7 hrs for my train for Besancon! It was fun seeing all the missionaries go though.but tiring waiting that long.… I meet Elder

Richmond and he is a stud! He is from Indiana and he is a really good missionary. We got three contacts on the train.

We arrived in Besancon Elder and Souer Spackman picked us up and we went straight to their house to eat. Let me just say Souer Spackman is a really good cook and loves feeding the missionaires so in my photos you might notice me getting wider.  (This region is really known for its Comte, which is a type of super good cheese). After the meal they drove us home and we passed out. 

This week was the most lessons I have had in my mission so far. Besancon has a lot of potential but things have been a little dormant but they are starting to pick right back up.

Probably one of the coolest things on my mission happened this Friday. A less active couple wanted a blessing so we came over. We talked for a little bit.  Elder Richmond gave her a blessing and the Spirit was really strong like the room was silent and there was just a warm heavier feeling in the room. The husband bore his testimony to his wife and it was a really cool experience.

Saturday we had a baptism so we went to Dijon for it. The baptism was for Kyle who is 8 years old but the missionaries helped him a lot so we got to participate.  There was a small problem…the water heater

wasn't working so the water in the font was super cold! But he was a trooper and it went well.

On Sunday I gave my first talk in French. My talk was about 12 minutes long so pas mal and I feel like it went  well. It was kind of a shock when we came to church because there was about 15-20 people and in Montpellier there were about 80-100, but it went well!

I love you all and especially my family. Thank you so much for all the love and support. To end I find it only fitting to finish with a list of weird things I have eaten on mission so far:

-Boar

-Duck

-Rabbit

-Blood Sausage (sausages filled with blood cooked and mixed with a filler until they are thick enough to congeal when cooled)

-Foie Gras (stuffed duck liver)

-Shrimp (still all the way intact)

Make it an amazing week and remember how beautiful life is and for all the precious moments because it passes so fast!

With love,

Elder Duffy