Thirty-six

Hello everyone!

This week was a crazy week! Caden and Melissa got married! It is so

cool and now they are at Disney World (which is like the best place in

the world, besides southern France of course ;)

So this week a lot happened! I was in Besancon, Fribourg, Renens,

Lausanne, Geneva, and Lyon. So a little all over the place! But it was

a really fun week of a lot of driving!

Before I go any farther, there is going to be a baptism in Besancon

May 7 for sure! His name is Didier and he is 18 years old and is super

cool! He even wants to go on a mission! It will be the first baptism

Besançon has had for a long time so it is going to be super cool! It

is going to be in a river so that is super, super cool! I am really

appreciative of all the missionaires who have served here before me.

Really this mission is interesting because usually it takes a while

for someone to get baptized because that is kind of the culture.

Really missionary service is a team effort and it isn't just one missionary

but many people who helps someone to be baptized. There are awesome

super good missionaries in this mission who go all 2 years without

baptizing anyone, but that isn't important. What is important is trying your best,

having the Spirit with you and keep on going keep on trying to improve.

Monday

I was with Elder Lanteries. He is from Tahiti and French is his native tongue so it was

 awesome to be with him. He is one of my favorite Elders in this mission. 

After p-day we did service for a less active and moved a cabinet-drawer down

 5 flights of stairs. It was really hard ;) it was probably 100 pounds and really big, 

but Elder Lantieres is really strong so it helped a lot :) 

We then had a lesson with a lady that we had met previously and she said

she will take the lessons.  We were a little late, so we rescheduled.

Tuesday

We had a couple lessons and then went out to eat with the Ghiridinis.

It was really good, a lot of vegetables, quiche, and a really good

slush fruit smoothie. Soeur Spackman needed to take photos by her

house so voila.

We had them teach us, and they did awesome! They are really good missionaries 

and said they would even bring one of there friends to church in 2 weeks! So it was super cool!

Wednesday

We did contacting in centre-ville, and had a lesson with Coralie and John.

It was really cool and we are trying to help them stop smoking so it has been really good.

Every time I have had a lesson with them it has been really strong and powerful with the Spirit.

We then picked up my collegue Elder Brill and Elder Barben and headed

off to Lausanne. We dropped them off and Elder Brill and I headed to

Fribourg and left me tell you, it was the most beautiful drive I have

ever been on. Literally breath-taking. The mountains are just

awe-inspiring and it is green everywhere and happy cows everywhere.

We got into Fribourg and the first thing we saw was a Ferrari

dealership, so that basically explains the whole city. It is really

rich and it has a beautiful view of the mountains. We stayed that

night with Elder Herf and Elder Hansen.

Thursday

It was the zone finding day! Super cool! We started in Fribourg, than

Renens, than Lausanne. It was a awesome day and we had some really

good conversations with people. Being a missionary is the best!

After Lausanne we drove to Geneva to stay the night before the conference in Lyon on Friday.

Friday

We woke up a 4:30 and drove to Lyon. It was really interesting to see

how the terrain changes. At the conference we had close to half of the mission there. 

It was a really cool experience and we talked about how to prepare a baptism. My 

favorite part was one the departing missionaries bore

their testimonies and the Spirit was super strong. It was also

probably the last time that I will see Elder Lythgoe my trainer so

that was a little sad but besides that it was a awesome conference.

Then we spent the whole afternoon driving back to Besancon.

Saturday

It was rainy day in Besancon.  We had a couple

rendezvous in the morning and then we weekly planned at night. 

Another super awesome day!

Sunday

Church was awesome as always. We had 3 amis at church and

one of them was new. His name is John. He played

the piano during church because the person that usually plays wasn't

there. He lives in Paris but he is thinking to move down here in

Besancon, so hopefully he does! Then we did port a port for 5 hours.  

We had some good contacts.One is a Protestant preacher and his wife and another is a older

couple that we ported into and they knew the church because his

grandmother was a member and we had a really good conversation.

I know the Book of Mormon is true and I hope you read it. Ponder the

message in your heart and pray sincerely and you will receive

an answer. 

Tell me how it goes once you do :)

Love ya all,

Elder Duffy

Envoyé de mon iPad

Thirty-five

This week was really a character building week :)

Monday

It was a really another chill p-day and did some porting from 6-9.

Elder Brill ate some nuts and he is allergic so he got really sick.

Tuesday

Day of Miracles!

It was awesome. We were in a exchange with the district leader

and it was a awesome day!  So we had a lesson with some less actives

and they have stopped drinking coffee! It is so cool! They did that

because they are also trying to stop smoking so they are making a lot

of good progress! We then had two lessons at the church that went well. 

Right after that Elder Barben and I went out to do some porting and we 

had a lot of miracles. It took 1 hour to port 5 houses! We had 3 lessons, 2

new potentials and it was just super cool. He first guy we ported said

I’m not interested, but I have a neighbor that would! CORDONEE! We

ported their house and had a really good chat on religion and the restoration. 

She didn't want to change/take the lessons for a moment

but I think it went well and it was a start.

Wednesday

Today was a harder day because my patience was stressed.

So Elder Barben and I did some service till about 13h for someone

in the Branch presidency.  We moved a lot of big rocks/ small boulders

and it was a good work out! After him we changed to normal clothes and

went back porting. The hard part was we porting for a little bit and

then we got a call from Elder Brill saying he had just been peed on by

a dog.  We had to drive all the way to the apartment because we had

the keys, so that was harder because we had to wait a little bit but

ca,va. Then we drove to Lausanne.  Lausanne is gorgeous this time of the year! 

The mountains still have snow on the very top but it is just very green and

a lot of beautiful flowers everywhere!

Thursday

We had District meetings in Lausanne, drove back to Besancon and did our 

weekly planning. District meeting was all about how we could get our amis to

church.

Friday, Saturday, Sunday

We were in The apartment for most/all the time. Elder Brill has asthma

and it was raining a lot and a lot of pollen in the air so he was

having a hard time breathing. We even had to go into the emergency

room on Sunday for 3-4 hours. He is good now just tired :) I have

really had to learn patience. I feel like the mission is really a lot

for the missionary himself then for other people. Don't get me wrong

missionaries do amazing things and help a lot of people but, it is just

a miracle to see how the mission changes you personally.  It is important to

write in a journal to record this change.

It was really a cool thing to be in the emergency room as a

missionary, you just see all this pain and agony, but being at peace.

People really come together and focus on the things most

important in life.

Love you all and make sure to wish my brother Caden and his fiancée

Melissa a happy wedding this week! It should be epic!

Love y'all and have a fantastic week!

Elder Duffy

Envoyé de mon iPad

Thirty-four

Hello everyone!

This week has gone by so fast!

Last Monday was a normal P-Day just really tranquille.

Tuesday was a day of a lot of contacting:)

Wednesday Elder Brill and I went to Lausanne but before we did that we

did 3-4 hours of pass backs with like 30 potentials and 26 had moved

and 4 were still there, but they didn't answer. It was a fun day. 

If I had to give anyone advice on the mission I would just say to learn

to have self discipline.  Don’t spend as much time on the computer

or TV.  Learn, read, do music, arts, sculpting, learning, physics,

physiology. Find your passions and do it. 

While you work hard, also study the scriptures.  

If you do those things (and not just read but study with prayer and

mediation) is where your understanding and capacity will grow.

In Lausanne we had Zone conference and it was a really powerful,

spiritual experience. 

We talked about the goal of having 91 baptisms this transfer, and we have only had 2. So it is a seemingly impossible challenge, but I know God and Jesus Christ will provide when we do our best.

Friday: Weekly planning and a couple of lessons.

Saturday: We went hard porting and we got some new potentials so it is super cool!

Sunday: We got two super, super, cool new potentials and they are both

families. One is a young military family.  The other is one of the

coolest couples I have met. The husband is a super smart art

professeur who showed us some of his projects.  I was really

inspired! The wife is an english professeur and super

smart too. They live in a really nice house and it was cool how we meet

them. They were swimming in their pool and we rang there doorbell but

the funny thing is it didn't work and the lady just happened to walk

by at that moment and see us. So it was super cool experience!

Well, love you all.  Have a great week!

Here is a scripture I have been studying:

Romans 8 in the New Testament

1 There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ

Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free

from the law of sin and death.

3 For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the

flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and

for sin, condemned sin in the flesh:

4 That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk

not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

      5 For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the

flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit.

6 For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is

life and peace.

7 Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject

to the law of God, neither indeed can be.

8 So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.

9 But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the

Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of

Christ, he is none of his.

10 And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the

Spirit is life because of righteousness.

11 But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell

in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your

mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you.

12 Therefore, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live

after the flesh.

13 For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the

Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live.

14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.

15 For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but

ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.

16 The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the

children of God:

17 And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with

Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also

glorified together.

18 For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not

worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.

19 For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the

manifestation of the sons of God.

20 For the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by

reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope,

21 Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the

bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of

God.

22 For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain

together until now.

23 And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits

of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for

the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.

24 For we are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope: for

what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for?

25 But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it.

26 Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not

what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh

intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.

27 And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the

Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the

will of God.

28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that

love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.

29 For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed

to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many

brethren.

30 Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he

called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also

glorified.

31 What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can

be against us?

32 He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all,

how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?

33 Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God’s elect? It is God

that justifieth.

34 Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that

is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh

intercession for us.

35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation,

or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or

sword?

36 As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we

are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.

37 Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him

that loved us.

38 For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor

principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,

39 Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to

separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Love,

Elder Duffy

Thirty-three

Hello to one and all!

First off I hope everyone had a fantastic conference weekend (if

you don't know what general conference look on lds.org or Mormon.org

if you want to watch it or just a brief explanation of what it is).

My favorite talk was giving by the Young Woman’s President. It was a really powerful talk.  She put it all on the table.

Our week was filled with service, porting, and contacting.

I would like to share some things that I learned more than the

things that I experienced.

My thoughts were actually very centered on opposition. Elder Oaks’

discourse rang a bell with me. Before we can fully understand or be at

peace with opposition we must first understand the context of why we

are on earth, and where we will depart after his life. 

All these questions can be answered by The Plan of Salvation.

Why do we call this a plan of salvation. What does salvation mean? 

According to the Oxford dictionary, Salvation means preservation or deliverance from harm, ruin, or loss. We call this the plan of Salvation because we believe

that there was a literal Adam and Eve who lived in the Garden of Eden. 

There they were immortal and would have lived forever and been in God’s presence. But because Satan tempted them and they partook of the fruit, man became fallen. But what does fallen mean? Fallen.......... I am actually running out of time to write this week but I will remember to finish next week. Simply I

would invite you to look up The Plan of Salvation on Mormon.org.

If this so called Plan of Salvation is true, and I have learned through

praying, studying, and mediating that it is, we will understand why

bad things happen to good people and we can find peace in and through

Jesus Christ. May we all be deep partakers of his grace and love is my

wish.

Have a fantastic week!

Love,

Elder Duffy

Thirty-two

So this week has been a great one! We found out that Elder Brill

and I will be staying together in Besancon, so that is

super cool! (It is kind of weird though because the last nine

elders have only been here for two transfers, so I broke the streak :)

I am so happy to stay here because Besancon is super cool, we have a

car, people preparing to get baptized this transfer and Elder Brill

can cook very well ;) So it will be a good time.

Monday: It was P-day! It was a pretty chill. We ate with the Spackmans. At night we port a ported and it was a good time :)

Tuesday: The Dijon Elders came up because we had to drive them down to Lausanne on Wednesday.  We had a little exchange and just went hard on the

paint and contacted with them. Something that I will tell you about

Besancon is that the people here are super polite so contacting is the

best. Even if the person is not interested if you say merci, bonne

journee they almost always say the same thing back so that is super

nice.

Wednesday: Today was a day full of driving :) So Elder Arne and I contacted for

about an hour and a half and then we went to a elderly lady to give her

the sacrament because the branch president asked us to. (That was an

hour there and an hour back.) Then we picked up Elder Barben and

Elder Brill and drove to Lausanne. It was a good time. It took about 2

hours to drive so when we got to Lausanne I was pretty tired but it

was a really good day.

Thursday: We had district meeting and the main subject a was how we can use the Book of Mormon better.  (That was the subject of Elder Christofferson’s conference. ) After that we drove right back to Besancon but we hit

some traffic on the way. When we got back we cleaned our apartment and worked on the area book.

Friday: We got our calls. So calls was really interesting, normally here in

Besancon we receive our calls of where we are going around 10:30. So

it was 7:25 and I was in the shower when I hear Elder Brill say,

“President is calling,” and I was like “WHAT”? So basically Elder Brill

handed me the phone when I was in the shower so it was really

interesting :)

Saturday: We had some rendezvous and ported some more so always a really good time :)

Sunday: Awesome Sunday and I gave my second talk ever in France! It went well, I think :)

So that was my week.  Something that I have seen change in me is I am

starting to love the people more and more. As I serve it is cool to see how the Lord changes you on your mission.  A mission isn't at all about me, me, me but really about we, we, we. As we look outwards instead of inwards our very nature can be changed into something better than before. During this time may we show our love to everyone.  (Especially the ones that we are closest to or

spend the most time with). May we look for occasions to share the

Gospel and show love and interest towards others not of our faith, not

because we want to convert them but because we love them. 

Everyone have a fantastic week and make sure to watch General Conference this weekend. I have found most joy studying conference talks on my mission

and my testimony and respect has really grown for the inspired people that follow Christ’s directions how to guide this church.

Everyone have a fantastic week!

Love,

Elder Duffy