Sixty-three

This week was filled with a lot of fun! We had a exchange with the

zone leaders in Bordeaux and I had the chance to be with Elder Hall,

who is in my group, as well we had district meeting in Perigeux. The

main focus of district meeting was, in order for us to reach this 250

baptism goal this year, we need to work with part member families.

Contacting and Porting is great but from what I have seen, working

with members is by far the best.

The most striking observation that I made this week was the importance

of relationships. Throughout my mission I have made eternal friends

and amazing relationships. But it was until this week that I found

that the  interpersonal ties that we create to be actually the most

important part of this earthly experience. I find it quite interesting

that the realization/endeavor for a happy family is the goal of

everything in the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I am so grateful for my

family, who has always shown me what it means to put family first. I

am so proud of my brother and sister who are both almost married and

making their relationships with their spouses the center of their

loves. I am so grateful for great mission leaders who put their

mission family in the center of their lives and in doing so have

changed mine. (By the way, the 3 missionaries that I started my

mission with Elders Shaw, Perry, and Lythgoe all got engaged within 2

months of getting back ;) A true disciple of Christ thinks of others

first and when we forget he "I" is when we find true happiness.

As well I would like to share to finding miracles that happened this

last week. The first miracle was we had pass to potential's and one

less active and this one neighborhood and we were heading back to the

bus stop heading back home. We saw this house on our left with

cartoons on the exterior metal things. Elder Sorenson and I looked at

each other and we said we need to knock on this door. We we knocked at

the door and a university girl student looked at us and said she'll be

out real quick. 10 seconds later she came out with a jacket and her

mother came out as well. We picked up a lively conversation and they

explained to us that they were both atheist but they accepted a

comeback rendezvous. It was nothing we said that made them make this

rdv but I believe it was they saw something in us. Second miracle of

the week was we stopped a man and told him we were doing a

questionnaire about the family and he accepted to

help. We asked the first question. "What do you do to fortify the

relationships you have with your family" He looked at us puzzlingly

and asked us to repeat the question so we did. After he said it was

interesting we had asked him this question because he had just

finished spending time with his family and he hadn't talked with them

for months. He said he had just finished praying to God for this

moment he had passed with his family and then after this was just

another testament to him of God's love for him. We told him us meeting

him wasn't an coincidence and he knows it wasn't. He has already

talked with Mormon missionaries but he really wants to talk more now.

We got his number and will be scheduling a visit for this night.

I know God is guiding us to the people that he wants us to

specifically talk with. I know God loves each one of us and that we

need to radiate and let others know by our actions and word for our

love for them.

Love ya,

Elder Duffy

Envoyé de mon iPad

Sixty-two

Here we are another week :)

As I have been reflecting on this last week and deciding what I should

write, to create a written portrait of the events that occurred, I

wish I had brought my GoPro. I could just send a very very long video

so you could see everything. But since that is probably against

mission rules, I think I will laissé tomber that idea :)

First off I must say in my unbiased opinion, the France Lyon mission

is located in one of the most magnificent regions of this world. Elder

Sorensen and I took the train from Angouleme to Lyon and back and I

found it difficult to stop looking out window. The diverse landscapes,

the marble blue ocean, and the shaded sky (just to name a few things) 

renders this Mediterranean environment irresistible delicious for the eyes and the soul.  

Truly France is spectacular.

So we had a conference and it was a good time. Not anything out

of the ordinary but just a solid presentation. As a mission we have

been focusing more on working and teaching with members. As well our

mission is going digital with our area books, so that will be fun.

We have four progressing Amis at the moment and really the missionary

efforts by all the members is outstanding.

This Sunday all the Stake leaders came to church and that was really an

enjoyment. We taught Amis class with a member of the stake presidency

and it was awesome!

So for the rushed half of this email but time flies!

Love y'all

Elder Duffy

Envoyé de mon iPad

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