Nineteen

Joy in a cup! Mcdo Mcflurry!


Hey!,

These are some of the things I have learned on my mission.
Working hard and obedience is not everything on a mission. Really.
From the start of my mission I have just been working hard, trying to be
exactly obedient, always busy. That is important...but I wasn't
as happy as I wanted to be so I wanted to know what was missing.
Really it's charity. Having love towards everyone and not just doing
what I am doing just because I know the Church is true. That really
hit me. That knowledge should lead you to act another way, on a higher
plane. I felt like I had been running around and trying my best but
having no anchor. So from now I will try to do all those things as before
but not just because I should...but because I love the people I am serving and
want them to be happy. So that is what I learned today. Also slowing
down And smelling the roses is important too.

The scripture that stays in my head is the charity scripture about if you do things without
charity it availeth you nothing. So I need to repent and change ;)

So we have 3-4 Amis that are so close to baptism it is super
cool. Something that I have tried doing this week is making daily
contact with all our Amis and really it has been helping a lot.
Xia who is our closest to baptism felt the Spirit during
Sacrament.  He said it was just like a warm
feeling in his heart.  Super cool.

Something I learned this week is one of my Zone leaders, Elder Perry,
is engaged. He has only been home for like 2 months so that is super
crazy! It basically blew mind.

I love you all and have a merry Christmas season!

Elder Duffy

Eighteen

This week was awesome. To start off my passport was found. I called
the office right after it happened and a couple days ago they told me
they found it and it was like in a pile paper thing so that was
the first miracle!

The mission is all about talking to everyone
and following spiritual promptings. For me, these are the two biggest
things to know that I am a successful missionary.

So this week the mission is really focusing on the Christmas message
so this next week we will be trying to share that with everyone and
testifying. I am not going to lie having all the church videos are
such a blessing. Having a visual like that in this day and age can
really enhance the quality of contacts.

So we still have the rule that we need to be in by 18H (6:00 pm), so that means
we really need to be with members. It is really good thing because now we
have to work with members or we will
be doing area book for 3 hours ( I know how that feels :)

So my companion, myself, and the zone leaders have made a goal for this
mutation. (I am staying in Montpellier for another one) super cool! We
are going to eat oatmeal in the morning with honey and chicken bean
salad things for lunch and dinner. Also we are just going to talk in
French for this mutation! It should be fun!

For Skype I don't know the details yet. I just know Christmas Day
sometime! I will send the details when I get them.

We have a Christmas conference as a mission this Christmas.
They have 4 buses and they are going to corner to corner
and picking up all the missionaries.

So for the spiritual message for this week... I challenge everyone to
think of someone they can share the gospel with.
Before my mission I thought if you share the Gospel with someone you
know you will hurt your friendship but really from what I have seen it
enhances your relationship even if the person is not interested.
(Maybe a good way to start is sharing the new Christmas video)

If you don't know about the Gospel please visit Mormon.org and watch
"He is the Gift"...And take the challenge at the end of the video.
You will find peace and joy.

Well I love you everyone but especially my family, they are a part of
my rock spiritually, physically, mentally, and emotionally.

I know this Gospel is true and if you are ever doubting just "remember".

Have a fantastic week and always remember to smile!

Love,

Elder Duffy

Seventeen

14 novembre 2015

Dear Families & Friends,

Please be assured that all of our missionaries are safe and secure. Given that France has closed all of her borders, and even though we know of no terrorist sights within our mission, pending further information I am advising all of our missionaries to stay in their apartments and avoid public transportation.

We will keep you informed as all information becomes available.

Love,

President and Sister Brown

Hello family and everyone else,

This week was a whirlwind. So the first 5 days of the week were like
super busy with lessons and things. When we woke up at 6:30 to do
mangoes (which is exercise) I looked at our portable and saw that we
had gotten a text. It was President Brown and he said that there had
been some attacks in Paris so until further notice we were to stay
inside for the rest of the day. The text did not tell what actually
happened so like for the next while after that we were wondering what
was going on and joking that we will all have to leave France and be
missionaires somewhere else so that was fun:) We got dressed and
 in the middle of etudies we received another text
explaining what happened and that we were not to take public
transportation, like buses and trams. That kind of messed up our
Saturday because here in Montpellier everywhere you go is by tram but
ca va. It was a lot of good walking:)

A really awesome thing that happened Saturday is the relief society
made us thanksgiving French style and it was super good, but not like home,
 but nevertheless super good.
Now we have to be in by 6 p.m and we need to stay away from
big groups of people. So we are going to have a super good Area book:)
That's really all that has happened. We have 4 super awesome Amis.
Xia, Jeremie, Ronald, and the Quezzada family. Xia is a student here.
He is from China so he is still studying French and other things. He
came to church which was great.   Jeremie is like 27 years
old and super cool. He speaks really great english and is super chill.
Ronald is super. He went to Cambridge and he is from Britain. He is
here to write a book and he is literally super smart in the ways of
the world. It is crazy that he comes to us to be taught:) Quezzadas
are a part member family. They are super cool also and sister Quezzada
made us banana bread so that was awesome. (Was not the best I have ever
eaten though) #MyMagnificentMom.
So that was basically my week. It has been a little
rough but I know it will be all for my good. My Allez-Vous for
everyone this week is just to smile. C'est tout. Men and Women are
here to have joy. Not to be happy all the time but to have joy. The
Gospel is true. As in the words of President Uchdorf (or almost in the
words) if the Gospel is not working for you, simply simplify.

Love ya,

Elder Duffy

Sixteen

France is going well, it is still pretty hot here. It is like still really nice outside. Some days it is kind of on the colder side but not a lot.

Honestly I have not eaten a crepe from a restaurant. I have eaten one at our apartment but I need to buy one:) 

So we have 3 really solid Amis Xia, Jeremie, and Ronald. They are really cool and coming along.

Actually there are a lot of refugees. Like in the city probably 40 percent.

The missionaries like to eat a lot of Kebabs. Some restaurants are actually pretty sketchy. The general rule is if a Kebab is under 4 euros don't buy it:) 

Well thank you for your love and support, it truly makes all the difference.

Love you, and thank you for everything you do.

Sincerely,

Elder Duffy 

Fifteen

Hello Everyone!

Does time fly or what? It is crazy to think I have been out for almost four months. 

It is hard to tell weeks from each other. This week we went to Nime for district meetings.  In two hours we are going to Aix en Provence and then Saturday we are going to Toulouse. This week we are only going to be in Montpellier for 3 1/2 days. I am pretty excited. 

How was everyone's Halloween?! Here Halloween is when a lot of crazy people get out (plus everyone else) so it was kind of interesting.

But really C'est tout! Something that I have really been thinking about is Elder Anderson’s talk on how “believing is a conscious choice”. If you want a testimony, and want to believe, all you need to do is act. Action is the remedie to fear. An interesting video that I watched before my mission (I believe it is a Ted talk) is the main reason why people don't accomplish their dreams is not lack of resources, it is simple because of fear. I like the scripture that talks about “God has not given us the spirit of fear but of a sound mind”. So my invitation this week is get out there and don't be afraid. Master your fears and become the person that you have always wanted to become. 

Have a fantastic week! 

Elder Duffy 

Fourteen

This week was really good. I am feeling healthier.  I probably regained back all the weight already:) French food is just so good and light.  It is easy to eat a lot of it. 

It was really awesome seeing those pictures and video. Sadie is so cute.

So my new companion is Elder Hansen! He is from Payson, Utah so we have something in common. We both love the Payson temple! That temple is so beautiful, magnificent, sublime, and wonderful. He lives right by it.

Our typical day here is really just the handbook but instead of two hours of study we have four. Personal, companionship, language, and twelve weeks which is like the program for entering the mission field. 

I also just got the Halloween package this week. Thank you so much! Something just like that for Christmas would be amazing. Elder Hansen ate all the Kit Kats… so he is loving it.

The thought that I wanted to share this week is from President Uchdorf’s “Grace” talk from the April 2015 conference. I challenge everyone to read it. 

Something that really struck me was when President Uchdorf recited the story about Jesus and the lady washing his feet. It really stood out to me that nothing we do, no matter how righteous and good we are, can qualify us to enter heaven. It is truly by grace. Then the question can be asked, why do we have to do anything at all? It is through our actions that we show our thankfulness.  It is also how we can utilize the Atonement in our lives. The gift is given but we must do our part to accept the gift. Sorry if that was a little hazy, but when you read the talk you will understand.

Ponderizing is really awesome. My companion and I have found if we share a spiritual thought that week’s scripture is what we use.

I just want to leave with my testimony.  Look at the fruits of living the gospel and applying the principles. It is true. I promise that if you stand firm in the tenebre of life and stand steadfast, you will be happy and find peace.

Sincerely and lovingly,

Elder Duffy 

Thirteen

This week was crazy, awesome, bizarre all at the same time!

I was sick last week. It was like a fever/ chills for 2-3 days and

then it was digestive stuff for like 5 days after at. I am not going

to lie I lost 18 pounds but don't worry I will regain them real

quick;)

The fish recipe that you saw my colleague made. I am not going to lie

but it was probably the best meal that I have had in France yet. To be

honest I have not actually ate a lot of French things. Really for the

most part I eat cereal, sandwiches, and potatoes in that order

everyday;) Mom I miss your cooking a lot. 

Living in France is interesting.

The people here actually are really polite. They are really honest and

tell you how it is. There a lot more crazies in France then in the U.S. 

It definitely adds personality to everything;) 

I feel like we see other missionaries a lot. Since we live with the Zone leaders 

there are always new missionaries sleeping at our apartment and all that. 

I really love the mission unity. 

My french is coming. I can usually get what I want to say across even

though for sure my grammar is off but it is all good. It is coming.

So my new companion is Elder Hansen and he is really cool. We are

having a good time together and I am really looking forward to get to

know him better.

This week we had the comeback conference for all the 6 week old

missionaries and it was awesome. It was really great to see my comp

again.

A cool spiritual thing this week was Elder Perry’s last testimony in

church for his mission. It was so powerful and like the Spirit was

totally there and it was so awesome!

That is my challenge this week: for everyone to share their testimony to someone. I

t can anyone. I know if you do, your testimony will grow and you can really help someone out.

Also this week while I was eating a big carrot my bottom retainer fell

out all in one piece. It's super sad. I will try to take care of that

as soon as possible.

That is it. 

You are a pleasure and joy to me.

Love,

Elder Duffy