Narbonne - Week #29

Hi mooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooomma

1.  Very well, I might even say he has been the easiest companion to get along with, or maybe it's because I stopped being lazy and not cleaning up sometimes that finally someone can like me! :) we get along really well, and we've played with the Nerf guns more than I have with the others

2.  We are in the Montpellier zone, which is nice smack in the middle of the south.  We are, however, in the Toulouse stake, because stakes in France are more than half a city, like back home :)

3.  Elder Phelps is a real good cook, so we eat well.  And his grandma is an AWESOME cook, so that's nice, too.  But I'm doing everything I can not to get fat.  Normally, for breakfast, I eat some kind of fruit, sometimes toast, sometimes eggs n spinach, just like ma mamma taught me, and I finally mixed myself up some cinnamon sugar for that toasty toast, so I'll probably be eating that more.  We cook chicken a lot, noodles, rice, beeeeeeefffff, we had baked potatoes once, but they took forever and by the time we had to take them out and be able to be obedient, they weren't quite ready...maybe another time

4.  Hardest: people don't like to talk to you because they have been harrassed already by the missionaries plusieurs fois. But with a big ol smile sometimes that busts the barrier.  Best: there aren't swarms and swarms of people (like in BDX) that are all in a hurry, so when you do get a conversation, the person usually isn't in a hurry and you can take your time.

5.  For p-day we had something planned in the middle of the day, so we went out to do it, and it fell through...and we lost an hour of pday....bummers....but while we were out there we saw a cathedral, that was pretty cool.  We went to Montpellier that evening because we were heading out to zone conference and staying there, and while we were there we ate some yummy kebabs.  There are about 22, 24 missionnaires in our zone, a little more than half are elders, proabably like 2/3

HA!  I'll try not to make you feel as bad when you don't write me, I mean, I love your letters, but "faith is knowing that mom will probably write next week, so no worries" -elder Liechty

(No I have not seen any ads for Noah, who was in it?)

(The 34 things I can download, thanks :))

SO THE WEEK

Lundi we had plans to pass this fella out in Coursan on our bikes, so we went out, but he wasn't there...so we stopped in a little cathedral by there, that was fun.  Then we rode back, and only had time to clean a little before we had to catch our train to Montpellier to sleep over there.  Then, like I said, by the time we got there we were able to buy a kebab and then go to the apartment and sleep.

Mardi was ZONE CONFERENCE, which I enjoy.  It was held in Aix-en-Provence, which is a very beautiful place.  The conference was SWEET, and president Roney had invited his friend, Gerald Lund, the guy who wrote those books and is also a 70 and also a partner in crime with Prez, and his talk was sweet.  Zone conference is always so uplifting and inspiring and motivating, it's just what a guy needs halfway through a transfer. They talked a lot about faith, and yes.  It's important.  It's the first principle of the gospel, faith in Jesus Christ and in His Atonement.  So it's important.

Mercredi we had come back to Montpellier to stay again, and then in the morning Elder Phelps and one of the ZLs went back to Narbonne and I stayed there for an exchange.  It was REALLY GOOD.  We didn't have anything planned for the next day, so we blocked it off for some good contacting.  Then, after some really hard prayers that we could do something not really boring tomorrow, the next morning we got a call from the bishop saying he needed our help that evening, so we took it.  And then, while we were contacting, we saw some sweet miracles.  This lady walked up to us and starting talking about her church, she's pentacostal, and we started discussing, and we got on the tram and we were actually planning on going to her place and teaching her.  Then the ZL I was with started talking to this other guy while I dealt with her, and he started saying "I've actually always wanted to know what the Mormons believe" So we ditched the Evangelist lady (we couldn't find a man to teach with us, so we set up for another time:)) and taught this guy as we walked to his appartement.  At the end, right outside his door, we gave him a LdM and invited him to pray.  He prayed right there and thanked God for us and asked to bless us and it was really cool. I hope they get to keep teaching him. Then, later, we were in a park talking to strangers, and we managed to teach a lesson to a lady on a bench.  That was exciting.  A good exchange, if I do say so myself.

Jeudi I returned to Narbonne.  That evening we had a RDV with a less active famille, the Fructuosos.  We do a little English class with them, play a game to teach some English, then share a spiritual thought in French, and then normally eat also in French.  They're really starting to progress, the dad has come a few times, but the mom is kind of holding back.  We'll see what we can do about THAT.

Vendredi we had branch counsel planned in the evening, but then it got cancelled (again).  So we were in Béziers, nothing to do but with time, so we went out the Elder Phelp's uncle's house, because he has tried setting up RDVs with him, but they always fall through (FAMILY?!?!), so we snuck on over there, found all of them at home, and just said hey, saw how they were doing, made friends n stuff.

Samedi we played b-ball with a less active up in Béziers in the morning, he's neat, we'll see how he starts to progress.  Then we came back, talked to some strangers and bought flowers for E Phelp's grandma because it was her birthday and we were seeing her the next day.  That evening we went out to Coursan to re-try to pass some familles, and they said not that night but maybe the next (our hopes were getting a little down, because we had tried several times and that had always been the answer).  BUT.  More on that to come.

Dimanche, Elder Phelps and I both had talks that we gave, they went pretty well, I hope the members understood my French ;)  I gave a talk on faith this last week during sacrament meeting, and I learned some really neat things.  Such as, the fact that fear is the opposite of faith.  Faith means that you trust the Lord with everything that's happening, and know that if you rely on Him, you'll be blessed!  Having faith that primary will make you a rock solid number one high priest's group teacher, or faith that sending you to a teency tincy ville will help you love the French people more.  FAITH.

Then after we had to hustle out of there catch the train and get back so we could go to mémé's birthday party.  We went, ate some delicious sauerkraut, and went on a walk with the whole famille (all the uncles were there, and one of the cousins).  Famille rocks, even though, like, it's not my own, famille rocks.  I LOVE YOU.

Then, that evening, we went out to Coursan to AGAIN retry to find those familles, and one of them was there and YES WE TAUGHT THEM.  We taught them and it went pretty well, as far as I could tell.  We talked a lot about the famille and introduced a little of our own beliefs, and then set up another time to have an FHE.  COOL.

Today we are planning on seeing mémé and pépé again, prez asked us to get over there as much as we can, so we do.  He definitely needs prayers!

So that was the week, I'm glad you enjoyed the pictures! I'll try to keep sending some regularly, and your week sounded SICK.  Baltimore and famille n stuff.  Fun buckets.

Love you, momma, dadda, brudda, sista, all,

LOVE
Elder Liechty

Week #28 - Narbonne and parental fail

Well, we did it, didn't write to Max in time...parent fail
The good news, he sent pictures!

Well, mom

My heart is a little broken, but no worries.

We're doing emails pretty early today, because we had a guy tell us to pass him at noon on monday and teach his famille, so we're gonna do that, and then we are leaving this afternoon to go to Montpellier because zone conference is coming up.  So.  No hard feelings, but really, my heart is broken

BUT

I might be able to send pictures this week, so, cool, yes

THE WEEK

Lundi, we went out to Carcassonne with the grandparents, and it was pretty dang cool.  It's a huge ol castle, and it's beautiful out there.  Pictures to send, maybe :)

Then, we went out that evening to pass some old amis and try to teach them again, but Elder Phelps bike tire popped, so we walked to the store and got a new tire and that was the evening...bummer, but now the bikes are fine!

So then mardi, we decided we wanted to go really far away where the missionnaires hadn't been before and contact there, knock some doors n whatnot.  So we went to Port-la-Nouvelle.  Turns out we made another "Lacanau" mistake, if you remember that from BDX.  It was a beach town, and there was nobody there.  Beautiful, again, but no one.  So we rode our bikes to a neighboring ville, found people there, had a couple nice conversations with some neat people, and then that evening we went to the grandparents home to surprise them and say hey, and we were on bikes, so it was a lot of biking and my thighs were a little sore, but that's the price of trying to fit into French pants :) AND THEN THAT EVENING.  Long story short, a train wasn't able to come due to an accident, so they sent us a bus, we took the bus down, and we were joking before hand that they should play some good music...they played Another Brick in the Wall Pt. 2 by the Floydsters.  My mind was BLOWN.  I tried  not to listen, but I broke.  Don't worry, I repented after :)

Mercredi we had a lesson with an ami, Lulu (a dude).  The lesson was going pretty well, we had a member present, and then this guy walked up to us.  It was another ami we hadn't seen in a while, David!  And then, his dog sprinted off after another dog, and that dog was the dog of an old ami!  We said hey to her, Isabelle, too.  Then these two little kids were waving at us, and I was trying to tell who they were, and they were two of the kids from the seventh day adventist famille, Melvin and Matheo!  We saw just about all our amis in the space of twenty minutes, at the same park, so that was neat.  It made us look and feel pretty cool, like everyone likes us :)

Then that evening we went out the Coursan, where all our potential familles are, and we knocked a couple doors, and found a cool famille who said to come back Friday.  So we did.  More on that later :)

Jeudi matin we had district meeting, then RCM, then we took a train out to the grandparents, talked about miracles and had a nice little DTR.  He has had so many miracles in his life, but he doesn't recognize it.  His life is really, really amazing, and he's having a hard time seeing that.  Just a cute old stubborn old man, but we love him.  We're making progress, I believe.

Then that evening, we had a RDV with the Coulon and Gisserot familles, two of the three active familles that live in Narbonne boundaries :)  they're awesome, fun old people, and we had DELICIOUS couscous.  Delicious.  Mmmmmmm.

We visited a less active famille vendredi après-midi, and shared with them what we had learned in Sunday school.  BECAUSE, the dad has started coming back, very cool.  He came again this last sunday, but we kinda want the whole famille.  But whate'er.  Step by step.  Then we went out and did some survey, very fun, then we had the famille in Coursan that evening.  Elder Phelps gave me complete charge over this one, so I was SCARED.  But we went in there, had a good time with them, and fixed a day for a FHE the next week.  Cool.  They're a gypsy famille, but they seem to be pretty settled in to there house and he said they stopped voyaging because he has a famille now.  Cool.  A bunch of little cuties for children, too.

Samedi we had to go up to Béziers because Elder Smith has fallen sick but they had some service set up.  Elder Phelps was the lucky duck who got to go do service, and I stayed in a baby sat E. Smith.  We watched a lot of really old church movies and talked about the work in Narbonne.  What I wouldn't give to do some SERVICE AROUND HERE.  Just kidding, I'm enjoying myself, but, you know, service would be nice

Dimanche was.   Fun....This member who comes, but is kind of homeless maybe and a little different, brought puppies to church.  ADORABLE.  But we had to take them out during sacrament, and then this part was nuts.  As we were taking them out, David, our ami we saw in the park, came to church because we invited him!  Anyway, he came in as we were taking the puppies out, so I took care of him as E.  Phelps took care of the puppies.  Then, afterwards, David bought one, as did another member.  It felt kind of like that time that Jesus goes and flips over tables because business was being done in the temple, but also there was no table flipping and those puppies were CUUUUUUUUTE.  That afternoon, we called the grandparents to see what they were doing this week so we could set something up, then they came and picked us up that day and we went to there house....just like that.  This is a weird thing we're in, here, teaching E. Phelps grandparents.  But it's fun, because we played a little Rummikub, a little Sebastoa (which I have to teach you), and taught a lesson.

That was the week!

Today, pas grande chose planned for p day because we have a lesson to teach and some traveling to Montpellier to do.  But this week should be pretty fun and hopefully successful.  I'll let you know next week!

Hope all is well and fine in Utah, and that the weather is finally clearing up.  It's beautiful here. mmmmmmmm

Love,

Elder Max Liechty

Puppies

Another puppy!

The Castle in Carcassonne

Carcassonne Cathedral

Port-la-Nouvelle

Rugby match

The beach!!

Week #27 - Narbonne

We begged and begged and begged for pictures....apparently the computers they're using are older and not set up to send pictures....we don't think he knows what he's talking about.  But he said he'd send us his SD card, so hopefully one of these days you'll see more pictures:)

hallo meine mère (frère means brother, but fils means son :))

We got to do stuff this week and it was fun!  Elder Phelps is much better, so we got to do work n stuff.  Very fun.

His grandmère is a membre, yes.  She was baptized after her daughter (E Phelp's mom) was.  And we did get to teach them, and I like them :)

And yeah, I had that thought myself, that I could totally just buy my own razor here, that it's kind of pointless for you to send one.  Oh, que je suis bête!  What a goofball

For p-day we rode our bikes to this ville called Gruissan, right next to the beach, that is, the Meditteranean Sea.  So we touched it, and it was nice.  The sand is really really soft.  REALLY soft.  Then we rode back.  It took about 20 or 30 minutes to ride out there, beautiful countryside, but then the way back it was really windy right in our faces and it took about 40 minutes, maybe more.  But it was still cool!

We ride bikes a lot, but not all the time, because on bikes that means we just pass by a lot of people that we could be talking to.  We ride them to RDVs n stuff.  We take the train, often, also.  And we don't have a car, there are only four companionships who have cars in the whole mission, that is Gex, Corsica, Albi (because he is branch president, also), and the assistants in Lyon.  Prez wants to get rid of all the cars in the mission!  Nuts.

As for the week:

Lundi, we biked to Gruissan, then Elder Phelps had a doctors apt, it was kind of a mess, French doctors are known for not being awesome doctors...and then we went to Béziers because we had some meetings the next morning.  We met a couple really cool people in the train station, and it was good to get out and talk to strangers again

Mardi we were up in Béziers for a meeting, then our branch mission leader (dmb) needed us to stuff envelopes with these letters that he wants us to drop off in mail boxes.  What we're going to do is drop them off in family dense neighborhoods, and then pass by a few days later or so and knock on the doors.  Béziers has done it already, I don't know the results, but we might be doing it here in Narbonne.  Trying to change things up.  Then we came home, Loulou, a less active, called us and asked us to come over, so we went over and taught him.  We asked him if he could help us with another less active sister, so that should be cool.

Mercredi we had lunch with and taught E Phelp's grandparents!  It was fun, they are such grandparents, little, old, originally from Spain.  We shared a thought from the LdM, it went well.  He still isn't really willing to act, but, we'll see. Then.  That evening.  We went out to a ville called Coursan, where it was impossible to really get to before because the buses in Narbonne STINK (you have to call them the day before if you want them the next day, and they don't really go in the evenings...) but now we have bikes, and it's not that far on bikes.  But anyway, they had gone out there before, and a few families had said, yeah, you can come back.  So we went back, passed four of them, gave them all proclamations to the world, and they said come back.  That was very cool.  They told us when they'd be home and we can pass them whenever.  Cool.  Neat.  Yes.

Jeudi we had zone training!  And get this:  prez is changing everything up and he came out with a new way he wants to contact.  We have surveys, and we just ask these simple yes or no questions to people that get them thinking and hopefully interested.  Things are changing, the work is hastening.  People are so much nicer to us, and we are seeing blessings.  Prez is an inspired man.  When he gave this idea to the zone leaders, he said "this is what the Lord told me to do" and it was all "who-ho ho hoooooa" because he is an inspired man, yes he is.  Then that evening we had a lesson with a less active famille, very cool famille, and the dad actually came to church yesterday!

Vendredi we had the opportunity to really start the survey contacting.  And it was sweet.  People were so nice to us, and time flew.  Sometimes, honestly, contacting is the worst part of the day, but this survey thing is making it nice.  It's changing.  Like you learned it stake conference, it's really hastening!  I rewatched that broadcast the other day when E Phelps was sick, and it's still really great.  You can almost see me in the stands, because I was totally there with Adam Packer.  It was the same day I got the Melchisedek priesthood!  Wow, those were the days.  Then that evening we had a RDV with this 7th day Adventist famille who is awesome.  They wanted to have a meeting with us, them, and the JWs, but the JWs chickened out and it was just us.  They wanted to talk signs of the second coming.  So they showed us their video (hilarious and cheesey and doom-preachy), and we said "yeah, we believe in a lot of that same destruction, but we want to talk about two other signs of the second coming: the apostasy, and the restoration."  So we taught a first lesson, and it was cool.  They are really really stuck, however, on the sabbath being Saturday.  The only way we can change that is not through logic and arguing, however, but helping them gain a testimony of the LdM and modern revelation.  The kids looooooooooove us though.  They're a great famille.

Samedi was fun, because we got to go to a rugby game!  There is a kind of less active guy in our ward from Fiji, and his wife is from Hawaii, and he is on the team.  He invited us, and it was sweet.  Béziers kicked Albi's booties.  And guys almost died n whatnot.  We were there with some other members, and one of them invited a friend, so that was neat.  Then that evening we say the grandparents again.  I learned how to play this really cool spanish card game called Subastao.  It's kind of like booger.  I'll teach you when I get home.  Then we shared a little thought, because we ran out of time because it was late...we had planned for a solid lesson, but nooooo.  He's pretty stubborn, the grandpa, but we'll get him.  Keep praying.

Dimanche was church, of course, very fun.  We talked about the sacrament a little, some about Joseph of Egypt.  He was a good guy.  Kind of felt bad for frère Fructoso, the less active brother, because they talked a lot about how you can't just come from time to time and call it good, you have to come every week.  He wants to come more often, but this was kind of a "cassé" as we call it here....but he was cool about it.  THen we practiced survey contacting again.  Then our dmb invited us over for dinner, we showed him the survey contacting, it was good, dinner was tasty, talked a little about Alma and Amulek and how awesome they were, even in the midst of loads of affliction.

Today we are going out the Carcassonne with e Phelp's grandparents, because there is a huge castle there.  Neat.  We also ate at a chinese buffet in Montpellier after zone training, and it was really tasty.

It's true that things are changing, and we're gonna have to take a different approach if we want to see it change even more in Narbonne.  I'll go home and read the D n C later, yes.  And president has even told us to go out in shirts and jeans and ask for opportunities for service.  That's something he told us here in Narbonne, not the whole mission.  So we'll do that sometime.  I made a goal at the beginning of the mish to smile all the time, so far so good, so hopefully that is helping people.  Ask zachy what he did in ilenburg or isengard or whatever :)

love you LOADS,

is it possible you could send all the points to be a happy missionary in one so that I could print it off?  I liked them, but I don't have them all in one place and I'm too lazy to retrieve them all myself :)

LOVE
Elder Liechty

Week #26 - Narbonne

NEW ADDRESS:

Les Missionnaires

Elder Max Liechty 

1 Rue Des Thermes

Narbonne 11100

FRANCE

Narbooooooooooonne

Hey, ma famille!

He has taught some Chinese people, but here in Narbonne, there's not a whole lot of people, let alone Chinese :)  His French is really good, close to fluent.  I don't know if I told you this in the last email, but his grandparents live here, in Narbonne.  So he's been here on vacations with his famille.  And, also, his grandma is a member, but not his grandpa.  We're teaching him.  It's NUUUUUUUTTTTSSSS to think about.  Nuts.

The appartement is nice, it has the nicest shower in the mission, according to the office elders and the senior couples.  It is a nice shower.  It's a good size, except......we have bikes!  So that takes up a little room.

We get along pretty dang well, I'd say.  We seem to have a lot in common, actually.  And get this:  there is a very good chance he knows Caity.  wut wut.  He thinks he was in the same ward as her at USU.  I'm gonna ask her

The branch is nice.  It's very little, but it's nice.  I like the people, a lot of them are old :)  The thing is, there are about 30 people at church, but about 200 on the ward list.  can you say LESS ACTIVE WORK.

We take a train and then walk to church, because we are a part of a branch in a different area.  It takes about 30 minutes, I'd say, maybe a little more.  But it's worth it because it's church!

The weather is incredibly pleasant.  Sunny, warm.  However, Narbonne is WIIIIIIIIINDY.  Very windy.  It helps when it's warm, but it really empeches when we're on bikes.  It always seems to be going the opposite direction that we are biking :)

saaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaam.  I'll send him something uplifting because I looooooooove him

Car accident!  Ha.  At first when I saw that I was sad, but then I read it and then I just laughed because that's funny.  Utah.  The drivers there are almost as bad as the French!

This week was....fun?

GET READY

Lundi, we arrived in Narbonne.  Then that evening we had dinner with a fella named Greg.  Now get this.  When I heard the name Greg, I thought "my MTC teacher taught a guy named Greg who was really cool, but he lives in Aix-en-Provence, so that's not him" then I saw him, and he was familiar, and it was him, and he moved here to Béziers.  WOW.  More on that later, you'll see.  He told us about his conversion story, and it kind of reminded me of yours (from what you've told me.  Which reminds me, will you tell me THE WHOLE STORY because I've never really asked).

Then the next few days were spent riding bikes and handing out flyers for this event that was to take place vendredi.  It was fun, my legs got toned, I met some people, so on.  On mardi evening, we had an english leçon plus spiritual thought with a cool less active famille, the Fructuosos.  They should be coming back, soon.

Before going out mercredi to hand out flyers again, we played some b-ball in the morning with a cool famille that we are teaching.  They are from Martinique, and they are 7th Day Adventists...:) They are an awesome famille.  The dad's name is Denis, but I can't remember the name of the whole famille.  That evening, after handing out flyers, we had a RDV with a fella and his friend.  They are both old and Catholic, but friendly.  One of them liked to talk a lot, but the one who was quiet seemed to be paying more attention.  He's the one we want to work with, anyway :)

Then.  Jeudi.  Elder Phelps woke up with a fever of 101.  So we had to stay in all day.  I watched all the church movies we had, read some scriptures, that's about it.  Bummer.

Then, Vendredi, the day we were supposed to have that thing that we invited everyone to, Elder Phelps still had the fever, so we still had to stay inside.  And then we found out in the end that something had happened to the room we had reserved for this information seminar, so we couldn't even go that night...our branch mission leader was awesome enough to go and put up a paper saying that it was cancelled due to whatever had happened.  So.  We had kind of wasted a week giving out those invites.  Buuuuuummmmmmer.  Got a lot of scripture study in, though, that was nice

Samedi I finally got to go outside again.  The nurse made Elder Phelps stay inside one more day, but we went on exchange with the district leader so I could get out.  That was nice.  I went up to Béziers, and it was kind of like my first experience with being senior companion, because I was with the district leader's bleu.  FUN.  It was actually really fun, and that kid is going somewhere.  He's a good worker.  But mostly, that day reminded me how god it felt to get outside and work and do missionary stuff.  We taught a lesson to a recent convert, and he was awesome.  Is awesome.  We introduced him to member missionary work, and it was good.  He liked it.  I like him.  YES

Dimanche was great, because guess who was at my branch that day.  It was Frère Smith, my MTC teacher!  He was in town visiting Greg, because he had actually served just next to here, in Carcassonne, and also he wanted to visit Greg.  That was really cool to see him.  He was a number one example of a good guy and awesome missionary.  We took pictures, but they are only on his phone and Greg's phone.  I'll do what I can to get them, don't worry.  THen, that evening, we had to do weekly planning n stuff, so we didn't even get to go out this week, really.  Kind of a bummer, but you know, it was fun.

Then this morning, I met Elder Phelp's grandparents, as they drove us to go get groceries.  Still crazy nuts to think about it!  Get sent somewhere to teach and baptize your own kin.  Crazy.  It's gonna be an adventure.  If I can ask one thing, can you pray for him, the grandad?  We have a crazy goal to get him to pray this week, because he has never prayed, and is too stubborn to really try.  But he's softening, and we need the help of your prayers, please and thanks :)

I have some needs of things.  Ummm.  I am almost out of that face wash.  I dropped my razor behind the shower and it is impossible to get, so....I guess I could probably just buy one here, because I saw the razor heads that fit my razor, so Imagine the razor is there, too.  Um, also, maybe a frisbee would be fun?  We're thinking of ideas other than contacting we can do here, because Narbonne has only been open for about four transfers now, and just about everyone has been contacted.  We need a new strategie to get amis.  HELP please!

I'm really excited for this week to have nobody get sick so we can get out and work and have fun.  Very excited, yes.  I love you all, and I love this church, and I love Jesus, and I love my Heavenly Father.

Love,

Elder Liechty

Week #25 - Transfer day, and he's in Narbonne!!!

NEW ADDRESS:

Les Missionnaires

Elder Max Liechty 

1 Rue Des Thermes

Narbonne 11100

FRANCE

Check it out check it out check it out!

I got to it before you!

But yes, I got transferred, to Narbonne!  It's a tiny little ville down south, and it doesn't have it's own branch, we share it with another tiny ville called Béziers.  I'm stoked.  Bordeaux was neat n all, but change is always SWEEEEEET.

So the last week in Bordeaux, here it is.

Lundi, Elder Foote was feeling sick, so instead of going out and doing something fun, we stayed in and watched 17 Miracles on our little DVD player.  Then that evening we had a lesson with Alain, and older fellow who we've been teaching for a little bit, and we kind of dropped him.  He's a great man, but he doesn't really have a desire to change.  He said he's gonna start reading the Book of Mormon again someday, so Elder Foote's gonna stop by in a month or so to see how that is going.  Always a bummer to drop a guy, but it was still a good lesson.

Mardi was fun, we went to the Banque Alimentaire in the morning, made a bunch of new friends because this was our first mardi there.  But it was also the last time we're gonna go, because while it's good service and we got a little bit of gospel spreading opportunities, it does take a lot of time and may not be the most effective thing to do every week.  However, we saw blessings in that our relationship with a less active Pierre Setondji who works there really skyrocketed and our RDVs starting being more awesome.  Anyway, after that, this lady had called us, and it seemed like she wanted us to find her a house or something, and we thought maybe this would be a good opportunity to teach about Jesus, but it ended up being more of a waste of time because all they wanted is that we find them somewhere to live and they didn't want to learn so much about the church....still praying they find a place to live, they had some cute kiddies (they're from the Middle East or Eastern Europe I believe).  Then that evening we had a RDV with a member family who was more or less active, but the daughter wants to be baptized. So they're gonna start teaching her the lessons.  I think she's eight or almost eight, but the mom wants it to be more the daughters choice than her being forced.  Good plan, and it seems as if she's chosen to be baptized, so tant mieux.

Mercredi we had lunch with Frère Daniel Martial and it was DELICIOUS.  He's from Martinique, and he's very old and also less active.  But the lunch was amazing, some kind of spicy pork n rice in some sauce n whatnot.  Very good.  Then we had a RDV with Frère Handy.  We shared a message about how happy this gospel makes us and how God has given us a spirit of hope and strength, not of fear.  He's kind of sad sometimes, but he's a good good man.  Then we were supposed to have a RDV with la famille Hristova, but it's always kind of iffy because we don't really speak the same language.  She came out, said she'd be back in a little, so we talked to people, met some really cool ones, and then she didn't come back before we had to go to get home on time.  Hmmmmmmm.  Still hoping and praying for them.

Vendredi we got the transfer calls, and I learned i was going to Narbonne!  I don't remember really what we did the rest of the day, because I had left my planner at the church the day before and I didn't write anything...but I think it was a pretty good day?

Samedi we had a RDV at the church, but when we got there, it fell through.  Bummmer.  But luckily I got my planner.  The rest of that day was difficult because it was the first day of a new month, and we hadn't recharged our bus cards....so we walked....because we didn't have any change to buy just day passes...so we walked.  But then we met the zone leaders somewhere and we refilled the passes, except mine, because I was leaving to Narbonne in two days.  Talked to some neat strangers this day.

Dimanche was really fun, spent some time after church saying bye to some good friends, taking pictures (which I will send to you....next time when I remember to bring my camera....)  Then we passed by chez Frère Daniel to tell him I was leaving, so we talked for a little, I told him I'd send him a postcard from Narbonne.  I have several people who i told I would send a postcard from Narbonne.  hopefully they have postcards here, it's pretty little :)  Then I packed it up.  Packed it all up.  All my belongings fit in two suit cases and a backpack.  Wowie.

Now look, I'm here in Narbonne.  The train wasn't too long, just about four hours total.  I did, however, travel the first two alone again.  It was fun, though, because I finally understand somewhat the French language so I wasn't totally lost and alone :)  and Narbonne is windy, and rolling hills, and windmills (the big turbine ones, though, not the cool ones).  And my collègue, Elder Phelps, was called Chinese speaking, because his mom speaks French because she is French.  And get this:  his grandparents are in this ward!  One of them is not a member, so we're working with them.  Prayers prayers prayers prayers prayers.

Here are some things I noticed while packing yesterday:

I'm almost out of razor heads.  Gilette Mach 3 Turbo.  However, Gilette sounds pretty French, so I'm gonna look for those here before I ask you to send any.  I have enough to last me a good while stil.

Do you have that CTR Clothing book that talked about folding stuff and ironing and stuff?  Because I think it would be really handy, but it appears I did not take it with me when i left home.

I was packing away my white pants and...they're gigantic :)  Like, the waist fits fine, and yes, sometimes I say pants are huge when they are not that big, but these are literally huge.  They'd probably fill up with air and I'd float if I got in the font.  I could maybe do some of my own handiwork on em, don't know how good it will look, but if you have some suggestions, I'm open.

Are there any things I should be writing for that French class teacher you were telling me about?  Should i write more stuff in French or does it not really matter what I write?

i love you soooooooooo much,

Love,

Elder Liechty