Narbonne - week #42

Wut's up, mom

1.  About Gabrielle....he he....kind of a sad story, but, uh, she texted us one day (again around midnight) saying that the state she is in can't allow her to make big decisions like rejoining the church, so she doesn't want contact.  So.  The thing is, she has bipolar dissorder, but she had been taking meds, which seemed to be working, but, uh, not totally it seems.  I was dead after we learned that, so dead.  We talked with the senior couple, and we might still pass by some day, to see if she is back on top, because she goes from super high to super low pretty drastically, so we have to time it right.  We'll see.

We got to teach Sara again, unfortunately she was in Perpignan this sunday, so we couldn't get her to church.

We were supposed to go fishing with Pepe and Meme today with Elder Phelps and his companion, but there was "too much wind" to go fishing today, so, that was a bummer.  But we're planning on going to their house soon, because they have lots of Elder Costa's pants and a pair of my own.  So.

And we're going to go see the Fijian famille tonight, so, hopes up for that!

2. My own conversion would probably how much I realized that Heavenly Father and Jesus love us, and how much I feel that love.  I always knew they loved us, but I never realized how much until I got here.  It's amazing.  And I've found that the more I try to show my love for them, I feel their love.

There's a quote from the Life of Pi which was in a general conference talk that I had to give a talk about that I really like:

"I couldn't get Him out of my head.  Still can't.  I spent three solid days thinking about Him.  The more He bothered me, the less I could forget Him.  And the more I learned about Him, the less I wanted to leave Him."

3. We tried to set up this party for the fourth, because we're going to be playing volley ball with a bunch of amis and members this week, but because there are only two americans in our branch (the other two are canadian and argentinian), so they weren't to huge on the idea.  I'll try to fix something, though.

4. (What's one bad habit that you've had to change?) Being lazy and letting other people make decisions for me :)  because I learned that when you let/make other people make all the decisions, they get mad at you :)  And you definitely feel a lot more helpful when you lift half the burden, and are not half the burden.  That was profound.

5.  That wasn't a question :) but I do have a request: if there is room, could you toss in some more face wash?  If not, it's not a big deal, I still have plenty, just to be safe, you know.

6.  I haven't heard about that, but it's nice to know that the members in France aren't the only crazy ones :) (Kate Kelly thing)  But really that's kind of wacky.

France's big day is coming up, July 14, and if I'm still in Narbonne (prez gave us permission to go out with members to see the fireworks), I might get to go to the City on Fire in Carcassonne, where they light up the whole castle and make it look like it's just blowing up.  Also, Elton John is coming to Carcassonne.

This week was NEAT

Lundi we went out to do some porte à porte, but when we got out there, we realized we had missed the last bus and had to start walking home...but on the way home this guy in a big old semi honked at us and yelled "Hello from the Barçelona stake!" and then later on down the rode we ran into Isabelle again, who we had not seen for a long time, and she was happy to see us, so that was cool.

Mardi was the sad day, where we recieved the text, and I was sad.  So, before taking it up with the Lord, I did some push ups out of raw fury and got huge, and then prayed to understand why this keeps happening.  Why I keep almost seeing miracles.  And I realized that it's because when this bummers come my way, I all too often kind of slow down and lose faith.  But these are supposed to be trials of my faith, and I'm supposed to show that I'll keep working and trying hard even if the stinkies keep coming my way.  That was a cool realization day.

Mercredi was MIRACLE DAY.  we planned the night before to go out to a city called Fleury d'Aude and search for opportunites to do some service.  We planned to leave at 11 and come back in the afternoon to have a lesson and then do some work in Narbonne.  The next day we woke up, and it was nasty, gray, and rainy outside.  Crud.  We had prayed for good weather, but, uh, where was it.  But then Elder Costa turned to me and said "We told the Lord we were leaving at 11, so let's keep the faith."  And then as soon as we left the aparment at 11 until the end of the day, it was beautiful bleu skies and nice warm weather.  First miracle.  Then we went out, passed a member famille, found them all home, and SPARKd them up.  Second miracle.  Then we started knocking doors, and even though no one wanted service, everyone was SO NICE to us.  Third miracle.  Then we went back to Narbonne for the lesson, but then they texted us telling us that they couldn't do it that day.  Antimiracle.  But we decided we were having such a good time in Fleury that we'd go back.  When we went back, the first, and last, door we knocked on, that Elder Costa said "this house could use some service, let's knock it," was this incredibly nice old lady that we taught some gospel principles to her, and that was sweet.  She told us she wanted us to come back again and eat dinner with her and some of her children and their familles.  Fourth miracle!  So that day was amazing, and the whole bike ride home I just thanked the Lord, such good times.

Jeudi we had district meeting in the morning, and then the evening we hit it up.  We went out knocking, only to realize that there was a soccer game going (it's the World Cup right now, for you americans), and no one really wanted to listen.  As well, I felt strongly that we should search for service there, too.  So we started riding somewhere else, and I felt like we should pass this fella.  We passed, he was there, and he said we could send him an email if we had any conferences in Narbonne or something.  Almost miracle.  Then I realized we were close to our old ami David's home, so we passed by, but he wasn't there.  So then we made some calls to try to fix some stuff for the rest of the week, and we got in touch with David!  We found out he had moved, but he said he would be so down with seeing us later, so we fixed something for the next day.  Good times.  That was like a promptings chain that started with little things that we followed that led to the big thing.  The Lord likes to test us to see if we'll follow, and when He knows we'll follow, He gives us what matters.  That was cool.

Vendredi was a packed day, where we got to see David, Sara, and had Game Night in Béziers.  The RDVs were both good, got Sara in the presence with Emmanuel, and that was really good.  David said he was very happy to be able to see us again, and that he was going through some confusing and difficult times right now, and he likes talking with us becomes we have the answers (I wouldn't say we always have the answer, but that's cool to know).  Game night was a success, we had a less active there, José, who came to church on sunday too!  As well as a cool young famille that is moving in to Béziers pretty soon (from Seattle), had a good time with them, too.  Then that evening, these two random people walked in, that the Béziers elders had contacted, asking "are we too late," which they were because we were all getting ready to leave, but we said there are still some treats that we can eat together, so we did, talked, and got their numbers and their interest.  that was a very neat day.

Samedi was a very successful Samedi Sportif, where at the end Carlitos said "normalement, demain je vais à l'eglise" meaning that he might come to church tomorrow.  We were all STOKED.  That was the best thing he could've said.  (he came!)

Dimanche was a good time, too, mostly because Carlitos came to church, as did José, and one of the amis of the senior couple.  Very good day as far as church attendance goes.  And afterwards we had a fire side about familly history, so it's funny you bring that up.  There are members who are absolute experts, and others who know less than me (and I don't know much).  But it's something that catches a lot of old people's attention, and even some young people.

I appreciate your challenge (look for miracles every day), and as you can see I tried to do that last week, and saw a lot, but I need to keep it up everyday.  I'll let you know how it goes.  I'm excited!

And I really like the quote there (a quote from Sherri Dew).  That's cool.  Because it's true, but lots of people don't realize it.  Coolio.

I love you, but I don't miss you!

(i miss you, too)

love,

Elder Liechty

Max trying on a very french suit:)

And some very french clothes:)

Week #41 - Narbonne

Max and Elder Costa

Max and Elder Costa

Mahaaaam!

Yeah I'm not too jealous that you had lots of fun and that you saw a manatee and I didn't, no worries ;)  Yeah I'm jealous, and I'm mad.  I'm really mad and I don't think I'm going to write you any more this week.

I probably fooled you, huh?  that sounds like boat loads of fun, like, for real though.

I don't need to go to the beach to get fried, because I live in southern France.

This week was really cool and filled with good times.  Check it out now

Lundi.  I don't remember what I'd already written, but we had a lesson that day with a young adult named Sara, a referral from the sisters in Perpignan.  the lesson went really well, and that was neat.

Mardi was really fun, because we got to visit a less active out in Ouveillan, the same one we saw last Sunday.  He just left for about three weeks probably, but he wanted to see us again before he left.  He had been waiting for us all day when we arrived, so that was really cool.  Shared the spirit with him, prayed with him, he has lots of potential to come back, very cool.  then that evening we had a cool miracle:  we knocked some doors, and almost every person who answered had a conversation with us.  Normally we'll knock doors for about an hour or two even, and get three or four conversations.  This evening we knocked for maybe 45 minutes to an hour and got eight conversations.  I don't know how it goes elsewhere, but, that was amazing to us.

Mercredi was amazing.  It started out with really, really, really heavy rain and we were scared for our lives it was so heavy.  Big thunder, lightning, like a classic midwest thunderstorm.  but we got to go out anyway, because rain's not even a big deal.  And THAT EVENING.  So, there is a member in Pau that told Elder Costa that he needs to find this less active here in Narbonne named Saia Fekitoa, from Fiji, who plays rugby, and went less active when he came to Narbonne because there isn't a church in Narbonne.  So.  All he had was his number, so we tried calling a few times, no answer.  But then we decided to look him up in the white pages, found the name Fekitoa, figured there can't be that many Fekitoas in Narbonne, so we passed by.  It was him!  We walked by the house once and there was this young white girl boxing with a punching bag, and we were like "what the."  Then we thought, well, maybe he married a french woman?  So we asked her if her family name is Fekitoa, if her dad plays rugby, and if his name is Saia.  As she kept saying yes to the answers, our minds kept getting blown.  We found him!  He came out, and he was really really cool, and now we just need to get him and his family back to church.  I think his whole family are members, because he kept saying "we haven't gone to church" and stuff like that, so, that would be a famille in the branch.  Wooooo!

Then Jeudi we were on exchange, and we were able to see the Fructuosos.  Shared a powerful spiritual thought about how the gospel is for everyone, and tried to squeeze his friends out of him and to let us meet them.  He wants us to, but he's afraid to set specifics.  We'll get 'em.  Then later we were lucky enough to find a train that went to Lezignan, because right now and for the passed two weeks it has been greve, or strike, with the train systems, and not a whole lot of trains are going.  But now it's done.  But it wasn't done then.  So anyway, we got out there, because we had a potential ami to teach.  He wasn't home, but his son was, and luckily we had cookies with us, so we sparked that kid up and now we got the ins with that famille.  Then we struggled finding a bus to get us home, but luckily we found one, otherwise we would have probably been sleeping in the streets.

Vendredi matin we went to go knock some doors, but Elder Escobar's bike blew up, so we had to walk back instead.  So after finding trains to take him back to Nimes and then get back ourselves, elder Costa and I managed to take the bike in and get it fixed.  That was a long day, and not much happened, so, we'll move on.

Samedi, however, was a good time.  Started it out with some sportif, playing soccer, I'm so awful that it's very funny, so it's okay.  After that, we made empanadas to take to the branch BBQ that evening.  Oh yeah.  They were a hit.  and the BBQ was very very fun.  It was cool to see the members having fun and talking with each other instead of disputing deep doctrine during sunday school.  we got lots closer to some of those familles, too, and hopefully that will help some missionary work.

WAIT.

Super cool thing on Saturday.  we woke up that morning to three missed calls around midnight from a woman named Gabrielle Yancy-Piens.  I think I told you a little about her, if not, here you go:  she was a member, but after a very personnel incident, she asked to have her records removed from the church.  But then she sent in her name as a referral to church headquarters, and our relief society president had told us that she had called her saying she wanted back in.  So we tried calling, but no answers.  Then, like, three missed calls.   So we planned calling her back later that day, but she called again that morning, so we answered, and we talked.  she told us her story, which I already knew, but she didn't know that I knew, and said that she knows she needs to come back.  That takes a lot of courage.  LOTS.  So we talked with her, gave her hope, and prayed with her over the phone.  And since then, she has been texting us asking if there is any readings she should be doing to prepare for our first lesson.  so, to me it seems she is ready.  We'll have to get over the barrier of members maybe not reaccepting her too warmly.  So I ask you to please pray for the branch to welcome her back with open arms and love, because that's important.  Thanks.

So that was neat, and the dimanche we had a RDV fall through in the afternoon, so instead we knocked more doors.  Good times.  

This week was very cool.  We worked really hard, and we saw the miracles as a result.  Unfortunately, when we start to see miracles in the ville where i am, I tend to get transferred.  So,  let's hope I stay maybe.  The next transfer is July 7, i believe.  The last week goes till about July 6.

Momma, it's almost your birthday!  Next week!  Whooooooo

Thanks for being my favorite famille.

I looooooove you

love,

love,

love,

Elder Liechty

Week #40 - hot and sweaty in Narbonne

Mooooom!

So that was pretty crazy, huh, that whole email on saturday n whatnot.

Probably blew your mind.

Regularly teaching, at this moment, not really.  We have a couple less active people we visit regularly, but as far as amis, we kind of get a lot of first lessons, and then people have a really hard time committing to a second lesson, even if we have a really good RDV.  So.  No.  But names of people we're teaching sometimes.

Ha ha.  Actually nevermind because we're not even really teaching many people sometimes.  But people you can pray for:

Less actives:  Loulou, la famille Fructuoso, Frère Antoine Queque

Amis, more or less :) : Sara, Gerard, Denis, Antoinette, la famille Perez, la famille Miele, David.

But to make the prayer work, you have to say all those names with French accents

We went to 

Niiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiice

And it was a very fun trip.  Really long, really hot, and very very fun.  I finished reading the LdM in French!  Woooooo.  Very good time.

As far as low days, yes.  We could say maybe wednesday-saturday were pretty low days...it was tough because we just got out of rockin the park with Elder Andersen and elder Kearon and Prez Roney, and then we get home and Elder Costa gets sick.  And then the trains go on strike.  Not the trains themselves, but the workers.  And then we get stuck in distant villes all the time because there are no trains.  And I was just curious what we were doing wrong, and why we weren't getting any success.  My mind was all over, and I was just mad.  And I haven't really gotten mad for a looooong time.  So then I sat there (because we were trapped in a train station) and thought for a good long time, and thought of something Elder Andersen taught "don't let the spiritual whirlwinds bring you down" talking about trials of our faith.  I had faith, especially after that conference, to take Narbonne to town, and then it all got pulled out from under us.  But I realized that that just meant that Heavenly Father wants to see if I'll keep working, even though nothing much is happening.  And I'm gonna, so no worries.  The scriptures definitely helped.

We have.....one young adult in our branche :) but we did do an activity with the ward in Perpignan not too long ago where we paired up with young adults and other members to search for less actives, and it was really fun.  We try to work with our one young adult, but the Béziers elders keep stealing him when we need him.  Curse them!

P.S.  I was totally at the part when he (Elder Anderson) was walking around, FIRST ROW wooooooooo.  We made extended eye contact several times.  I smiled at him, he smiled at me, it was aaaaawwwwweeeessssoooommmmmeeee.

We can get a type of brown sugar over here, it works just the same, just a different consistency kind of.  And taste.  heh heh.  It works :)

As far as the last week n a half

Dimanche was stake conference, so we got to go to Perpignan for that, had a good time.  Met a guy from Germany, going to church while he was on vacation, like a good Mormon ;)

Lundi we hopped up on that bus and headed out to NICE.  We took a train to Montpellier first, and then a tour bus with the Toulouse and Montpellier zones headed out.  It was really fun, and I read, like, three books in the LdM on that thing (there and back, of course.)  We arrived at the hotel, the beds were pretty comfy, and then we hit the hay.

Mardi we got up nice n early to go to a big conference center and see ELDER ANDERSEN.  I got looped into this choir thing with a bunch of other missionaries, and we sang the most beautiful renditions of Peuples de Monde, Ecoutez donc, Les Anges dans Nos Campagnes, Souviens-toi, and L'Esprit du Dieu Saint.  I can't really remember the english names, so, sorry.  Uh, look em up.  But they were beautiful, I don't know if they were able to record them, but the spirit was there.  And then President spoke to us.  And then his wife.  And then Elder Kearon, of the seventy.  And then his wife.  And the Elder Andersen, and then his wife, and then Elder Andersen again.  We were invited to bring questions, so I brought a few, and then they all got answered, and I was content.  the answers were just like "bam smack voila" and I was all "duh."  It was so clear, and the spirit was so obvious.  Just a good time.  Then, unfortunately, we had to go home.  Mmmmmmm.  Good times.

Then that night, Elder Costa threw up.  to put it gently, his body turned inside out and just flaked off into the toilet.  It was nasty.  So, we called the nurse, and she said don't do nuthin.  And we were all "dang because we're finally on a sweet spiritual high and ready to work again."  So that was a bummer.

Then jeudi we went up to Béziers with the senior couple to buy a fan, and then got stuck in Béziers because they had a RDV, and there wasn't a train for an hour and a half.  so....But that evening luckily we got in with the Fructuosos and ended the night well.  They were all up n talking about hypocrites and offenses, so I whipped out Ether 12:4 and smacked them in the faces saying "this is a gospel of hope and happiness, so let's try to focus on the good."  Suddenly the spirit was there, and we had a good RDV.

Then vendredi was an exchange, and I went to Montpellier.  It was cool, because there was this point where we were at the church doing some service (because theirs is under construction), and as we were leaving, this guy passed by asking "are you open" so we said yes, and he was looking for our geneology center.  Luckily, the geneology expert was already there, and that was very cool, so he could help him.  then that evening we had a RDV with one of there amis, and taught with a recent convert, which was really cool, because he got the chance to bear testimony.

It's really hot.

France doesn't have air conditioning.

then samedi we had sport in the morning, we played soccer, and I was on top of my game.  I even got a goal that morning.  Granted, we were playing against about five kids around the ages of 10, and a few adults, but I was happenin.  That was really fun.  Then, we got stuck in the gare, major bummer, but we finally made it home.  On the way home this Greek guy came up to me, and we talked church and Jesus, and he was cool.  He was really old, and spoke broken French and broken English, but we got our points accross, and had an all around good time.

Dimanche rolls around and we got ourselves church.  It was much cooler this day, thankfully, because that evening we got to go out to Ouveillan and pass Frère Queque, who we hadn't been able to see in a while.  The air was cool, and on the way home it rained, so it wasn't too hot!  When we got there, he was really excited to see us again, told us that we had blessed his life the last time, and that he loooves us.  That's nice to feel loved!  We shared a scripture about hope and Jesus, because it was pretty late when we got out there finally.  He told us about how the last time, we had prayed that all would go well with his recent divorce with his wife, and it did!  He thanked us and the Lord lots, and that was neat.

Then today already, we had a RDV with a woman named Sara.  She was a coordonnée from Perpignan, apparently she had met the sisters there about a year ago, and somehow they sisters there just sent us her number and info, and we taught her!  We were supposed to have another RDV this morning, but that didn't happen, unfortunately.  But we got Sara!  And she's very cool.  We extended a soft baptismal invite, and she said "well, if I know it's true, maybe" so that's more than a no!

So yeah.  The week.

It's still hot.  Imagine, being on the beach in Virginia, only hotter, and then not having an air conditioned apartment to go back to.  Mmmmmmmm.  Sweaty.

Thanks for the recipe, mommas.  I finally got a companion that likes seafood like me, so we can get it up in here.

I love you allll, and I'm praying for you!

Love,

Elder Liechty

Week #39 - A surprise email from Max

Pau Pau Pau - pronounced like bum in Germany:) (which is po)

Les Hauts de Narbonne - The Cathedral, that you cannot see from the city, you have to be above it or leaving on a train to be able to see it.

Les Hauts de Narbonne - the sea

Les Hauts de Narbonne - some hill where the sky looked really cool

Boo!

What a surprise, am I right?

Because we are going to Nice leaving Monday and don't get back to about Wednesday, the whole mission is doing emails today, so.  Surprise!

I do have one request:

could you send me the recipe for the brown sugar salmon stuff?  because oh oh oh that is the good stuff.

So, this'll be a real quickie en tant que email cuz it's only be about five days since I last talked to you.  So.

Lundi.  After I emailed you, we did pday, which was go shopping and come home and go to Carrefour and buy SUITS.  Yes.  We each bought a suit from a supermarket on lundi.  Yeah hea.  they are not bad, non plus.  Whoo.  Then we cleaned.  then we did missionary work.  It was pretty cool, because that evening we got more conversations in two hours than we got in the whole last week.  Then another cool thing.  We went and knocked some doors in this area called Les Hauts de Narbonne (or Narbonne Heights) where all the houses are really nice and it has an amazing view.  We knocked some doors, because I had been feeling for a while that this was the place to go and we needed to knock it, so we did.  We found a lady that said "right now I'm busy, but come back any day between 10 and 10 30 and I'd love to talk" and then a JW famille that is actually really cool and we're going to try to baptize, and then a couple other young familles.  So.  That was really neat.  We knocked five houses only, lots of cool stuff.

Mardi we had a leçon with Denis.  It has been a really long time since we last saw him and his famille, and this time it was just him.  He showed us some of his 7th day adventist stuff, and it was interesting and all, but we're there to testify about the Book of Mormon, so we did.  He wants to start reading it, but he's reading a lot of 7th day literature.  As well we got to see our less active friend Loulou, had a good time with him, then RCM.  Après ça, we went to Coursan to say hey to our familles, and we finally found one home that normally isn't home.  It was her husband who answered, and he was super cool, but they were en train to eat, so we let them be for the evening, but that was cool.

Mercredi was a good time, we went out to Lezignan because we had a leçon that afternoon with a fella named M.  Claus.  He is real cool, his mom was Mormon, and he's really searching, so we're gonna try to help him find whatever he's looking for.  Apart from that, we were able to knock some more doors, finding some neat people and setting up a RDV for next week and potentially some others.  Then we hopped on a train to Pau, because we needed to pick up Elder Costa's legality card saying he is legal in France, because we have to get those about halfway through the mish.  so that was a good long 5 hour train ride.

Jeudi we spent in Pau, getting the card, getting lunch, and then leaving for Narbonne.  We actually talked to a member while we were there, he's from Fiji, and he has a really good friend here in Narbonne who is less active because he couldn't find the church in Narbonne (because it's in Béziers).  He gave us the friend's number, and we're gonna get in contact with him.  then, we took the train ride home again.  When we got home, we had to make cookies for zone training the next day because we got thrown under the bus to make dessert for it.  Dumb (but they were good cookies)

Vendredi was zone training, which was a good time.  We talked mostly about how we're going to prepare ourselves for Elder Andersen's arrival.  Then after arriving home, we were going to go to Frère Fructuoso's friend's place and meet him and become his friend, but that couldn't happen that evening for some reason, so we went back to Les Hauts de Narbonne.  Knocked a few more doors, no one was home, except for one man, who said "you'll be wasting your time with me, but I'd love to give you a drink."  So we had some water, and we got talking, and he hat met the missionaries about 40 years ago (he was an older man, born in the 1940s) in Montpellier.  That was cool that he still remembers that after all that time, because there are people we contact on the street and then see them the next week and they don't remember us.  But that was a very cool evening again in les Hauts de Narbonne.

then we find ourselves today, samedi.  We just played b ball and soccer with Carlitos, and then ate lunch, and now we're here.

Tomorrow's stake conference, mardi's Elder Andersen.  Oh yeah, and Elder Andersen and President Uchtdorf are both going to talk at stake conference.  Coolio.  they're in Suisse right now, doing some kind of Europe conference, and we're using the broadcast for stake conference.  Cool.

Um, I love you, sorry it had to happen this way and that I know you're going to feel bad that you didn't love me enough to write me today instead of sunday, but don't worry.  I still luv u.

loooooove

Elder Liechty

Week #38 - Narbonne

 Show message history

Narbonne Cathedral

Elder Costa

Birthday stuff

Mawm!

What in the world's up?

1. We're getting along really well, he's a fun guy.  His famille is actually in Peru right now because they moved pretty recently, but yeah.  He's been out about a year and three or four months-ish.  I'd say our French abilities are pretty similar.  I was thinking about this the other day, and was all, whoa, I speak French now.  Cool.  It's far from perfect, but it's really fun and i loooooove it.

2.  We did get to see Mémé and Pépé this week, it was fun.  It was kind of somber at first since it was not Elder Phelps there, but then Elder Costa started speaking in spanish, and we played some card games, and I let Pépé show me around the garden and all is fishing poles again, so they were cool at the end.  Also, mémé fixed some pants I had a little tear in, so that was nice.  And we also got to share a little spiritual thought, and all went well.

3. So, like, technically, I am still junior companion.  But, like, cuz Narbonne's my baby, sometimes I feel like senior comp.  I really like it, though.  I've had some rockin' companions jusqu'ici, and they have learned me well.  So I'm just gonna apply and try to do my best.

4.  We haven't really had a pday yet, cuz this is the second week and last weeks pday was traveling and shopping and emails.  But Elder Costa taught me this really fun Argentinian card game that we play.  Other than that, we can go see the nearby cathedral, sit at home and hope we maybe get letters or packages or something, or go look at the stores.

5.  i did have a question, and it could concern the package.  So, you know that lactose treats me bad.  Well, the mission nurse found these pills called lactase that help dissolve lactose, and she ordered me two boxes and they ROCKED.  Then I ran out, and she said that those were a gift, but I have to use personal money to buy any more.  So i bought some, but it was like 30 dollars, which is a lot, for about 60 pills, I believe.  And you have to take at least 3 pills per meal with the average amount of milk.  So, I don't know if that's worth it.  Too expensive?  Or is there anything in the US that is the same but cheaper you could maybe slip in the package if that's possible?  Other than that, maybe a cheap deck of playing cards, like from DI or something, because all cards here are EXPENSIVE.  that's all I can think.

6. As far as pictures, really anything. I know that's not helpful :) but like current ones of us as a family, ones of you guys, ones of me, old ones, little kids ones, ones of monty, with the uncles and the aunts and the g parents, the such.  Just a good melange of pictures that make us look goooooood.  Like, for example, I reeeeaaaalllly like the one of all of us on top of that mountain in Hawaii.  I like that one.  I want that one.

You're starting to sound like one of those familles that just does whatever the crud they want because they're so rich.  You're not getting rich, are you?  Is this how I lived before the mission and I just didn't realize it?

if that kid at graduation tried to be funnier than me, he'd better watch his back.

i can't read blogs, but if copy and past some of his funny things in the email, I can read them.

So lundi.  I was at the gare allllll daaaaayyyyy waiting for missionaries and all that, and then I finally got Elder Costa and we came back, bought groceries, and did half of the emails before the guy said that he was having an emergency and he needed to close early.  so that was that.

But mardi was fun times.  We finished emails up at the church right before we had our RCM with the DMB, which was fun.  Elder Costa actually knows our DMB's son, because he served in the ville where he lived.  So that was neat.  Then I opened up the books and explained all of Narbonne to Elder Costa, and he gave me his input of things he wants to try this transfer, and we're gonna get this place moving.  There is LOTS of pontential, we just have to hustle it up.

Mercredi is when we fiiiiinaallly got to work again.  We went out to Mémé and Pépé's to surprise them, and like I said, it was a little sober at first, but then totes fine and a good time.  We had a good little RDV with them, and it was good to see them again.  We probably won't be able to see them as much as we did with Elder Phelps, because we pulled the grandson card a lot, but hopefully we can see them often, because like you, they hold a special place in my heart. I looooooove them.  Then we came home, did some questionnaire dans la rue, and it was a good time.  got a couple of good conversations.  And while we were out, we saw a potential investigator with whom we had fixed a RDV for later, and we confirmed the RDV, so that was cool, and then we saw a member, who also speaks some spanish, so SPARKd her up good, too.  Then we went to our less active Frucutoso home, where on the mother and son were home, but we got to talk to them quand meme.  But mostly it was actually just her talking to us for a long time, because she doesn't really talk during the day, and gets it all out at the end when we visit :)  That's why we're here for them.  But she did say that she knows she needs to be reactivated, but she also said she really needs a motivation and just get started.  So that was cool, now we know she really wants to, we just need to find out how.

Then jeudi was DAD'S BIRTHDAY.  I was thinking about how old he was all day.  And we rode our bikes out a distance to Ouveillan to try to pass a brother, but he was not there, but we found a beautiful little cute neighborhood out there where we knocked doors.  We asked a guy for water once, but he was so nice he tried to give us wine instead.  He tried so hard.  He wanted us to drink wine so bad, but we let him know.  He poured us a glass anyway, so out of courtesy, we drank it.  Ha.  Kidding.  But he did pour a little, but we said no, so he said toss it, so we tossed it, then he filled the same cup with water, but it still smelled like alcohol, so we were all NO, and then we just drank out of the other, untainted cup.  That was a fun time :)  Otherwise, we found a cool little famille out there, it was just the mom and her kids though, so we just had a door contact, and she said her husband probably wouldn't be too interested, but she was cool.  We'll see where that goes.  We planted a seed.

Vendredi we had a fat session of weekly/transfer planning, and it went well.  We have good plans, now it's time to carry them out.  After that we passed an old couple out here in Narbonne, and they were there, so that was cool, and we sat down with them and chatted, got to know them, introduced my new companion, so forth.  Then their nurse came over, this big old friendly man, and we met him a little.  We're going to try to set up a little RDV with them and him to met him some more.  Give him dinner or something, because he basically saved the wife's life.  cool.  Then we knocked some doors, comme d'habitude.

Samedi was really interesting and fun.  We went out to Perpignan for a ward activity of there's, where they went out on splits of members and missionaries to pass less actives.  I was with this sweet dude, and we had some cool success, and also I got to meet him, a sweet dude.  The members loved it, and it's good to see them getting involved.  If I could ask you to pray for the members here to have a greater desire to help with missionary work, could you do that?  They do good work, but we need their help still.  THANKS.

Then that evening we went out to Coursan, passed the familles that we always do, and FINALLY set up RDVs with them.  For next week.  so, soon.

Dimanche was a good time.  We had a good sacrament meeting, and good fast sunday.  Then we broke the fast with some tasty salmon.  Mmmmmmm.  Thanks for the recipe book.  Then we were supposed to have a RDV with that guy we saw earlier in the week, but it ended up he was in the hospital in Montpellier, so no that.  But, on our way to that supposed to be RDV, we saw a member from Paris, who was really cool, and gave us some bananas and some honey roasted peanuts.  Nice guy.  Whenever random members from wherever pass by and honk or stop and shout "Elders!" we always say "I wonder if that's what a state side mission is like all the time."  Of course, yes, we are kidding, we're not that prideful.  That evening we got over to Afifa's home, and got talking alittle about religion, did some service, and taught a little of english to her son.  and also fixed their Wii.  That counts as service.  They were sad to see Elder Phelps gone already, but ravi to meet Elder Costa.  good famille. GONNA TEACH.

Like i said, lots of potential.  And we're gonna get it moving, and Narbonne will be the best sector of all of them.

I really like the quote you gave, because it's true.  And I was thinking about it this morning.  It reminds me of the character of Christ.  He always turned outward to help others, when most of us would turn inward and complain.  Granted, he was perfect and didn't need to change anything, but He never blamed people.  He always worked with them.  And that's what we should do , and it saves relationships.  

i love you, my famille, have a stellar week.

Love,

Elder Liechty