Monday, December 29, 2014

Week #68 - Christmas in Avignon


Breakfast sausage








I have no idea


Christmas shark socks


Mom and the rest!

I love you all!

It was super great to see you, and it was the best.  to see you.  It was cool, because instead of being kinda homesick afterwards, I just felt happy and uplifted and ready to go again.  that was nice.

But I forgot.  I was gonna play the nose whistle for you, because I've been getting preeeeettttty dang good at it, but, eh, I forgot to.  Sorry.  Maybe next time.

The day after, though, all that was going through my head was "whoa.  Zach is getting married." Like, not all day, but when we had some down time like lunch n dinner and right before bed, I was like "whoa.  Zach is getting married."

They went to san fran for the honeymoon, eh?  Fuuuuuuuuuun.  I went there with my family once.

Since I just talked to you, I thought I'd just send you the highlights from the week:

Christmas.

And that's it.  Love you!

Kiddin'.

Christmas.  Christmas was reeaaallly really fun.  I was kinda bummed we didn't have rdvs fixed with members all day, but I think this ended up being one of the best Christmases of my life, and definitely the best one of my mission.  Probably of my life, yeah.  We found a place in centre ville to go play the guitar and sing for people, and it was pretty good, and we met some cool guys, but it was going kind of slow.  Then we walked around to find a new place, and found this sweeeet place right in the middle of the Christmas market where people were flowing in and out like a river, and there were no open shops around so we weren't breaking any rules :)  we played there for an hour or so, probably closer to two, and we got some real cool contacts.  this lady from Salt Lake was there, too, and she tried to give us money, so I don't know if she was a member :)  We had a sign up that said "Ne pas donner, mais prenez un cadeau!"  So people wouldn't give us money, but we filled the guitar case up with booklets and pass along cards, and we gave all of them away :)  Then I skyped my famille.  also I got a bunch of shark shirts for christmas, and that was sick.  It was buns freezing out, but the spirit of christmas kept us warm as we tried to make people happy all day.  fun times

the next couple days we were occupied with the assistants because we had to exchange a washing machine, but now we have a better washing machine, so that's nice.

We had some delicious meals with members, and also a really cool rdv with our ami Etienne.  He told us that his work problem should be resolved around 5 juillet because that's when his boss is making hour changes, so we're praying real hard for that.  We had also planned on inviting him to learn how to read with some members or something, because while he speaks fine, he never learned to read.  But he brought it up before we even could, so that was real cool.  It was a really spiritual rdv where we all learned a lot, and Etienne is getting super pumped.  We're praying really hard that everything works out.

We also saw Jean-Personne after church on sunday, and he was doing alright.  We found out though that he thinks the BoM is boring and that he can't learn much from it, and that the commandments aren't too important.  It was kind of frustrating and scary when he said that, because we really want him to progress, and we know he can.  But we talked for a good while about his concerns, and we were able to respond to most of his problems, and invited him to figure out a few of them himself by trying them out.  Testimony is what saved that rdv.  So that was a cool day.

And that's just about the week.  Well, at least the coolest parts of the week.  Well, also we got to see our friend André, played some christmas music with him, and that was nice.

Overall it was a really good week, mostly cuz of Christmas :)

Here's our Christmas photos, and also the Christmas breakfast.

Love you!  See you again on Mother's Day!

Love,
Elder Max Liechty

Monday, December 22, 2014

Week #67 - Avignon




Bob Dylan Tree



Monday, December 15, 2014

Week #66 - Avignon

Max's new address:
Les Missionnaires
Elder Max Liechty
L'Orée des Remparts
1171 rue de l'Aérodrome
84140 Montfavet
FRANCE

Mom!

Avignon is great

1.  I love Elder Beck.  I told you he was an indie band singer, right?  Well we've been getting along pretty dang well.  His sense of humor is top notch, he's handsome, talented, kind of reminds me a lot of myself :)  But serious.  It's a real good time.  This is just his second transfer, and less than that really because last transfer was only 4 weeks!

2.  The new apartment.  It was infested with cockroaches, but now it's a little better.  There are four of us, and it was pretty gross when i arrived......but it's starting to get better with some nightly cleaning.

3.  Drive?  Come on mom.  This isn't some US mission.  We walk and take buses everywhere here.  there are a few cities to go to by train, but it's mostly accesible by city bus

4.  Haven't had the big conference yet!  That's next week!  I'll let you know

5.  You're probably gonna have a boring time and not even have fun for Christmas, am I right?

6.  This new area is difficult because there are SO MANY PEOPLE I don't know what to do.  I want to try to stop 'em all, because we could try to do that in Muret no problem.  You stop everyone there and you've talked to like 15 people.  But here the streets are pretty full sometimes, and so I don't really know what to do, and I feel weird just walkin' by people.  Eh.  It was like that in Bordeaux, too.  I'll get used to it

7.  I do miss Muret.  I knew it like the back of my hand, and here I'm LOST

8.  We do have more (people to teach), it is bigger (the town), we don't have to be in at 6 (like they do in Marseille).  It's not dangerous like Marseille, don't worry :)

9.  It's a branche, but pretty good size, about 60 people.  They're good people, too. I met most of 'em on sunday and one or two during the week, and I like 'em.

You never told me where Sierra is going !

Check out this week.

I told you about most of mardi already, but after emails we went to go have a lesson with our ami, but, uh, we got lost because neither of us really knew where to go.  So we didn't end up seeing him....(we saw him later) and that was kind of the end of the day.  But it was a good day, cuz o the two lessons earlier on!  Yeah

Then mercredi we hit the streets hard.  Talked to a bunch o people, and that was kind of when I realized this is gonna be different.  Too many people.  Not as many people as Bordeaux, but WAY more people than Muret.  I got to see a little bit of the outer cities that day, too, we knocked some of them doors.  And that evening I met the DMB, Fr. Lacombe and his wife and we had our RCM meeting.  So that was fun.  Good people

The next day we were able to fix a rdv with our ami we were supposed to see a few days ago :) and it was SWEET.  We found out where he lives, so that's already sick, and then the lesson went very well.  We engaged him to baptism on the 10 of january, ALRIGHT.  His only problem right now is that he works the graveyard shift, including sunday mornings, so he can't make it to church.  He's supposed to be talking to his boss about that right about now, so if you could pray that his boss's heart will be softened and that they might figure out a good schedule that can help him get to church, too, that would be awes.  Thanks.  After that rdv, we went straight on up to Lyon for our bleu's conference.  A good long train ride.  Not as long as this coming week's, though.  All the way to Bordeaux, a good 8 hours or so :)

Then vendredi was bleu's conference, got to see some of my old pals who were also training again.  We watched this sweet video of Elder Eyring and Elder Holland going hard in the paint about consecration and missionary work.  About how we can't give up when it's hard, because Jesus didn't give up when He accomplished the HARDEST task ever.  We show our appreciation to Him by not giving up, and seeking His help that He's already offering us.  That was cool.  After that, before we got on the train ride home, we went caroling in this big place in Lyon.  Met this people giving free hugs, and it was a little awkward, because it was a woman, and that's not alllowed!  Luckily there was guy, too, so we gave him a big ol hug.  They were doing those fun social projects like Caity did in psychology.

Samedi when we were back, we weekly planned and tried to figure out this city, because both of us are pretty new.  We dug through the area book and organized it and now we're gonna hit it HARD this week.  That evening we went out and chatted with some real neat people in the street that like Christmas, and some that don't like it so much.  People who like Christmas are normally nicer :)

Dimanche was real fun.  We had church, and the guy we had seen on tuesday, we had invited to church.  AND HE CAME.  He and his girlfriend (he's, like, 70 with a girlfriend, it's kinda silly).  the members loved it, too.  Everyone was surprised!  We were not expecting it at all.  We had invited him, and he had said probably, and he did.  He's a real cool guy.  Hopefully we can see him again!  After church, we went over to the branch president's home, and he has one of the COOLEST homes I've seen.  And he collects antiques and insects, because he's really, really rich.  So he showed us all that, we had an amazing dinner, and then afterwards they took us out to this thing that is kind of like the Festival of Trees, but it's with nativities.  Some of the neatest little sceneries you'd ever done seen, and some of the most random paraphanilia, too.  That was a good day.  Avignon is cool.

Now today.  We hard core cleaned the floor today, checked out Avignon a little, and that's it.

SO SKYPE.  We are going to a members home on Christmas evening time, she said whenever, so I say we do it same time as last year?  I think it was at 18h chez moi and 10h chez you guys.  If that works LET ME KNOW and I'll try to let you know if anything changes.  Thunks :)

Here's some of the nativity stuff (it's called a "crèche") and also the wall around Avignon.  Sweeeeet

LOVE YOU
Elder Max Liechty




Tuesday, December 9, 2014

Week #65 - AVIGNON!!


Max's new address:
Les Missionnaires
Elder Max Liechty
L'Orée des Remparts
1171 rue de l'Aérodrome
84140 Montfavet
FRANCE

MOM!

Big old surprise, huh?  Yeah.  I left Muret.  We thought about not writing until tomorrow just to scare you out of your pants, but then decided against it.

I'm in AVIGNON.

Sur le pont d'Avignon, on y danse, on y danse.  Look it up.  You'll find it to be familiar :)

What the crap?  Sierra Mayes is going on a mission?  NO ONE TOLD ME THAT THAT'S SO COOL!!! Where is she going?

Jean-Claude never looks happy, but he's always very content.

I've heard a lot about Meet the Mormons, but not actually a lot.  Is it good?  Maybe we get to watch it, who knows!

That ornament is SICK.  Yes.  Yes yes yes yes yes.

I'm mediums.  I think that's how they do it.  That's how they did it when I was there.  If it's changed, I'm around a 31 or 32 or something waist.  I think.  I'm french now.  Things are metric here.

DL was fun.  Really fun.  Just because I had the easiest district with the least amount of worries, so that was nice.  And no, I don't have to stay when I move, so now I'm not. Pfew.  It wasn't actually that much work, and it was fun, but arranging exchanges and sending numbers in on sunday night are the WORST.

We go to a store called Lidl normally.  It's german, and it's like Aldi.  They have a bakery in it, because it's france.  Sometimes we go to real bakeries n stuff for fun, but their too expensive to go too often.

My motivation is good :)  After four in muret, it was getting tough, but it was still good.  New ville always pumps you up again, though.  We saw some sweet things happen today in Avignon, them first day miracles.  But yes.  My motivation is fine :)  I pray for it every day

No dentist.  En plus, the french hate the dentist.

My gut is fine.  If I eat too much lactose products, it's not.  But right now it's fine.

I could probably go for some face soap in the next package.  I'm fine right now, but, like, why not.

I was so close to breaking the Muret record.  BUT I DIDN'T EVEN TIE IT.  Two weeks short of tying it because of the short transfer.  Bums.  I'll just break the Avignon record instead :)

SO THIS WEEK

Please forgive me I did not bring my planner from last transfer...

After pday on mardi, our bus managed to take us TWO HOURS to get from toulouse to muret (normally takes 20 minutes), so we got home a lot later than normal, ran to frère déjeans home for our rdv, and that was about the night.  We knocked a few doors, but honestly only a few this time.  We got all bold with Jean Claude on the word of wisdom, so I hope they keep working with him now that I'm peaced out.

The next day...we had french class in the morning, then Jean-Marc and Séverine, then I'm pretty sure we saw Jérome, too.  I'm so sorry, this is a stinky mail.  

Jeudi was fun, I was on exchange in Muret, and we taught a boat load of lessons in thes tree I DID LEGALITY.  That's what I did.  Yesterday.  Elder Olsen came from Lyon and we did legality together in the morning.  That's it.  So back to jeudi, we had a boat load of lessons in the STREET not thes tree.  And we also got a lesson with an ancient ami, and that was really cool.  It was a day filled with christmas cheer, because we started using this christmas questionnaire Elder Olsen made up.  It was cool.

Then we got our CALLS.  Learned I was going to Avignon, getting Elder Beck, from New York.  And he loves Bob Dylan.  He was in a couple indie bands in New York, and I'm pretty sure he's got some CDs out, I'll let you know.  You can listen and tell me if they're any good.

So that day was mostly just packing, because after being in Muret for a while, all my stuff was spread out throughout the apartment (neatly, and put away, but everywhere), so it took a looooooong time to pack up.

Then district meeting the next day.  Went on exchange with Elder Rellaford, where we went to a baptism of the chinese elders, Jérome came, cool.  Then, on our way back to Muret, we realized there weren't any trains (this whole week had been train strike...) so we went back to toulouse and did work there instead.  Yeah.  Neat.  We met some cool people because of the He is the Gift initiative.  SO COOL.

Then sunday, we came home.  The last song I heard in the Toulouse metro was "Brick House" by the Commodores, that was a tender mercy.  Then some members took us to church, because there weren't trains......then all the members cried their eyes out that I was leaving because I was the best missionary in the ward.  I have a bunch of pictures of all my friends, but I can't send you all of them, because I have too many.  But really, it was a good time, chatting with members, saying good bye.  Then we got to go to some members' home that evening, the Urbanis.  Turns out they lived in Avignon and they knew everythiing about it!  yeah!  so that was really, really fun.  I also got a sweeeeeeeeeeeeeet cake recipe I'll have to make for you some day.

The next day was transfer day.  We went out for these delicious kebabs with the coolest member from Toulouse, Frère Van Tonder.  So tasty.  That's the picture.  The other picture is Elder Rellaford and I in our pajamas after an exchange jumping on the bed. And also the urbanis is the other photo. Anyway, so I came to Avignon.  Voila.

Today was really cool.  We got around centre ville a little bit, taught a lesson with a random lady, we have a rdv tonight, and we were late to do emails BECAUSE; we had another cool rdv miracle.  We ran into this guy randomly who invited us in, gave us to drink, and then it turns out he plays all the instruments in the world and so we played together and talked about Jesus and that was really really fun.  That was really cool.  Super cool.  Yeah.

so I'm here.  I was sad to leave Muret, she cried when I left, just like Narbonne.  But here I am in Avignon, where the pope used to live.  It's also surrounded by a SWEET castle wall.  Yeah.  France.  I'm excited for this new start and yeah.  All that.  I had a good time in Muret, I'm gonna miss it.

AND I LOVE YOU.  I love you a lot

love,
Elder Max Liechty


Delicious kebabs


The Urbani's


Elder Rellaford and Max....jumping

Tuesday, December 2, 2014

Week #64 - Muret...will he stay or will he go?


Suuuuuuuuuuuuurprise!

How are you?  Were you scared that I wouldn't write you?  Yeah.  You were.

We had a service project most of yesterday and then a rdv in the evening, so, like, we got permission to move pday to today.  So.

A few things:

No need to vomit, got the package, opened all the presents already.  I'm kidding.  But I did get the package.  THANKS

I'm going to have to deny the wedding invitation, I don't think I can make it.  I'll try to skype with you guys the day before, but, no promises.

Do you remember Adam Packer?  Well now he is the assistant to the prez in his mission, and he's in the ward of one of the elders in my mission and he said to say hi!  Also, could you in any way maybe find his email?  I've tried it all, but I don't think his is one of the normal ones because it never goes through.  Well.  Anyway.

I was thinking.  It's really really cold.  Could I have some thermal garments, please?  I've become a weenie after this last hottest summer of my life.  Also, dryer sheets.  I know that's kind of silly, but they don't have them in france, and I was thinking they could help with how gosh dang wrinkly and stiff french clothes get when you dry them.

Also, did you know James Taylor sang with the MoTab?  It was a while ago, and well, I'm gonna bring it up with the big guy in Lyon and see if I can't listen to it.  I'll keep you updated.

No more bloody noses for the Hasker.

This last week we taught 2 lessons....I think my record in Muret is about 6.  This week we have a few lined up, so, we'll be seeing.  It's true it's not a huge lesson ville, but, eh, that can change!

THE WEEK

Lundi was kind of lame.  We had pday and all, a fine time, but that evening we were in the apartment doing weekly planning because somehow we didn't get around to it last week.....well....so that was the day.  That's also the day it started getting cold...

But the next day was better!  We got to check out the He is the Gift website in the morning to really explore it and get ready to share it with members.  It's so good.  Such a good thing.  And like you, I tear up a little when I watch it, so I'm probably right up there next to you on the Celestial scale :)  Then we got to see Frère Déjean, had a good spiritual thought about gratitude with him.  That was good.  This is also the day that I found out Frank Sinatra is on our mission CD.  Yeah

Then mercredi.  This was a great day.  We had french class in the morning, and then Fr. Vantonder who teaches us agreed to help us teach Sylvie right after.  He also made us lunch :)  He's an angel.  Our rdv with Sylvie went really well, we talked about prophets and following them n whatnot.  I shared your story about the earrings, I hope you don't mind :)  Then we came on home, called some people, talked to some strangers, ladeeda.  And that evening we got to see some members!  We shared the restoration with them and also the He is the Gift.  Unfortunately, it wasn't working on their computer...but they were really excited for it, so that was cool.  They also gave us food to take home, so we had a totally free eating day.  Nice.  And also that famille will be blessed for their niceness.

Jeudi was district meeting and THANKSGIVING.  However, there was a train strike this whole week, so it was really hard to get around, so we showed up to district meeting an hour late.........but we got stuff in anyway, and also afterwards went out to eat kébabs with a member for tgvg lunch.  Mmmmmmmmm.  After that we came on home, talked to a few strangers on the way again, and prez asked us to take some time to really think about what we are grateful for, and how we can be more grateful.  So we took that time, and made some sweet goals.  And then that evening chez les Crouets.  Not a real tgvg meal, but instead it was amazing raclette.  Mmmmmmmmmmm lots of cheese n meat n pickles n french stuff.  that was awesome.  Then ward council over the phone right after.  Aw yeah.

Then vendredi.  It started out as a day with absolutely nothing.  However, we made a few calls, and were able to share the He is the Gift video with two members and also got a lesson in.  yeah.  that was a miracle day.  As soon as we fixed all those rdvs, we started our new made goal to be more grateful and just had a prayer of gratitude.  Cuz that would've been a really hard day with absolutely nothing planned...it was a really good time.  Very good day.  He is the Gift is still amazing.

Then we got samedi.  We got surprised called into service in the morning, and that was really fun.  It was like home, taking a bunch of leaves and branches and throwing them into the back of the truck.  There was no stompy the leaf monkey this time, but there was a member up in the truck stomping the sticks down.  So that was a good time.  Also saw a baby hedgehog that day.  Yeah.  After that we were supposed to have a rdv with a less active in Seysses, but she called to say she couldn't.  I'm just happy she called, otherwise we woulda gone out and probaly would have had to come straight back, because there weren't any busses.  Anyway, we afterwards went with Fr. Déj and Jean claude on a nature walk which they do several times a week for their hearts :)  it was really fun, and we also learned that Jean Claude doesn't smoke at all when they do the walks, the entire day no cigars. He normally smokes 10 a day!  So that was a miracle learned that day.  We congradulated him and invited him to do it again.  We'll see them soon, so we'll follow up on that.

Dimanche was dimanche, you know.  Travelling, church, more travelling.  some members were so kind as to give make us some salad and also bring some yule logs, and that was awesome.  It was also the primary program!  It was really really adorable.  good church time.

Then yesterday we had service helping Malika, a recent convert, and her husband move.  We started at 9 am and we finished around 4 pm because they had a bunch of really huge stuff that we had to put upstairs.  My arms still hurt, but it's not a huge problem.  After that we came home and changed and then got up n out to Seysses to see our less active for real this time, cuz she had refixed for today.  The rdv was awesome, Malika's husband helped us out, because he served his mission in Vegas and this less active sister speaks english cuz she's from Trinidad n Tobago.  The rdv was sweet.  We shared the He is the Gift video with her and her daughter, and they both commited to share it.  Yes.  good.  Then we came on home and ate a yummy dinner and that was the end.

Now we are here today.  And voila.

I'm excited to see you all in a few weeks, and also to find out this weekend if I'm being transferred or not!  aye!  Part of me would enjoy staying but the other part is kinding of saying ENOUGH.  We'll see :)

I love you all!

Love,
Elder Max Liechty

Elder Haskin, Frere DeJean. and Jean claude