Week #76 - Avignon and yet another parental fail

So.....

I know I just wrote you last week, but, uh....

did you forget me?

Kiddin'.  I'm pretty sure we just got on too early, so don't you worry.  That or you had a crazy fête without me and then forgot to write me, which would also be fine, kinda.

So.....

I guess I'll go straight to the week? :)

It was a fun week.

Lundi we helped this frère out moving stuff out of his garage and scored a bunch of dirty old stuff that we cleaned off after, and that was sweet.  Got this sweet shirt with a bunch of stars on it, and it rules.  Washed it three times to make sure it was fine, and now it's cool.  Then we had our pday, kinda.  We did emails, and then had to hustle out to Orange to see the famille Farina for an FHE.  That was fun, we made crêpes.  Yummmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

The next day we were supposed to see Etienne in the morning with a member, but Etienne couldn't make it, so that was a bummer.  But right after that, luckily, we had our man Amine (see the photo).  We saw him a bunch this week, and he rocks.  Unfortunately, he's moving to Vietnam today, so....I know there's missionaries in Cambodia, and I looked at some maps on lds.org, and it says that Vietnam is in the Cambodia mission, so we'll see if he can meet some missionaries while he's there.  That would be sweet.  So anyway, we got lunch with our man Amine, and that was sweet.  Then we waited for a friend that was supposed to show up, didn't, so instead we went to go see André, who we hadn't seen in a real long time.  So we passed by, he was happy to see us, we talked for a while, we starting talking about family history, cuz he had starting saving all his photos onto USBs and stuff, and he was lovin' it.  He was talking about his ancestors, sharing stories, it was sweet.  he said he's gonna get together some more so that he can share more with us, so that will be fun.

This next day was kinda silly.  We went out to Orange to take another bus to this little city called Rasteau, where this less active famiy lives, and long story short their non member daughter is being taught in Toulon and said her famille needs a visit.  So we went out, but for some reason or a nother no busses came, and, so, instead we went to pass this less active in Orange, we met her, she was cool, but that was about it.  So then we took the bus back to Avignon, where we decided to go see our man Didier at the guitar place, met up with him and our other friends there, and made more friends!  It's really just a big group of really cool guys that work there that all remind me kinda of Uncles John n Ric.  So that was fun, taught about the Book of Mormon, they thought it was cool.  He taught me how to solo on the guitar, but I still stink at that, but that's okay, it's not as important as preaching the gospel!

Then jeudi rolls around, we got our man Amine again, to help him move some stuff to a new apartment.  We helped him move, his apartment was sweet, it was like in this sweet castle building, and then the room was tiny and awesome and I was totally jealous.  After that we went to play some bball with our other man Nabil, and the other équipe was there with their man Gustave, and we played and it was real fun.  It's been a real long time since we've seen Nabil, in fact, I've never seen him since I've been here, just talked on the phone, so that was really cool to see him.  Then we met some cool people on the street, the usual.  Oh yeah, also this day I was on exchange with Elder Schettler from Marseille, so that was exciting.

Vendredi rolls around, had a killer weekly planning session, as usual, and that night we had a stellar english class.  It was funny, because it was only women there at first, so we stood outside the door and hoped real hard that a man would show up, because we'd invited a man, but so far it was only ladies.  Then this member man showed up, so we could do english class!  Shortly after our ami showed up, his name is Eli, and it was sweet.  We winged english class real hard cuz it was supposed to be the other Elders that taught it, but they were stuck in an outer ville because they had missed their bus and the next one wasn't till after english class.  So I decided to teach everything I knew about US history and mostly just taught a bunch of n'importe quoi, but they loved it.

Samedi rolls around, and it was reeaaaaally fun.  We saw Amine again, one last time before he was off.  We played some ping pong with him, ate kébabs, and then taught him about the book of mormon and he said he'd read it, cuz he's got a lot of free time for the next little bit, plus the plane to Vietnam, and he's accepted to pray about it.  He also friended me on Facebook, I don't know if you've had the opportunity to accept it or whatnot, but the man's name is Amine Sacre, so yeah. He's such a cool guy, and it's a real bummer he's leaving, but, eh, c'est la vie.  After that, we went BOWLING.  What?  Bowling you say?   Yeah, bowling.  We went bowling with a whole bunch of amis and members, they all made friends, I almost got a hundred score, I got 98, and now all the amis that were there know we're not losers and think we're cool.  So that was really really fun.

Then church!  I had/got to play the piano, and it was fun.  We talked with a bunch of members after church and got some things set up for this week and the near future, like service n whatnot, which rocks.  Then afterwards we went out to pass by some people, neither of them were home, but we met some cool people on the way.  This guy from Monaco, he was probably the Prince as far as I'm concerned.  Then this reall cool old couple from Avignon that were probably the nicest old people I'd ever met, and also very classy.  They'd been to SLC before and thought it was beautiful.  Hopefully we see them again!  And, like, that was the day.  Also met a guy that looked like Sean Connery.

So now here we are, another week. Zone conference is this week, and we're gonna be spending thursday-sunday in Nice/St. Raphael, so that should be fun.  I'll let you know how it goes next week!  Hopefully you write me maybe?

LOVE YOU LOVE YOU LOVE YOU LOVE YOU

Elder Max Liechty

Week #75 - Avignon

No pictures, I hate not getting pictures!

Mooommm!!

First of all, thanks for alll the emails and all the family history stuff, it rules.  Thanks thanks thanks thanks thanks.

I haven't read over all of it, I just saved it all on my USB drive so I can print it off at the church later, but it's probably pretty good.  I especially liked the memories you sent about your grandparents, and actually, if you could send some of your favorite stories n memories from the rest, that would rule, that way I have ALL OF IT.  I want to know EVERYTHING

Thanks again.

So, I thought I said it but probably not, my comp's name is Elder Steadman, from Sandy, Utah.  And we ARE getting along!  Yay!

So we have two elders who stayed in the apartment, me and Elder Lindsey (this is his 5th transfer in Avignon, which is A LOT), and the new ones are Elder Steadman and Elder Olivier, from Tahiti.  ooooooooh

Elder Steadman started getting a scratchy throat, but we did all in our power to make that stop, and it never got bad, so we're good.  And I'm all better!  About by wednesday or thursday I was feeling "better".  The only lasting thing is my ear, but I think that that's starting to go away, too.

Funny story I forgot to share from last week:

We were on the train going home from Lyon, and this homeless man was asking people for cigarettes, and as usual he came up to us, too, and asked us, and we didn't smoke.  But we were the only ones being relatively nice to him, so he started hanging around us.  He was talking and joking and then things got weird, and when we thought he'd left suddenly he was behind us and touching our ears n stuff.  That was weeeeeiiiird but we took it like men.  Then he pulled out a cigarette and started smoking right there on the train, which is against the rules!  So we just kinda sat there, I probably would've tried to say something, but my throat was hurting soooooo bad and I barely had a voice, that I just gave up.  And Elder Steadman had no clue what was going on, so it was fun.  Then at some point he got up, took my scarf, and left.  I figured he'd come back to give back the scarf before we got off, but he never did.  Probably for the better, because I never want to see that scarf again.  Anyway, so he walked off with my scarf, and I like to think that this is where I got the ear infection :) Fun times, Elder Steadman's first day in Avignon.

Anyway, so that was last week, and here's this week, kinda lame, so  you'd better buckle up for a long one.

The day after I emailed you, we're at mercredi now, we had zone training in Aix-en-Provence, and I was able to endure it even in my diseased state, and it was really cool.  They presented Project Elijah and things got nuts.  Then for some reason the tickets they bought us to go home were weird and took forever, when it normally only takes 45 minutes, but so that was about the end of the day right there.

The next day was interesting, too.  We had an exchange with the Zone Leaders, I was with Elder Olsen, my main man, and we had lots o' fun.  We had a rdv in the morning, very interesting.  This ancient ami had called us saying he had a friend who wanted to meet us and show us something, and I thought she was gonna try to sell us something, so I was like "alright" and we planned a way to flip it into a teaching situation.  Turns out she actually wanted to recruit us to work with her at this job that's kinda like NuSkin, and so she gave us the whole business presentation, and it was funny, cuz the whole time we knew we were gonna have to tell her no.  But to start things off, we found out where she was from, an island not far from Madagascar called Cumoros, pronounced kinda like Cummorah, and the capital is MORONI which is nuts.  I learned that from another elder whose mom is from one of those islands, too, so I sparked the world out of this woman with that story and then linked it into the restoration.  Cool.  Then at the end after telling her we couldn't work for her, she had us try a couple of colognes, and then we told her we had something to share, too, with her whole family, about the family (it's Project Elijah that we were gonna share, P.S.), and she said yeah come on back another time.  So we're gonna do that.

Anyway, after that, we were supposed to have another rdv, but the lady didn't show up (bummer), and then we were actually stressed because we had too many rdvs for the day, it was gonna be really hard to get to all of them.  But when we went to the first one, the other one cancelled, and then we had plenty of time, and it was nice.  We Project Elijah'd a member, and the experience was awesome.  He loved talking about his dad and ancestors, and the Spirit there was amazing.  He said he has some pals in other cities in France he thinks would be interested, but we didn't get any numbers or nuthin', so we're gonna try again :)

I cannot for the life of me remember what happened on vendredi, 'cept that in the evening we had english class, and it was really really fun.  We did some questionnaire, talked to some nice people, but that was about the whole day, so kinda stinky.  Oh yeah, called a bunch of people, too, and fixed some rdvs for next week, so already next week is looking better than this last one!

The next day was a little better, had a killer weekly planning session, got to see Etienne finally, had a cool rdv with him, talking about his family, too.  Met this real cool lady on the bus, too, that had a Border Collie, and that sparked the crud out of me, and yeah.

Then came dimanche, we had church, it was real good.  Jean-Personne came again, still lovin' it.  We forgot to bring food to eat after church (cuz it's forever away from the apartment, and it just takes too long to got back to eat), so we scavanged what we could find in the church and called it good.  We found some old noodles and ravioli, and made that, it was okay, kinda flavorless cuz all we had was salt, and then we also made a sugar-flour-oil-salt-nutella mixture and cooked them like pancakes and that was okay, but I actually think I was more tired after eating that than before :) So afterwards we went to pass some less actives, one wasn't home, and the other was but she said we should probably not bother with really passing her...but she said that she had starting coming back because of this Elder named Elder Baldwin, whom I know cuz he was my Zone Leader for some time, and so I sparked her with that knowledge, and I don't think she's compleeeetttely closed off on coming back, so we'll see.

and then today we helped this less active member move some things out of his garage because he is selling it, and he needed it to be empty.  He said if we found anything that we liked we could keep it, and I found some things that I like, so I kept them.  A bunch of old dusty stuff and this sweet shirt that looks like the stars part on the American Flag.  Yeah yeah yeah.  That was fun.  And tonight all the missionariesn are going to the Farinas to have a good time, so that looks like the day!  Wow.  This week is already better :)

If I have one say about housing it's that I would prefer somewhere like Elms or the Convent or Compound or whatever that other place was, Colony or whatnot.

also these are Prez Roney's words when I asked him about it:

I can not endorse you until all of your stuff is turned in. Then it pops up on an endorsement page for me. I will do it quickly. Your name does not come up yet. Tell your mom to get her homework done :)
Got it.
We love you!
President Roney

So, get your homework done!  But yeah, that's what he said, so, uh, yeah.  Let me know how that all goes.  I told him you stress out a lot near deadlines, so, don't get stressed out.  Anyway.

I love you a lot a lot a lot.

LOVE

Elder Max Liechty

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Week # 74 - Just a little sick this week

Big old mills in l'Isle-sur-la-Sorgue, prettiest town in the mission

My name on somethin'

Jerusalem

Moooooooom

So this week was real interestin' and cray, so I'll start out by answering your questions.

Jacen sounds pretty set on rooming with me, and there's a couple other boys he's mentioned that would want to room with us, so yeah.

Tooooooooootes forgot to ask Prez about the ecclesisensational endorsement, so.......and the next time I see him is end of february.  Too late?  If it's too late, I can try calling or sending him an email and asking him about it.

I remember STOMP

He's from Sandy, UT, he's real cool.  He's a USU fan, he went for one semester before coming out.  Before his mission he had real long hair and when he did no shave november, he pulled it back into a bun and looked like a dirty pirate and the picture is hilarious.  But now he's all cleaned up.

We got lots of time for talking these last couple o' days, and no he wasn't sick.  But he told me this morning his throat was starting to get a little scratchy, so we're gonna take all the precautions we can and load him up with medications and pray for the best!

It snowed a BUNCH here the other day, but I was in Lyon, so I missed that.  But it also snowed in Lyon, didn't stick, just pretty snow flakes, and then also on the train ride there last monday there was a bunch of snow out on the country sides.  So that was fun.

Also, you probably noticed I'm emailing you on tuesday.  Funny story.  I'm sick!  I'm real sick.  But I'm just about better now, so I snuck out to do emails cuz Elder Steadman hasn't been able to do his emails since two weeks ago, so crazy stuff, right?

Anyway this is gonna be a kinda funky week description. Cuz we were in Lyon n whatnot

So lundi we got on a train and left to Lyon, said goodbye to my main man Elder Beck, played his guitar one last time, and then it was off.  Met an Elder named Elder Hansen who knows Taylor (Liechty) and lives in Highland and went to Lone Peak, graduated the same year as Caity and lives in the same ward as a couple of my good pals (in the Country Club).  So.  That was really fun.  He's training, too, and also had served in Avignon.

So then I'm just gonna do a sum up of the rest of the week because it was a huge blur.  Initially, I started feeling a little sick on the train ride to Lyon.  Then I was real sick on tuesdee.  and also the rest of the week.  But that's not what's important.  Basically the whole week we were playing around in Lyon, that meaning we went around Lyon and contacted and tried out new contacting schemes the assistants are coming up with and did a lot more contacting and ate out a looooaaad at Subway.

As the week continued, I got sicker, we got our new collegues, we stayed foreeeeeevvvver in Lyon because they had to do their legality a few days after they arrived, so instead of going home and back real fast we just stayed in Lyon and ate more Subway and did more contacting, and it was actually pretty fun.  Except that I was litterally dyyying.

But I didn't want to call Sr. Povar, cuz I didn't want her to make me stay in Lyon and whatnot cuz I was "too sick to leave the apartment" but when we got home I called her for advice on how to get better, and then she grounded me.  So I guess that was kinda my fault.  But essentially the next few days were filled with home remedies trying to cure my swollen throat, my booger crusted eyeballs and my stuffy ears.  It was nastay, you shoulda seen it.  Scratch that, you're my mom, you've probably already seen that :)  but anyway, so she actually made me stay home from church which stunk, cuz it was branch conference, and apparantly it ruled and a bunch of less actives where there, but, eh, c'est la vie.  I thought I was gonna make a true 2 years straight without a single sunday missed, but turns out I was just naive.

So that was the weekend, trying to heal.  Then yesterday was also spent trying to heal, I've gotten a lot better yet, but Sr. Povar keeps telling me to take it easy and rest, but we snuck out today because we were sick (ha) n tired (also ha) of being inside.  So now we're writing you, we talked to some strangers on the way here, talked to a guy who had some Dr. Pepper, too, that was fun.

Well, all this sick time has given me lots of time to reflect on what I've done with my mission.  And I'm pretty happy with it so far.  Of course, I'ma keep goin' and I'm gonna strive to do even better, but I've had the best year and a half of my life so far, I think.  Lots of miracles I've seen and lots of really good times had, and lots learned about Jesus and His Atonement, and lots of unimportant deep doctrine learned from the crazy members and really studious missionaries.  I wouldn't give anything for these past months.

and no, I'm not sick of you saying you love me, you could actually probably say it more if you sent me letters during the week ;)  KIDDING I'm not so desperate that I would casser you like that.  But I do love you, and I know you love me probably

LOVE

Elder Max Liechty

A little from Kent's letter:

That being said, I missed my sons first day of work in Avignon, cuz he went on a split with the other elders, cuz we figured he needed this good start instead of starting your mission of for three days trapped in your apartment.  But anyway, that day was cool for them, cuz they saw our good friend Amine and had a sweet rdv with him about the Book of Mormon and engaged him to pray about it.  She be seeing him soon as soon as all this nasty sick stuff is past.

The new son rocks, we're getting along well, he's excited to go work, but of course nervous, too, cuz he's new!  He speaks dang good french for a bleu, but he needs to be more confident about it, but he'll get it.  Haven't seen the investigators for a long time cuz of Lyon and then being sick, but Jean-Personne came to church, Amine is doing very well, Etienne is probably doing fine, I'm gonna call him today to try to fix a rdv with him, and that's about it.  We have this other lady, I don't know if I told mom about her, but it was this lady that we gave away a Bible to, and she wants to meet up with us, too, because she wants to find faith again and rebecome happy!  wow!  so that's a cool miracle.  No baptism dates yet, but as soon as Etienne gets this work thing fixed (that should be soon!) he'll be up n ready for baptism.  Amine could have a date soon, too, but he's going the Vietnam for an internship in not too long, so hopefull that doesn't mess things up.  

Do you know if there are missionaries in 'Nam?

Week #73 - Staying in Avignon

Momma!

Jokes on you, I didn't have a real pday cuz I was on train to Lyon to get another bleu missionnaire!  Wowie this is my second real fils, and my third fils (Elder Beck is kinda my beau-fils).  WOW

I'm staying in Avignon with my new bleu, Elder Ambursley is going to Geneva, and Elder Lindsey is getting a Tahitian companion, Elder Beck is going to NARBONNE!!!!!! wooooooo

I like the CD.  Of course, you know, when you hear your own voice and you're like "ouuuuccchhhhh"?  Yeah.  But it sounds alright, I like it.  I'll try to send you a copy!

We danced on the bridge.  I can't wait to send you this next SD card so you can see the video.  We get pretty freaky on that bridge.  It was fun.

I emailed Jacen, yeah!  And he said yeah let's room, he thinks it would be cool to live in a more housey kind of place.  I'll ask him about his mom's info.  I have his dad's email, I think.  Let me see.

There it is.  And now the email is grey!  Fun.

We saw the CHILEAN famille (they have some boys from Barcelona staying with them) on sunday, and it was 
reaallll fun.  But we won't be able to go this week, cuz I'm in Lyon.

I should be seeing Prez pretty dang soon, so I'll talk to him about.

I took looooooooots of good pics this week, but my SD card is not working here in this computer so.....hopefully 
I'll get around to it next week!

LET MET TELL YOU ABOUT THIS AWESOME WEEK.

Lundi started out with miracles.  During pday, we were taking pics in front of the Palais des Papes, and Elder Beck wanted a photo of him contacting a guy in front of it, he contacted the guy, taught him a lesson, and got his number.  While he did that, I was talking with our friend on the phone, and taught him a lesson over the phone, y'all.  Then later that evening (after dancing on the pont), we were at Casino picking up some last things before going and hitting it.  We met this guy in line that we actually fixed a rdv with for that saturday.  Sweet.  After that, we were out talkin', and we met this guy who is actually a less active baptized in Annecy not too long ago, and loves playing ball with the Elders, and would be down to play some bball with us, so I hope my next collegue can ball.

Then mardi we recorded the CD, and went to the Farinas for the FHE.  That was a fun day, really fast, too, cuz o the CD recording.

Then I was on exchange with Elder Palmer, the ZL, and we went to town in Avignon.  We got a real good rdv with Etienne (he's doing really well, just did a pump up lesson for him to get him ready to talk to his boss about changing the hours), and while we were there, E Palmer got a call from Prez calling his as assistant, so we had to change all our plans and take him back to Aix so he could pack up cuz he had to leave that morning.  So that was fun.

Then after we dropped E Palmer off at the train, we and Elder Olsen went back to Avignon for a rdv with Didier, our guitar friend.  We had a real good rdv with him, played some hymns, talked about the restoration some, prayed with him, and he really loves us.  I'll tell you about our next rdv from later in the week, it was awesome.  Then back to Aix to drop off Elder Olsen, done babysitting him, and then back to Avignon, and that was the day.

Vendredi was a good time, just as well, we started copying over the CDs, met some coolios in the street, and had a good lesson with Louis, the less active son of the Chilean famille, and he promised to come to church that sunday, and so that was awesome.

Samedi we had our pal from Casino on lundi and we went and ate lunch with him at this shop called the Milk Shop with some meeeaan milkshakes and also some stellar sandwiches, including BAGELS!!!! You don't find bagels here, mom!  Very good time.  And Amine is also reeeaally awesome, very believing, and loves the crud out of the fact that we dedicate two years of our lives to serve Jesus only.  Very cool time.  Then also that morning I forgot we saw André again, to say bye for Elder Beck, and that was a very cool spiritual little rdv.  Then we went to the beautiful city of l'Isle sur la Sorgue to try to pass this LA, wasn't home, but we went on a sweet hike up this dirt path to find the house.  then we came back after knockin' some doors, and saw Didier.  That was a very cool rdv with him.  Said goodbye for Elder Beck, taught him about the plan of salvation, and he said we were his true friends, and that he loved us.  That was awesome.  That's all I really want to hear, is people that are learning and growing and feeling the Spirit and recognizing this Godly love we are trying to transmit.  Awesome!

Then on dimanche we went to the Farinas, ate with them, played guitar, and Louis also came to church!  Yessssssssssssssss.  After the lunch, Elder Beck packed, and that was sunday.  Good, good times.

I'm gonna miss Elder Beck, cuz we had a reaaalllllly good time together, but I'm stoked to have this new baby boy and try to teach him all I know, and learn all I can from him!

I loooooove you all!

Love,

Elder Max Liechty

A little excerpt from Kent's letter:

I was reading in the Atonement book you n mom sent me, and Tad R. Callister was talking about how much we know about the Atonement and the Plan of Salvation, and how surprising it is to us how little others know!  Not to show off how much we know, but how important the BoM and modern revelation are in this knowledge.  About how the whole "Adam fell that men might be, and men are that they might have joy" and the whole "opposition in all things" and all that, it's not in the Bible!  I was actually stunned, and it made me a lot more grateful for the BoM.

I told mom about Etienne, and J-P is doing alright, he came to church, and we also taught him on lundi, but I forgot to tell mom.  We talked about agency, and how every choice has to be our own, but that we gotta make good choices, yo!  He's getting better, he's really starting to grasp it, it seems.

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