Okay people. I think I have spent more time this week doing spanish than french, and I realized how much more I actually like French! Spanish is just like.... you know.... taco. Its good, but as for me and my house, we will stick with French lol. So this week was interesting, I dont have a lot of time so I am just going to jump right into everything.
We went on an exchange with the spanish elders, and it wasnt a planned exchange, but Elder Brady Haug was sick for a few days, and they had an engage who needed the rest of the lessons before her baptism on saturday, so I went with Elder Gottscheck and we worked in our sector for a little bit. We actually went to do a service project for a family in our ward with the young men and the elders quorum. We made a ramp in their front yard so that the soeur can easier walk up to her front door, because they are older and kind of sick and stuff so that was fun. It was freezing and we were working with cold water and cement and dirt, but it was still fun! We went to the church and taught the spanish elders engagé. Her name is Beky, and it was mostly me doing the teaching, adding a few spanish words here and there, and Elder Gottscheck translating. The Spirit was there as the teacher so dont worry, she understood that we have a living prophet, and not that I was showing her a picture of my grandpa hahaha. After that, the spanish ward invited us to FHE, so we went and I lead the music but I had no idea what sounds to make so I just followed, but they werent the best singers in the whole world either... Oh well. The spanish doesnt stop there, because the bishop of their ward asked all the missionaries in Geneva to do a musical number for her baptism on saturday, so we sang "I like to look for rainbows" but in spanish. That also took some practicing. At the baptism, which was all in spanish, I fell asleep during the talks haha but it was nice, and the song brought the Spirit and Ive learned how to say a lot of things in spanish this week. Buenos noches. (par contre, I have no idea how to spell it haha)
We also visited the Muellers again this week, and I was able to again give soeur Mueller a blessing. I love going over to their house! They are so funny! Frere Mueller accompanied us to some RDVs but he is blind, so he held onto Elder Pesnell's shoulder while we walked. Afterwards, when we were taking him home, he was like "les elders, would you mind helping me stock up on provisions?" Which meant taking him to the store to buy chocolate and candy because his wife doesnt like when he eats it, so he buys it and hides it, but he needs help getting it, so we went with him and helped him choose his favorite kind and then he smuggled it in! HA! I was dying laughing!
We also had an opportunity this week that Ive never had on my mission. Here in Geneva, the zone leaders work very closely with the stake and the stake president. He took us to lunch and we discussed how we could improve the member missionary work here. Then, later in the week, we went to the High Council meeting and presented. It was intimidating, and didnt yield the results we were hoping for, but the stake president is a great guy, and he'll help us out!
Amis time!! So when I got to Geneva, our equipe was kinda dead. All of their amis had dropped them and so there hasnt been much on that side for a while as weve been trying to find people and work with members. But we have one ami named Ali, he is from Iran and is the father of a recent convert young woman. He knows that the church is true, knows the Book of Mormon is true, and invited us over to read and discuss with him every week, but he doesnt commit. Its hard because he has his reservations, which are mostly just excuses, and in RDVs, every time he starts feeling the spirit he gets up and leaves to make us something to eat so it will stop. Ugh! He comes to church though, and we hope that he will start making more progress.
Another ami is a young Portuguese woman we found on a bus. Her name is Lorrane and she speaks English, Spanish, Portugese and is learning French. I contacted her first, and got her number, then she didnt text us back. We saw her again on the bus and talked to her and she started responding to our texts, and then we saw her again, and she said she had some questions for us. We said we would be happy to answer them and invited her to church. She came! But it was in french, which she is working on, and she stayed for all three hours then left quickly, and said it was interesting. But she said she wants to learn more about Joseph Smith and what we believe, and she is really cool. We will probably have to pass her to another equipe, but I know she will find answers to her questions here.
Last thing, I gave a talk in sacrement meeting here on sunday. My theme was 'Servons notre Seigneur, proclamons la vérité", so basically missionary themed. Well, I felt that I should talk about serving those around us, and as a result sharing our testimonies and beliefs with them. Its something easy we can all do, so I shared the story of my family on vacation in South Carolina when we stopped to help a woman named Liz. En bref, her car needed help, so while my dad and brother fixed it, my sister and I talked to her about the gospel. She invited us to her hotel to give us breakfast (because thats what she did for work) and all of the employees had heard about the mormons that helped Liz. I dont know what the results of all that were, but I do know that those people were able to benefit from the fact that we served our neighbor, and then proclaimed the gospel to a softened heart! Its so simple, but it works! How best to serve Christ than to simply serve our neighbors, and how best to serve our neighbors than to give them the restored gospel which will bless them for eternity? And luckily, the talk was in French, not spanish! haha
I love you all! We have something special planned for Valentines Day, and you'll hear all about it next week! Spread the love like nutella and have a great week!
Je vous aime tous!
Avec amour,
Elder Hall
Your Favorite Missionary
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