Easter Bells

the picture we made for Easter

Joyeuse Pâques tout le monde! I hope you all had such a wonderful Easter weekend! I think I did, haha, it wasn't anything super special but it was okay! I guess the thing that makes it special is that we get to focus on Jesus Christ, so from that perspective, yes, it was very special! Well my first week with a francophone was great! It's funny to serve with someone whose native language isn't English, it leads to a lot of funny "lost in translation" moments, but he speaks really good English so we have a lot of fun. Elder Hoffmann is from Charles-Le-Roi, Belgium and he is basically a Belgian version of Jason hahaha. Honestly all of his motions and even the way he answers the phone reminds me of him! Also in our apartment building, the Spanish elders are both frenchies so I am, for the first time in my mission, the only American, I am the minority!! It's interesting at times when they go off in super French slang I don't know at all so I just sit there like "lol don't judge me" but it's a new experience and I am enjoying it! I asked them about my accent, individually so that they wouldn't be swayed by each other, and they all said that my accent is "cute. Like a little French boy" hahaha oh, ok. 

atoussa came! 

So the transfer started off with an interesting morning. We got a call at around 4:30 am, and it was a sister in our zone who was pretty sick all night and couldn't find anyone to help her. So we called the Spanish elders (who have a car) and asked for help. Elder Gottscheck was like "you need help at 4:30 in the morning?!" So we drove to a little ville called Annecy and Inwas asked to give the blessing. It was cool because I was pretty tired, but I felt the spirit speaking through me, and we left. When we called to see how she was doing a couple days later, she told us that everything I said in the blessing was exactly what she was worrying about and had expressed to her companion the day before. That's a testimony of the power of the priesthood! 

We also had a really cool rdv with Ali and his daughter (who was baptized exactly a year ago) Atoussa, and we really were able to connect with them and talk to them about their spiritual progression. It must have really worked because Ali came to church for all 3 hours for the first time ever as far as I know, and Atoussa (who hasn't been to church since I've been here) came to the ward buffet and was swarmed! It was awesome! 

We sang in a cart on the train and a guy joined us, 

ill explain it next week haha 

We also met with Lorrane, who said that she's felt great all week, super calm and peaceful. It made me so happy to see that the Holy Ghost is already influencing her life! 

Also, a follow up on Rodgers: he kind of told us that he is going to make his own church online and then one day when he has enough followers he will combine it with ours. So that's good for our membership I guess haha ;) 

me, a rabbit and a chocolate bunny haha

And then one day we were at the gare helping Elder Pesnell and his blue pass through, and there was a big guess how many chocolate eggs are in this box thing so we went to play it and then this lady came up and was like "you can't do that, that's a vice" and we were like "it's just a game" and then she was like "no" so she took a picture of me standing there probably red like a tomato. Haha but it's okay because then I didn't play it because I felt bad! 

But for Easter, we made a picture with a scripture to give to all of our members. I was able to really study the last week of Christ's life and then I taught the lesson in gospel principles about his life. It was amazing how, as we went through the timeline of his time on earth, how the spirit witnessed to us that he truly did walk here, heal here, teach here and suffered and died here, and how, best of all, he was resurrected and LIVED here! I felt so touched by His marvelous life and ministry, and all he did for us. On Easter morning, I heard the traditional French church bells ringing and I realized that, just as he lived and rose, He will come back, and on that day all the bells will ring, sounding his triumph over evil and death, and we will feel the scars in his hands and feet and truly see our Savior. I know it with all my heart! 

I love you all, have a wonderful week! 

Avec amour, 

Elder Hall 

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