how beautiful are the feet!
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It's weird how nothing changes except for our feelings. The days are still full, the people are still there, the work is still moving forward, and yet I have a feeling that everything is ending and it's so weird. TV shows always wrap up storylines, send away characters and include a couple nice musical montages before the finale, and that's what I feel is happening. This past week was great, we talked to quite a few people and had some cool experiences. Unfortunately, we haven't been able to contact Alexandre again... I'm not quite sure what happened to him, but I know someday it will be his time (I feel like a already said this a couple weeks ago haha).
This week we did service for a member who is kinda interesting. She has a lot of interesting ideas, and she needed help with one of them... so what we did was drive to a construction site, with large buckets and some pasta strainers and shovels and we sifted dirt for 3 hours. We ended up sifting 60 liters of dirt (which is a lot) and the construction workers were just sitting in their little hut watching us. Then we cleaned her floors. Come to think of it, I've cleaned a lot of people's floors here in Geneva!
Our 🚂
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Another funny story is that I was on a bus and this little kid in front of me kept looking at me, so I talked to him. Turned out he loves math (he was only 6) so for the next 20 Minutes he quizzed me on multiplication problems, but the embarrassing part is that I haven't done math in such a long time, I got most of them wrong. But to be fair they were like 54 million times three hundred thousand and that's hard! But the lady next to me helped me, and then I was able to talk to her about what I do here. It was cool, because his mom was also curious after that.
Pizza!
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A couple months ago, I contacted this young man on a bus and talked to him and gave him a card. Well, this week, he found the Spanish sisters and came to the church, saying that he wanted a Book of Mormon because he needs something more in his life and he has felt that this is it. It was cool to talk and testify of repentance and the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon. And it was cool to see the fruits of a little contact.
Also this week, we had a couple game nights to invite our potentials to. Only a couple people came, but they were still fun! Lorrane came to one of them, and because her phone was the only one that had a certain app to contact a potential, when he called, she answered. We could tell that she's learned from the missionaries because she this is how she answered, "Hello. We are the members of the church, please come to the church. It's very important. We have a lot for you to eat." Hahahaha we died! She also took us on a fun tourist train ride around the lake after a lesson, but it went by the beach and so we had a good tour of the our train car floor haha.
black and white
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On Sunday, the sister had the baptism of Mael, the 11 year old boy of the less active mother we found last transfer. I was asked to baptize him, and it was an honor. I found that the baptism pants I bought 2 years ago had become more tight than they were the last time I wore them (2 years ago) haha, but it was an amazing experience as I watched this little boy make such a big step in his life. I was able to watch closely as he emerged from the water and for a moment I saw him being washed clean, being reborn. I am so thankful to my Father in Heaven that I was able to have that experience before I finished my mission.
Finally got to baptize
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And this is it. In one week I will be a Landon instead of an Elder. I will take off the plaque and loosen the tie, but I will never take off my title as a disciple of Jesus Christ, and I will never loosen my grip on doing the things that have taught me how to love, serve, and teach others. I would like to say that I've changed myself, but all I can say is that God changed me. I understand now the importance, more than ever, of this calling, of this gospel, of my Savior and His Father. These past 2 years have been much more of a blessing for me than for anyone that He has put in my path. I cannot forget the people I've met, I cannot deny the feelings and responses I've received that have come after prayers, or in buses, or in lessons. I know that what I have been doing and saying for the past 2 years is TRUE. JESUS CHRIST LIVES- Through Him, we are SAVED (after all we can do!) JE SUIS UN ENFANT DE DIEU, and so are you! TEMPLES ARE HOLY PLACES, FAMILIES ARE ORDAINED OF GOD TO BE ETERNAL. I know it with all of my being. Even though this is the end, it's really only the beginning, because I now know how to apply this gospel. And I intend to do just that. So, as they say in French, "Ce n'est qu'un au revoir."
Have a great week. I will see you all soon. *roll credits*
Avec amour,
Elder Hall
Your Favorite Missionary