July 14, 2014

Hello everyone!

So today is France's independence day (not sure what they became independent from) so half our district is super excited. Our district has eight missionaries and four of them are from France (or were raised there and speak french first). On top of that one of the four non-frenchies is Elder Laouto, who speaks french first as well. Needless to say, lots of french goes on, which is hard for the senior couple from Utah that is in our ward and likes to come to our meetings (they're the only ones that didn't at least get called to learn french).

In other news I've decided to add Vitamin C to my diet. I don't know if I mentioned it before, but I think I have scurvy. I haven't had anything resembling an orange or another citrus fruit since Sherbrooke (yes this does imply I was eating oranges. Not being able to eat candy does that to a person) and my gums had started to swell and my joints were hurting. That's right ladies and gentletoads, I got SCURVY on my mission. I started taking some multivitamins with vitamin C and the swelling went down and my joints went back to normal, so that pretty much confirmed my suspicions. I never realized how important eating healthy, or eating rice and beef with a big pill, was to one's health.

I got a note on Facebook from someone who Elder Murphy and I found in Sherbrooke in October. I taught her all the way until I left, but she never really progressed. I want to share the note with you. It is one of the highlights of my mission so far (She's French so excuse her English grammar):

I'm going VERY VERY WELL ! I'll be baptised on Saturday July 19th ; it's coming pretty soon ! I'm so excited and filled with so much JOY ! I think my heart with explode ! And I'm so blessed to be back with our Heavenly Father, to feel back His LOVE and His FORGIVENESS for me, a so great sinful person ... I feel that i'm beginninh a new chapter in my life and that with by baptism, I'll be as pure as a newborn ! And my new family in faith is so marvelous with me, everybody is so nice with me that I feel very at home going to the church every Sunday ! And most of all, I thank God many times a day for you and elder Murphy crossing and entering into my life that particular evening of last October. When we first met that evening, God had answered a prayer I was saying for a long time to guide me toward a Church where I could really live my faith and find a loving family. And now, it's done ! Halleluja ! Halleluja ! Halleluja ! Also, since I truly opened my heart, soul and mind to our Heavenly Father, everything is going much better into my life, I'm less anxious concerning my day to day life, I feel less pain in my hip, I wake up happier to live a new wonderful day feeling so much joy and love in my heart, soul and mind !

LIFE IS JUST SO GREAT !

Thank you very dear brother in faith !

-J L

I'm so grateful to know that, in some small way, I helped the Savior make a difference in someone's life. Even if nothing ever comes from the rest of my mission, this letter made it 5000% worth it.

Joy is known to no man, until he gives it to another.

Elder Hardy

p.s. Almost no one showed up to church in our ward yesterday because they all were watching the World Cup. LOL YSA problems!

me eating delicious african bean thingy that was way too hot for me:

Me all sweaty: