Week #6 Transfer #3

Transfer over already, and I'm staying in Albi! In fact, we all 3 are!!

Bridge in Rodez

We got transfer calls on Friday and it looks like me, Elder Omohundro and Elder Robards are ALL staying together here at Albi. Only change is that I'm the new designated driver!  Drove for the first time in months to the church today and I'm a bit afraid of driving now due to the insanity of French jaywalkers and drivers but I believe we'll be good!  Anyway, even Elder Wall at Rodez is staying too, but sadly Elder Swanson is leaving to Nimes. Us 5, all being in the same branch have been having a party together and it's like losing a comp for Elder Swanson to go, but we'll accept Elder Woodward with open arms and have fun.

Driving through Rodez

This week was packed.  We visited 12 members, active and less active and it was really awesome!  We only had to prepare 2 meals all week with our 8 manger-vous and a visit to Macdo where we got half off from a member that works there!  We even had an early Thanksgiving at the Branch President's house with the Rodez Elders in case any of us got transfered.  They made turkey, sweet potatoes and even stuffing!!  And pumpkin pie!!!!! It was so good.  Haha, this is highly abnormal for a mission like ours, so I was psyched, and I feel extremely spoiled but hey I'll take it :)  I have gained.... a lot of weight this transfer hahaha  but I'm doing my morning mangos/workouts so it'll turn out for better rather than worse lol! 

Thanksgiving Dinner with the Bernardis

We also had some really cool lessons with our members and even visited a recent convert, Eda, who had friends from Paris visiting.  We had a good lunch with them and they were so cool, and then shared our testimonies at the end along with Eda on prayer and Christ, and her friends loved it and the spirit was there strong.  I know they felt it because they were so happy after and gave us both of their numbers and an email, so we'll be passing their information this week to the Paris missionaries!  So cool.

Driving through the French countryside

Last P-day we were stir-crazy out of our minds, so we went to a mini golf course which turned out to be abandoned, haha, so we played on all the playground toys until it got dark to spend all of our energy and just went crazy and made what we could with what we had. Today should be better though, we're heading to Ambiale which we drove through this week on accident, it is a beautiful town in France over a river on a mountain and I had seen pictures of it before I came to this country!!!  I never thought I'd get to see such a beautiful place and it turns out were right by it here in Albi!!!!!  So psyched, Ill send pics to my wonderful mother or post on the blog. Thanks to Carla Laney for making such an awesome blog and updating it all the time for me and Nick, you're the best mom ever!!!!

So easily entertained...

Excited for another transfer with this crazy equipe, we have a ton of fun and I'm excited to work with our Amis as we help them approach baptism!

Gros bisous (fat kisses but it's more like "see ya" in French)
Elder Laney

PS: It snowed !!!  It's super cold now but now it's snowing in Rodez, not quite in Albi yet but I imagine soon!

First snow in Rodez!

Week #5 Transfer #3, Albi, Rodez, Bordeaux

Hello everyone,

After this weekend I want to express my care and support for all of those families and individuals effected by the events in Paris on Friday.  My prayers are out to you. Thanks so much everyone for your prayers and love, and support for France in this tragedy.  It's been amazing seeing how much love has been expressed for the people here.  Here in the south things are all right, we are all safe and fine, and life has gone on pretty normally so far. We are going to be cautious, and I know the Lord is with us and keeps us safe, and we will make sure to listen to His warnings by the spirit we will be kept safe from harm. God will help us where we need it, and I believe we can do much good here.


This week was actually a really fun week with a ton of mangervous (meals at members houses)!  We started off seeing the cathedral finally in Albi! 

St. Cecile Cathedral Albi - the largest brick building in the world

So cool, and the rest of it that you normally have to pay for we showed we were missionaries and they waved us without hesitation to see the whole thing! Thanks dad! Another one of your Europe tips that came in handy, looks like it works in France too. We got to see a lot of people we've been meaning to see and it was cool. I also bought a super warm scarf that is very soft and found out I love to wear scarfs! My neck apparently was always cold. 

New coat and scarf!  Très chic

At the end of the week after the certain events we were advised not to focus on contacting on the street on Saturday, but we were still able to go visit our branch presidents house. Far out in the country of France we had a really fun day where we were far from harm and safe, and got to try some archery, he had a bow. 

Practicing my longbow skilz... 

Anyways we had a really good time and I love the branch president and his family, they are so cool. On Sunday we planned to see a lot more members and they are so awesome and nice! I also feel sincerely blessed with these much more than just tender mercies, and kind of like I'll get transferred because this is too good haha. We'll see this Friday what happens since this is the last week of the transfer and so we'll be getting transfer calls to see who's going and who's staying. Anyways I've felt really blessed with how kind everyone has been and how they really appreciate our messages, it's made me feel a lot more wanted and welcome.

Modern day shepherd

I've noticed this week how the spirit guides us all thorough spiritual promptings to help others. Our president committed our mission to have 200 Amis last week, twice than normal, he did so out of a prompting. The mission had 218 Amis come to church!!!. Our ami Brigitte came and we helped her understand a lot she didn't understand that we didn't know about and it was cool. I witnessed 2 blessings this week where the spirit helped elders say exactly what was needed. I've witnessed Sunday the spirit testify though me of the truth of us needing faith to be healed. I know that if we do not have faith nothing can happen, but if we do, miracles will come to pass. I've witnessed that so far
and it's amazing.

Love you all and have a wonderful week! I pray for you.

Avec beaucoup d'amour (with much love)
Elder Laney

Elder Legolas...

PS: Thanks for all the support and love, this was a cool picture I found.  All the support that everyone has showed for France is so awesome.

Week #4 Transfer #3 - Albi, Rodez, Bordeaux

Salut tout le monde! Ça va?
(Hey everyone! How's it going?)

I had a lot of fun this week and spent half of it away from Albi. We got to meet our ami Birgitte like normal and help her out and then we saw an ami from last transfer, Moise, for the first time in 4 weeks!  He was in Italy randomly and out of town and we thought he had moved, but he may move to close and even in the town of Albi instead!  And what was so cool is that he has been reading the Book of Mormon, even on the train, and sharing with his family this whole time. He says he "knows it's the word of God!" In his manly African French each time we talk about it.  He's so cool, I'm always happy coming out of a rendez-vous with him.

Cool little town on a hill somewhere on the way to Bordeaux

I ate out 3 times this week, got Macdo (McDonalds) twice and even KFC! McDonalds is so funny here, it literally looks like a high end restaurant and is so nice, the foods about the same and twice as expensive but hey!  At least I get a taste of home.

Little village on a river somewhere on the way to Bordeaux!

We spent the latter half of the week 1st in Bordeaux getting up at 5am to head out, and had a cool zone conference there.  President Brown is like a bow expert turns out, uses a longbow and even goes hunting with it, and we got to see some of his mad skills as he taught us to "take the shot" or in other terms act on our promptings right away when the opportunity presents itself.  Cool message and a fun time.  We then came back and headed to Toulouse the next day and stayed overnight to see both sessions of stake conference.  Elder Morera of the 70 (a leader in the church) spoke, as well as our beloved mission President and his wife.  Super cool to hear all of their messages. What stuck out to me the most was what was shared, how the first presidency's (the prophet and head apostles) focus at the moment and for the next 2 years is keeping the Sabbath day holy.  The Sabbath day in our church is Sunday, and is a day of rest and to dedicate to the lord.  I believe it's really important, something even that has been misunderstood or misused, I know I share in not keeping the Sabbath day very holy in the past.  So I challenge everyone to go and spend time with your family on Sunday!  It's a great way to make sure we all enjoy time with our awesome families.  Members of the church remember to make this day a sign to the Lord of your love for him, and keep it holy and a day to focus on your families and Him.

Toulouse Zone

Love you all! Only 2 more weeks in the transfer already which is crazy.

Je vous aime tous!!!!

Avec amour,
Elder Laney

Awesome Elders of Rodez/Albi

Week #3 Transfer #3, Albi France

Hey everyone,

This week was super fun. We got 3 manger-vous, I was super stuffed after each one, but I'm making sure to do my morning mangos (what we call our morning workouts) so I'll make sure not  to gain tons of weight, or gain some muscle hopefully... We'll see what 15 min a day can help me avoid.  Haha, anyway I tried French chocolate!  It is terrible.  It tasted like a stale Hershey bar and cost me 3 whole euros.  So I'll try some more types to see if I just had bad luck, but i did try some Swiss chocolate and it is literally the best I have ever eaten.  So Lindt (maker of Lindor chocolates) is a great brand and Swiss chocolate wins at the moment.  France does have wonderful pastries and cheese at least.  And quiche.  Seriously excellent quiche...

Quiche perfection

We spent a lot of time with the Rodez elders.  Rodez is just an hour away, and we all go to the same branch here in Albi, though most of the members are from Rodez. Pretty funny since we have like 5 elders and only 30 people there in total.  And 9 members from Albi came to church!!!!  Super cool since soonish we believe the branch will split so all the Rodez members don't have to drive so far, and Albi will be able to continue growing if we have enough members.

Tree tunnel on drive to Rodez

We got to spend Halloween night at a member's home and even trick or treated their door!  Sadly Halloween isn't very popular here, but we did see a huge group of 50 kids with their parents all on roller blades on costumes and it made our night.  Also while yelling happy Halloween to everyone on the ride home from the car one very excited teenage boy yelled it back super excited.  So Halloween is starting to catch on here at least.

Rodez Cathedral - new building dating from 1276 (The original was built in 516 and parts still remain)

Each night as asked by Elder Adler of the Seventy at our last mission conference, we as companions bear our testimony to each other in French for 30 days straight. I'm at 28 and almost done but it's been a really cool experience to see how my testimony grows each time I bear it and how it is changing.  The Spirit really does testify through truth , and I feel the truth and a reaffirmation of what I know whenever I bear my sincere testimony of Jesus Christ.  And so I invite you all to do that this week, bear your testimony to someone you know, or at least about what you do know if it's not a lot, but just be sincere.  It only matters that we mean it, and that's how the Holy Ghost will speak to us.  For friends not in the Church don't hesitate to ask any Mormons you know about their testimony, we love to share
what we believe and it helps us reaffirm our faith too :)

District - Albi and Rodez

Also my French improved dramatically in speech this week.  I don't know why, but I have been praying for help in the language, and my conversational ability has improved a lot and I can really converse with people now, it's super cool.  I understand so much more and am really grateful to the Lord for all the help He gives us. Anyway, Have a great week and love you all tons!!  Have a fun week and I hope you all had a great Halloween!

Good times in Rodez

Avec amour,
Elder Laney

Ps: mangez-vous means a rendez-vous which means a visit to a member's house, but manger means to eat so it's a play on words meaning a meal at a member's house :)