New Things (Week #6 Transfer #14)

Hey everyone!

So transfers happened today and I'm training!! I'm super excited and it's going to be fun,  it I'm going to miss Elder Perez a whole lot, he's so awesome.  But life moves on, and he's off to Nice with all the sunshine in the perfect springtime azure coast weather so he should be good.

Grabbing a little Spanish cuisine in France...

So I said goodbye to Elder Perez today, and I will be in Lyon for the next 3 days with the other trainers including Elder Liddle, Elder Carlson and Soeur Vermeeran!!  So pumped, it's going to be a lot of fun. I got to see Elder Thorne to see him off today, I hope to see Elder Strong too. The mission goes too fast!  

Fountains in almost-springtime

Anyway, we had a good last week together, Agnes is progressing a lot and we're just trying to get her to church.  Poe is doing awesome, still doing great.  Besides that we got to see some less actives which was great, including Soeur Ziveri who has millions of animals climbing everywhere while we are there, always an adventure. 

Rooftops of Dijon...

Highlight of the week was when we got to go visit Jean with Soeur Cuisiat, her husband who has been having a hard time, and beforehand at the church we felt like we should invite a brother to help, and one brother who was left told us he could come. When we got there both Jean and Soeur Cuisiat were so happy to see this member and it was a really cool blessing too, we just had an awesome little moment with them and I love those. I feel like those little moments with people are my favorite.

Soeur Cuisiat, Elder Perez, Elder Laney

I hope you have a great week and just focus on the little fun good things on life, I love all the little experiences we get to have with others each day.

Have a great week!
Love,
Elder Laney

Positivity and A Brighter Outlook (Week #5 Transfer #14)

Hey Everyone! 

I had a good week, a bit of a trying one but don't we need those too to grow? It was good anyway and Agnes is making lots of progress though we've had difficutly seeing her, she has a ton of faith and is so excited for her baptism.  We will probably be moving her date but she is progressing really well. 

Men in suits.  Dijon cathedral

Poe is too, just a boss.  He does so well and I love him and Tatiana, such awesome people.  Well I hope you all have a great week, I love you all tons and I know this week will be a good one.  We got some sunny skies to look forward to and some rdvs to go to as well, so it's starting off good :) Have a great week and I'll let you know next week if there are any changes, transfers are next Monday already! Man time flies fast.

Dijon cathedral

Little thought for the week, we had a lesson in priesthood a week ago like this:




                                                    .




what do you see above? (and because of the nature of Blogger the text is white on a black background, so you have to reverse this analogy to a white dot in the middle of a black expanse.)

a black dot? a prick in the middle of an expanse of white? a little black pixel? 

Most people respond in a like manner.  They all focus on the one little dot in the middle and refer to the rest 2nd if at all.  We can relate this to a negative or a positive outlook on life.  I can look at the one black dot in my life and focus on this difficult or perturbing thing, OR I can see millions of white dots and not even notice the one little negative one.  I hope you all have a great week and can see all of the lights in our life and that they overcome the dark spots that seem to get our attention at times.  There is so much good always :)  I know God helps us and even through trials, sometimes especially through trials, we grow, and we can focus and be happy while we're at it, for we have a lot to be grateful for.

Lots of love,
Elder Laney

If the suit fits...
(and apparently it does!)

A Packed Week (Week #4 Transfer #14)

Hello everyone!

Sorry my message is late, we were a bit busy yesterday with some rendezvous. This week was a quick one and jam packed with tons of new people and opportunities to help others, we were running from rdv to rdv this time. 

Elders Perez and Laney with Poe

We were able to see Agnes a few times, who is doing really really well as far as her progression and learning is going. She has a testimony that's always growing and really wants to be baptized, so we're helping her approach her date. Poe is too, and he and Tatiana are doing well, preparing for their marriage, and just awesome. We ate some Tahitian dishes with them which were soooo good, my favorite was this banana and tapioca pudding they made, it was amazing. I also really like poisson cru, basically it's raw fish that is sort of cooked in lemon juice by the acid. Really good. We met some new people including the referral from the American family we met the other week!  Her name is Marjo and is really awesome, I hope we can see her again this week. She was very interested and our little encounter on a bench in a park was so strong with the spirit it was crazy. 

Driving to Neuchâtel, Switzerland 

One really special opportunity also was the fact we got to have zone conference, which was in Lausanne in Switzerland where it was snowing, and was such a spiritual meeting, we all talked in a special reverence and learned so much. President Brown is always a great presence and I love hearing from him each time. Besides we were able to really help one member here who has been having a hard time, but I'm always impressed how the Lord gives us what we need in the moment. Or beforehand! 

Zone Conference in Lausanne Switzerland

Today we saw 2 new people this morning, and we were able to help the first find out she already had a testimony, and the 2nd we felt should just invite her to church, and then during the rdv she brings up church and wants to go! Heavenly Father always "comes in clutch" as Elder Richmond always put it, and I'm always humbled by what and All He does for us each and every day. May the Lord bless all of your weeks, and I hope your weeks will be even more guided as you prepare yourselves to be ready to have His help always. As we are prepared and do our very best, He always does His part. Have a good week and see you soon :)

Lots of love,
Elder Laney

Just another castle on another hilltop on the way to Switzerland...

Swiss Swag

A Week in the Alps (Week #3 Transfer #14)

Hey again,

So we had a really amazing week. Been taking advantage of soldes here since they are almost over, poor Elder Perez is just being dragged around as we hit up the mall for my last soldes.

Awesome French mall where soldes is in full force!

We will do a fun pday activity soon. Monday night we started the week off with some proselyting , did some more Tuesday and then drove 3 hours east into such a beautiful place, Lausanne (where the zone leaders are) is situated at the top of Lac Lémon (same lake that Geneva is on, but at the bottom) and is on a huge slope leading down to the lake, and across is a range of snow capped mountains on the other side. 

Lac Lémon from the Lausanne side

It was a beautiful sunny day and we saw just miracle after miracle, at one point we met this lady who told us God would put people in our path and who suggested we talk to the people not from Switzerland; later we fixed à rdv with a nice German man who spoke English and was super cool and had a good 30 minute conversation with this one awesome couple. They were super nice, and as we discussed the difference between the man's belief in man and our belief in God we felt the spirit testify super strong. The girlfriend was super touched and believed us, and she gladly received a brochure and our card, I pray they look further into what they felt. Anyway, it was a great way to be introduced to the Swiss, I'm in love with the country already.

Desserts in France are amazing!

We had a great District Meeting the next day and an even greater lunch (home made chicken noodle soup with dumplings + grilled cheese, thanks to good old Elder Pistole and Elder Kahn) and I bought way too much Swiss chocolate and sodas. I bought at least 3 bars of chocolate this week, all amazing. We that night got home for an exchange, I was with Elder Shirley who came in with Elder Nelson, it was a fun experience, and we taught a new Ami named Zoe who is from China, she is super awesome and is really considering baptism, and wants to learn more, we will see her again this week. Friday we enjoyed some good old porting and saw Nomena later, we taught her about the temple and she's excited to go.

We had a special experience where I had the opportunity to interview 2 men for baptism. Astounding examples, both of them, and they have come a long way and are doing so much to come to God. It was amazing to see in the end the hand of the Lord in this experience making it possible for these two to be baptized this next coming Saturday. I am elated at their progress and can't wait for them to make this step. I want to share my testimony from this experience with them that though we are imperfect, and our actions and our judgement and all, God will, if we do everything we can and give our all, do the rest. It's just a little we have to do and can do. But He will take the big step for us. That's what a Frere shared in sacrament testimony meeting Sunday. And I know it to be true. Have a wonderful week and remember you can always rely on the Lord. (Isaiah 49:5 -"and my God shall be my strength")

Love,
Elder Laney