Bonne Année!! (week #4 Transfer #13)

Hey friends,

We had a great windup to the year, just a good week full of miracles and contacting, seeing some Amis and doing work as usual. I always have such a testimony of this work as I go each week, little miracles and things that would never happen otherwise always take place as we work hard, seek revelation and do our best. Miracles are super cool, and we see a lot of small ones on the day to day, and more significant ones as needed. It's really cool, an the mission has already shown me a lot of this and that that is true. As for our Amis, Dominique is doing really good and Azam is learning some which is cool, we found this family who is really cool and needs our prayers, the family Fernandez Gomez, they are having a hard time but are very open an know already this is true which is so cool.

Toulon Bay

Well after 2016 in France it is interesting to reflect on it, it went by real fast, but also it is amazing and incredible to think about how much happened during just a short 12 months and how much I have learned, grown, and changed. It is a great blessing. I encourage you all to reflect on your past year, remember the good memories and then think of this year, think of what you would like to do, goals and adventures you will have and plan on them. I know Planning helps :) (we plan a LOT) but really it is a cool opportunity to reflect on cherished memories and to look forward. I did the reflecting part this morning and it was cool.

Toulon Harbor

Well I hope you all had a great week! Love you lots and I wish you all again a happy new year! Bonne année!!!

Avec beaucoup d'amour et gratitude,
Elder Laney

And a Happy New Year!!! (week #3 Transfer #13)

Salut les Amis!

This week was really awesome! I would say the highlight was getting to see so many of you on the family Skype, I am so grateful to have such an awesome family, and I can't wait to see the rest of you real soon,but until then, the work goes on :)

Christmas morning Skype session!

Lots of holiday goodies!

This week we were able to see some really cool miracles, notably one was the Consales Family, a week and a half ago Elder Thorne called this family who was referred to our area a bit ago, the mom picked up and said she was having a hard time, but instead of saying that because of such it was not the right moment she responded saying maybe our call was a sign. Anyway, we've been trying to see them since then, and finally got a chance during our exchange, turns out her husband had a Book of Mormon already and reads from time to time. The whole family is really cool and open, I'll let you know how things go with them. Also during this exchange on my side with Elder Connell (who's a boss) we found this really cool member who hasn't been to church for a while and I'm excited to get to know her, she was super pumped to meet us. 

Christmas with the Manoa family

Anyways lots of little miracles like that, Dominique is doing well and working on smoking and Didier should be back in about a week. Some of our other Amis haven't been progressing, so that's always hard but I know when they are ready and have a real desire God will either lead them back to us or us back to them again. Til then we will search for those who are ready. It's sad since we haven't seen Abraham in over a month, no idea where he went, we are starting to teach other members of his family which is really a blessing and we will see how he is doing from there.

Early morning hike above Toulon

En tout cas, a good week with a lot of blessings, especially Christmas, and thanks for all you guys do and for your prayers. Be happy and have a good week, we can in all situations and life is fun :) Happy New Year! Make some good New Years resolutions!!!!!!! I'm going to too :)

Lot of love,
Elder Laney

Sunset at Toulon Harbor

Merry Christmas!!! (week #2 Transfer #13)

Hey !!!! Merry Christmas everyone!!!!  In a week anyway but well, I'll just tell you in advance :) We had a really good week! We got to head to Lyon for 2 days for a few conferences and it was really fun to run into and meet a lot of missionaries I love dearly who I have not seen in some time, including Elder Kelsey, Elder Carlson, Elder zhu and many more.  We actually had all the gang from the MTC back together :)  Super fun.  We were really taught by the Spirit as Elder Sabin from the Area Presidency of Europe met and spoke with us, along with his wife and President and Sister Brown. It was a really great experience, and I learned a lot, especially as I prepared for Conference and gained some answers to questions I have had for a while now. I know the Spirit really does teach us.  

French-y Christmas tree!

Anyways I got my Christmas package from home (thank you family!!) and we got a Christmas tree from a  member and decorated that well, and we are all planned for Christmas so it should be a fun experience, especially getting to see some of you on Skype! So pumped. 

Christmas goodies!

Well it will be a great week again and we have a lot to do this week, we have many of our Amis who can see us and it will be great to pay them all a visit to share the wonderful spirit of the season. I wish you all a Merry Christmas!  Have fun and live up this occasion for family to come together.  That has to be one of my favorite parts of Christmas, and I'll do my best to fit in :) 

Lighthouse in Toulon harbor

I hope the memory of the Savior and his birth and all that means brings you all some joy, I know He lives, and He loves us all and is so happy and glad to have done what He did, and it means that we can all be happier because of it.  Love you all and have a great week :)

Season's greetings,
Elder Laney

Week 1 miracles (week #1 Transfer #13)

Hey everyone!  Our week went well, My new companion Elder Thorne is a standup guy and we're doing well working together. Elder Golightly is also a stud and I'm excited for all of us to work together. 

Elder Thorne and Elder Laney

The week was a bit long, nothing  but of the ordinary but we did have some cool experiences and some cool miracles too!  e got to see Azam who is doing really well, we had a great rendezvous where we just got to know each other better and I feel like he's getting to know people better and is more open which is really cool. Didier is doing well too, just super positive now and looking towards baptism.  His mom even got interested in the lesson last time and asked for the brochure to the Plan of Salvation which was really cool.  We also saw a friend of Frere Sassi and were able to bless her home and give her a blessing as well as she's been having a hard time, she really felt the Spirit and was so grateful telling us how she got way more of a spiritual boost than she was asking for haha.  It's cool how the Spirit works. We also taught Bernardino again yesterday, he's super cool and accepted a Book of Mormon, once again the rendezvous upped his spirits and he was super receptive. 

Enormous avocado tree

Also we saw the Consales Family who are new, husband is not a member, so we taught them and he accepted a Book of Mormon and told us he would read it.  We also on Thursday night were making some calls to clean up some unupdated referrels to be sure in case they weren't able to contact them, and Elder Thorne calls this one lady.  She picks up and after finding out her husband is having a hard time, she tells him that maybe his call is a sign. She goes on to tell us how her husband even had a Book of Mormon and reads it from time to time and loves it.  So we fix a rendezvous and see them on Saturday, he had been back to the hospital but she was there and at the door we were able to refix the rendezvous and give her a restoration brochure.  She actually took it and with a huge look of gratitude gave the brochure a kiss and told us thank you.  I'm excited to meet with this family, they are really nice and so cool.  Then we met a lady from Ireland doing groceries and traded numbers, she's "big on Jesus" as she put it haha.

Gotta love a bowl of fresh free avocados!

 We've  been super blessed this week which is just awesome, God knows when His children are ready and for what step. It's cool to be His hands in small occasions as these. I know He watches over us and will do what He can, including promoting us to do our part, to help others progress and return to Him. That's my testimony. Love you guys and have a great week!!!! Also Joyeux Noël and can't wait to see you all soon :)

Lots of love,
Elder Laney

Light the World (week #6 Transfer #13)

Salut! Comment ca va? 

Well it's official, I am now an old missionary. I lived out my youth to its best, but now as I approach the next 6 months I am going head first, I'm excited and really looking forward to the experiences and miracles to come. Today Elder Tehahe and I sent off Elder Richmond and Elder Steadman, who will be heading home soon as their missions finish today! So crazy, I'm pumped for them and to hear how the normal life is going. Here I am receiving Elder Thorne and Elder Tehahe is receiving Elder Golightly, who was in the zone just up in Avignon, so I'm excited to have him down here. Elder Golightly is a boss and I've only heard good things about Elder Thorne so I'm super excited :) it's going to be the best transfer yet!!! 

 "I am the master of my fate: I am the captain of my soul." from Invictus

This week was really well spent, first off I'll start with yesterday, so we'll just recount this week backwards. Yesterday I met Soeur Manoa who came to church for the first time in a while, turns out she's from California, and for the first time someone from California told me they were from San Francisco!  (Most ppl end up from LA haha) and en plus she's from Concord!!!  What the heck! When they found out I was from Danville they flipped, talked about how they passed Danville all the time to go to In-N-Out. We had a good time, her husband is on the rugby team here in Toulon and they invited us for dinner so we all had a good time, so cool!  Anyways I love America :) it's super cool to meet someone from the hometown, 1st time I've met someone from right at home. So cool. And he gave us all free USA rugby jerseys too. Basically just like the best night of my mission so far.

The Family Monoa and free rugby jerseys for the Elders!

Soeur Manoa and Elders 

Anyway, the week went well, got to see Azam and play some ping pong with him, he wrecked us!  Turns out he trained in ping pong as a kid haha.  He's doing good, came to church and we'll hopefully be able to start seeing him more often now.  Got to see one of our members and her husband who are both really cool, he's open and might be interested in the lessons so we'll see where that goes. Trying to get into contact with some of our Amis, including Abraham. We were sad to have to push his baptism a bit further, we haven't had contact.  Anyway, I know he wants to and had faith in God, and he's ready, so well just help him jump on a bit more and he'll make the decision. We do what we can but in the end it's up to each of us to make our decisions, and this one is his, as it is for all of our Amis. We will do our absolute best to help this happen.   

Wonderful Family Home Evening dinner with elders, members and amis

Well I hope you all have a great week. Sorry about last weeks message; apparently part of it got cut off, so I'll just repeat it this week!  So my little thought today is to #LighttheWorld :) This December the Church has a program inviting us to go and serve someone every day. Each day before Christmas we have an activity or 2 we can do to help others, and a small video to watch that goes along with it to make Christmas a greater experience as we turn outwards to others. It's at www.Mormon.org where you will kick off for the season starting December 1. 

I love how much happier I am when I am focusing on others, and I think the program they have is super fun. Love you guys and I hope you all have a great start to winter :) again I am so grateful for the Christmas season, and also for this beautiful world God has given us, nature is always a testimony of Him to me, and I love this world's natural beauty. I'm grateful to have had a chance to see such beautiful sights today. 

Love you all and have an awesome week! 

Love,
Elder Laney

Light the World (week #5 Transfer #12)

Hey everyone! First, thanks for all you do and I hope you all had a great Thanksgiving.  I'm really grateful for my family and friends, you all mean the world to me.  It's so amazing to know I have the chance to know you all.  I love you guys and hope your week was good :)   My last week went well, having some trouble seeing our Amis but Dominique has made insane progress, we saw him and he was saying how he'd quit smoking by January, then Elder Richmond bore testimony he could do it then and there. Then Dominque said "why not".  So we got him some gum and he's been doing great!  Not quite there but nearly!  I'm pumped for him and for when he quits and is baptized :)  Abraham should be baptized this Saturday finally, we are going to get everything planned tonight :) Anyway, things are going well here in Toulon. We got to climb a mountain today on the coast, super cool, here's a picture.

Climbing mountains in Toulon

Well, my little thought today is to #LighttheWorld :) This December the Church has a program inviting us to go and serve someone every day.  Each day before Christmas we have an activity or two we can do to help others, and a small video to watch that goes along with it to make Christmas a greater experience as we turn outwards to others. It's at www.Mormon.org where you will kick off for the season starting December 1.

I love how much happier I am when I am focusing on others, and I think the program they have is super fun. Love you guys and I hope you all have a great start to winter :) again I am so grateful for the Christmas season, and also for this beautiful world God has given us, nature is always a testimony of Him to me, and I love this worlds natural beauty. I'm grateful to have had a chance to see such beautiful sights today. Have a great week! 

Love,
Elder Laney

Hey! (week #4 Transfer #12)

Hey everyone! This week was great :) Literally so many blessings.  Abraham had his baptismal interview a week ago and should be baptized this Saturday!  Gotta confirm the date is good for his family, but normally it should be good.  I'm super excited.  He's so awesome. Also Dominique and Azam are both doing awesome and approaching their date in 2 weeks, and we're going to work really hard so that this works out, I know through God all things are possible.  Anyway, they are all doing great, Didier and his mom too, I believe he might be making plans for baptism soon too if all goes well, he's changed so much and is so much more positive now.  I'm really excited for all that's going on.

Ping Pong Tournament

This week was great though, Monday through Thursday included seeing Azam and some other people from the Ward, a lot of planning for our festive conference on Saturday, including a honey glazed ham which Elder Richmond and I were really proud of haha:)  Conference and interviews went really well, the rest of the zone made some really good food and it turned out great, we all did some skits too which was really funny.  I played David in our skit and Elder Tehahe played Goliath.

We played ping pong and I hit it at his head to win, that was the real story of David and Goliath.


Fun stuff. Good week though, the coolest part was after church on Sunday (Azam and Dominique came :) ) we went to see Abraham, turns out his sister who is having a really hard time is living with them now for the moment, but we went over to see him and met her, she stayed for the lesson, and it was so cool because during the lesson her mood changed and by the end she had changed from tears to a more positive mood and to follow God, and said she trusted Him. It seems that Abraham's family is coming unto Christ. 

Zone Conference

I know we can trust Him and he never lets us down.  Have a good week and happy thanksgiving!!!!!  Write down what you're thankful for and share it with someone, I'm really thankful for so much. 

Lots of love,
Elder Laney

Learning to make croissants with Christopher, a member here in Toulon

The fruits of our labors.  They may not look professional but they tasted spectacular!