Blessings - 4/6/15

Hi everyone!

Sorry I haven't written in a while. I promise I planned on writing last week, but we were somewhat deterred as Elder Stanford and I spent about... seven... and half hours waiting in line to do my second year legality. Vivre la France! For real though, It's crazy to think that I'm coming-up on a year in the mission. Haha

So, there's a man that I've yet to mention in my weekly emails. His name is Lony Loungoussi. In the middle of the last transfer, Elder Stanford and I split-up on a bus to do some contacting as we travelled to a lesson. I walked to the back of the bus and noticed a man staring at me and my missionary badge. He looked open enough, and as I approached him, he beat me to the punch and says "Vous êtes Mormon?" Upon positively affirming, he went off on how the church had changed his nephew's life in Lyon, and how he wanted that for himself. He then quickly wrote down his address, phone number, and took a rendez-vous before getting off the bus.

Here we are about a month and a half later, and Lony Loungoussi is one of the most prepared investigators I have ever taught. In the first three weeks of teaching him, he gave-up alcohol, tobacco, tea, and coffee, and managed to utterly change his life around. He's technically Muslim as he married a Muslim woman in the Muslim faith, but his heart rests with Christ. I have been so blessed to watch the faith of this man flourish, and I have been amazed by the efforts that he has taken to come unto Christ.

Yesterday, Frère Loungoussi took the hour and half journey with us to a ward farther south to watch general conference, and he loved every minute of it. He expressed his desires to be with his family forever and to help convert his wife. He has a five year-old daughter too, and he prays that they may all one day be united in the faith. I, myself, was often found thinking about how glorious the message of the Gospel is and how it will impact my future family for the better, and I cannot express the joy that I felt as I realized that this man sitting next to me was experiencing the same thing. His baptismal date is on April 18th, and I cannot wait to see him take this vital step.

Lony Loungoussi has inspired me to be a better person. There are so many things that I've learned from him. To name a few: 1) Imagine what this man could have missed had his nephew skipped the opportunity to testify of the gospel to his family after he was baptized. 2) Imagine what Elder Stanford and I could have missed had we lazily plopped down next to each other and avoided others during the voyage. 3) Witnessing the enthousiasm of Lony helps me to see how much I take for granted. Frère Loungossi works a night shift from 8pm to 8am, and I've been stunned to learn during some of our rendez-vous how he had deprived himself of sleep for church or a lesson.

It has been one of my greatest blessings on my mission to teach Lony Loungossi.

- Check-out this sweet sunset that we witnessed upon walking out of conference in Evry.

- I had the blessing to go on exchanges with my old companion Elder Toscano this week. T'was great.

- Said exchange took place in a small city called Chartres with one of the most beautiful cathedrals that I've ever seen.

- This is a part of Elder Stanford an my's vast collection of photos from our adventure at the L'Hay Les Roses Préfecture (where you go to do legality)!