Elder McCarty and I have been caught off-guard multiple
times this week by fast-moving rain clouds, but aside from swimming home to the
apartment to change clothes we've had a great week!
Jeanne made it to church! She and Madeleine were both there! They had been awake since 11 in the morning on Saturday (I'm not sure why they didn't find the time to sleep), but they made the effort! We also had two other investigators at church: Marie and Jeremie! We taught them for the first time on Wednesday. Both are members of "l'église réformée d'Agen", a protestant evangelical church here. They were doubtful about reading the Book of Mormon, but accepted our invitation to come to church with us...if we went to church with them! So, with the permission of President Murdock, we went to a church meeting on Friday night. It was...a lot different, to say the least! Everyone there was very kind, and we were treated very kindly. As I sang along to the songs played by the band (the words were up on a projector screen), it just made me want to share the restored gospel with everyone there! Here I was, surrounded by tons of people with plenty of faith in Jesus Christ. They worship God with the light they have received, and I'd love to help them find more.
So, back to Marie and Jeremie! As promised, they came to church on Sunday morning! The lesson in Priesthood and Relief Society: Temple work! So that was new for them. At church, I gave Marie a copy of the Livre de Mormon with my testimony in it and several scriptures marked. She texted me throughout the day yesterday saying: "I'm reading 'Testimony of Joseph Smith'", and "wow! There are a lot of great things in the Book of Mormon! I would like to talk again!" I love it when people READ the Book of Mormon. It's such a simple thing to do, but SO MANY people find some lame excuse to not read it and thus miss all the truth and power written in its pages. If all of our investigators would really read the book...that would be SO COOL.
One other thing: On Saturday morning I said "bonjour" to an old lady passing by on her bike. She flashed me the kindest smile I had seen in a long time. But then she was gone. In the afternoon, we were the ones on bikes, and I said "bonjour" to another old lady on the other side of the city. But then I saw that same smile and realized it was the same woman. I hit my brakes and turned around, with Elder McCarty following. We rode back up to her and I said "Je pense qu'on s'est vu ce matin, n'est-ce pas?" She told me that indeed, we had seen each other that morning. She had been surprised that two young men she didn't know would say hello to her. We got to talking a little, and she explained that her husband had died less than a year ago. She's catholic. I asked her: "do you believe that families are forever?" She looked at me with wide eyes and said: "I don't know. What can you tell me about that?" We then talked about the restoration of the gospel and the plan of salvation. When I explained the Great Apostasy, she said: "I have asked so many different representatives from so many different religions and you are the first who've been able to explain that to me."
In short, Madame Bouysses is, in my opinion, prepared to receive the gospel! I'm so excited to call her in two weeks when she comes back from a vacation! We left her with two brochures on the restoration and the family.
I am loving my time here in Agen. We are working and searching! The Gospel is true!
I love you all!
-Elder Brown
Jeanne made it to church! She and Madeleine were both there! They had been awake since 11 in the morning on Saturday (I'm not sure why they didn't find the time to sleep), but they made the effort! We also had two other investigators at church: Marie and Jeremie! We taught them for the first time on Wednesday. Both are members of "l'église réformée d'Agen", a protestant evangelical church here. They were doubtful about reading the Book of Mormon, but accepted our invitation to come to church with us...if we went to church with them! So, with the permission of President Murdock, we went to a church meeting on Friday night. It was...a lot different, to say the least! Everyone there was very kind, and we were treated very kindly. As I sang along to the songs played by the band (the words were up on a projector screen), it just made me want to share the restored gospel with everyone there! Here I was, surrounded by tons of people with plenty of faith in Jesus Christ. They worship God with the light they have received, and I'd love to help them find more.
So, back to Marie and Jeremie! As promised, they came to church on Sunday morning! The lesson in Priesthood and Relief Society: Temple work! So that was new for them. At church, I gave Marie a copy of the Livre de Mormon with my testimony in it and several scriptures marked. She texted me throughout the day yesterday saying: "I'm reading 'Testimony of Joseph Smith'", and "wow! There are a lot of great things in the Book of Mormon! I would like to talk again!" I love it when people READ the Book of Mormon. It's such a simple thing to do, but SO MANY people find some lame excuse to not read it and thus miss all the truth and power written in its pages. If all of our investigators would really read the book...that would be SO COOL.
One other thing: On Saturday morning I said "bonjour" to an old lady passing by on her bike. She flashed me the kindest smile I had seen in a long time. But then she was gone. In the afternoon, we were the ones on bikes, and I said "bonjour" to another old lady on the other side of the city. But then I saw that same smile and realized it was the same woman. I hit my brakes and turned around, with Elder McCarty following. We rode back up to her and I said "Je pense qu'on s'est vu ce matin, n'est-ce pas?" She told me that indeed, we had seen each other that morning. She had been surprised that two young men she didn't know would say hello to her. We got to talking a little, and she explained that her husband had died less than a year ago. She's catholic. I asked her: "do you believe that families are forever?" She looked at me with wide eyes and said: "I don't know. What can you tell me about that?" We then talked about the restoration of the gospel and the plan of salvation. When I explained the Great Apostasy, she said: "I have asked so many different representatives from so many different religions and you are the first who've been able to explain that to me."
In short, Madame Bouysses is, in my opinion, prepared to receive the gospel! I'm so excited to call her in two weeks when she comes back from a vacation! We left her with two brochures on the restoration and the family.
I am loving my time here in Agen. We are working and searching! The Gospel is true!
I love you all!
-Elder Brown
