I can't believe that it's been almost 1 year since Elder Ferguson left  on his mission.  May 30th to be exact.  

I decided that although I have been a slacker blogger.....I'm not gonna mention it.  ( oh wait....) Let's just pretend that I have been diligent in my posts and I have keep you all updated on how things are going with him.  Instead of trying to catch up, I decided that I would touch on a few highlights.  Just know that we have been receiving emails every monday morning and Ryan is doing well.  

In January he wrote....

".....at church, out of the blue, a 23 year old kid walks in.  No one knew him.  His name is Alexandre.  He went on an exchange program in high school with a family in Utah and they took him to church with them.  He had been looking for 2 years for the church in France and found one 45 minutes away from where he lived.......our ward...and he wants to be baptized.  The members were so excited.  They just flipped and were talking to him and taking him to classes.  It was the most active I have seen the members in a long time.  They loved it.  The miracles are just starting to fall right in front of us and I am loving it.  My collegue (companion) and I had been sad because we had no one to teach at the time.  We pleaded with our Heavenly Father to help some one prepared for the gospel find us.  The next Sunday was the day Alexandre came into the chapel asking to meet the missionaries."

Alexandre was baptized 4 weeks later.  :) 

Another time he asked us to have the missionaries in our home to teach new member lessons.  He wrote....

"......that would sure bring a strong spirit to the house, and trust me, I know that the missionaries would like it.  If only the members here would offer their home for a lesson just once a week.  One little hour a week dedicated to the lord doesn't seem like so much when you have 168 hours a week......that's 10,080 minutes.  You could give 60, no problem, to the Lord.   604,800 seconds and you're only gonna have to give up 3,600.  :)  Math is a lot more fun when you use it for the Lord."

Wierdo. 

After Avignon, Ryan was transferred to Montpellier and then Marseille.  When he was in Montpellier he wrote....

"....we've been asked to not talk to or approach the Muslims because of the war in Mali with France.  It's kind of on lock down here ya know....since the war is so close to us.....it's just across the Mediterranean sea, so that's always fun."

"....We are also teaching a Russian man named Ivan. He is so cool.  He doesn't speak much french or english....so I'm teaching him in russian/english mix....That is the gift of tongues at work.  He is almost done reading the Book of Mormon."

In his next letter.....

"....The Russian man we are teaching is really a miracle.  This week he went to Ukraine to visit some friends and he is going to Kiev so we told him to pass by the temple and to take a tour.  I think he might be getting baptized very soon.  Haha...you can always put your money on the temple."

A couple weeks later he writes.....

"....here's a funny story about our Russian investigator.  I get a call from an out of country phone number.  I answer it and it's our Russian ami.......calling me from a prison in Russia......and this is what he tells me in english.   And I quote....(read in a Russian accent)......"Ferguson, I have something to tell you....I don't want to lie to you.  My name isn't what I told you it was and I am in the jail...I hope you can forgive me brother."  .....and then he hung up.  hahaha  I think we might have been teaching a mobster.  Hahaha  Anywho....needless to say , we are not teaching him anymore.  

"....We were teaching this Spanish family and the husband and wife weren't really interested.  We were doing all we could to have the spirit with us....I just felt like I blew the lesson and talked too much....so at the end i asked if we could set another day to come back and I heard from behind the couch, where the kids were listening, that they wanted us to come back the next day.  I hadn't noticed that they were all listening attentively.  It just made me realize that no matter where we are or what we do someone is always paying attention and it might not be the best timing for one person but maybe it's perfect for another.  It was a real testimony builder of the spirit touching others.  ;)  Even if I talk too much!!"

Just recently, about 2 weeks ago now, while Ryan was in Marseille, he had an "incident".  I get a call from the mission President.  I missed the call but President Roney left a message.  It's not a great moment when you hear that your son has been kicked in the face by some "Muslim punks".  Ryan said he was ok but President Roney said he sent him to the hospital to get checked out anyway.  We were able to talk with President Roney later that night and get a few more details.  Ryan had a concussion and a slight fracture in his jaw but was ok.  (Sigh) 

Tim spoke on the phone with the President and in the beginning of the conversation I heard him say, "I told my wife that if he was going to get kicked in the face, at least it was for the Lord." A lot of laughter followed and when I asked Tim what was so funny he said that when President Roney heard that he started laughing and said, "That is so funny.  When I spoke to your son after it happened, one of the first things he said was.....well, if it was gonna happen, at least I got kicked in the face for Jesus.   :)

Like father, like son.  Two peas in a pod I tell ya. 

I'm hoping I don't have to get any more calls like that.  

 He has loved the south of France and the people there.  We just found out this last letter that he was transferred a little north to Dijon.  Yes.  Like the mustard.  :) 

Here's what he had to say about it.  

".......This is the nicest city ever.  Shoot....it's so dang clean and the nicest temperature.  I love Dijon."

I can't wait to hear about his new experiences in Dijon with his new companion, Elder Williams.  He was excited for the change but is always willing to go and serve wherever he is asked to go. 

Elder Ryan Ferguson Slide Show

Dear mom,
I am getting on a train right now.  I just got transfered to Avignon.  I will try to write you later today.   If not, I can tomorrow ... I love you so much.  à bientôt (See ya later)

This is my letter last week.  As you can imagine....I was hungry for more.  Luckily....this came a few hours later.  

Dear mother, 

Here I am sitting in a stinky little internet café next to some guy on his myspace page. ha ha.  This city is beautiful.  It looks like how you would think that "real" french cities would look like.   There is a castle wall around the whole city.  There is a palace called "de le pope" here.  It is where the french pope lived.  There is also a little bridge here.  It's awesome.   My new collegue is Elder Arrington.  We were in the mtc together .... President made me the senior collegue.  Elder Arrington is really funny and really great.   We are going to light this place up .... after i clean the batiment . (not sure i get this joke.  ;) hahahah Well, not a ton to report yet.  Im really tired from traveling and I have a lot of unpacking to do.  I made all the members in the ward cry in Grenoble, so im feeling good about myself .... :)  It was snowing in grenoble and now I'm feeling the need for short sleeves here.  It's so crazy.  Well this week will be a little short because I need to go shopping and unpack all before 6.  I love you so so much mom and i hope you are having a rocking week.

He seems to be doing well.  We are excited for his transfer.  New scenery, a new companion and new people to meet. 

With Elder Hughes and a friend before the transfer. 

I'm sorry...those pointy shoes are just too much.  ;)

At least my boy's not going hungry.  

Here is a snippet from Elder Ferguson's letter last month.

It was really fun being in Lyon for the week.  I had the opportunity  to be with a lot of great missionaries.  I went out with Elder Sopi ,who is from Paris and Elder Tromeur who is from Italy. That did wonders for my french and  I loved that, plus they are both so nice and funny.  The next day i got to go out with the assistants.  That was amazing.  I just got to let loose with 2 people as excited about missionary work as me.  We contacted over 200 people on the street and ported a whole building.  I  got 6 numbers and they each got 8 and 9.  I was on fire.  I loved it.  At the end of the day i asked them what i could work on and they said nothing.  Just my french, which made me happy.  They told me they loved that i was a funny missionary that worked hard and that i had courage to go up and talk to people on the bus.  That made me feel good... its tough to be back here in Grenoble but i still love it ..... I miss the whole family.  Thank you so much for the pictures.  I will send you a few also .... all the Lyon  missionaries feasted for Thanksgiving.  We had chicken.  It's so  funny because 3/4 of our zone are Europeans and there were like, "what is this magical sauce?" ..... I said, "that's gravy my friend.   ha ha They loved it and were asking what we did besides eat on Thanksgiving.   It was funny explaining that we nap.  hahaha Did you know that 1 turkey here is 80 euros .... yikes that/s almost 100 dollars. 

Well, I would love if you would pray for me.  I love you so much and i will ttys.

 Love oodles and oodles,

 Elder Ryan Ferguson

Yup.  That's my boy. 

Well now that's just sad.  ;(

A Strong Testimony and Slobbery Kisses

I've been a bit of a lazy blogger lately.  Please don't rat me out in your next letter to Elder Ferguson.  ;) 

I can't believe that I have 4 weeks to catch up on.  Sooo.....let's get at it.  Hope you don't mind my commentary in blue.  

Dear mom,

Thanks for your letter.  

So you bought some classy water huh? ( I bought some pelligrino water for the family to try because he drinks it all the time.  gross.)

I drink it because you should taste the water here.  Straight nasty.  No filter.  Yuck.  Everyone here gives you sparkling water so I'm used to it now.....there is nothing worse then being so so thirsty because there are no water fountains in France and some one gives you that stuff.  Hahaha .....but I'm used to it now.  I get mad compliments on the pointy shoes.  ( He needed to get a new pair of shoes and so he bought some pointy ones which I quickly made fun of)  That's all they have here.  The kids wear black tennis shoes to church because they hate the pointy ones.

This is the answer I got when I asked if people in the ward "double cheek kiss" the missionaries.  

No, the members at church don't kiss the Elders...just the sisters....but some cute girls in the street have tried to double cheek kiss me before and asked me to go out on dates and invited me to get drinks.  hahaha  They are interested in the gospel of Ryan but not the Gospel of Jesus Christ..........but I will change that.  

This week has been really weird because of that thing that happened in Libya.  We're not allowed to go to any areas with Muslims or Arabs....so we lost some of our amies.....and the computer at the church got stolen so right now I'm on the Bishop's laptop.  

I asked Ryan if there was anything that he would like me to send him.

Yes.  I would love some kool aid and a box of poptarts.  Elder Han doesn't know what they are.  Some more pictures of the fam and some of my friends.  Ohhh!!!! American deodorant!!!!!! Old spice fiji si vous plais!!!!!

I also asked him what kinds of things he typically eats everyday.  

I drink a protein milk thing every morning for breakfast and something always different for lunch.  I had a steak sandwich yesterday and taco salad the other day......oh yea...could you send some taco bell seasoning for meat too.  I have eaten snails.  They are so good...too bad they're so small.  (ick)

The other day we were doing some contacting and there was this man on his bike and i felt a strong urge to stop him.  We never stop people on bikes but I asked him if he spoke English......I knew he probably didn't...but people always stop for that stuff.  haha.  He said no so I told him I was a missionary and he said he knew and that he wasn't interested.  He then noticed my Livre de Mormon and said, "oh you're Mormon and not Temoin Jehova ( jehovah's witness)  We ended up setting up a rdv (appt) and after we taught the lesson...without him even praying about it...he said that he knew that Joseph Smith was a prophet.....can you say golden?....shoot dang.  We set a baptismal date right then and there.  The next rdv he got so so so happy because half of his family had just died a few months ago....really sad....but he jumped for joy.  That in turn made me so so happy.  I love bringing joy to other peoples lives. 

( please pause for mom tears.  sniff sniff )

Here's some more....

Dear Mommy,

(That's Ry's way to tell me he love's me ;) )

quoi de neuf?  (What's new?)

Not much new here.  I sent some cool stories to Jordan and Dad so I won't bother to write the same stories in your email.  

I'm sick with a cold ...like hard core sick.  It stinks but today is p-day so I can reposer a peu. ( Rest a little )

We went contacting at the university.  I love talking to people my age.  When we go contacting we take a huge picture of Jesus and the sister missionaries stand by the board and try to stop people while me and Elder Han go and just walk by people and talk to the whole world.  Its funny because if you just try to stop some one by saying "hello, we are missionaries", it doesn't really work.  The sisters will do that and then when someone says no, they will just give up.  Elder Han is just so loving and cares about everyone that they all want to stop for him and at least just talk.  The sisters say I'm enthusiastic and the people see that we're not this crazy church but that we are normal kids just doing what we believe is right....sadly it gets all the crazies to come and talk to me...but I can handle them pretty well.  :) Like the other day, this Italian man came up to me and told me he was God and then he tried to use the force on me....so I used the force back on him and he freaked out and ran away.  Oh well.  There were also these kids listening to classic old school break dancing music...like the kind in every robot dance beatbox scene in the movies...so I walked over by them and started to tie my shoe then busted out in a robot dance.  I did my robot arm wave, hand to my pocket, spun around and gave them a pass along card then moonwalked away.  They called me back and after we laughed a little I bore my testimony and invited them to come to family night for young adults.  They said heck yea, we will come. I try to do a lot of creative stuff like that.  The skate board trick worked pretty well...and also beat box hymns.  lol.  You just have to use your talents in missionary work.  I think Heavenly Father called me AND my sense of humor of France.  Not just a cold body that will recite lines.  I'm glad that I realized that....that's my word of advice for all future missionaries.  Be yourself and have fun with the work.....like Jacob my cuz will rock the house as a missionary.  He can connect with anyone who is creative and likes movies or music.  Our talents....we need to use them. You have to read a statement for David O. Mckay called, A Personal Interview with the Savior.......

..... In 1965, President David O. McKay made the following statement to a group of Church employees: Let me assure you, Brethren, that some day you will have a personal priesthood interview with the Savior himself. If you are interested, I will tell you the order in which he will ask you to account for your earthly responsibilities. 

First, he will request an accountability report about your relationship with your wife. Have you actively been engaged in making her happy and ensuring that her needs have been met as an individual? 

Second, he will want an accountability report about each of your children individually. He will not attempt to have this for simply a family stewardship but will request information about your relationship to each and every child. 

Third, he will want to know what you personally have done with the talents you were given in the preexistence. 

Fourth, he will want a summary of your activity in your Church assignments. He will not be necessarily interested in what assignments you have had, for in his eyes the home teacher and a mission president are probably equals, but he will request a summary of how you have been of service to your fellow man in your Church assignments. 

Fifth, he will have no interest in how you earned your living but if you were honest in all your dealings. 

Sixth, he will ask for an accountability on what you have done to contribute in a positive manner to your community, state, country, and the world. 

(Reported by Cloyd Hofheins in a talk to the Seventies Quorum of Provo Utah Oak Hills Stake, May 16, 1982) 

Viola! There it is for you.  :)  I am loving my mission.  I know what I am doing is the right thing and I love you so much mamma.  I hope you are doing well...tell Aunt Kim that I love her and I hope you guys are having fun.  (I was with my sister in San Francisco when I wrote him)

Love,

Elder Ferguson

In a letter to his sister Jordan......

(Ryan had predicted that something would happen and it did)

.....I told you that would happen...spiritual gifts i got.  Tons gifts of discernment.....like a fortune teller....speaking of fortune tellers......Gypsies. There are tons of Romanian gypsies.  They like to protect us.  I love it.  There were some Arabian kids that were heckling us again and not letting us walk past..boom..2 seconds later 30 Romanian gypsies that don't speak french came to our rescue and were yelling at the teeny boppers.  haha  For some reason they won't shake Elder Han's hand but they shake mine because I give all the little kids stickers. lol. They are so nice and I love them, I can even speak a little Romanian.  Pretty sweet huh? 
Something I have learned on my mission a fo sho avec the French people...be straight up don't beat around the bush.  Put it all out there, they will find out sooner or later so why not give them the full option and not have them wonder what you are there for.  Heavenly Father doesn't make things just happen out of no where.  He gives us opportunities and if you don't act on them ...that was your own free choice. 
p.s. yesterday we went contacting downtown and we got trapped in a crowd and somehow ended up behind stage with a bunch of super models at a fashion show changing......hardest day of my mission......hahaha  jk jk jk...but for real....super models. Had to run away from that Babylon.....my natural man will hate myself for the rest of my life.  :) 

Ok....go ahead and take a snack break...but hurry back 'cause there's more......

Dear Mom,
........I just wanted to tell you that I had an awesome week, we taught a ton of lessons and I dream in French now.  I always seem to have a sweet mustache when I dream in French. I think it is revelation.  haha I also bore a powerful testimony about how I know there is a living prophet on the earth today.  

.........Oh I forgot to tell you....(wait for this one ....)
We had this guy in our ward....well a little crazy....and he snuck into the church on last Monday night....and started to steal stuff.  He didn't know that we were having family night for young adults there  so when the brother in charge saw him, he told him to leave.  The one guy started screaming and swearing in French...then he started to attack the one brother and knocked him out.....there was only one thing to do to save this brother's life....send a tiny Asian Mr. Han to save him, or go myself...so I went and I used my sweet wrestling moves to anaconda squeeze him and hold him down and then we called the police and they came and found tons of drugs and illegal stuff and took him to jail.  Because I acted super fast and was in the right place at the right time I helped to save a life.  cool huh?  (ummmmmmmmm????)

I later found out that Elder Han is a second degree black belt in tae kwan do.  hahaha What a punk.  hahaha

.....I only study and read and think and speak in French.  I really like D and C chapter 18.  Read it.  It's really cool because in verse 9 it says that he talks to us like he talked to Paul because we have the same call and power as him.   Missionaries are boss.   :)

another story...

We were teaching an old ami qui lost contact with the missionaries and regained it with us.  We were teaching the first lecon and he had a really hard time with the prophet today and so me and Elder Han bore some powerful testimony that he was shaken and he couldn't deny it any more.  He said it must be true so we invited him to pray about it to know if it is true.....boom...missionary work.  
Also...yesterday we were going to see our DMP (ward mission leader) and the sisters in our ville saw one of their amies who is a 75 year old woman and lets just say a little bit .....coo coo.  When she was leaving she bised the sisters......that's the double cheek kiss.  We laughed because they were slobbery ones.  Then she came for Elder Han because she was saying how gentil he is....his face was priceless.  He was like, "non j'ai pas le droight" ( I have not the right) but she did anyways.  I laughed so hard....then the unexpected happened.  She came for me.  It wasn't funny at that point and I had a decision to make.  I could go out crying like a little girl like Elder Han ...hahaha....or could one up her.....obviously I chose the latter.  I bised her first haha then told her politely that the Elders don't have the right to bise and she was like, "oh I'm sorry...you are such a great young man".  haha.  Boom.   p.s.  I think our beards got tangled.  hahah jk jk jk. 
( oh boy :)) 
In our mission, President Roney has promised us that if we follow the rules with exactness, we will see miracles. 
Ryan wrote that last statement in response to something his dad wrote him.  I wanted to share a part of that....

"....Have a fantastic week.  Keep doing all the Lord asks you to do.  Follow the mission rules to the letter and spirit of the law.  Do not bend them for anyone or anything.  Stay steadfast in all that you do and you will bring joy to your Heavenly Father, Savior, and your mom and me.  I never understand when an elder wants to follow the rules perfectly that he is labeled a do gooder.  Isn't that what the mission is all about?  It made me crazy in my mission.  I wish I would have been more zealous in my following of the rules and would have counseled some of my fellow elders better.  Remember this.  We all go thru it on the mission.  How you handle it will help you throughout your life.  There is no grey when it comes to heaven.  choose the right.  I love you son. "

Yea.  I agree.  I'm a lucky girl.  

Donald and the gangsters

In addition to our weekly email this week we were also lucky to receive a good old fashioned snail mail letter from our missionary. (whom we have been know to refer to as "Frenchy" on occasion)  We knew that he had written us but we weren't sure when it would come.  It took about 2 weeks in case you were wondering.  :)

Here is some of what he shared in his email.......

Dear Mom,

Not much new going on here.  Just doing the work ya know? Time is flying by.  I just have one more week till the end of this transfer....what's up with that craziness? I hope you didn't post that picture of me under that big sign.  (I did) Because it says hugo balzac. Haha I'm still a 19 year old boy ya know.  (I'm so naive ....I didn't even notice that.  oh boy. ;) That's Ry for ya.  )

Yesterday I went to a members house and had crepes....heck yes..my favorite!

Contacting new people is really hard here.  The french are really tough on the outside so it's hard for them to open up, but we work really hard.  We haven't had another lesson with Mireille....the forest lady....we think she is avoiding us.  haha

We had a baptism this week!  His name is Zhang Jia Jun but I just call him by his english name, Donald, and no, I didn't choose that for him.  I of course wanted optimus prime, but he wouldn't go for that.  He choose Donald because he likes Donald Duck.  :)  I got to baptize him.  It was such an awesome experience.  He is 18 years old and wants to serve a mission.  Isn't that awesome?  If I don't do anything else on my mission, I have already done a lot because he will serve a mission and baptize someone who will serve a mission and so on and so on.  I made a dent in the space time continuum.  . Haha.  That was pretty amazing so look for those pictures.  
We went to zone conference and Elder Teixiera and his wife spoke.  He is a seventy.  It was pretty sweet!  His wife told me to tell you that she loved you all and to read the book of mormon everyday.  :)
and
.........well I love you so much.  It's been kind of a slow week so not too many note worthy stories.  I taught Elder Han the ghostbusters song.  Donald took us to KFC...the only place in Europe with free refills....and it's freaking Pepsi.  haha (we're a diet coke family)

Here is something he wrote his dad.....

....work is always stressful...that's why the french are really smart and everyone here during the summer gets 5 weeks off.  The men in the ward are just starting to go back to work.  :) I thought you would like that way of thinking.  I know I would.  

Here are some pictures we received. 
 ( I am so grateful for modern technology)

Now....if I still have your attention......Here are parts of his hand written letter.

.......We went "street bording" (just when we go stand on a corner with a sign...it's only in the France Lyon Mission.....for now) and we met this young man named Max.  He is from Peru.  We stopped him and talked a little and he ended up inviting us to come to his house to teach more.  So awesome.  
Grenoble is a really tough city to find new investigators in.  The people are kind of rich and they always say, "no, your church is for the poor."  haha Don't they recognize "money bags jags"?  ( this is what we used to call Ry ...inside family joke)

Here is a cool fun fact....in France they don't call missionaries green when they are new.  They call them blue.  haha oh silly french...always trying to be hipsters.
In "Preach my Gospel" it says to talk to everyone in it.  Well they need to put ..."talk to everyone except Arabian men with yamika caps and ladies in full ninja suits....because they will freak out at you".  Ha Ha. 
The members here are great!  Some of the hardest working, most spiritual people I have ever met.  They are so great to us.  There is this little girl in the ward who has a crush on me.  She is adorable.....I can't understand what she says but adorable! :)  She always comes up to me and says in french .."ask me my name"...so I do and then she says "Emily" and runs away.  Ha ha 
People here don't really shake hands....they give the double cheek kiss.  It's really funny....all I can think about is how Jordan would hate it.  Ha Ha  Speaking of kissing....people are always making out in public...like waiting for the train and stuff...so bizarre. I'm kind of used to it now. 
It's strange how fast the days go by when you are busy. 
The food here is aweome.  I don't know if I can come back home.  I mean I love getting fresh bread and eating it when I want.  I can't go back to "grandma sycamores" .  It's not the same.  ( a brand of bread he used to eat up at school)
One day I was finishing up my etude en equipe (companion study)
and I didn't really want to do my language study so I thought i'd just read my scriptures.  While I was reading in Judges 12 I read verses 5 & 6.....Go read them now before you continue or you won't get it....

(here are the verses.........
5 and the Gileadites took the passages of Jordan before the Ephraimites: and it was so that when those Ephraimites which were escaped said, Let me go over; that the men of Gilead said unto him, art thou an Ephraimite? If he said, Nay 
6 then said they unto him, say now Shibboleth: and he said Sibboleth: for he could not frame to pronounce it right.  Then they took him, and slew him at the passages of Jordan: and there fell at the time of the Ephraimites forty and two thousand.)

............I will never skip language study again.  :)
My french is getting really good actually.  The members tell me so.  I can understand a lot and it becomes so daily.  I even tell some jokes in french. So Ouais!  We went to a family night tonight with some members of the ward and it was so great.  They are a family of Islanders....So Gentil.  I love the people!
Don't get me started on the suits! Can you say classy? 
The people here are so classy.  When you go to their house, they always ask you if you want a drink and they bring out tiny glasses of juice or sparkling water on a freaking silver platter! Why isn't America classy like that?  Shoot! We gotta step up our game....silver platter status.  
They have this stuff here called Sirop. You mix it with water or sparkling water or milk and it is so delicious! I will bring it to America and become rich.  haha
Some good news....I lost some weight.  I weigh 73 kilograms....too bad I don't know who much that is.  ;) 
Oh and one last funny story.  There is this "guy" (a pimp) and he always comes up to us at the bus stop trying to sell his "wares" or "goods" ...that's what we'll call them.....so we decided to sell him our "goods"...the Book of Mormon.  It is so funny.  He is like "no, no never" and we do the same thing to him.  haha He is really nice thought and says he is looking out for us and will give us protection.  Also the mafia really like missionaries too.....all the gangsters love us. :)

So I know that was a lot to read.  I just wanted to share with you what made me smile.  :)

We got some pretty great letters from the boy this week. One for me, one for dad and one for Jordan.  We, of course all share our letters with each other so when ya put them all together it made for a great one.  Here are some of the things he shared with me in my letter......

"We have been teaching so many lessons here. I love it.  All of the people seem to really accept our message. It's great!.  We found 2 new amies (friends - hope you remembered that from last letter....there will be a quiz later)  that are so cool.  They are totally normal and  they don't smoke. :)  I love when we find people that don't smoke.  I really love the scripture D&C 128: 22.  It's about having courage and continually looking forward to victory and never looking back.  Read it!.

 I need to go look for a new suit today because the gray one i bought doesn't fit.  I got too skinny.  It was perfect in the MTC but now it looks like i'm wearing my daddy's suit.  It's that bad.  

It's so nice to hear that I have the support of the members of the ward.  I'm so glad that you guys raised me the way you raised me and I'm happy for all the times I listened to you and didn't listen to you, believe it or not.  All the mistakes I have made in my past have made me a better missionary.....don't tell Trevor that.  Haha Pass my love on to everyone in the ward and tell them "you're welcome" because I pray for them every night. I love you so much and can't wait to hear all the cool stories next week.  I will keep on teaching and you keep on perseverer jusqu'a la fin. (Endure to the end)

Here's a fun story from his letter to his sister Jordan......

I have a cool story for you.  We were walking down the street and these teenage punks were yelling at us from a skate park.  So what do I do?  I went and said hi and told them we're the missionaries for the church.  I told them we weren't Jehovah witnesses.  They said they were sorry.........everyone here thinks we are "jehovah witnesses"  Anyways....they were skating and stunk really bad so I asked them what that thing was that they were doing and they laughed really hard and said " a skateboard".  I told them it looked really cool and wished I could try.  They laughed really hard and I said if I could do it that they would have to listen to a lesson from us and if not then I would have to give them all a euro each.  They laughed and gave me shoes and a skateboard.  Elder Han just laughed.....he knows what's up.  I showed them up.  I was riding the bowl like they had never seen.  They thought I was a professional.  It was hillarious.  They wouldn't listen to a lesson because they said I had cheated but now they will show the missionaries some respect.  Pretty cool huh?  I love it here and I miss you.  Just keep looking forward and everything will work out.  Read D&C 128:22 and look forward to victory. Haha.  I love you and I will have more funny stories for you next week.  

...And here are some snippets from his letter to his dad...

I'm jealous that I missed the wedding (His cousin Emily was sealed in the Logan temple a couple weeks ago) It sounds like you had a lot of fun...but then again...I am in France getting fed all the time.  We call them mangez-vous (you eat) instead of rendez-vous (appointment).  Hahaha   The members here are so nice.  They always want to feed us.  It's so funny, they'll always say "I'll make american food for you"..........I've had cheeseburgers for 19 years..give me something french like duck liver or something....sheesh!   :)

We had such a cool experience this week.  After we had finished fishing, we went to have lunch in the forest.  We saw this lady sitting there so we decided to talk to her.  She was really interested in my plaque (this word translates to be "plate" but Tim informs me that it's probably his name tag)....she was done for......haha.....so we told her what we did and gave her a cool little forest lesson and set up another rendez-vous for the next day.  Guess what?  She was really there and she liked our second lesson too.  What an awesome miracle!

there are these little kids that every time they see us they come to get a sticker.  I'm cool like that and I bought stickers for random children haha.  Maybe they will always remember that those guys in the white shirts gave me free stuff as a kid so maybe they will let future missionaries in one day.  So cool.  

I love you pops.  I'm sending some snail mail today so look for that.  I love you and you're awesome. 

Here's a couple pictures he sent.  

We were happy to hear from our missionary.  We are so proud.  

P.S.  Is anyone reading this blog?  :)