Week 4 Transfer 2 (Jacob-Toulon)

This will be my last "that week went by fast" comment and we can now just assume the week was way too fast. It was a pretty crazy week! We started with Monday and a very awesome P-Day! The miracles started pouring out as soon as it hit 6 o'clock. We started contacting and it was literally pouring rain and the wind was blowing sooooo hard!!! We were so tempted to stay in and just make calls and do area book work until the end of the night but we decided that it was the time to get out. (Oh also Elder Blythe hurt his back earlier in the day from lifting something and it really hurt his back to the point that he could not move. He was still feeling that as we sat in our apartment Monday night, and after a priesthood blessing we decided to go out and just go hard for the 3 hours of the night.) We got out and started walking slowing both because of the wind and Elder Blythe's back but we were contacting those on route. Then we were about halfway down the road when we got an even bigger blast of wind and we contacted this lady, explained a little, while taking cover, and asked if we could pray with her right then. (Now remember the wind was literally strong enough to knock down a small child.) So we prayed right there and then explained for a couple minutes our message and then asked her to pray to finish. She said yes and began, but said nothing. So we sat there for about a minute with only the wind raging in our ears, but the spirit began to testify and it got the point where tears were coming to us all. She said I don't want to ruin the feeling and she just ended in the name of Jesus Christ. We left her and went back on our way. Then Elder Blythe noticed his back wasn't hurting anymore. That is when you KNOW, there are ministering angels there bearing us up and testifying to those with whom we come in contact. (Interesting that mom then sends a talk in the weekly letter about ministering angels...) 

That was an amazing experience and then when we taught her just the other day we found out that her mom had just died a couple days earlier which only confirmed our witness of the préparation she has already had. Amazing. so then we had another amazing day the next day with Zone Conference! (plus interviews) To explain the conference schedule, every transfer, we have 2 District meetings, 2 Zone meetings and 2 weeks off.  One of the zone meetings is "Zone Training" and is run by the Zone Leader and President is not there. Then "Zone Conference" is run by President and his wife and the assistants.  We had that last week.

That was awesome because we got to Nice early (around 8) and so Elder Blythe and I  just contacted everyone on the way and we ended up teaching someone right before getting on a bus and then got their number. So that was a nice little present to give to the Zone Leaders when we got to the chapel.  and we got learn all about how to baptize!!! President taught us and he gave us the secret. He told us the one thing that if we use it we will instantly baptize more. No I am just kidding, unfortunately it doesn't work that way. We talked all about service and how when we serve people, we gain a love for them and it is super awesome! Interviews were good. President Roney is sooo smart, inspired, and funny! It is so awesome to be able to talk with him and just bear my soul out with my hours of questions and comments and worries and problems. Well actually the interview was only about 5 minutes...They really depend on the missionary having stuff to talk about and next time I am going to try to glean more this amazing man of a leader.

Elder Kunzler is our new Zone leader and is super great! I have already met him several times and he trained an Elder that was in the MTC with me. He is super funny and plein d'energie (full of energy). 

So that was Zone Conference in Nice and we ate super well because one of the ward members ( a professional cook) made us a 5 course meal including sugared fruit and personal chocolate lava cakes with super good frosting. But then we left, full and me and Elder Kunzler started our exchange in Toulon. It started off well and we started by running about 300 yards to catch a bus (while I was carrying my large suitcase that I had used to carry our supplies that we ordered from the office, 2 boxes of BoM and many other things) That was super tiring but we made it to the bus and ended up meeting one of the amis of Elder Kunzler that was on the bus but had received a little opposition and they hadn't seen her in a while. Then we missed our train so we got back in Toulon (abt a 2 hour train ride) a little before 9. We set some good goals and then the next day we gave out 8 copies of the Book of Mormon! We met this girl that works at Chez Gringo and she was super interested! Elder Kunzler is an amazing missionary and I hope someday to be a little like him.

Well I would love to tell you more but I am out of time...

Desole...(Sorry)

LOVE!!!

ELDER PETTINGILL!!!