March 25, 2013 - Grenoble, France

la prière est comme un phare

(prayer is like a lighthouse)

Bonjour, ma famille!

HAPPY (early) EASTER!!! How arrrre you doing?? I'm doing pretty good, pretty good. This week was really great. Lots of member love! Oh, and next monday we have transfers!!!! I am seriously so scared. Friday we find out. I dont know what the heck will happen. Will I kill soeur addis? Will I get a blue? Will I be transferred??? Got an "I heart grenoble" shirt already so I'm good to go if that happens! But I really hope not!!! I love the ward here!!!!

We got members inviting us over with our new amis or with dan, our recent convert as of last saturday, or with both! One of the times we went to the Walter's home, this younger couple who are from Suisse! German side. Well, he is from Germany and she is from Zurich, but they have both been living in suisse for the few years before they met, then after, and then after they got married they moved to Grenoble for his work. So theyre both learning french.She actually speaks swiss german to him and he understands her and speaks high german back to her and thats how they communicate. Pretty cool, gotta say. So that was cool, they invited us, dan, and our now-ami Marie-France! the elders were invited but we couldnt have an even amount of girls and guys cause then it would have looked like a triple date and that would have been no bueno. So yeah. and it was great, even with the four different languages going on(french, english, german, suiss german)!!! So why I say "marie-france our now ami" is because! the elders ported into her on accident cause they were visiting a nonactive and asked if she was interested and she was, so they taught her two lessons, she came to the baptism of dan, (where we met her and we were invited to the walters) and then they taught her again on sunday. she is 19 and in her first year of trying to get into medical school (schooling is SO different here!), but she has gotten behind and so she thinks she will have to take the second year of applying, which is very common, because apparently its like 900 people apply and only 200 get in. Crazzzzy competitive. anywho. so she's doing that, and the elders found her and they were teaching her, then our ward mission leader ("DMP" en français) said that it might be a better idea for the sisters to teach her, just because sisters would do better teaching girls and elders teaching guys..but its ironic because we, the SISTERS, just baptized a GUY...literally the day before he said this. lol. then this week we had our conseil de paroisse (ward council) and the BISHOP said about the same thing!! and used his son, the all-star missionary as an example of switching over their spiritually created ami to the sisters in their ward. By this time i felt super bad for the elders because they found her and had begun teaching her and things were going good for them! and we werent asking for her!! but they talked about it and the day that we went to eat at the walters, they told us that they were passing her to us, and they were happy about it and had prayed about it and all. So we are now teaching marie-france!

We became friends with her since we ate with her already at the walters, and we were with her for all the meetings in church yesterday, then after church the elders told her with us that we would begin teaching her. they made it first sound like a break up and it was so awkward!!!!!!! hahaha. so to lighten the mood I was like, yeah we love you more, soo..! and everyone laughed because they felt so awkward!! lol. but it was fine, we switched, she seemed really happy, and voilà, quoi. AND the elders in gap and valence (the two other elder equipes in our district) were here doing a big exchange between the three elder equipes (one was here because of district meeting) and they set up a rendez-vous for us with this random girl they talked to on the bus! and we called to confirm and she came! and we have a second rdv with her!! her name is caterina and is athiest but open.
she has a lot of questions and really likes learning about different religions, and what she needs to do is to have the faith to PRAY, because she never has. So that is what we are working on. Soeur Planeta, this 90 year old lady we visit every sunday, invited us over this week for lunch!! it was so funny, she is the cranky old lady who acts mean but really loves us. She called and soeur addis answered and she said, "oui, hello," "where are you?!" was soeur planeta's response. lol. in a mean voice. then she asked if we could come over that day or the next for lunch, and she made us spaghetti with meatballs and it was very good. Soeur addis said she has never invited them to eat since she's been here and this is the end of her fourth transfer here! So thats cool!! She always has us over sundays and makes us hot chocolate, but she wanted to spice things up this week. Gotta love those old ladies. They are seriously awesome and just love us to death!! there are 3 that I know of here in Grenoble who are in their late 80s or 90s who give us stuff all the time. Soeur Puissant, a 87 yr old lady, comes to church every sunday and brings us each a bar of chocolate. :) Never fails. Every time we visit Soeur Moulard who lives about the church (the church is connected to an appt building) she pulls out her drinks and her sugary treats even when we protest.

Vaber is doing good and we met his wife! and she was really nice to us!! so we just need to keep going over and yeah. he needs to work on applying his faith and we are good!

Dan is doing great and he invited a friend to church and we will be teaching her next week! and we met two of his other friends last night and had a spiritual thought and gave them Books of Mormon in chinese!! ahhhh!!!!! We will prevail!!! China can keep their doors closed to missionaries, but they cant keep the gospel from their people!!! mwahaha!!! lol.

We also visited our bishops wife (just her, without hte fam) and shared a spiritual thought with her and just checked to see how she was doing, and she was really touched and that really touched the bishop and he told us that he loved us! :D

well, gotta go, but things are going great here in Grenoble! Miracles are beginning to flood in and things are looking up! I love you all and this gospel is so true!!!!!!!

"Behold, I am a disciple of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. I have beencalled of him to declare his word among his people, that they mighthave everlasting life." 3 Nephi 5:13

love always,
devaneaux

March 18, 2013 - Grenoble, France

The Lord is My Shepherd

Bonjour, ma famille!!!

How are yall doin?? this week was awesome!! So I have decided after much studying of the people here, that these Grenobloises (the name of people from grenoble) act a lot like Northern french people. which is...kind of rude. which is nothing like pau or nice, for the most part. but if they will talk to you they are nice! sometimes! we have had multiple people take our hand or grip our arm and explain themselves, but usually theyre just rude. ça va. but soeur addis is use to it. lol. and I'm getting very use it. so yeah. but when you find amis, it is sooo great!!!!! ahh!! then you have a baptism and your heart is just on FIRE with the Spirit!!!! Like with dan's!!!

Dan's baptism was SO good!!!!!! It was saturday night, and soeur addis spoke first about baptism, then I sang and melanie, a member in the ward who also served a mission in our mission and soeur addis killed her(crazy right??) played the piano for me, and the Spirit was so strong!!!! Dan brought 5 of his chinese friends and they were feeling their arms because of goosebumps and one was watching me with her hand clutched to her heart..it was really cool. and totally not my voice that was making them so emotional, because it started off pitchy, but it was totally the  Spirit! the words to the song! Everything! it was just so incredible seeing these nonmembers completely feeling the Holy Ghost testifying to them of the truthfulness of what I was singing about and for. After that we had dan's baptism, and he wanted to keep his glasses on! hahaha. so he did! and it went well. we watched a short film about the gospel, then I spoke on the Gift of the Holy Ghost, then we had him share his testimony and it was so great and then we had the bishop welcome him into the ward, and then we finished and almost everyone who came brought food!!! and so we had a nice reception after, not too crazy. haha. and we got home a little late but it was okay cause we got a ride. and he got the gift of the Holy ghost yesterday and it was awesome also!!! ahhhhh I love dan!!!! He is just so full of faith and receptive to the Spirit!!!! What a great Baptismal service and convert. I am so prepared to keep him rolling and making him a strong member!!! Today soeur addis and I were talking about teaching him the lessons for after his baptism and I told her that I havent ever had to teach men about the priesthood, and then she made it known to me that after I have baptisms, the next transfer I'm transferred. And its true!! I had little Sarah and Alex the same transfer in pau and then i left for Nice right after Alex's baptism,then I had Sarah's baptism in Nice my second transfer there and then Ileft right after to here, and now I'm here and we just had dan'sbaptism. And shes like, so I guess youre leaving next transfer!
ahhaaha. I HOPE not!!!! I just got here!!!!! Still have a LOT of workto do!!!! OH! And we stopped by vaber's office to drop off some brownies for him and his family and a note, and he told us that hewants us to come over to his home and meet his family and wife this wednesday!!!! And so we are stoked and praying soooo hard that she'll
have a change of heart. the whole mission is!! and that he'll really QUIT all together smoking. dad, he's using your program I think completely, and he's gone from smoking about 8 a day to 3!! We are really proud of him. We are rooting for him!!!! And we had some friend of a member who has been taught just randomly by the soeurs a few
months ago, call US and ask to get the lessons!!!!! Just like that! and we set up a rendez-vous with her for that day and show up at the church and she brought her member friend with her!!!!!! So we hadnt even been planning on any lessons that day, and voilà! a lesson with a member present!!!!!!!! how the heck??? MIRACLES! Thank you for your prayers!!! We really do see the results. Oh, and also today! We had some guy that was kind of following us in the grocery store, but very sneakily, never looking at us, but being in the same aisle after we got there, then we left and he left teh same time, and he never picked up anything! and before we left the store, I was like, soeur addis, he's following us. so when we left, we took a different way, like we turned later then we should have to go home so we'd go around the block, and I was watching for him and he crossed the street about 2 min after us and we made eye contact  and I just stared him down for like 20 seconds and then he looked away, and turned the other way and began walking. I watched the rest of hte way home to make sure there was no one behind us and we checked before we went in to our appt building and he had walked the opposite way after I stared him down, and we didnt see him at all, and its a pretty open street so we were clear. But still! Heavenly Father hears your prayers and he totally protects us from weirdo guys!!!  and everything else. I hope that doesnt scare you about hte guy. it was just a few hours ago so dont be scared or anything, its the first time thats every happened to me. Dont worry. And if he did show up, I  took self defense at byu and KNOW how to use my keys. heh heh. and I hold the keys! so. he's lucky. I love yall so much and I know that I'm here for a reason! there are people we are finding in the holes of the rocks!!! We're HUNTERS!!! Love itttttt!!!!!! Gotta go, but I love yall and I hope to hear from you soon! and if you want to send any letters, best do it this week because april 1st is transfer day! I'll find out the friday after this friday what happens. I really hope I kill soeur addis!!! haha love yall!!!!!!!!

love always,
devaneaux

March 12, 2013 - Grenoble, France

May my heart be turned to pray

dear famille,

Bon soir!! how art thou? today was soooo awesome!! just got back from zone conference!!!!!! so basically this email will be all about that. sorry. first I'll tell a bit about grenoble, then on to words of wisdom from incredible people!!

SO! we have the baptism of dan on SATURDAY!! oh my goshhh he is so great and so willing and just full of faith and the desire to serve others!!! last week we asked him why he wanted to be baptized and he said that he wants the chance to serve the people in the church like they serve him and love them and others like they love him, and I was just so touched and shared with him mosiah 18:8-11:

8 And it came to pass that he said unto them: Behold, here are the waters of Mormon(for thus were they called) and now, as ye are desirous to come into the fold of God, and to be called his people, and are willing to bear one another’s burdens, that they may be light; 

9 Yea, and are willing to mourn with those that mourn; yea, and comfort those that stand in need of comfort, and to stand as witnesses of God at all times and in all things, and in all places that ye may be in, even until death, that ye may be redeemed of God, and be numbered with those of the first resurrection, that ye may have eternal life—  

10 Now I say unto you, if this be the desire of your hearts, what have you against being baptized in the name of the Lord, as a witness before him that ye have entered into a covenant with him, that ye will serve him and keep his commandments, that he may pour out his Spirit more abundantly upon you?  

11 And now when the people had heard these words, they clapped their hands for joy, and exclaimed: This is the desire of our hearts.

It was so incredible having that come to my mind as he spoke basically these words. He didnt even believe in God or know who he was before the missionaries met him! And actually it was Soeur Marker, my comp in Nice, who contacted him in Grenoble (she was there before Nice) and her and her comp asked him what he loved, and he was holding a basketball, and he was like, uhh..I like basketball.. lol. et voila, quoi! the rest is history! He is so great and LOVES children!!! our dmp has 4 little boys and ones a baby and he speaks english and dan just loves being with them. Its great. and hes really getting well integrated into the ward!! not just our dmp's family!! everyone loves him and we will be having his bapteme on saturday evening!!! I'm giving the talk on the Holy Ghost and singing "savior, Redeemer of my Soul', so pray for me!!!!!!!!! ahh!!!!! Vaber isnt doing super great, he is just losing faith in his wife changing. So please pray for dan to have a great baptism and for vaber to continue in faith and for his wife's heart to be softened. Thanks!!!

Okay, not much time, but zone conference was incredible!!!! one of the best ones in a while, I must say. President talked a LOT about going about things with FAITH that those things will happen, that we all will or have come to the point to deciding to follow faith or logic, and that through having faith all things are possible. He talked about how we need to take advantage of our planners even MORE and to set great goals and gave us a format of how to set goals and accomplish them and how it will benefit you the rest of your life! and coming from President Roney and considering his history in goal setting and his work and his position as our mission president...I'm definitely taking that advice. We got "standards of excellence" that we should be living up to, and we had soeur roney talk to us about when they had ELDER HOLLAND talk to them and a group of other mission presidents in Germany last week, and how he loves us so much nad that he wants us to cherish and love and immerse ourselves in the scriptures and I LOVE this!!! oh sooo great! and that a mission can change your life forever and it can continue to do so! let your mission be the time to become your best self and just continue on that progression! ahh so much more but I dont have time! And we had our stake president speak to us, and he said, "where do we first create our answers to our prayers? In our heart and mind!" and that we can continue to strive for having miracles as long as we believe and EXPECT them! And we have miracles all the time and they will continue as we progress and continue having this faith and  continue reading our scriptures and continue to recognize the importance of our missions, as representatives of Jesus Christ. On Sunday we had sooo many non members for a family thing at church and our incredible bishop basically taught them the first lesson for his talk during sacrament, and then he had us missionaries stand up and announced that we were there to help them and to represent Jesus Christ and His church. It was incredible!!! Soeur Addis cried. it was a very spiritual moment. Needless to say we attacked them spiritually and afterward approached them and introduced ourselves. It was really great.

Okay, I have to fly, but I LOVE yall so much and am so grateful for you. I feel so blessed to be in a family that has the gospel of Jesus Christ and that we are sealed for eternity. What an incredible blessing. Wow. I love yall and I will talk to yall next week!!!!!

Love always,
devano

soeur addis being super clingy

soeur addis and I getting off topic during planning. she dared
me to eat all those mints. I accepted. she joined. they're altoids!!
our mouths burned for 30+min after

me and eldersssss!!! left-right; elder dean, elder gruber, leduc,
?, elder sanchez, and assistants-arnold and jensen
elder arnold and I have a history! been my zl since i got to pau, then
we both left and he became assistant so hes been to every zone
conference i have ever had. lol. and all but 2 of the zone trainings.
elder sanchez is in my ville! love all of them!!!

March 11, 2013 - Grenoble, France

allooooo

fam-

aint got no time, will email yall tomorra! and if you didnt write, try to write before tomorrow! love yall!!! the church is true!

love-devan

aka-soeur gardner-

March 4, 2013 - Grenoble, France

p-day shmee-day balls in the sky!

famille,

title is credit to soeur addis. she's a funny one; that soeur. and she goes home in 1 more transfer!!!! ahhhhhhh!!!!!!! shes awesome and I will be sad to see her leave. anyway. today! we went to the balls in the sky to a fort up in grenoble! its like a lift thing sort of..but theyre literally ball shaped and it was fun! we went with our whole district. c'etait bien. our district is pretty cool also. we are feeling a LOT better! we are almost over being sick and now we are gonna hit the ground runnin! we were soooo sickkkk this week it was ridiculous and terrible!!!!!!!! when we didnt have a rendez-vous we slept because we were so exhausted all the time!!!!!! but coughing and sniffling and gross too. egh. but its over!!!! yeahhhhh!!! and we taught dan and vaber and they are doing so great and are progressing!!!! vaber's wife doesnt like mormons and last time the soeurs made her cookies and she wouldnt eat them because "the mormons" made them. lol. So we made MORE. and guess what? she ate them. hollah! and he paid his fast offering on sunday!!!!!!!! we didnt even ask him to!!!!! we just asked him to fast with us and we told him about fast offerings and we saw him pay it to the bishop after church on sunday!! it was so incredible and awesome. 

So we have been really trying to visit non actives to bring em back to the church, and so this one time this week we visited dear old soeur guinet. she called the elders 30 min before our appt to tell them to tell us to not come, and so the time they contacted us we were on our way so we just went anyway and we were able to teach her a lesson. So we liked asked her questions and tried to have her participate but she didnt seem to understand our questions or she was just trying to change the subject or she was just a little old and a little crazy. so we really pushed her coming to church and taking the sacrament on sunday and she said she would then we were like, this sunday? and she was all, oh no! not this sunday!...and we were like, why not? and she just said because. so that was awkward. and we offered to get her a ride and everything and she was really against that and so yeah. we ended the lesson, stood up, she was showing us pictures she has of her grandkids, then soeur addis goes to get her coat and I give her the bis and then she says something to me smiling but I didnt totally understand just something about her peeing or having to pee. So I'm like, okay we're on our way out! and soeur addis and I say bye and leave. come to find OUT this old lady peeed herself and said to me, "I just peed!' and was SMILING. ???? Soeur addis said she heard her say that and was confused too and looked down and she had a puddle under her! and she was like, I was so confused I didnt do anything! I didnt know what to do!! lollololololololol. yeah. it was weird. So we are pretty sure she probably shouldnt be coming to church if she is not in control of something like that. Sad but supppperrrr weird!!!! 

On tues night the soeurs from chalon were over to get their legality in grenoble, so they came over, dropped off their stuff, then went shopping for a bit (they spent part of their pday here), and since it was one of the soeurs' birthdays, we made them a cake, then we celebrated and we were joking taht they just came to celebrate her birthday and to get out of chalon, and then soeur addis was like, wait, the prefecture (were to get legality) is closed on wednesday! so thats the only reason you did come to grenoble!! and we both started laughing so hard and they were like, wait, really?? and yeah. so that was the only reason they came. they left the next morning, but it was a fun sleepover with cake! hahaha. good times. 

Okay, and I saw the johnstons at church!!!!!!!!!!! the couple missionaries who were in pau with me!! they came to grenoble on sunday cause he served her 50 years ago and it was so great to see them!!! apparently they put up pictures on teh facebook group for our mission? the group "friends and family of hte lyon mission' or soemthing like that? anywho. yeah. so it was awesome.

k gotta jet but thanks for the emails and the letters!!!! love yall!!!!!!!! the church is so truuuuuue!!!!!!!

love always,
devano