Thanksgiving in France .... November 25, 2013

Ma famille!!

How are we?

This week has been wonderfully sunny for the most part with some rain here and there, but definitely a nice change from weeks past. We are expecting snow at some point...Woooooo.

Christmas time! As much as I will miss Christmas with you, I am very excited for Christmas here. We already have a family who called dibs for having us over Christmas for dinner. And they are so wonderful! La famille Denadier. Super cool convert family with 5 boys (the oldest has his mission call to Benin and Toga?). The mother is an angel, and the dad is a spiritual giant.

We had stake conference this week, along with zone conference, and got a chance to hear President and Sister Roney speak. They are awesome!

We are having thanksgiving this week at a members house who isnt american but does for all the missionaries anyways! wahooo!

Our Ami, Marie is making good progress and ever excited for her baptism.

The major takeaway I had this week from all of our experiences was the wonderful cleansing power of the Atonement. And how through it we progress and can be healed of, forgiven of, and move on from past mistakes, whether they be sins in the strictest sense or simple mistakes that cause regret in our life. Repentance and progression. The Gospel is Glorious!!!! How wonderful it is to have it, and what greater responsibility we have then to share it!

As Ive worked this week Ive realized how much joy it brings the soul to help and serve others.

In the French version of the hymn, Because I have been given much, There is a line that I love,

"Redecrouvant le mot amour, le montrer a tous sans detour"   

which means:

             "Rediscovering the word Love and showing it to all without holding back."

We gain happiness when we labor for the happiness of others. Help others, serve others, lift up your light among men, which light is our Savior Jesus Christ, and be the means of spreading happiness always

I love you all so very much,

Beaucoup d'amour,
Elder William Montgomery


In ville.

On the way out of a members house

The city from the mountainside


So nightime camera fun in the apartment (thats a BOM in my hands)

It Goes Too Fast .... November 18, 2013


Ma Chére famille,
What a rather ordinary week its been in Périgueux. It has been a week of hard nose missionary work. Let me go through some fun things this week.

Yesterday We had branch conference. We have a less actif member who is a big British man. He calls me Elder Monty. Haha. As is so custom here, after all the church meetings yesterday, we had a big meal with the entire branch. I got to sit next to him, Frére Boughton, and listen to some of his cool stories. He told me of a time he was in Atlanta for a business conference and he stopped a bus asking for directions to the airport or something, and it was the bus for the Atlanta Braves. The bus driver told him to get in and hed drive brother boughton to his desination. Well turns out the driver stopped at Mcdonalds for a sausage biscuit, of which the britishman had never heard of such a thing, so he goes and pays for him and the bus driver to have these biscuits. The bus driver was so endeared, that he gave frere Boughton a drive all around Atlanta, before he went to pick the Braves after their game. hahahaha
We taught a woman named Marie-Therese who had been coming to the branch Family Home evening with a friend for the past couple weeks. She simply wanted a copy of the church produced Joy to the World. But it turned into an hour long lesson explaining our beliefs. That was Saturday. She came to church yesterday and absolutely loved it, and now has a great desire to be baptized. We are seeing her again Saturday. What an incredible blessing and how exciting!
Life is going well. It is so much fun to be here! Everyday brings new adventure and new opportunities. My french is very good now, I have been quite blessed with the language. Although I am still working on getting a french accent. It is so very unique, and very different from the sounds we make in English.
We are currently seeing the work come along quite nicely. The Lord is providing us with people He has prepared for us to teach. It is wonderful to see the Lord help us accomplish our goals and bring people into our paths. How beautiful and simple the Gospel is!
We had an exchange this week with the other Périgueux equipe. I got to serve the day with my boy Elder MC-Beth. This is his first transfer and what incredible faith and courage he has. He is fearless. His french is still very much in the works, but he has no problem starting converstations with people. We had worked hard all day Thursday together, contacted a ton, knocked a ton of doors, and saw no success. The last 15 minutes of our evening we prayed in the middle of a cold, dark road to find one person who we could come back another day and pass. The last door we knocked was a funny older couple who spoke some funny english, who had friends who are members here and told us to pass later next week and we could talk then. It was quite an awesome experience.
I'm excited to see what this next week has in store. Much of the world is still in spiritual darkness, and much of the world here has no faith (very admittedly so). Remember, the Lord can work no miracles where there is no faith. It is a natural law that the good result, the sign, the payment, the miracle, only follows the action, the effort, the proof or trying of our faith. We are here seeking those who are willing to show faith and recieve the promised blessings. What an exciting challenge!
Je vous aime tellement!!
Beaucoup d'amour,
Elder Montgomery


French windows


The 4 elders in Perigueux!


Perigueux sunset


The giant cathedrale