Silver Linings .... March 24, 2014

Chere famille,

This week we were met with a ton of adversity. We had one ami drop us completely, another who cancelled our rendezvous and wont return calls and our list of potentials seems to be thinning. But so it goes, patience is that purifying process that brings wisdom, happiness, and hope.

We did have one really cool experience this week that I wanted to share. Its the goal of every missionary here to find that family, the one that the Lord has prepared for the gospel and who will readily accept it and make great laborers in the kingdom of God. Especially a just normal french family. Those two conditions seem to be difficult to combine here. However, the Lord can do anything through us as we walk with humility and seek his help. We found a mother of a young family a couple weeks ago and due to the fact that we didnt have a third man with us, we hadnt had the opportunity to teach her until this past monday (a week ago). We went with the bishop, which was an inspired choice due to the fact that this family, la famille Violland, is going to be moving to a home just across the street from the bishop, so they had plenty to talk about.

They are catholic and spent three years in Chicago, so they speak english, they have 3 young girls. And they are so intrigued by our message. They told us how they have seen an increase in their own religious interest in the past couple years and that God has really opened their desires to learn more. Stephanie said that a year ago, she would have never opened the door to us... And we ended up teaching the entire restoration to them and leaving them with a Book of Mormon. They opened with a memorized catholic prayer, then we ended with us praying.

And Arnaud, the dad, looked to us and said, "Vous avez ouvert nos coeurs", ("You have opened our hearts"). It was so cool.

And they accepted the bishops invitation to FHE at his house next week. Now will they accept it all, will they progress in the Gospel, i hope, but I dont know the will of the Lord on it. But it is always so wonderful, above all with a beautiful young family, to introduce them to the fulness of the Gospel and have their eyes light up as they feel the Holy Ghost testify of the truthfulness of what we are teaching. The beauty of being a servant of the Lord.

This week we have a zone conference with a Seventy coming, and then we have general conference right after!!

I'm so excited. I'm just trying not to let this all go by too fast! Bonne Semaine!

Beaucoup d'amour,

Elder Montgomery