Waddling around Namur

December 13, 2018

Waddling around Namur

So i absolutely Jacked my ankle this past week. I twisted it up on the Citadelle last P-day so this week I have had the opportunity to waddle around the fine nation of Belgium and our wonderful ville of Namur, with beautiful cobblestone streets and lots of stairs.

SOme things that happened this week we got to do service of moving one of our buddies from the Charleroi Ward, Liam (who served in the Lyon Mission) his uncle out of his apartment and to a storage unit. I learned the true meaning of the word Pivot, as we manouvered his couches out of this loft on the 5th floor of an apartment complex with some nice 3ft wide stairs. Liam is great, He speaks english really well and he gives me tips on my french and with teaching. He also is like the goat member missionary. He understands the struggle of being in Europe and being in wards with no member help and how little success you have and how frustrating that is, so it is nice to have someone who understands it and actively tries to change that.

On tuesday we had District meeting in Liège and i met the senior couple that is in our district the Newberry's. We originally were supposed to have a conference in Paris but the APs changed the date and so we had nothing to do so we decorated the Newberries apartment for Christmas and Helped them prepare for their Activity with the YSA people. I ended up fixing like 95% of the electronics in their apartment.

We had exchanges and so Elder Fund and I entered the ward list into a Map app so that we can keep track of all the times we visit members and whether they are active and to help keep track of all the members whether they are active, inactive, baptized but Catholic, I have heard all sorts of things this week.

Other than that we had kind of a Lazy week, We were in the apartment a lot doing a lot of studies and trying to contact members about the Venez et Voyez and invite them to invite their friends.

We recieved the new "Viens et suis-moi" Family and personal study manual for the apartment this week. I love all the paintings and Pictures in it. My favorite though is definitely of the Savior standing outside of the door, towards the end of the book. I love that the door has no doorhandle on the outside. The door has a little window and the light from inside the house outlines the shape of the window on his face showing that you can see who it is from inside. That tells me two things:

One: we get to choose whether or not we open the door, we get to determine if we are going to open up and accept Jesus Christ in our lives. God has given us our agency, ability to make decisions, and he will not take that away from us.

Two: When we look through the window we have to recognize who that is. That would be the Lord, our savior. Knocking again to invite us to "Come, Follow me"

It gets a little discouraging to go porting and to have door after door, shut in our noses, but that is okay. We have to keep pressing forward. Everyone deserves a chance to say yes. Everyone deserves to have the savior knock at the door and open it and welcome Him into their lives. I love being a representative of Jesus Christ and to invite others to "Come Follow", although it is discouraging I know that choosing to follow is always going to be more enjoyable than being forced to follow. I think of the scripture D&C 122:7 often "know thou, my son, that all these things shall give thee experience, and shall be for thy good" and the conference talk from Elder Holland "Don’t give up, boy. Don’t you quit. You keep walking. You keep trying. There is help and happiness ahead—a lot of it" I know that the hard times give us experience. That the trials ahead are to strengthen us and make us into the people our Heavenly Father needs us to be and Wants us to become.

This week If you have the opportunity to read, listen, watch the talk by Elder Uchtdorf " A Yearning for Home" from October 2017.

Mountains to Climb,