Hello everyone! where to begin?
1st off. I loved being able to talk to those that I spoke with, I'm sorry that I didn't get to talk to everyone. I love you all and I'm so glad you all enjoyed bear lake! CONGRATS LISH AND AARON!!!!!!!! I can't believe it, I'm so happy for you and for the newest member of our family!!!!!
Turns out they taught me the wrong language in the MTC! Ha! They are definitly not speaking the same french that I learned. Everything is different here :) Even this keyboard is in a different language and it is rather difficult to type this e-mail. But in all reality it is great here! I spoke with a women in the Paris Aeroport, and it was super fun! When I got to Toulouse my mission president and his wife were waiting for us with open arms. We got to the mission home, ate, talked and went to work. On our 3rd contact we placed a book of mormon, it was awesome how fast we got to work. Then we went to the mission presidents home and ate and president sent us to bed early so that we could get over our jet lag quickly. I love president and sister carter, they were so kind and we all knew that they had been waiting for us and that they loved us! Jen sent me some questions that trent answered and it will be the best way to update everyone.
What is your companion's name? Elder Magnan
Where is he from? Versaille France! He is native! I told everything is different. I live with a French person, in a TINY apartment that is under the roof so I have to crouch in the shower and I commnicate with my companion in broken french and broken english. Its crazy!
How long has he been out? He has been out for 10 months or so, this is his 2nd transfer in this city
What do you like about him? He is hilarious and a good example to me, he also talks with people and tells me where to go. Its rather helpful :)
Is he a real hard worker? He works hard and diligently. He understands the importance of obeidance and he gets kind of annoyed if we barely slip up or are wasting time, which is a good thing to be annoyed at! He's great I love him!
Is he real obedient?
What is your area like? Carcasonne is my city, it is in the french country side, it has the largest castle in europe, it looks like a movie, its really pretty, 50,000 people, about half a quarter of the size of kaysville..........ish
How far from the mission office is it? 1.5 hours by train
How much of the conversations can you follow when your companion is speaking to some one? I actually can understand OK, but they speak so fast and with an accent that sometimes I get lost and I can't keep up with the conversation
Have you tried to speak to local people in French yet? Yes. It is hard, but I can speak OK, and when they don't respond it is really easy to talk to them :) like in sacrament meeting I was asked to talk about my family and share a brief testimony for 5 minutes, but that wasn't too tough cause nowbody was speaking back to me
How is the weather? HOTTTTTT. When these garments ware out, I'm converting to the onepiece silkys :) HaHa I'm not really going to wear those but it is very hot and very humide
Did your travels go well? Travels were good. I traveled again on Friday and had an exchange with the zone leaders in montpeiller, it was good then we travel by bus to a city called Le Grande Motte and taught a lesson about 200 yards from the meditairain (sp?), it was awesome and super pretty
Did you get any sleep on the plane overnight? about 3 hours
How big is the city you are in? I already answerd this ..........sorry
How many missionaries in your ward or branch? Me and Elder Magnan with about 60-70 members in the carcasonne ward
The field is white hear we have 2 investigators with babtismal dates this transfer and 3 others that are committed to be babtised by we haven't set dates yet and now for story time
1 - We gave the 1st lesson to a women named Pierette, she is from Cameroon, She was ready for the gospel, as we taught she was eating it up. as I told her there was a prophete on the earth she said "why haven't I heard of this prophet?" I said "thats why we are hear, to tell you this!" we talked about the book of mormon and asked her to be babtised when she received the answer to her prayer and she said "BIEN SUR" (of course) It was awesome!!!!!!
2 - It was time to go home for the night and we were walking down the street, Elder Magnan was on the phone with one of our investigators or something and there was 2 routes back to our apartment, I had the thought the turn left and head home that way...OK...so I turned left and saw a women and the Spirit said "talk to her" I thought....oh I don't speak french this is a problem cause elder magnan is on the phone so we passed her :( Then I was told "bad move, go back!" I wasn't going to be told twice so i stoped and waited for elder magnan to finish her conversation and we went back, we then talked to Sabrina for 1 hour and 10 minutes, gave her a book of mormon and invited her to church (this was our last contact on saturday night) she said yes and was at church the next day, she too was ready for the gospel and after after we taught her the 1st lesson she too accept to be babtised when she recieves her answer. She knows the bible very well and on the street she was asking all about the spirit world and the atonement it was really neat to be able to follow the spirit and I was humbled to be able to teach her.
on that note, franch is great and I have lot to learn and its going to be hard, but I'll keep working
my address is:
Les Missionaires/Elder Smith
85 Boulevard Barbès
11000 Carcasonne
France
I love you all, and it really was so good to talk to all of you and to those that I couldn't talk to I'm so sorry. I love you all so much and I tell each person the reason I'm here in these clothes with a tag on is so that I can share the happiness I have found with my loving friends and family with them. I love you again. The church is true and know that I'm praying for you!
LOVE
Elder Matthew Sanders Smith
Elder Matthew Sanders Smith
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