January 21, 2013

Hey Everyone!

This week has been crazier than normal but it ended up being a pretty good week. We spent most of Monday and Tuesday seeing everybody before Elder -------- left. Wednesday he has a train at 8:00am and my comp was supposed to arrive at 11:40. We had everything planned for one of the missionaries in our district to come up and spend the day with me in Luxembourg while his comp and my comp went to Paris for transfers. Well that morning we got a call at 7:45 and the missionary told us he was going to Paris (for no reason). It was a pretty interesting morning, luckily I had a member from the ward come to my rescue and I spent a few hours with him before Elder ------ arrived. The whole time I was thinking "you could totally go to a movie right now!" but hey you have to love that conscience that keeps you choosing the right haha.

After Elder ----- arrived we got to work right away. We had a slow week lesson-wise but have been super busy. Thursday we were in Paris for a Leadership training and then Friday we spent most of the day planning for the transfer and the baptism that happened yesterday. 

Saturday the Zone leaders came up to Luxembourg and did the interview for ------'s baptism. Everything went super well. 

Sunday was a pretty sweet day. We had church, a small break, and then had the baptism program for ------. After the talks we drove down to a recreation center and had the baptism in the pool. Luxembourg does not have a baptismal font so they have to do all the baptism in a pool which is pretty awful, but hey it works.

--------  was pretty excited, the Spirit was there and it ended up being great. He told us that he felt like a weight was lifted off of him. It was an awesome experience.

Today we are just chilling for p-day and then tomorrow we have interviews with president in Nancy so this week is going to fly by. Saturday we have a dinner appointment where we are going to have cheesecake, I am so excited. 

We also found out that this transfer is getting cut down to 5 weeks instead of six so time is going by so fast.

-Elder Lerdahl

January 15, 2013

* Due to updated guidelines, any blog posting will now have names and any identifying information removed. Thanks for your understanding.

Hey Everyone,

This week went really well. We found a couple of new investigators and we were able to fix two baptism dates. I feel like all the hard work that we have down is finally starting to pay off and we are starting to find some new people to teach.

This weekend we found about about transfers. I am staying in Luxembourg for another 5 weeks at the least and will be with a new companion. He is American and was called to speak French and Spanish. Hopefully I will learn some Spanish during our transfer. I know him speaking Spanish will help the work progress a little faster here so I am excited for that.

This Sunday we have a baptism for our ami named -------. He is from Bénin, Africa. We see him everyday and he is awesome. Last night we went to a members house with him and had dinner. It was great for him to meet the members and they had chips and salsa which i have not had forever so it was great. We are super excited for that. Then we have a date for next week for a 9 year old boy whose family was less active but has recently been reactivated. So it's gonna be a pretty crazy week. 

By the way, I accomplished a life goal this week! We took a shopping cart home from the store about 6 blocks away. I don't know why I have always wanted to do that but anyways, it is currently in our bathroom and is being used as a laundry basket until we return it.

Life goal accomplished.

Well that's about it for this week. 

Elder Lerdahl

Une semaine des miracles!

Hey Everyone!

This week was pretty crazy we had a lot of miracles happen and so it was a great week.

About 4 months ago I contacted a lady on the road who gave us her number. We had been trying to fix an appointment with her but we could never find a time that worked. Finally this week we were able to see her and it was an awesome rendezvous. She was so excited to read the Book of Mormon and is really someone who has been prepared to accept the gospel. We are gonna go back and see her this week and I am excited to see how she likes the Book of Mormon.

Friday I went to Nancy for an exchange with the Zone leaders. It was nice to get out of Luxembourg for a day and to work with a missionary that I didn't really know. It was a lot of fun and we were able to get some new contacts. We also met a Muslim guy who is going to go buy us Korans. I am super excited for that, I think he was trying to convert us but I am okay with it because I will get a free Koran. We are also going to go give him a Book of Mormon so that will be good. After talking with him I thought a lot about the fact that every religion has bits of the truth. What I realized the most though was how much ours really makes sense.

Sunday was a crazy day. We had so many miracles. We were at church and a less active that we have been working with a lot came up to us and told us that his son wants to be baptized and so we are going over there tomorrow to teach his son and prepare him for baptism.

Then the bishop pulled us into his office and there was an old investigator who showed up out of nowhere who wants to be baptized. He couldn't before because of his family but now is able to and is pretty much ready. We met with him today and set up a baptism date for this weekend which is super fast but he is ready and the ward already knows him so its definitely a miracle.

After all that we were pretty blown away and then it just got even better. A member came and told us that while he was at the church a few days before that a man walked into the building and started asking him how he could find the missionaries. The member took his number to give to us and gave him a Book of Mormon. 

It is crazy that after a transfer that has been pretty dead that we have three crazy things happen. It really got us excited and I am really looking forward to this week it is going to be great.

Transfers are this Saturday  and I have no idea what's going to happen. Normally I can feel whether I am staying or going but this time I have no idea. I guess we will see how it goes. One thing is sure and that is that me or my comp is leaving, which is good. three months is too long with the same person no matter how wonderful they are. I don't get how all you crazy married people do it haha!!

Well hope you all have a great week. 

Elder Lerdahl