Better Late than Never?

Toulouse + Albi missionaries visiting the Musée des Augustins on P-Day.

Hello family and friends! Sorry this email is a little late but better late than never, eh? The work in Albi has really picked up recently. It's awesome.

Le livre de mormon

I finished the Book of Mormon in French this week! It took long enough! I started when I was in Périgueux and then I fell off the boat for a little bit but then I realized that I didn't have a ton of time left to actually do it so I freaked out and read so much!

It was a really cool experience though because one, I had to read a lot slower than I normally would read than in English so I noticed some really cool things that I would not have noticed otherwise. Two it was really cool because certain French words have more specific connotations than in English so I also understood some cool things :)

I think out of the entire experience it was cool because I realized how the spirit has no language. Whether in French or English it's all the same. The message is the same. Despite it being a different language I felt the spirit just as strongly as I normally would.

Allez vous game - Bordeaux Zone Conference

Nos Amis

We saw Brigitte last week! Super cool miracle. She had to do something in a ville where the bus could take us so we went out there and saw her right before her rendezvous. She has missed us so much! I missed her too. I wanted to hug her and her friend Eric. It's cool when your Amis are actually your friends in real life. She reads every night and prays daily. I'm so proud of her. She says she is feeling stronger as she does it. I just really am thankful she is realizing that she can be spiritually strong even without us. Even if it is better when we are there.

Elisabeth is sooooo coooool. She is so prepared. We taught her with Eda. That was an experience all in itself. Eda loves to talk so much and she kind of took the lesson over but then we saved it. But not before Eda gave her the invitation to keep the word of wisdom. We saw her again today and she is doing so good! She has read so much of the Book of Mormon already. She loves how she feels at church and we invited her to baptism today for the 19th of September. She is going to tell us next rendezvous what she thinks. Pray that she says yes!

Eda is back and doing well. She wants to feed us really bad and we really want to eat her food!

We've been finding cool people too! We will keep you up to date.

Allez vous game - Bordeaux Zone Conference

Conference à Bordeaux

We had a conference in Bordeaux! It was cool but it was kind of weird being back in Bordeaux after not having been there for a little while. I've spent so much of my mission in Bordeaux. The conference was awesome. We are integrating temples into our work a lot more. President Brown really feels inspired that we should focus on the temple in order to prepare France for the Paris temple.

Toulouse + Albi missionaries visiting the Musée des Augustins on P-Day.

We also played a fun game with soeur Brown, charades, no shoes or socks and some water. We have a new key indicator called an "allez vous" which just means that you ask someone a yes or no commitment. So the game was acting out commitments that we give to amis. It was a tri zone conference so it was zone vs zone. I will attach pictures. The more I'm around the Browns the more I love them. They have a different style than the Roneys but they are still pretty cool.

Allez vous game - Bordeaux Zone Conference

At this conference I realized how old I am in the mission. We heard the testimonies of the departing missionaries and the entire time I was just sitting there, thinking about how next transfer it is going to be me. It seems so unreal but it kind of just hit me how close it is.

Anyway. I love you all so much. I'm loving life :) it's great to be a missionary.

Love,

Elder Johnson

Toulouse + Albi missionaries visiting the Musée des Augustins on P-Day. 

I don't speak Chinese! We found a new amie!

After Albi District Meeting

Hello family and friends. This week was really good. Lots of exchanges and interesting things and it cooled off and rained which has been so stinking awesome!

L'échange  avec l'équipe chinoise

So, something cool about Toulouse is that it is a university city with tons of students! A lot of these students are from China. So there is an equip of elders that are Chinese speaking, Elder Leon and Elder Zhu. They are in the Albi district so we did exchanges with them and it was so much fun. I've become so much better at racial profiling (especially with Asians).

Elder Leon

Our first exchange was on Tuesday. I went to Toulouse with Elder Leon (who is not Chinese nor does he have an Asian ancestors. He is from Canada and he is Columbian). We looked for honest people to contact and they were all super, super nice. There wasn't one that was mean. And almost all of them gave us their numbers. It is interesting to see how the mission in China is closed but you have tons of Chinese here who are interested.

Contacting was really funny because I don't speak any Chinese, aside from hello and thank you. All of he contacts would start in French and then after we affirmed they were indeed Chinese the conversation would bounce in between French, Chinese and English. Most of the time I could tell what was happening or at least very vaguely.

My favorite was when they would ask me a question and I'd just sit there and feel like I was a bleu missionary again. It helped me realize how huge of a miracle it is that I can even speak French.

Elder Zhu

Our second exchange with them was on Saturday. We blitz Toulouse so both equips stayed. I was with Elder Zhu this time. He is from main land China. He just got into the mission a few weeks ago so he is still really bleu. He is soooo funny. We were walking by some people and I said "bonjour" and no one said it back to me. He looks and me and says,"You're doing it wrong! Watch". Cultural note: French people are very quiet in public. They don't speak loud. If there are any Americans on a bus, you can always hear them before you see them. Anyway back to the story... We are coming up on this super old French woman that would typically never say hi back to you when Elder Zhu jumps almost directly in front of her waving his hand and says pretty loud with his Chinese accent "BONJEW!" She jumps back clutching her chest and then says "bonjour!?!" Hahaha. "That's how you do it Elder Johnson. The Chinese way!" I laughed so hard. It was too funny.

To end the exchange we ate at Hot Pot. Best Chinese food ever. You have two pots of bowling broth in front of you and you order a bunch of raw ingredients and then throw them all in at once and then fish them out with your chopsticks when they are done cooking. It was so good. I ate so much.

Conducting the music...

I feel the need to publicly apologize to my mother for all of the times when she was leading the music and the family would try to get her to laugh... Because once you start laughing up there it is all over. Everyone sees you laughing and you know you shouldn't be laughing so naturally you laugh harder. Then other people see and start laughing.

Well... Julia wasn't at church this week and I had to lead the music again and during one of the songs a certain member starting singing so loud. Like opera loud but really off key. At first I was containing myself but then I looked at the other elders and they were starting to chuckle. I looked away and got myself under control when I look to the row where the member is sitting and the kid next to her is singing but suddenly stops and with a face of disgust and confusion looks over at the member and closes his hymn book. And that was where it all ended. I couldn't control myself. I tried so hard not to laugh but then all of the members started noticing and started to laugh too. Except for the member who is singing super loud because they are very focused. Finally the song finishes and I'm so sweaty from laughing and being embarrassed.

So mom... I understand you a little more now. Hahaha

Mon Anniveraire

Thanks everyone for the birthday wishes. I love you all. We were on exchanges during my birthday and Elder Leon mentioned that it was my birthday but not before the actual dinner appointment. And then they stinking brought out a cake and candles! I was so sparked. It was super thoughtful of them. I've never been more surprised about my birthday than in that moment. 

Miracle de la Semaine

We found a new amie that came to church! Rewind to three months ago. Elder Ottesen contacted a woman named Elisabeth on exchange. She said she was interested visiting the church but every time we invited her she was busy and whatnot when finally we gave up inviting her. Then, this week we invited her and she said she would come... And she did! She has been looking for a church that practices what is being preached. She has been so prepared to meet us. It is awesome. She is super awesome.

After sacrament she started crying and she said she felt really happy but weird. #feelingthespirit. We gave her a blessing and the spirit was so strong. I can't wait to see her this week!

All we have to do is work hard and trust the Lord. He prepares people and sends them our way. I love Him. We just always have to remember that His ways aren't always our ways.

I love you! Que dieu vous bénisse

Elder Johnson

Really Important Jumping pictures and Birthday Dinner

Bonjour Family and friends! 

Another week gone by! Oh la vache! It is crazy how fast it goes. Apparently every week is approximately 1 percent of an Elder's mission. Sometimes I feel like I just have boring things to tell you... haha. It is like groundhogs day every time I get on the computer to email. 

UN ECHANGE 

So! On Wednesday I had an exchange with Elder Einerson. I went back to Montauban (and the people were much nicer this time... I think maybe it was just something in the air last time). Starting the exchange was really interesting. So, there aren't any trains that go directly from Albi to Montauban so you have to take a bus. In France they have these things like train stations but for buses and there is only one in Albi, but generally they aren't the same company as SNCF (the trains). We go to the bus gare and are waiting for the Montauban elders to get in so we can make the change when about five minutes before they get there, I have a feeling they are going to come into the train gare and not the bus gare. 

We call them really quick and sure enough they are coming into the train gare, which is about a 15ish minute walk across town. Just so you know France has been having an usual heat wave where it is like 100 to a 100+ each day. We get off the phone and Elder Steadman and I ran as fast as we could to the train gare. We literally ran all of the five minutes we had to spare and run into the gare parking lot as the train pulls in. 

And that is when I starting sweating, and I promise you I didn't stop sweating until we ending the exchange. Even after I showered. As soon as I got out of the shower... SWEAT. Haha. It was very pleasant. Moral of the story is... don't run in missionary clothes in 100 degree weather.. 

The exchange was really good though. Elder Einerson is a good district leader. He was my district leadr when we were in Marseille. I really like how hard he works. We talked to so many people on our exchange! It was really good. We found some people that were interested. I don't understand why but every time you are on exchange somewhere there are miracles out of the wahzoo. 

ON EST SORTI 

This week was Elder Steadman's birthday! It was also Elder Duckworth's birthday so the zone leaders invited us to Toulouse to do a little exchange and then go eat dinner at a fancy restaurant.

I think I ate the best food I have ever eaten. It was SO good. Holy cow. It was expensive but it was so worth it. We ate at Capitole Square you should look it up. It is gorgeous. 

I got an appetizer, entree and desert. For the appetizer I got capriccio which is super thinly sliced raw beef with tomatoes, capers, pine nuts and parmesan cheese on the top and some olive oil. It was so stinking good. I could have eaten like a billion more plates of it. For the main dish I was served lamb with roasted potatoes and a fancy sauce. I don't know what was in it.. haha Then for desert I had like this custard thing. It was like the perfect amount of food and the service was exceptional. Suddenly I realized why French people eat out like everyday. hahaha 

It was fun to go eat with the zone leaders and the chinese équipe. I'm happy they invited us :)

NOS AMIS 

So! Still searching diligently and slightly impatiently for new amis. It is really frustrating because we are doing everything that we are suppose to and it just isn't working. I know I just need to keep pressing on but it is hard... especially with the heat. Ohlala. 

Brigitte- She is doing so good! She is starting to make some good progress despite her daughters now. He daughters have calmed down a lot recently because Brigitte called this special service thing that teaches children to be good. It is working :) haha

She is demotivated to stop smoking. Literally it is the only thing that is keeping her from getting baptized at this point. I say "the only thing" like it is no big deal but it is really hard. I'm thankful I grew up in an environment where I wasn't surrounded by that. But with that said, she is doing well.

She drove Eda to church this week because Eda's car is blocked in her driveway due to renovations going on (long story). But Eda got up yesterday and bore a really good testimony on baptism and its importance and how she is going to do everything she can to help Brigitte. It was pretty cool :) 

We also had a quick photo shoot with some hay bales after a lesson we had with Brigitte.  

PENSÉE SPIRITUELLE 

Just a little spiritual thought of the week! I was reading in Helaman 5:30 and it says: “And it came to pass when they heard this voice, and beheld that it was not a voice of thunder, neither was it a voice of a great tumultuous noise, but behold, it was a still voice of perfect mildness, as if it had been a whisper, and it did pierce even to the very soul—“

It made me reflect on the power of the holy ghost in conversion. I love the description it gives in the scriptures. It wasn't a loud voice but is pierces to the soul and it shook the walls of the prison. Although it isn't a loud voice, its power is unimaginable. 

It made me think of Marissa's conversion story and how whenever she had the missionaries over at our house she felt a strong residing peace and when she went other places, the spirit left her. That difference was essential in her conversion. I am so thankful for the Holy Ghost and for the testimony he bears of truth.

That is it for the week! 

I love you all!

Que Dieu Vous Bénisse 

Elder Cameron Johnson

UNE SEMAINE SUR LYON, BÉBÉ #2 and iPad Cases

Hello family and friends! I have a lot of thing to tell you! I'll start with the conference in Lyon :)

So! Friday of last week we got on a bus in Toulouse and headed towards Lyon with ALL of the other missionaries in the Toulouse and Montpellier Zones. It was about a six-hour ride. It went by really fast though because we just all talked about funny stories and read scriptures and talks from the Area Seventy that was coming.

We got into Lyon around 7PM and went to the Ecully chapel, and literally the entire mission was there. All 240ish missionaries. It was insane seeing so many missionaries. There were so many that I had never even seen before mostly because I have stayed on the south west side of the mission. But anyway, the office had bought all of the missionaries pizzas. They bought a crazy amount of pizza. There was a mountain of boxes afterwards the size of a car.

The actual conference took place on Saturday. And I was pleasantly surprised at how spiritual it was. I went in with the idea that I was going to just hear about all of the rules and the "nuts and bolts" of having iPads. But it was very uplifting! Elder Nielson (he spoke in this last general conference about his sister) came and showed us the view from "40,000 feet." as he said.

The church is introducing technology with iPads to missionaries for a number of reasons. They see that the work is going to explode because most people know that going from door to door and talking to people on the street is becoming less and less effective. Already one cool point.

The church also wants missionaries to develop good social media habits for when they are home and the way the iPads are formatted, we still have a ton of freedom so we will have to learn how to use them correctly and effectively.

The conference was also super, super cool because I got to see all of my old companions! (All of them that aren't home). It was like a giant family reunion. Every time a bus pulled up to the church it was like Christmas. It was also super weird because the sisters from my group are going home this week and I'm here in Lyon with them all. It is a really weird feeling to see them going home. Frankly, it is hard for me to believe!

When President shook my hand for the conference he said "Good morning Stabby..." And then when he said goodbye, he told me I needed to keep my iPad in my back right pocket... just to be safe. Lol. I just imagine him lying in bed at night thinking about what he could say and then just laughing. He is too funny. I really love him. He only has 8 weeks left on his mission and it makes me super sad to think I'm not going to finish with him. I never imagined my mission president being someone who has influenced me so much.

As for visiting members I got to visit the Famille Bonnamy! It was sick to see them again. I really like them. They had us over for some juice and a tarte citron. We talked for about an hour and a half and just caught up. They asked me how much time I had left and they were shocked that I only had six months. Time passes fast!

Bonnamy family

Cool tender mercy... We are waiting in the metro station for the next car when I'm looking around and I see this woman that looks super familiar. I keep looking and I realize it is Annick! HA! I run up to her and she is like, “ WHAT?! IT IS YOU! JOHNSON!” hahaha It was so awesome. She was really happy to see me, as I was happy to see her. She is doing better but she hasn't been going to church. Rachelle is still going to church though, which is awesome. After seeing her, I felt overwhelmed with how much God loves us and gives us little experiences like that. What are the chances of visiting a city of two and half million people for a couple of days and I am going to come across someone that I know? God is so awesome :)

In the end we didn't even get iPads yet! The mission has received the cases but not the iPads. President has named the conference we had,”The iPad Case Conference.” lol. I imagine in the next month we will have them. It will be weird but after being at that conference, I see how much it can advance the work. I'm very excited.

So... I'm actually still in Lyon right now.... because I'm training AGAIN! I guess I messed up so terribly they decided to give me a second chance. I'm excited and nervous to train again. I'm sure it will be a great learning experience. I'll be here in Lyon until Wednesday if all goes as planned. I am pretty sad to see Elder Ottesen leave Albi, he has been a great companion. But we will see each other at BYU. Anyway!

Saying goodbye to Elder Ottesen

That is about it for this week. I love you all so much. Every time I think about you all, I just work harder. Thank you for your support and above all, your prayers (especially because the bleu will be the one driving the car).

Je vous aime tous!

Elder Johnson