Week 12 (Charleroi)

I'm almost finished with my first transfer! It's gone by so quickly.

First off, you're probably wondering if I'm getting transferred. No need to worry, I'll be in Charleroi for the next 6 weeks. Probably at least 12 more. However, Elder Blake, who lives in the apartment with us, is leaving for France. He was the only one who knew anything about this area when the other 3 of us arrived 6 weeks ago. Hopefully we'll be able to figure it out without him!

This week we had another exchange, but this time I went with Elder Ovard, who's only been a missionary 6 weeks longer than me. It was a great bleu exchange! We had to go around Namur trying to talk to people all by ourselves. It wasn't actually bad at all. We had a couple rdvs with people and we were able to teach them pretty well.

Near the end of our day, we ran into this lady who told us she had a spiritual experience with the Bible, so she knew it was true. We were super excited and told her how she could do the same thing with the Book of Mormon! But she told us she knew it wasn't the weird of God. She said that revelation ended with the book of Revelations, and there's nothing else. We tried everything we could think of, but she wouldn't take a book. I'd never felt so badly. If she would have just tried reading it, I know she would have known it was true.

After getting back, we decided we needed to work on preparing for the Venez et Voyez event. It's basically just a normal Sacrament Meeting, but it's geared more towards non-members. So everyone can invite their friends to "Come and See" what happens at church.

To prepare, we started calling everyone on the ward list. There's 300 members in the books, but yesterday I saw less than 50 people at church. That's why we need the members to invite all their friends. But as we were calling, some of them answered and almost sounded afraid of us. They also told us they were not interested. Not at all. I was surprised and confused how someone could be converted enough to be baptized, then turn around and want nothing to do with it.

But we meet with an ami this week who speaks Persian. She's Muslim, but when we meet her the first time, she told us her French professor had given her a book like the one we had. We didn't think it had actually been a Book of Mormon until she showed it to us. It was amazing! I doubt she would have ever met with us if her professor hadn't given her that Book of Mormon. It shows how much of an influence we have on those we meet, and the difference we can make in their lives.

Au revoir,
Elder Wood

Elder Ovard and Elder Wood, in front of a chateau they found during their exchange

After dinner at Sister Fujiko's house. Elder Drumeller, Elder Mendoza, Gustavo (a church member), Elder Wood, Elder Fund

The Brussels Zone Conference

"Elder Mendoza's favorite flower, a bleuet. They're everywhere in France, and he thinks that's why the French army wore blue. They're also in the Paris temple, and the higher up they are, the more opened up they are."

Weekly food photo: "One of the chocolates I bought at the Neuhaus factory. It has cookie dough stuff inside and it's delicious!"

The flyer inviting people to attend their "Venez and Voyez" event

A weather rock they found on someone's house. It's funny in French, too!