Week #70
Tidwells

Yo,

Sorry I didn't do a weekly update last week I got kinda busy. 

Last week Cy and Whitney Tidwell came and visted me. It was super fun. We went and saw a bunch of cool sights like Notre Dame, Sacre Cœur, Champs Elysées, and the top of the l’Arc de Triumph it was super fun. We ate at a super nice french restaurant. The rest of the week was kind of a blur. It went by suuuuper fast.

On Wednesday I went on an exchange with the zone leaders just for fun because they are super cool. I was working in Paris. We taught a ton of people. We taught a movie director, he was super cool. I also got to teach the guy who owns the Nixon store in Paris for a little while it was super cool. It was really brief, but still. But ya the exchange was super rad. 

Then the next day was zone conference and I had to wake up at 5:00am to help the ZLs prepare the food. I had to cook a bunch of bacon. It was pretty lame but it was still fun. The conference was like the best ever it was super fun and really good. I was pretty bummed though because we were suppose to watch "Meet the Mormons" but the APs forgot it!! Who does that? But it's all good, I'm over it. Later we had interviews it was super swee. Ii like them a lot. We were the last ones to get interviewed and by the time they were all over it was 9 45! And we live an hour away haha we got home super late. But ya nothing too much happened this week. Church yesterday was really fun. Today someone walked into the Visitor Center claiming that we stole from his friend and that he's getting the police officers right now because we are all thieves in this church (makes sense right?)  So we offered him a BOM haha. Then he said he's calling the popo we said go for it. Shocker nothing has happened so far. But I'll keep ya posted. Thanks for the emails Love you guys!

-Elder Beck

Week #68

Teaching a nun

What up everyone!

 I am still at the visitors center here in Paris! I have some interesting stories that have happened this past week. We are teaching some super cool people! It's awesome because everyone that comes into the Visitors Center is already (somewhat) interested so that's better than hearing "NO" all day:) #BienvenueàFrance. 

We are teaching this cool Italian (that I kind of already talked about so not going to go into huge detail about him) He is supposed to be getting baptized soon. Probably after I leave, so hopefully I stay in Paris so I can see his baptism. Also we are teaching a Catholic Nun (yeah, that's right a nun) It's great though because she is SUPER interested. She also expressed to us her desire to get baptized after we taught her the first lesson. We have seen her 2 times already this past week and she is super solid. We are also teaching a cool young couple as of yesterday. 

A presumed crazy member walked in to the visitors center and tried fighting my companion and me, as well as taunting the sisters. No punches were thrown (close though) everything got resolved and there are no problems! I went on an exchange yesterday with an elder from Taiwan, it was interesting because he barely speaks English and NO French..so it was pretty quiet. Today we went to some really cool museums in Paris - we went to Musée D'Orsay with all the Van Gogh paintings it was awesome. Then we went to the Palais de Tokyo that was a little crazy haha. After we went to Les Invalides and went to a WW1 and 2 thing it was super rad. We then went to the Opéra house but did not go inside because they were rehearsing. But a super fun p-day today! Thanks for all your emails love you guys!

-Elder Beck

 

Week # 67

Miracles 

Alright I'm going to try to continue to do these weekly update things, but they are going to be kinda dry because nothing much happens at the Visitors Center...

Here was a pretty cool miracle that happened this week. We normally start our shift at 2:00, but we felt prompted to leave about an hour early. So right as we get there we were unlocking the building and a man came up to us and asked if he could enter. We told him yes of course!  He started looking at all the pictures and then told us he was on his lunch break and that he wanted to pass by at this time because he has been studying our church and he knows that Joseph Smith was a prophet.  We were just like super shocked and didn't really know what to do so we just ended up teaching him and then invited him to church it was super sweet.

I got to see the Poznanskis this week. They came in and talked to us for like 1hr30mins it was super sweet. I miss those guys. We just have tons of members and people who come in here and just want to talk. Which is fine! 

 

This Pday we went to the Eiffel Tower and played football underneath it. It was super fun then we went to bridge from a famous movie. I will send you pic and who ever gets it I will give you a high five. 

Church this week was pretty cool. There were like 20 tourists and amis class was insane. The ZLs brought this ami who was legit crazy who was just yelling the whole time until he got asked to leave haha. Our ami came who is super nice. We had a ward lunch after church and he brought 2 cakes imported from Italy. He's a super cool guy. He should be getting baptized soon! Like I always say nothing big happened just keep on keeping on. Love you guys! 

-Elder Beck

Week # 65

Transfer to Paris Visitors Center with Elder Moffitt

Bonjour à tous! 

Yes I know I have been terrible at writing lately...sorry I have just been super busy. I will fill you in (kinda) with all the stuff that has been going on. So I'm sure you have all heard about all the shootings that went down in Paris. When that happened I was 1 metro stop away on a Paris exchange. After the shootings (because there was multiple shootings literally one everyday for almost a week) people were EXTREMELY closed and targeting religion, mostly Islamist, but as well Christianity. So we were told by SLC to kinda take it easy for a week. That was like around Jan. 7th by the way... At the time I was still in St. Ouen we were teaching a super awesome family of 5 who all wanted to get baptized and we had other amis also with dates. I've been having problems with my foot so I was sent to the American Hospital in Paris. After several appointments in Dec and Jan, I went there on Jan  21st they put this giant needle in my foot and injected me with some fluid to see if that would help...and then told me to stay off it as much as possible for 6 weeks. So I told Pres and Sister Babin and they had a task for me in mind. So they told me to start packing up my bags. The night before I left I had an RDV at one of my favorite members house at La Defance with one of my favorite amis - so that was super fun! His name is Louis we still talk. Then the next day the office Elders came and picked me up at the apartment and drove me to my new apartment in Bussy St Georges - still in Paris. Now I work in the Visitors Center in the heart of Paris across the street from the George Pompidou, which is also our proselyting area when we are not at the Visitors Center. It's super fun and I love my new companion, his name is Elder Moffitt he is from Cottonwood Heights, he is a snowboarder too and super fun. So Elder Moffitt and I opened up a new companionship in Paris (this is my second time doing that lol!) It's pretty fun though. So we help people out and give people tours, it's a lot of fun. I also got surgery recently so that's another reason why I have been bad at emailing. We are in the Paris Ward and it's a lot of fun, there are a ton of sweet members and pretty much everyone speaks English. I got my legality done with for the rest of my mission so that's really nice. On transfer day I got see all my friends - Elder Alexander and Elder Watts were both on their last day so that was really sad but we all hung out so it was chill. We have an ami named Marco who is from Italy who is super cool and normal who has come to church for 3 weeks now! But yeah that's about it you guys! Love you all!

-Elder Beck

NEW ADDRESS 

Elder Beck

6 Avenue André Malreaux 

77600 Bussy-Staint Georges

Pics:

-Last appointment in St Ouen

-E Moffit and me view of the city

-My friends at the train station on transfer day

Week #64

As we are sure you all are losing sleep over hearing updates from Mr Josh, I thought I would send a quick update on his behalf:

-He was transferred recently to Paris Centre Ville - meaning he now proselytes in the 1st - 7th Arrondissements which are what most people know as "Paris". The 1st-7th are where all of the well-known monuments are located (also exactly where Charlie Hebdo offices are located...yikes).

-He was previously in Paris, however, he was in the 16th - 18th Arrondissements (Sacred Heart, Montmartre). He could visit the well-known monuments on p-days, where now he will be proselyting in those actual neighborhoods. Also located in his sector is a small LDS Visitor Center so they spend a few hours a day there as well - this visitors center will be moved to Versailles once the Temple construction is completed. Sometime in 2016 so we hear...

-He has been busy which has made his emailing very limited, so we haven't had a formal weekly update in a few weeks. He has sent a few emails to Stacy and I so that we don't get him arrested, but other than that he is working hard and pushing for continued success. 

-He had to have surgery on his foot at the American Hospital in Paris this past week, but it all appears to have gone well and he is already in his new apartment with his new companion. He loves that he is still in Paris!

Thanks

Alex and Stacy

Week # 62

           Safe and sound

Tuesday we had district meeting. It was fun I gave it on finding and gave everyone a finding bucket list it was pretty legit. 2 Elders weren't there because they had to do legality stuff. They came for the last part though. Then we taught this dude at the church. Then Elder Brockbank and I went to this Peruvian families house and had a fiesta, it was legit. They had a guitar!

Wednesday was super sweet. We did some finding in the morning then we taught some English speaking dude just in front the apartment. Then we went and taught our favorite ami Louis in a Starbucks at La Défance because he lives right there. Then he walked us to his appartment- it's super nice he lives in a hotel / apartment building. We talked about faith and hope. Gave him some scriptures to read. By the way we teach him in English because he speaks both languages fluently. And he speaks Arabic. He's super smart. At the end of the RDV he told us that he has a seasons pass to Disney Land Paris and that he could take us for super cheap at this time of the year. So I called President and asked if we could go with him...he said no...I was super bummed I wanted to go so bad haha. Then we went to the church to teach this dude I think he was not all there because he could not find our church to save his life! Then just went to ward council. 

Thursday in the morning (mom don't freak out...haha) we were in the apartment and we hear like a bunch of people yelling and freaking out. I look out the window literally right in front of our apartment  there is a huge gang fight going on. Like crowbars, knifes, bats, and 2 guns! So I was like 'whoah crap get away from the windows!' I called President and let him know...he is currently looking for a new apartment for us :)  lol. Then after that just did normal missionary work.

Friday was pretty sketchy in front of our apartment as well. There is this maintenance building and these homeless people broke into them and started living in them. The cops found out and kicked them out. They had like machine guns and stuff and were yelling at them! Weird way to start the day. Then after that we get a text from President saying to pay lots of attention to your surroundings and where you are because it is expected that France will be having more terrorist attacks... so keep me in your prayers plz! Then we had to escort the Sisters to this sketchy ville so they could teach an ami. We then knocked some doors out there.

Saturday nothing too big happened, we just weekly planned. The metro we always go on was shut down for construction so that stunk! Then we taught Evelyn and her 3 kids. They all four have baptismal dates for the 14th of February! They are so solid too! 

Sunday was chill we had some amis there and church went well - the classes were actually normal! We gave the Sister from New Zealand a blessing. Elder Brockbank and I went taught some people on the road towards the end of the day. We taught 5 people just on the streets it was sweet! 

That's my week for you guys! Love you and thanks for your prayers! 

Love,

Elder Beck

-Pics

-3 random pics from the week!

Week #60

Laticia

This week was legit I will try and fill you guys in. 

Tuesday we had District Meeting. I gave a formation on goal setting. Then I had an exchange with an elder I live with Elder Williams. It was fun he's a great kid and really funny. We actually didn't get to do very much on our exchange. We set some fun goals though and just had a good time. 

Wednesday was fun as well. In the afternoon we had to go into Paris for an RDV right next to the Eiffel Tower. They ended up being like 1hr late so we got to see the Eiffel Tower slowly light up it was super legit! Except there were like 59,184,354 people there because it was New Years Eve. So when that was done we left and we went to a members house and spent New Years Eve with these sweet members that are Tahitian with all four Elders. It was super fun they made us "American food" they are so nice. Then we stayed up all night and watched the Best 2 Years and watched all the sketchy St. Denis fireworks:)

Thursday was super fun. Happy New Year everyone! So Elder Karl had to stay the night because we had a leadership meeting on Friday .  Elder Karl came in around noonish and we went and picked him up. We had the whole day off so we literally went and showed him EVERYTHING - Arch of Triumph, Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame, and Champs de Elysée it was awesome. Then at night time an American Family invited us over and we went and ate at their house. They made us hamburgers. They also invited over our DMP (who speaks english) and 2 Americans that he knew that are living in France so it was super fun. It was all in English it was so much fun. We didn't get home till pretty late. 

Friday Elder Karl and I woke up early in the morning to go to this leadership council thing. It was actually a lot of fun. Got to see a lot of my buddies. The meeting though was suuuper long. They gave each table bottles of water so we started playing a drinking game... its not funny if I describe it in English but it was a lot of fun. Then Elder Karl, Elder Stuki and I were put in a 3 some it was super legit we just walked around Paris until their trains left. Then got back with Elder Young and we did some work. 

Saturday was a looong day. In the morning we had a contacting session in the rain. Then we did Weekly Planning. Then just a bunch of porting and no one was interested the whole day and we had no RDVs...

 

Sunday was cool. We had an ami named Laticia that came to church who is suuuper legit! It was a miracle how we found her too. But she actually came to church and she told us that her New Years resolution was to come closer to Christ and go to church.  She said she feels the Spirit here, so the next time she is going to bring her whole family. We also had some other amis at church too. Victors baptism is scheduled for next week, but who knows with him... Then earlier we found a building full of people from Nigeria that speak English and most of them are single woman so we passed the whole building to the sisters - they found like 5 new amis just porting for 1 hr so that was cool. Then we got bailed on by one of our amis. After we taught Evelyn and her family with a member named Ovoh who is awesome. We taught her the plan of salvation. I used the puzzle thing that Joe and Jenna gave me for Christmas it was awesome they loved it. We are going to try and give her a date this week.

Today I am super busy and this is the only email I will be sending out...I will try and email later tomorrow. Love you guys thanks for the emails! 

-Elder Beck

Here are some pics of this week and one from last week:

-Elder Karl and me at the Eiffel Tower

-Notre Damn

-A top Montparnasse with Eiffel Tower in the distance