HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!

This post is officially dedicated to Nikki and Kade and Dad. I'm not really sorry that I'm not there for you birthday parties but know that I baked myself a cake and blew out the candles and pretended I was you. I even bought my self a present. Well if a french pastery and cheese counts as a present.

No for real, I am thinking about you and telepathikly sending you a hug right....now. ok did you get it? My companion and I sang happy birthday to you. So there. and you got some sweet birthday presents right? Who loves you? Come on...me!

So news of the all be French...

A pretty good week. I noticed this week how really hard it is to maintain a level of spirituality unless you work for it. really really work for it. God blesses us with His Spirit any time we ask for it but in order to keep it in our lives and use it we have to work at it. It is easy to get distracted.

Aug 29 was like a mega dose of spirituality becuase of our zone conference. I was walking pretty tall after that feeling like I knew what was up. But a few sarcastic words at my companion, some acts of selfishness, and a bad attitude later I was back to confused old stupid me. It's weird that when you feel close to God eveything seems good in the world but when you relly on yourself you are confused and all you see is error. It's a good lesson.

MDJ time...yeah!

Aug 30: I actually talked to people on my own today! I might actually be a missionarry yet. Watching a play called the Spectacular that was run and produced and starred by talented young Mormon youth from all over France. It was amazing!

Aug 31: Accidently meeting a man named Mikel who was very nice and very excited about our message. Maybe he's the one...? Maybe he will be an answer to our prayers. In the Lords work nothing happens by accident. Sharing mom's homemade beef jerky with the Bishop and making him soooo happy! It was awesome. Thanks mom.

Sept 1: Visiting Soeur Dessanaux, an old widow lady. She told us about the first time she reallized she had a testimony of the Book of Mormon. (She's a convert) She said that she danced around her house like a 5 year old kid singing "I have a testimony, I have a testimony." Isn't taht a beautiful story?

Sept 2: Happy B day Nikki! I tied a "think of Nikki" band around my wrist with string so that I think of you all day for your birthday. Everytime I saw the ribbon I prayed for you. Love you. A less active that we have been spending time with said that she was going to church on sunday. I felt so happy that I thought I was going to throw up. Its been almost 10 years since she's beent o church. Amazing. Teaching Book of Mormon stories to a 11 year old girl.

Sept 3: Visiting another Less active and hearing her convert story. For her an 8 year old girl named atonina invited her to church. and from there the rest is history. an 8 year old girl inviting a full grown woman to church. And it changed her lfie. an 8 year old missionnary.. Amazing! A letter from mom. Dad got a job. sweet! Watching Finding Faith in Christ for the 50 milliionth time and still being touched by the message. I cry all the time now! for reall....

Sept 4: Love this ward. Love them!!! Celebrating Sr. Dessanaux baptismimal aniversary with a princess theme. magic wand and everything. It was awesome. Laying it all out for some of our investigators, like I gave my whole heart to them and they said nope still not really interested in your church. I felt like my soal was going to break. I just really love these people and I hate that their pride will not let them feel the healing message of Jesus Christ.

Sept 5: Happy bday dad! An aweosme District meeting. Deciding that I'm no longer going to be a dead weight missionnary. "Despited how weak we are the spirit of the lord will make the diffirence. and getting invited to dinner at a family who told us we could never come to their house. Sweet!

A great week. Pray for the families in Lousinia. I'm so sad about that. But the Lord had a plan. Love you all,
Shai