This week Elder Argyle went on exchanges and taught the young men of Nantes how to play American football (Elder Argyle is in the Nantes 2 companionship). It was so much fun. They are all use to rugby and not football so each play included at least 5 backward laterals. It's amazing how many rules there are in American football. Trying to tell them about how there is an "imaginary line" where the play starts was just the beginning of our complications. Good times. It was four on four. And... true to the name they gave gave me in high school, "touchdown coburn" pulled in the last catch for the game. Not that impressive though... they were mostly all deacon and teacher age :) Afterwards we had a little barbecue for lunch. The problem was that the young mens leader had forgetten the baguettes at his house so he asked us if we were feeling capable to run and grab them at his house about a mile away. Well as luck would have it, Elder Argyle just happens to be the Utah state track champion in three events, one of which is the mile. He does a mile in 4:13. Soooo, off we went. Fast. We finally got to the apartment building where he decided to sprint up all five stories and I opted for the elevator. I'm way too sensible right? Then it was a mile back with 7 baguettes in our hands. At one point we passed a bar where everyone was looking at us so I raised my baguettes up in the air and incited a cheer from 10 or so drunkards. Anyway. Moral of the story? Elder Arglye really fast. By the way, the ym's president served in Washington DC North mission in like 2006ish. Elder Etourneau, if that rings a bell for Josh. It was good to be with the young men though. They seem to need a lot of pushing to go on missions. Our ward has 4 or 5 potential missionaries that are like around 21 years old and are just sitting on the fence.
Our best investigator right now is Rhode. She is from Camaroon, but married to a Portugese man and just moved here from Portugal. She has come to church now for about 4 weeks straight, but is having a hard time with how much we use books other than the Bible. Our lessons with her are super intense and we hop for verse to verse through the Bible and Book of Mormon. Mostly from the Bible though. I am surprising myself with how much knowledge I've stored up over my mission and how it all magically seems to come to mind at the right moment. Obivously it isn't me that is putting the thoughts in my mind, but rather the Holy Ghost :) At first Rhode didn't believe in a life before or after this earth life, but after we shared many scriptures with her, and she searched some on her own, she came to this conclusion: when Christ is on the cross and says " Father, into they hands I commend my spirit," then it is clear that his spirit was going to live on. What's even better is that in french, instead of "commend," it says "re-put" -which implies the notion that His spirit was already with the Father once before, thus giving her the answer that there was also a pre-earth life. We are also teaching her piano because she has always wanted to learn, and she is taking part in ward choir because she is a pretty good singer. So she is doing well. We will see her tonight.
Jean was ordained a priest yesterday. He understands the sacredness of the priesthood better than anyone I know. He called at 11:15 on Saturday night just to tell us that he had been reading and re-reading the responsibilities of a priest, and that even though it is a huge commitment, he was ready. He is the man. Everything is starting to go right in his life. He got some long searched for work (he does tile), and his family situation has been kind of starting to heal itself. His wife's heart is being softened. We love our Jean SO much. He is just a constant ball of happiness and humble obedience.
I love you infinitely.
Love,
Benjamin
ps, the weather here is crazy. Every single day for the last week it has alternated between warm sunshine and torrential down pour every 30 minutes. No bueno!!
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