Life in Namur

Transfer week was crazy as usual, and unfortunately I got really sick again. I am laughing as I write this because I think I have written this e-mail a million times before! But it's all good I'm at the getting better part now!

     SO ...just to clear up some things. Yes I am district leader still.  I know that working on having my tenth companion isn't because the pres hates me ....i was just kiddin'.   I am co- district leader with Elder Reed, who was in the MTC with me as well. He wasn't in the same district, but he is still awesome.

    No, I haven't got the package yet, but the mail here is SUPER slow.   Yes, I have gotten grandma's letters, and I sent her and Gary a letter last week.   Today, I finally get to send out a package of stuff so you can have a little taste of what my mission has been like. 

 

    SO! This week started by saying oodles of goodbyes, before Elder Wood headed off to Paris as the new Zone leader. One of the best things that happened was a rendezvous that we had with the Stawarski family. Soeur Stawarski is a SUPER faithful member and is the lady in charge of the family history stuff, and she is just pretty much legit! Her husband is not a member and has been taught, of course, by his wife for AGES.   And by missionaries for almost as long. After reading his investigation paper I felt like missionaries ,and maybe even Soeur Stawarski, have been trying a little too hard with him. So, we set a rendez- vous with them before Elder Wood left.  We felt like we just needed to serve him first, (like Ammon did to King Lamoni), and just show him how much we cared for him.  SO... that's what we did!

     During dinner we went through all the common ,what do you like? and what do you like to do? and stuff. They asked if we eat well here, and if so, what do you cook?  Me and Elder Wood said, "well, actually we both love to cook and have eaten very well. " They were slightly surprised and jokingly they asked us if maybe next time we could come over and cook for them.  I said," bahh OUI!" or" OF COARSE! "  They were pretty excited and even more surprised. 

    Afterwards, during our spiritual thought, we shared a few scriptures.  We spent most of our time on the second greatest commandment, being to love others as ourselves, and sharing our testimonies on our personal conversion to the gospel, and how that is really our purpose as missionaries.   We are here to love and serve people! We left no commitments, other than to always remember that you are a child of God with divine potential; and that we are your brothers who also love you very much!   IT was good!  He was super touched.  Yesterday Soeur Stawarski thanked me for the rendez-vous and said that her husband was really touched, and that she had caught him sneaking a book of Mormon to take to work.   She's so funny.   She told me to come by later next week and to tell her what stuff to get so we could cook for them! YEAH, the power of love!

     So after that, I lost the phone. Don't worry Jacob your not the only one who forgot to bring his head with him.  Luckily a member found it and brought it back to me after I went to Bruxelles to pick up Elder Reed!

     Later, slash all of last week and more specifically this week, I got insomnia really bad AGAIN. I really shouldn't be laughing right now, but anyways I had to call Soeur Poznanski.

 She gave me a few tips on what to do and I had a blessing, and so far things are going a lot better. That kinda took a toll on the work, but luckily we didn't miss to much time.   We had to do transfers and weekly planning and cleaning anyways (slash unpack) for Elder Reed.

    Well, things are going a lot better and tell me when you get the package .....hopefully it gets there sooner than later!

 

Love

Elder Lyons

Staying in Namur

O.K.,  as usual I don't have too much time to write, with all the crazy things that happen during transfer week.   There are loads of miracles that I have to share and I will do my best to do them justice in the short time I have to tell them.

     I have prepared a package with some goodies for ya, and I have a letter for loads of others, I just got to find the time to get to the post office!!

     First off, I am STAYING... woooooot! Second off, Elder Wood is moving. Boooooooo! I will now have my tenth companion.....yes tenth and not even quite half way done with my mission. I keep getting told that it is because I have been teaching a lot to my companions and that they need to spread me around.  I say it is because the president's don't like me. Only kidding, but it is still a little poopy.

     SO, the best thing that happened this week was our rendezvous with Andrias, the Spanish young man from Ecuador. We played basketball with him and a young man his age in our ward (who is, well... church hasn't really been his favorite). However, after we played for a little bit, we went into the church and taught a lesson together. We started by sharing our testimonies on how we found out for ourselves if this church was true and why we chose to serve a mission. I talked a lot about how reading together with my family and going to church together gave me incomprehensible strength, even during my mothers cancer and later, episodes of my own sicknesses.  However, even with all of that,( all of those wonderful things of my family), nothing gave me more strength than when I gave a simple, but honest prayer to know for myself that this church is true, that there is a God who loves and cares for us, and that there is a way for us to be happy, even in this life.  God provided a plan for us.  The commandments are not just a list of things I can and cannot do, but much much much more. They are the very qualities we are to learn to become like our Heavenly Father!  We even got this member, Max, involved.  He bore his testimony about his families conversion story.  He was very touched about the principle of gaining our own testimonies and he has decided that that is what he wants to do!

    It was a super powerful rendez-vous!  We committed Andrias to find out the truthfulness of these things for himself. He accepted full heartedly.  Later, we had  the opportunity to teach him again in church, with Barbara (a recently returned missionary from the Quebec Canada mission).  She is pretty much the most amazing sister ever!  We taught Andrias about the plan of salvation and again, the spirit was palpable!  We asked him if he would be baptized if he found out for himself that these things are true, and he said yes.  A soft invite, but next rendez-vous we will be fixing a solid goal with Him!

     Everyone, God lives and He loves us very much. He has provided a way for us to be happy on this earth and in the life to come! His plan is perfect, and simple. He has called prophets to guide us along the way and still does. God is a God of miracles. This church is His and He is at the head of it! Search and you shall find, Ask and you shall receive, Knock and it shall be opened unto you! Meaning, look for God, study about him, then ask him in prayer if what you studied was true. Then knock, meaning act, on the answer you receive and God will open the windows of heaven and pour His blessings upon you.

     I love all of you and hope all the stuff I send makes it out to y'all . Always remember how grateful I am for you. How much you all have touched my life and helped to mold me into the man that I am! I hope this week is just fabulous and I promise the next e-mail will be better!

 

Love

Elder Lyons

 

PS I'm working on a letter for Gary and G parents!

More Pictures!!

A Picture Jason drew of the Goulding  family.  They are a less active family he worked with and got close to in Dunkerque.

Jason on P-Day somewhere in Dunkerque

Jasons's suitcase that was destroyed in transfer from Nivelle to Dunkerque.  It is important to know that it is made of Kevlar.  So even though it could stop a bullet, it apparently doesn't handle a lot of pressure well.

District elders on P-day

Jason in chapel with Rebecca Goulding  (I think)

Tia and Jason. Tia was a Chinese investigator in Dunkerque

12 Lessons, and Insomnia

Well, this was another very tough week.  Somehow ,amidst the craziness of insomnia, we actually had a lot of success.  Which is funny beings I was kinda stuck in the apartment for a lot of the week being sick.

     However, There is an awesome missionary couple that is in our district, the Scosons. Sister Scoson has had sleeping problems since she was little and knew some remedies to help with it. They stopped by last Friday and brought us dinner and some herbal teas and Tylenol.   I also got a blessing.  By  Saturday I was finally getting some sleep and have been recuperating very rapidly now.

     I think the biggest problem I have acquired, is that I focus to much on taking care of other people, and don't give anytime for myself.  But it's OK I am getting better.  I have incorporated a little bit of Sister Scosons tricks. For example, we do planning a lot earlier now,( because that requires a lot of thinking and worrying about people,) instead of right before bed.  I am also starting to drink something nice and warm right before I knock out, and do something with my hands like drawing to calm down.  It is working well so far.

     Well despite all of this fun stuff, we have consistently found a new amie to teach every week that I have been here, and we still managed to teach twelve lessons! We also got to meet our new president this week and franchment. They are the best!! Everything is in french now, and we spent most of our training on how to break the wall that a lot of wards have developed between the members and the missionaries.  Both people are at fault, but when both of us work as a team, that is going to be when miracles take place.  I have noticed that SOOO much here and in Dunkerque as well.  NOTHING happens if you don't have the ward on your side! The reason the work is going so well here, is because the members in Namur are amazing and absolutely pumped about missionary work. A lot of the miracles that have happened here are because of the members and I have been so honored to work along side them.

Jason with Jean Paul, a member in Dunkerque

Jason, Rebecca Goulding, and E. Porter (Jason was Rebecca's favorite Elder)

     This week we are really focusing on that Spanish family I told you about.  I have felt strongly impressed that Andrias is ready for baptism.  We are gonna work along side with his mom.  As we teach him, we hope also to inspire her to want to become more active in the church. We have loads of good things planned for this week and I am super excited to end this last week of the transfer with a bang.

     I hope y'all have a good week this week.  I honestly can say that I have really felt your love and presence every step of my mission.  Thanks so much for your loving kindness and service. Remember how much I loves y'all

 

Elder Lyons

Dear all you peoples!

 

    This week was a little rough.  First off,( well y'all know me better than I do), I like to work.....sometimes to hard.  He he that's a kinda  a fun way to start an email, but rest assured I am fine, Just in case you were wondering, so faites pas trop suici!

    So last week I was kinda sick and exhausted again.  Come to find out, it is because I have been drinking the tap water, that just so happens to not be good for you in Belgium. Who knew?  But, after many trips to the bathroom, I think I have learned my lesson.

     Anyways let's move onto more spiritual things, shall we?   The first three weeks I have spent here were ABSOLUTELY amazing.  Me and Elder Wood are the best of buds, and we have been just soaking in miracle after miracle!  I have never consistently found two new amies every week before. But the members here are just SUPER pumped to help us out ,and teach with us, and everything is just peachy. But God sometimes likes to see if we really want these miracles, if we really want to be His disciples. This was one of those weeks. Rendezvous after rendezvous was dropped and we were really struggling to find people that would listen to Gods message. 

     Bless Elder Woods heart, but two beautiful( and I mean beautiful) girls stopped us one day......(and I know normally that would sound like a good thing.) but let me explain.  Wednesday night after a long day of hard work we started back home. Then Elder Wood says BON SOIR!!!!! to these beautiful girls on the bench and right away they knew we were ......FOREIGN!  They asked us if we were British ....in french of course, and I said that we were Americans. Then they just freaked out in joy! Immediately I knew this was gonna be a problem......but apparently Elder Wood is more oblivious than me.  So, He started to introduce who we are and they were....kinda listening.   At least enough to say, that our accent was really sexy and ask other questions like: are we priests?  and if not, could we go to parties and such?  Wait, it gets better. A group of people went by and said something like," Ils sont les Mormon! Laisse-tomber, ils font pas avoir le sex avec toi!" Basically telling the girls that we weren't going to sleep with them cause we are Mormon missionaires.  Which is DEFINITELY TRUE!  But they just giggled hysterically.... apparently Elder Wood didn't understand.  He thought they said, "Vous etes une sect!"  Which would translate into them calling us a cult. So Elder Wood started to try to explain to them how we weren't a sect, AS IF THEY CARED.

    Well, in any case......I never thought Belgian ladies would try and sleep with me.  Nor did I ever think I would find a companion that is more, (or at least) as oblivious as me. Because he had no idea what they wanted.

     Anyways, we had all that garbage going on, and I was starting to get a little ......not mad but.. hesitant as to what else might happen. But Sunday changed our perspective entirely and I have gained an even stronger testimony of the importance of Sunday worship!  Instead of getting mad or frustrated, me and Elder Wood just decided, what do we need to learn from this and how can we make it better?  I took this question with me to church and just....relaxed and meditated during sacrament and read through the hymn book. WOW! the spirit was just so strong and peaceful. Even amidst all these crazy things I felt at home and just super pumped to go out and do it all again!!!! SO WE DID!

    That Sunday even though no redezvous ,NOTHIN, was planned. We went out and made it happen. We taught a lesson to the Spanish family that we met last week and they were super excited to see us! Last time we taught the restoration and focused a lot of time on the book of Mormon.  Testifying on it's power to strengthen our families and aide us in receiving a testimony of Gods church on earth, being restored through the prophet Joseph Smith.  How we, like him, can ask god questions and receive answers..... and the room was just like PALPABLE with the spirit it was....just incredible, and last time was no different.

    They are from south America and their heritage is in the BOOK of MORMON. We are watching prophecies unfold and it is just truly humbling and....well a miracle.  There is no doubt in my mind that they will be baptized soon!

    After teaching them, we got a hold of a part member family that hasn't been to church for a while. The wife is Muslim, and SUPER nice! We just started by getting to know them. At first they seemed a little apprehensive of us.  We just shared with them why we were here. Basically that we are here to love people and serve them, and invite them to partake in the most important blessing that we know is true.  Badia, the wife, opened up to us and started asking us questions like: who is God?  Why are we here? and we got to teach her a bit of the plan of salvation.  Now they want us to come by regularly and teach them!

spaz.  We are probably gonna see her again. Then we hit it off with one last rendezvous at a less actives place, and frankly, it was just the best Sunday ever!

 

  Whew! Guys, God lives. He loves us and He knows us better than we do. Never give up on yourself or anyone else! People can change, despite the word on the street! God gave us power through Christ to do so! Again ,NEVER give up. Life is the most awesome and beautiful gift God gave us. Even with all the crazy stuff!  I love you and wish Meagan the best of b- days!!!!!!!! love you

 

Elder Lyons.......PS......I am good on clothes and contacts....my retainer broke.....is that bad.....PSSS the dentist appointment was free and it turns out I didn't need to even go, and that my filling was still there........I have been craving some maple syrup but it is super expensive here......other than that life is good and I don't think I deserve more of your love and gift's!