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!