July 4, 2011

Salut!
Vous allez bien? It was a good week! Kind of crazy, but good haha. On wednesday we went to Bordeaux for a zone conference and we met president Murdock. He's awesome! It was really weird holding zone conference in English though. At one point I had to get up and saw a few words, and all that was coming out was franglais. I tried as hard as I coudl to speak normal english, but every other word was coming out in French! I never knew it could be so hard to speak English haha. Then I went on exchange with my boy Elder Dorton in Brive. It was super fun! It reminded me of when we did exchanges in Nice together. Except now our areas are nothing like Nice haha. Brive's a pretty small place too, but not as small as Bergerac I don't think. Anyways, I did a baptismal interview there and they had a baptism this saturday. It was the daughter of a recent convert. Woohoo! But anyways, back to Bergerac. Maurel and Muamba are doing alright. Maurel said he still needs more time before the baptism. Muamba isn't sure, so if someone is baptized this week, it will be muamba. We hope!
So right now, Elder Coenen and I are being followed by a couple journalists with cameras. It's super weird. Apparently they're making a documentary about the missionaries and eventually it will be on tv in France. When they're finished they'll send me a dvd haha. So yeah, super random! They've followed Elder Coenen off and on during his mission. They were there at the MTC and then when he arrived in Toulouse, but this is the first time really since he's been out in the field. And they'll follow him throughout his whole mission I believe. They called us two weeks ago to ask if they could come today, and we said yeah sure. They said they'd call us back to confirm and tell us when they wuold show up and everything. But they never called us, so last night Elder Coenen and I decided they weren't coming. Then this mornign at 7:30 we got a text from them saying they'll be there at 10:30..... So we scrambled around cleaning up the apartment and everything and re-planning the day haha. It was insanity. But we managed to get everything done. I'll probably give you another update about how the day finished in next week's email.
With the new president we have a half hour less to do our emails, so I won't be able to do as many emails to my friends and stuff. So, whoever wants to write me, they can send me letters! :) This week was kind of like the last. More perseverance! There were a couple of days where nothing was working and no one wanted to talk to us, but we kept going and the week finished great and we had one of the best weeks we've had yet. It seems like at the end of every week I look at our numbers, and I say to myslef, "man, I don't know if we'll be able to repeat that next week." But somehow every week, we keep improving! If we apply our faith, we can do anything. This town is pretty tiring, but we can't let up.
I've been thinking a lot this last week about why I came on a mission, and why I'm doing what I do day in and day out. Of course it's something we're expected to do as young priesthood holders and it's something that will help us the rest of our life, but really the reason why we're all here is the infinite love and atonement of Jesus Christ. I know I'll never be able to fully understand Christ's atoning sacrifice, at least in this life, but I understand it more and more every day that I'm here. I still can't really put it into words, but spiritually I understand it more and more. Christ suffered and died for every single person who lived, lives, and will live. He didn't just suffer for the members of the church, but for EVERY child of God. Think about how many people are members of the church compared to how many people are on the earth or have been on the earth. The only way to apply the atonement is through the fulness of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Are we going to let the most marvelous act that has ever and will ever be accomplished go to waste? Not a chance. Of course peopel have their agency to accept the truth, but the more I understand the atonement, the more I desire teh salvation of every person we meet. As Lehi said, "Wherefore, aredemption cometh in and through the bHoly cMessiah; for he is full of dgrace and truth. Behold, he offereth himself a asacrifice for sin, to answer the ends of the law, unto all those who have a broken heart and a contrite spirit; and unto bnone else can the cends of the law be answered. Wherefore, how great the importance to make these things known unto the inhabitants of the earth, that they may know that there is no flesh that can dwell in the presence of God, asave it be through the merits, and mercy, and grace of the Holy Messiah, who blayeth down his life according to the flesh, and taketh it again by the power of the Spirit, that he may bring to pass the cresurrection of the dead, being the first that should rise." That's why we're here! Let's all apply the atonement in our lives by living the Gospel and accept the gift that Christ offers, and just as importantly, let's make these things known to all those around us, because it is offered equally to them! I know that Christ truly sacrificed himself and that it is only by Him that we can obtain happiness in this life and the eternities. Well, I'm out of time - I love you all and hope you have a great week!
Love,
Elder Bryson Nathanael Tudor