January 9, 2012

Salut,
Hey everyone! I'm actually emailing you from Tarbes this week - a pretty little town just above Spain. We're doing an exchange with the district leader Elder Bowen here tomorrow and we came down and spent Pday with him and Elder Frazier. We went to Lourdes and spent 3 hours there. That's the place where Mary apparently appeared to Bernadette 18 times and now it's the second most important place for Catholics after the Vatican. There's a massive Cathedral there that's built on the Spring where Bernadette was getting water when it all happened. I remember going to the Vatican before my mission and thinking how cool it was, but when we were at Lourdes today it just made me sad. It was the epidamy (epitimy? mom, you can correct me) of the apostasy. We said "say apostasy!" as we took pictures of each other instead of "say cheese!" haha it was funny. On the side of the church they have these little fountains that pour out Holy Water from the Spring that Mary blessed and we got a bunch of it in these little bottles that they had there. Not sure what I'm going to do with it haha. We went into the little cave where the vision happened and everyone goes there and kisses the side of the cave and rubs it and the rock is like rubbed smooth now. That's pretty gross, there's no way I was kissing that thing!
Anyways, it was a great week for the work! P and L Dragon are committed to be baptized the 17th. P is more solid, but L will get there. As well, H (E), one of our chinese investigators has a baptismal date for the 21st. She has opposition from her boyfriend, but her faith has grown so much and she's keeping all her commitments. She really committed more solidly to be baptized and is a lot more sure that she wants to do it now. Great news! W Z. (R) finally got back from China and we talked to him yesterday on the phone and he said he still wants to be baptized, if it's in the ocean haha. So we'll see him later this week and set up a date for him. He read a lot in the BoM while he was in China and he talked to his parents and they're ok with it, so he's ready to go! We're super excited for him to be baptized.
We had kind of a crazy week because we had jedi council in Lyon. We flew out from Bordeaux Thursday night and got to the apartment in Lyon that night around 12:30. It was so strange taking a plane. I never thought I would until I went home, so it kind of scared me haha. Jedi council was on Friday and was awesome of course. President Murdock is so inspiring and it was great to see the other zone leaders again. Fridaynight we took the train to Tolouse with teh Toulouse ZL's (we got there around 12 because of train delays) and stayed the night there and then got back to Bordeaux Saturday morning. It was a long trip! We talked a lot about contacting with the BOok of Mormon during jedi council. I've been thinking a lot about the Book of Mormon lately and its importance in missionary work. It's literally, tangible proof that God exists and that he chose Joseph Smith as His prophet and that he still talks to us today through a modern prophet. I love the talk by Elder Holland titled "Safety For The Soul". He talks about how anyone who discredits the Church or our message have to go ignore the BOok of Mormon to do it. I've read the Book of Mormon multpile times now, and I know without a doubt that it is the word of God. It amazes me how it answers all of our investigators questions. It makes missionary work so much easier! I definitely wouldn't be out here if it weren't for the Book of Mormon. Unfortunately, I neglected the BoM most of my life. I never even read it through until my BoM class at BYU. That class saved me! I remember reading it every day as part of my homework, and how I just would go in my room, close the door, start reading, and never be able to put it down. It changed me spiritually. It invited the Spirit in my life and my heart changed. I've prayed about it and I know by the power of the Holy Ghost that it is true. I love testifying of the BOok of Mormon and the Restoration, because it's brought me more happiness and peace than anything. I'm so thankful to be a missionary and invite others to come unto Christ. I've seen the Book of Mormon change people during my mission. Those who read get baptized, those who don't read never get baptized. It's the foundation of our testimony. Let us never neglect it, because it will always remind us why we believe what we do and confirm to us time after time that it is the truth. Have a great week! Love you!
Elder Tudor