Mission Meeting

7/29

Hey! Life is pretty good! We had a weird and short week! It got interrupted by our trip to Paris, but I'll tell you about that later.

So french people are pretty funny. Pretty much everyone knows that we're American and speak English, so they try to speak to us in English.  We knocked on a door Monday night and the lady slammed the door on our face... then opened the door again and said in a thick french accent "gyet a lyfe" and then slammed it again. Elder Smith and I laughed sooo hard.

So this week was supposed to be really good.. We had 6 RDVs set up over Wednesday and Thursday and no one showed up. It was pretty maddening, but what can we do?

Then on Friday we went to Paris for Elder Smith to do his legality. While he was there everyone else had to do a scavenger hunt around Paris. The winner got a bucket of KFC. The steps where like:

-take a pic of you licking the Eiffel Tower. 

-take a pic of you and someone in a booboo and get his number

-contact every person pushing a stroller.

-preach to a group of 5 or more

-take a picture of you and a hobo

-get at least 6 numbers

-teach someone who doesn't speak french or English to pray and then pray with them.

Those were just some of the steps, but it was cool because Elder Webber and I were comps for it. We didn't win tho. It was kinda hard to lick the Eiffel tower cuz there were cops everywhere with machine guns ready to shoot anyone who tried something fishy, but it was kinda fun because a year ago Elder Webber and I were running around Paris together. It took all day.

The rest of the week went pretty much how the week started, but it was really fun. Elder Smith and I get along super great. 

There was a problem with my credit card so I had to take out some personal money today.

There is sugar here, so we can make koolaid.

I dont remember if I ever did dog care or wood carving. I think when I wanted to do dog care dad said it was for tree huggers.

I dont think they have done any work on the temple. I think the government is still mad. It is supposed to be done in 2015.

Is Sam (our dog) ok from the attack? I heard from the police that when a dog is attacking you jab his eyes. 

The more I talk to people about colleges the more I wonder what to do. I think that I would be able to transfer directly to BYUI and just go there right away? I just want to do whatever is easiest but best. I think I want to be an english teacher.

7/22

So, what's up in Chico? Metz is getting really hot! but not anything compared to Chico. but its also bad because we  have to rep a tie and pants every day. And I have been missing driving around in the jeep!

So Elder Smith and I are starting to find some people to teach! and 2 weeks ago 49 companionships did not find new amies... but this week as a mission we found 210!!! It's a miracle! We worked really hard last week and we had a good week, but as always it was just a blur. I cant believe its P-day again. 

So Elder Smith is really tall and likes to play basketball, but the only court that is logical to play at is like an indoor soccer court with hoops in it, but its really short and has hard turf so its weird to play on. but its fun. but he talks about the NBA allllll the time. I kinda feel bad because I dont know ANYTHING about basketball anymore, but he also hates the Kings, and likes Kobe, so I know he's wrong. 

So in the email that Joe Bouchelle sent you it said I would have to take a test for French, wherez in the world would that be? If I studied up a lil I could pass, but will that be all good? Can you look into that?

So the bishop had not said a single word to me until this Sunday and we talked about cavemen and hunter gatherers for about 15 minutes at church.... all I know about cavemen is what I learned in 6th grade! but he is like super knowledgeable.

Angers has an ice hockey team. I really wanted to go. They made it finals but lost to Rouen. There was a bunch of playoff games in Angers. but we couldn't go. I really wanted a jersey or hat or something.

We had dinner at a members house last night. We had american hot dogs. They tasted like costco dogs, the ones that give you the WORST breath ever for like the whole rest of the weekend. It reminded me of that.  

I think that training is really good for me because I am not thinking about myself like ever. I am always thinking about Elder Smith and hoping he has a good time. hoping that he gets better at french. hoping that he's happy. I am also really learning a lot about myself. And I want to give him a good impression of what a mission is and what a missionary is.

Pictures!!!

We got a surprise e mail this morning from a senior missionary couple who are serving in the France Paris mission.  They told us how much they love working with Elder Guymon.  They said he has a great attitude, always smiles, is a great missionary and that we should be very proud of him. They also sent us two photos!

7/15

So to start off, yes we got the package from Jenifer Norris and we had the rice a roni for dinner that night. Tell her thanks a lot!

 

Last night was French Independence Day and there were fireworks until like midnight. They were really loud and really close.

 

Elder Smith and I get along really well, but we are still kinda not finding people to teach. I'm feeling like I'm a bad trainer... but he says he's having fun. We have been trying to start doing less active work, and we have had some lessons from that, so thats good. It's pretty fun with a 4 man house, but its also pretty weird because they are all from Utah and they talk about that all the time!

 

Only one of the dinner appointments ended up happening...

 

I love it here in Metz, but I still love Angers more. But the members here are great. It's pretty weird, our chapel is a huge house that they remodeled into a church and its just in the middle of a neighborhood.

 

I'm pretty excited about the Dicks Sporting Goods place!

 

For district meeting every Tuesday we go to Luxembourg. When we were there last time I saw an Aston Martin. Luxembourg is pretty much just like France.

 

This week went by really fast. The weeks are getting faster and faster! But good news, we have hot water.

 

So right now in my studies I am reading the Pearl of Great Price. It's blowing my mind.

 

They made me give a talk yesterday in Sacrament meeting. The theme was how prayer and our personal relationship with God helps us in life. It was a good topic because that is pretty much what I've been noticing this last year.

 

What video games does Andrew play? Do they even use the Wii anymore? Am I going to take that to college?

 

That's cool about Brett getting his mission papers all done and turned in?

 

You should tell Bradley to tell Alec that its his turn to write back.

 

Did the Kings draft anyone good?

 

This week went by so fast I cant really think of anything else here. If you want you can mail me one of those quizzes again.

 

 

I'm pretty sad cuz Elder Flitton goes home in 3 weeks.

7/8

hey everybody!  

So we're still looking for people to teach. We have had a lot of good conversations with people but nothing has really came from it. We are really exited because this week on Sunday 3 different members invited us to dinner during the week. (a new record). We are having a lot of fun.

So I told you a couple months ago that I started dreaming in french? So yeah, every single one of my dreams it is perfect french!! Even like signs and billboards. Sometimes in my dreams I'm like... but this person doesn't even speak french! Its really weird.

So most of our problems with the apartment are fixed. We have a stove and an oven, we have a washing machine, we have no hot water still.

So after I told you that my shoes were holding up I looked at them and they are actually pretty TOE up, they should last while tho. I dont really mind.

Tell Andrew to tuck in his shirt!! I brought every single tie I wanted. I have like 41 ties here. They keep accumulating! Its crazy how I have so many but I still have a hard time choosing which one to wear.  I'm pretty sick of wearing church clothes everyday tho. ( not that I'm like being negative) but they're not comfortable. My pants are getting discolored from the sun. They're grey with a shade of pink! and I have the worst collar tan line in the history of the world. Speaking of clothes.. should I buy clothes here? I'm not going to buy the right away cuz I'd have to haul them around for a year.

You haven't really given me that much info about summer school at SVU. When would it start?  Would I be able to play soccer in the fall?

I have seen a couple ads for the tour de France, but I don't know if it goes through Metz.

I don't know how the temple is going. I know that its spozda be done in 2015.

There wasn't any confusion on who my comp was going to be. They just said "in Metz, Elder Guymon is training.... Elder Smith." He is super great. He's adjusting so well! I'm really proud of him. I'm sure it was inspired from God! I have 0 complaints about him. srsly.

Can we go tuna fishing when I get home?

Bradley would so lose to me in a game of bball. I could probably freak on him. Do you remember that video of Herman Cain we used to watch?

So lately I have been studying charity.  I really have been trying to see people how the Savior sees peeps. It's really hard. but I bet it was hard for him. This week there was a man with huge dreads, soooooooo many tattoos, and face gauges (yeah I know). I really was able to see a person who was important, someone who had the ability to change, someone who was a child of God. I will never forget that man. His name was Kevin.

7/1

so first of all, Metz is really really awesome. I didnt really know how to get out here so we just bought train tickets that stopped here. We called the other set of elders to take us to our apartment. It's a new apartment. It has no hot water. I'm used to that though. I have taken SO many cold showers on my mission! haha. but yeah the first copuple days we had to find our way around the city and find some new amis. We have no one to teach out here. It's a really really big city and there are a lot of Germans here. Our area actually extends into Germany. There are some members who live out there so we'll be going to Germany. Also, our district meetings are in Luxembourg, so I'll have been in 4 different countries. There are still missionaries in St Omer, so I hope things are going well for them.

 

Elder Smith (his new companion) WAS in the choir for the special broadcast last week, so thats cool.  

There are no otter pops in France. There's hardly even popsicles, but we dont really need them because its nowhere near as hot as Chico. 

Elder Flitton is my favorite. He is so great. He is my best friend in the world.  The newest companion is Elder Chandler Smith. He is from So Jordan, Ut.  He is really tall. He likes to play bball. He seems really cool, but he is still kinda in the culture shock phase. He doesnt understand like anything that's going on, but i love him and he's going to be great!

We have a car, but i cant drive it I'm not a designated driver.

 

If I applied for summer classes would I just get home and then turn around and go to Virginia? Would it be worth it? I was thinking about just going back in the fall and being a normal student or maybe an RA, but if I went to summer school would I be able to play soccer? I still dont know if I'd be good.

My shoes are still good enough. They are good shoes!

Yeah that's Sister Jenkins! She was in Angers while I was there. I baptized Anna (the girl that they found and taught.) Sister Jenkins is legit!

We do the same thing I did when I was trained. It's a program from the 12 called "the first 12 weeks". It pretty much tells us what to study and do. It's really cool and really humbling, but it also lets me know how much I can really do and it lets me see how much progress I've made. I've really changed a lot. 

I'm really happy.