Hello Everyone,

Well it has been another pretty good week here in Montauban. We did lots of service and of course the end of the week was great with General Conference when we all got to hear from the Prophet and Apostles. I hope, for those of you who did watch it, that you enjoyed it and that you truly felt the truth in what it is that these inspired people taught us. If you haven't been able to watch it yet, I hope you will take the time to do it and to ponder on what they say. I was truly uplifted and inspired by what I was personally taught. Ha, well that was the end of the week, I guess I am going a little backwards.

On Tuesday, we ended up doing some studies and then we had an appointment with a real estate agent to look at an apartment. It was an older apartment, but it was in pretty good shape and it is huge. It has two bed rooms, a living room, a separate kitchen and a big bathroom! It even had this big porch running all along the front with doors from both bedrooms and living room leading out to it. It definitely had a lot of character. It was nice but we decided we would at least keep looking a bit also to see what else there might be. We had a little bit before meeting one of our investigators so we stopped by another agency and saw two more places, but we didn't quite like them as well. We then headed to see Lyse at her pizza shop. She is trying to redo all the painting and such and so we told her we would give her a hand. We started painting the outside and then had some lunch with her, she made us pizza of course, and then we went and finished up outside. We came back home and changed our clothes and then went out and did some contacting. We went and saw Soeur Galtier and then stopped by to see Soeur Hoxy. Soeur Hoxy said that she would go to General Conference that weekend and so we told her that we would help her get a ride to Toulouse. We then headed back into town and did some contacting until we made it back home.

Wednesday morning, we were supposed to go and meet up with Lyse to help her again but she stood us up so we went back in and finished our morning studies ad went out and did some contacting, came back for lunch and then went out for some lessons. We had a lesson fixed with Miriam but it didn't work out so we stopped by to see Françoise and we had a little thought with her. One day she will be more ready for the gospel but at this moment with her work and everything, she is a pretty busy lady. We then headed back into town and had a pretty good lesson with Stephanie. We talked about the last part of the Plan of Salvation, what happens after this life. We ended up having a good talk about baptism and why it was important for her. Unfortunately we had to end it so that she could get to work but she said she would come to General Conference that weekend. We then tried to go back and see Miriam but she told us she didn't have time and so we refixed the lesson. We headed back to the church and met Elder Wahlquist and Elder Pilling from Toulouse, to do an exchange with them. I went with Elder Pilling and drove into Toulouse. It was Elder Turley's birthday, who is serving in Toulouse, so we had a little dinner and cake back at the apartment that night.

Thursday morning we headed out to go teach one of their investigators name Faith, we had a pretty good lesson helping to clarify her questions about The Book of Mormon and then headed back to the apartment and ate lunch. We then did some contacting on the way to another lesson, we met a couple of really cool people (one of them actually came to conference that weekend, which was awesome). We taught their investigator's Sebastien and Marie and had a really good lesson with them about the importance of Jesus Christ. Afterwards, we contacted back to the apartment and then took the car to Montauban. We re-exchanged and I dropped my stuff off and Frère Dieutre came and picked us up to take us to their house for dinner that night. We had a nice time and had a great talk about how we need to spiritually prepare ourselves for conference.

Friday morning, I went and picked up my legality, YAY I am legal for another year in France! Ha We then headed to help Lyse again, doing some more painting, she made us lunch again and then we headed into the apartment and did our weekly planning in the afternoon and then went and taught Stephanie again. We watched a film about Christ and his ministry and really bore strong testimony of the importance of Jesus Christ for each one of us. She understood but she is having a little bit of a hard time really applying it all into her life. We helped her see how much her life has already been improving since she has been seeing us and coming to church and she agreed. She said she would put more efforts in reading and praying. We stopped by Soeur Galtier's house for a little bit, we chatted and then she gave us a bunch of canned vegetables that she has too much of.... so we brought them back and piled them on top of the other 30 cans of Green Beans that we have. It is very nice of her but we just don't really use them.... We headed back out and passed a couple people and met some very nice people, even if they aren't quite ready for the gospel yet.

Saturday morning we went contacting like normal, since there are a bunch of open air markets, the most people are out. We then headed in to eat and then just before going back out we had a call from Elder Wahlquist asking if we were going to Toulouse for Conference that night. We didn't know if we were able to but we found out that we could now, the rules were a little different with our old mission president, so we decided to go. We moved up a rendez-vous to the afternoon and then got ready to go. We had a lesson with Soeur LaRiviere and her son and well kind of her husband, he was sleeping. It was a pretty good lesson and they were doing better than the last time. After the lesson, we hurried and grabbed our things and rushed to the train station. Unfortunately the next train wasn't for an hour and a half but at 6, which was when the session of conference was going to start. So we called the Elders in Toulouse and they graciously came and picked us up. Those spoiled missionaries with a car! So we just barely made it to Conference on time and oh my we were so grateful to be there. It was such a great session and the talks were so good. I was so grateful for the spirit that was there and the talks that were given. We were all also very happy that President Monson mentioned that a temple in Paris was in the works. They are in the middle of working it out with the French Government. Afterward, we headed back to the apartment with the Toulouse Elders and stayed there for the evening.

Sunday we headed to the church building fairly early, the Priesthood session was being retransmitted at eleven. Auguste and Stephanie showed up just in town. Auguste went with us to watch the Priesthood Session and Stephanie went with Soeur Haas to watch a retransmission of the Relief Society Conference. We all got back together at the end and ate together, we had prepared some food for them and then we watched the next session, which also was great! Stephanie really enjoyed it and has really been thinking about baptism. She isn't quite there yet but I don't think it is too far off. Auguste and her left after that session to head back to Montauban and we stayed for the last session at 6. Of course, it was another incredible session and then Jeremie from the Branch of Montauban took us back home. Conference truly was a great way to end the week. It also brought back great memories because my first weekend in france was General Conference and I could not believe that it had already been a year since that point. I am so grateful for the blessings and the things that I have learned in the last year. It truly has been a time of growth and guidance under the Spirit of the Lord. I have seen so many miracles and I know that the Lord has been watching over me.

I hope that you all have enjoyed your week and that you will have a great week next week as well. Enjoy life!

Elder Kirkpatrick