November 27, 2007

Bonjour mes amis,

So France is still great, still beautiful, and still my home. The leaves are getting close to actually falling and Christmas is growing in the air. It's an incredible feeling, but I'm to believe that nobody in the world does Christmas better than Salt Lake.

This last week was pretty great. Saturday we had our once a transfer interviews with President Merrell and as always, that man is inspired, he was definitely called by the Lord for this position. But what was really great about Saturday was that we got to go teaching with President! It was so sweet! We went to Michel Pondela's and it was just awesome, President is fantastic, I learned so much. I was a tad nervous to teach with President at first, but it wasn't nerve wracking once we got there, we had lots of fun with that.

Our ward is doing fabulous in taking good care of us, we were given a delicious Lasagna by the bishop's wife, then we had a family home evening chez bishop in Cuxac(a ville that I love) and another member fed us last night and sent us home with crepes for breakfast! It's been wonderful, I will miss this ward when I go, which could be soon.

Yep, we're already to the end of another transfer! Calls come on Saturday and we'll see how it all goes, I get the feeling I'm staying one more, but I never really could know. It's amazing how fast time is flying by, Friday makes SIX months already, I'm loving every minute of it.

Well everyone, stay happy and keep the Christmas Spirit, I love you all.

Miles

Elder Miles Marsala

November 20, 2007

Happy Thanksgiving!

I don't have Thanksgiving here and there is much that I am grateful for so please allow me to express those things.

I'm thankful for Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, for His love, compassion, and mercy, which is evident in His Atonement for all of us.

I'm thankful for our Father in Heaven who loves us beyond comprehension and who listens and answers our prayers.

The Holy Ghost, what an amazing gift that has been given to us completely for our help, safety, and comfort, He's completely self-less.

The Restoration of the Gospel, I'd be nothing without it.

My family, I have such an amazing family, the best support system in the world. They've always been there and always will be, how I love them.

And of course my friends, you're amazing.

This week was fabulous, my favorite miracle had to have been Serge again. If you remember Serge was an awesome find by elder Dearing, he told us he was baptized in 2000 but then moved from Colorado shortly there after not knowing how big the church was and he had been lost from the church for 7 years. Since the day he was found he's been super active and loving the gospel, we taught him everything all over again and he loves it, he keeps asking how he can serve the Lord. Well he has need of aid, he's alone with some problems and such, the bishop said he could help as soon as we found his records, well it had been more than two weeks since we sent out the request and at ward counsel the auxiliaries were doubting if he'd ever been baptized and elder Dearing and I were not happy with this attitude, well as it turns out on January 23, 1999 Serge was baptized in Colorado Springs and confirmed on January 24, 1999(happy b-day S.E.M.) So we are ecstatic about that news.

Christmas is in the air, there are all sorts of decorations and lights hung, but they won't be lit until December 6, so I hope I'm still in Carcassonne and get to see it, there's also a big carnival thing going on right now on one of the main roads.

Have a great Thanksgiving everyone! I love you and thank you for your support.

Elder Miles Marsala

The Church IS true

November 13, 2007

French Fall

Bonjour encore! Another great week has come and gone here in Carcassonne. It's an amazing ville with fantastic people. There were't too many big events this week but we find miracles none the less. It's just a beautiful thing to see the Hand of God working daily and trying to help others see it. Sometimes it's sad, really sad, in fact it breaks my heart. Elder Richar G. Scott told us he just wishes he could put his arms around everyone and just squeeze them and in there ear say, "It's so true." I know how he feels, but of course I can't do such a thing. I'm in absolute marvel of the beauty of the Earth, I've before described these magnificant country sides with rolling hills, flowers, lakes, streams, and endless vinyards. Well my friends and family, the leaves in the vinyards change color too. Oh yes! It is breath taking to be on the train and just seeing a see of colors flowing, browns, golden yellows, burnt oranges, and firey reds! It's so gorgeous. Christmas is creeping in to the air as well, the public decorations are all up, but none of the lights are on yet, I'm very excited.I know I've said this many times before, but I just want to thank all of you for all your love, your love for God's children, His Gospel, and for our Lord and Savior. I've come to the conclusion, as the song states, "what the world needs now, is love, sweet love, it's the only thing that there's just too little of" It's something that really is lacking. If we could just love one another, this world would be amazing. Souls would be saved and happiness would blossom. Thank you all for your support, I love you

Elder Miles Marsala

The first pictures from France have arrived!

French word of the week and weather in carcassonne

"Boir" -pronounced "bwahr" -means to drink. (This is from the subject line of Miles' e-mail in reference to the events they had with the drunken man this week.)

This week's weather is expected to stay around the mid-fifties with 82% humidity. Brrr is right!

"The big castle"

This is the big castle Miles referred to in his e-mail that he sees on a daily basis and will take his new companion to visit. This grand chateau is the one used in the filiming of Robin Hood starring Kevin Costner. Awesome!

November 6, 2007

Brrr...birds and boivre!

Hello my cherished ones, Another great week has passed by already and time is flying. In Carcassonne things are fantastic! I'm taking Elder Dearing to the giant castle today, so I'm excited. Yesterday was a fantastic Zone Conference in Toulouse, President and Sister Merrell told about there experience climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro and showed photos and talked about all sorts of great gospel stuff, it was quite uplifting and always fun, I've decided that there's nothing about this that I don't love, except for the times when I see pathetic lives that will not accept Christ, that will always hurt me and I'll never like that.Sunday we passed by a less-active and it was great. We turned the corner and saw a man, the drunkest man I have ever seen, he was completely gone and he was stuck on his back like an upside down turtle, and he had kind of busted his hand when he fell. We were about to call the Police when I recognized him as the brother of another less-active, so we decided to take him home, he lived over a half a mile away and we literally had to hold him up and walk him there almost dragging him as he spoke rubbish and tried to smoke. We got to his brother's and opened the door to a tiny appartment, greeted at the door by 15 dogs! It was insane and four of them ran away, so then we had to go chasing after uncollered dogs! But we got them back. On our return we discovered that the man we helped had left. On our return to Centre Ville we found him curled in a ball passed out, we actually thought he was gone, but he was breathing. Called the police this time, but his brother showed up to help and then we eventually left. How sad it is when people won't accept our Lord in there lives and just apply His Gospel, no doing that doesn't guarante perfection in all things every or any day, but it sure helps. I can't ever remember being more grateful for my mother raising me and for the Word of Wisdom.On a brighter note we saw flocks of literally thousands of birds, thousands flying overhead on route to Africa for the winter, which leads me to the weather. It is COLD! No it does not snow and I'd be willing to bet that if you compared thermometers(spelling)? Utah would be colder, but Utah doesn't have this humidity which leads to this peircing wind that cuts through all and goes to your bones, but it's okay, I get to wear a scarf and really cool gloves that I bought :)Well my family and friends, I love you and I'm grateful for you, you're amazing and I wish you all the best. I invite you to further bring yourselves closer to Christ, it's the most important thing you can do. I hope all is well.

Love,Elder Marsala