9 December 2008

Bonjour,

Well Christmas is definitely in the air and all of Toulouse, and the rest of Franc I assume, is preparing for the Holiday. Street lights and decorations are all hung and it definitely adds to the atmosphere. I'm happy to be in a larger city this year that's not over 80% Muslim, because there's more than four street decorations. Packages are already starting to flood the bureau and the mission is planning some Christmas evenings for all the amis.

Saturday was a marvelous and long-awaited day for Elder Gysler and myself. We finally saw Kojo Philip D'Zikunu enter into the waters of baptism. When we first started teaching him he wanted to be baptized but just didn't seem to willing to do what was necessary, he'd never be there for rendez-vous' and after months of promising to come to church he just never did. A few months ago we went to teach him with one of our English speaking members, he speaks no French, and we taught the Sabbath Day and changed his baptismal date to the 20 December. The next day was Sunday and we waited in anticipation and when he arrived I threw my hands in the air. Since that Sunday he's never missed church except for Stake Conference when he was ill. He only missed one rendez-vous since that day and as previously mentioned he was baptized two weeks earlier than planned. Philip has an amazing faith in God and Jesus Christ, he's so willing to put his life in Their hands and to just trust Them. Often he'll speak the lesson about the Sabbath Day and he mentions how he felt the Spirit and he knew that the Sabbath was very important, that night he had a dream telling him to go to church because it was where he needed to be, he's poor and has had to turn down many Sunday jobs, but he does it for the Lord. He was with his friends the other day and he wouldn't drink and they asked why, he briefly explained that the Lord told us not to, his friends now call him Pastor. He's so wonderful.

Thanks to everyone for all your love and support, have a wonderful week!
Love,
Elder Marsala