TRANSFER NEWS

Well ok so i recieved the transfer news and i will be going into the Paris area, but not paris in a place called Compiègne.  My new not Elder Awerkamp is named Elder Wood. Not my MTC wood but another.  We'll See....

Address=

Elder Jonathan N Hoopes

rés le Parc/ 136 rue Victor Hugo

60280 Margny-Les-Compiègne

France

Goodbye Limoges, Au revoir c'est mon nouveau départ.

Elder Hoopes

Hey!  So couple things to start off with!  thank you so much for sending the little package with everything!  I loved It so much and i love the thought that is always put into it.  So thanks also thank you for connors letter and for Jen's address!  that is so nice of all of you for everything.  This week was a drag not gonna lie.  the only good parts were went we were here and in Angers Let me explain.....  So monday we wanted to go see monkeys!  Long story short the elders in Poitiers misread the big thing that says buses don't leave on Mondays.  So we spent the entire day in Poitiers and then had an exchange on tuesday in poitiers the next day and did hardly anything. Then we had Zone conference and had to stay in poitiers AGAIN the night before and then coming back from Angers the next day, our train was late and we missed our correspondance and had to stay AGAIN in POITIERS!  Oh such a drag.  In consequence we had a slow week as far as work goes and it was a little tough.  Zone conference was so great and uplifting and we had some great rendez-vous when we did have them but still 4 days is along time away from the Ville.  

It was nice though.  We had 2 awesome rendez-vous.  First one was when i was in poitiers we taught a less active member named Lee.  He is british and hadn't been coming to church for a super long time after being really active.  So we talked to him and he gave us the usual wo is me spin and so we just shook our heads and nodded as if we hadn't heard before.  It was funny because before the Rendez-vous Elder Kirkland says i don't think we should be to bold with him in getting him to church but just kinda plant seeds for him because he is fragile........That doesn't fly with me.  I am BOLD with people and i love it.  Not mean but direct.  So like i said he was just going on and on.  He said "you know every since i stopped coming to church bad things have stopped happening to me" and "life is suppose to be difficult and so i like to fight it from my back other wise, life isn't exciting." You can see RED FLAGS are just shooting everywhere in my head.  So I looked at him and said "Lee, your life isn't to difficult right now and that is great and frankly neither is mine, but i have never needed more help from the Church and from God.  Everything you have just told me i've heard time and time again, and Lee, it's silly.  You need to come back to church before Satan influences your life for the worse." BOLD!!!! He came back to church this sunday!  HAHAHA awesome!  I am so glad he did to because he needs it more than ever.

Second great Rendez-vous was with our favorite asian Qiong-ji!!!!  She is so great!  We taught the Plan of Salvation with her and then at the end the spirit was really strong and she said that she would be baptized!  So she will be baptized butwe still need to figure out a date but yeah how cool!  then she came to church on sunday and had a great time and AHHHH she is just to good!!!!!  But yeah that is her.  All other amis are doing good just not progressing as fast as the other ones are.  

Next transfer is coming up so i will have the news by friday and i will email you on Saturday.  I think i will be leaving but i never know so i will let you know later.  Anyway i love you all and i miss you. Talk to you later!

Well hey everybody!

I hope everything is going good.  things here are still going!  Hahaha in France most people have 5 weeks of for vacation and it is called vacanes and it is in large part why things are so slow!  Ugh But it is ok. President has said now would be an excellent time to search for those families who are young and don't have all the money possible to go out on vacation.  So we have put that into action and this last week we found a super awesome mother of 4 and she is so incredible.  she has got so many incredible questions and when she asks them she reminds me a lot of joseph smith.  She asks like how can i know if this is all true, who of all of the churchs is right, i want my family to be together what can i do?  HAHA  She poses great questions as you can see! So we are really excited about her.  Her name is Fani and from tahiti!  So yeah also our good friend Sharon is doing well also, same with annette and the others.  Qiong-Ji comes back today and i can not tell you how excited i am!!!!! She is so good!  I really want her to get baptized and i think she may take a little bit of time but she will be a member her whole life!  I love her and she is seriously one of the biggest reasons i don't mind it here in Limoges.  It has been a while here.  That is for certain.  BUT in a week from friday i will know if i am moving or staying.  I think that i will be most likely leaving however you never know.  But i think i will be gone. So yeah but things are still good here in Limoges with good old awerkamp!  He rocks still.  Honestly it would be like serving with Patrick or Hayden you just like any of ly best friends.  He really is going to be a lifetime friend.

So yes that is life here.  Do you want to hear a miracle?!  So today we get on the computer and guess what we found.  We received 6 referrals from headquarters!  How awesome is that.  I have gotten only 6 referrals over the course of my mission.  So that is really awesome.  Next cool thing.  so over the past month i gained 9 pounds.  Yes it was horrible i was eating to much bread and not doing enough physical exercise, so i started doing P90X ab ripper every monday wednesday and friday and on the other days i do Perfect Push-Ups.  We are also walking more to get in a bit of minor low heart rate cardio.  I've lost 6 in two weeks.  Oh and yes i have been eating a ton of vegetables daily!  I found out some cool ways to cook them healthily but not plain!  So yes that is me.  I really hate that i have to worry and watch my weight so much.  I really want to get in shape so i don't have to worry about it AS much!  But anyway that is erally it for us here in Limoges.  This next week we will be going to Angers for our Zone conference so some more travel will be nice.  I love taking trains through the countryside here.  But other that this wek will be pretty chill.  Thank you for sending me the hard drive and all that.  That will be so nice to have because i send you pictures alot but still i have a lot more and i need to store them better.  So thank you so much and Dad i really have been thinking about you a ton this week just to le you know.  I have been talking to Elder Awerkamp bout all the little things that you would used to do like every time you would go "run errands" and you would come back with burritos, or that time you bought us that MLB Baseball game and all the spring training games and all that jazz.  Honestly thank you so much for everything and sorry for being everything you said i was because you were right. Anyway i appreciate you all and am so grateful to have great parents like you guys.  I also so thankful for my brothers.  I miss them a ton and wish i could see them.  So i hope you all are happy even though school just starting back up.  That is so crazy.  Just think i will be home right before the next school year.  Not to long when you think of how fast things went by!  Hahaha i can't wait to see you all.  Oh yes and just some other little news Elder Reuckert and Easton both are home now.  It is so crazy that my two fathers are done.  (Fathers=First two comps. Reuckert is my father and Easton is my stepfather)  So yeah that is that.  I will talk to you guys next week if you need anything let me know d'accord? Love you all!

Elder Hoopes

Ok so first off i am sorry that i sounded like i was depressed that you were in London.  I wasn't but i do wish i was there.  But honestly no worries it is no big deal and i am so happy that you guys had such a great time.  I promise i wasn't upset.  I don't know why but the last week was a little tough and i am getting a little burned out here in Limoges but it's ok.  It's missionary work that is important.  Thank you for sending all of the fun photos and for having such a good time out there in london. I looked to see if they sold and of that food colouring but i didn't see it.  I think you may want to just order it online and it that is a problem i will ask the english families here if they can help me out!

 

So yes this week was really fun actually.  President Poznanski came this weekend to check out the apartment and also to give a talk and speak to the ward about missionary work.  It was so great!  He was so bold with the ward on telling them that they needed to get more into the effort here.  He then talked to the bishop and us alone and told him that he needed to really be in tune to help us more with the missionary work here.  He said that he was in charge of receiving revelation on the things that we did and that the ward did and that we wouldn't be as effective without him.  It was a great experience and it was so edifying for the entire ward.  I think that is one of the reasons i am feeling really up beat.  Also because he said we WILL get a new apartment.  Ours stinks In both literal and figurative senses.  And our neighbors are horrible and we are on fighting terms with them LOL.  They just honestly hate us and we hate them.  So yes we are getting a new flat as they would say in England.  So yeah that was great also we went and saw annette and her parents again this week and Now i acutally have pics of her.  She Is so fun!  We went and saw a little stone henge thing that was so awesome!  Also when we were there we celebrated Elder Awerkamp's 20th Birthday!  They made him a cake and everything!  So that was nice.  Then this sunday we had to people come to church, Eugene and His brother who i haven't really ever talked about.  Qiong Ji our awesome asian friend went to church in Nogent even though she is on Vacation and she is being taken care of in paris by the sister missionaries!  I can't wait for qiong ji to come back because she is solid and she will be limoges's next baptism.  She is incredible!  But yes that is it for our amis for the moment!

 

So funny story!  Me and Elder Awerkamp haven't had to go porting since being here because the work was just going so incredibly well.  Well we got to the point where we needed to go out again.  So We went porting.  Earlier that day i was not happy and then to add porting of top of that i just was not happy.  So we went to the first door....nothing no one answered. Same with the Second.  3rd door, this super old lady comes out.  So we put on our Catholic boxing gloves and got ready for her to tear into us.....WELL she goes "Listen, i love you both and i admire what you do.  I am super strong catholic but if you want you can come in and share your message.  Would you like that!?  Would you like to come in?!"  So we're like sure.  So we go into the house and she calls for her sister.  Keep in mind this Lady is 83 years old.  So she calls for her sister, 88 years old and still kickin!!!!! She came out and was just badgering us with questions and elene the lady who let us in was just defending us over and over saying "Madeline! It's the same Jesus.  It's the same!"  So we are just having a blast with these old people and then this old man walks in.  The Husband, 88YEARS OLD!!!!  He already knew the missionaries and so we all talked together and he said hhaha "When i was you age i was in a suit too, In the WAR." We were so amazed!  Oh what a night!  One of the funniest lines was this "I love you both!  you are so great!  Now i will ask you as a mother........ARE, you THIRSTY?"  HAHAHA  She was so cute!  She then got us orange juice and we ate chocolate together and then Left.  They even prepared us a nice little baggy full of chocolate!  So we left into the pouring rain.  They Were nervous for us to leave saying "Don't go out there younglings YOU'LL DIE!" HAHAHA oh Madeline, Elene and Pierre!  They were so much fun.  Speaking of the rain, it was the biggest storm i have seen so far in france!  It was sick.  But i ripped my pants...... oh well

 

So anyway that was our week!  I am so glad yours was good also.  Mom and Dad i have some favors Can you buy me some new Garments.  I need Two 50/50 LARGE TOPS and Two 100% Cotton Large TOPS.  Then for the Bottoms i need two size 38 Briefs and two size 36 Boxers.  I'd like 50/50 on the bottom if the have that if not 100%cotton is fine.  and also if you have the chance or the package is big enough will you send me my green backpack? if you don't want to send it i wuold like to get one because it makes traveling easier.  Anyway just let me know what you think.  Anyway i Love you all and Carson will be getting mail soon i think!  Love you all!

 

Elder Jonathan Hoopes

Well Hey!

LONDON?!?!?!?!?! You guys are insane but so incredibly lucky to be going and seeing all of these awesome places i miss that so much and i really won't be able to do that as much as they do.  I am legitamently jealous.  When i get back i will have to start working and school and all of that jazz so i don't think i will be able to do all of that stuff.  to bad i am sure i will visit stuff but still you know.  I miss you guys so much and knowing that you are on my side of the world is crazy to me.  You will probably run into a lot of french, indian and muslim people over there.  that will be a fun cultural experience LOL!  If french people talk to you tell them, Je ne sais pas comment parler en français mais si vous voulez j'ai un membre de ma famille qui habite à Limoges et si vous voulez vous pouvez parler avec lui un petit peu plus! Woo Hoo!  tell me how it goes as i lose sleep over the fact you are partying in London!

Ok well anyway things in limoges are same old same old.  I can't remember if i told you about our little asian amie who is so awesome Qiong-Ji but she is so legit and we had a wonderful couple rendez-ous with her recently but the thing that stinks is that she will be going to Nogent which is right next to paris for Two weeks for vacation so we won't see her for a coulpe weeks.  All of our other amis are doing good i feel.  Annette, we are seeing tomorrow oh and this weekend we did service over at her parents house and it was just so so so so much fun not going to lie.  they were so nice to us!  they made us a little lunch and they also did some little grocery shopping for us!  they bought us basically snacks that normally we don't have money to buy so it was just so sweet of them!  they are seriously so wonderful!  

So yeah that is that.  Work here in limoges hasn't stopped but it has slowed down because we have been really only giving our time to the amis who are showing efforts of progression.  those who are just here because we are nice guys we have stopped seeing so a lot of the work that we had been doing has stopped only so we could be more efficient.  Well in 4 weeks from now i will be learning about my next ville and companion and to be honest i think about it alot because well i have been here a while and i think i will be moving and to be honest i need to move.  I am happy and everything is good but it is just time for a change.  However i could be with elder awerkamp my whole mission.  He is solid and he is so fun.  I can't wait to hang out with him after the mission!  haha i already am with him 24/7 but like after we can do normal stuff.....With girls and dates and stuff hahaha.  Ha i miss dating. But it is ok LOL it can wait!

so i forgot to mention our miracle story for the week.  We met this lady who is so totally awesome!!!  Her name is Sharon and she is from england.  She is 29 and a mother of 4, Ages 7, 5, 2, and 1!  She is so sweet.  she appraoahed us on the bus and told us that she heard us speaking english and wanted to speak because she didn't like speaking french all the time!  so then we introduced ourselves as the missionaries and she then started asking questions and really opened up to us.  She said that she needs faith but doesn't know how to find it.  She said that sometimes she would find herself subconsciously praying for help to a god she didn't know.  she finally asked us if we could help her understand more of these simple priciples.  We said....YES!  so we taught her just a couple days after and just laid down a foundation of who we are and why we teach and stuff like that but we really hope for big things with her!

Alrighty well i hope you are doing well!  I miss you all so much!  You need to try Ginger Beer when you are in england!  It is so good and it is not alcohol i promise!  Ha i love you send ^pictures!!! Until next week!!!!

Elder Hoopes