Snails, frog legs, and duck liver paste. Yummm.

Bonjour!

I am really sorry that I have not been as dilligent in my emails lately! I hope that you will be able to forgive me. 

The last few weeks have been really great for us. We have been working hard, and have seen a lot of really cool things happen. Our amis M and C are both still doing as good as ever. M's baptism is scheduled for this saturday, and we are super happy and excited for her. 

This last week we spent a lot of time at members' houses and eating. I honestly feel like I gained 54 pounds, but miraculously I think I only gained 3-4. On Christmas eve we had a really traditional French dinner complete with snails, frog legs, and duck liver paste. Yummm. I actually liked it. Then On Christmas we slept over at the other Elders' apartment. We opened all of our packages (a big thanks to everyone who sent me something, it really means a lot to me). And then we went over to another members where we ate yet another huge meal. Not much weird stuff this time, but still really good. Then they took us out caroling to all of their neighbors, which was super cool. We try super hard to be let into houses, but then we go caroling with members and we got let in all over the place!!! I guess we found the secret to missionary work haha. It was really cool, and helped us focus on Christ and feel the true Christmas spirit. Then in the evening we went over to another member's house where we had a traditional 'merican meal with a big turkey and stuffing and all that good stuff. I was able to talk to my family which was great. It was such a great day. Yes, it might seem that the day was centered around food, but I tried to really keep my thoughts on the Savior and all that he did for me. It makes me happy to know that we have a heavenly Father who loves us, and sent us His Son, Jesus Christ, who died for us. He was ressurected on the 3rd day, and because of Him and His Atonement, we all have access to eternal life and happiness. 

Well, I love you all so much, Have a great week!

Elder Duckworth

Bonjour à tout le monde!

Originally sent December 8, 2014



Bonjour à tout le monde!


We have had an awesome week here in Grenoble. We were able to meet one of our big goals of teaching 20 Lessons this week, and we were really happy about that. We were also able to teach 9 of those in the presence, which was also another great feat. It is getting pretty cold up here, so the coats and gloves are now broken out. Transfer calls came, and I will be staying yet another transfer here in Grenoble, and I couldn't be happier. There is a lot of great work going on here. Our two amis C and M are progressing super well, and are basically teaching us. I feel really blessed that the Lord has trusted me to work with his elect children. As far as news goes, not much has really changed. We have had a hard time seeing our potential amis, so that side of things is at a standstill but we will be taking steps to get that ball rolling. We are also working a lot with members, especially the recent converts and less actives, trying our best to fortify and unify the ward.


Lately I have been thinking a lot about how I am going to give a Christmas gift to the Savior. He has done so much for me, and I realized that it is harder than I thought to give him things. I cant go mow His lawn, can't bake him cookies, etc. But then I was reading the scriptures I came across the scripture that says when you are in the service of others, you are simply in the service of your God. This really hit me, and I realized that this is what I am going to do for Him this year. I am going to really try and consecrate my efforts this season for helping others. I invite all of you to think of somebody around you, and help them have a good Christmas as a gift to the Savior.


I love you all so much, and hope that you have a great week!


Elder Duckworth

Originally sent on December 1, 2014



Bonjour!


This has been a really awesome week for us here in Grenoble. Thanksgiving was awesome. Its not really a thing here, but luckily there is an awesome american family in the ward that was kind enough to have us over for dinner. It was super good. We had also eaten a Thanksgiving meal for district meeting that same day so by the end of the day I thought that I was going to explode.


Other than that, things are still going well. Not much in the ways of news. Our amis M and C

are both champs and are progessing really well. We are also working hard trying to find new people to teach as well. It is the last week of the transfer so Elder Fisk and I are going to try really hard to finish it out with a bang. It has been so cool to see all of the Progress that we have been able to make here in Grenoble. I couldn't be any happier. I really hope that I will be able to stay so that I can see a lot of these things through to the end, but if not, I will still be really happy for the work that we have been able to do here in one of the coolest places in the world.


So the church has been doing a cool thing with a video campaign called "He is the Gift" http://www.mormon.org/christmas (version français :) http://www.mormon.org/fra/noel) I really love it and encourage all of you to watch the video. It has been awesome to focus on the true meaning of Christmas. It is a time of happiness with lots of fun family traditions, but it is also important to remember the gift that our Heavenly Father has given us. That gift is His son, Jesus Christ. I have received so many great gifts in my life, but none have been as great as this.


I love you all so much, and hope that you all have a fantastic week.

Elder Duckworth


Pictures District meeting and the Grenoble Elders in the mountains :D

Appy zanksgeeveeng!

Originally sent on November 24, 2014



Bonjour!


Things have been going great here in the beautiful city of Grenoble!


We have been able to see the sun which has been really nice. It really makes our work a lot easier. We were able to do a good amount of teaching this week. It has been awesome to see our teaching pool grow, and we are seening a lot of fruits from all of our labors. This last week we have been working a lot with a few of our amis who are progressing really well. One of our amis named M has been progressing super well. She is a student from Italy, and she is super cool. She has been coming to church for a while, and we have been teaching her a lot. She has progressed a lot and this last sunday she chose a date for her baptism! So we will be working super hard, and praying super hard, for the 20th of December.


With Thanksgiving coming up I have naturally been thinking a lot about the things in my life that I am greatful for. For a zone training we wrote down a list of the things that we are most greatful for. While I was thinking I came up with a list something like this. The first thing that I am greatful for is the fact that I have a loving Heavenly Father. He loves me so much, and has prepared a way for me to become like him one day. To do this, he sent his Son, Jesus Christ here to earth. Because of Him, I can take the steps necessary to accept His atonement. It is truly the biggest gift I have ever received. I am also really greatful that his gospel is still here on the earth. The organization of His church, with his Priesthood, is on the earth today and is accessable to everybody.


I am also so greatful for my family. I truly have been born of goodly parents, who have raised me in a loving home and shared the gospel with me from an early age. I have 2 awesome brothers, an awesome sister, and even an awesome sister in law. I have Amazing grandparents who are so loving and have given me such a great example. I am also richly blessed with an awesome extended family. I honestly couldn't ask for more.


I also have been blessed with the greatest friends a guy could ask for. They really have been a huge support in my life.


I am running a bit short on time, so I will have to cut this list a bit short. But I really am the luckiest guy in the world, and I am so greatful.


I love you all so much, and wish you a Appy zanksgeeveeng!


Elder Duckworth

The Grenoble Missionaries

Originally sent on November 11, 2014




Elevators here arent that big :) These are the Grenoble Elders

Staying in Grenoble

Originally sent on November 11, 2014




Bonjour!


Sorry I dont have much time this week. We got our transfer calls, and I get to stay in Grenoble! I lost my companion though. My new companion is named Elder Fisk, and he is really cool. He is from Reno. We are really excited to keep up the awesome momentum we were able to build recently.


There is not a whole lot in the way of news here. We are still teaching the same people, and we are so excited. Everyone is progressing well. We are so blessed to be able to work with so many of God's choice children.


I am so so so greatful that the Gospel of Jesus Christ has been restored here on earth. We have a loving Heavenly Father that hears our prayers. He sent us His Son who died for us so that we can live again. This stuff is true and I know it because I prayed about it.

I love you all so much and I wish you a great week!
Elder Duckworth

This is such a happy message and I am so blessed to be able to share it!

Originally sent on October 27, 2014



Bonjour à tous!


This has been a magical week here in Grenoble. We have really been able to see the Lord's hand in our work. We started the week with the goal of teaching 20 lessons, which was almost 2x as much as I had ever done before on my mission. We prayed a lot and then worked harder than ever before to make it happen. And at about 7:00 last night we taught our 20th lesson!!!! It was truly miraculous, and we feel so blessed. Out of this week we found 8 new amis as well as 2 people who have agreed to work twords baptism. The first is named F, and he is a miracle because we had lost contact with him for about a week, but then Sunday morning he texted us saying that he was going to come to church! So we taught him a lesson right before and had a really good talk with him. He knows that baptism is something important, and is going to work really hard to make the necessary changes in his life to make it happen! In these next couple weeks we are going to work really hard with him, especially to get him to stop smoking, which is something he really wants. We feel so blessed that the Lord has trusted us with his children. We were also able to do some really good work with The recent converts and less actives in the ward. It really was just an all around solid week. Out of all of the new people we found, we now have a solid group of people we can start trying to meet with on a regular basis which is going to be a huge blessing.


With all of these occasions that we had to teach, I have really felt my testimony of the importance of the gospel grow. The Gospel of Jesus Christ is what we need so badly in this life, and I am growing such a great desire to share it with my lost brothers and sisters here in Grenoble. We have a loving Heavenly Father, who loves us so much and wants so badly for us to return and live with him. He was even willing to send his Son, Jesus Christ, here to earth so that he could pay the price that justice demands. Through this sacrifice we are all saved. This is such a happy message and I am so blessed to be able to share it!




Anyways, I love you all, and hope that you have a great week!


Elder Duckworth