Week 63 --- Exchanges . . . lots of exchanges . . .

As you can tell, I did a lot of exchanges this week.  It all started out on Tuesday when Elder Sherren and Elder Duncan came to Le Havre. This was super fun because Elder Sherren started his mission here a little over a year ago. We spent the day searching for some of the old amis he taught. One person we met with actually got baptized then a couple weeks later he fell off the face of the earth.  So we were meeting with him and apparently he's been getting into drugs and is going crazy. He started ranting about the fact that someone from a church kidnapped him and then took him to a place where they were holding other people and torturing and violating people. He then pulled out an old copy of the Ensign and pointed out random people saying "this one was a kidnapper, this one got raped, etc". Then he told us someone had drugged him and removed one of his lungs and a kidney... It was so sad. I honestly felt so horrible after we left, but there wasn't anything we could do for him. He didn't want to meet with us at all after.

But that night we presented Meet the Mormons and even though no nonmembers came a super cool member came to see Elder Sherren and then he invited us to Christmas at his house! We won't have to stay in the apartment all day! Woohoo!

Wednesday we had a super fun district meeting with the ZL's. Elder Sherrens and Duncan came up with nicknames for everyone in the district which is now the ship "M.F.P Rouen" (mission française de Paris) and I'm High Admiral Jorgy Borgy with my comp Private Roly Poly. They presented them all and had everybody laughing their heads off! That was followed with an exchange in Le Havre with the ZL's. We ate with the Passavant family and started teaching Josué.

Thursday I had a super fun exchange with Elder George! It was so great catching up and reminiscing about the MTC. I forgot how funny that little Brit is! J

Sunday was super cool because we had the Stake President there. He bore his testimony last and it was so powerful! It always amazes me the quality of men that the Lord chooses to guide and serve His children. I encourage all of you to pay stricter heed to the counsel not only of the prophet, but also the bishops and stake presidents who are called to preside over us. If we do so we will be protected and prepared from life's many dangers.  

I love you all! À la semaine prochaine!

Bronson

Photos:

Elder Rollins on the left, Elder George on the far right with glasses, the other is Elder Larsen

Week 62 --- Week one as a father . . .

So this week was pretty cool. Elder Shaver and I met with the Passavant family on Tuesday to say goodbye as well as set up teaching appointments for their son Joshua. He is seven turning eight, but because he has some learning disabilities the president Silbermann asked us to go through the lessons with him before he turns eight.

Wednesday I met my new bleu, Elder Rollins. He is from Lehi. We hung out with Elder Nord and his new bleu in Paris for a little bit before we had to catch our trains. Then we had a meeting with our ward mission leader, brother Paporé. For dinner we got him his first kebab! Haha He couldn't even finish it 😂

Then on Saturday we went into Paris for our DL training meeting, but because of construction we had to take a bus for 2 1/2 hours, then another train for 1 1/2 hours just to get to Paris. Then we had to do the same thing back afterwards........ That was horribly long.........

Sunday we had one of the funniest and coolest branch council meetings ever. Our branch president conspired with the DMB (branch mission leader) and his counselors to play a joke on all the sisters in branch council. They   convinced them that the stake was donating five turkeys to each branch and ward for their Christmas party, but they were all alive. The stake wanted the wards to have a turkey chase for the kids and then find someone to come and kill them for the dinner later that night. All of the sisters started freaking out! They were saying how barbaric and savage it was, and that it was going to traumatize the children haha! There is some weird stuff that happens
in French ward councils....haha!

Love you all!

Bronson

Elder Rollins first train ride

Notre Dame

Week 61 --- First time daddy!

So this week was weird even though we've been incredibly obedient, searching for the Spirit in all we do, and following the 40 day fast thing, we only found one new investigator. I was talking with Elder Wheatley my ZL about it yesterday and he reassured us that "we receive no witness until after the trial of our faith" (​Ether 12:6). But he did it in quoting a France Paris mission alumni - "the night is darkest just before the dawn" (Harvey Dent). Yes  Aaron Eckhart is a less-active member who served here in France...who knew?!

In more positive news our branch president gave a super intense talk this last Sunday. It was really inspiring for us as well as all the members. Then he challenged the branch to do 2 things. (First some background info: the movie "​Meet the Mormons" just came out on YouTube and Netflix in French. The inter-region asked every unit to hold one evening where they show the film and invite friends and nonmembers.)  Our branch president said that the first week of December we will be showing the film every night at 7 and then twice during the week in the afternoon, and he asked all the members to come to as many of the showings as possible to help fellowship and answer questions after. THEN, he said that since we're starting the month where we celebrate the Savior's birth we need the spirit of missionary work in our homes more. So...he said that he wants us, the missionaries, to be invited to eat with a member EVERY DAY of December! Me and Elder Shaver were floored by these two announcements. I am TOO excited haha! 

In any case, it was still a super fun last week with Elder Shaver. Oh yes transfers came out this Saturday;) Elder Shaver will be doing his last transfer in Nantes. As a side note, his older brother served in our mission and now lives in the Nantes ward, so Elder Shaver gets to spend Christmas/New Years/his last transfer with his big brother haha  :) He was super stoked! 

I on the other hand will be staying in Le Havre as District Leader, but I will also be training a bleu! When I told the branch president here (whose wife is English so he speaks pretty well, BUT he still has a super thick accent) he said grinning "so you are first time daddy!"   Haha. It was hilarious 

Another super cool thing about transfers is that there will be a new Elder in Rouen....it's Elder George! (The English elder from my MTC district) I'm SO excited to be able to do an exchange with him next week!

I love you guys and pray for you often!

Bronson

​Photos:

first decorated house of the season

district meeting photos​

Week 60 --- All is well, All is well!🎶

Ok so I want to start out by saying that I'm fine. Something that people forget is that I'm 2.5 hours away from Paris by high speed train... The only difference I've noticed here in Le Havre is that the flags are at half mast. So don't worry about me. The Lord watches out for his missionaries.Also, a member of the stake presidency was here yesterday and he told us that no members of the church or their immediate family members were affected by the attacks. That truly is a blessing!

Anyway, we were able to teach Moahssine the restoration. It went  fairly well. He asks some great questions and he said he'd keep reading in the Book of Mormon and pray to know if it's true.

I got to do confidentiality reports this week...that was interesting... At the end of the transfer District Leaders give a report on each missionary in their district to the ZL's, so that the AP's can have solid information when making transfer decisions. I spent an hour and a half on the phone with the ZL's. I talk about their obedience, French, testimony, and other stuff. It felt kind of awkward talking about all the elders, but it had to be done.

As a mission we just started a "40 day consecration fast" this past Saturday that will take us to Christmas Eve. It's our mission's present to the Savior. Each companionship is trying to get a new investigator every day for these 40 days by being 100% consecrated and praying every hour during the day for guidance. It's an intense goal, but it's something that all of us as missionaries and our mission as a whole needs.

I love you guys, and appreciate your concern for me. 

Talk to you next week!

Bronson

Don't worry I'm fine :)

I received an e-mail from Elder Bronson Jorgensen a little while ago.

" I'm sure you heard about the attacks in Paris. I'm fine, as far as I know all the missionaries are fine. Although this weekend we're supposed to stay in our apartments except for appointments. So here's a pic of Elder Shaver and I in kind of normal clothes (I'm in jeans and he's in khakis) because we went to go teach a Muslim;) haha. It was Moahssine, and the retab went super well!"

Week 59 --- The Lord makes it up for you.

So this week I gave my training on the Book of Mormon and how
important it is not only to help our investigators convert, but also
to help us be more converted. It went pretty well I think :)

Then I had an exchange with Elder Livingston here in Le Havre, nothing
too exciting happened. Sorry... But Wednesday night we were out
tracting and we ring some guy's intercom, and when we tell him we want
to pray with him he lets us right in. His name is Moahssine
(pronounced mwasen) and he's Muslim, but he said he was totally open
to learn about us. After we prayed with him, we started talking about
who we are and then he asked us about what scriptures we use. We
talked about our belief in the Bible and then explained the background
of the Book of Mormon. He was super interested and let us set up an
appointment for this week! The coolest part is that we didn't have a
lot of time in our area, and this was one of our only nights to
work...AND right before we knocked on Moahssine's door he had been
praying to God for guidance! We were an answer to his prayer!

Friday I did an exchange in Cergy with Elder Harris unfortunately it
was only like half of an exchange because I had to go to
Mantes-La-Jolie for a baptismal interview that night. That was such a
cool experience! As I talked with this man I was able to feel of his
desire to follow Christ and change his life. He passed his interview
and this Sunday he was baptized!

Love you all!
Bronson


Another Viking pic from Paris :)

Week 58 --- Vikings!

The first two Sundays here multiple members (after hearing that my ancestors are Danish, my name is Jorgensen, and I've only served in port towns) started calling me a Viking. Sister Babin agrees with them too! Haha. Anyway, one of Elder Shaver and my goals is to find as many things "Viking" as we can and take a picture haha. So here's the first two!

This week was super awesome. We went to Paris on Tuesday for zone conference and it was sweet! The conference was focused on working with members and improving our relationships with them. We had interviews as well. I'll never get over how awesome President and Sister Babin are. In both my interviews we laughed a ton, they gave me

awesome counsel on how I could help my district, and I really felt how much they love and care about me and all the other missionaries. Right after the conference we started our exchange with the Elders in Cergy. They live about 45 minutes outside Paris. I went with Elder Barton from Ogden. This is his first transfer in the mission so he has a ton of energy! Haha our exchange was super fun. Thursday we had exchanges here in Le Havre with the Elders from Mantes. I was with Elder Duncan. We taught a lady on the street, and even though she was Muslim she said she'd love to learn about Jesus Christ. So we have an appointment for this Wednesday! :) Friday we had an Autumn Festival thingy. There were only about 15 people there, but it was still super fun. I'll try and write more next week. This whole District Leader thing has taken away all the free time I used to use to type up emails :) haha But it's super fun though ;)

Lots of love,

Bronson​

My comp is sooo Canadian . . . Since Elder Shaver only has like 2 months left, he's been stocking up on French clothes...then he models them.... Haha!😂

Autumn Festival