Week 102- "The End"

I'm not really sure what to say or how to say it...and I could easily take a whole life time to talk about what my mission means to me but I don't have a lot of time to write this email...so I think I'll just start typing and see where I get. 

The tears have seemed to just consistently flow over the past few days as I reflect on this amazing journey known as the mission. The past 2 years have been more amazing than words could ever describe. I thought that the goodbyes before my mission were hard...but the goodbyes that I have been through over the last few days have been infinitely harder. My 4 months in Nice, 4 months on Corsica, 6 months in Geneva, and the last 9 months here in Lyon have been some of the most amazing moments of my life. Never could I have imagined to love my French and Swiss family as much as I do. Never could I have imagined to make such amazing life long friendships with people that have changed me and taught me more about myself than I ever knew.

I want to share an experience that happened yesterday when I got up to give my final testimony in the Ecully Ward because I hope it shows you to what extent I love these people. They called me up to give my testimony and I got up and just started to cry and then I said a few words and told them how much I loved them. As I was leaving the pulpit, Bishop Pommier got up and gave me a big hug and then brought me back to the podium with his arm around me and said some nice things about me and then thanked me for all the work, service, and love I have done for the Ecully Ward over the last 9 months. It was a very emotional moment for me and the members. I love them so much and it is so hard to leave them. 

I am so grateful for President and Sister Roney & President and Sister Brown. 4 people that have changed my life forever. I am grateful for the first moments of my mission I had with the Roneys and for all that they taught me and continue to teach me and for all their love and support they have showed me since they left. I am also grateful for the next 22 months with the Browns and especially grateful for the last 9 months I was able to spend around President and Sister Brown as their assistant and all that I learned from them. I can't tell you how many times President and Sister Brown have been there for me and guided and counseled me in my life. Between all of the long road trips, to all of the conferences, to all of the shakes, to the advice and council, to all of the laughs, and to just about everything else in between...they have become like second parents to me and I love them so dearly. 

I will be eternally grateful for my companions and for everything that they have taught me. I am the luckiest missionary in the world because I had the best companions a missionary could ever ask for: Elder Boynton, Elder Davis, Elder Anderson, Elder Richmond, Elder Johnson, Elder Hall, Elder Barnes, Elder Battezzato, Elder Keller, Elder Lutu, Elder Sumter, Elder Landry, Elder Menzel, Elder Underwood. They have changed my life so much and I am beyond grateful for them all. 

I kind of built my mission around the scripture in Matthew 16: 24-26 (Merci pour ce moment Frère Price)

24 Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.        

25 For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it.        

26 For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?

I can testify that the words of the Savior in these verses are true.  Over the past 2 years the Savior has allowed me to do things that I never could have done without Him, He has allowed me to become someone that I never could have become without Him, and feel things that I could have never felt without Him...in essence, He has allowed me to find myself. There is nothing in this world for which I would change these last 2 years. 

Thank you for all of the prayers, support, and love! À bientôt!!

Elder Wade

Week 100 & 101-- 1 week left

Hello!! Sorry I know I didn't send an email last week but we have been really busy and i am just getting around to sending this email off for the last 2 weeks. It's been a little crazy, but good! Anyways, it was another great week last week. It's hard to be writing another email because that means another week has come and gone and there is only one more left. It feels really weird and I don't even know what to write. It was such a good week and I will try to remember some of the main events of the last two weeks. 

So we had a multi Zone conference in Ecully on 2 weeks ago and it went really well. I gave my departing testimony at that conference because the assistants companionship is in the Ecully Zone. Basically I got up and didn't know what to say and sat there for 30 seconds and then just cried a little bit ha. It was weird because I have seen so many departing testimonies and then all of the sudden it was my turn. After conference I said goodbye to my companions and then traveled to Geneva with President and Sister Brown for the Geneva/Lausanne conference. Car rides with the Browns are the best and we have such a good time. They have become like parents to me and I love them so much! It was so fun to be in Geneva and I got to spend all of Wednesday in Geneva on an exchange with Elder Hall and Elder Pesnell! It was such an amazing day and it brought back so many amazing memories from the 4 transfers I spent there last year! It was also so fun to be with Elder Hall again. If only he knew how much I loved him! It was so fun and I will be forever grateful for the transfers we spent down on Corsica together. While we were there at the chapel in Geneva, the Mueller couple found out I was there and came and said hello to me! They had a Mormon message made about them because Brother Mueller is blind and they have a really cool story. Also, while I was there I went and visited Atoussa and Ali!! It was so cool and Atoussa has made so much progress since I last saw her! About a year ago from this month is when Elder Barnes and i first found her and it's amazing to see the changes that she has undergone! She is thinking about doing a mission which was really cool! It was so great to talk to them and catch up on everything since I left last July! We had a very cool rdv with them and the spirit was very strong. Ali is trying to do all he can to overcome a few things and be baptized and I think that the rdv we had with them really helped them. Also later that night we had one last FHE with the Fidalgo family. Frere Fidalgo is like the older brother that I never had! It was so great to be there one last time and to see them all. We have had so many memories there and I am so grateful for them and for all that they have done for me. It was another really hard goodbye. I feel so lucky to have been able to go back and visit Nice and Geneva here in my last transfer and see all of the people that I love so much! But, I wasn't expecting how hard the goodbyes would be again. 

So I'm sitting here next to Sister Brown right now as I type this and she wants me to type you this message, "You can't have him, I'm keeping him." Haha she's so cute. She also wants me to tell you that last week we had a really good steak in Switzerland. I love her!

Also we went on an exchange last Tuesday with the Bordeaux ZLs! It went well and I got to be with Elder MacArthur which was fun because we served around each other for 4 transfers when he was back here in Ecully. We had a good exchange and we had a cool moment because while we were out walking around we saw a group of people playing basketball so we went and played with them all! They were really excited and wanted to play again on Saturday, which we did, and they even brought 5 friends!

This past week we had an exchange with the Nice ZLs and I was with Elder Williams. He's a really good guy and I was grateful to go with him! We had a lot of stuff to do but I don't have time to talk about it all. Great exchange!

On Wednesday I traveled with President and Sister Brown to Toulouse! We were in Toulouse from Wednesday to Friday. I had a great birthday which consisted of traveling back from Toulouse to Lyon with President and Sister Brown and eating a lot haha. I feel so lucky and grateful for the time I have been able to spend with the Browns. 

On Saturday we went to Sister Barachant's home to celebrate my birthday as well and she gave me one of the nicest and most meaningful things I have ever received. It's so special to me that I don't really want to include it in the email, but I say it just to point out how much I love her!

I know I'm leaving out so much but ça va!

Anyways, this next week will be a good one as we will be working on the transfer process! I will try and send out an email next week before I head home! Thank you for all the support!! Also good luck to my Zags today as they play in the National Championship game!! 

Elder Wade

Week 98 & 99 Visiting Nice one last time

Okay wow these last two weeks have been so amazing!! Sorry I wasn't able to send out a weekly email last week as I was in Nice and didn't have any time to do so. Even this week I am running short on time so I will try and get my thoughts straight because it's been a crazy few weeks!!

Last week I drove down to Nice with President and Sister Brown and we went to Stake Conference! It was seriously soooo amazing!! When I walked through the doors a bunch of members came running over and just gave me the biggest hugs ever! It was so cool to be able to go back there in my last transfer and attend church at the Nice chapel again! So we got there on Saturday and went to a few conferences in Marseille, and then drove to Nice and got there later that night! Then on Sunday we went to Stake Conference and it was just one of the coolest experiences of my mission. It was so fun to actually be able to speak to all of the members this time because when I got there at the beginning of my mission I could barely speak to them haha. So we also went to Nice because we had a zone Conference on Tuesday and so President was interviewing missionaries and I had a few hours after Stake Conference and all the members stayed after and we all got to talk! Seriously so great. Then later that night I went and ate at the Vaysse home and it was so much fun. I love Brother and Sister Vaysse so much and they are some of my favorite people on this planet. So on Sunday after church the ward members scheduled kind of a small little activity at a park where we played soccer one last time with each other and it was so fun. Then President finished his interviews and my comps Elder Menzel and Elder Underwood came down from Lyon for the conference on Tuesday and they got in Nice in the afternoon and so we had the whole day in Nice to ourselves! But with some permission, we took a little car trip to Monaco and spent a few hours there! Super fun. So then later that night we went Chez la famille Cresto and had one last FHE :( okay I shouldn't put a frowney face because I was so happy to go one last time but it was so hard to say goodbye to them again. I got to see their kids Adam and Thomas (they asked me to be the Godson of their child Thomas and he is so cute!) for the last time on the mission and it was so fun. Then once they went to bed we had some time to talk about life and it was just so great. I love them so much and after saying goodbye to them I was so sad. They have been there for me since the day I entered the mission field and went to Nice! But I know that I will be in contact with all of my family in Nice forever!! Love them all so much and I was sooo grateful for the opportunity that I had to go back and see them all again.

So on Tuesday we had Zone Conference for the Nice and Toulon Zones and it went really well! After conference we drove from Nice to Lyon and it was really sad as we were leaving to say goodbye to the beautiful city of Nice! I have so many wonderful memories there and it will always have such a special place in my heart! Haha this email sounds sad but it was such an amazing week in Nice! When we were on the bus someone asked me if I was from Nice and I said, "No..." and then I almost said that I was from America but then I remembered that I considered myself Niçois alors ;) 

Other than that, we have had some really good work in the sector and we have had a lot of people coming to church lately and it has been nice. Also over the last 2 weeks we have had 6 exchanges and I loved being with them all! 

This week will be another good one as we have conferences here in Lyon and then Geneva...which means I will also be going back to Geneva this week and I am soooo excited!! I will actually be doing an exchange with the Geneva ZLs while I am there and so hopefully I will be able to see some people that I know!! (Hint hint to Elder Hall who is the Geneva ZL right now and reading this email... love you! ;) ) but the scary thing is this week will be so fun that it will go so fast! Anyways, on y va!!

Elder Wade

Week 97 "Counted worthy to suffer shame for HIs name."

Hello!

So this week was another great one! We are starting to see some really cool things in Ecully and the work is really picking up! But I will get back to all of that in a little bit.

This last week was the last week of the transfer which meant that we spent a lot of time with President and Sister Brown working on the transfers! And as for me and my transfer news, I will be staying a 6th transfer here in Ecully to finish my mission! I'm grateful for the opportunity and excited to continue to work with everyone we are working with right now! It's a weird feeling to think that I'll have been here for so long because it's all gone so fast! So voila, that's the news! And as well I will be staying with Elder Menzel and Elder Underwood! This will be my 4th transfer with Elder Menzel and my 2nd with Elder Underwood. Haha it feels like we are brothers at this point. 

This transfer process was interesting as we had a lot of companionships that were changed, but it was definitely guided by the Lord through President Brown and I can see the keys which he holds so clearly every transfer process especially. The spirit is always so strong during the time spent on the transfer process. With every transfer I feel like I am starting to recognize the spirit more and more and it helps so much to be around President and Sister Brown and to learn from them. They are so amazing and I'm grateful to be around them for another 6 weeks.

In terms of the work it is going well and we have a few people on date for this transfer! The other week we were on the metro and I contacted a man from Togo who is seriously the coolest guy ever and he is so ready. There was a baptism this past week in the Val-de-Saône Ward and he came and had an amazing experience and we have met with him a few times and he came to church yesterday and said that he wants to be baptized! So the date for right now is the 25th of March! We also still have our other Amis who are progressing right now but no other news! 

Lately I have been reading the New Testament like every free second I have and it has been so good. I love it so much! This past week I read this verse in Acts and it touched me a lot: "And they departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for his name."

I am grateful to be counted worthy to suffer shame for His name! 

Have a great week!

Week 96 Last transfer...Staying in Ecully

Hello!

So this week was another great one! We are starting to see some really cool things in Ecully and the work is really picking up! But I will get back to all of that in a little bit.

This last week was the last week of the transfer which meant that we spent a lot of time with President and Sister Brown working on the transfers! And as for me and my transfer news, I will be staying a 6th transfer here in Ecully to finish my mission! I'm grateful for the opportunity and excited to continue to work with everyone we are working with right now! It's a weird feeling to think that I'll have been here for so long because it's all gone so fast! So voila, that's the news! And as well I will be staying with Elder Menzel and Elder Underwood! This will be my 4th transfer with Elder Menzel and my 2nd with Elder Underwood. Haha it feels like we are brothers at this point. 

This transfer process was interesting as we had a lot of companionships that were changed, but it was definitely guided by the Lord through President Brown and I can see the keys which he holds so clearly every transfer process especially. The spirit is always so strong during the time spent on the transfer process. With every transfer I feel like I am starting to recognize the spirit more and more and it helps so much to be around President and Sister Brown and to learn from them. They are so amazing and I'm grateful to be around them for another 6 weeks.

In terms of the work it is going well and we have a few people on date for this transfer! The other week we were on the metro and I contacted a man from Togo who is seriously the coolest guy ever and he is so ready. There was a baptism this past week in the Val-de-Saône Ward and he came and had an amazing experience and we have met with him a few times and he came to church yesterday and said that he wants to be baptized! So the date for right now is the 25th of March! We also still have our other Amis who are progressing right now but no other news! 

Lately I have been reading the New Testament like every free second I have and it has been so good. I love it so much! This past week I read this verse in Acts and it touched me a lot: "And they departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for his name."

I am grateful to be counted worthy to suffer shame for His name! 

Have a great week!

Week 95 He lives and He leads this church

Hello! 

Okay I don't have like any time right now because we are starting transfers today and are 

really busy! But, here is a quick recap.

This past week I went on 2 exchanges! 

The first one was with the Geneva ZLs and I was with Elder HALL!!! :) 

it was so good to be with him again and we had such a good time! 

Actually it had been exactly one year since I left him on Corsica and went to Geneva 

when we were with each other! Honestly I love him so much and I'm so grateful for 

everything he has done for me! I could go on and on about it but I don't have enough time! 

The second one was with the Toulon ZLs and I was with Elder McKee. 

He is also a huge stud. I went on an exchange with him last transfer as well and so 

it's always good to be with him and to learn! 

In other news this week we will be with President working on transfers! 

We will see what happens as this is my last transfer coming up and I've been here for 

5 transfers! Alors on verra!! It will be exciting and I know that whatever happens is 

what the Lord needs and wants! 

I know He lives and that He leads this church! 

Have a great week and I'm sorry for the bad email!!

Week 94 Blue bow tie

Okay I don't have a lot of time today because we have got quite a few things to do so I will keep this email short and simple!! 

This past week was great! I went on 3 straight exchanges again this week on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday and they all went very well! 

On Wednesday we had the Bordeaux ZLs and I was with Elder Fiala who is from Virginia! He's a young missionary and it's funny because back in my first transfer here I actually picked him up from the airport. He is solid and is a great missionary. 

On Thursday the Toulouse ZLs came up to Lyon and I was with Elder Hurst! He is a big stud and he's from good old Layton so he told me all about how loud he would boo me when we would play them haha! He's a good guy. We had a good exchange and it was good to work with him and I enjoyed it a lot. 

On Friday we had the Lyon ZLs with us and I was with Elder Battezzato!!! It was so good to be able to work with him again and to see how much he's changed since we were together a few transfers ago. If you remember I served with him in Geneva and here in Ecully and I love him! He is one of my best friends and I learned so much from the Sicilian again!! 

On my exchange with Elder Battezzato we contacted a woman named Audrey and her 8 year old son Myliss! The thought of the restoration of the priesthood authority really sunk deep with her and she wanted to learn more so we exchanged coordonnes. The next day we actually played soccer and Myliss wanted to come and so he came and Audrey came with him and watched us play and we had a great time and there were a lot of Amis and members there. So, the next day at church Audrey  and Myliss showed up and had an amazing experience! The primary kids were all over Myliss and he wants to come every week now :) anyways, we will be seeing them a few times this week if all goes well! Besides that we have Blessing who is still doing well but unfortunately she won't be getting baptized this weekend as there is still a little bit to teach. And Mama Helene is doing well! We wanted to fast with her last week about being baptized but she wasn't able to, so we are looking forward to it this week! We have also seen some very good succès lately with the mid teens mid twenties age group and have a lot of potential there right now. 

A really quick cute moment! So Sister Barachant is an elderly sister in the ward that invites us over to her house every week and every Sunday for the past 6 months I've sat by her at Sacrament! Also her husband passed away last year and it's really tough of course. So this week we were at her house and she came out and said, "Elder Wade I've wanted to give this to you for a few months now but it's been too hard for me to give it away but I want you to have it." And she gave me a blue bow tie and said that it was her husbands favorite tie and he would wear it on all their dates. It was a really special moment for me and she is such an angel. 

Bon, everything is great here and I'm loving it! We are looking forward to another good week!