Release Letter from President Sorensen

Dear parents of Elder Anderson,

   Elder Connor Jase Anderson will soon complete his service as a full-time missionary in the France Paris Mission. His scheduled release date is 01 Aug 2019.

  At this time we wish to thank you for your invaluable support of his mission through your letters and prayers.  We feel certain you are anticipating a joyous reunion.  Upon his return he should report immediately to his stake president in order to give an account of his mission, receive timely instruction, and receive his formal release.

  During his mission, Elder Anderson has served faithfully, has demonstrated an extraordinary attitude, testimony, and spirit, and developed qualities which exemplify the very best in the performance of missionary work. He has treated the various responsibilities he assumed here as a sacred trust.  By his faith, humility and devotion to duty, often in the face of adversity, he became an effective teacher and witness of truth.  The great personal qualities which he discovered and enhanced during his mission will be a source of strength to him and to all with whom he associates throughout his life.

 Elder Anderson will be remembered with fondness and love by many friends and members of the Church in France, as well as by his missionary companions.  His life has been enriched by learning the French language, by living in a foreign culture, and especially by serving others.

 It has been our privilege to serve with him, observe his spiritual growth, and enjoy close association through personal interviews, and his weekly letters and accompanying reports.  He is a fine young man whom we love and for whom we wish the very best.

 Sincerely,

Paul J. Sorensen

Président, France Paris Mission

 

102nd P-Day (95th in France)

Hey everyone, it's almost time. Prepare yourself for the series finale of "Keeping up with France" next Monday, by binge reading all of my previous e-mails. You won't want to miss it. 

This week, as most, had its ups and downs. Last Monday I had my final interview with my Mission President in Rennes. Afterwards we did some shopping in downtown Rennes where I got a $50 jacket on sale for $10, so I'd say that it wasn't that bad of a day. We also ate poutine for lunch, to honor our Canadian mothers (and our stomachs), so that was fun. 

Tuesday was my last Zone Conference. I gave my departing testimony which was such an odd experience, as I never thought I'd get to this point. Afterwards my companion and I had some time to spare before our train, so we got acai bowls. $10 acai bowls that is... Look in my weekly album to see how big these were and tell us if you think that they were worth it #Not. 

On Wednesday we had lunch and took a walk with Brother Bergera. He's so nice and I'm going to miss him dearly. 

The next day we spent a lot of time inviting people to our World Food evening at the church for the next day. We felt like people weren't very receptive of this event, but at the end of the day we were blessed with 3 grown adults who stopped us and asked us about it. They seemed genuinely interested and said that they would come. Spoiler alert-- they did not. Liars, all 3 of them. 

Friday was a long day. I made my specialty macaroni and cheese for our American dish for the event. Later we went to the church to set up and get everything ready. The branch all turned out which was awesome, but in terms of the 250 people we invited, only one of them showed up. It was a man that we contacted at a pub, who was drunk at the time. My companion told him that there would be free food and that he didn't need to bring anything himself. I remember right after that invitation was extended, I told my companion that we probably shouldn't have invited that man (or anyone like him). I know it's not Christlike, but with how many creepy people have grabbed/touched me in this city, I'm very selective with who I talk to. Well, it just so happens that he was the one person that came. And this time he was even more drunk than when we first invited him. He announced his presence boldly and then kissed my companion. I ended up feeling terrible after the event, as I was having fun with members, while my companion was stuck with this man. Apparently, this man was saying explicit/sexual and anti-mormon things, as well as trying to pop open a few beers. My companion had to try to stop it all with his limited French. When I learned of this, I felt terrible. Of all the people we could have invited, it was this man that came. He eventually was asked to leave and our night continued, but it definitely was just the cherry on top of an already big let-down of a night for us. We've been working so hard here and finding literally no one and it's hard to not get down about all of that. 

The next day was pretty good, however. We did a big service project at the Branch President's new home. We were assigned to scrape off moss from his driveway/pavement... And boy was there a lot of it. After 4 hours, not even half was touched-- and I got major blisters. But we had a great BBQ and tour of the house after and that was nice. 

Sunday was great. The members took care of my blisters immediately after they saw them. It was like I was in the emergency room haha. I love these people. After church we went to the Raveneau's house for a crepe party and it was so good. We also played uno and then we went to the beach. I love these members, they are so good to us!

Today we are going to an old fortress ruin near Rennes with our district. I will put photos in my weekly album, so look out for those. 

This week I want to talk about being a true disciple of Christ. What does that mean to you? To me, that means that we need to live our lives in accordance with His principles. The best thing we can do in this life is be a good example for others. Serve, love, and judge not. I'm so grateful that we have an example like the Savior for us to look up to. That doesn't mean that it's always going to be easy, but it means that we always have a guide. He's always inviting us to come unto Him and I know that when we do, we are not only blessed, but those around us are as well. 

I love you all. Thanks for all of your love and support! 

Elder Connor Anderson

101st P-Day (94th in France)

What a great week this was! Going home in a few weeks definitely has its perks when all of the members start inviting you over again :) Now we don't have empty schedules or full days of finding anymore and it definitely helps time speed up! I love these members so much!

On Tuesday we did some morning service and then lunch at Marie France's house. She's been on vacation since February, so we haven't got to go over since then. Honestly, it's quite remarkable that I even got to see her again haha. I've been here for quite some time! Anyway, I find service pretty enjoyable these days. My mom should be excited to know that I'll actually want to do some gardening when i get home. I don't know how long this phase will last, but she better take advantage of it while she still can. To make this service opportunity even more enjoyable, Marie France literally lives on the coast. Behind her property is a field of horses and then a cliff that drops down to the sea. Because of this, we had a coastal view the whole time and were able to see all of the sailboats and people at the beach. What a dream place to live. After we worked, she made us some amazing galettes (a Brittany speciality) and great rhubarb pie for dessert. If every day could start like this, I wouldn't be mad! 

The next day, I gave my last district council in Rennes. I still technically have one more to give, but it'll be here in Saint Brieuc next week. I'm really going to miss Rennes. I'll only be there two more times before the end of my mission (zone conference and interviews) and it's kind of a sad thought. Later that night, we had a dinner appointment with Brother Bergera and his in-active daughter, Eva, was actually present for once! It was a miracle. We had a great evening full of laughter, which was actually fun enough that Eva invited us to go on a sight-seeing walk with her and her dad this coming week. What awesome people!

On Thursday I got another one of those American style cookies from that bio/organic NOJ restaurant. The workers there are always so nice to me and make me feel so good. Great customer service; 10/10. They have definitely earned my business. I think I might be going there more for the compliments and positivity they show me than for the cookies, but who knows.haha Later that night we had a dinner appointment with the Semeraus. It was nice and a little sad, knowing that it would be my last time at their house as well. Afterwards they took us to a place called the "Valley of the Saints" and it was super interesting. Look out for pics in my album. What kind people. I'm going to miss them!

The next day was a day complete with service. We started our service at 9 in the morning and didn't end until 7:30 PM! We took a train out to a British couple, the Meeses', house. Upon arrival, they fed us an English breakfast. This was followed by digging and raking in their massive irrigation canal. This took hours, but was followed by a delicious lunch. Then we went outside and helped the husband, Chris, re-attach some shiplap to the outside of his barn. Then we went and took the net off of a massive cherry tree and picked all of the cherries. They were so good and they even sent us home with a bunch. After that, they took us to the church and we weeded the grounds. This was followed by a spiritual thought and before we knew it, our day was over. Spending time with these members is my favorite thing ever. They really are special people. 

On Saturday we went to Lannion to have a lunch appointment with a member family. It was good, as usual, and afterwards we played a boardgame with them. Later that night, we had a dinner appointment with a member family that was so much fun. As I've previously mentioned, I love these members!

The next day we got a lot more set up with members before my depart, while we were at church. Afterwards, we got to ride with our Branch President in his new Tesla and it was so much fun. Honestly like a roller coaster with all of that acceleration. I couldn't believe it. So smooth and so fast. And if that wasn't already good enough, it's super environmentally friendly: it's electronic and the leather interior is vegan leather, so it's actually fighting against animal cruelty as well. What a car! I encourage you all to go out there and get one for yourself. ;)

Today I have my last interview with President Sorensen for the rest of my mission. I honestly cannot believe that I'm already at this point. 

This week I really found the joy in serving others. When we are in the service of our fellow beings, we are only in the service of our God. That is so true! Before my mission, I honestly hated service. There was no benefit for me financially, etc., but I now realize that there really was always a benefit there. Service opportunities really help change us into better people. Eventually, as we continue to serve, we start caring less for ourselves and more for others. That's when we find true happiness in life and when we really see how much we have been blessed. I invite you all to serve and pray for a love of service. I promise that as you do, you will be blessed beyond measure. 

Thank you all for your continued prayers and support. I love you all. Just two and a half more weeks until I'll see you all again. :) 

Love, 

Elder Connor Anderson