8/26

Hey, so this week was really awesome. It was the best week so far in Metz! It started out really cool. Monday night when we went to a partially non member non active family's house. They were cool and nice. Have you ever tried to freeze a soda?  because of the carbonation it doesn't freeze correctly and it makes like a slurpee. (not in cans because they just explode) and they gave us that. It was soo good. We also played uno with them and it reminded me of when Andrew and I would play 1v1 uno but it never ended because we were missing a bunch of cards, but it was really fun! (the dad was kinda a cheater tho haha)

The next day we went to another less active's house and he got pretty mad. He was offended, but he was nice enough and we were able to bear testimony and feel the spirit.

On Wednesday, we went to Nancy for interviews with president. It was a pretty good day. We also had some trainings. Its really fun to see missionaries that you don't see very often. So back when I was a young missionary I didn't know anyone... but now I still don't really know anyone because there are so many new missionaries and everyone I knew is dead.. (finished with their mission)

We also taught a bunch of lessons and were able to find some families. Whenever the ward hears that we taught a family they get pumped. Our objective is to find families and its great that we are now doing that. 

So we were porting in a neighborhood and it was kinda hard, then all of a sudden a man opened the door and the most annoying little snowball dog ran out and tried to rip off mine and Elder Smith's pants. Then it was barking its head off and running and spinning in circles.  I have never been so annoyed by a dog, but the owner of the dog was a little bit less than nice. So we walked out to the sidewalk where a man said, "You'll never convert anyone, just go home" and it was just super depressing. We didn't wanna give up, but we were feeling pretty down. I said a silent prayer and we walked to the next house. A lady and her teenage daughter answered and a little toddler came out. She said we couldn't come in because her husband wasn't home, but before we had time to leave the husband pulled up in the driveway and walked up with another kid. So they let us in. We were able to tell them about God's plan for the family and how we can be together forever. It was super spiritual. It was one of the awesomest things of my mission and it was also super cool cuz it was on Elder Smith's birthday. 

There's a lot of road construction going on here in Metz, so the bus times and bus stops are all messed up. 

Yesterday in Centreville there was a huge parade. It was crazy. It was also pretty tough because everyone from miles around was watching the parade and everyone who was watching the parade wanted to watch and not talk. There was a couple punks running around and throwing confetti in peoples faces. I'm super glad it didn't happen to me!

I didn't take the brown Snuggie. Elder Horton gave me his before he went home. It is a BYU Snuggie. It's super cozy and good because its gray and cold and rainy right now! Anytime I get a chance I am wearing my Snuggie.

Last week I bought some new cheap disposable razors and I think it would be safer if I tried to shave with a chainsaw! I cut myself every morning. But I don't want to buy new blades for my fusion because they are worth their weight in gold. But yeah, I had been using the same disposible razor for about a month and a half. It was pretty good because it didn't cut me. I am a big fan of number 2 pencils because I make a lot of mistakes, but I can just erase them and also they are the most popular and number 1 and number 3 pencils are either too hard or too soft.

The thing I'm thinking about is- is there a "July-mester"? because would it be a good idea to come and then go straight to Virginia? Wouldn't you guys miss me? Would I be able to get everything I need in time?

Hey mom do you remember when at Melanee's wedding the man was quoting Rick Astley?

So Elder Smith and I are going to be together for 3 more weeks and then the big question is am I leaving or is he? We dont know. I kinda have the feeling in my bones that I will.

District/Zone meeting

Elder Guymon's district

the Zone

Lunchtime.

From a Sr. Missionary Couple

I received this in my e mail today---

Hi Missionary Families

Elder Chaston and I had the chance to visit briefly at your son's apartment and also see them at Zone Conference this past week.  What a double treat!

These young men are great missionaries!  We love the opportunities that we get to see them and their strong testimonies!

Just wanted to let you know how great they are!

I have attached a picture to prove it.

Sincerely,

Elder and Sister Chaston

8/19

hey everyone! So this week was pretty awesome, but was also kind of crazy. I had to go do some legality stuff, so I had to go back to St. Omer. We spent hours and hours in trains just for me to walk up to a desk and say "Hey, my name is William Guymon, I need my papers." and then she handed them to me. We were in and out of that office in under 3 minutes, but it was kinda strange being back in St. Omer. It was like deja vu! Elder Smith was kinda like "umm, you served here?"

We also had to go to Luxembourg the next day for week 2 district meeting. Our companionship was in change of district meal. so Elder Smith and I made lasagna. I felt kinda bad because there is a real Italian in our district and I bet he wasn't too pleased, but everyone else said it was good...
This week we taught a family that has many concerns and question. They have a difficult family situation. We brought a member of the relief society with us to teach and she was a BOSS! When she talked, they listened. When we talked, they cut us off and went off topic. She pretty much taught the most awesome lesson about the Book of Mormon ever! It was really cool.

Last night we also had a really cool thing happen. On Sunday nights we send our weekly stats to our district leader via text. We usually do it at 8:55. Last night at like 8:49 we were like "umm ok lets send them in" and I looked at the clock and we were both kinda like  "were going to contact for the rest of the night!" We prayed so that we could teach someone who wants to know about God. We looked around and saw NOBODY so we walked around. and the first man we talked to was a drunk hobo and so moved on. We then walked around and saw one man. We talked to him for a long time. He works in the trains. He says he sees missionaries all the time and every time he does he asks himself if God exists. We were able to testify and teach him. I am so glad we were diligent and worked until the last minute!

So I gave my talk this week. The topic was the gospel of Jesus Christ. I totally forgot that I was giving the talk but luckily I had it in my bag from the week before. I also had to teach Young Mens again. The topic was "a mighty change of heart."

So our mission has a goal. Starting a couple months ago we were going to get 100 baptisms by the time that Elder Oaks comes to visit us (mid September) and as of today we are at 81. Last year around the same time we had the same type of goal. We were going to get 78 baptisms before Elder Anderson came and we got 81. Its pretty awesome that we are achieving our goals and baptizing. We (as a mission) are teaching and baptizing families. and its really great.

So about the test, if i did that, could I play soccer that fall? If yes then I should start gettin in shape. Not that I'm fat or anything but like I'm super out of shape and have 0 muscle. Do you guys feel like that is the best thing to do? I really want to know your opinions.

Was the fishing trip like the same boat? because that was super fun. and easy. 

And that's cool that Bradley went brute during the tournament. Maybe he should shoot more instead of passing.

a new picture

8/12

hey!

 

so another week went by. wow. I really dont know how time goes so fast! This week was pretty slow. It started out prety sad, our bball popped right when Elder Smith and I were about to win, so we couldn't use it anymore. (Sometimes in the mornings we run to a bball court and shoot for like 10 minutes, (but its ok because we use the frisbee that Sister Norris sent in the packages in the mornings now). It's a whole lot better than doing push ups for a half hour on the cold floor. 

So the new elder who lives with us now is from Orem. So many missionaries are from Utah!! 

Yeah, it is pretty frustrating that people agree to show up to a rdv, and then you call and confirm,  and they just dont show up. Its pretty much the biggest waste of time ever. I have a lot more respect for people who just say "im not interested". It happened a lot this week and a lot last transfer. This week we studied patience and we really really tried to obtain more patience. and God tried to give it to us by giving us a super trying week, but it made us realize that God really is in control and he grants us according to our desires... in his own ways.

So you know at the beginning of my mission how a bunch of people thought that I look like Arnold Swartznegger? Someone was like "I knew that you are American the second I saw you because you look just like Mick Jagger." Isnt Mick Jagger that ugly guy from the Rolling Stones? If he is then that's pretty mean.  

We went over to a member's house this week, and she made us tartiflette! It was super good. They used potatos and onions that they grew in their own yard. She has been to Chico and Paradise! She helped teach a french class at Paradise High. We were talking about Chico and she was like, "oh I've been there. I visited my friends in Paradise for a while!" Super weird, but her dad is kinda a troll, lol. He is in the bishopric and on the ride home he asked me to give a talk. Then Saturday morning he called and was like. "you prob wont give a talk but prepare one anyway" and then Sunday he was like "ok, you're doing it next week." aaaaaaaaaaand then Sunday morning in priesthood, none of the young men leaders where there so he's like, "ummm Elder Guymon, can you occupy the young men whenever there are no leaders here?"  So I taught Young Mens this Sunday.

In France, EVERYONE goes on vaction in the summer. So right now the ward is pretty small. A lot of people are out of town. 

So Metz has a soccer team. It's called FC Metz. Apparently they are pretty bad, but I guess they are doing well this season. They are maroon like Chico State.

That's really gross about the Jack in the Box burger. (Scott bit into a bone in his burger and chipped his tooth the other day.) I bit into bone the other day, too. It was super loud, but hambugers in France are pretty sad. and McDonalds here is like 11 euros for a full meal. That is super expensive in dollars.  I'm really excited to try to make the fish. I didnt want to buy pancake mix for 5 euros, so I bought crepe mix instead. I'm pretty sure it'll be a lil different but good still. I cook a lotttt now. Its hard to eat good on a small budget. Do you remember the show that we used to watch "Take Home Chef"? Sometimes I wish that that would happen to me. That;s why I was saying that Bradley and Andrew should learn how to cook BEFORE the mission.  And also play piano. That's a skill I wish I had. 

I wish Bradley liked me, but i dont know what he cares about. All I know is that he skateboards now and that hes not fat and all I know about Andrew is that he plays baseball.

I didnt know that Wally Herger had a ranch, but that's exciting that is exciting that you have a better place to hunt. I haven't been hunting in a LONG time!

What is mom going to do while everyone is fishing? Just sit around in the camper? Does mom still play Words with Friends? and Twitter (which can kill you)? Too bad there's no wifi. She should get a smartphone.

Elder Smith wants to know if you can mail us a picture of the Baron Davis dunk on AK47 the year that the Warriors beat the Jazz 1st round. Apparently it is a good dunk. 

Is the Jeep still running? Have you found out anything about colleges? Should I go to SVU? You said I can take the test there?  How is Melanee doing? How is Dax doing?

So I dont know what else to say. It's going prettty slow here but I'm having a lot of good times. Elder Smith is cool. We knock on a TON of doors and we contact a TON of peeps. Things are starting to look up.

8/5

whats up tout le monde?

Things are going great out here. I cant believe another transfer is over!! I'm in double digits now.

We had some crazy weather this week. During the night there was thunderstorms and during the day it was super, super hot. At 3am Saturday morning I was chillin on my bed kinda half awake (we sleep with the windows open) and I heard the wind start picking up super hard, like as hard is it was that one day that we went hunting in the BIG storm, and then I hard BOOOM and then a few seconds later BOOOOOOm. So I jumped out of bed to see what was going on. The wind slammed two of our inside doors shut so I went and opened them to shut the windows and I was getting blasted by horizontal rain from across the living room. Then I had to walk across it and it was just like the storm again, except every 5 seconds there was a huge flash of lightning that made everything white.  I thought I was going to die. All of our papers were flung all over the room and the floor was soaked. It even knocked over our ironing board. So that was fun.

This week we went to the  DMP (ward mission leader)'s house for dinner. He took us into his garage to show us something and it was his bright red Ducati. It was really funny to imagine him on that.

This week we found a bunch of people that we are going to start teaching this upcoming week, so I'm happy bout that.  We even had one of them come to church, it was kinda hard because I had to translate for him (he speaks English) and he had a lot of questions. I didn't know him because they talked to him and invited him to church while I was on exchanges. 

 

So this last month was the month that the Islamic religion fasts all day for 40 days, so they were pretty cranky. I think that could add to why so many bad things are happening. There was a lot of them yelling at us for no reason. 

So U told you on the questionnaire that my favorite french food was tartiflette. I made one of them last week and I was so happy. Its kinda like funeral potatoes but french cheese and onions and lardons. 

We cant not ride trains. Its either that or walk. (Scott told him not to take the train because they are dangerous.)

Can you send me a recipe for making fried fish like at King's Catch(a restaurant we used to go to in Chico)? That sounds really good.

oh, last night I ate a kind of sausage that was just pig intestines and onions. It was pretty good and also you would like to know that I eat tomatoes allllll the time. like i still don't like them, but when they bring em out I just accept it. I dont like dread it.

We don't teach any classes during church. but we go to gospel principles class and participate a lot.

So Elder Smith really, really likes basketball and we found a better court that isn't turf and has rims that are straight and have nets. So we do that on pdays. Bradley will not beat me. I'm gonna dunk on him so hard.

So who am I going to root for in the World Cup? Should I get a France jersey? and also I'll need a Dempsey Sounders jersey. 

I didn't get sick from licking the Eiffel Tower. Its pretty clean I guess. jk. Paris is a pretty dirty city. Every time I go there my face gets super greasy and my white shirts turn grey.  The air smells pretty bad. I like it out here in Metz. It's pretty clean. for the most part.

Did you look up anything about colleges?

So its already starting to cool down, like summer is finishing up. It was so short and last winter was so long. Maybe Al Gore was right...

Questions Answered

One Family Home Evening, we sat down and wrote a letter to William with a bunch of Questions for him to answer.  Melanee wanted to know his responses, so I decided to put them all on here for everyone to read.  (Dad--- "idk" is "I don't know".)

Where do you think Brett is going on his mission?  Minnesota
Where do you think Alfred will go?  Mexico
Where did you find the toilet in the picture you sent to Melanee?  someone's yard
Do the other Elders hog all the investigators?  no, but we've had to find all of our own
Are the other elders in the same ward?  yes
what do you have to do to be able to drive the mission car? fill out forms and do training
Was the castle in the last picture you sent in Metz or St Omer?  it was a church in Metz
Did you hear the fireworks or see them? saw
Do the stars look the same when you look at the sky at night?  I'm asleep
Can you see the top of the Eiffel tower from the arc de triumph like on Google maps?  yeah
Should we sell tickets to the basketball game between you and Bradley to help pay for college?  yeah
Do you want dad to pick out some clothes for you? no
Do you want some of his old clothes? no
Do you know the name of the next Call of Duty?  Black Cops?
Have you picked out a souvenir for dad yet? no
Can you go on Facebook yet? no
How big is the ward? 70 ish
Have you heard from Spud lately? kinda
Is it hard to get around Luxembourg and Germany like it was in Belgium?  no
What was your favorite song?  Yeah- Usher and In Da Club- 50 cent
What is your favorite song now?  Cat Daddy or Get Busy-Sean Paul
What color should dad paint the house?  yellow
How many doors do you knock on each day?  depends, sometimes like a hundy sometimes like 4
Have you started to enjoy moldy cheese?  YES!
Is it expensive to buy sugar for the kool aid I sent you?  nah
Are the socks I sent you when you had sore feet and foot odor your best socks? yeah
Is the rainy season over? yeah but the last 2 nights
Have you had any better luck with umbrellas since the first two? haven't had one
I heard they don't serve drinks with ice there, do you miss ice? yeah
Besides all the laundry, shopping, e mailing, and errands you do on P day, do you also find fun things to do? no
Have you gotten any better at typing on the French keyboard?  yeah
Do you type with one finger?  one on each hand
Is it hard for you to shift and make capital letters no
Where do you e mail from in Metz?  a creepy cyber café
Who do you want for a roommate if you go back to SVU?  Tadd Terry, but no idea
Do you want us to send you anything? no
Do you need more money? not really
Are you healthy? yeah
happy? yeah
Learning a lot? yeah
having fun? yeah
Do they have nerf guns in France? yeah
Is there anything you want to tell dad that he didn't ask you? no
Have you ever seen 7 up in France? yeah
Do you shop at street markets? no
Do they have Farmer's Markets?  yeah
smaller or larger than Chico's farmer's market?  depends
Do they have lots of mosquitos there? no
Do you need to wear sunscreen since you are outside all day? no
do you miss the Shark updates? yeah
Is "les missionnaires" spelled with two "n"s?  yes
Do you like riding the train? no
Do you like riding the bus? no
Do you think your 1st companion will share his photos with you since that one memory card broke? no
Do you remember to take lots of photos? sometimes
Do a lot of missionaries get robbed? sometimes
Are you really careful not to get robbed? no
Do tourists come to Metz? yeah
Do you think you have an accent when you speak English? no, but I mess up a lot
Do you think you will be able to use your French language skills for anything here? no
Is the Disneyland in France a big deal? sorta
Want me to stop sending Kool Aid?  as you can see.....yes (the paper is all purple and smells grape)
Have you seen any famous people? no
Do most people know English?  some English
Do the hymns sound better in French?  depends
Does the Sacrament taste better as a baguette? yeah
What do you eat for lunch? idk
The new missionaries who are coming to Paris now....was their time in the MTC shorter than yours? yeah
can you tell a difference? yeah
Are you glad you stayed at the MTC longer? yeah
Do you have to write an e mail (or letter) to your mission president each week? yeah
If so, in French or English?  French
Are there some missionaries who don't know English? yeah
Do you read your scriptures in French or English?  both
Do you feel safe in Metz?  idk
Do you like living in France? yeah
Do you hope to go back there someday?  we don't have any money
Do you and your companion share a cell phone? yeah
If so, who carries it?  me
If so, is it nice?  NO!
Do  you text? yeah
Is texting harder in French? yeah
How come the members don't feed you more? idk
Could they do a missionary dinner calendar like they do here? no, cuz they wont
Did you like your first year in France? yeah
Did you hear about the train wreck into the station platform south of Paris? no
Were you scared that there might be missionaries on it (I was)? idk
Do you speak in English around your apartment? yeah
Do you have any photos of you and your companion? yeah
Are you eating enough? sometimes
Do you work out enough? I'm not fat
What else was in Jenifer Norris' package? deodorant, toothpaste, candy, Frisbee
Do  you get enough mail? no
Did Chris Teerlink ever send you anything? no
Do your companions/other missionaries get more mail than you? no
Is Metz in the hills or mountains? hills
Is France pretty modern? yeah
Do most people smell bad? yeah
Do you do a lot of service? no
Have you made friends with the youth? in Angers, yeah
Has it helped your mission to get so many additional missionaries? I guess
Have you eaten anything unusual since the caterpillar soup? idk
What is your favorite food there that we don't have here? tartiflette or lardons
Do you have trouble getting into buildings? no
What is the name of your apartment? our crib?
What floor do you live on? 3.5
Do they have French music, like Call Me Maybe, but in French? no, they have call me maybe in English
Do you think you will get to train another missionary? idk
Do French kids play with legos? yeah and mobile minis
Do you miss swimming? sometimes
Do you wish you had a bike? sometimes
Do people wear bike helmets there? noobs do
Have you seen a mime? no
Do you get kool aids in my letters? they break
Have you seen any French chickens? yeah
Do they have head phones or ear phones in France? yeah, to listen to Call Me Maybe
Are there many Muslims in Metz? yeah
 Are there national sport leagues like the NBA, mls, mlb, or nhl in France? yeah.  all.  metz just won women's handball.
Is Halloween October 31st?  yeah
Would you like to go to college in France? we don't have any money
How many units do you have at SVU?  potentially 15
Tell dad more abut your companion-- he likes Kobe.  He went to BYU-I.  His girlfriend is engaged to some guy.