Toulouse, One's Life (To Lose One's LIFE!)

Mon, Oct 22, 2012 at 3:36 AM

Bonjour, ma famille, mes amis, et mes voisins!

Elder Tulley and I have had one of the most spiritual weeks of our lives this last week... but sadly it was our last week together.  Elder Tulley will stay here in Aix, but is being moved to the Zone Leader companionship, and I got transferred to Toulouse to be a Zone Leader with an Elder Petek from Taiwan.  Elder Petek and I will be white-washing, which means that we're both being transferred over there from other parts of the mission.  I will be taking a train here in a few hours, leaving my home and ward family here in Aix.  It's been super tough to say good-bye to all of our wonderful amis and especially because we don't know into whose hands they'll be falling, as the companionship that will replace us will also be white-washing.  AH!  IT WAS SO HARD!

Elder Petek and I upon my arrival in Toulouse!

One of the most miraculous days of my life happened on Thursday this last week.  I wish to tell you about it.  So.  I'll start by saying that we had a day that was full of activities, full of faces to see and things to teach.  Then all of a sudden things just started to fall apart.  First, we had a rendez-vous with a no-show, second, Pierre (one of our golden amis) told us he couldn't see us today, because he was too busy.  No one was on the streets because it was cold and rainy.  In our meeting with the ward mission leader, he was grumpy and decided not to help us that day.  Things just were'nt going our way.  But we decided to not to get discouraged.  We prayed a lot for the Lord to tell us to know where to go and what to do.  So that night, Elder Tulley recieved revelation that we needed to see someone who I had never met, someone who he met and talked with briefly, before I even got here.  We WENT.  We rang the sonnette and waited.  A kind woman named Tani (half Pakistani, half German) answered and told us to come in.  We were very surprised by her kindness and her hospitality.  We got to know her a little bit, we found that she had a Christian and a Muslim background, because her parents were from different nationalities.  She was very open with us and very receptive.  We taught her a brief Restoration lesson and fixed to come over the next day and teach her again.  When we came back, we found out that she had prayed between our visits and felt the Spirit strongly.  She opened up and told us that life had been difficult of late and that (before we met her) she had decided to turn towards God. She had prayed to know where to go and what to do.  Then we rang the sonnette.  That was why she had answered, let us in and been so kind and receptive.  She didn't see it at all as coincidence, but as an answer to prayer that we had met.  She came to church yesterday, is reading the Book of Mormon, and WILL be baptized into Christ's church.  I'm so sad that I have to leave this wonderful woman who has been prepared by the Lord.  Elder Tulley and I realized that if we had decided to become discouraged and turn away from God on the day when everything was going against us, God never would have placed one of his children who he has prepared into our hands.  I am so grateful that he allows us to see miracles when we turn towards Him.

In other news, Pierre is progressing super well.  It was super sad to leave him.  He always called me his brother in Christ and we had a cool handshake.  I have no doubt that he will get baptized and that our reunion will be a joyous one.  Our visit with him this week was deep and spiritual.  He had some profound concerns and questions about why Nephi was taught the doctrine of Christ 600 years before his coming, why Jacob knew his name, while prophets in the Old Testament didn't, etc.  He has a firm Catholic background and a great knowledge, but we were able to answer all of his questions by following the Spirit.  Cool stuff.  He is progressing very fast and has a great desire to receive a spiritual confirmation that the Book of Mormon is true.

Yesterday was SAD!  Probably the toughest thing about being a mish.  Saying goodbye to all your friends and family.  One family that I got really close to while I was here had us over last night and we had a pizza and crepe feast and laughed a lot. Then it made me more sad.  Then one of their sons played a song that I really like from the movie Amelie for me. And that made me even more sad.  I will always remember the wonderful people who I have met here, all the things that they've taught me and all the incredible experiences that I've had here in Aix.  But  I am ultra excited for Toulouse and the wonders that await!

I love you one and all!  Happy harvest season...  eat lots of doughnuts and pumpkin seeds for me.  You're always in my heart!

L'amour,

Elder Kunzler

Saying goodbye to great friends from Aix: