Week 1 in the LBRM: "We boolin' boys!"

Bonjour amis et familles!

What a week! This week was packed with so much new information, so much missionary awesomeness, that it feels like it's been more than a calendar week since my last email. I guess it technically has since my new p-day (preparation day, the day I get to send these out) is Monday.
I'm now living in Marksville, Louisiana, population 5,702. It's the smallest town I'll have ever lived for an extended period of time and I'm so ready. My companion is Elder Mills, who's going home in 3 months. Needless to say, we're at very different points in our missionary journeys, but we're ready to get to work!

MISSIONARY MOMENTS OF THE WEEK
So many miracles this week. From the awesome Gospel conversation I had with the guy I sat next to on the plane, to the random Elder I met in the Dallas airport who was going home, to the actual people I started to get to know once I got down here to Marksville, missionary experiences popped up left and right! For example, we met a guy at WalMart the first night here and we're hopefully teaching him tonight!

FUNNY QUOTE OF THE WEEK
"We boolin' boys!"
This one comes by way of Elder Kephart, who isn't my companion, but one of the other 2 elders that are living in this one apartment. Apparently 'boolin' just means whatever you want it to mean. In this case, it's an enthousiastic shout that means 'let's get to work!', or something. It's not even a Southern thing. It's an Elder Kephart thing.

SPIRITUAL THOUGHT OF THE WEEK
"You were made to go out and get her"
 - Paul McCartney, Hey Jude

No scripture this week. I just read too many awesome ones while doing the most diligent scripture studying of my life to choose just one. So this is just a spiritual thought. We were driving to help this older lady from the local 'branch' (word for a congregation that's too small to be a ward) and the above song came on, which made me think I was too conservative with my 'uplifting music' that I brought. This quote from Hey Jude really did uplift and made me reflect on my missionary purpose. I really am made to 'go out and get' the people who are ready for the beautiful message that Jesus is their Savior, and by him and through him, all things are possible.

Thank you all for reading these so far. Now that I'm in the field, Imma be honest: I miss y'all a bit more than when I was doing MTC from home. What's new with you? I'd love to know!

Je vous aime tous,
Elder May

PICTURES:
1. Me at the airport on Tuesday morning
2. Aight this is cool - I got to meet Soeur Walter and Soeur Jackson in person! If they look familar, they were in my MTC district and we were all reassigned to the Baton Rouge mission! We were able to spend some time together along with all the other new missionaries before heading out to our respective areas on Wednesday.

I'll get some more pictures next week with my companion and whatnot because I know y'all are curious on that front. 
Officially signing off now, y'all.




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