Letter from Grant - July 18, 2016

So this week was wild. We went to the old part of Geneva for Pday and
looked at some cool old things. Saw the old cathedral and even went
underground where they were excavating.
We had an exchange with some elders and got some good missionary work done.
At the end of Tuesday we had to present in front of the stake leaders.
They were having stake high counsel and we were asked to present on
the missionary work that's happening in the stake. It was super scary
but we talked about some important things that need to get sorted out.
Later that week we had zone finding day which was a blast! We all
exchanged companions for four hours and just went out to different
parts of Geneva and tried to find as many people as possible. It was
fairly effective. Some teams we found playing chess at the park.
Friday we presented in front of four zones. Oh boy, that's scary
stuff. It was good though. Presenting is as about as fun as it is
scary.
Saturday we went on exchange with the assistants. That was more
different than I thought it would have been. Good still, I took notes.
We finished our week in Genva and didn't really have any investigators
come to church. It was kinda sad. But I guess when you don't see them
for half the week they don't really feel the need to come. Looking
forward to fixing that for this next week.

Now for the part you have all been waiting for.

 Exchanges.

Avec  Amour,
Elder Keller

pictures in my letter from his zone conference

 Tia Xan, who Grant baptized a few months ago.  They ran into her on the streets of Lyon while on splits with Elder Huntsman.

 mtc companion

Grant is second row from the front on the far left in this last picture.

To Grant From Dad - July 17th, 2016

Grant, 

I'm writing this from a dingy motel room in Dutch John, Utah.  Ethan and I are going to float the Green River tomorrow!  We went to church this morning, did some indexing for the WW indexing event and then jumped in the car and drove down here.  We will be using my little one-man pontoons.  First time for Ethan to use one.  Should be exciting! 

McCall comes home later this week.  Incredible.  You're next!  I know it all feels weird, but try to focus on your last months in the field--enjoy every last day.  It will all be great when you are done. 

This week I noticed something in the Book of Mormon I hadn't before, and I always love it when that happens.  If you go to Alma 27:25-26 you read where Ammon returns to the lamanites he and his brethren had converted with the answer from the Nephites to the question of whether the Nephites would let the Anti-Nephi Lehis come live in their land and have their protection.  The answer is in the affirmative.  But I had never noticed how Ammon's pal from their rebellious youth, Alma, goes with him.  Earlier in the chapter, Alma had run into Ammon and his brethren 17 years after they parted to do their respective missions, and their joy had been huge meeting together.  Alma then travels with Ammon down to meet Ammon's converts, and Alma shares with them the story of his and Ammon's conversion.  What a neat moment that must have been, for Alma just to share in the goodness that had been wrought by Ammon's faith and sacrifice over many years.  Alma had also had great success among the Nephites, but it had been coupled with tragedy and civil war involving the Zoramites.  The converted Lamanites experienced their own tragedies when the more wicked lamanites kill many of them without resistance.  This time period in the Book of Mormon shows what great good can be accomplished by faith and sacrifice, but it also shows the evil that rises to try to match it.  I suspect you have seen that in the lives of the investigators who try to change, but the World doesn't like them to do that and puts up roadblocks and challenges.  We see that in our lives when we want to be and do better, it takes sacrifice.   

Love you, 

Dad 

Letter from Grant - July 12th 2016

Geneve week two

Hello, we only managed to email for a few minuets yesterday due to
scheduling so we are just wrapping emails up today. Anywho, this last
Monday for preparation day the district leader Elder Brady Haug held a
district P-day where we celebrated Fourth of July with a BBQ. It was
pretty sweet, especially because Elder Brady Haug is half German and
half Mexican! He did find us some pretty tasty sausages though.

Ali hasn't really made any progression. We saw him twice this last
week and talked to him about quitting cigarettes but he's pretty
stuck. The worst is that he believes that one day he will stop but
that that day is not any time soon. We are headed over later today to
see what the doctor said about it. He should have gotten his medical
report in by now.

Jamel, we had a picnic with her and her family this last Saturday! It
was really cool to finally meet everyone. She has a baptismal date but
it's in like six months or something. After she turns 18. We were
kinda hoping that once we met her parents that they would be more open
to her getting baptized while she was still 17. Anywho, she is doing
good.

Serge, he should have gotten baptized this last Saturday but we pushed
his date out because his wife is making him second guess everything.
We finally had a lesson with the whole family and not just Serge
alone. So that was sweet, we mainly taught the wife and answered her
questions. One of which was that some one told her that after getting
baptized in our church you have night mares and strange dreams all the
time. Who comes up with this garbage? Haha, anywho, we are praying
that he will be able to make it to church this upcoming week.

Seline and family, Seline is an Italian mom of five kids. They just
walked into the church like half way through one of our lessons
wanting to talk to the bishop. We told her if she came Sunday she
could talk with him. So she came Sunday, the kids made a ton of noise
during sacrament meeting and she talked to the first counselor after
church. Apparently she needs food and something else. It wasn't super
clear what they wanted exactly other than they need help. Then
yesterday the first counselor brought a bunch of non perishable foods
and diapers for her. We kinda taught her about the church. Like half
of a lesson. Anywho, we will have to see if she turns up next Sunday.

Well, voila have a good week!

Avec amour,
Elder Keller

Letter from Grant - July 4, 2016

So we had a solid week. We went on an exchange with the English elders
which happen to be two huge Tahitians that are both learning English
haha! They are sweet. We went and passed some old investigators in the
area book and ended up fixing two appointments for their team even
though they were people from our area book. Pretty funny how things
work out.

So Serge is struggling. His baptismal date is set for this next week
but his wife is Super against him changing. She even got him to not
come to church this week so we called him and talked to him. Looks
like we will be pushing his date off a few weeks. Sigh, women.

Ali is going into the hospital again today actually to get his Final
"big" exam done. Hopefully he does all right. His entire digestive
system is super damaged. Anywho, his daughters(they are recent
converts) are doing just great. The one kinda takes a back seat at
church while the other is super into it and comes to help us teach.

Julian, I met Julian for the first time this last Thursday. She has a
baptismal date as well. Anywho, she also will be in the hospital this
week a cause to viruses. Anywho, she is awesome. Haven't really taught
her yet but apparently she has had all the lessons we are just waiting
until she turns 18 or her mom gives her approval.

This week we had Mission leadership council. That was incredible!
President I just one of the greatest people ever. I loved having him
give us just super helpful and inspired revelation. I felt that it was
more applicable and personal.

Anywho,

Us after the exchange.Avec amour,Elder Keller

June Happenings 2016

 young women activity, fogged up windows, youth conference, Troy's birthday, drive to Utah, girls camp, Hill Airforce base air show, cousins and colorado friends...

Troy and Ethan high adventure in Jackson Hole Wyoming

Letter from Grant - June 27, 2016

Sent: Monday, June 27, 2016 12:08 PM
Subject: Genève Week One

So the work here is doing incredible! We have three people lined up
for baptism already.

Ali, Armenian who was referred to us by a less active. The
missionaries went to his house and after having taught him a good
while he stopped progressing so the missionaries just taught his
daughters and they both got baptized and now Ali wants to get baptized
too! So we are working with him as well as his wife. Ali is trying to
quit smoking but he doesn't seem to try a lot.

Serge, from the Congo and has an adorable family with two kids. Serge
has really flipped his life around since he met the missionaries. He
requested a Book of Mormon on line and then the missionaries showed up
and just started teaching. He said he would listen but didn't want to
go to church or anything. Our last lesson he told us that he will do
anything to get baptized. He has such a huge desire to have God in his
life. It's truly wonderful. He even said that after he gets baptized
that his wife will look into the church. It would be really cool to
baptize a whole family even if it's one at a time.

I haven't yet met our other investigator with a date. But if you want
to pray for her her name is Julian. She is dating a member so that's
probably where all of her time is going.

My new companions. Elder Wade, I hope the name sounds familiar to you
because it didn't to me :P Elder Jesse Wade is going to be starting
point guard for Gonzaga when he gets off of his mission. He is really
cool, we bro out all the time and he is a really good missionary.
Like, he just has a lot of people skills and so for him talking to
people and really just teaching people takes zero effort. He is a very
diligent very obedient missionary as well. I am really looking forward
to the rest of this transfer.

Elder Lutu is my other companion. He is a Samoan from Boise Idaho.
Might play football in college. Elder Lutu is on his fourth transfer
so he is still pretty young and doesn't speak French super well yet.
He is super fun though, great guy with a big heart. He has his head on
straight so we all work well together.

This week we drove down to Annecy to do a baptismal interview. I
interviewed a very prepared man who is on his way to the salt lake
temple to get sealed this upcoming year with his spouse. It always is
a pleasure to peak into the work of the lord in sectors other than
your own.

Anywho, Swiss is incredible! Fun fact! In Swiss French they have
different words for the numbers seventy and ninety in French French :)
that has been driving me off the walls! Haha, people either don't
understand what I say or I don't understand what they are saying. That
and when we went to church this last week people either assume that I
am German(Keller means cave or cellar in German) and because everyone
in Swiss speaks like five languages they all HAVE to ask me :) it's
pretty funny. Oh, and people, if they listen to me speak first, assume
I am native French :P I can't fool a Frenchy with my French accent but
I can fool a Swissy! I think we had five people at church not realize
I was a American or comment on my accent.

Something SUPER SUPER COOL about Geneva and the Kellers. If you look
back on our genealogy on Grandpa Kellers side of things we have an
ancestor name Serge Louis Ballif who was the First missionary to come
and open up the city of Geneva for missionary work and then years
later be the missionary president of this mission! He has a big ol
plaque dedicated to him in the Geneva chapel where we go to church
every Sunday! I took a picture of it :) It really is so amazing to
think that I am serving, walking, and teaching the gospel on the very
same streets as Serge! Maybe it sounds silly but it gives me a
reinvigorated drive to go out and just preach to everyone in Geneva.
It also seems to give Geneva a homely feel. Like, my ancestors used to
live and serve here before immigrating to Salt Lake. I don't know how
to explain it, but it gives me butterfly's in my stomach and makes me
more than proud to be here :)

Avec amour,
Elder Keller

 Elder Wade was on the phone so we took a picture of us on the Biggest building in all of Europe :)

Me next to Serge's plaque.

Letter from Grant - June 6, 2016 (no letter last week, so I'm not looking for it later :)

Sent: Monday, June 6, 2016 7:46 AM
Subject: Robertine

I'm just going to start out with the best, Robertine's did get
baptized! And all in the same  week her daughter got out of the
hospital (she was suffering from some rare blood disease in Africa but
will soon be coming to France to live with her mother :) and she made
it into her cooking school! They only take seven or eight students a
year and it's held up in Bordeux. Apparently to test in they sit you
down in a kitchen, they give you a recipe, all the ingredients you
need and tell you to make it. You have to finish the dish within a
certain time and it has to meet certain qualifications and then they
judge your plate with everyone else's. You do this multiple times
until the judges have weeded everybody out! Haha, kinda bonkers but
what can you do?  She now has to read some thousand page book on
cuisine and memorize a bunch of cooking faux pas and must do's.

Pierre is doing good, skipped institute this week but that's because
he was also in Bordeux for something.

Yoland, fixed a baptismal date, needs a job to support herself. She is
progressing great in the gospel, she has been understanding
everything! She even brought her sister to church with her so that was
fantastic because we are teaching both of them together.

The Jumelles. Jumelles is the French word for twins. This week while
contacting my companion and the zone leader taught some 24 year old
Jumelle girls who are surprisingly interested in the gospel. I met
with them Friday with my companion Elder Orr. They have TONS of
questions because they have a friend in Utah who just got her mission
call and they want to know like everything about us. Fingers crossed
we can get them to church to meet all of the young adults :)

What else do y'all want to know? I bought a new pair of pants today? I
really like French pants :) they are TIGHT!

Avec Amour

Elder Keller