Well the weather is finally cooling down and I love it. It's kinda nice not coming home with a wet shirt on haha. I'm sure in about a month I will be complaining about the cold but oh well isn't that how life works. I have realized how much more tolerant I have become. I'm sure my family will enjoy that when I get home but today my companion did something stupid that normally I would have freaked out about but I just kind of sat there and didn't say anything then I starting thinking about how he does so many irritating things and my old self would have hit him on the side of the head with a brick but now I just sit there like it doesn't bother me! Because it doesn't! I guess the mission does change you.
Anyway this week we worked super hard! We have spent a lot of time looking threw the area book to find more people to teach and we walked and walked searching for them. We found a couple people but they just told us to pass by another time so there is promise.
We also had a visit with Antonio and watched the general conference talk by Jeffrey Holland called Safety for the Soul. So good. Probably one of thee best talks ever given. I wanted to cry the spirit was so strong. He just has a lot of doubts. I don't know if he is immune to the spirit or doesn't know how to recognize it or what because we have been over it 1000 times and he still doesn't seem to be getting it but we are giving him time and he is reading now so that's good. He's in 1 Nephi 12 which is super awesome because he is reading a chapter a night and praying about it. So it's only a matter of time and faith until he gets his answer. Which I'm super excited about he was able to come to church this Sunday to which was awesome! The only down side was that our Branch President was 20 mins late to start the meeting which really irritated Antonio but the only thing you can say is that the church is perfect and the members are not haha
I am becoming really good friends with the brother of the less active member Moises. His name is Isreal. Moises left to Barcelona for 2 weeks and we went to go visit Isreal who is 16. He was there with his girlfriend and we had a really good lesson about the plan of salvation and why we have the commandment. He has a reLly hard home life because his older brother Moises takes care of him and his two younger brothers because there parent kind of abandoned them. It's a really sad situation. But he really loved the fact that after this life there is another life. One that is perfect. With no sickness or bad. He told us that that gives him a lot of hope for a better future. He really likes us and we are starting to transition our relationship for being friends to the gospel and it is going really well :) we put some pictures up on there wall of people praying to remind them to pray every night haha.
Reading a lot of really encouraging and inspirational emails has boosted my drive of missionary work so much I'm just so ready to go out and work we really attacked the day and it was awesome. I love just feeling this excitement and drive to just go out and work! I have it now and I hope it doesn't leave anytime soon :) this week was a really good week :) the church is true and if you don't believe me read the Book or Mormon! I promise you it will change your life :)
September 13th
Hello all. This week was an amazing week. Many miracles. I love it so much. We see so many miracles as missionaries and they all come threw exact obedience. We are trying so hard to be exactly obedient so God can send us all the blessings that he has just waiting to give us. And it works.
We were walking in an area we don't normally go looking for some old investigators and ran into this little Romanian kid who we had contacted his family a while back but could never find the address. We was so excited to see us and said you guys finally came! That felt good. We went to his house and him mom and brother were there and we were able to visit them. They didn't speak Spanish very well but the spirit speaks all languages :) we ran back to our apartment to get a Book of Mormon to leave with them. But none of them could read! I guess in Romania they don't have school and you are just kinda on your own. So sad. But there older son is coming back from a trip in a few days who can read and they said they would love to hear what we have to say when he got there and could translate from Spanish to Romanian for them :) but they loved what they could understand. I love how the gospel is true and the same in ever language.
Also Tuesday was the day of the virgin here in Puertollano and so they brought out the Virgin Mary statue and marched it around the streets and huge lines of people followed it with candles followed it until midnight and when I say lines of people I mean like 3 or 4 miles long of people (no exaggeration) it's crazy. Then they started the fire work show which wasn't far from our apartment so we were able to hear that perfectly until 3 in the morning So that was fun trying to sleep. Spain is full of holidays. It's crazy.
Elder Smithson had to go to Madrid this week to do his residency and so I had to go be with the Elders in Ciudad Real for the day. But we had an amazing experience on the train. We we sitting and Elder Smithson was reading the Book of Mormon in Spanish to try to learn and I look over and there was this woman behind him leaned all the way over his seat looking over his shoulder reading and I start to laugh a little because he didn't notice because he was to focused on reading and it looked funny but anyway I say hola and she looks at me confused and does some hand motions so I figure she must be deaf. So I act confused and she does it again and she points at us then up at God and I just node my head yes we are from God and my comp doesn't even know what's happening so I take the book out of his hands and give it to her. She sits down next to us opens it to a random page and instantly starts reading. I watch and see she has read about a page and so I pull out my iPad and type are you from Puertollano and she nods yes so I got excited then I say we can bring you your own copy of the book if you want and she nods her head really excitedly. Then another deaf friend comes over and sits next to us. Using the iPad we were able to explain thing about the Book of Mormon and I showed her my nametag and she took it and just starred at it for a while. We gave them and card for the church web sight and the friend pulls out her phone and looks it up and the find where the church was in Puertollano and was looking up a bunch of stuff. I asked them if we could meet up sometime and they told us sadly that they were going to be living in Madrid until December and they couldn't. So we helped them find the church in Madrid by where they are living and they even submitted to talk to the missionaries there right on Mormon.org. So crazy. I had to get of the train early but Elder Smithson said they just sat there reading from the book for the next hour and just loved it. It was such an amazing experience. The spirit really does speak every language even the unspoken ones. Also with all the bad that technology brings into the world it also bring a lot of good too. We were able to communicate with people who couldn't speak and we were able to help them find a church near them and get in contact with the missionaries in there area all in a touch of a button right on the train. But we gave them the book and we probably will never know what ends up happening with them two but without us who knows if they would have ever gotten the opportunity to hear the gospel and that all that matters. It's amazing as a missionary how many life's we touch. You never know who is watching you and what there needs are and that's why we talk to everyone.
This week we had a great lesson with Antonio. I thought we had lost him but I think we were able to reel him back in. It was amazing really. We had a general conference talk to show him that our district leader suggested us by President Uchtdorf called "Come, Join with Us" so good. We showed him that and the spirit was so strong he shed a tear because the spirit was so strong. We testified of this church and of the priesthood authority that we have and the spirit was great. He told us that he feels that spirit when he talks with us and when he reads but he is looking for something else. I don't know what and he doesn't ether haha but we are making progress and that's what matters. But he did come to church yesterday too so that's awesome.
Also Isreal came to church!!! He is a literal miracle! I was so happy when I saw him haha. We were able to have an appointment with him the night too and he hasn't smoked or drank in a whole week! Since he committed to stop on Sunday! I was so happy to hear that you have no idea :) he said he went to the store to buy some drinks for his dad and on the way back he wanted to try it so bad but all he could think about was us and he was so close to trying some but he just couldn't haha so great! I love the spirit! And then Saturday night he wanted to smoke so bad and he was grateful that he had to go to bed early so he could get up for church or else he probably would have smoked. He is so proud of it and I am too :) I love that kid so much :) it's so hard for him but he is doing it! He even went to bed early on a Saturday night instead of going out to party! Just so he could get up on time for church! There are no words haha. I love all the miracles. Keep in mind he is a big party kid (but who isn't in Spain)
This week was so great but really it wasn't us it was our Heavenly Father helping us and blessing us. I love being a missionary. It's the greatest job out there. You can see people like Isreal turn there whole life around all because they have felt the spirit of God and they have a craving for it now. It's the best. Anyway I hope you all have a great week!
Anyway this week we worked super hard! We have spent a lot of time looking threw the area book to find more people to teach and we walked and walked searching for them. We found a couple people but they just told us to pass by another time so there is promise.
We also had a visit with Antonio and watched the general conference talk by Jeffrey Holland called Safety for the Soul. So good. Probably one of thee best talks ever given. I wanted to cry the spirit was so strong. He just has a lot of doubts. I don't know if he is immune to the spirit or doesn't know how to recognize it or what because we have been over it 1000 times and he still doesn't seem to be getting it but we are giving him time and he is reading now so that's good. He's in 1 Nephi 12 which is super awesome because he is reading a chapter a night and praying about it. So it's only a matter of time and faith until he gets his answer. Which I'm super excited about he was able to come to church this Sunday to which was awesome! The only down side was that our Branch President was 20 mins late to start the meeting which really irritated Antonio but the only thing you can say is that the church is perfect and the members are not haha
I am becoming really good friends with the brother of the less active member Moises. His name is Isreal. Moises left to Barcelona for 2 weeks and we went to go visit Isreal who is 16. He was there with his girlfriend and we had a really good lesson about the plan of salvation and why we have the commandment. He has a reLly hard home life because his older brother Moises takes care of him and his two younger brothers because there parent kind of abandoned them. It's a really sad situation. But he really loved the fact that after this life there is another life. One that is perfect. With no sickness or bad. He told us that that gives him a lot of hope for a better future. He really likes us and we are starting to transition our relationship for being friends to the gospel and it is going really well :) we put some pictures up on there wall of people praying to remind them to pray every night haha.
Reading a lot of really encouraging and inspirational emails has boosted my drive of missionary work so much I'm just so ready to go out and work we really attacked the day and it was awesome. I love just feeling this excitement and drive to just go out and work! I have it now and I hope it doesn't leave anytime soon :) this week was a really good week :) the church is true and if you don't believe me read the Book or Mormon! I promise you it will change your life :)
September 13th
Hello all. This week was an amazing week. Many miracles. I love it so much. We see so many miracles as missionaries and they all come threw exact obedience. We are trying so hard to be exactly obedient so God can send us all the blessings that he has just waiting to give us. And it works.
We were walking in an area we don't normally go looking for some old investigators and ran into this little Romanian kid who we had contacted his family a while back but could never find the address. We was so excited to see us and said you guys finally came! That felt good. We went to his house and him mom and brother were there and we were able to visit them. They didn't speak Spanish very well but the spirit speaks all languages :) we ran back to our apartment to get a Book of Mormon to leave with them. But none of them could read! I guess in Romania they don't have school and you are just kinda on your own. So sad. But there older son is coming back from a trip in a few days who can read and they said they would love to hear what we have to say when he got there and could translate from Spanish to Romanian for them :) but they loved what they could understand. I love how the gospel is true and the same in ever language.
Also Tuesday was the day of the virgin here in Puertollano and so they brought out the Virgin Mary statue and marched it around the streets and huge lines of people followed it with candles followed it until midnight and when I say lines of people I mean like 3 or 4 miles long of people (no exaggeration) it's crazy. Then they started the fire work show which wasn't far from our apartment so we were able to hear that perfectly until 3 in the morning So that was fun trying to sleep. Spain is full of holidays. It's crazy.
Elder Smithson had to go to Madrid this week to do his residency and so I had to go be with the Elders in Ciudad Real for the day. But we had an amazing experience on the train. We we sitting and Elder Smithson was reading the Book of Mormon in Spanish to try to learn and I look over and there was this woman behind him leaned all the way over his seat looking over his shoulder reading and I start to laugh a little because he didn't notice because he was to focused on reading and it looked funny but anyway I say hola and she looks at me confused and does some hand motions so I figure she must be deaf. So I act confused and she does it again and she points at us then up at God and I just node my head yes we are from God and my comp doesn't even know what's happening so I take the book out of his hands and give it to her. She sits down next to us opens it to a random page and instantly starts reading. I watch and see she has read about a page and so I pull out my iPad and type are you from Puertollano and she nods yes so I got excited then I say we can bring you your own copy of the book if you want and she nods her head really excitedly. Then another deaf friend comes over and sits next to us. Using the iPad we were able to explain thing about the Book of Mormon and I showed her my nametag and she took it and just starred at it for a while. We gave them and card for the church web sight and the friend pulls out her phone and looks it up and the find where the church was in Puertollano and was looking up a bunch of stuff. I asked them if we could meet up sometime and they told us sadly that they were going to be living in Madrid until December and they couldn't. So we helped them find the church in Madrid by where they are living and they even submitted to talk to the missionaries there right on Mormon.org. So crazy. I had to get of the train early but Elder Smithson said they just sat there reading from the book for the next hour and just loved it. It was such an amazing experience. The spirit really does speak every language even the unspoken ones. Also with all the bad that technology brings into the world it also bring a lot of good too. We were able to communicate with people who couldn't speak and we were able to help them find a church near them and get in contact with the missionaries in there area all in a touch of a button right on the train. But we gave them the book and we probably will never know what ends up happening with them two but without us who knows if they would have ever gotten the opportunity to hear the gospel and that all that matters. It's amazing as a missionary how many life's we touch. You never know who is watching you and what there needs are and that's why we talk to everyone.
This week we had a great lesson with Antonio. I thought we had lost him but I think we were able to reel him back in. It was amazing really. We had a general conference talk to show him that our district leader suggested us by President Uchtdorf called "Come, Join with Us" so good. We showed him that and the spirit was so strong he shed a tear because the spirit was so strong. We testified of this church and of the priesthood authority that we have and the spirit was great. He told us that he feels that spirit when he talks with us and when he reads but he is looking for something else. I don't know what and he doesn't ether haha but we are making progress and that's what matters. But he did come to church yesterday too so that's awesome.
Also Isreal came to church!!! He is a literal miracle! I was so happy when I saw him haha. We were able to have an appointment with him the night too and he hasn't smoked or drank in a whole week! Since he committed to stop on Sunday! I was so happy to hear that you have no idea :) he said he went to the store to buy some drinks for his dad and on the way back he wanted to try it so bad but all he could think about was us and he was so close to trying some but he just couldn't haha so great! I love the spirit! And then Saturday night he wanted to smoke so bad and he was grateful that he had to go to bed early so he could get up for church or else he probably would have smoked. He is so proud of it and I am too :) I love that kid so much :) it's so hard for him but he is doing it! He even went to bed early on a Saturday night instead of going out to party! Just so he could get up on time for church! There are no words haha. I love all the miracles. Keep in mind he is a big party kid (but who isn't in Spain)
This week was so great but really it wasn't us it was our Heavenly Father helping us and blessing us. I love being a missionary. It's the greatest job out there. You can see people like Isreal turn there whole life around all because they have felt the spirit of God and they have a craving for it now. It's the best. Anyway I hope you all have a great week!