On Tuesday we had set citas to meet with 3 of our investigators and a couple of less actives, and all but one Cita failed 😅 gotta love it when that happens. And it happens a lot.
Wednesday I went to my first zone conference! That was really fun and a good experience. I got to meet the sisters from the office whom I adore and some other pals from the CCM because there were about 3 zones there. I have already met most of the Hermanas that were there because there aren't that many but there were a ton of other elders there and I just met a whole lot of em so that was fun. I had the assignment to Introduce Our Comisión as missionaries. I don't know it very well in English but it talks about how we are chosen to be representatives of Jesus Christ and that we stand in His place and do what He himself would do if He were ministering to the very people that I am. Anyway it's by Elder Bruce R McConkie and it really is such a cool thing that we get to recite everyday. President Anderson talked a little bit about that during his talk at zone conference just saying how I take the place of Jesus Christ right now on my mission and He always takes my place when I am in pain or in sin. Because God trusts Christ, he trusts me. And it's our job to guard the standard that He has set and plant the ensign to the nations. And yeah it was just so good! It was so long... and it was all in Spanish... and guess who understood almost everything? Me. I did! I found out that basically if you don't speak with an Andalusian accent I can understand just fine! Hahaha were working on it.
Zone conference
was in Sevilla and we just have to take 2 buses to get there so it
isn't too bad, it's about 45 minutes. And then on Thursday evening we
had intercambios so we had to go back to Sevilla. Intercambios was
really fun. I didn't really have any idea what they were... and you'd
think I would, but I don't know they just slipped my mind. So yeah I
went to be companions with my Hermana Trainers for the day. It was a
good experience, my sister training leaders are so nice and very willing
to help out so it was nice to talk to them. I just kind of followed
them around because I think all of their citas failed too hahaha. So
Intercambios lasted until Friday evening and we finally went back to our
Alcalá.
Friday we had a noche de hogar with our ward and we were in
charge of the lesson. For our lesson we based it off of Elder Ballard's
talk from last conference, Return and Receive. One part that I love is
he says it is good to have goals and plans for our careers and education
It is also important to have goals for our marriages, our families, and
our Church callings and as missionaries. But our greatest and most
overriding goals should fit into Heavenly Father’s eternal plan. Jesus
said, “Seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all
these things shall be added unto you.” I love that as we make our number
one goal to return back to live with Heavenly Father and relieve His
gift of eternal life, and we do everything in our power to accomplish
that goal, that we need not worry too much about the other things,
because they will be added unto us, through our faithfulness. So for all
of my college student friends out their who have no idea what they are
doing with their lives, don't worry! Seek first the kingdom of God and
you'll be okay! But you should get good grades too.
Okay
next. This week we found Aldair (his
name was so hard for me to remember so just to help it's pronounced kind
of like "I'll die here" 😉😂 but he is from Peru and he's 17 and he was
baptized when we was 14 and basically hasn't come to church since. His
entire family is Catholic except him. He has a heart of gold and he
really believes, he just doesn't "practice". But
he always accepts us when we come and he'll even come sit our in the hot
air outside with us to read the Book of Mormon because we aren't
allowed to go into his house without his mom being home, so really he is
awesome!
Our bishop has moved out to Barcelona for work and he has been
gone for 3 months and so technically our ward doesn't have a bishop. It
has been under the control of the Stake President, Presidente Anta. But I finally met him and he is awesome! He has
been a bishop in some ward or another for 20 years! And he is only 41!
But he called us into his office and just talked for a bit and it went
something like this: he said that since he has been gone for 3 months,
about 20 people have gone inactive. There have been no baptisms and I
don't think any new investigators and he just told us that we were
serving in the most difficult area in Spain. He said he doesn't expect a
new bishop to be called until about September and he just pleaded with
his to talk to our mission president about getting a bishop out here
because our poor ward is struggling. It was so nice that he still cared
about what was happening here even though he doesn't really live here
anymore but whew it was a bit overwhelming. Hermana Spencer and I just
kind of swallowed that all and went back to class. So then later that
day I was reading in 1 Nephi and there is a verse that says "and
according to his word he did lead them; and according to his word he did
do all things for them; and there was not any thing done save it were
by his word" and I just got the overwhelming peace that God has a plan
for our little Alcalá ward and he hasn't forgotten us. He has a plan and
this plan is going to be fulfilled according to His way and in no other
way. I'm confident about that. Now we have just got to figure out what
that way is and help bring that plan to pass.
You
know what, we say all the time that "we cant" and we are probably right,
we can't. But He CAN! And He wants to! And He will! And therefore, with
His help, we can. I don't know if I will have a reason ever again to
doubt anything because how foolish of me that would be when I Know that
He CAN! OF COURSE He Can! He has before so why should we ever doubt?
When things are too much and everything kind of seems to be crumbling
apart, I choose to remember that He can.
Something I've been thinking about this week.
It's been a marvelous week! I'll send pictures
This is from Intercambios! Left to right is Hermana Briggs, going home
this transfer. And then Hermana Favero, she's 26 and told me about her
crazy life it was awesome. I love her. And then me and Hermana Spencer
This is my district! And Sergio. We played soccer this morning together
and it was so fun! It this was right before we played and then it rained
super hard on us and we were soaked but we still played and it was fun
We finally got some pan here in Alcalá de Panadería. Delicious. I ate
that entire loaf... and then another one. Nothing has changed about me
This is the super Hermana training leader from the office, Hermana Cole.
When I first arrived to Màlaga she and the other elders from the office
and president and sister Anderson were there to greet us and almost
simultaneously everybody there made a comment on how much we look a
like. The pictures don't really do it justice but even if think we look
similar
There are giant sunflower fields right outside of Alcalá and I just want
to frolic in them and then take all the pictures in them and then live
in them. I'm in love
OH this is funny. So right passed the bald man's head is a float type
thing. So this parade thing is called "la cruz de mayo" and it
celebrates Christ's resurrection. They have the Semana Santa parades
during Easter about Christ death but now they actually celebrate that He
lives! But a couple of these have been going on and the only way I know
about them is because many people are gathered to watch it and you can
hear the drums. The first one I saw was at like 10 of clock at night and
honestly it was a bit freaky haha. There was fire and the drums just
kept reminding me of the "death March " we used to do when we would
"burn the eagles" in high school (go pirates) but yeah I just thought
it was funny because it kind of sounds like death not like life, but
whatever it's still cool! Gotta love SPAIN
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