Monday, August 10, 2015

51 More Weeks, and I'm Not Counting!!!! Who Is?


No I'm not counting.  Sometimes those thoughts come up like once when I was in the Mtc and I just said "wow you guys, we have 100 weeks more to go on our missions" and everyone was freaking out.  But wow what a great experience it has been so far on my mission, one whole year and so much more time to work and give it all to the Lord. I also hit one year on the mission this past week!  My first year to me felt okay.  I had a lot of good moments and lots of miracles, and I worked really hard, but there are lots of areas in which I am still very weak.  The language still isn't perfect, and my teaching, organization, speaking, and confidence are still low or hasn't improved much, but I do know that it isn't by the day to day changes that we see improvements, but by the discerning of changes over long periods of time.  I have felt like I have changed 300% from who I was from the beginning, but there is still a long ways to go.

Random thoughts:

We made lentil soup this past week for lunch.  It was really good.  I like lentil soup!

We took a train to go to Vitoria for a specialized training meeting in Bilbao on Tuesday, because we were staying with the zone leaders in Vitoria then taking the bus to Bilbao the next day.  When we were on the train a lady comes out of the bathroom and slams the door shut really hard and the man who was waiting had to go to bathroom really bad couldn't get in because the door was locked shut.  He was dancing around and finally went to go get the train worker to come unlock the door.

In Vitoria there was a big fiesta because they were having a holiday called "vergin blanco" I think. And it was like a mini version of San fermines, drunk people running around with 2L of alcohol and smelled really bad of smoke.  Yuck.  Also when we were on the train, the bathroom was in use like every 2 minutes.  I made a joke to Élder ward, " how many people people will use the bathroom?....infinite."

I found my twin, Élder gonzález!  He is from Peru and is in the Bilbao zone.  He is new and a recent convert of one year.  Speaks really good English and plays the piano!  He's like a better me, but I'm still taller....

During the conference I looked over at president dayton's pmg and it was just covered with notes and stuff.  Hna Dayton was away in Ghana to pick up her son from his mission and will be back soon.

We have the privilege of doing the work of the savior. 

 

We were walking back to the bus station after the conference because there was a Chinese wok next to it and that's what I ate for my celebration of my "hump day,” and there was a travel guide store on one of the streets.  The picture for North America was Bryce Canyon!  It's Utah, my home!  Sadly I did not get a picture, but it's home!

We received a miracle when we got to the bus station after the wok that the next bus to Pamplona was for an unscheduled bus for 5 pm.  The ticket booth said the next bus was for 6 but we managed to get on the unscheduled bus.  Miracles!

I got your package mom, but mom!.... We don't chew gum as missionaries!  ¡Que desobediente!  Read the white hand book... Well actually the rules from pres pace.  But I still loved the package, especially the big jar of peanut butter and the jar of raspberry jelly and honey.  I was going to bring jam with me but now I have some!  Mom the people have voted and you are number 1 again!  But remember, I will always love my mom, even if they send things through the mail that are 1) illegal [medicine] 2) disobedient to mission rules [gum]
3) and downright weird [toothbrush and floss].  Who are you, my mom?


I had a "bundt cake" today.... Random.

On this bus this week a Muslim bus driver handed me a copy of an Islamic book in English because we see him all the time.  I felt so bad for not giving him a bom.  The next day we saw him and I handed the bom that I had and he graciously accepted it.  Miracles.

I baked a carrot cake from a Betty Crocker cake mix that you can buy here in Spain with instant frosting.  It's so good.  Eating a little every day.

I like teaching english, but it uses a lot of my patience to teach people.  We taught a kid who needs help with his summer school homework, and I was about to throw him, or myself, out the window.  Why is our language so hard!?!

Saw a Volvo with a sign GB on the back and the driver driving on the left side.

The bishop was helping us on Saturday with visits because he is retired and has nothing to do.  He helped some people from Italy with directions.

Talked to an old lady in the door of a building for like 15 minutes about how she could be with her husband forever, plan of salvation.  It was like a pmg scenario.

We were with a family for lunch this past week and they have young kids.  I was a little daddy trunky.  They're so cute!

Great Sunday.  Beautiful weather.  We saw the English people again and some from Australia, all from Kayla huff's mission.

Today we helped celebrate a birthday for an 83 year-old Spanish man.

Well family I've got to go.  I just want to let you know that it is only by living the commandment that we find true happiness.  Like in mosiah 5 today that I read, "there is no other name whereby we may be saved."  God leads this church with prophets and apostles.  I know this church is true and we can live together forever.  I have a strong testimony that this is true.  Keep the commandments and live with peace of mind that all is well on the Lord’s side of the line.  Have a great week and talk to you later.


 

Sent from my iPad.

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