I love being with Elder Gil! We are in kind of a weird foursome now. Elder Gil is waiting to go to Mexico City on his visa, and we got him here on Wednesday. He is a very prepared missionary, even if he hasn't been through the MTC yet. He is fun to be around and always laughing and causing laughs. He's from the Canary islands. He teaches all the new missionaries in our piso spanish and helps me perfect my vocabulary and accent =)
So yeah, we are getting by! This is only temporary, there is a "mini transfer" on the 17th for missionaries going home early for christmas and school, and we might see a change there. We decided just to keep the area how it is and not split it, then share/trade off teaching people. It has been interesting working four in the area with not too many people as far as investigators go, so we have been working on passing by the list of less active members to get to know them and invite them back, and try to find new inv. No fruits as of yet, it has been hard to find someone home or open their door for now, but we keep working with faith!
It has also been freezing cold this week! Last night it was -1 celcius, but super foggy so like 100 % humidity. It has been a rough adjustment for Elder Gil haha, being from 20-25 year round on his island. I haven't gotten any packages yet. We have Zone Conference on Friday, so I might get stuff then, and I will have to go into Barcelona maybe to renew my residency card sometime.
I'm glad everything happened in the move!! My thanks to all who helped you guys. It sounds like the new place is great to be in, with a few future additions haha. We've had to go buy more stuff to house us 2 extra missionaries in our supposed 4 man piso too. Last week the Belén was closed so we might try again soon. Today we are going ice skating down at that giant super mall complex. =) Congrats on all the wins, keep working hard. Sorry to hear about all the crazy things happening, and losing stuff =) New Christmas gift, right? ;)
This month of December I am studying the attribute of humility and trying to put it into practice. To remember the humility of our Savior in condescending below everything to be born here in the earth in normal, or below normal circumstances and how he demonstrated it throughout his life. It's been really great. Also, as a mission we are going for a "white christmas!", not only for baptisms but also being purified, as in the story of 3 Nephi 19. So some great things happening.
Well, that's about all I have for this week. Keep being great, keep sending prayers! Hope all is splendid =) ¡Qué Dios os bendiga!
12/16
My fingers are a little slow typing this from the cold outside, but we're doing great.We have been passing by the list of Less Active members and trying to visit members to get to know them. We've also had a lot of people busy and hard to get a hold of! Normal aspects of missionary work I suppose.
The Zone Conference was really great. I always love messages about the Book of Mormon because I love the Book of Mormon! It is always a good reminder to refocus on the Lord's chosen evidence for His work. I am going to rededicate myself to teach from the Book of Mormon with greater power!
A miracle that we saw this week was the Christmas Program here. It was such a neat experience to be a part of the Christmas Program here in Zaragoza. All of the missionaries here in Zaragoza (like 14) participated, and they even brought up Elder Glenn from Valencia (a fellow Pleasant Grove-ite! He's Patrick Glenn's (the good saxophone player from Jazz Band a few years ago) brother.) to play in a piano duet with Hermana Pace, that Sleigh Ride arrangement. They did super great of course. We sang tons of Christmas songs, in English, Spanish, German, Aftrican, you name it haha. An Hermana here from Sweden sang a tradicional song from her country as well. I felt the Christmas Spirt, the Spirit of Christ, as we sang and helped others to feel it. There was a lot of work put into it, so I was glad to see good results! It was also a great privilege for us and for the members to have the Pace family with us for the weekend. Their testimonies and comments inspired many and they always tell us what a great mission president we have =) Their daughter just finished her mission in Norway and has been visiting President and Hermana Pace before going home for school. Their son should be coming to visit this month too I think.
Another small miracle was being able to catch the train from Lleida right after the meeting because it came 10 min late =)
12/23
Hola! I can't believe how fast this month has just flown by! It feels like the middle of December still! It kind of doesn't even feel like it really. We are excited though =) It hasn't been quite as cold this week, mainly because the fog blew out finally and we had some sun. It was still 0-8 degrees C but more dry with sunlight so it was hardly noticable with a coat and such.
Lots of news this week:
First off, it is great working with Elders Dixon and Gil. They are great missionaries. Elder Dixon has a spirit of obedience and in doing good. Elder Gil connects with everybody. EVERYBODY in the ward loves him =) Maybe because he is Spaniard, but he is just super fun to be around. They both love to learn and work hard.
This week's miracle was María Angeles' baptism. It was E. Wiscombe's last day, so it was special for him especially. It was such a neat and spiritual experience. The Spirit was strong and she just has such a special testimony. She has a long life's story of difficulties and hardships, which are evident in her outstanding character and personal strength. She is already connecting so well with the members! At the Relief Society dinner they all had a great time and she has already donated clothing and jewelries and service to so many people in the ward! She is just incredible. She will be a great strength to the ward here. She was a little late for Sacrament meeting, but made it just in time to be confirmed =)
We have spent a lot of time finding--knocking doors, contacting in the streets, looking for less actives. We don't have many investigators right now so we hope to find many soon! We have been blessed to see miracles and if not new investigators yet, the Spirit has come into us.
Most of Spain celebrate the 24th largely, and dinner on the 25th, but the main gift giving and presents are on 3 Kings day, the 7th or 8th of January. Also, no, we do not have iPad's yet. I would love them, but it's whenever they roll around I guess.
Thanks for your neat messages and comments. I hope that Christmas will be a nice day for you all and that you can continue to feel the Spirit! Thanks for all of your prayers and remembering me =) The Senior couple serving in Lleida are going to the office today to pick up mail and they're supposedly delivering stuff to us tomorrow maybe, so hopefully my package is there! Anyways, that's all folks. ¡Bon Nadal a tots!
12/30
I have been seeing a noticable change in many of the members throughout our time here. I feel like we are reaching the hearts to the members in a unique way. Elder Gil has been wonderful at getting many to open up and they love talking with him. I have been trying to comment more during Sunday School and church meetings. I feel like a lot of missionaries tend to sit back and not participate, leaving it to the class, when for me I feel that a missionary's involvement can be a great opportunity for teaching and inviting the Spirit by testimony. Elder Dixon has proved to be a talentful person and impressed a few people as well!
We did get some sad news however: They are moving Elder Gil into Barcelona because someone's companion needed to go home to fix some medical things and so we got a change a week earlier than transfers next week. President has already told me that he plans on me staying for a while, so we'll see. We're all sad to have Elder Gil leave though
We have been blessed to have such great missionaries working here in Zaragoza. I hope that things do start for the better this year. We have some plans to put into action as far as helping the members catch the Spirit and the ward I think will hopefully catch on with some resolutions for the year.
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