¡La última carta de la misión! No sé qué decir...

Hola! Bon dia a tots! Com va la feina per allà? Yes, it is super hot here, and above all really humid so you're just always sweating and sticky. I'm excited to not wear a shirt and tie anymore, I feel like that makes it 5x worse...

So, I can't believe all this time has flown by and here I am writing my last letter! I feel like the week is going to fly by and I'll be on a plane before I know it...but all of that is for trunky missionaries to think about =)

We had a good week. We have been seeing things really pick up for us. We received a couple references of some really prepared people who we are excited to start working with, and we were also able to do a few service projects, helping us feel like we are "serving" people. =)  ​We moved a fridge (us pushing it by hand through the streets to the other house) and the member moving a washing machine is his car to someone else's house, then moving their fridge and washing machine to the previous, basically doing a swap. It was pretty fun. We are also helping our ward mission leader move into a new apartment, helping him paint, clean, and carry stuff.​

I want to really focus this last week on just losing myself, not think about what I need or myself and just give it to the Lord. I know that he blesses us as we turn our lives over to Him, which is one of the great blessings of serving a mission. I think some of the greatest lessons and things that I've learned from the mission are what Alma taught to his son in Alma 37:32-37 and it's probably what I would teach people about serving a mission. ​ Be meek and humble. Teach people to hate iniquity and sin and love righteousness. Just keep the commandments and you'll be blessed, especially if you learn the habit and desire in your youth. Trust in the Lord in everything.

I don't know if I could say how I've changed...a fox can't really smell his own hole, you know? I'd say the good has been amplified and the bad diminished a little more, I've learned a ton, gained experience and above all more perspective. I'd say my confidence, patience, and Christlike attributes have grown a lot. We'll see what everyone else says I guess =)

Well, we gotta go enjoy last preparation day. We'll see you all soon I guess. Love you all. Thank you for all of your prayers and examples! Keep looking forward in faith and grow close to the Lord. 

This is God's church. This is His work. He guides us today through living prophets holding the holy Priesthood of God. We are guided, directed, and taught by revelation. The Book of Mormon and the scriptures are true and bear powerful testimony of our Savior and Redeemer, Jesus Christ, and of His mission, ministry, and message. I know He lives. I know He loves us and that He carries us and guides us home to Him. He suffered for each of us and felt our pains, sorrows, desires and yearnings, and carried our griefs and atoned for our sins. Through His infite Atonement and grace we can change and become even as He is. This is His work and His glory.

Hoe to the end of the row

Hola buenas! Qué tal están?  

President Pace forwarded to us of the going home group a neat little poem this week, called Hoe to the End of the Row. Here  it goes:

Bill Brown made a million,

Bill Brown, think of that.

That boy you remember,

As poor as a rat.

He hoed for the neighbors,

Did jobs by the day.

And Bill made a million,

Or near it they say.

He worked for my father,

You’ll maybe recall.

He wasn’t a wonder,

Not that, not at all.

He couldn’t out-hoe me,

Or cover more ground,

Or hoe any faster,

Or beat me around.

In fact, I was better

In one way that I know.

One toot from the kitchen

And home I would go.

But Bill Brown always hoed

To the end of the row.

We used to get hungry

Out there in the corn.

You talk about music,

What equals a horn?

A horn yellin’ dinner,

And tomatoes and beans,

And pork and potatoes,

And gravy and greens.

I ain’t blamin’ no one

For quittin’ on time.

To quit with the whistle,

That ain’t any crime.

But as for the million,

Well, this much I know.

Bill Brown always hoed

To the end of the row.

- Anonymous

So yeah, I still have some hoe'in to do. Things are going well though. We had some high hopes for a couple menos activos who committed to come, but they ended up not coming. There's always next week I suppose! 

Last week we went to the Sagrada Familia, which was pretty neat. It is super big and has lots of symbolism, which was interesting. Today I went and visited Camp Nou, Barcelona's stadium. There sure were a lot of trophies in there, and a lot of balón de oro's and mvp awards for Messi haha. Lot of videos about their goals scored and about all of their accomplishments. They are apparently planning on building a new stadium for Barça which looks super fancy. They've got to do something with all of the money they roll in from games and tourists...

Well, that's about all for this week. Hope that you all have  a great week and keep working hard! I'm getting excited to see you all again, yet sad that the time is passing quickly with the great people here. Anyways, take care y hasta la próxima!

14 de Julio

7 de Julio

Bon dia a tots! First off, Happy Fourth of July! Woo! We didn't have too much, but we celebrated it in our hearts =) ​​
Well, we just got out of interviews, which was pretty exciting. I'll have another one in like 4 weeks with President so today's was kind of short. THey are always good though!
 We had a good week. This week we got a new investigator, Juan , so we are excited to continue working with him. He's a 60 year old Catalán from Barcelona here, and he was some evangelical or 7th day adventist, so he's studied a lot. He likes to read and study, especially the Gospel Principles book from church. We gave him one after the class and he was reading through next week's lesson before sacrament meeting started. He's briefly looked over the Book of Mormon it sounds like too. We also got back in touch with Edilenia, and I think she will be able to progress really quickly as soon as she finds some more time.
I would say that our miracle this week was that Juan came to church, that he enjoyed it and that the members really fellowshipped him. A lot thought he was a menos activo or already member =) We had brought one of Bishop's counselors Enrique with us to the first visit with him and it went well. So that was great.
It is fun to be with Elder Dean. He's a fun seeker and so always has something to say to make people laugh. Just a big people person I guess you could say. He's a water polo person, but also loves other sports. He's from around San Fransisco area.

 I'm proud to be part of such a great mission and I rejoice at our successes! The gives us His best if we give Him ours. I know that as we submit ourselves to His will, His counsel, and His voice that we will be guided for what is best and for our own personal benefit as well. We can truly remain calm, and watch as God extends His arm and accomplishes His marvelous work! Never miss a single day without reading from the scriptures, especially the Book of Mormon, and everything will work out for your good! You will be guided in God's paths by the Spirit's voice. You will feel confident and happy. You will feel close to God, and the needed changes will come more willingly and naturally to you. You'll be more keen in discirning truth and falsehood, both spiritual and every day like. These are blessings I have felt and seen and so I know they are available to everybody!! This week I am going to repent and strive to do everything with full and real intent. I think it will bring the Spirit more and make it so that everything just turns out better anyways!

14 de Julio

Hello everyone! Things are going well, and I am doing good. We had a good week, and we are looking forward to a really good week this week! We saw lots of great things happen. Our teaching with Juan is moving along. We finished the Plan of Salvation with him. He had lots of questions and doubts about the Fall and the Kingdoms of Glory, but I think we got them mostly settled out. I think really even though we try to answer all of his questions, we need to help him focus on gaining a personal testimony by the Spirit and the Book of Mormon. We have been involving the members in our teaching and that has been going really well. Edilenia told us that she feels like she wants to stay with her current church, where she feels comfortable and knows people. Her mom was there to back her up too...we did have a good conversation though, and we are still going to try to invite her to activities and stuff so that she can get to know p

A miracle of this past week was with a family. The mother, Nuria, is a recent convert who had stopped coming to church under negative pressure from friends and family and maybe some health reasons. We visited this last week with her, after calling and finding that she had moved without anyone knowing. She is ready to come back and misses the church. Her husband Miguel, who before didn't want to know anything about God or religion, now has interest in learning! They both came to church yesterday!! We have a visit this week with them. It was amazing how the members supported them and greeted and welcomed them back. They are passing a really rough and difficult situation right now as well, and the ward is doing a special fast for them and other needy families on the 19-20. It is a testimony to me that the Good Shepherd knows and cares for His sheep, using us, His "mini shepherds".

Have a great week! Take care! Love you all.