4-21-14

Hola mi familia!!!!!!!

 

Wow!  Every week, there have been things that have happened on P´day that have kept us from having more time to write!  And next week, a bunch of the missionaries want to go to a theme park in Spain....so next week isn´t looking too promising either!  But, wow there´s so much to say. And my question mark button doesn´t work haha.

 

First of all, DEVIN!  WOW!  You are going to Uruguay!!!!  I haven´t been able to stop thinking about it ALL week!  I wish SOOO bad that I could have been there! And I´m SOO bummed because the video you sent didn´t work, but I saw the pictures!  HOW fun! 

 

…This week was Semana Santa!  I wish I had more time to write about it all.  Honestly, in Torrejón, they did have a procession, but it wasn´t as big of a deal as I´ve heard it is in the South where Dad served.  There was another sister who´s from the South that was here on intercambios and she said that in the south, there is literally no room to even walk on the streets, there are SO many people!  Here there was a pretty big crowd for a procession that they had in the main plaza.  It was pretty crazy.  Everybody was dressed in purple here. Yes, haha I saw the people with the cone hats!  They were like the purple KKK!  And they had lots of people and kids carrying these floats with Christ laid out all over a table with blood everywhere.  And then they had floats with the virgen mary and with angels.  It was quite an experience to see it!  And I´m sure where Dad was, it was even crazier.  It´s just interesting that people here truly are dedicated to believing like that.  I didn´t realize that when the dictator, Franco, was here, he ordered EVERYONE basically to be Catholic.  So every time we try to talk to old Spaniards, they are not open or receptive to hearing anything about any other religion.  They are Catholic through and through, and they don´t want to change their beliefs.  It is sad.    But, now that I´m here, Spain seems like a huge melting pot of many people from all over, from Africa, from China, from South America, from other European countries.  There´s alot of different people.  Anyway...I took pictures, but I´ll have to send them another time, since I forgot to bring the camera cord I just bought! 

 

This morning, I got to play basketball with some of the members in the rain!  It was really fun!  The other sisters and elders were there, and it was great!  I love playing sports here!!!!  We have gotten to do it three times now!  It is SOOO fun!  

 

Also, Jose Manuel is on fecha-date!  We are hoping he will for sure be baptized on the 3rd of May!  He has really warmed up to us and has been coming to lots of ward activities and to church every Sunday.  I am SOO excited for him to get baptized!  I wish I had more time right now to tell you more.  I feel like I´m just trying to type everything I can really fast so that I can update you with what is going on!  So, sorry if this is like the most random email of all these random things!

 

And...we have another boy on date.  His name is John...he´s 12 years old and he´s the brother of a girl here named Stefy (20 years old) who has been helping us in our lessons a lot.  She has been a member for about a year and is getting ready to turn in her mission papers.  Her brother finally was able to come to Spain from Peru and they were so excited to introduce him to the Gospel!  I have a picture with him too that hopefully I can send you next time!

Also Mal....I barely had time to skim through your email, but your friend... HE CAME TO CHURCH!!!!!!  Bien Hecho!!!!!  Good JOB!!!!!!  Wow....he´s totally going to get baptized. 

 

It is amazing to me how we are so worried about what people will think when they come to church.  We are so used to feeling the Spirit at church and in our lives, we don´t even realize that people who don´t have the church in their lives, how different and great it is to them.  People who love their families and desire the best for their families, LOVE the Gospel, they LOVE the Spirit and the Atmosphere at church.  We should never underestimate the kind of impact it could make on someone to invite them!  We just have to invite them!  If they´re not ready, they´re not ready, but if they are...we did our job by constantly extending and inviting!  Inviting is what missionary work is all about.  We invite people to feel the Spirit. 

 

Anyway....one more random thing that makes me laugh here.  Everybody in Spain LOVES sweetened condensed milk!  They put it on everything...cookies, fruit, sweet crackers, cake!  Anyway...it´s hilarious and I love it!

 

Again, I am so sorry this email is the MOST random thing ever, but I´m glad I was able to at least update you a little!  I love you all SOOOOOO much!   Ok....I literally just printed off all of your emails so that I can read them later, but I love you all so much.  Thank you for being the best family in the entire world!  Love you!!!!