So this week was CRAZY. Oh man. We had transfer calls and Mother´s Day skyping and it´s been busy!
So.....I´m going to Benidorm! I´m super excited, I´m going to be with Hermana Roan, who was Hermana Andrew´s trainer! I know her because she was in my zone for my first transfer, and is literally one of the nicest people I´ve ever met. She´s one of those people that from the first moments you talk to her you just know she´s sweet and kind and so motherly, I love her! So I´m excited. And Benidorm- ha, apparently it´s a little branch, where like 30-50 people come to church depending on the week. There are only two Hermana´s out there, so me and my companion, and the closest other missionaries are like 1 1/2 hours away. So basically we´ll see other missionaries at district meeting once a week and that´s it. Hahaha it´s going to be so different from the EIGHT missionaries we have here in Almería. But it´ll be good. Ha, every time I tell someone that´s where I´m going they make this face that I can´t describle, and I can never really tell if it´s good or bad, ha mostly it´s just like a smiling surprised face. Haha, they said during the Summer there are TONS of tourists from England and lots of young people partying and old people on vacation, and apparently it´s gorgeous! Someone said it´s like the Las Vegas of Spain. Hahaha well I can´t really imagine trying to preach the gospel in the party places of Vegas but I´m excited, it will be interesting!
Anyway, but this stuff only applies if I can get out of Almería...which I´m still not 100% sure if I can leave. Hahah kidding but really it´s going to be a trial to leave this incredible place, I know the Lord needs me to go to Benidorm and it´ll be great, but I am leaving a huge piece of my heart here in Almería. I cried during sacrament meeting, but thankfully got myself together to bear my testimony to the congregation. I love these people so much! In this ward about 130 people come each week, and that´s really big for Spain! The Saints here are just really faithful and wonderful and I have made friends here that I hope to keep for eternity. This city stole my heart. Also, it would make it a little harder to leave if I had a hard companion, but NO. Hermana Andrew is just amazing and she´s one of my best friends so yeah, that makes it even that much more difficult! Seriously I have loved working with her. But also I know we´ll stay friends so that´s good. So.....I´m going to Benidorm! I´m super excited, I´m going to be with Hermana Roan, who was Hermana Andrew´s trainer! I know her because she was in my zone for my first transfer, and is literally one of the nicest people I´ve ever met. She´s one of those people that from the first moments you talk to her you just know she´s sweet and kind and so motherly, I love her! So I´m excited. And Benidorm- ha, apparently it´s a little branch, where like 30-50 people come to church depending on the week. There are only two Hermana´s out there, so me and my companion, and the closest other missionaries are like 1 1/2 hours away. So basically we´ll see other missionaries at district meeting once a week and that´s it. Hahaha it´s going to be so different from the EIGHT missionaries we have here in Almería. But it´ll be good. Ha, every time I tell someone that´s where I´m going they make this face that I can´t describle, and I can never really tell if it´s good or bad, ha mostly it´s just like a smiling surprised face. Haha, they said during the Summer there are TONS of tourists from England and lots of young people partying and old people on vacation, and apparently it´s gorgeous! Someone said it´s like the Las Vegas of Spain. Hahaha well I can´t really imagine trying to preach the gospel in the party places of Vegas but I´m excited, it will be interesting!
Also before I forget! Several weeks ago my dad asked what ´´besos´´ were (the thing I was doing when I fell into Maria´s lap haha) and it´s the kisses on the cheek, like you see in movies! In other places apparently the besos vary, but here it´s just one kiss per cheek. As missionaries we don´t give besos to men, haha but since it´s just the culture around here it´s put us in some pretty awkward positions sometimes and I´m pretty sure it´s offended some people as we tell them we´re not allowed...but anyway yeah we give them to every female around here, even if it´s your first time meeting them you give besos, it´s interesting. It was hard to get used to at first since it´s so different from the culture in the United States, but it´s super normal now and even less awkward than a hug, so anyway, yep!
Also we had a lesson with one of our investigators this week that went really well! I don´t know if I have mentioned her...she used to not believe in God but we´ve continued to teach her and little by little her walls seem to be coming down, and in the last several weeks she´s been reading parts of the Book of Mormon and praying- but we could never get her to pray out loud. She said it wouldn´t leave her, and that it´s easier for us. But finally this last week we really asked her to do it and after literally pretty much planning out the prayer before hand, she said one out loud! The Spirit was so strong and it was incredible.
Also that guy we met last week on the streets then he came to church the next day, well we taught him about the Book of Mormon, then our next lesson he brought a friend! They both don´t have homes, which is really sad. And his friend is really in some rough situations, she cried as she told us about her past and her family and her financial situation, then turned to us and said, ´´I need help, can you help me?´´ Oh my, it was intense. It´s so hard, because of course the gospel can help her, but we don´t know exactly how the church can help her physical circumstances...and it just felt weird being like, ´´We all have trials in this life that help us grow...´´ it´s like, this lady is without a home and can´t see her child and has health problems and all sorts of stuff and we just didn´t know what to say. We said we could help her but she´ll have to talk to people at the church to see what else could be done to help her, but that we´re here to teach and we would love to help her find inner peace in her life through the gospel of Jesus Christ. It was cool and she came to church with the guy and they really seemed to enjoy sacrament meeting! So we are just praying that we can help her to find rest in the gospel of Christ.
Also that guy we met last week on the streets then he came to church the next day, well we taught him about the Book of Mormon, then our next lesson he brought a friend! They both don´t have homes, which is really sad. And his friend is really in some rough situations, she cried as she told us about her past and her family and her financial situation, then turned to us and said, ´´I need help, can you help me?´´ Oh my, it was intense. It´s so hard, because of course the gospel can help her, but we don´t know exactly how the church can help her physical circumstances...and it just felt weird being like, ´´We all have trials in this life that help us grow...´´ it´s like, this lady is without a home and can´t see her child and has health problems and all sorts of stuff and we just didn´t know what to say. We said we could help her but she´ll have to talk to people at the church to see what else could be done to help her, but that we´re here to teach and we would love to help her find inner peace in her life through the gospel of Jesus Christ. It was cool and she came to church with the guy and they really seemed to enjoy sacrament meeting! So we are just praying that we can help her to find rest in the gospel of Christ.
Also I had to say goodbye to our incredible english class, which wasn´t easy. They are the best! There are several older men that regularly attend, and have been coming for over 10 years! They´re not members and they are hilarious! They speak english quite well. They love us and seeing them is one of the best parts of the week! It´s cool how they´re not members, but they have a great respect for the church. One of them told us a couple weeks ago that one of their friends who lives in France needs help and direction in her life, and he doesn´t even know tons about the church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, but he knew they like to help people, so he looked online for a church building close to her house and told her to go there and ´´Ask the mormons.´´ It made me so happy! What a good thing, to have the word spreading across Europe that if you need help, Ask the Mormons.
We also met with this one kid, who´s about 22 I think, and he´s from Sierra Leon. He speaks english well and is here studying, while his family is still in Africa. He is Muslim but knows a lot about the Christian religion and it was amazing getting to talk to him. He has so much respect for religion, and he has a firm belief in God. He fully believes in the docterine of Christ as far as I could tell, which is interesting, because he believes Christ was only a prophet. It was amazing, talking to him about the Quaran, and about the Muslim religion, it just really made me realize that we all believe in the same God, and hearing about other religions just really affirms my testimony in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. Not because others are so wrong, just because there are so many similarities...it´s incredible. I know with all my heart that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints contains the fullness of the Gospel of Christ. I´m so grateful to have the knowledge that my Savior loves me, and that I can overcome all my trials and weaknesses with His help.
So yeah, life´s good, I´m happy! I love Almería, but I´ll go where the Lord calls!...if I can fit all my stuff in my suitcase because right now it´s not looking so good haha. Thank you for your prayers and support!
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