Transfer 8 Week 5

For behold, and it came to pass that there was dancing in the land!

Do I have your interest? Good... this is the history of dance....  have you seen that video? So most of you know that I hate very few things in this life, but one of the biggest ones is dancing. Dancing in public, dancing in private, I hate all of it. I only like car, and shower dancing. So as many of you have heard, Spanish people really like to dance. They like to dance the bachata, flamenco, chachacha, salsa, rigatone, and the "LINE DANCE". So of the many types and form of dance, there is a place called the academy. The teacher is a nice man named Willie Roca. So his family is in our ward, and they are some of the strongest members. He used to be a ballerina, and is well versed in all of the forms of dance, and arts. So he opened up an academy to teach the people of Spain how to dance. 

So I'm not sure if you have seen or heard of dance moms, but his academy is much like that, but in an obscure island of the coast of Africa. There are many a mom, who wait and pray and hope that their sons or daughter one day will be able to dance, and maybe even become famous. That they can one day dance for one of the many well known dance companies, or plays. It all start with Willie. He is a medium height black man, from Spain, but his parent were from guinea. He knows how to dance. So not only does he have hips like Elvis (that's for you grandma...) But he also has a burning testimony of the work and truthfulness of the gospel. He was a missionary and served actually in two of my same areas. He uses his academy not only for the teaching of dance, but as the vineyard of the Lord. He has help find and baptize 3 families and many young women. As a way to find and help more people come unto Christ, he invites the missionaries (us) to come and dance, and befriend the people of the academy. So we haven't gone since I've been here because of appointments and meetings but this week we finally went. I showed up in my basketball shorts and vans not knowing what to expect. The class that we took is called wimba. It is a mix of many diffrent types of dance, and music, and also Zumba. I just came to me that it's called wimba because his name is Willie, and it's a Zumba class...  Oh. That makes sense... So anyhow, we went and danced, danced, danced. I sweat thru my shirt so bad that it turned a d iffrent color. I absolutely made a fool of myself, and fell twice. (My ankle still has a bruise) I didn't like it, but I did it. I did it for him...  

Philippians 4: 13

13 I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me. 

Anyhow, I think I'm getting better. Hermana Maza told me that I dancebetter than hermana Campbell which I'm not sure is really a compliment but, I will take it. So I figure it's a way to prepare for all of those parties and dances I'm going to go to when I'm back a college. Whoot Whoot! 

On another note, we found two new really awesome people this week. On Monday we went and helped this family move and paint their house. So our friends name is Sandra, and her son's name is Andres. They are from Columbia and are super awesome. So we are going to play volibol with them this weekend. Then something really cool happened to us. So, hermana Maza s birthday was on Tuesday. We had lots of appointments to eat with some families, and to teach. We went up to almatriche, which is really high up on the mountain and ate with the familia Santana. They threw a birthday bash for the maza, and we are fajitas and cake. Then she got out with a box of candy. Like a shoebox full of candy. So after them, we were going to go and do a heart attack, and drop off some cookies at a members house when we met this guy in the street and gave him the cookies instead. So we decided to go and pass by some people. So hermana maza told me that there was this one lady that they had never passed by that they thought was a member, so I told her that we should go. We passed by and asked for Victoria, and she let us in. We were talking for a little while and she told us that she was not a member. In fact the missionaries passed by 16 years ago, and talked and left her a book of Mormon, and never came back. Never! Then she showed us the book of Mormon and the outdated pamphlets. So we decide to teach her about the restoration and we started to talk about it when I felt prompted to pull out a picture of the savior. I have big ones that you can pass out to people, so I proceeded to pull it out and give it to her. He eyes filled with tears as she told us about a dream that she had of the savior and what he looked like. She had a small picture frame with a d iffrent picture of him, and a picture of her son that had passed away. She looked at it and then back at the picture that I gave her. She told me, "I always thought that his face was wider. I'm my dream his face looked like this (pointing to the picture I gave her), and he was wearing a white robe. His arms were open wide and his eyes were kind." We talked about her dream, and about how the savior came to earth and gave us a perfect example, and gave us the atonement which is his suffering for our sins and imperfections, and pains. We testifies that only thru him can we find peace and true happiness in this life and forever. 

It was a truly tender moment, and I am grateful the we listened to the very small voice whisper us. Also she came to church on Sunday and we are going o continue meeting and learning together. 

Anyhow, I love you all very much. I am grateful that I have you as my family and friends. I love you very much and I hope that you all have marvelous weeks and that you remember to pray, and to read your scripture everyday. Love you!!!

Transfer 8 Week 4
Gran Canaria

Hello!

This week has been really fun. We are finding lots of new people to teach. We had a few lessons with our friend Jose, from Cuba. We met some of his friends (also Cubans) and now we have an "in" with all of the Cubans on the island. They are super funny, like the way that they talk and the words they use are just so different from Spanish people. It's crazy. 

 Okay so I know I never tell y`all stories from like people that we meet because most of the time it's just really weird and awkward but we met this one lady this week that was just to much. I have to tell y'all. 

Okay so, her name is Mary-Carmen. Needless to say, it is a remarkably common name. The virgin of the island is named Mary Carmen Del Mar, so every single person has Mary or Carmen or Mar in their name. So hermana maza had talked with her before and they had passed by her house a few times to get to know her, and left her a book of Mormon, but then they lost contact with her. So the other day, in the GuaGua, we ran into her and chatted a little bit and set up an appointment. So we go, and start to talk for a little bit to see how stuff was going when her cousins show up. She is from Ecuadorian new guinea, so she speaks Spanish but the have a different language there named fang. So we cousins show and and they are yelling and hugging and kissing, and then one of them started speaking this crazy clicking, language. So naturally they all started to speak it and my companion and I were lost. Then after 20 grueling minutes of "fang," they left with a few more screams and whale flop hugs. So now we were alone again and we start to teach the restoration, just kind of in like 5 minutes. So we start to talk about heavenly father, the family, but when we get to prophets... It all goes apostasy...  haha. 

So we start to talk about the priesthood and what is the difference between a normal person and the priesthood. Long story short she said that she was a prophet and that she received prophecies and would evangelize a lot of times in the streets to help people realize their sins. So after that she started to call us to repentance telling us that we are too controlled by time, and that it is a sin to have a watch and to know what time it is. So after that, we decide that it was time to take up our beds and walk. (Haha, get it? Leave?)

So as we leave I give her a hug, and a beso, when she pull me into a hug.  A hug normally last like what.... 3 seconds, a long hug like 15 seconds? So this was by far the longest most uncomfortable hug that I have ever gotten in my whole life. The many of you that know me, know that I am generally not a very touchy, huggy, person, and especially with strangers. So you can imagine my horror and we stood their in silence, only the sound of garlic flavored breath in my ear minute after minute. My companion timed it and she hugged me for 6 minutes straight. 6 MINUTES!  And what's worse is that my comapnion was dying laughing the whole time... I couldn't laugh because I didn't want to offended her. Next time, I'm just gonna bite the bullet and tell them that we have prisa.  

Then on Saturday we went and helped this really great family move, and we brought all of the elders and got it don't in about 1 hour. Then we went back today and helped them paint and clean. The moms name is Sandra and she is an investigator of ours, and we met her son who is super cool. He is 18 and just got her from Columbia, and kept asking questions and stuff. He is really cool. So we invited him to volleyball, and we will get to know him better. Now we are in McDonald's, because it has the best WITH in all of Spain writing your beloved family members and friends. 

So this week I went and made a list of the blessings that receive from serving others. Something that I was thinking about this week was how we can get more blessings from the Lord... How we can find him to his promises? So the two things that I thought of to get blessings, and to become more spiritual were: Being obedient, and Serving others. So I made a list of scriptures that tells us the blessings and the commandment that it is to serve others. 

James 5: 20

Ezekiel 33: 16

Mosiah 3: 19

Mosiah 18: 8-10

Mosiah 5: 13

D & C 100: 16

Matthew 25: 40

"The giving without calculating the cost, the fight without paying attention to the wounds; ... to work without expecting any reward other than to know that we have done your will "(" Prayer for Generosity ", 1548, in John Bartlett, Familiar Quotations, 14th edition, Boston: Little, Brown and Co., 1968 , Page 1806).

Look them up, and serve. Serve, and forget yourself, your phone, your life, your problems, and think about others, and then all of the things that your going thru will seem a lot easier. 

Hey guys, sorry that I don't have very much time today but I just wanted to tell you some stuff. So on Sunday as we were in sacrament meeting, my companion got a text from president telling her that her brother had passed away. So we left church early and she has been having a really hard time. I really hard because I just don't know how to help her. Last year in the mission her sister died as well, and then she broke her knee and had to go home,and get surgery and come back, and now is going to finish her mission in less than 2 weeks and now this happened. I just don't know what to do. We have been trying to do things to keep her from thin king about it, and kinds to keep her distracted but... I just don't know. So that's kind of what's happening right now. I would love some advice or something. Today I just don't have any time to really send a good voice memos or anything but I will do it tryout the week. I love you woohoo much and I hope that you have a great week. 

Transfer 8 Week 3

Okay Dokey...

Well, just thought I would remember my southern roots for a moment. Actually, I never say that but Hermana Maza says it all the time, so now I'm in the habit. Did I tell y'all that hermana maza' s last companion is from Houston, Livingston. So that's cool.. so she has a thing for Houstonians. Is that what were called? Anyhow, this week has been money. We had intercambios with the hermana's from Telde, and Viciendario. I have almost been out for a whole year. Can you believe it? I know I can't. I fell like just yesterday I was Spanish too much money of fireworks for the fourth of July, and eat barbeque ribs, and potatoes salad, and staying up way to late watching the stars. It seems like this has been the fastest year of my life. The fastest and the most difficult and amazing year of my whole life. I have gone thru many ups and downs, and have had many days that I will never forget, good and bad. I have cried, and laughed, and eaten, and slept and started over again. But, it's not over yet... I have so much still to learn and to change in my life. But coming here, to Spain and serving a mission has been by far the best decision that I have made in my life, and I am extremely grateful to god, and my family and  friends for all of the love, and support the y'all have given me. Thanks! 

Okay so this week we had intercambios like I said, and I went to Telde with hermana wihongi. So she is amazing and super hilarious. So she was companions with hermana Snyder, who was my trainer right after I was. So it's fun because she totally reminds me of hermana Snyder. It's super fun. So with her we went to a puebltio called ojos de garcia, which translates to Garcia's eyes. It was fun. I tried mojo for the first time, which is a salsa with tomatoes, garlic, and red bell pepper. These are the things that you finds in pretty much all Spanish food... well, and rice. They put that stuff in everything. Everything. Then in that same lesson, we were teaching this old lady the restoration, and I was asleep. Like literally my eyes couldn't stay open, and my companion was like shaking me. It was awesome. But then we were almost late for the guagua, and we were running from her house to the bus stop when all the sudden this tree came out of nowhere while I was running and hit me in the face, and took out my arm. It was terribly but we made it to the bus stop on time. Well I say on time, because we had to wait for the bus for another 45 minutes. So.... 

Then the next big thing to happen to us was teaching Jose and lacy. We found Jose about 2 weeks ago, and had met with him 1 time, and then his daughter and him came to church. It was awesome, the are Cubans. Just the sweetest, modest people that you could ever meet. So we taught them in a mall on Sunday night, and we talk to them about the things that are important to them, and the restoration, and the priesthood. They loved it, so we made another appointment to meet Monday morning, so this morning we met, and talked a little bit, and had breakfast together. They are going to read the book of Mormon and pray so the can find out from themselves if what we shared with them is true. They are going to ask God. They are going to pray to him and ask him their questions, and he is going to answer them. That is how it works. God loves us and wants to talk to us, and help us with the things that we are going thru. He not just some all knowing , all powerful being who is just their, and expects us to pray to him with out recompense. He loves us, we are his children, and he wants to talk with us, and he will. He does. 

Also I found a really cool story that I wanted to share with you guys this week.

Throughout Jack’s life, he and his father had many serious arguments. One day, when Jack was seventeen, they had a particularly violent one. Jack said to his father: “This is the straw that breaks the camel’s back. I’m leaving home, and I shall never return.” So saying, he went to the house and packed a bag. His mother begged him to stay, but he was too angry to listen. He left her crying at the doorway.

Leaving the yard, he was about to pass through the gate when he heard his father call to him: “Jack, I know that a large share of the blame for your leaving rests with me. For this I am truly sorry. I want you to know that if you should ever wish to return home, you’ll always be welcome. And I’ll try to be a better father to you. I want you to know that I’ll always love you.”

Jack said nothing but went to the bus station and bought a ticket to a distant point. As he sat in the bus watching the miles go by, he commenced to think about the words of his father. He began to realize how much love it had required for him to do what he had done. Dad had apologized. He had invited him back and had left the words ringing in the summer air, “I love you.”

It was then that Jack realized that the next move was up to him. He knew that the only way he could ever find peace with himself was to demonstrate to his father the same kind of maturity, goodness, and love that dad had shown toward him. Jack got off the bus. He bought a return ticket to home and went back.

He arrived shortly after midnight, entered the house, and turned on the light. There in the rocking chair sat his father, his head in his hands. As he looked up and saw Jack, he rose from the chair and they rushed into each other’s arms. Jack often said, “Those last years that I was home were among the happiest of my life.”

We could say here was a boy who overnight became a man. Here was a father who, suppressing passion and bridling pride, rescued his son before he became one of that vast “lost battalion” resulting from fractured families and shattered homes. Love was the binding band, the healing balm. Love—so often felt; so seldom expressed.

But all of my great experiences are not in the past. Branch Rickey, the great baseball manager, was once asked to describe his greatest day in baseball. He said, “I can’t because I haven’t had it yet.” And most of our greatest experiences are yet ahead of us. One of them will be the glorious second coming of Jesus Christ, when with his mighty angels in flaming fire he will come to cleanse the earth of its sins and to inaugurate the millennial reign upon this earth. Every one of us will have a literal bodily resurrection, and what a great experience that will be! Charles F. Kettering, the mechanical wizard of General Motors, once said, “My interest is in the future, because I am going to spend the rest of my life there.”

So when I first got into the MTC, I wrote something on the back of my nametag. I wrote "Love Everyone". More than anything, during this year I have learned to love. I have learned to love myself, others, and God. I have learned of the great love that God has for every person in Spain, and in Texas, and wherever in the world that his children may be found. Love can heal broken hearts, can mend broken bonds, can save lives, and can be felt like the sun on your face. Love came to the earth to save us from our sins. Love suffered and pleaded in a garden, so that we could have a better future. So that we could be with the families that we love, forever. God is love.