September 21, 2015 Letter

Hey!! 

 This week was really good. We were out of our area for four days.  We went to Concilio and we did intercambios but ... We a) travelled to Madrid (5 hours on a train...)b) our comments were valued in Concilio. President listened to what we had to say and c) we got to help plan the zone training and then we gave it with the zone leaders. It was an exhausting, weird week and I'm so grateful to be back in Gijon doing work. But I loved experience. We talked a lot about repentance and sacrament and I understood it so much better. It was amazing. This week was a really spiritual experience during sacrament meeting for me and I was so grateful for it. It's just SO COOL that we get to do that every single week. Jesus Christ is amazing to me. The rest of the week went really well. 

Concillio in Madrid

We have a baptism coming up with F. He's awesome. He's getting a new job at the university and he's gonna be able to come to Church every week. Everyone in the branch is really excited about him, us included. He's going to be the 6th of our 5 active priesthood holders right now. It's going to be a huge blessing to a lot of people to have him around. He's a joy to teach. He understands everything, asks great questions and takes it very seriously. He's amazing. 

Paola is also doing really well. We're focusing on repentance and understanding it better with her, so that she can feel more sure about baptism. We've had some great experiences this week and I feel like I just learning so much. 

With P.-the best investigator a missionary could ask for

It's been a little hard finding new investigators but it's a huge goal that we have going into this week. My companion and I are doing great. She's an awesome missionary and just so great to be with. I love her a lot. 

My compa and I with our youth group in Gijon

Oh, also, just a heads up, I got proposed too. There was this member in B8 that fell in love with me and when I got to Madrid for Concilio, he was there at the train station, waiting for me. He gave me a shirt that he made with a picture of us on it and gave it to me, drenched in his cologne. And he was wearing the same one. And then he gave me this letter and told me I had to wait until I got off the mission to read it. Naturally, I read it later that day. He told me he wanted to marry me and that he was waiting for me to finish the mission. It kind of freaked me out, honestly. So I got permission from President Pack to email him and tell him no. It was sort of a fuerte email. But it had to be done. Anyways. 35 year old Ecuadorian men on the prowl over here in #españa. It was an incredibly uncomfortable situation. But it's ok now, I think. 

 I know that Heavenly Father lives and LOVES us. I feel like He has really answered that prayer for me this week. I know that Jesus Christ was and is His Son and that we need Him always, everyday. I know that the love of God should be the reason for everything that we do and say and think. It's a high goal, but He can help us reach it. I know that this is the work of the Lord. I know it. I'm so grateful to be here, and so humbled by it. But I know it's true and I will keep on going. I love you all so much!!  I love my mission and I love all of you!!