December 28, 2011

León Zone Activity

Elder Evans after one too many 7-ups at Burger King

A Spanish Civil Marriage

A Two Year Old in a Tuxedo

Followed by a Baptism (Note: Elder Hodges is on the far left)

Familia,

Well, it was nice to talk to you [We spoke with one another via Skype on Christmas]!!! I´m glad I got to see the family for a bit and talk to you all!!! Well, this past week you already know, but I´ll tell you again, just so that you remember since dad’s high priest self might forget. =)

Well, like you know, this last Wednesday we had the Zone activity in León and it was fun!!! We did a white elephant gift exchange sort of thing. I got a mini pool table that I forgot in León, but it´s okay. It was better than most of the things that everyone else got. Someone got a shower cap, and I bought a cool looking tie and some stick on mustaches, haha. It was pretty fun!! Then Friday we went to Ureña to the marriage of two of our investigators which was an awesome experience!!! They have a son and he was dressed in a small tux, suit and tie. He´s two so just imagine that (there´s also a picture, so you don´t have to imagine it if you don´t want to, just look at the picture.) We got them married at the place to get them married there and it was in the Plaza Mayor there in Ureña, but it´s a small pueblo so the Plaza Mayor was pretty menor, but whatever. I took pictures, and I mean a lot of pictures of the wedding so yeah!!! At the point where they needed to put on the rings, they realized that they left them in the car, so someone went out and got them for them, haha!!! Well, they got married, signed all of the papers and stuff and yeah!!! We threw rice too so yeah! It was fun!

Saturday they got baptized and that was cool!!! I baptized the husband and Elder Hodges baptized the wife. It was a super cool experience! The talks given before the ordinance were really good and they covered everything perfectly. I loved it!! Then Sunday they were confirmed and I confirmed the husband, and the wife chose Jhors (I´m sure that was spelled wrong) and it was wonderful to see and do!! Well, this week has been full of awesomeness and yeah!!! I loved this week! How are things over yonder at home?  I hope so, but I don´t know. Take care and I´ll talk to you next week!!! Love you! Hasta luego!!

Elder Bauer

December 21, 2011

Catedral Santa María Regla, León

Hotel Hostal San Marcos, León

Family,

This week has been cool in two different ways!! One, it got down to -3º C in Valladolid so I froze!!! And two, we have two baptisms this weekend! Two of our investigators are getting married on Friday and baptized Saturday the 24th so yeah!!! I´m excited!!! Well on to my week.

So last Wednesday, we cleaned the piso [apartment]...a lot!!!! It smells clean now so yeah!!! Then we went out and did some lessons. We had some great lessons and I´m sure that this next week we´ll get some new investigators because we´re going through some formers!!! I´m having fun!!! That´s pretty much all I remember. Well and right now I´m in León to have our Christmas P-Day!!! I´m sure it will be fun!!! So far it has been. We played a bit of soccer, but it was too cold so I and two other Elders came and are doing email. How´s everything at home? Anything fun? I´m sorry I can´t answer your questions too well since I haven´t really seen too many traditions, except for roasted chestnuts [I asked about any Spanish Christmas traditions]!!! OH and I learned to beatbox!! Elder Hodges taught me. You pretty much say "Boots and skirts" over and over again!!! Sorry, not much more, but yeah!! Lots of contacts and lessons!!! 

Take care and I hope you guys keep having fun!!! Oh, our meeting on Sunday is only sacrament meeting too which is at 12. Take care and love you all.

Elder Bauer

December 14, 2011

  

This is an old picture from Madrid, but we just got it and I like it!

Looking down at the street from the elders' apartment in Valladolid.

Outside the elders' apartment in Valladolid.

A missionary kitchen (in Valladolid).

Elders have obviously made themselves at home.  A parent would be appalled!

The church meetinghouse (meeting apartment?) in Valladolid.

Familia,

Well, this past week has been interesting and intense! Sooo, this past week has been the first time I´ve been managing an area as a prospective Senior Companion so it was...interesting...scary...both! So yeah.

Well, Thursday I tried to pass by a few people and I had a mini weekly planning by myself since Elder Verdu wasn´t going to stay with me for long. I also had to wait a bit for Elder Rivera to call me to know when transfers are. So Thursday was a festivo (holiday) so Valladolid looked like a ghost town. Not a soul out in the street. So I tried to do some contacting and door knocking, but when I knocked on a building the person answered the intercom thing yelling!!! I could have sworn that I felt their spit through the intercom. We decided to leave that for another day. Friday we had three lessons planned out super well, but then the investigators couldn´t see us at the times that I planned so I had to juggle lessons that day. It was horrible. I got two out of three lessons that I wanted, but it´s okay. I´m doing much better now! Saturday we did stuff, but I forgot. Oh, and I´m an official resident of Spain as of Friday!!! I got my Spanish residency card and it looks cool!!! I like it better than my driver’s license!!! I called the secretaries of the mission and they told me stuff that I needed to do for that, and also transfer information before Elder Rivera called us. They said that I´d be staying in Valladolid with Elder Hodges, former Assistant to the President!! He´s super awesome at everything pretty much!!

Sunday was Branch Conference so the Second Counselor of the Mission was there and it was a pretty interesting meeting since I was asked to play some Christmas hymns that I don´t really know too well on the piano.  So I messed up a lot, but it´s okay.  Monday we had a lesson with Jorge for the first time in about a month and I thought it was pretty good!!!   Then at about 4 Elder Verdu and I picked up our companions and Elder Hodges is the new Zone Leader here as well as someone else that I don´t know. Then Elder Tirzuman, a Romanian, is the District Leader!! So since I´m staying here for at least another transfer you can send stuff to my piso (apartment) again!  I´ve been letter deprived for about two weeks so yeah.  So we´ve had some fun here in Valladolid! Elder Hodges knows what talking to everyone in contacting means!! Holy trash he´s awesome!! He really does stop EVERYONE!!!!! I want to be like that when I go to my new area!! I´m learning as much as I can from him and it´s been good!! We´ve seen every investigator so far this week, and I´ve planned on seeing each and every single one at least 3 times a week, and we´ve got 6 that progress! 4 of them might get married too and be baptized so YEAH!!!! I´m excited!! How has everyone been this week?

¡Elder Bauer of Valladolid!

December 7, 2011

Madrid Temple at Sunset

Elder Fowler

Missionaries with the JAS (Jovenes Adultos Solteros - Young Single Adult) Group in Madrid

Baptism in Madrid

Familia,

I enjoyed reading your email today!! Thanks for telling me everything that has happened.  I´m glad to hear that everything is well over there in good old Bloomington, Illinois!!

So, Wednesday I met Elder Thurstin, Elder Hoskins, and Elder Fowler after emailing at the CCM [Missionary Training Center in Madrid]. That night I went with Elder Thurstin and it was a fun night!!! We talked about Valladolid and random stuff that made me laugh. We then went to the piso [apartment] and I met everyone in the piso. There are 5 missionaries in that piso and it´s pretty fun!!! Elders Thurstin and Hoskins are the Zone Leaders of that Zone. Then Elder Hanson is a District Leader with his companion Elder Winklecotter (don´t know if it´s spelled right) and Elder Fowler is there with Elders Thurstin and Hoskins. It was a pretty full and fun piso. They were sick with a cold though so I hoped that I wouldn´t get it. Thusday evening we visited a great part-member family and we taught them about the priesthood because the lady wanted a blessing from us. Elder Thurstin is a great Elder!!! I´m going to have to apply some things that I learned from him now, and I believe I have already, but I´ll get there soon. So Friday I went with Elder Hoskins and he´s great as well!!! Elder Hoskins is Elder Thurstin´s companion and Elder Fowler was just there. But Elder Fowler went with Elder Thurstin that day and Elder Hoskins and I did contacts and got to know each other better!! I love all of those Elders down in Madrid!! We didn´t really teach since Elder Thurstin had all of the appointments, so just contacting for us. Later on that day, we went to two investigators' house and talked to them/helped them clean the piso. It was a great little lesson. We then went out to eat to celebrate their baptism on Saturday. Also earlier on Friday Elder Hoskins, Winklecotter, and Hermana Delgado and I practiced a hymn that we were going to sing for the baptism. At first I wasn´t going to sing until Elder Hoskins apologized for his voice and I said that I could try singing as well. So I did, and did a cool second voice in the song and so I was accepted quickly. It was fun!!

Saturday was the baptism and so it was a lot of fun!!! We did our song and it turned out great!! Elder Thurstin afterwards said that it sounded really good!! I was happy to hear that!!! Sunday was the confirmation and the first time in a Barrio [ward] for me the whole time I've been on my mission!!! It was cool!!! So the church meetings are held at the stake center there on Temple Square so I was there and saw all of the lights they had there for the trees. It was beautiful, but not as good as Temple Square in Salt Lake. Later that evening there was a fireside on how they built the Temple in Madrid, by the architect herself!!! It was cool!! I also met some interesting people while down in Madrid that I just hope to see again!! Super awesome ward!! Sunday night right after the fireside Elder Verdu and Elder Perez from Salamanca came in and greeted me!! I also met in person for the first time Elders Jeppson and Woodberry, the secretaries of the mission. Elder Perez got his visa for the U.S. so he left on Monday and Elder Verdu and I became companions. Also I started feeling a sore throat coming and my voice was deeper than usual so I got the cold, dang it!!! Haha, get over one sickness and get another one, haha!!!! Anyway, Monday Elder Verdu and I took the metro to the train station in Madrid to go back to Salamanca. We got there, took Medio-dia and then went out and did some contacts and taught a lesson. Yesterday we taught two wonderful lessons!! One of the investigators didn´t know if he recieved his answer and he just kept feeling a peace, so I bust out D&C 6:22-23 and testified that the spirit works like that!! It was awesome!! With the deep voice it sounded cool too, haha!!! Then the last lesson was at 8:30 to a new investigator that seems like he´s gold!!! We taught him lesson 1 and nearly 3/4 of the way through the lesson, I practically lost my voice. We answered his questions and it was another great lesson!!!

Today was P-Day, but didn´t feel like it was one. We woke up at 7 (duh) and got ready as fast as possible and caught a bus to go to the charter bus station. We had District Meeting in Benavente so we traveled all day today. We got back here in Valladolid at 6 or 6:30 so yeah. We´ll buy food and I´ll clean the piso and maybe contact if there´s time, but probably not.

Elder Bauer