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