July 4, 2012

Spanish soccer fans celebrating their 2012 European Championship Team

Missionaries serving in the Parla District

From left to right: Sisters Sican, Frandsen, Greer, Delgado, Elders Bauer (Alex), Soriano, Alvarez, and the District Leader Elder Simmons

Madrid missionaries celebrating the Fourth of July

Alex with President and Sister Jackson

Dear Father and Family,

It has taken a long time for me to write to you guys because we were celebrating the 4th of July in Leganes. We were over there at 12:00 noon, and came back here at 5:30, which we then had to get ready for a lesson at 6:30. After the super cool lesson, we went to buy food for the week and now I´m emailing. So as you can see, I´ve been busy and having fun so yeah! So here´s my week that you have been longing to hear!!!

Thursday nothing really happened. It was a pretty bad day, but again a pretty good day!! We went to Aranjuez to see Cristina and that was really cool!! She´s prepared for sure and I´m sure that everything will be great for her baptism this Saturday (the 7th). We taught her a bit about following the prophet, chastity, and honoring and sustaining the law. We then went over the interview questions so that she would feel comfortable about the interview and stuff. She´s prepared and it´s super cool to see how much she´s progressed in my stay here in Parla/Aranjuez. We then went back to Parla and saw Clement and her family. We got two contacts in so yeah.

Friday we did exchanges, so I was with Elder Alvarez and Elder Soriano was with Elder Simmons. We did exchanges so that Elder Simmons could do the interview and to learn so yeah. The one lesson planned with Elder Alvarez failed so we did contacts like crazy and it wasn´t the best thing I´ve ever done, but it´s okay. Even lunch failed, and those are usually fijo [set, firm]!! I can´t think too well in English right now so I´ll be saying things in Spanish, haha (or jaja). Anyways, then at around 7:30 we supposedly had English classes, but no one showed up, so I practiced Hymn 284, If You Could Hie to Kolob, and it´s a pretty difficult song, but I´m determined to learn it. We then had Noche de Hogar [family home evening], but Elder Alvarez and I went to a member´s house to give a blessing so we were there just in time to get some refreshments, haha.

Saturday we had things set up, but nothing worked out. Sunday we had church and then we had a less active at around 6:00. We returned home at around 8:00 since there was no one out in the streets since they were busy with the fútball game [2012 European Soccer Championship]. Let me just say that the games here are the craziest things ever!! I really don´t understand how people could go so crazy over a game!!! So any time Spain made a goal, the whole city would roar and noise makers would start sounding and explosions and fireworks, yeah, the whole deal!! When I send my memory cards home, you´ll see, just wait. It´s the funniest thing ever!! OH and right outside our piso [apartment] building, there´s a round-about and someone with the Spain Flag, would run around the round-about screaming and waving the flag, hahahahahahahaaaaaaaa!!! Super funny!!!!!! You´ll just have to see them, crazy insanity!! After the game it was worse, since people started driving and honking their horns while waving Spanish flags and so it was a noisy night.

Monday we bought our Bono C1 [monthly transportation pass], which is higher than the B2 that I had, which allows us to go to Aranjuez, without paying for a different ticket to get there. We also took a bus to get to Cristina´s house and back since it´s free now with the C1! Super cool to see a different part of Aranjuez! We organized a bit of the baptismal program for Cristina and then came back to Parla, did contacts and looked for former investigators. Tuesday, or yesterday, we had district meeting which was fun! Hermanas [sisters] Delgado and Greer spoke and it was pretty much their farewell since they go home at the end of this transfer, or next Tuesday. We then ate tacos which were really good and yeah! We then took pictures and Elder Soriano and I had to run to a lesson that we just barely missed when we got here to Parla. Not cool. We then were failed by Marcelio, a former who seems to have interest, but it´s fine. I won't give up on him. Then we had Otilia, the less active that we are trying to animate to go to church. She´s tired and stressed, but every time we go, she says that she feels better so yeah. We´ll continue passing by, and she says that she´ll come to the Noche de Hogar [family home evening] this Friday, so we´ll see what happens.

Today was P-Day and it was super cool!! So like I mentioned it was in Leganes, and Elder Alvarez organized it and it turned out to be super cool!! It was a BBQ and almost everyone in Madrid came!! Elder Alvarez even invited President Jackson to come, and he came!!! It was cool to meet him in person! Tuesday or Monday he called me and asked for Elder Cardwell so I talked to him on the phone for a few seconds, so yeah. I got to meet him in person, and he´s super cool!!! Elder Forrest (my wonderful ex-companion who´s good with money) and Elder Argyle (my child/son of the office) said that he was cool and it´s true!! They´re pretty young so yeah! I really like him and hope to be able to get to know him more through the last 10 months that I have on the mission. That´s just weird to think about, just 10 months left...so I just won´t think about it and all will be fine, haha. Take care and I´ll talk to you next week! Take care and I love you all!!!

Elder Bauer