October 17, 2012

Alex on a hike overlooking San Lorenzo de El Escorial

The town of San Lorenzo de El Escorial (the large building is called El Escorial)

El Escorial (a monastery and palace built by Felipe II)

Alex in El Escorial

El Escorial

El Escorial from the back

 

Why hello familia!!!

My week has been pretty cool, crazy, empty, but cool at the same time!!! Here it is all!!!

So Thursday was a pretty empty day. We didn´t have anything, like seriously zero, nothing, nada de nada [nothing of nothing], no lessons, no contacted, NOTHING!!! We did have weekly planning, but that´s it. Friday was the P-Day where we went to El Escorial!! SUPER COOL PLACE!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Seriously, if you guys ever come to Spain, I´ll take you there!! First we took a hike up a hill where Felipe II made a "throne" to overlook El Escorial. The branch came too so it was fun with all of the members and kids there. There were also a lot of rocks and it was really pretty there!! It was pretty chilly too, but that didn´t really matter. Up on the hill we had a little spiritual thought given by me, and then we hiked back down. We did spend a good hour up there though so it was pretty cool!! We came down and ate lunch and took the bus (the branch rented out a bus to take us up there. The first time that I took a charter bus since I was up in Valladolid) and went to El Escorial, got to see the inside and it was pretty cool!! So we saw a bit of how it was built, and it was pretty much built from the inside out. Pretty intense how big it is too!! I took a ton of pictures too!! We then got back, completely exhausted from hiking, climbing rocks, running around, and hiking some more, that we just died in bed. I was really sore the next few days.

Saturday we just had a lesson with Carolina and Ibeth, but I don´t really remember too much about it. We did get a pretty cool guy as a contact though. Juan, from Ecuador, and he seems really cool!! We set up a visit for today and I´ll tell you how that went in just a bit. I´m just keeping you interested!! Hahahahaaa!! Sunday was a pretty good day too. We had church and had lunch with a member called Fabiola from Colombia. She made really good food!! We also got a referral.

Monday we saw Cleme, from Colombia as well. She´s a member, but her granddaughter isn´t, but comes to church every week and really likes it, but her parents don´t let her move on quite yet. Some day I´m sure that she will get baptized like Ana in Valladolid did. Just a matter of time.

Tuesday was pretty cool!! We had District Meeting and the Zone Leaders Elder Perkins and Elder Rodriguez-Silva came and did a practice that took up all of the time. It was a practice of how to use each of our attributes to help out our companion and us achieve a common goal. First the Elders, or in other words, me and Elder Alvarez together, and Elder Cunningham and Elder Rose together. The Zone Leaders then took us back to back and tied a string around both of our heals. We then had to go over a table, walk around some chairs which were set up as an obstacle and it was pretty hard, especially since I fell off of the table twice, the second time landing on the floor, but on my hands so it was good. So we had to work together to finish before the others.

Then the Hermanas [sisters]. Hermanas Sicán and Farías were blindfolded and Hermanas Voemba and Piedade had to guide them through obstacles speaking in their native languages (French and Portuguese respectively). It was pretty funny to see them frustrated, but succeed in the end, hahahaaa!! It was really good!! We then ate lunch and went back home and had a miracle evening!!! So we had a lesson with Rocio about random stuff and such, then one with Yolanda, a less active family about example. Used the laser too, super cool lesson!! I loved how it turned out!! We then went out contacting, and not many people out on the street, but we managed to get 3 interested people!!!! I was pretty suprised to be honest!! Super cool!!!

The zone leaders join district meeting.

Elder Perkins (on the left) and Elder Rodriguez-Silva (on Right)
 

Today was P-Day and Elder Rose and I went to Pavones to practice for a musical number for Zone Conference. So for Zone Conference the Zone Leaders wanted to do a musical number, and I was drafted into singing, but it´s okay, I like singing!! We practiced, and tried out a lot of hymns, from Brightly Beams Our Father´s Mercy, to Peace Be Still. We chose the hymn Acompañame [Abide with Me], number 99 in the Spanish hymnal [#166 in the English hymnal click here to hear it in Spanish]. I don´t know what it´s called in English, but yeah. It turned out good!! At 7:00 we had the appointment with Juan and it was really cool!!! He´s a really good guy and is just prepared!! I´m sure that he´ll get baptized!! Now we´re here emailing!! How has your day been? Heck, how has your week been? Any new adventures? What´s Jonathan going to try to attack this week? Take care and I´ll talk to you guys soon!! Love you all!!!

Elder Bauer