October 23, 2012

Iglesia de Nuestra Señora de la Asunción in Parla

Well hey there family!!!

Not too much that´s going on, but we´re doing the work as well as we can. I´m hoping that the stress continues going down and that everything is doing okay as far as working on the house and making it pretty! Here´s my week as far as cool stuff is concerned!

Thursday we did weekly planning and then tried to figure out who signed up as far as eating with the members was concerned since the calendar just said "Rodriguez". We called everyone that we knew named Rodriguez, but not one of them was the one. So, since "no one" signed up, we went to Mercadona to buy food for the week since we didn´t have time on P-Day to do it. When we were at the check out stand, Marisol, a member that works there, told us that we had to hurry to the dinner appointment since we were late. I told her that we called everyone that had that last name, but no one was the person that signed up. She finally told me that it was a Brazilian couple, and then it clicked!!

We ran faster than the speed of light to try to get there soon, and we even called to ask them to forgive us for getting there late. We got there and they are a really nice couple. They told us stories of their conversion and of the things that they would do to the missionaries and I had a fun time!! At about 6:00 we went to Erick and Yulliana´s house to see how they are doing since we didn´t see them for a week since they didn´t have time. It´s been crazy for them and I really hope that everything can calm down with all that is happening. We then went to see Fabian and Maria after a miracle call from them and they are doing pretty good!! They told us that they called us because they wanted to see how we were doing and that they felt different when we didn´t come by. They also expressed that they were passing through a difficult time without work and so we shared with them Mosiah 24 when Alma and his converts get into bondage and how they are freed from it. Next time I think we´ll talk about the spirit and how it works.

Friday I did exchanges with Elder Rose and was able to see some things that I pretty much already knew. It was one of the longest days that I´ve had here in Parla. We just walked around, and he was talking to me, and not contacting. We may have talked to 4 people that whole day, and it was just bad. At 5 we had a lesson with Ana and we based the lesson on how the spirit works and comforting her with the things that are going on in Venezuela since her family lives there. I told her many times that everything in the end will be okay, just wait for God to put His hand when He thinks it may be necessary. After the lesson we went to the Noche de Hogar [home evening] and then went to the piso [apartment].

Paella made by Carmen

Baptism in Leganes

Saturday was a pretty empty day except for eating with Carmen, a fun Spanish lady, then we went to a baptism in Leganes. The girl that was getting baptized was a member from birth, but wanted a missionary to baptize her, so I had the honor of doing it. It was really cool too! When I got her out of the water, she turned to me and said, "Gracias Hermano [thank you, Brother]." I felt really good to be able to do that for her and for her to be able to feel the spirit there. We then went back to Parla, and to the piso [apartment]. Sunday was a long day, but after contacting all day, we received 3 references and it was pretty cool!! That´s it. =)

Monday was pretty empty too, but it was better than Sunday. We got to visit Melisa and she´s doing really well. She´s going to go to church this Sunday, but with all of the studies that she has to do for University, it´s hard for her, but she does come every now and then, and when she comes, she likes it. We then contacted for the whole day and got 2 references. Just getting all of the references, and having people come up to us asking about what we are doing, is just awesome!! It shows me that even when you think that you´re doing all you can in an area and it´s just not going anywhere in the moment, in the end, it will. Super cool how that works!!

Tuesday was a really awesome and edifying day for me as well as all of the Zone of Madrid West!! We had Zone Conference and it was really cool!! We got there really early, but that was fine, I took lots of pictures of the Temple!! We then went in, and studied, and then Zone Conference started at 10:00. It was all based on Elder Holland´s talk in General Conference and on how we should "Feed His Sheep." It was really awesome!! When President Jackson´s turn came to share with us his words, he got up, and told his wife to come up as well. She did and he gave her a hug and a kiss and said, okay, you may sit down now. She just said, "That´s all you wanted?" expecting it to be that he needed her help. Hahahaaa!!! It was just funny to me! =D The Zone Conference ended with a musical number done by Hermanas [Sisters] Vouemba, Hernandez, Piedade, and Elders Perkins, Rose, Rodriguez-Silva, me, Berthon, and Hilton, singing "Abide with Me". We sang acapella too which was cool!! We then ate in the Temple and when we got back to Parla, we had a lesson with Erick and Yulliana, and we watched "Finding Faith in Christ" and it was cool!! Yulliana had lots of questions through the movie, and we´d answer them and yeah. We then saw Cleme, and talked to her and that was it.

Today was P-Day, and all we did was sleep and relax, as well as buy things and send emails. We also had a lesson with a less active, and that went pretty well, but not the best. I hope that all is well over in Texas, and that everything continues to calm down and that you guys can settle. How´s everyone? Is Giselle still completly destroying her algebra Class? Take care and I´ll talk to you guys soon!! Love you all!!

Elder Bauer