January 18, 2012

The chapel in the meetinghouse in Valladolid

The Relief Society room in the meetinghouse in Salamanca

The Primary room in the meetinghouse in Salamanca

Why hello there familia!

Well, this week has been a crazy one!! That´s about all I can say! So like usual this is week 6 of the transfer so if you will send letters, especially if you have the address of my piso (apartment), please send it to the mission office [Note: the mission office address is the only listed on the blog]. The longer I stay here, the higher the possibilities that I will be transferred so DON´T send any mail to my apartment directly until I say. I´m hoping I´m staying, but I also want to go somewhere else. I really don´t know what I want. I want to stay and leave. Mostly stay, but whatever the Lord says. =) Also thank you for the letters from Chelsea Bakaitis.

Well, here´s my week.  So Thursday we visited people. We also made brownies Wednesday to take to a recent convert that we haven´t visited for a while because we couldn´t go there because of time issues. So Thursday we dropped them off and it was good!! So I skipped Wednesday. Wednesday we saw a less active called Maria Jose and she´s super cool!!! Her piso is super personalized for her and I liked it!! It also smelled good!! So Elder Hodges and his super skills made her feel the spirit super powerfully that she cried!!! He helped her remember her baptism and she said that she will call us when she wants to go. Also that she will try to go to church soon!! Super coolio! Friday the 13th!!! Trash! When I noticed that that morning, I thought oh no...bad luck!! Well...for those of you who think that, THINK AGAIN!!! It was the LUCKIEST day of my life!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! We planned 5 lessons, and that is hard to do here, as well as 15 contacts. So out we went and guess what...we had all 5 lessons that day!! We also got 14/15 contacts so I was a happy caterpillar! Saturday was eh. We had two lessons and nothing else. Sunday we had one lesson with Juanita and Emilio the two funny people that I told you about last week so yeah!! Super cool, but nothing else.

Monday we had 4 lessons and had to go from member´s house to member´s house to try to collect money for Costantin and Mariana to go down to Madrid. They have to do some medical stuff and then go back down the 27th to get married! So she had about 300€ and needed at least another 300€ to be able to pay for everything. The branch provided 135€ and we provided 200€ for them to be able to do it. We´ll see how everything goes. Tuesday we had district meeting in Salamanca so we traveled over there and had the meeting. Then we did exchanges so I stayed there with Elder Verdu and Elder Tirzuman came to Valladolid. So poor Elder Verdu. He had 4 or 5 lessons planned, and they all canceled on him. So we did contacts and got 19. One of the attempts when we presented ourselves gently, slapped us in the face three times quickly. After he left us, Elder Verdu started cracking up. I didn´t understand either, but whatever. Later that evening we did Classes de Ingles [English classes] and I helped a lady with a letter she was writing in English. Today we traveled back to Valladolid and I´m here writing. How is everyone? Are you all doing well? Take care and I´ll write again next week!!

Love you all!!

Elder Bauer

January 11,2012

Alex in front of la Iglesia conventual de San Pablo - Valladolid

A bonding moment with his companion.

Alex as a chocolate Santa

The Salamanca District (Elders Hodges, Tirzuman, Verdu, and Bauer)

Family,

Well, this week has been interesting, fun, and eh all at the same time for me. Crazy I know, but it´s true! Oh, and thank you for the package that you sent!! I don´t know what it is yet because I just got the notification that it came. I´ll get it today. Oh and thank you for the Christmas wishes from:

The Bloomington Ward Beehives Class (Sister Marilyn Mapes)
Martina Harris
Mother and Father Bauer
Megan Eden

Gracias por los saludos de Navidad [Thank you for the Christmas greetings/wishes]. I got them the 31^st of December so I had Christmas TWICE!!! Yeah, that´s right, twice!! All you people in the United States only got it once! So haa! Anyway, here´s my week in a nutshell.

So at the end of our P-Day, a less active Romanian came up to us and asked us if we could visit his family. We said, okay and got his address and told him that we´d go over and visit him. Later that day we went and tried seeing people. We saw Ana and Marcela y Norton that day so it was a pretty good day!! Thursday was an eh day. We saw that less active that contacted us the day before, but it didn´t count as a lesson so we had 0 lessons. That´s right, zero, zip, zilch, nothing, nada...no lessons. We had 17 contacts though since people were out going to see los "Tres Reyes Magos" [The Three Kings]. Unfortunately hardly anyone wanted to talk to us because they were in a hurry to see the three kings. I got a new capsule of ink for my pen though and now it isn´t bi-polar!!! YAY!!!! It actually writes all the time now!! Friday we saw Marcela y Norton and talked to them (mainly to Norton) about blessing the Sacrament and preparing too. We also committed him to do it on Sunday and he accepted. We then saw a less active called William and committed him to go to church because then he will feel the spirit. Just a bit of background with him, he hasn´t gone to church in forever, since I´ve been here and probably before, but he´s had the desire to go. He said that he will surprise us on Sunday, and all I was thinking when he said that is, "I really hope so." We also saw a less active from Madrid called Carlos and his girlfriend. They´re doctors so yeah! We also saw Costantin and Mariana, and it was Mariana´s birthday and so we sang her Happy Birthday to you, in English. Contacts were horrid, just 3.

Saturday, no one went to English Classes so yeah. We had correlation though and two lessons that day. Not too bad. Sunday William did come to church so I was super surprised!!!! I was happy to see him there, and it was obvious that he felt the spirit. He was crying so yeah. Carlos and his girlfriend also came which made me happy as well!! What a great church meeting it was!! Wow, and I sounded like Yoda ("What a great church meeting it was – um"). Anyways, that evening we saw a less active elderly lady. Her husband was there as well as her daughter and I don´t think that they are members. Her husband Emilio talked a lot, and I mean a lot!! He also cracked a lot of jokes which made the evening fly and also made it fun!! Then after we got out, a less active contacted us in the street! What´s up with all of these less actives? Super cool because she said that she wants a visit from us on Saturday so we will call her and set up the time later. That´s three less actives within a week that contacted US!! Super coolio!!

Monday we saw Jorge and that was it. He gave us something from Ireland that says good luck or something. It´s a good luck charm key chain and it didn´t work too well that day. We tried to see Marcela y Norton, but they weren´t home. We called them and Marcela says that she gave birth to her daughter!!! Felizidades!!! Not much else...yeah. Yesterday we saw Jorge again, then saw a less active and we had the lesson in his car because he needed to pick something up somewhere. Then we saw another less active that we contacted and had a cool lesson! Her husband isn´t a member and he´s pretty interesting. That´s pretty much all I can say about him. And today, is P-Day!! OH and one thing that I forgot to mention is that yesterday we got a call from a less active that we contacted and she told us to meet with us later today! Super cool these less actives!! I´m glad!! =D So anything new going on at home? I´m glad that the Three Kings Party was another success! Who won the pin contest? How many people showed up? Take care and have a fantabulous week!!! Love you all!!

Elder Bauer

January 4, 2012

Elder Cool

Contents from Christmas Packages from Home

Arriving in Salamanca for District Meeting

A Bi-Polar Pen

Family,

So from Thursday - Friday, we tried to do contacts and stuff, as well as have lessons and stuff so that we could get more people to baptize!! Saturday, we met some crazy people that started their New Year celebrations a bit early. One of them was super drunk and was talking to us and stuff. That contact lasted for about 5 or 10 minutes. You´d have to hear my interpretation of his voice. Elder Hodges says it´s practically the same, so yeah!! He´s an interesting guy. We had English classes, and no one came, and I´m not sure why so yeah. We then had a meeting with the Ward Mission Leader, Jonatan, and it was pretty interesting and fast. We got back to the piso (apartment) at 2 and started cleaning it because it was dirty and also President Watkins was coming to leave letters and packages for us. We got it super clean that it was awesome!!! I was happy!! Unfortunately, when President Watkins left my packages and I opened them, they got the place dirty again. We cleaned, only to get it dirty again. President Watkins also took us out to lunch at a buffet so it was fun!!! We talked about Valladolid and a bit about the call that he made to you and stuff like that. Later that night we went with Hermano Brosivich to Urueña to eat with his family and it was good food!! Urueña is a super cool little pueblo (town) and yeah, it has a wall around the entire pueblo and everything!! I like it!! Hermano Brosivich says that during the winter there are 50 people living there, and that´s just sad. I wouldn´t mind living there though!! We left them with a spiritual thought and it was cool!!!

Sunday, we went to church, then later that evening, we had a lesson with a less active and that was it. Monday, we went to León so that Elder Hodges could have a meeting there with the other Zone Leaders and the Mission President. I went with Elder Bermudez, Elder Evans, and Elder Reist to do stuff. We first went to get copies done for something that was important and stuff. Then we went to this store to look at Magic cards (I know, I would have preferred to work, but I don´t know León too well), and then to the bus station to confirm and buy a ticket for Elder Reist. After that we went to another store and Elder Bermudez and Elder Reist bought balloons. Then we went to their piso at about 12, and they started playing magic while I was walking back and forth. At about 1:30 or something, I got a phone call from a guy named Carlos that wanted a visit from us. He´s a less active from Madrid and called us to see him!!! He CALLED us!!! I got happy and wrote down where he lived and yeah!! Then at about 2 pm I played Magic with Elder Evans and beat him by a landslide!!! I felt powerful!! Then we played again, and he beat me by a little bit, so it wasn´t too bad. Then we returned to Valladolid and had a few lessons with Loreily and Costantin.

Tuesday we had District Meeting in Salamanca, then got back, had a lesson at 5:30 with the drunk guy we met Saturday, still drunk, and had an interesting lesson. Elder Hodges talked the whole time, because when I was about to talk, he said, "NO!!!" Then pointing at Elder Hodges, he said, "El" so I guess, he doesn´t want me to talk, but I´ll get a word in sometime, haha!! Then we saw Señor Carlos and his girlfriend, as well as his girlfriend´s daughter, which are not members! Potential? HECK YEAH!!! Sorry, couldn´t resist. Now if you heard my intense deep voice while saying that, it would be better, and feel better!! Today is P-Day. We´ll go out shopping for stuff. I´m going to do some chino shopping and I´ll buy you (Dad) an intense pen from La Universidad de Valladolid like mine. Let me just say, they may work great, might be bi-polar (sometimes work, and sometimes not, like mine is), and may not work at all. But if it doesn´t work, hey, it´s a souvenir so yeah. How´s stuff at home? Anything cool happen yet this week? Take care and I´ll talk to you next week!! Love you all!!!

Elder Bauer

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