Hola familia!
¿Que tal están? This week has been hard, a little tedious, and filled with crazy stories. A big improvement on the week before for sure. Once my companion returned from Barcelona on Tuesday, we started the week by touring a piso that we might move into this week(the negotiations are under way at the moment so we're praying for that to work out!), because this new piso is soooo much better. Ours at the moment has a broken washer door, several broken doors, a smell of mildew and mold, furniture from the era of Grease and large mustaches, and all of this after scrubbing the piso the week before. Other than that the works been good, found some great new investigators, and a less active family we found came back to church for the first time in a year, and Joel will hopefully be baptized next week. The big event this week is the huge full mission conference with President Nelson in Barcelona on Friday. We're leaving Thursday on a plane and not getting back until Saturday so it's kinda a mini vacation, but we're so pumped to see an apostle!!!
Ok miracles. Two weeks ago we felt impressed to go to this one part Eng complex in a town called Erandio. While a subtle impression, we still followed through on it. We went and came back in vain, except for a contact with this woman named Maraje from Romania who accepted our number and went off in a hurry. Fast forward to Friday after interviews, we were door knocking in the same complex when we arrived at this one building whose door was unlocked. Jumping at the opportunity we went in, took the elevator to the top, knocked the first door and talked to a Muslim man named Mustafa. We had a good conversation, and he invited us in to pray and drink some water (also his prayer rugs were plush, I kinda wanted to take a nap after seeing them there). All of the sudden, right after the prayer, the door unlocks and in comes Maraje, who, looking surprised that we were there in her house(we didn't have either her address or phone number), sat down for us to teach them a bit of lesson one. The Lord works in mysterious ways, and I know for a fact that because of that one impression to work in that apartment complex two weeks ago, that we are now teaching this couple!
We also had some great lessons with some of our less-actives like Tatiana and her daughter from Bolivia, and Odamis this super energetic and fun Cuban woman who came to the barbecue activity this week too! And surprise we had this less active family come back to church for the first time in a year so that made our day! But in between the days of contacting and passing by houses, we had some great successes with the less active folk.
Lesson learned, don't take mate (matay) hot, it really burns. You'll probably see the video somewhere but wow I singed my tongue. I mean, I guess that's what I get for sipping boiling water that had been sitting in the equivalent of cut up grass for a while(but it's so good!). Try it though - you'll get a great Argentinian cultural experience out of it!
We also had our interviews with President Dayton his week (they're always the best!)! Mine went pretty well, I got some delicious chocolate chip cookies, and we talked about focusing on personal study and improving our reactions to discouragement. It helped me to realize that while we look to teach people in their houses and have progressing investigators, sometimes the Lord has other plans for us in our areas. The most important thing to do, quoting Gandalf, " is what you do with the time that has been given to you". So while I might feel down one day, or if a whole building just denied us and an old man just loudly blurted " No No No....!", in the door, it's all ok! We just need to make sure we avoid the "hot tub of self-pity" and press on!
Other than that, a good week spiritually, and I, so glad we finished it off with a fun day on top of the Arboleda next to Bilbao exploring a sculpture park and chasing ducks. Might sound simple but it was fun(and Papa Manolo came, yay!).
I love and miss you all! Las arenas is the best, missionary work is fun, and mate is hazardous to one’s health!
🇪🇸🌴Elder Taylor Moulton🌲🇪🇸
¿Que tal están? This week has been hard, a little tedious, and filled with crazy stories. A big improvement on the week before for sure. Once my companion returned from Barcelona on Tuesday, we started the week by touring a piso that we might move into this week(the negotiations are under way at the moment so we're praying for that to work out!), because this new piso is soooo much better. Ours at the moment has a broken washer door, several broken doors, a smell of mildew and mold, furniture from the era of Grease and large mustaches, and all of this after scrubbing the piso the week before. Other than that the works been good, found some great new investigators, and a less active family we found came back to church for the first time in a year, and Joel will hopefully be baptized next week. The big event this week is the huge full mission conference with President Nelson in Barcelona on Friday. We're leaving Thursday on a plane and not getting back until Saturday so it's kinda a mini vacation, but we're so pumped to see an apostle!!!
Ok miracles. Two weeks ago we felt impressed to go to this one part Eng complex in a town called Erandio. While a subtle impression, we still followed through on it. We went and came back in vain, except for a contact with this woman named Maraje from Romania who accepted our number and went off in a hurry. Fast forward to Friday after interviews, we were door knocking in the same complex when we arrived at this one building whose door was unlocked. Jumping at the opportunity we went in, took the elevator to the top, knocked the first door and talked to a Muslim man named Mustafa. We had a good conversation, and he invited us in to pray and drink some water (also his prayer rugs were plush, I kinda wanted to take a nap after seeing them there). All of the sudden, right after the prayer, the door unlocks and in comes Maraje, who, looking surprised that we were there in her house(we didn't have either her address or phone number), sat down for us to teach them a bit of lesson one. The Lord works in mysterious ways, and I know for a fact that because of that one impression to work in that apartment complex two weeks ago, that we are now teaching this couple!
We also had some great lessons with some of our less-actives like Tatiana and her daughter from Bolivia, and Odamis this super energetic and fun Cuban woman who came to the barbecue activity this week too! And surprise we had this less active family come back to church for the first time in a year so that made our day! But in between the days of contacting and passing by houses, we had some great successes with the less active folk.
Lesson learned, don't take mate (matay) hot, it really burns. You'll probably see the video somewhere but wow I singed my tongue. I mean, I guess that's what I get for sipping boiling water that had been sitting in the equivalent of cut up grass for a while(but it's so good!). Try it though - you'll get a great Argentinian cultural experience out of it!
We also had our interviews with President Dayton his week (they're always the best!)! Mine went pretty well, I got some delicious chocolate chip cookies, and we talked about focusing on personal study and improving our reactions to discouragement. It helped me to realize that while we look to teach people in their houses and have progressing investigators, sometimes the Lord has other plans for us in our areas. The most important thing to do, quoting Gandalf, " is what you do with the time that has been given to you". So while I might feel down one day, or if a whole building just denied us and an old man just loudly blurted " No No No....!", in the door, it's all ok! We just need to make sure we avoid the "hot tub of self-pity" and press on!
Other than that, a good week spiritually, and I, so glad we finished it off with a fun day on top of the Arboleda next to Bilbao exploring a sculpture park and chasing ducks. Might sound simple but it was fun(and Papa Manolo came, yay!).
I love and miss you all! Las arenas is the best, missionary work is fun, and mate is hazardous to one’s health!
🇪🇸🌴Elder Taylor Moulton🌲🇪🇸
Trip to the Arboleda with some of the Bilbao missionaries
Elder Kimball and the bird
Elder Jacobson and the bird
When you find a dead bird.....
Ducks!
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