Week 83: Voodoo, Rain, and Answers to Prayers!

Hola familia!

Well, pretty crazy week. It's a bit different getting used to a new
area again. I don't like it, too much change, but it has to happen at
some point. Anyways the city is huge, we cross it on bus (or walking),
but because it so big we prefer the bus. We’re not lazy, we just don't
have 30 minutes to walk from our piso to our area. But the people are
good, lots of Spaniards. Here they're called maños. Don't really know
what that means yet but they're a bit quieter then the Cataluñans, so
we need to be a bit quicker to the chase in our contacts. The barrio
is good. Lots of older people and characters. I mean, really what's a
Spanish church without its goofy members? Angel, my new friend from
this last Sunday, is from Bulgaria, knows most doctrinal answers, has
a huge head of hair, a beard, walks on a crutch, is like 30 something,
and has this amazing Bulgarian Spanish accent. We’ll get along just
fine. Other than that, I'm excited to be here.

First week here in Zaragoza, and we have this amazing couple already
heading towards baptism! Joaquin (from Cape Verde), and Consuelo, from
Equatorial Guiana. They both accepted to be baptized last night on the
15th of April, and have already planned on coming to church for
conference! She's literally slept over the Book of Mormon since she's
gotten it since it's helped to keep away the nightmares she keeps
having after some voodoo was done on her back in her country, and when
not sleeping she spends the night reading aloud from it. All thanks to
Elder Barlow following an impression to pass by Joaquin, who was a
reference who was never home one more time. We also found some other
great investigators, for example, Amelia who had just lost her child
after birth, and thanked us for the prayer on the street for helping
her feel peace again. It's those little moments, like when some
stranger on the street says thank you for a prayer that helped them
feel peace make my day. Just builds my testimony that we really aren't
in this work alone.

Elder Barlow and I are doing good. He's from Ogden, he's a hunter, and
loves nature. We have different personalities for sure, but just in
the last few days I've learned some great things from him like how to
both bold and loving, and thinking before speaking (both things I
needed). This week I'm focusing on listening more, and being more
thoughtful with the things I say. We're always improving as
missionaries, had to get used to that one at the beginning of the
mission.

The weather here's a bit inconsistent. The wind, or Cierzo as the
maños call it, changes the temperature from 22 to 8 within a matter of
minutes and brings with it some heavy rain some days. At the moment
it's sunny, so I'm praying it stays like that until we come back to
piso tonight.

I could list the strange things that happen to us out here, but that'd
take too long. Suffice it to say that we talked to a drunk man about
American basketball, had a gypsies sit down right next to us on a
bench, talk to us and become a new investigator, and I almost face
planted in the mall parking lot today in a puddle. Joy is found in the
small things I figure. I may not find much in things like soccer, but
hey, it's for a good cause.

I love and miss you all! Have an amazing conference weekend! Make sure
to come into it with 3-5 questions you have about life! Trust me,
they'll be answered!


🇪🇸🌴Elder Taylor Moulton🌲🇪🇸

 We received a text this week from a stranger from California who said he saw our elder and he's doing well!  Come to find out it was the father of a hermana going home - so grateful to him!  

 Small world - I received this picture from a sister in a neighboring ward who happens to be cousins to Taylor's new companion, Elder Barlow!  The church is small!

Another picture from our California angel (what I call him!)  They ended up at church in the Zaragoza ward!

Week 82: Zaragoza, Manlleu, Muslim Miracles, and lazy Jehovah's Witnesses!

Hello family!

Well I'm off to Zaragoza in an hour! Just before that I'll just list a

few of the crazy things that happened this week.

First off, after visiting two towns, Manlleu and Tona, we've found

three Muslims who want to hear the gospel. And these aren't just any

Muslims, these are ones who actually were glad to hear our message,

and one of them even accepted the Book of Mormon to read in order to

find answers about his struggling family (the ex-wife of Abeljifit wants

to take the three children to France with the in-laws).

Second, we found some lazy Jehovah's witnesses. Case in point, we were

walking to a visit in a group of apartments when we found this

Ghanaian lady in a skirt (the only people who wear skirts here in Spain

are very old ladies, Jehovah's witnesses, and of course the sister

missionaries), and we knew she was a Jehovah's Witness. So we started

to talk to her, asking how the day was, etc, when all of the sudden she

gave us a flyer and pointing to the website says "I've finished my

proselyting hours today, go to the website", and then just walked away

impatiently. Even if it's in the middle of preparation day almost

100% of missionaries would teach someone with interest. The church is

true people!

Another miracle happened yesterday as we were visiting the members.

Linara, the Brazilian investigator we had met back in January, who

hasn't answered the door or phone in three months, called! Apparently

she was scared to answer because the police were visiting daily to

check up on her visa and she's been working interna all though the

week. She couldn't call since she couldn't find the phone number, but

she found it again when we left an invitation to our night of the

nations. Because of that card she was able to call, and now she's

going to meet on Thursday with us, and come back to church! Sadly I

won't be there to see the baptism (she loves the church and everything),

but I'm so excited to see the Lord working in the work!

It's been a sad few days of saying goodbye to my family here in

Vic (I'll miss them so much, especially the members in Ripoll. The

Merchan's, Abel and Pilar are the best!). But I am pumped to see what

Zaragozas like and to be in my trainer’s old area once again (two in a

row!).

Here's a quote by a talk I love by Robert D. Hales on personal

revelation; "I testify that on the hillside or the meadow, in the

grove or closet, now or in the eternities to come, the Savior’s words

to each of us will be fulfilled: “Ask, and it shall be given you;

seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.”

While we are commanded not to seek after signs, we are commanded to

“seek … earnestly the best gifts.” These gifts include the Holy Ghost

and personal revelation. That revelation will come “line upon line,

precept upon precept,” as the Savior said, and “unto him that

receiveth [the Lord] will give more.”

Love and miss you all!

🇪🇸🌴Elder Taylor Moulton🌲🇪🇸

 Visiting Hermana Patricia and the family, along with Zuko

 Much style, very hip

 President Flores and his family

 Look who we found on an African church calendar.....

 Gerardo

 Jerandy from Cuba

 Mark and his family from Ripoll

 Cobi and Ibana

 John and Jamileth

 The two sisters here we just baptized last week by the sisters, super good converts, their interviews went super well!

Otoo and Ana

Week 81: Herding sheep, Escaping the Nuns, and Athiests!

Hello family!

 Another week in Vic, and we saw some improvements! We found some more
news, and the obra missional activity on Saturday was super
successful! It a was a country night, so we all brought food from our
country’s (I made brownies with chocolate chips and sweetened condensed
milk, yum!), and the obra missional had a little program about the
prodigal son and our basic beliefs. Over 12 investigators came, along
with some less actives and recent converts who've suddenly appeared.
That'd be the miracle of this week. We've found over the last week and
a half five less actives that aren't on the Rama list! While it may
have been tough to find news, they're been a tender mercy, and it was
a surprise to see one of them, Collings, come to sacrament meeting
yesterday! Another one was Yoser. He's an 18 year old Peruvian we
found in Tona (our little Pueblo of miracles) while knocking doors. He
was baptized because of his friends in Peru over two years ago, and
then his mom (not too interested in the church) and him moved here a
year ago, and since lost contact with church. We were able to give him
a Book of Mormon again, and we'll pass by this week to teach him some
more. It's like the scripture I found when preparing my talk this week
in Ezequiel 34:11-12.

11 For thus saith the Lord God; Behold, I, even I, will both search my
sheep, and seek them out.
12 As a shepherd seeketh out his flock in the day that he is among his
sheep that are scattered; so will I seek out my sheep, and will
deliver them out of all places where they have been scattered in the
cloudy and dark day.

Today we're going to eat with some members in Olot, a town outside of
Vic. I'm pretty excited, should be a good time. This morning found
ourselves randomly with the hermanas in a cathedral
in Vic, and then being pulled into a long, drawling conversation about
the history of the extremely sad and depressing paintings all over the
place from the nuns. We escaped with only our testimonies and a
knowledge of Catalan painters. They're nice though, they're from
Argentina and Chile. They had boring voices so that's why we had to
escape.

 This week while on an intercambio with Elder Oliver in Granollers, we
found two women who couldn't believe that God exists because of all
the sadness in the world. For those who aren't accustomed to Spanish
street contacting, your find this statement about every other person.
But, knowing that the message we carry is true, and that they could be
so much happier, we testified. The spirit touched their hearts a bit,
and in the end they both accepted a plan of salvation pamphlet and
the invitation to try praying to God again. It may not have been a
baptism fecha invite. But moments like those help me see how the Lord
works in bringing sheep, even the most desperately lost of them, back
to the herd.

Vic's the best, lots of love in the Rama, strange people, hot and cold
weather (it was summer Friday and Saturday, but winter yesterday and
today), and so goes the work of the Lord. Transfers are next week, and
I'm probably being transferred to another place (most likely my last
area too...).

Love and miss you all!

🇪🇸🌴Elder Taylor Moulton🌲🇪🇸

 The Badalona Zone

 Brazilian food!  Cochnya, yum!

 Noche de las naciones!

Week 80: Drunk Investigators, Tender Mercies, and Mills!

Hello family!

It's been a tougher week, still not finding much. But....We finished

the week strong with bringing the family of Geraldo to the baptism of

the Granollers elders, and seeing some good people in church. Steven

hasn't answered his phone or the door for a week now, so we've had to

put him on the back burner. I'm pretty bummed, he was super open in

the lessons, and wanted to come to church last week. Annabelle, the

prima of Jamileth, didn't come to church (she stayed home while the

family went), and we’re still trying to meet with her. She didn’t have

much desire to listen though the last time we saw her, so we'll see

how she is in our visit with her tomorrow. While all our visits fired

again this week, it's been a good opportunity for Elder Tobias and I

to think of other ways to find. We've been giving out 2 invitations to

each of the members in our area the last two weeks for our Noche de las

Naciones this Saturday. We've already seen some miracles with that,

Abel, a recent convert, walked out the front door and gave some out.

We ended up contacting one of those people a few days later on

accident (they're from Honduras), and we got their phone number. It was

a funny contact, she asked us if we were going to invite her to "the

Activity" too, and told us how this Peruvian gave them this invitation

a few days earlier. I love tender mercies. Another was coming back

from Mercadona this morning and finding a Ghanaian member named Frank

from Madrid. He had just moved here a few days ago, and ran across the

street to talk to us (the white shirts are pretty obvious).

Geraldo showed up to the baptism after drinking a bit of alcohol. It

wasn't too obvious at first, but he reeked of it when I sat next to

him. He was a bit weird the rest of the meeting too. His daughters

like it too, but we've officially had to let him go again, since we

still doesn't have the desire to come to church (yet his other church

is falling apart, shouldn't that be obvious that that's not the right

church?).

Fun story, we were eating at our branch president’s house out in

village called Sant Hipólito. While waiting for the food to cook,

Elder Tobias and I visited our old friend Miguel just down the street.

Miguel is this 70 year old Catalan man who lives in this 300 year old

mill across the street from President Flores, and was being taught by

the hermanas a year or two ago. We visited, and hey, he gave us a tour

of the mill! It was huge, had cobwebs everywhere, and well it was a

good time. He still doesn't have much desire to come to church, but

he's still a good friend.

To finish up I have a favorite quote from one of my favorite talks, “We

are the Architects of our Own Happiness by Gerald Causee. "The

greatest thing we can desire in life is to align our will to the will

of the Lord--to accept His agenda for our lives. He knows everything

from the beginning, has a perspective that we don’t have, and loves us

with an infinite love." I know that the more we say "not my will but

thine be done", the Lord will bless us with more happiness, no matter

the sacrifice required. Even if it takes your time, God knows our

potential, and when we choose our agenda over His, we limit our own

potential.

Love and miss you all!

🇪🇸🌴Elder Taylor Moulton🌲🇪🇸

 District Meeting with balloons (Blue Balloon Baptism)

 Grammar nazis shouldn't come to Spain....

 Took a tour with one of our former investigators Miguel to the mill below his house!

 Hiked to a waterfall for P-day today!