December 11, 2017

Satan pushed my investigator down the stairs...

Hello Hello Hello!

A fun adventure to the famous Park Guell to start today off right! Don't even worry, we "strutted" like the Cheeta Girls and filmed it too! Haha. I really hope the video uploads so you all can enjoy it half as much as I do.

I am in love with Barcelona and with missionary work!

Catalunian Traditions:
A decorated Log called a Cagatio (which translates to poop uncle): Tradition is you put food out for it (like santa) then it eats it while the kids sleep, then in the morning you drape a blanket over it, sing a song, hit it with a stick and it poops out a present HAHA.
Then (just to prove they are obsessed with pooping...) they have some weird thing where they are convinced that as Christ was born, someone was pooping, so they hide little figurines pooping in ever nativity. Kind of bizarre, but I think a present-pooping log is pretty hilarious!

On a spiritual note:

Biggest miracle. I love Colombians!

My companion and I were guided to be in the exact right place and the exact moment God need us there. I won't explain the series of events that led us to a street we've never been on in our little area, but it was miraculous. My companion, so say it lightly, does not enjoy street contacting, but is amazing at following the spirit. She suprised me by stopping this man. Willy stopped and introduced himself and invited us to teach him immediately. We sat on a stoop outside of his piso and had a beautiful lesson on the restauration. 
He didn't take a fecha, BUT he told us that he has 45 family members that also live here in Spain and he wants us to teach!!! Yes 45. That afternoon, he invited us back to meet his friend, and his cousin, then we met another cousin later this week. Both of his cousins have young families that they want us to teach. 

One of my favorite moments on the mission was happy dancing/crying tears of gratitude and joy for having met someone so prepared to receive and SHARE the gospel.

Gustavo is progressing so rapidly. He reads everything, seeks for new material: scripture, pamphlet, everything! He was so excited to be baptized on the 23rd, but Satan wasn't too happy about that. We went to pick him up for church. Ring his piso, no one answers, but we were let in as someone else was coming out, then we go up and his brother tells us he was already on his way to church. All the while, Gustavo isn't answering. We get to church and he isn't there, then a few hours later we get a picture of the gigantic dent in his head and a big appology because he had to go to the doctor. He fell down the stairs after we rang the timbre, and we didn't see him (I imaged it knocked him out) because we took the elevator. So we will be having his baptism on the 30th :) Happy New Year!

Edgar is still reading and doing great! The ward is just taking him in and it is so great. He is moving pisos, so it's really hard to meet with him, but we are doing a Family Home Evening tonight with him that he is excited about, and we will keep working on the Word of Wisdom, and pray he can have the strength to be baptized on the 30th as well.

Olga is 23 and also on the tip of baptism, and with the miracle of technology we are going to be able to squeeze in to her crazy schedule this week with WhatsApp Video conferencing!!

The 40 day fast began with fasting to recognize the things that are pulling my might, mind, might, and strength out of the work, and letting them go for 40 days praying every morning for the strength to let them go and every night giving an accounting. It is so hard, but the strength and the miracles that come are incredible. My faith grows more and more as God continues to show me all that He can do.

"three hours did the Lord talk with the brother of Jared, and chastened him because he remembered not to call upon the name of the Lord." Ether 2:14

This week I am making a commitment to pray with everything I have to do the work God needs us to do.

I love you all so much!
Have the best week! And keep finding joy in the journey!
Hermana Read