Hello everyone!! As always please excuse my spelling errors, my English is getting worse…This past week has been fantastic! There of course have been the standard ups and downs, but definitely more ups than downs. The CCM (MTC) here is so amazing!!
This week I had some great experiences, the first was the opportunity to go on a tour of the Real Madrid Stadium! It was SO cool!!! It was literally a dream come true for any soccer player! We got to walk around the entire stadium, see the locker room, see the giant trophy room, see the Ballon D’Or that Cristiano Ronaldo just won, go pitch-side and sit on the bench! I was giddy the entire time! I loved it and hope I get to do the same when I am in Barcelona!
On Saturday we got to go to the park again, and I got paired up with Elder Gill again! That almost never happens but I think the Lord was giving us a second chance at the park, because the first week we were together we struggled. So this week, to get over our fear of talking to random people we decided to look at talking to people as a chance to get the best rejection story! It worked better, but we only gave out a couple of pass-a-long cards. However we had a much better time, mostly because we saw several odd things whilst proselyting. The first was we were walking up to this guy to try to talk to them and a Police car drove by and he all but dove into the bushes!! It was so bizarre! Another thing I’ve noticed since being here, is that couples in Spain (and possibly the rest of Europe) have no inhibitions with their Public Display of Affection…It is rather odd. Honestly it could also be a tactic to get the missionaries not to talk to them, but who knows… Overall it was a good learning experience at the park!
Throughout the week we have been teaching our “investigators” and because I have two companions who basically already speak Spanish, I don’t feel the need to talk very much. My teachers noticed this and got on our District about teaching in unity and have been focusing most of their teaching efforts on me. This tactic bugs the crap out of me because I don’t like being the slow learner in a class. However it has improved my Spanish and I have started talking more in the lessons. I can now share poorly conjugated stories to aid my companions in the lesson! I guess my input was much needed because yesterday after teaching an extremely bad lesson with an investigator, we had two literally PERFECT lessons in a row!!! Our teachers/investigators said quote, “That is exactly how you want to teach.” (Besides the fact that that phrase was in all Spanish…) It really shows me how inspired Preach My Gospel is and how we teach people not lessons.
Another great opportunity we have in the Madrid MTC is singing on the Temple steps every Sunday. Elder Sullivan and his wife, Sister Sullivan, are here serving a mission working with the Young Single Adults and they were both in the Tabernacle Choir. They have helped all of us poor singers along and we sound fantastic when together! It is literally one of the coolest things I have been a part of.
This week has been so good for my testimony and has helped me grow as a member of this wonderful church. I’ve only been out for 24 days (I only know that because I keep track in my Journal) and I know it has been the best decision I have ever made in my life! I love you all and hope all goes well this week!
Elder Jonson
P.S. The land mark moment this week was when Elder Adam Nickerl scored his first goal when we were playing soccer. He has literally never played soccer in his life and isn’t the most coordinated of people. He has been praying ever since we got here that he would score, and as he said, “the power of prayer is real!!” All the missionaries here love soccer now and for physical activity there is absolutely no question about what we are doing now. I love it.
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