Week 76 - Nuevos!!!

6/22/15

This week we saw a fantastic miracle. As a district we were struggling on finding new amigos to teach, so in district meeting we set a goal to find 16 new investigators as a district this last week. We worked hard all week and found 16 new people to teach before sending numbers.  Three of which were not found until Sunday evening. It was incredible to see faith turn into action and to see the results. I promised the district three baptisms in the month of July if we got the goal so we're going to keep working hard and see that miracle too! I'm loving how much the work is progressing here in Santander!

We didn't have a baptism this week because our investigator has been working so we are going to see if we can't get him baptized in one of the coming weeks.  However, we have another investigator who is still progressing like a champ. I think she's from Ecuador but has lived in Europe for awhile (Italy and Spain). She lives with her grandma and her aunt is a member so she comes with her every week. Her mom was working in Italy but just got here for vacation. Her dad is living in the United States, in New York. She's super great though.

The work here in Santander is fantastic and we are getting closer and closer to white (aka baptism) so I can't wait to send more pictures, but for now this picture of my new haircut that I received from a member here in Santander will have to do.

Have a great week!

 

 

 

Week 75 - Closer to white

6/15/15

This week in Santander has been wonderful. We're looking at a baptism this weekend if everything works out.  We have this friend investigating the church named Eloi and when we were teaching him we realized that he had a problem with smoking. We taught the Word of Wisdom and he told us that he's wanted to quit smoking for a long time but he wanted more of a reason to. So we invited him to stop smoking by smoking two less cigarettes a day. I called him a day or so later to see how he was doing and he said that he wanted to stop smoking still so we set a visit for that Saturday. When we got to the visit we asked him how many cigarettes he was smoking now and he told us, "well I haven't smoked AT ALL in 3 days." We kind of sat there for a second mouths open, and then congratulated him for his efforts! He is such a great guy! 

We're getting closer and closer to a baptism, the weather even wants us to baptize. It's been raining off and on for the last couple days, but I take it as a sign. 

Another investigator that we are teaching is a South American girl named Melannie. She is progressing well. She's more active than some members.

This week we had our last conference with the Pace's and it was very nice. We talked about the importance of the sacrament.  It actually doesn't renew our covenants but reminds us of the convents we have made. The covenants we make are eternal so the don't really need renewing but they need remembering otherwise it doesn't work. I thought that was interesting.

I hope you're all doing well and have a
fantastic week!

Week 74 - Santander & Ipads

6/8/15

This week has been great, I love my new area and I'm getting to know the people better and better.  This week I have seen the miracles that come from an invitation.  The sister missionaries had our ward mission leader invite the Ward Council members here to identify the people who have recently had a baby, a death in the family or recently moved so that we could pass by and visit them with some cookies or something and a Book of Mormon.  Immediately after Ward Council we went out to visit an investiagtor with the Ward Secretary and he said that he had several people he was going to have us pass by!  Now when we go visit these people we'll really complete the promise of D&C Section 4 "...ASK and ye shall receive, KNOCK and it shall be opened unto you.  Amen."

Oh on another note, the three missions in Spain GOT iPAD MINIS this last week!!!!  Each missionary gets an iPad that will be returned to the mission at the end of their service but it's pretty neat having it to help in lessons! I feel so technologically advanced!  Haha but really though, it's a lot of trust that the first presidency puts in the missionaries.

On the investigator front we have a couple people who are getting really close to baptism and we are super excited for them!!!  Santander is growing poco a poco (little by little)!! 

Week 73 - Santander

6/1/15

Tuesday morning I got up finished packing and took the one hour train ride from Vilafranca to Barcelona.  Once in Barcelona, we spent some time talking with the other missionaries and had a good time.  I then caught my train to Bilbao (6 and a half hours) and got there just after 10pm.  We then spent the night in the Zone leaders apartment and the next morning my companion Elder Wadsworth and I got up and caught a bus (1 and a half hours more) to my new area of Santander. 

 

It's a lot different, everything here is green and it's colder here!  It's a neat change though.  Santander is super pretty and my companion enjoys talking with everyone.  I think I've knocked more doors and contacted more people this week than I have in the last month!  I'm excited to be serving here in Santander even though I don't know much about it. 

Photo - View of Santander

View of Santander

Santander

 



Santander is located on the north shore of Spain near Bilbao & the coast of France

 Santander supposedly has some of the best beaches in Spain

Not that Tikal will experience them while he is there - maybe after his mission

Week 72 - Transfers and Birthday

5/26/15

I'm getting transferred to the farthest point away from the office in our mission today.  Santander!  I've heard it's really pretty and mountainous but on the coast.  So this'll be fun!

My birthday week was great.  The Bishop's wife Marta took good care of me.  She made me a cake and dinner on Monday.  On Tuesday the Sister Missionaries brought me a cake, and then I went on intercambio to Hospitalet for the night.  Then on Wednesday night a Peruvian family made me another cake.  It was awesome.  

My miracles from this past week were 1) setting a baptismal goal with a kid named Edmond, 2) Monica came to the Ward Garden activity on Saturday without anything but an invitation from some members, and 3) an investigator named Malena came to church by herself with her two daughters (10 and 5 years old). 

It was a really good week although I spent two days out of my area for intercambios.  I did get to say good bye to a lot of people.  So that's good. 

I now have a 1 hour train ride to Barcelona, followed by a 6.5 hour train ride to Bilbao, followed by a 2 hour bus ride to Santander.  I love transfers.....Have a great week!

Map - Tikal's New Area - Santander

Tikal's New Area

He went from the coast near Barcelona to the
opposite coast near Bilbao and the coast of France

Week 71 - Tibidabo and Miracles

5/18/15

This week has been good, but my favorite parts were the beginning and the end. 

At the beginning we went to visit a Catholic church on top of the mountain that overlooks Barcelona.  It's called Tibidabo.  Last preparation day we went with the other Elders in our district and we were looking around and enjoying being tourists for a moment.  We had to pay for the train ticket up and back which for missionaries was quite expensive but worth it.  We enjoyed the view first and then went into the church.  As we were inside a Catholic Priest came over to us and started talking to us about Tibidabo and how old it was and the paintings and all that jazz.  We politely listened and thanked him as he walked away.  We then walked toward the elevator which takes you up to the next level of the the church where you can get up to the giant statue of Jesus on top.  As we walked over the Priest came over again and asked us if we were going to take the elevator up.  We responded that we were and he then stated that as missionaries we probably didn't have a lot of money so he gave the 4 of us a free ride up in the elevator!!!  It was so neat!!!  I love the random blessings of the lord! 

Then the end of the week we were talking to the Bishop here in Vilafranca and he challenged us to bring 3 MIRACLE STORIES to him next sunday.  Not just miracle stories, but MIRACLE STORIES.  It was a great reminder that we are entitled to miracles as missionaries and members of this church we just need to put the effort in and have the faith.  So I'd like to extend the same invitation to you all, write me 3 MIRACLE STORIES that have happend in the past week to each of you.  I hope you all have a great week and remember that Tuesday the 19th is my Birthday!!! 

Love you all

Photos - Tibidabo

The Tibidabo Catholic Church in Barcelona

Overlooking Barcelona from Tibidabo