Week 97 - Training and Progress

11/16/15

My week has been good. This week one of the miracles we saw was with our investigator Yuri. We've been talking to him for a couple weeks off and on and trying to help him understand that he too can believe that Jesus Christ is our savior and the son of God. So on Saturday we saw him working and went to talk to him, and he told us that he wanted to try the "baptism thing." We sat there rather stunned as he explained that he really loves the way he feels in the church and with the members and said he'd like to give it a shot. He wants to know if it is true and he is already showing real intent, so we're going to set a fecha (baptismal date) with him this week. I'm super excited!!! Por fin baptism!
 

Other than that all is swell, hearing a lot about the Paris attacks, but not worried at all, you know how I am. Tomorrow we have Specialized Training then on Wednesday a Special Conference with members of the quorum of the Seventies, so that should be good! Good looking week this week!

Elder Jonson

Tikal with the Elders from his piso

Elders Latteier, Stratton and Tyson

At a ward BBQ

Week 96 - Extending for Eight Additional Weeks

11/10/15

I prayed about extending and I received my answer to stay.  I am super excited about the opportunity to serve a little longer. I'm sorry if it causes problems, but I'm sure there's a bigger thing going on in the Lords plan. I know there's something else I need to do, someone else I need to help. I'll be entirely honest and say I didn't feel comfortable at all with the December date, so I changed it. I'm happy to be serving the Lord as a missionary in Barcelona, Spain. My new release date will be February 3rd, 2016. As for my visa, I've been illegal here in Spain since last January, so I'm not too worried about it, the office should be working on it.

In regards to missionary work, my area is hard, pretty much all Spanish people. The work is slowly starting to improve, we mostly contact in the street, sometime knock doors and now are starting to get a couple references from members every once and awhile.

Well with Maddi Wheadon's companion (Maddi is from our home ward in Lehi.  She served a Spanish speaking mission in Kansas), she's in my ward here in Hospitalet and she asked me where I was from and then asked if I knew Maddi when I said I was from Lehi. Maddi was her trainer.  Work goes on, I'm happy, healthy and loving life. Hope all is well at home. 

Tikal with Maddi's Companion

Tikal found a picture of the Mayan Temple of "Tikal "in an old Liahona magazine

Week 95 - Stake Conference and Leadership Council

11/3/15

This week we had stake conference. In the Sunday session they gave us free pens! It was great!, different, but great!  I can always use a free pen.  During the conference, my companion and I had to translate for a British guy who was there. That was interesting. I never realized how much people mumbled until then. I can translate from English to Spanish but Spanish to English is rough.

 

Right now in Spain it feels like September in Utah. So that's not too bad. It gets pretty chilly sometimes because of the humidity though.

 

Yesterday was concilio (Leadership Council).  It was good.  It is great to be with President Dayton and the other missionaries. Anyway my week was a bit longer and rougher but that's ok this week will be better. Always is. 

Elder Jonson

 

 Leadership Council

 

 Tikal was impressed with the Ward Mission Leader's

ability to park his truck in a space so small.

 Halloween with Elder Latteier and some members

 

 Tikal selfie

Logo their zone is using for their monthly baptismal goal

 

Video - Synchronized Swimming Skit

Here is the video of the skit that Tikal and Elders Latteier, Caetano and Tyson did to introduce the Zone's Baptism goal for the month - It is worth watching.

Week 94 - Success in Vilafranca

10/26/15

The investigators in my area are starting to do better and we're finding more people to teach.  Overall, my area is improving. A lady I taught back in Vilafranca got baptized this week so that's super great, overall I'm excited to be here at this time.

This week we did two intercambios and I went to Tarragona for one of them and it's nice that I have served in some of the wards where there are really old Spanish members because it helps me relate with people wherever I go.  Next week we have leadership council so it will be great to see President Dayton and a lot of my friends next week.

Have a great week!

Elder Jonson

Tikal and Elder Latteier as part of the Primary Program

 

Zone Meeting

Week 93 - The Savior's Love

10/19/15

The idea for the video we did last week came from Elder Tyson.  He is a new Elder who lives in our piso who is in his training right now. He was the student body president at Westlake. He gave us the idea and we all choreographed the day before during mediodia.  It was really funny. Hermana Dayton is going to try and post it on the mission website. The goal for the zone is to have every companionship baptize at least one person this month. It got people excited but we still haven't had any baptisms in the zone this month. 

I gave a talk yesterday in Sacrament Meeting which was prepared at the last moment after having started writing the talk over several times. I talked about love for the savior. It went well, or so I was told. 

Hope all is well!

Elder Jonson

 

Dinner with a family from Argentina

 

 Elders from Tikal's piso (Latteier, Caetano, Tyson)

 



Bowling Scores from p-Day

Not sure which one is Papi, Bad Kid or Mild Sauce - Pretty sure that Tikal is "Jonson"

 

Elders Latteier and Tyson at the bowling alley

 

 

Week 92 - Synchronized Swimming

10/12/15

This week has been about the same I had to write stuff that happened down because I would start writing and forget about it. Sometimes it is just so hard to find time to write. I'm literally on the phone for about 30-40 minutes every night and doing zone stuff for another 10-20 minutes then I brush my teeth and go to bed. It's nuts.

Random note I'm speaking next week and once again I'm the last talk...with an open theme. Last week we were able to find some family trees of a recent convert and her nonmember husband. So that was really good and exciting for them.

We did a skit this month for the presentation of the new goals for the zone. It was Synchronized Swimming....it was funny. (we will try to upload a copy - it really was pretty funny - below you can see a picture of them in their swim caps)

Leadership Council

 Zone Skit to Introduce the Monthly Goals for the Zone