#4 -- GOOD BETTER BEST

SERVING IN SPAIN

Follow up on Irene... What we do with all things in life when they are too hard... Send in women! Jaja we passed her on to the sister missionaries because we feel they can meet her needs better. This week has been a lot better! I had to talk to my comp, and try to just be the best we can be. To be honest I would have been nice to him in high school, but we wouldn't have hung out. He has a lot of potential, but he kinda lost his drive and motivation. I could feel like, and it was starting to take effect on me. 

We were blessed with a miracle from the Lord! I know that what happened what truly inspired! I met Elder Sanchez my first day here. I didn't know that he was the Assistant to the President when I met him, but I found out later. He made a great impression on me, and after just talking to him for 10 minutes my first day I was so pumped! Well here comes the miracle. We were assigned to do Exchanges with the APs which is something that never happens unless you are a Zone leader, but we have no leadership position, so it's very rare. 

Elder Anderson stayed in my area, and I went with Elder Sanchez to his area. He is from Andelucia. It's a city here that speaks weird Spanish. Well we got going and started doing contacting. He talks to the people like they are his lifelong friends! He uses words like "Super" "Way" and other words that can't be translated, but indicate high enthusiasm! He is like the best missionary ever! He shows people great love, and has no fear! We worked way hard that day, and we got back to the apartment, and I was drained from so much work! It was Awesome! 

We then talked at night, and he told me thank you for showing the people love. he says I'm already a great missionary, and a bunch of other stuff. I felt like he talked to me the exact way Jesus would. I love this guy so much! I was ready to get back the next day and work with my new found form of contacting and excitement. 

I got back the next day, and my comp had found the same thing from Elder Anderson! We hit the streets, and felt an unreal difference! We had gone from good to better because we saw the best. I know that exchange was meant for us. I'm learning a ton! I hope I can write some funnier stuff later, but this was so important for me. 

The church is true! God lives and loves you! 

Love you guys! 

Elder Terry Bailey

What we do with our pday after hackie sack basketball.... We felt like the Sandlot, but older. Homemade pick up thin with a hanger and rope picking it up from floors up.... we're gonna start getting bags from the street!! 

#3 ONE RING TO RULE THEM ALL (August 18, 2014)

"Time has the only value we allow it to have"

Holy Cow! This week has been an emotional roller coaster! Yeah... Let me tell you about the strangest experience that I've had here.. So we were going to teach a lesson to a Bulgarian women named Irene. On the phone she sounded like the nicest most loving women on the planet. We understood that didn't have a job, and she hadn't had one for a while, but that's kind of normal in Spain... Then Thursday rolled around and we met her in person. If you are under 13 I recommend you discontinue reading this now. Haha jk, but kinda not really. Irene opened the door, and literally looked like Gollum from Lord of the Rings! She had slightly more hair. Well we went in with a member named Angel... He used to be gay, but that's another story for another day. 

We had planned on going over the Restoration with her, but as we were getting to know her she did a lot of the talking. I felt really bad for her as she explained her situation. She hasn't had work in more than a year, and she had no electricity, hot water, and she's going to be evicted in a month. She then started yelling at us as we talked about God. She cursed him, and I felt so defensive. I realized that I love God with all my heart, so it hurt when she started swearing and saying that he doesn't answer prayers. We were with her for an hour and a half. Angel probably spoke 5 minutes, I spoke 2 and my comp 3. She said that I didn't know how to speak Spanish, that I was short, brown, my handwriting was terrible, but I still wanted to help her. I tried to testify that God loved her, but she wouldn't hear what I had to say. We asked her to read the Book of Mormon, but she said that she'd sooner eat it. I had a ton of emotions running through me, but I really wanted to help. We ended the conversation and then we dropped off a bag of food at her house. We have another appointment set with her this Thursday. Wish us luck!

On a happier note, we played soccer on Saturday, and a TON of people come. The other missionaries in my area always play on Saturday, but they just play then leave. I noticed that this would be a great time to invite nonmembers. Every time I meet someone who looks like they play soccer I invite them to come play. I played and I probably played better than I ever had before, so they were more than willing to talk to me. I got 5 people's number (about the same we get working the streets in a week) I'm excited to see where some of these people go with the gospel. 

Well I'm running short on time, but I want you to know that the church is true. Despite what Crazy Irene says, God does live, and loves everyone of us on a personal level. I love you all and wish you the best. 

Thanks to everyone who wrote me! 

Elder Terry Bailey

#2 WOWZERS (August 11, 2014)

The tall one is my MTC Companion

Hey Friends, I have so much to say in such little time! I traveled alone from SLC all the way to Madrid. It wasn`t weird because I was scared, but because I was used to being with someone at all times. I met some pretty cool people. A pro rugby player named Mate. He was HUGE! It was weird being in a plane to Paris, and seeing everyone watching movies yet knowing that I couldn`t. I slept one hour on a 10 hour flight. I spent an hour in Paris then caught my flight. The worst part of it is that they TOOK MY GOLDFISH! Who does that? Well then I met the mission Elder and Mission President. From there I took a bus to Vilalba, which is my current area. 

I then met my companion... Let´s just say that it could be worse. I got to my flat, and it looked like it hadn´t been cleaned since the apostle Paul was in Europe... He didn´t have any lessons set up, and we had no plans for an hour. I made sure we did some cleaning. That night we made goals, and he confessed that his last transfer was kind of bad. We set high goals, and I let him know that I didn´t decide to leave my my previous life to kinda be on a mission, but I came to serve the Lord with my whole heart and mind. I don´t think I looked too happy about it, so he took it seriously. We woke up, 45 minutes early to clean the next morning. Now you´re probably wondering why I shared this story... me too.jk the flat was really that bad. If I went into detail then you'd probably throw up. 

Well now to the good stuff! We taught some families, and I was shocked at the love that I instantly felt for these people. It was as if the Lord allowed me to feel what he felt for them. We're teaching the Ordoñas family. They are golden. Their kids have been coming to church for like a year! They are really just waiting on their dad to give them permission to get baptized. I have been working on my relationship with him, so the day after his birthday this next week I'm making them enchiladas! 

Well The last story is way funny! I don't know if it will be nearly as funny for you as it was for me, but I hope so. We ate with this Hermana, and she was too kewl! She's from Bolivia. We (4 elders and 3 sister missionaries) went to her house for dinner. Well quick side note... there is a sister here that goes home in like a week, and she really bugs me. She's quite arrogant and rude. Well we walked into Adela's house, and she invited the Elder missionaries to sit down and get comfortable, and then told the sisters to get in the kitchen and start working on making food for the Elders! We offered to help, but Adela insisted that we stayed and talked to her. This particular sister was soo upset! The other sisters just laughed about it. Haha I guess the Lord really does work through his member. ;) We're going to make the sisters brownies during the nextmedio dia, so they don't feel like they are any less important, but it did make me happy! 

I love you guys, and wish you the best! I appreciate those who wrote this last week. The Church is true!! 

Elder Terry Bailey

the gurl is a good friend from my ward

#1 WHAT'S GOOD (August 5, 2014)

Elder Terry Bailey, serving LDS mission for 2 years

This isn't going to be very formal because I'm short on time, and I'm getting rather fat... The MTC has been GREAT! The first three days felt like a few months. I don't know why, but they did. My district was WAY fresh! I saw a bunch of people that I knew in my other life (inside mtc jokes) jaja I'm on West campus, so it's only Spanish speaking missionaries. I talked with Erika Hubler, Ian Hansen, and a bunch of other guys that I knew from photography or soccer. I have also made a ton of new friends! 

Let me just take a second to tell you about my district. They are all fluent in Spanish, and made me feel a little  Self Conscious about Spanish because I would never read or write a lot in Spanish, and most of these guys went to school in Spanish. They all seemed like cool guys from the very first day, and they were. It's great to see a bunch of young men willing to dedicate 2 years of their lives to serve the Lord. Haha I want to tell you about this guy in my district, Elder Ramos, he's from Mexico, but has lived in LA for a few years. He has a wild imagination that he seems to think is real. It's way funny! He told us that he was a black belt, an MMA fighter and a Brazilian Jujitsu instructor. I started talking to him about some locks, and he didn't know what I was talking about. He told us that he's beat up 5 guys at one time! Picture this: a 5'5 Mexican guy who looks like George Lopez and Nacho Libre teamed up, and became Elder Ramos! He was teaching a lesson and said this to a lady, (read in strong Mexican accent) "I see dat jew half some doubts about di Gospel... Do jew wanna feel da Spirit? Do jew wanna feel it RIGHT NOW"! And went on to talk really fast and in the end the investigator said, " I think I'll just go to mass next week" Haha He said so many quotable stuff! I was too funny! I love my district!

I played volleyball like every day! I was way fun! Everyone touched the net when they spiked, but other than that it was fine. One day I played soccer and it was like lunch soccer on steroids! I felt like I was in third grade again and everyone just wanted to kick it, so that was my last day playing until I get to Spain. 

lastly I just want to briefly tell you about my Spiritual experience here. I have learned soo much, and I feel like everyone should spend a couple weeks at the mtc just to feel what I felt. I want to let you know that the Lord answers prayers! I never thought that I would get home sick, or miss anything about home because I've always been quite independent, but while being here I have found that I did start to miss home, and that I didn't actually know everything about the gospel and teaching people. I started to miss my mum, my family, my friends, pictures, and many more things. I prayed that I could forget about them, and learn to be better. I started studying more earnestly, and I let the Lord humble me. In life and especially on the mission we need to place an emphasis on feeling the Spirit. I feel like I've gotten better. I'm far from perfect, but I know that through Christ I'll become better. I love you and wish you the best. The church is true.

ELDER TERRY BAILEY

PS I fly to Madrid in an hour! I stop in Paris then go to Madrid! Email me and let me know how things are in the States!

Two of my friends left at the same time as me.  Elder Toff Taylor (Ecuador), Elder Tanner Clegg (South Africa) and me, Elder Terry Bailey (Spain)

My friends have been awesome examples.  Elder Mitchell Thayne (Capetown South Africa) is currently serving.  My brother Paul just got home.  And here I begin.