#43 Eu no falou

This week was great!! We met an old angel and had some very inspiring meeting. 

We were in the bank getting our bus passes renewed and we were in in line behind this old Galego  guy. We were waiting for it to be our turn, but this sneaky lady tried to cut us in line. Once the old guy noticed what was happening he took a second and then started expressing himself. He begun cussing like a sailor! "I have a bad knee! How dare you cut us in line!" After a minute of him yelling and everyone looking at him the lady moved and I was like go ahead brother. He said with s smile, "After you my friend." My comp is convinced that he was a third Nifite. 

Now I feel like I've written about my good friend Fran before, but basically he's an awesome guy who's less active. He was Bishop in Venezuela and Branch president here. We were conversing and I so much wanted to get to the core of the problem. Through inspired questions and the Spirit we were able to help him realize why we should keep the commandments what moves him to choose the right. The Spirit was very strong in that room, and I know that he has the potential to transform this branch which is why I'm so excited about his growth. 

The church is true. Here are a couple of pics we got with our other Venezuelan friend Jose Matute! 

#42 Portugal

Bueno I have no time today, or hardly ever, but we had a miraculous week!

We just got back from Portugal, so I have poco tiempo but muchos pictures! (Don't worry dad we had permission) (:

We were on exchanges, so I was waiting for my companion, making calls. This guy named Jhonathan is was an old investigator that I've tried to
call like 10 times. I felt like I should call him, but I didn't want to call him to just hear another answering machine. I decided to follow the prompting and kick my pride out of the way for a second. I called him, and answered! He was open to meet that day right when my comp got back from the station. We set the place, and told him we'd be there in 45 minutes. My comp's bus came late, so we got to where Jhonathan was 90 minutes later! Jhonathan had waited there for an extra 45 minutes! (Doesn't happen in Spain) Then we met with him to see where he was at. He had read the Book of Mormon cover to cover, stopped smoking and isn't living with his girlfriend! That's gold if I've ever seen it!!!

We conversed for a few minutes and went over what he remembered. He told me that he felt like the church was good, and this is the path that he wants to follow! That's HUGE miracle! He's so prepared! We now have a date for his batism, and I thank the Lord for blessing this area, and me with such a prepared man!

Gotta be their stepping stones!

#41 Vision

Esta semana fue guay! It was my first week with my new comp, and I had a great time with him. he got baptised just a little over 2 years ago, and now he's on a mission!! He has a good spirit, so we're gonna blow up this area! 

This week we heard about our main man Oswaldo. His 7 year old son was talking to his friend saying that he can't play with him Sunday because he has to go to church. Oswaldo and his wife said that they're now going this week because they're not Mormons. Oswaldito said, "Well in that case I'm a Mormon!" It  makes me laugh, but it's also interesting how young children are often times more in tuned to the Spirit than adults. 

We also had district conference this week, and we had Fran the Domincan come. I was way pumped to see him there! He's the guy that used to be a bishop in the DR, but has now been inactive for like7 years. Him and I are buddies, so we had a good time singing and chatting on the bus ride up there! It's really those small moments of joy that make things well worth the effort! 

Lastly we're been working on a District vision, and I found a good use for some of the pictures that I had taken before the mission! It's all in Spanish, but I think it's pretty cool! The church is true, and I hope you all have a grand week! 

#40 Lady from the Caribbean

Well this will be short because I just picked up my new comp, so I time!! 

Basically this was a solid week! We've been looking for some new people to teach, and found this lady from some island in the Caribbean that nobody knows about. She doesn't have a phone, and doesn't speak a ton of Spanish. We left her a card and let her know where we met, and left it at that. Miraculously she came to church and said that she's never felt better in any other church!! We're meeting with her this week, but I feel like she could be an answer to our prayers!

Other than that I went and did a bunch of workouts with a less active guy named Fran. I might have written about him, but he's from Venezuela, and has a ton of potential. like 10 years ago he came here from Venezuela after being branch President. He saved the branch and made it really big. Now he's inactive, and is a personal trainer to spend more time with him we worked out..... I think it's the closest I've been to death on my mission. We had a great time, and related working out to the gospel and my I felt really good about it. He's awesome and I believe he'll come back soon! 

Well the church is true! God loves us a lot!! 

Elder Bailey

#39 Isla Cies

This week was like Frosted Flakes! "They're more than good, they're GRRRRREAT!!"
On Monday we went to Isla Cíes. We went with our whole zone and had a
great time! We went to a light house, played soccer on the beach, and
partied (missionary style) on a boat! We were there with our mission
President and everything! It was soo fun! Then we had Zone conference
with a bunch of sunburt missionaries!

Then we met with Wladamir. (the guy I told to get his shirt on and get
to work). He had come to church that Sunday I talked to him, but
hadn't come since. We talked, and were able to see what he really
needed and work on helping him progress. He's a great guy, but just
needs a lot of love. It's such a shame to see people with such great
potential be blinded by Satan and feel like they don't have a great
importance in the eyes of God.

Well things are going well here in Ourense! We are seeing progress,
and I know and love each one of the members here. I joke around with
the old ladies who always want me to marry their grandaughters in
Colombia, and I love being with these people who work so hard to come
unto Christ! They're awesome!!!


Pics: Isla Cies

The lighthouse, Me and Elder Poulson, and more!

#38 Doesn't get any better than this...

This week was super busy! We went to Madrid, and had a blast!

I got to kick it with my old comp Elder Poulson! He's my main bru! We
went down to Madrid, made a music video, and had a great time. What
made it the best week though was the fact that we got to see the
Fuentes family get sealed. Well just the parents for now, but it was
awesome. I've never felt the Spirit more powerfully before. I was so
happy! I almost started crying, and everything! Well I feel like I
can't express how I truly felt with words. I'm just so happy for them,
and that I could play a part in that great process!!

Well then we had our ipàd meeting. Who knows when we'll get them, but
it was a good meeting, and it was great to see all of my friends that
I've made during the mission. It's just crazy to see that a lot of
them are going home soon! It was a good time though!

The last thing that I got to do before we left Madrid was to in to do
a session at the temple. I hadn't been to one in 9 months, so it was
awesome! Well the church is true! I'm going to an Island off the coast
of Vigo today, so I have no time! Love you all!!!

Elder Bailey

#37 PROGRESS

Well this week has been like Shakira says. "loca loca loca"!!! We recieved notice that we're going to have ipads, so we're going down to Madrid. (From Ourense it's like 7 hours on train) As we found this out I talked to the missionaries in my last area about how everything was going in Talavera. They let me know that Helmut (Miguel's brother) recieved permission to get baptized. I love every fasset of missionay work. Some plat, some cultivate and some reap. I'm super excited to see that his parents felt the Spirit and that Miguel(Romanian that I taught and baptized) has been a good example. It's super exciting!! 

    As I was talking to those same missionaries I was reminded that Jhonny and Patricia(Awesome couple that we taught the temple prep classes to) hasn't been through yet. I decided to take avantage of the miracle that Elder Poulson and I were going to be in Madrid and make sure that they went through and that we could be there for their sealing, and the sealing of their 2 children!!

It all sounded nice and dandy, but it has been crazy difficult to coordinate everything, and make sure that everything is ready to go. I knew that I needed to take the bull by the horns and make this happen, but Satan works sooo hard to make sure that people can't enjoy the blessings of the temple. I still need to work out some details, but it looks like it should all go through. I ask for all of your prayers to make sure we help the Fuentes family get sealed!! 

Well I don't have any funny stories, but I know the church is true, and that the gospel helps people to expiernce joy. I love you guys and hope you have a great week!! 

pics from exchanges with my British Friend in Lugo!!