¡Feliz Año Nuevo!

Hello family!

It was so great talking to you! It also felt  really weird but that's alright.

We had a great 5 days since we last caught up.

Christmas night, we met with the lady who's moving back to Austria and taught her mother. It was a very good lesson. We actually found out that she has had a bad experience with a member of the church being mean to her! We were so sad that it had happened to her because she is just the nicest lady ever. We are working to get her a friend. She is very willing to read and pray though and she has good support from her family. Rafael is staying here and is now coming to church and the YSA activities! Oh btw Mom we played that game you sent me for Christmas (LeftCenterRight) at a YSA activity last night! They loved it! Really fun to explain in Spanish.

Thursday, we met with Leidy and her family and taught the plan of salvation. They had a ton of really good questions. One we didn't know the answer for even after studying. What happens to the spirits in the premortal life when the second coming happens? Anyways so we taught them and then came back the next day and read the Book of Mormon with them. Two great lessons. We have a date with them for this Saturday but we have more to teach and we need the mom's permission we have the dad's. We will see if we can have a big miracle before Yamil heads out on his mission!

 

We had a huge miracle this week! We saw Jose in the street and so we set up an appointment and he showed up this time! We were able to teach him the plan of salvation and gospel of Jesus Christ. And we set another baptismal date for the 25th. We really hope he is prepared. We have little left to teach but we can't get him to church. Later that day though we were able to bring him to a YSA activity and so he made friends! He is a huge blessing even though it's difficult at times.

We got a lot done this week had a lot of spiritual lessons and miracles. It's amazing transfers are this Saturday. It went super quick. Elder Tanner and I are working really hard. All of the Christmas activities slowed us down a bit but these past few days we got back on track.

Have a great week everyone! I love you!!

-Elder Stevenson

Got this with the Christmas money. Thanks!

 

 

 

Toledo, Spain



Cathedral de Toledo



 

¡Feliz Navidad!

Hola familia! 

You will hear this later but just want to tell a little about my week to put on the blog. I've sent a few pictures.

 

 

 

We have still been working a ton with Lady and her family and things are going really well! We had a couple of lessons with her this week. We committed her to a baptism date, the 4th of January. She wants to get baptized but she is 17 and so her mom wants her to be 18 before she gets baptized. We really feel like her mom will soften her heart and let her. The lessons with her are always so spiritual.

Our recent convert, less active, and investigator family are moving back to Vienna. We are sad about that but we have lessons planned with them everyday this week. They all came to church this week. It was a huge blessing and hopefully the missionaries can continue to meet with them in Austria.

 

I'm still doing great things out here. Can't wait to talk in a couple hours!!!

 



Video Chatting with Bryce!

love you! ¡Feliz Navidad!

-Elder Stevenson

This is Elder McEgein or something like that. He knows Kalob- so send it to Uncle Bryan so he can send it to Kalob.

 

Best Week Ever!

Our tree

Hello family!

We had an absolutely great week!

Monday, we had a lesson with a man named Jose Lopez. He is 18 and from Spain. Meeting him was a miracle. Last Friday was a holiday in Spain and so busses were running at super late times. We see our bus and start sprinting to make it and miss it  by seriously 2 seconds! So we had to wait 30 minutes for the next and on this next bus was Jose! Elder Tanner starts talking to him because he had met him before. This man pulled a knife on his old companion! But don't worry he's safe now!!! We taught him the restoration and it was just a super amazing lesson and after we introduced the Book of Mormon. He then said and I feel like I should pray about it too. We were both blown away! We left that lesson just super happy. We met with him again Wednesday and we taught about reading praying and going to church. We call it OLA (orar, leer, asistir.)  After we talked about the reading, we asked how it went for him and he said he really liked it and shared it with his brother! Then I asked if he believed that it was true and he said yes! We set a baptismal date for the 28th but he didn't come to church so we have to move it. 

mediodia dishes!

On Tuesday, we had another lesson with Elena, the lady with 2 sons on missions. She said she feels the spirit and wants to be baptized but not until until her son gets home in January and does something but we don't know what it is. It's just sad to see her be waiting when she knows its true.

Thursday, we had another HUGE miracle. We were passing by some people listed in our area book and then we hear Elders! We turn and see a man. He waves us over, so of course we go. His name is Yemil and he had just returned home from visiting England, where he will be serving his mission next month. He has 2 members of his family who are non members, so of course he invites us over. We met with them 3 times this week and one of them came to church! Her name is Leidy and she is 17.  We talked to her Sunday night and she absolutely loved church! She said she felt so welcome! We were so happy to hear it. We will continue to work there.

 

chess during medio dia

We worked a lot with these 3 people this week. They were a huge focus. It paid off really well and we were blessed for it. We also worked with our less actives. We worked with five this week and it was really good a couple came to church!. Iris also went to Madrid 9th ward this week so I was able to talk to her. It's really nice to see the hard work we put in pay off. Some days get really tough but it's those good days that we remember and that make it count. Very good week.

This was our week, one of mine and Elder Tanner's best. Full of blessings and miracles. Have a great week and I will talk to you Wednesday!!!!!!!!! Remember 5.30 here 8.30 California any family member can be there if they please. Google Chat. 40 minutes.

Love You!!!!!!!

Elder Stevenson

 

P.S. I want a real tree back! ours doesnt even smell good!

Oh and I want to know the areas tyson served in!

Many Blessings and Miracles!

Hola! We had a great week! Many blessings and miracles!

On Monday we met with a lady named Liz. She has been a member for 9 months and her mom is one of our new investigators. She had been living in Vienna and just moved back to Madrid! She called us and we met with her. She brought her brother too, who is apparently a less active. This was a huge blessing and miracle, hopefully we can lead her mother into the waters of baptism. 

Tuesday, we did some companion exchanges. I went with Elder Piñeiro for a day. He is a great elder we did some pass bys in the morning and were able to find a lesson from that. We also ate with a member from his ward and she helped us get in contact with her neighbor who is one of their old investigators. super cool opportunity.

Wednesday, we had district meeting. We were able to have the Jackson's there with us. We talked about goal setting and how we can act on those goals, always having them in our mind. Then we met with an investigator who comes every week and wants to get baptized but they need to get married first and so we are just waiting on that. Later there was a baptism for a man, who's name is Elvis. He is a super great man who actually has family in the church.

Friday, we had a lesson with Nicolai. He is from Peru, his sister is a member and  we have been teaching him. But he moved backed to Peru yesterday and won't return until the end of January. His sister is such a great member missionary. She has seriously given 3 Libros de Mormon to her friends this week! And invited them to the Christmas concert we are having next week! 

Sunday, we met with a recent convert. He invited us over and we shared a message then took him to a YSA activity that was going on at the church where Elder Tanner taught about putting on the whole armor of God. It was a great lesson then we played Uno with the members. 

Here is my great miracle for the week. When we were in Mostoles, we were working with a less active named Iris. The week of transfers she moved to Madrid. The other day in the morning we were contacting and right before mediodia (at midday, noon, lunchtime)  Elder Tanner had a letter he needed to send and forgot about, right as we were going into our piso I said hey lets go drop off your letter. He was like "no, it's fine" but I still said lets go do it so we did. As we were walking I see Iris!! And I stop and talk to her and turns out she lives near us!! But she is in the other wards area but we still found her got her info and gave her our info and now she has contact with the missionaries! If I had not been in this area she would not have been found as early. It was just a great miracle to have that happen. The sisters in the other ward have a lesson with her today in fact. 

This week has been great and full of great blessings. I love the work I do. I love the Lord I serve. Every day this month, we have been reading the living Christ in preparation for a devotional Christmas Eve. Everyday we read it, I grow more and my testimony grows. love you all very much!

 

http://jesuschrist.lds.org/SonOfGod/eng/testimonies-of-him/articles/the-living-christ-the-testimony-of-the-apostles-of-the-church-of-jesus-christ-of-latter-day-saints 

 

 

Mom for your question, Christmas in general they have regular Christmas here but in January they have a bigger celebration called Los Tres Reyes Magos, The Three Magic Kings (wiseman). The people put ladders out their piso windows for them to climb up and give presents.

Soooo for Chrismas! I will actually be using google chat, I have been told it's easier and all the family can be in the chat from all their computers. I will be calling at 5 here 8am in California and I am allowed 40 minutes. With that program the screen changes whenever someone talks but if you click on one person it will stay so you may want to do that because of all the kids.

 

! I got the packages today thank you! Thanks for the padded envelope! Elder Tanner says thanks for the Advent Calendar and tie! We need red ties for next Monday so good thing you sent one! Love you Mom!

Sorry no pictures of me this week I forgot my adapter  : (

Have a great week!

love, 

Elder Stevenson  

 

Christmas in Spain
Most people in Spain go to Midnight Mass or 'La Misa Del Gallo' (The Mass of the Rooster). It is called this because a rooster is supposed to have crowed the night that Jesus was born.
Most families eat their main Christmas meal on Christmas Eve before the service.
After the midnight service, people walk through the streets carrying torches, playing guitars and beating on tambourines and drums. One Spanish saying is 'Esta noche es Noche-Buena, Y no Es noche de dormir' which means 'Tonight is the good night and it is not meant for sleeping!'

 

January 6 - Dia de Los Reyes in Spanish - is virtually as important as Christmas itself in Spain, especially for kids, as this is the day when they get their presents! The fun starts the evening before, when the three kings lead their procession through the streets, throwing sweets to the children. The next morning, the children wake up to find their presents have been left overnight (rumors that Santa moonlights as the Three Kings when times are hard are unfounded). Read more about the three kings.

A popular tradition is to eat a Roscón, a sweet, donut-shaped bread (though much bigger than a donut) covered in glacier cherries and sugar. A plastic toy is buried inside the mixture, so don't dive in too quickly. He or she who finds the toy gets good luck for the next year (double the luck if they also ate the grapes on New Year's Eve!)

 

I'm Dreaming of a White Thanksgiving

Yep! We woke up Thursday and there was snow on the roof across the street and in the streets! Super weird!!

This week has probably been my favorite so far. I love my companion and this area! We work super hard, see miracles, but have fun!

On Monday, I got shown around the area a little bit and we did some contacting. So many people stop! It's so nice. Good first day.

On Tuesday, we have about 40 people, references, that have not yet been contacted from old missionaries. So we made it a goal to get them contacted. We went by the houses that we didn't have a phone number to. We also went and watched The Testaments with a less active and had pop corn. It was a super great lesson. She just works Sunday so it's difficult for her to get to church. Then we taught a lady who has 2 sons on missions in Barcelona but she isn't a member! So we taught her the restoration and it was a great lession then she seriously gave us a ton of food. It was insane! 

We had a great Wednesday. We had district meeting and we have a super great district, tons of great missionaries! One of the sisters is from Switzerland and so I spoke some German with her. Then we did some more of those pass bys and contacted 7 new people. 

Then Thanksgiving! We bought turkey legs from the store on Monday and cooked those up. Super good tasting! We were very surprised that we pulled it off. Then we passed by more and recieved so many blessings everytime we knocked a door. The old person didn't live there but we got the reference of the new one! Then we were able the have a lesson with one of them right there in her door. It was a huge miracle to be grateful for.

Friday, we had set big goals for lessons and we really felt like it would happen and we were blessed. We met with a lady named Stephanie. Her boy friend is a member! We taught the restoration and then went for a baptism date. It was one of the most powerful experiences I have had. The spirit was so strong during the lesson and was telling me so strongly to ask her to be baptized. She didnt want a date but she agreed to baptism and so we will set one up next week. Super great blessing. We then had a Family Home Evening with the ward and Elder Tanner talked about his ancestor, John Tanner, who helped pay for many things for the church in the early days. There is a video from the church about him.

Saturday, we had a lesson with a man named Juan Carlos. His wife is a member but he is not. We taught the gospel of Jesus Christ and told him to pray for his own baptismal date. He feels like he won't receive an answer and so we are working with him to build that faith.

Sunday. The members are so nice and amazing they work really hard with us and they just love the missionaries. We went to help with a YSA (young single adult) activity but no one was there so we knocked the neighbors door and she has already gone to church before with her friend and really liked it! Hopefully it turns out well!

Elder Tanner and I are best friends. We get along so well. It's hard not to get along when you buy multiple legs of meat from different animals. (the pictures later will explain-Turkey legs and a leg of pork!)

 

Sounds like you had a great Thanksgiving with the grandkids. Love the cast drawing pictures! It's cute. 

drawing on Dad's, a.k.a PaPa's, cast

So mom for your questions and Christmas in general they have regular Christmas here but in January they have a bigger celebration called "Los Tres Reyes Magos," the three magic kings (Wisemen). The people put ladders out their piso windows for them to climb up and give presents. On the 16, we are doing a concert for investigators and recent converts and New Year's Eve we have a fireside for missionaries. So for video chat I need you to make me a skype. gracias!

Have a great week! love you all!

Elder Stevenson