Valentines! Cuatro Caminos

Thanks for the Valentines! Mini Me's (made completely of hand cut hearts, except the name tags)

Hello family!

We have had a great week this week!

First off, Marco is doing super well! Still coming to church, reading, praying, everything! He really wants an answer. He still is working towards the 16th and He really wants it. We have full faith he will be baptized that day. He said he has felt good when he meets with us. He just doesn't know if it is the spirit or not. So we are working on that right now. He is just super awesome.

Dropping off books!    = )

We were able to meet with Joy and Tristan again. We talked a lot about baptism and they told us how they want to be baptized. We really hope they start the marriage process. Tristan came to church this week and really liked it. The only problem standing in the way is being married!

We met with Pablo again and talked about him talking to his parents. We then talked about fasting and how it helps us with things we really want and need. We decided to fast with him so that he can have the courage to talk with his parents. He has promised to talk to his parents that day of the fast. We really hope he does it because if he does all will go well.

We met some really great people this week! The Hermanas got taken out of our area so we split up their people and they also had a ton of old investigators that hadn't been checked up on for years. So we took on that task and we got 3 new investigator's from it. And a couple references because the original person didn't live there anymore but the new person was interested too!

Old Madrid Cuatro Caminos-1906

First we got Christian,. his parents were meeting with the missionaries when he was very young and then one day didn't come back. We passed by the house and he was there. Now he's 16 and let us in we talked about the Book of Mormon with him and left him with something to read. We are meeting with him tomorrow so we will see how it went. 
 

We also met Celia and Masheila, a mom and her daughter. They had been taught once before and so they got a lot from the lesson the second time. The spirit was very strong and it was just a great visit. We really hope things go well. We are actually going to paint one of their rooms this Wednesday.

Cuatro Caminos- 2014

                                              





We met a lot of people this week. So hopefully we will met with them next week. My comp just got back from an area with not that many people in the streets. So now to be in the main part of the city, where there are tons of people, he is going crazy contacting and I love it!

This has been our week. I hope yours was good. Looks like everyone went and saw the Lego Movie which sounds cool. Spain is super behind on movies. They advertise months later which is pretty funny.So I'll see that poster in 3 months!

Have a great week. Mom and Dad travel safe. Love you all!

-Elder Stevenson

I STAYED!!!!!

Elder Anderson

Hola familia! 

We had a pretty good week this week.

 

Soooooo transfers were this week and.... I STAYED!!!!!

I am now with Elder Anderson though Elder Lloyd went down to Madrid 9 same area as b3 where I was. Elder anderson has only 2 transfers left in the mission and is also from Utah. Super excited to work with him.

I forgot my chapa in this one.  =/

Things with Joy & Tristan have been pretty weird. They seemed to really like church and the baptism, but they failed us this Tuesday which is the first time. We then tried to call them and their phone wasn't on. Wednesday, we snuck up on them and only Tristan and Trixie were there because Joy was working. So we read a little of the Book of Mormon with him and set up another visit for that Saturday. Saturday, we go and once again failed! We were super confused and the phone still didn't work. Sunday morning, they weren't there either so we couldnt bring them to church. We don't really know what's going on but we hope all is o.k. and that we can still meet with them.

Things with Marco are going really well though! We met with him on Thursday and set a date for the 16th of March and he accepted! We shared  the restoration dvd with him and he really enjoyed it. He told us how he feels different when we come over and so we testified to him that it was the spirit and that we will have it with us always after baptism. He came to church again on Sunday and was able to see a confirmation. He is really progressing and so things should go well! 
 



Omar and Stefanie

Omar and Stefanie are doing really well also. We went over there Thursday and talked about faith in Jesus Christ. We talked about them getting married and they are putting a lot of thought into it and so hopefully they can start that process soon! They will be out of town the next few Sundays so can't come but we will still be able to meet during the week.

Hetrobel

We got a new investigator on Thursday whos name is Luis, this right here is a story. Elder Lloyd got this reference before I came in. One day Elder Fonseca and Echegaray told us a story of a drunk man who was chasing after his roomate with a frying pan (just like Tangled) Anyway, he starts chasing him up a flight of stairs and when he gets to the top the roommate picks him up by both arms and throws him down all the stairs. These 2 elders saw it all and were just freaking out. They had just gotten out of a lesson. A week or 2 later Elder Lloyd went on comp exchanges and they went to that piso. Elder Lloyd saw he had a guy in his agenda he needed to contact in the same building and so they did and Luis answered the door. Same man who got tossed down the stairs. They set up a return visit. So we go by and he lets us in and he lives on a little balcony inside the piso. We go up there to teach and some of the stairs are broken so we asked how it happened. He said he was on the top stair and it broke so he fell down and broke 2 more on the way. This man is just not having luck with stairs! We teach him the Restoration and were having a super good lesson sharing the time, asking great questions. One of the best I would have had if his roomate had not come home a little drunk. Right as I am talking about the first vision. We then ask if we could go outside to finish to be in a more quiet safe situation so we did. We set up a return visit and planned for it at the church to keep us safe. It was a very different experience. Then later that night, we went over to visit a family and were waiting for the hermanas at a bus stop and this drunk lady across the street starts yelling random words, we instantly knew she was super drunk. She later tries crossing the street and luckyly doesn't get hit. She then comes and stands by me but doesn't say anything, Then she says " ¡Yo puedo hablar africano!" (I can speak african) and continues to talk in an unknown language for a couple minutes, then runs away. Super wierd moment in my life. She saw us again later and ran towards us yelling ¡quiero sacar una foto! (I want to take a picture) We just ran away because the hermanas were there. Really weird experience, but funny to look back on.
 

Julian

This is pretty much our week we have dropped a lot of people that had been taught everything but didn't want to find out for themselves if it was true and would fire us a ton. There were also really good baptisms this week the hermanas got 2 from a couple that have been coming to church for years but were not married and they finally got married and baptised on Valentines Day. Then yesterday an 18 year old young man was baptised by his good friend James in the ward. He helps us with lessons a ton and is going to be a great missionary. 

I love you all and hope you had a great week! Talk to you later! 

-Elder Stevenson

Pricipe Pio and Plaza de Castilla

Pricipe Pio -train/ metro stop

Hola Familia!

We had a super good week this week! 

We worked a lot with Joy and Tristan. We watched the Restoration dvd with them and the spirit was so strong! When we talked about it after they shared how they felt inside and didn't know what it was, so I explained that they were feeling the spirit and it was testifying to them that these things are true. They were kind of stunned because it was a totally new feeling for them. Went back another day to teach the law of chastity and we thought it would be easy because Tristan was kicked out of his old church for ``marrying´´ Joy, but turns out they are not legally married. Also Joy is married to another man in the Philippines but he left her and apparently it takes 5-10 years to get the anulment because they don't have divorce there. We were very sad leaving from their home that day but we know it will happen some day. We are just praying for a way that the prosses can go faster! We then went by again Saturday and read a little bit more from Joseph Smith History explaining how the plates came to be. We picked them up Sunday morning and they came to church with us and will be returning again. Then that night barrio 5 had a baptism and so they went to that too. If they were married we would for sure be having a baptism, but it will happen. 

 

P-Day BOWLING!

We were also able to meet with Omar and Stefanie this week explained more about the Plan of Salvation and talked about a marrage plan and they weren't really sure at first but we asked them to pray about it. I think they did because Sunday they came to church and it was ALL about the family. So hopefully they did pray and hopefully they noticed that answer. They also would love to return next week!

Guess who lost???

This week we met with a man that we met right outside of our piso and he seemed very nervous and shy and so we didn't know what to expect when we went over. Anyways his name is Marco. He is from Ecuador. We taught him the Restoration and he really enjoyed it. Elder Lloyd and Fonseca went over Friday during comp exchanges and taught the Plan of Salvation. They said it went really well. He came to church with us also Sunday and had really good questions during gospel principals. When we were going to leave he turned and told me that he really liked it but he wasn't ready to get baptized yet. We hadn't even asked him yet but he has it on his mind that he is really trying to find the truth. I feel like good things will come from him, and don't worry we are going to invite him this week.

Thursday, we went out to Tres Cantos to teach the friend of our high counselor. His name is Juan he is from Peru. He has a wife and 1 kid and they are actually legally married! His wife and kid are still living in Peru right now but the mom is actually meeting with sister missionaries there! This man was a member reference so we hope all goes well. He is coming to a baptism and church next week. We're excited!

Plaza de Castilla

 

 

 

 

 

We also met with Pablo and he still hasn't talked with his parents. = (

Well this has pretty much been our week. It went really well! Just hope the best for all of our investigators. Have a great week. Love you!!

-Elder Stevenson

Febuary COLD!

 

Knocking Doors!

Hola Familia!

Sounds like it was a great week with Jakob & Hyrum's baptisms!

Here in barrio 1 we have 12 lined up for the 15th so it should be a good month for our ward.

 

Two of which are Joy and Tristian! Things with them this week have gone really well. We helped them move a couple days this week and were able to teach right after. It's amazing how prepared they are. One of the days we had to teach the Word of Wisdom. And you will never believe it, as we were walking in the street during the move we talked about it. Tristian is allergic to alcohol, never has drunk coffee or tea, and for no reason at all gave up smoking 6 months ago! Elder Lloyd and I were amazed! His wife only drinks a little coffee every once in a while but was easily willing to give it up. Another miracle of the week with them they have a friend that is a member and is about to move in right next door to them! It's a great way for them to build each other up in the gospel. They had some friends helping with the move and we were able to talk to them and are going to meet with them this week. It is amazing the blessings that are coming from this one family and they are being blessed also. They absolutely love us. This week they feed us. We had menudo some Pilipino dish and some other one but they were super good! Then we also saw them in the metro and their daughter was super happy we have built a good relation. Anyway, that's how they are doing. Still progressing towards their baptism!

Can you see the snow?

 

We met with Pablo this week also and the 31st was his day to talk to his parents about being baptized but he was still too afraid. We gave him some encouraging words and he is going to try and talk to them this week. We are really only waiting on that. He has been taught it all, he basically teaches us and he has come to church. He just wants his parents to know before he does it. He could be baptized any day if he wanted because he is 19.

We got to meet with Omar also. His wife wasn't there so we couldn't make a marrage plan with them. But he really feels something different with the church and so he wants to join. He has been reading and praying just needs to be married.

Yesterday, we went and gave blessings to the Hermanas' investigators because they got married today and just wanted comfort. It was a very nice spiritual experience and now they are going to be getting baptized! They have been investigators forever and finally can be baptized. It's so tough to get married here in Spain. Very expensive and takes 1-2 years roughly to get all of the paperwork set up.

We also had a Stake Conference yesterday. We're able to hear from Europe Area President Texiera, Elder Maynes, and Elder Ballard. It was a very good one. It was also a broadcast like you had. They talked a lot about missionary work and how to endure 'til the end in the gospel. 

This was pretty much our week. We were with Joy and Tristian a lot and running from appointment to appointment but we kept on getting fired. I don't know what was up with our investigators this week. We did get a lot done though.
 

Snow! Right on Queue.

This week people have been telling us to bundle up because Febuary is the coldest month in Madrid and it's true! First day of the month: super cold and windy. Second day: warm durring the day but once night hit, even colder then the day before! Then today we woke up and I was cooking crepes and look out the window and snow is plowing down! It wasn't cold enough to stick but there was a lot coming down! We went outside to be in it and there was a Spaniard guy standing there and we started talking and I told him how I was from California and this never happens. He got a kick out of it. Anyways it's COLD!
 

I hope you all had a great week! Love you all!
 

-Elder Stevenson