Final Day at the Madrid MTC and Majadahonda-Madrid

So not much time to email but I printed your letters and will read them. Tell Kayla and Rebecca I got their letters today and say thanks.

 

We leave tomorrow at 7 go to the mission home for orientation and lunch. Then we come back here for our new area and companion. 10 missionaries are going to the Canaries!!! Crazy! We met President Jackson yesterday, great man! Can not wait but I will miss Elder Rasmussen. So many tears have been shed the past few days. These people are my family and I love them.

We have just been doing a ton of final things. All of my stuff is packed and everything is just empty. It's super weird. I want to talk about the weekend but I don't have much time so I will share one quick story.

Saturday morning I did personal study in Ether 12,  talking about miracles and faith. We had a tough day in the park but the last man on the metro took a book. And said he would read the entire thing because he felt something different when we started talking to him. Very cool experience this week.

I love you and will message next Monday with my new area, companion and first week in the field. love you!!!!!!

 

 

I get a little more time!!

 

Yesterday we had a good Sunday. We got to have a little MTC talent show and watch the Joseph Smith movie. Then we had a fireside about talents and a family shared some very cool violin and cello talents, very pretty sounding. We also sang on the steps for the last time. It was very sad but we sounded great! Not much has happened other than that. It's only been a few days from the last e mail. I will try and send some pics. Love you and  may be able to say where I am tomorrow, I really hope so if not you get to wait a week but it will be good. love you!!!

Love Elder Stevenson

Aug 18th singing at the Madrid Temple. Bryce is in the top row about the center of the row.
http://youtu.be/cKl7BxM1vdk



story: Elder Rasmussen and I were contacting in the park
and we find a gutter full of gatitos (kittens)- insane    = )

Received this letter and email today:






                                                            
Aug. 29, 2013

Hola Familia!
Here is my full experience at the CCM! I'm so glad I came here instead of Provo. Smaller group and cooler experiences. I have made many great friends. Some I will be friends with for a long time. I also loved going to the park. So many great memories made there. I will always remember the people I met there. I really hope they find the gospel. Even though I only had a 10-20 minute conversation with them, I care about them. They were great people. I really hope Justo takes the discussions, I can see him being baptized.

I really loved the steps too. It was great to see the joy on people's faces as we sang. I will miss it but I hope to be able to watch other missionaries some day. There is housing across the street for Elders, it would be great.



The Española! I knew NOTHING when I got here! But we were enveloped in it so I had to learn. Elder Rasmussen would lead the lessons at first but I just started talking more & it just came to me. The Gift of Tongues is way real and way awesome. I just can't wait for the field which will probably be the day you get this. My testimony has grown so much.

"Yo se que el evagelio es verdad. Dios es Nuestro Padre Celestial. El nos ama. Yo se Jesochristo es nuestro Salvador Y mediante su gracia nostro podemos regresar tu vibion con su. Yo se Jose' Smith es on profeta de Dios y primera visio'n es verdad. Yo se, con todo mi Corazon, el Libro de Mormon es la palabra de dios verdad."



translation:

I know that the gospel is true. God is our Eternal Father. He loves us. I know Jesus Christ is our savior and through his grace we can return to live with him. I know Joseph Smith is a prophet of God and the first vision is true. I know with all of my heart, the Book of Mormon is the true word of God.

I love you all so much. You raised me well. So glad I have such wonderful parents. Love you.

Elder Bryce Stevenson


Sept 5, 2013

Dear Parents of Elder Stevenson,

We received your son into our mission Tuesday morning. We brought him to the Mission Home and fed him lunch. We gave him an overview of the mission and some of the rules and expectations, and spent most of the day with him. He was excited, and seemed ready to get to work. 

Later that afternoon, we had a meeting at the Stake Center in Madrid on Temple Square, and met with his trainer to discuss the new 12 week training program. During this 12 week period, your son will have an extra hour of companion study each day, and will be given specific things that he must report to the Mission President. We know that this is an inspired program, and will help to make missionaries better teachers and better followers of Christ. Please encourage your son in this program. It will help him develop tools that will help him to have a successful mission, and a more successful and fulfilling life after his mission. 

  

Elder Stevenson has been assigned to the Madrid area in Majadahonda, to serve with Elder Gillam, who is from California. Elder Gillam is a happy, obedient missionary, who will be a good first companion for your son. 

Our Preparation Day is on Monday. Elder Stevenson is instructed to email his immediate family every week. We look forward to getting to know him and working along side him in this great work here in the Spain, Madrid Mission. We can tell he will be a great missionary. Thank you for sharing him with us! We already love him.

Sincerely,

President and Sister Jackson