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!
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!)
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