November 13, 2017 ~ Transfer 11 Week 4

Here's a not so quick update haha:

Hi all!

So this week was pretty eventful.

Monday:
We went to Alcala de Hernares, the land of Don Quixote (or at least Miguel Cervantes the author). We went out there on a whim and none of the other missionaries happened to be there so we called up Davis's (the senior couple). They had just gotten out of working for the day and Elder Davis offered to show us around. He took us on a nice little tour and we saw more stuff than we would have just wondering around aimlessly on our own. We were very thankful. Pretty cool little place.

Then Pday ends and we have a great lesson with the Oliva family for a Noche de Hogar. We waited for the mom to get home so Luis (the 6 year-old) brought out nerf guns and we had a little Nerf war while the dog ran around eating all the bullets hahaha. So the wife gets there, we eat and we share a quick message about how we need to have faith (we used a can of food and slammed it on elder Snyder's finger - really hard - and he didn't feel anything, it's a cool lesson). They were pretty impressed and wondered if it really didn't hurt Elder Snyder hahaha.

Tuesday:
Intercambios/exchanges with the zone leaders. It went well.
We had a lesson with Helen and she moved here from Africa (the zone leaders are teaching her). We did the lesson in mostly English. Her English sometimes was very hard for me to understand haha. But basically we went to her bar and it's this little walk-in bar, no lights on. It looks like there just never is any business. And we go to the back and have our lesson at some tables. Her two kids were there and were super excited about the lesson and the teachings. The lesson went well and I felt the spirit testify to me of the love that God has for each of his children. Helen is awesome, she has known missionaries for about 17 years (we don't think she was ever taught) and she always refers people to the church and some people have actually went to church from her referrals and invitations. What a boss.

And then Elder Waters and I put up English class posters on the telephone poles. Apparently it actually works! We had one guy chase us down and say (in spanish) "are you the guys who teach English class?, what time is it at, I'm interested." It was pretty cool to see that we were doing something that people actually noticed (because many times it feels like what we do just gets ignored).

Wednesday/Thursday: for the sake of time I'm not going to explain these days because they were fairly normal.

Friday: we had zone conference! We talked about the Christmas initiative we are going to do and we watched the new Christmas video. And we also talked about working better with the members and helping them out more. It was a great conference. I had to miss part of it to do my residency which was pretty sad but the part I was there for was really really good. haha it's hard  to explain what I learned.

Saturday: it was the baptism of Keyla! (An investagator of the hermanas). The baptism went really really well but it let you know the opposition that we went through before, here's what I wrote in my journal:
Then we went to set up for the baptism of Keyla. Basically we had to clean the font out and then fill it up. Thing is we went to go practice a musical number and while we practiced the font overflowed...so we thought well...we can't really unplug it because we would have to enter with missionary clothes on. Next option? Using buckets. We used huge buckets and spooning out the water until it was at a good height. We had a fire line of buckets going to the bathroom where I dumped the water down the toilet. I missed the toilet twice and that made a mini flood haha. And then as I tried to take one bucket, I didn't pick it up enough and it tipped and ran all down my legs and the stairs. It was chaos. But I was wearing my black suit so at least you couldn't tell that I was soaked. Haha

But after that everything went well. And everyone showed up at 6:30pm instead of 6pm when it was supposed to start haha.

Sunday: It was the primary program this week and so the little kids shared what they learned throughout the year in primary and sang a bunch of songs. Lots of kids running around and chaos but it was a normal primary program. The kids were so cute getting up to the mic and reading scriptures and what not.

Funny moments: basically everyday here in B4 I've gotten a spider web to the face while walking in the street. Like everyday. And I try to avoid areas that it might happen and I still happen to find one haha.

Alright, so bear with me because I know I didn't pick small quotes to share this week and I know this is already the length of an essay. I wanted to share some thoughts I had while studying the scriptures.  The following talks about Jesus Christ and how He was treated so terribly but yet because of Him comes everything that is good. Christ suffered for us so that we can return to live with Him and Heavenly Father forever. But He didn't suffer for us so that our lives could be easy, He suffered so that our lives could be possible. Without Him, we would have no hope, no second chances, no life. He is completely necessary. I know that if we will turn to Him in prayer that He can offer us the relief that we need. I know that because I have experienced it. And so I invite you to turn to God in prayer and ask for help and guidance in your life and I promise you will receive it.

(Christ - how he was treated)
Mosiah 14: 3-7
3 He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief; and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not.
4 Surely he has borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows; yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.
5 But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.
6 All we, like sheep, have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquities of us all.
7 He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth; he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb so he opened not his mouth.

(Without Him we all would perish without any hope)
Mosiah 15:19 For were it not for the redemption which he hath made for his people, which was prepared from the foundation of the world, I say unto you, were it not for this, all mankind must have perished.

(Because Christ overcame death, everyone will be resurrected again. Death has no sting)
Mosiah 16:7-9
7 And if Christ had not risen from the dead, or have broken the bands of death that the grave should have no victory, and that death should have no sting, there could have been no resurrection.
8 But there is a resurrection, therefore the grave hath no victory, and the sting of death is swallowed up in Christ.
9 He is the light and the life of the world; yea, a light that is endless, that can never be darkened; yea, and also a life which is endless, that there can be no more death.

If you have any questions about any of this I'm happy to answer them!

Love ya all! I hope you got something out of this.
Have an awesome week!
Elder Openshaw