Hi all!
This week was pretty eventful. And it involved a lot of rain and wind.
On Monday we headed down to Madrid for the mission tour where Elder Sabin of the Seventy came to talk to the whole mission. We got to stay in B9 with Elder Snyder (a former companion).
The neighbors of the B9 elders are really nice. There was this really nice old lady who saw us with our luggage trying to figure out how to get in the building (the elders left the key under their door mat and we just had to get in the front door of the building). And the lady says "hey, are you trying to get in? Let me help you" and she opens the door just to open it for us. And then she's off on her way down the street. It was sooo nice. Then we had to buy groceries to last a couple days so we had to figure out again how to get in and thankfully we buzzed someone and they reluctantly let us in haha.
Tuesday:
Preparation day. We went to the temple and that was great. And then we played some sports in B6 (where I served before). And then to end pday we went to go see some friends from B6, one who was recently baptized! So that was cool.
Preparation day. We went to the temple and that was great. And then we played some sports in B6 (where I served before). And then to end pday we went to go see some friends from B6, one who was recently baptized! So that was cool.
Then that evening we went to a self-reliance training and we learned how to facilitate the self-reliance class in a branch so we can help out the local units better. And that was cool to be able to ask questions and get clarification on what we actually are doing. Basically the idea is that we will be able to facilitate the classes and help people in learning skills for job interviews, personal finances, starting a business, etc.
Wednesday:
We had the conference with Elder Sabin and it was a wonderful conference. It went by a lot faster than I remember past conferences - I'm getting used to getting through long periods of time sitting haha. Elder Sabin used a lot of short powerful quotes. And he was very authentic and real with us. He's a funny guy. And he had some amazing advice. The biggest thing I took away from the meeting is: be happy - we are professors of happiness, and to "attack the day" (go at it hard, NOT drifting through). Also life is an exciting, happy journey (worry less).
We had the conference with Elder Sabin and it was a wonderful conference. It went by a lot faster than I remember past conferences - I'm getting used to getting through long periods of time sitting haha. Elder Sabin used a lot of short powerful quotes. And he was very authentic and real with us. He's a funny guy. And he had some amazing advice. The biggest thing I took away from the meeting is: be happy - we are professors of happiness, and to "attack the day" (go at it hard, NOT drifting through). Also life is an exciting, happy journey (worry less).
Skip Thursday and Friday.... they weren't that interesting.
Saturday:
This morning we did Pancarta with the members! (the "pancarta" is a big picture of Jesus, we set it on a tripod and talk to people - and we also had a table with pamphlets and cards to take). It was a learning experience for sure haha. The spot where we originally were going to put the pancarta, nobody passes through there so we set it up in a different spot a little further down (in the "median" so we had 3 streets to contact on). And then we moved it again because we realized not many people passed by there either. And so after about 30-45mins we've got the spot chosen and set haha. And while this is going on it is sprinkling so we stick the umbrella down on the table to protect the pamphlets that we set out (we had the pancarta and a table that we were using). And the umbrella worked fine until the wind came...haha. And then all of a sudden it got really really cold. At one point it hailed. And it was even sunny for a few minutes haha. So the weather was doing crazy things. If the weather were consistent it would have been a lot easier...but it made it more fun for sure. And when it got windy we tried putting coins on top of the pamphlet pages and the Book of Mormon so that the pages wouldn't keep getting bent but that resulted in coins catapulting when a large gust of wind came. And it was cool to be able to contact with the members. They make it a lot easier because they expect you to talk with everyone and if you can get someone to stop the members make it a lot more normal haha. And to make things even more funny there was a protest (for raising pensions) that went through on the same street as we were on hahaha. And the ayuntamiento (city hall) told us that it would be okay to do the pancarta and that nothing else was going on...haha oh well. We saw a lot of people with whom we have talked with before. And a lot of rejection haha. But I enjoyed it despite the challenges we had haha.
This morning we did Pancarta with the members! (the "pancarta" is a big picture of Jesus, we set it on a tripod and talk to people - and we also had a table with pamphlets and cards to take). It was a learning experience for sure haha. The spot where we originally were going to put the pancarta, nobody passes through there so we set it up in a different spot a little further down (in the "median" so we had 3 streets to contact on). And then we moved it again because we realized not many people passed by there either. And so after about 30-45mins we've got the spot chosen and set haha. And while this is going on it is sprinkling so we stick the umbrella down on the table to protect the pamphlets that we set out (we had the pancarta and a table that we were using). And the umbrella worked fine until the wind came...haha. And then all of a sudden it got really really cold. At one point it hailed. And it was even sunny for a few minutes haha. So the weather was doing crazy things. If the weather were consistent it would have been a lot easier...but it made it more fun for sure. And when it got windy we tried putting coins on top of the pamphlet pages and the Book of Mormon so that the pages wouldn't keep getting bent but that resulted in coins catapulting when a large gust of wind came. And it was cool to be able to contact with the members. They make it a lot easier because they expect you to talk with everyone and if you can get someone to stop the members make it a lot more normal haha. And to make things even more funny there was a protest (for raising pensions) that went through on the same street as we were on hahaha. And the ayuntamiento (city hall) told us that it would be okay to do the pancarta and that nothing else was going on...haha oh well. We saw a lot of people with whom we have talked with before. And a lot of rejection haha. But I enjoyed it despite the challenges we had haha.
Sunday:
We had some fun foods with the members. We ate "carne al toro" (toro=bull but it wasn't made out of bull haha). And we had a sweet bean pudding (excuse my English translations of these foods...it doesn't do them any justice). And church as always. Church went great and we had some wonderful classes yesterday.
We had some fun foods with the members. We ate "carne al toro" (toro=bull but it wasn't made out of bull haha). And we had a sweet bean pudding (excuse my English translations of these foods...it doesn't do them any justice). And church as always. Church went great and we had some wonderful classes yesterday.
Just some cool things I learned and had reinforced this week during the conference with Elder Sabin:
-"You know you are on the right path if its uphill"
-"You know you are on the right path if its uphill"
-"No one has sinned tomorrow"
-He told us that with whatever time that we have left in the mission to tell ourselves that we have been called on a mission for that amount of time (just now you have more experience). For example, I've got 5 months and I'm being called on a 5 month mission (instead of saying I have 5 months left). It's a different point of view that makes me continue to want to give it more all.
- Elder Sabin told a story about Chocolate chip pancakes and how he made them for his grandchildren but one grandson couldn't eat them for one reason: "grandpa, they have burnt spots! I'm not eating them!" He related the story to how trials are consecrated for our gain for those who love the Lord. Trial sometimes look like burnt spots on pancakes although they really are the things that help us to grow the most and recieve more blessings in the future.
"Stretch but don't stress" - do the best you can and then turn it over to the Lord
D&C 90:24:Search diligently, pray always, and be believing, and all things shall work together for your good, if ye walk uprightly and remember the covenant wherewith ye have covenanted one with another.
I was really impressed by Elder Sabin's overall message that we can be happy no matter the circumstances. He's truly an example of that and has been through a lot in his life. I know that our Heavenly Father truly does love us and He hears our prayers. I also know that God once again has called a prophet in our day and guides him to help us know how to live in our times, just as prophets of old. Pretty soon we will have the opportunity to listen to him in General Conference the first weekend of April :)
Have a wonderful week!
Elder Openshaw
Elder Openshaw
1)doing the pancarta
2)the castle - the wind is super loud with those flags!
Mom needs to figure out how to add this :)
3)video- my companion got some little sticky worm things and we've been flinging all over the place. We decided to take a video. And then a missionary added the clip from the district on after seeing it haha. Not planned.
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