Barcelona Mission: (Zaragoza) Week-01 2012

I have SO much to tell you and not enough time because I spent most of the time working on sending all of those pictures so you can see some of my life.

So here I am in Zaragoza.  I'm sure I got transferred so fast because my amazing companion Hermana Rejon had to train a new Sister.  In the last transfer there were five new Sisters that came in.  A new area was opened up for Sisters up in Bilbao.  There is now a trio.  Hermana Rejon is training a new one in Sabadell and both Valencia and Zaragoza Sister’s areas got split into two areas.  So instead of having one Sister area in Valencia and Zaragoza we had to pray about how to split the area because now there are two companionships in each city.  So we split the area here in Zaragoza.  Hermanas Moulton and Stephenson were the only two here before this change.  They think I was sent here because I will be staying here for a while and training someone soon.

I'm sort of training Hermana Stephenson because she is still learning to speak Spanish and was never really trained formally and completely and neither was I.  We are kind of training ourselves.  It´s tough.  The amazing thing is that she knows the area like the back of her hand.  We never get lost (exact opposite of Hermana Rejon and me in Sabadell).  So since the area was split, we have two investigators and Hermanas. Moulton and Wilson (Hermana Wilson is fresh out of the MTC doesn´t speak much Spanish.  Hermana Moulton goes home in August).  They are searching for investigators.  There are four Elders on the other half of Zaragoza as well.  There are two little Branches-not Wards.  But they do have a gorgeous chapel, very similar to the one in Sabadell... like exactly the same but smaller (of course with a soccer court in the back).

So it has been an interesting and a tough week.  My Spanish speaking skills have really been put to the test.  I love speaking Spanish and I don´t have so much of a gringo accent anymore, which is going to be tough because the sisters in the piso speak English most of the time.  I am on the phone a lot coordinating with the Ward members.  I get to play the piano in Relief Society and start lessons.  It is a lot of responsibility and honestly, I am so lucky!  I am lucky because I am not fully training.  I am partially training, which means I will be more prepared when the real time comes.  I feel a little overwhelmed, but very blessed to be working hard.

It is beautiful here.  I am so thankful for my Heavenly Father and for His love for me. He knows me personally and He knows my potential --- better than I do that´s for sure.

So we had a holiday yesterday that is why I am emailing you today.  It was Sant Jordi.  Our goal as a Mission was to give out 1000 copies of the Book of Mormon during this time.  We went to a main plaza here in Zaragoza and teamed up with some people from the Branch, our Branch Mission Leader and the Elders.  We contacted many people and gave out many books.  We did it all morning for 4 or 5 hours.  It was wonderful and we sweated a lot and I got a nice sunburn!  Now we have phone numbers and we planted a lot of seeds.

Then we had a wonderful mediodia lunch with a wonderful member family.  Dad and Mom, you have to meet them!  I for sure want to stay in contact with this family.  Then we went to a park and did some more contacting. Then we went back to the member´s piso and they drove us out to a pueblo in a BEAUTIFUL countryside which is 30 minutes away from the city.  We met a nice, less active family there.  It was nice to be in a house, for a change and they even had a pool in their yard.  They don´t have a car to get to the chapel in Zaragoza and by bus it would probably be very complicated and take an hour... :( but they still have FHEs and family scripture study and prayer consistently.  What a wonderful example to me. It was a great day.

You can write me at my new address NOT the Mission office (because we barely get things from there and I wouldn´t get a letter for at least a couple of months because it would just be sitting in the office).

My eyes have really been opened.  We are SO blessed in SO many ways.  We need to always give thanks to Heavenly Father and live the Gospel through our examples because it is so wonderful.

Love,

Hermana Johnson

Zaragoza, Spain - The Wolfart Family Home

Zaragoza, Spain - Members (Wolfarts) daughter dancing

Zaragoza, Spain

Laura got the flower from a lady they gave a Book of Mormon to.  The member standing next to her, loves to give out Books of Mormons.  Elders from Laura's District