Hermana Laura Johnson: Barcelona Mission: (Zaragoza) Week-14 2012

We are doing really well here in Zaragoza and are busy with a lot of work with a lot of great investigators. One miracle story that happened this week was very special for at least me personally. Two weeks ago while sitting on a bus, a man told me he was an inactive member of the church. We set up a cita with him. He took us to the warehouse where he lives off of the freeway. It was a big yard with a lot of open land. He began to tell us his conversion story and shared with us his favorite scripture. It was found in Doctrina y Convenios and it talked about how angels are sent to help gather the lost ones. He said he was lost and needed to find his way back. It was incredible and we sang a song and shared some scriptures. He was very active in the Church back in Colombia over ten years ago and was even the Elder´s Quorum President! Our main message to him was that God loves him. He said he was supposed to meet a friend on the day that I sat next to him on the bus. He said he was supposed to get off at a different stop but then saw us come on. He said a prayer that one of the five of us would choose to sit next to him. With tears in my eyes I let him know that it wasn´t by chance that we met and that this is his time to come back to Church. The members need him and he needs the members. I have really gained a testimony of the power of prayer and of our individual worth in the eyes of our Heavenly Father. He loves each of us so much and is always watching over us. He answers our prayers, always.

I love my companions and I admire them in so many ways. Hermana Yabeta´s conversion story is amazing and her testimony about specific doctrinal points always touches my heart. She is an incredible girl. Hermana Reeder is so good at supporting her companions. One thing I have noticed that she always does, is backs up what one of us is saying. For example, "Como mi companera ha dicho..." This is a huge example for both of us. We love each other!

We have two fechas:
Engracia from Angola, Africa, whose first language is Portuguese. She is around 50 years old and has two children (and I think some others that she never talks about). One daughter took her own life 5 years ago and the other is living in Barcelona. It´s interesting because Engracia talked to Sister Missionaries 9 years ago but it didn´t go anywhere. Now here she is so ready and prepared to be baptized on August 3rd. She has come so far and we are so excited for her! She is the one who walked into the Church on a Saturday and luckily Bro.and Sis. Church(our senior couple) were there to invite her to Church the next day. What a miracle!

Manuel is from Nicaragua and has a lot of faith and a strong desire to learn more. He is around 45 years old and has three children that live with his "wife" (they are not married) who all live in Nicaragua. He sends money to them and talks with them often. His fecha is for August 4th.

John, a recent convert, is doing great. He was the one who kept commenting in our Gospel Principles class. He's been a great missionary and helped his friend, Pius, get baptized. We are trying to find Pius at the moment...he has disappeared and we are actually pretty worried for him.

I really love our new Mission President and his wife and didn't want them to leave Zaragoza! I can tell they have a lot of love for us Missionaries and they have such strong testimonies. President Pace is tall 6´4 and has big hands that envelope your hand, when he shakes your hand. His pointer finger on his left hand is crooked at the end...from playing volleyball!!! We talked about volleyball in my interview and he related it to the Mission. He brainstormed all of the lessons that I have learned from being on sports teams that are now helping me as a Missionary. He related the healing of my hand to the healing power of the Atonement of Jesus Christ. It was a great interview with him and he wants to support us in any way he can. His wife is amazing and we took her home with us and made her lunch. Then she went out with us to our lesson with Engracia. She is trying so hard to learn Spanish and is doing well. She cries everytime she bears her testimony-it is so powerful. They both are amazing and are angels sent from God. I love them so much already and am so happy that I will get to know them better the next 8 months of my life. I cried when they left the chapel because it was so wonderful to have them here. J

There is so much to tell you but so little time because I need to get off so Hermana Yabeta can get on (she wasn´t able to get a library card so she has to sit here and wait to use our time slots).

I tried Paella for the first time and really liked it. We ate it with one of my favorite families...whose daughter is going to the San Jose California Mission!

Glad to hear Dawn is hanging in there with her broken elbow, and I'm sending her birthday card today.

I love you and have to go!!! I pray for you every day. I know with all my heart that this Church is true and that prayer is so powerful so we need to pray every day! It has changed my life.

Love,

Laura