Hermana Laura Johnson: Barcelona Mission: (Zaragoza) Week-27 2012

I like the Marvin Goldstein CD and thank you for all the tissues and NyQuil/DayQuil you sent. It was much needed because now I am sick! I think it´s the sudden change of weather and probably being so busy and eating too much sugar. Ever since Hermana Jorgenson came I have been eating more and exercising less. L I am determined to change that and get back into the swing of things. I have been in bed resting lately and I can´t breathe out of my nose and I kind of have a sore throat. J

Exciting about the new people serving missions! I am so glad that I am on a mission. I really cannot imagine my life without it and where I would be right now or who I would be without my mission. It´s been an incredible experience and I am so grateful for it!

Thanks for sending Tori´s letter. I have to write her back! I feel bad that I haven´t written her.

This week was a great one and I love being with Hermana Jorgensen, she is incredible and such a good example for me. She is a great missionary and the best companion a Sister missionary could ask for. I feel so blessed to be with her.

Kate, our recent convert, is amazing! We asked her if we could teach some of the ten friends that came to her baptism. She has talked to them and they want to watch her first to see how she acts as a Mormon. If she doesn´t start smoking again and then maybe they will all get baptized! Kate says that she is determined to be a good example to them. We even went over some things that she can say to them if they ask certain questions. We also taught her how to pray in Spanish so she can pray in church. The next visit we had with her this week she said the opening prayer in Spanish to start the lesson and did a great job! We are trying to teach her son, Kevin, but he is just so busy. Kate barely sees him. He´s only 14 and speaks Spanish, not English so it is an interesting situation. We are trying to figure out how we can help them as a family. We have been made her visiting teachers along with Hermana Church-an assignment from our Relief Society President.

Maria, our other recent convert, loves Young Women’s. She received her Personal Progress book and loves doing the assignments! She hasn´t started doing them yet on her own though because she loves doing it with us. She loves meeting with us and looks forward to getting out of the home to be with us. We have been trying to meet with her mother but she is always too busy. When we finally do see her, she loves having us in her home and loves our lessons.

Bright and Elvis our other two recent converts are doing well and are staying strong in the gospel for the most part. Bright was able to say a prayer in Spanish. He and Elvis have a desire to get the priesthood so hopefully that will happen soon. Elder Church is the Gospel Principles teacher for English speakers and all the Africans LOVE him and are always excited to attend his class.

Happy and Pius are "hanging in there". Sunday Happy showed up at church with her baby Joann in a stroller. She came by bus and we were so excited to see her and she was SO happy to be there. We need to continue helping this family. Hermana Church, my companion, and I have also been made Happy´s visiting teachers.

Engracia, another recent convert, is doing so well!! I have really learned the importance of members in the lessons and becoming friends with the investigators, through Engracia´s experience. As soon as we brought the member, Rose Maria, to a lesson, Engracia was golden and she wanted to be baptized. She understood everything and even now a few months later, she will sit next to Rosa Maria every Sunday at church. What's incredible is that she even got a temple recommend to go to the temple with the Branch on Saturday, but in the end couldn´t go because she couldn´t get work off. She was so sad and was heartbroken. She told us, "Only God knows." She also mentioned that it probably wasn´t her time and that she needed to prepare herself more. She is an amazing example of faith to me.

Dulce is our fecha for this last weekend, is getting baptized next Saturday! She is SO prepared and was a referral from a member, named Gloria. Dulce is a single mother who wants to be a better mother. She obeys the Word of Wisdom completely. She loves church and is such a good example to her sister and nephew that live with her. She is from Cabo Verde, Africa and speaks Portuguese and Spanish. She lived in Portugal for a while and now has been living in Spain here for a while. She has a 4 year old daughter named Ari who is so cute. Dulce is 30 years old and is gorgeous. It has been so neat teaching her. What a blessing.

And that same member named Gloria, invited her other friend, Monica to church. We have been trying to get a hold of Monica for the past month! She was a referral a while ago from the Elders. It was amazing to see her just walk into church and to see that she knew Gloria and Dulce! It was incredible and such a miracle!!!! We immediately set up a cita with her so that we can start teaching her again and her cute family. We are so grateful for Gloria and her amazing missionary efforts.

A little miracle I had was a phone call last night. The first 4 or 5 months I have been here in Zaragoza, we've have struggled a little with trying to connect with the Relief Society President, Beatrice. She is an amazing woman with a strong testimony. Beatrice did the surprise goodbye/happy birthday party for Hermana Reeder, which was a great thing. After Hermana Reeder left, Beatrice has been a bit warmer to us. Yesterday I was feeling a little sick at church. Beatrice called me last night to see how I was feeling. During the conversation I asked her when we could visit her at her house. (Sister Missionaries have never been invited to her house). She told me that she lived far away in a pueblo. I told her that we would be able to get there. She was surprised and said she would let us know. Even if we don't make it, at least it's progress.

Another miracle was with the less active Young Men´s President Paco and his wife Lorena who we have been trying to visit the whole 7 months I have been here! We finally went and listened to them talk about their wedding and showed us pictures. They told us their conversion stories and their families´ conversion stories. Then we shared with them a DVD called, "Reflections of Christ" which has a slideshow of pictures portraying Jesus Christ´s visit to the Americas. It was beautiful and we talked about it afterwards. We told them that they are not alone and we bore testimony of the Atonement. The Spirit was so strong. Hermana Jorgensen thanked them for having the Spirit with them in their home. We left their house reflecting with one another the amazing power that we have as missionaries. Sometimes, we don´t realize the power and influence we have on people. We carry the Spirit with us and have power from our callings and have the wonderful opportunity to help influence lives for the better. No more than 15 minutes later we got a sweet text message from Lorena thanking us and inviting us to eat lunch with them this week. It was wonderful.

Miracles are happening every day!! I LOVE ZARAGOZA. It is a beautiful and exciting area. The work here is thriving and we see the hands of the Lord daily. It is AMAZING. Zaragoza has really changed me and influenced me to become the missionary that I am.

Today for preparation day, we made burritos for the Elders at the church and some no bake cookies. We also played soccer outside!!! SO FUN!

Wednesday is Halloween! I can´t believe it and am excited to hear all about what you will do with Bryanna and Jasmine! We are going to Lleida again for another specialized training. We have been traveling there so much lately! Then that night we are going to Nicole and Ruben´s house to spend Halloween night there. I am so excited and LOVE Nicole and Ruben. They are from Chile and are in the other Branch. We told them that we would decorate Halloween cookies and they are inviting the Elders over too so it will be fun.

Time is flying by so fast. I can´t believe it.

MOM!! Did I tell you that Charles Abuou, the BYU Basketball player moved to Huesca, which is in my area? He is playing for the professional basketball team there. We are trying to get a hold of him because he contacted the office wanting to know where the church building was. EXCITING RIGHT? I want to get a picture with him... haha.

Also, some BIG news...the Zaragoza Branches are going to be a part of a Stake!! They are forming a Stake and we are all going to Cornella on November 11th to find out the details. And I think the Elders´ Branch will be made into a Ward. Our Branch will stay as a Branch because we need more priesthood holder tithe payers...but it is super exciting! The only sad thing is that I think when we go on the 10th to Barcelona...that I will stay there and spend the night at one of the Hermana´s pisos, then go to the Stake Conference on the 11th...and then stay with the Hermanas until transfers on the 13th when I get transferred to my new area. I don´t want to leave Zaragoza so soon!! I wish I could come back after the Conference and have a least a couple more days here...but I don´t think the church would do that...it would save them money to have me stay in Barcelona the whole time instead of coming back for a day or two and then go back...I don´t know. We will see what happens.

I love you all and I love being a missionary. I love every second of everyday and am enjoying it while I can. IT IS WONDERFUL. J

Thank you for your support and love.

Love, Laura

P.S. This is our new mission blog: spainbarcelonamission.blogspot.com
Oh, and a member painted me a picture of one of my favorite streets in Zaragoza. It is beautiful and I am very pleased with it. I paid her 50 euros and am excited to show it to you. I want to take a picture of the painting with me and the member in it (of her giving it to me). Hopefully I can send the picture to you next Monday.