Valencia - Week Six (Pictures to come!)

Hey fam bam!

So you all sounded like you had a WILD week. But good. Well maybe you didn't think it was wild, but I did. YAY FOR PAGEANT TIME!!!! THE BEST TIME IN THE WHOLE WIDE WORLD. Remember how a year ago we went to the Palmyra Temple? YAY! Also all my companions think I'm crazy because I talk about how OBSESSED I am with pageant. But it's fine. They're all convinced they need to do it. I think it's cuz I act out the King Noah scene so well for them. 

ANYWAY BIG NEWS

I'M TRAAAIINNNIINNNGG!! We got calls Saturday night and I was super pumped when I found out. Hermana Munns, who I live with got called as a STL so that's sweet too because I LOVE her and it'll be way fun to travel with her and do intercambios with her. 

Anyway, I just picked up my companion in Barcelona. Only two sisters and two elders came in. Her name is Hermana Vance. She's blonde! Woot! She's from Ohio. She did one semester at BYU  Idaho and now she's here. She's super cute and ready to work. I'm pumped about these next two transfers together. There's something about new missionaries that I just love, they are so excited to work and learn. It will be so so fun. 

So this last week was really good. We had a lot of really great miracles. We have been finding more and more news through the members lately, it's been great. This past week, just from stopping by members we have been able to set up visits with some of their friends that happened to be in their house at the same time, so it's been really great. 

So this week I was pondering. It's a new hobby I have. I have been really wanting to learn more about the Atonement. I have been praying for God to help me understand it more. Last week Tyson told me sad news about one of his friends losing their baby and it really struck me hard. That night I was praying a lot. I felt so bad for the family and what they must be going through. It's really really hard to see bad things happen to really good people. People that spend their whole lives striving to do what is right and then are given incredibly hard challenges. In my prayer I was asking God why something so bad had to happen to such good people. While I was praying, a phrase from a talk I once heard came into my head, "he's my son, too". I remember reading a talk where a dad had begged God to know why his son had to have so many complications with his eyesight. The doctors did a ton, but he would only be able to see out of one eye. As the dad prayed one night asking, "why" he heard in his head, "Spencer, he's my son, too". 

I think sometimes I forget that just like we love our family and friends, God loves them too. He loves each one of us with a perfect love. He knows our needs, our strengths and our weaknesses. Sometimes I still don't understand why bad things happen to good people, or why we are given the trials that we have, but what I DO have, is faith in my Father in Heaven. I know He knows better than I do, and that every challenge we are given is to help us, to strengthen us, to bring us closer to Him.

I am so grateful for the Atonement. I am grateful to know that on the days when I'm tired or stressed or just about to give up, that I have someone right by my side. I have a Savior that knows exactly what I am feeling. I have a Savior that loved me enough, to come to this earth and suffer voluntarily just for me. Just so He could know how to strengthen me when I am weak and comfort me when I am sad. The Atonement is the most incredible thing. I am so grateful for this gospel. That is why I am here. The peace the Atonement gives me is unreal. People need this in their lives. I love the happiness this gospel brings me. I love the knowledge that I have that Jesus Christ is our Savior and Redeemer. I know He lives. I know we have a Father in Heaven that is very aware of us. He is in the details of our lives. 

Life is so good. 

I love you, family.

Love Hermana Fras 

Valencia - Week Five

HAPPY FATHERS DAY ROCKSTAAARRRR!!

Remember when you got that name? Can I be called rockstar mini? haha. Jk.

So this week I ate rabbit liver.

And then I ate sardines.

Do I get personal progress points for that?

So we had a reallllllllyyyyyy good week this week! One sweet miracle is that one night we were out passing by old investigators. We had a sheet with two men named Marcos and Julian. We hit their timbre and a girl answered. So I asked for the two mens names and surprisingly, she buzzed us in. We met this girl at the elevator and she said her name was Juliana, but that she had never met with missionaries before. She was on her way out but told us we could go up and share something with her mom.. who was named Martha. How weird is that? What are the chances that the names we have (from investigators from 2005) would have very similar names to these woman who had never met us? Marcos and Julian... martha and Juliana? It was wild. Anyway, we talked to the mom and shared with her about the Book of Mormon. She just looked at us the whole time in shock that we had found her. She told us how she doesn't believe in coincidences and that she knew we had found her for a reason. So she invited us to come back again. And she's Colombian. Which are my FAVORITE. so she told us she'd make us arepas too.

Hermana Blanco and I walked away very shocked. These investigators from our sheet must have left that place years ago, but God put other people in that same place that He knew we would eventually find. It was really an incredible moment.

Another miracle this week was that Abi and Ana and their family came to church for the first time!!! Here we do the order of the classes backwards so we called Abi after Relief Society and he said they were lost outside somewhere haha. So we went and found them to bring them in. When I saw them I about cried. They all were dressed up, with their hair all done up nice. Even though they weren't in your typical church clothes,  you knew that they were dressed in the best that they had. In that moment, I just felt so blessed by the Lord. It was such a tender mercy to see them there. A family of five! At church! Wow, it was incredible. I think they had a good experience too. Luckily, I feel like I'm a pro at entertaining toddlers (thank you Allie) so I kept their two year old under control all during sacrament meeting to help them enjoy it better. It was literally one of the happiest moments of my mission seeing them there. I really think Ana will get baptized. They would be such an incredible add to the church.

Anyway, this week was really great. The Lord is really blessing us here. I feel so incredibly blessed to be with Hermana Blanco. We have a very different way of working, but I am learning so much from her. She is one of the most incredible teachers I have ever met and I feel so blessed to be with her. The Lord has really blessed this area. Day after day He keeps putting prepared people in our path. Sometimes I feel overwhelmed by His kindness. These days I have been studying a lot about humility. I just always want to remember that every blessing we have is because of the Lord. He has blessed me so much in every aspect of my life. I hope to be always humbly grateful for what I have.


I love you family, have a great week!

love Hermana Fry Fry

Valencia - Week Four

How faaahhh! (that's my African how are you... did you remember?)

So we had a really good week this week! We had some super good visits.

Also last Monday we went to an aquarium here, it was pretty cool, sorta pricey, but the dolphin show was pretty legit at least.. I sent a few pics from it. I was proud of them.

Anyway, so one girl we are teaching, Madelina, accepted a baptismal date this week! She has the goal to be baptised the 21st of this month. The only problem is her mom, who is pretty against the idea, but we are hoping we can change her mind when we visit with her.

As well, our investigator Ana and her daughter Nicole also accepted a baptismal goal for the 21st! They were sort of hesitant, but were willing to try for it at least. Ana has been reading and progressing thus far. They told us they would try to come to church so we went to pick them up and Abi (the less active husband) told us they were all sleeping and that they would try to come to the afternoon church, but they didn't end up coming, so that was a bummer.

I feel like we are making good progress with the members though. Yesterday a member brought us to meet her family to do a family home evening and it went really well. We watched the Because of Him video and talked about the Atonement. The Spirit was really strong and I thought our lesson went super well. Also we all became BFFs because they are Colombian and I LOVE Colombians. So we had a bonding moment and they told us we can come back and make arepas with them some time. So that was sweet.

We found a Spaniard man named Salvador the other night as we were contacting. He's catholic, but he said he is open to learning about other religions. We taught him about the Book of Mormon, and he said he would read. He's super great.

Our other new, Mauricio, we are going to teach tonight, he couldn't meet with us last week, so hopefully we can set a baptismal goal with him too.
Last time we met with him he told us he just needs a push in the right direction.

Anyway, life here is good. I am really loving working more with the members. Almost all of the people we are teaching, we found through a member, so that's really cool. Also we get to run every morning! It's been super nice. My companion is super great, I am learning a lot from her. This transfer is flying by! I love you all! Have a great week!


Hermana Reid (also reid is the way you say laugh in the command form of vosotros haha. I realized that the other day)

Valencia - Week Three

HI FAAMMM!

So this week I learned that in some African language how are you is oye! And to say I’m good, its oye si! Haha how’s that? Also all the Africans always say how faah! To us which means how’s it going in some other African language. I love Africans.

So lemme give you some highlights of the week:

We found two solid investigators this week through the members! One is named Mauricio, he’s 23 and from Ecuador I think. His sister is a member, but his wife is atheist. We taught him this week for the first time and it was super good. He has real interest to know more, thanks to his sister. She has been a great example for him.

The other is a girl named Madelina. She’s 14 and always comes to church with one of her friends. She told us she wants to be baptized but her mom’s not too keen on the idea. So were gonna try to visit with her mom this week to see if we can help in any way.

It’s really cool to be able to find new people to teach through the members. It really makes our work a lot easier when they already have a support system. Its super fun to work through the members, I hope the Lord will continue to bless us as we try and focus on working with them.

Other highlights:

Rosalba, a less active Colombian woman in our ward taught us how to make arepas this week! It was way fun, I’ll send pics. I’m trying to learn how to make sweet stuff so you all will be impressed with my cooking skills someday.

We also volunteered for a food drive this week to help the needy people of Spain. We basically wore these sweet vests and stood by a giant box at the grocery store asking people if they would donate to the food bank. Lots of people actually donated, it was super fun.

Our investigator Ana, (her husband is a member but inactive) is progressing a ton! She’s reading the Book of Mormon daily and really understands and enjoys it. They still haven’t come to church, but that’s the next step.

Yesterday, we went to visit a member in a pueblo were always in and we ended up crashing her birthday party.. You know how many times that’s happened to me on my mission? lots. We always accidentally crash birthday parties.. Anyway, it was way cool cuz the member let us share a message with all her non-member friends. We are hoping to be able to meet with some of them again next week!

Anyway, that’s it really. Today were going to an aquarium for preparation day, I’m pumped!

Life is so good, I’m doing well, and I’m happy. Thanks for all the love you send from home, I’m glad I have such an incredible family! Love you with my arms stretched around my back!

Love Hermana Fras

Valencia - Week Two

Hey family!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY STUDDA AND TYTYB22222!!!! Your letters are in the  mail. Sorry I was a little  late. I hope you two  have a super super fun boating birthday!! Eat lots of chocolate dessert for me. Man that stuff is good. Spain doesn't have pudding. Wait actually I think it does. Scratch that.

So this week was really good! One miracle we  had was  with this girl named Desiree. She's  21 and from here.  She's super cute. She contacted the Hermanas a couple weeks ago because  I guess  she lived with a Mormon family  as their nanny a few years back so she knows a lot about the church. We had a visit with her for the first time this week, it was way cool. She is super religious which is rare for the youth here in Spain. Most of them are atheist.  She's  really cute. She told us she would try to come  to church with us on Sunday but ended up not coming. We were bummed, but I think it's because she had to work late Saturday night so she slept in.  She told us she really wants  to read  the Book of  Mormon though so we are excited to help connect her with some of the YSA here and get her more involved and hopefully BAPTIZED. That would rock.

We had a visit with Monday and Loveith this week, best  names  ever  right? They are a cute little nigerian couple that just got baptized. I think they are the most humble people I have  ever met. They live in one tiny room of an abandoned apartment. They literally have nothing, but are the happiest people I have ever  met. They are a true  testimony of the fact that the gospel is what brings true, lasting happiness. they have no food, they hardly have a place to live, but they have the biggest smiles on their faces all the time. I just love them.

We did a lot of  member  visits again this week and we are really seeing good stuff from it. Members are  starting to get more excited  about the work and we are finding more and more  potential  friends  and  family members  to work with. I'm pretty pumped about this area. It's blossoming. Is that weird to say? haha sorta.

We just  got  back from Concilio and it was SO GOOD. I love  meetings in the mission more than anything,  they are so inspiring. Hermana Blanco and  I are super ready to just  do work here. This place has so much potential and  we are  just excited to get back at it. President talked about the importance of being examples and doing everything we can to become converted ourselves. It was really inspiring.

Also I got to see Hermana Findlay which was the  best thing ever, I love  that girl. I've been blessed with super  sweet companions my whole mission.

Anyway, that's the basics of it. Life here is good. I am loving the mission so much, time is flying! Anyway, have fun at the lake! Love you all!

Love Hermana Reid