June 13- June 17

Hola everyone!

Well my weeks here in Elche are just flying by. I'm starting my 4th week in Elche and my 6th on my mission!

It's been another week focused on finding more people to teach and we're down to one investigator. Our other ones have lost interest and stopped answering our calls. Rejection is fun, rejection is funnnn. Not a lot of exciting things to talk about this week.

Last pday Elder Weenig, Elder Pesce. Hermana DeBoard and I made cOmPLetOs! They turned out really well. :)

Last Tuesday I went to my first district meeting and it was really nice. We talked mostly about different ways to find people. After that Hermana DeBoard and I were off to Alicante (45 minutes by train) for exchanges with the sister training leaders. Exchanges are when we trade companions for a couple hours so the sister training leaders (they've just been out longer than us) can get to know us. Then they do a report and talk to president about how were progressing and what we need to improve on. The trainers are Hermana Swenson who goes home next transfer and Hermana Hauber who's halfway done. For Tuesday night I went with Hermana Swenson and she is just the sweetest. We walked around for 4 hours and contacted and knocked doors. We found a few people who were willing to listen. We also had an appointment with a less active member from their ward. It was such a spiritual lesson! The woman had schizophrenia so she doesn't leave her apartment barely ever but she had such a strong testimony. And that kind of showed me that everyone is different and that even if she doesn't make it to church very often, she has a better relationship with God than a lot of active members do.

After all that walking, I was exhausted and when we got back to the apartment we made brownies and between the four of us we ate the whole pan! (Hermanas DeBoard, Hauber, Swenson)

We slept the night there and that was the night I came to appreciate the AC we have in our apartment... It was so hot and I woke up sweating and then we exercised and I sweat even more! That morning after studies I left with Hermana Hauber. We had a lesson with a less active couple. Once again, I learned more from them than they learned from me. The husband has cancer and he's not doing well but they have such a strong faith I'm the Lord and His plan for them. They told us that they pray together a lot as husband and wife for him to die so he wouldn't have to suffer. How humble and trusting they are.

Hermana DeBoard and I got back to Elche at around 3 and later that night we had English class. After English class we went and picked up our scripture casesss! I'm much more excited than you probably understand/care. I just think this is going to be my favorite thing from Spain that I get for myself.

On Friday we had an eating cita with Fina and Jaime. We eat with them every week and Jaime also brings us tons of bottles of water every Thursday. The water isn't safe for drinking and I'm so grateful for him because That means we don't have to buy it. Anyways, we shared Alma 26:12 with them and then had them look at the map of our area and pick a street for us. Since then, we've been spending time everyday contacting and knocking doors on that street. They really loved the idea and are excited to be part of the finding process. They ask us every time they see us if we've found anyone yet on "their" street.

God really does open doors. Literally. There have been several times that we've been trying to get buzzed into an apartment building and I would pray that God would open the door and someone would walk out or accidentally buzz us in. We haven't found a lot of people yet, but God opens doors, and soon he'll prepare people behind those doors. Freaky bug story time! We were in a building and I pressed he door bell and glanced up and there was a 3 inch cockroach in the corner above the door. We try to ring every doorbell three times and so we gently rang it and hoped it wouldn't move. Then the sensor lights in the hallway went out and we almost screamed. We felt around for the light switch and then got out of that building! (Granted that was the last door we had to knock) I sure am grateful I don't see a lot of bugs here... I haven't seen a single one in our apartment yet.

Saturday was the day we machicar-ed everyone. Machicar is a verb unique to Spain and it's my favorite word and basically means "to show them who's boss". We had 5 lessons on Saturday and they were all killer. Each person needed us to explain something firmly to them and we did. We started out teaching Fatima about our roles as missionaries. We talked about how this year and a half isn't our time but it's the Lord's time! I was called as a missionary by a latter day prophet to preach the gospel. I have no time to waste because I'm on borrowed time. We helped her understand our purpose and that she needs to be following through on the commitments we give her. Then we taught Marina-- we only have a few lessons left with her! We're still hoping she can be baptized July 9th. Then we taught another less active who hasn't come to church in two years. We visit him every week and have been helping him establish a regular scripture reading schedule. We kind of lectured him about how he is living below his privileges. God has so many blessings just waiting for him if he would just go to church!

Saturday is the day my heart broke. We met with the teenager I wrote about last time. Like I said, he didn't get baptized for the right reasons and I had such a wish to help him. But he hasn't been progressing and has no wish to. We went in to give him a machicar lesson and we did. I promised him last time that I'd sing a song for him so I sang 'I stand all amazed' I'm Spanish and a verse in English. Then we talked about our roles as missionaries and how we're here to bring others to Christ. We're here to be missionaries first and friends after. Williams just wasn't getting that. He isn't willing to progress and he doesn't like talking about the gospel with us. He always just treats us like friends and we don't have time for that. So we had to walk away and tell him that if he ever wanted our help, we would be there. Walking away was so sad.

English class has been fun. On Friday we taught them the fruits and veggies. I'll have to take a picture with our class sometime soon. There's this one older guy in our class who is from our ward and he's the funniest. He's from Russia and ever since I introduced myself and told him I was from Michigan every time he sees me he always curtsies for some reason and then says hola! La chica de Michigannn! You are from Michigan! Then this past class we taught them how to say I like/ don't like apples. We were practicing making sentences in this structure and so my companion asked the class (in Spanish): "how do you say, She (meaning me) doesn't like oranges" he raised his hand and thought about it with squinty eyes and said, "She is very beautiful." After awkward laughter.... He continues and says "she doesn't like men from Michigan, she likes men from Spain!" Hahahaha. Oh how fun it is to be a missionary in a foreign country. 

Well, now we're on the bus on the way to Fuengirola and Málaga (8 hour bus) to finish my visa process. I'll get a Spain ID card! We'll stay the night and go home tomorrow.

Have a great week! This work is hard work but it's the Lord's work!

Weekly scripture:

Doctrine and Covenants 88:88

 "And whoso receiveth you, there I will be also, for I will go before your face. I will be on your right hand and on your left, and my Spirit shall be in your hearts, and mine angels round about you, to bear you up."

The Lord and His angels truly are with me wherever I go. I feel their love, care and protection for me. 

Love, Hermana Moore