News flash: nobody in Spain knows what it means to have a potluck. First off, we had the dedication of our new capilla yesterday and it was amazing. And we met a lot of new friends. The branch from Segovia came and they're all so cute. Elder young (my second cousin) is the missionary there and him and his companion have been doing amazing things. They have almost tripled the size of the branch from when they first got there. So it was really fun to meet all of those members and then also a bunch of members from the stake were there. But the most incredible part was that there were some people that aren't members that showed up! The members are definitely taking their calls to be missionaries seriously. Some JAS (YSA) invited their professor to come since they were performing a musical number during sacrament meeting. (oh and side note: almost every single person age 6-30 in this ward plays a stringed instrument so we have a ward orchestra- which is not normal for Spain at all). Another family also invited some family friends to come and even some of our amigos that we've been teaching brought a friend with them! And the best one was the guy who lives near the church and just came for the second time in a row because he really enjoyed it the first time! Miracles everywhere! Anyways, the bishop had announced the week before that it was gonna be a potluck after the dedication. We were excited about it and made some Brownies and the elders made some fudge to contribute. Put we were pretty sure that everyone was gonna forget because that generally happens with things like this with these Spanish people. But jokes on us, not a single person forgot, but apparently "potluck" in Spain just means everyone bring your own meal and eat at the same table. But don't you dare try to eat my food I only want to share with the missionaries. So I mean I guess it worked out for us. And our Brownies were a hit.
This week for district council we went to Segovia which is one of the biggest tourist cities in Spain. It really is super pretty. And we ate Elder Young's favorite food. Which I think I described Kebab in an earlier email, but it's basically a burrito with lettuce, tomatoes, some weird sauces, and an unnamed meat of which nobody knows the origin. But we don't stop there. The famous creation of elder young is that inside of a spaghetti burrito. And yes that's exactly what it sounds like. A tortilla with spaghetti and the kebab plopped right on top and then roll it all up and chow down. It was probably the weirdest thing I've eaten so far and it wasn't even given to me by someone from this country haha.
So the craziest thing actually happened on Saturday. We've been trying to get in contact with our friend Luis but he seemed to be ignoring us. (he was my very first lesson my very first day in the field- the very old and very Spaniard one). So we decided to pass by his house and I think I could say that we were standing on deaths doorstep because he seemed to be at that point and we were on the same doorstep as him. We really though he might drop dead right then and there in front of our eyes. The left half of his face was covered in a dark bruise and there was not a single white spot to be seen in his left eye-completely red. And he was shaking and so weak that he couldn't stand long enough to talk to us and had to sit down on the arm of the couch. We asked him if he had gone to the doctor but apparently Spain hospitals are not open on the weekends so he wasn't gonna be able to go in until Monday morning. We didn't really know quite what to do so we told him we would come back later with a member. On our way out we had the though to buy him some food because he had also informed him that pretty much all he'd eaten in the last 6 weeks was the exact same kind of smoothies that we had made him during that first visit. So we went to the grocery store that is literally across the street from his house (he was just too weak to walk there I guess) and got him some sandwiches and salad and took them back to him. When we showed up the second time, he was so grateful that he started crying. The poor guy was starving! He told us that it was a miracle that we had showed up at his door that day. And I definitely agree because he would have literally wasted away into nothing if we hadn't been there.
The next day we asked a member to come with us and we visited him again. And lo and behold, he was perfectly fine! I think it's because he actually ate some solid food; his face was still bruised and his eye was only a little less red, but he was just acting like a regular old man not like what we had seen the night before. So we sat down and starting sharing a small message with him-John 16:33- aaaand after a couple seconds he let us know that he doesn't believe in the divinity of christ or that He came to the earth to atone for our sins. To hear that made me really sad and at first I didn't really know what to say. But don't you worry, we got him good. Well, the spirit got him good. The feeling of the spirit in that room was as thick as storebought syrup as we each testified of Christ and how we've come to have these testimonies. I again felt the power of the gift of tongues very strongly as I bore my testimony of Christ in words that I believe with all my heart but didnt quite know how to say in Spanish until then. I know that even if there was only one person in the entire universe that needed the atonement of Christ, he still would have suffered all of that for that one. That's how much he loves each and everyone one of us. Luís sure felt that spirit that testifies of Christ and I know that we can all feel it if we continue to strengthen our testimonies of Him every day!
Quick update on some of our other amigos- Manuel said yes to being baptized! We haven't given him a date yet but we're going to this week! He's such a cute old man, when he said he would be baptized and we got all excited, he gave Hermana Ritman a hug and kissed her on the cheek and we got a pretty good laugh out of that. And we met with máximo again buuut he told us that during the year that he was investigating the church, he didn't like a single part of it, which we know is not true, but he's not quite ready to accept the gospel yet but we'll keep praying for him that someday he'll soften his heart and let Jesus Christ in.
I don't know what it is with old, Spanish men, but we seem to be teaching a lot of them right now haha. I guess it's their time :)
I've officially made it through my first transfer in the field and holy cow have I learned a lot. Literally every single day I learn something new and the spirit brings something new to my attention. I love love love my savior and how much I get to learn about him. And the more I learn the more I want to share. I know the gospel is true and I want you all to know it too! So go read your scriptures and then do whatever you feel prompted to do! Love you all!!
Hermana Pendleton
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