I love Carnaval :)

First things first... Carnaval updates!!! :) So Friday night right as we are going to bed we hear LOOOUUUDDD music from outside... so we go to the window and see this big semi sized truck... but on the back there is just a platform with probably 200 people dressed up dancing on the bed of this truck.  It has been fun to see people dressed up walking around! :) I love costumes. 

 

Anyway... moving on...  "A" is so legit!  We had a really good lesson with him this week and were talking about the spirit and how he can recognize his answers... He really takes in everything we teach him and applies it to his life.  It is great! He told us he really loves meeting with us because it makes him want to be a better person! ´I just come into our lessons so tired, and I leave so energized... I love that!!! ´ :) That my friend is the spirit.... He came to institute and all the jas were really good about befriending him. He was making comments and nodding his head and everything. :) Success!

 

Well there was a day this week when basically everything fell through, but we ended up seeing people that really needed some words of comfort. It was good to see how the Lord can guide us to who needs him the most. 

One thing my Stake President told me as I was leaving for my mission was that there would be times on my mission where I really wouldn´t understand the situations people were going through, but I would be able to help them because I know someone who understands perfectly, someone who can help... Jesus. We had that happen a lot this week. We would be listening to a situation and I would literally be thinking, I can´t even imagine going through this. I would think of what my Stake President said, and talk about the Atonement. How Jesus literally can help. There is always such a powerful comforting spirit that comes when you testify about the Atonement. :)  Love it.

Well I have more random stories if you don´t mind listening...(or reading I guess.)

-There was a honking protest Thursday morning outside our apartment. Literally for 20 minutes there were cars that passed our apartment and there was continual honking for this 20 minutes. Not going to lie... kind of drives the spirit away.

-We got a reference of this guy who literally lives along the beach. haha. So yesterday we had a little bit of time to go search him out.  We walked along the boardwalk looking for his address.  Honestly, with the sunshine, the sound of the waves, the view of the ocean, and the smell of the ocean spray... I felt like I was on vacation. It is so beautiful!!!  I love this island so much! :)

Well love you much! Have a great week!! Hope all is well and all of your happiest wishes come true! :)

Con mucho amor, 
HERMANA FOWERS!!!!!!

Día de San Valentín!

Well howdy there:) So to recap the week... "F" didn´t get baptized, we ate sooooooo mmuuuccchhh food, and we didn´t get transfered!! :)

So we were in a meeting with our ward mission leader and we´re explaining about all of our investigators... what we´ve taught this week, all the doubts they have, the potential they all have and all the little problems every one of them has to overcome before they can get baptized.  Our ward mission leader looks at me and says ´Hna Fowers, the Lord is trying to teach you patience´.... haha thank you, I was aware of that. I am also aware that patience has never been my strong points! haha  That was another theme of the week.. patience :)

Well Monday night we met with "F" to go over the baptismal interview questions... turns out that although he believes in prophets... he doesn´t quite believe that Thomas S Monson is the prophet right now. hmmm... So we had a long discussion about prophets, about why they are important, why we need them, how we can know if President Monson is a prophet... how if Joseph Smith is a prophet (which he believes) then Thomas S Monson is the only one who can be a prophet. You name it, we talked about it. Anyway we asked him to pray about it and set up an appointment for the next day so we could see if he could still have his interview with the district leader on Wednesday. 

Well between Tuesday and Wednesday we scheduled 3 appointments and he didn´t show up to any of them. haha ooohhh man.  At one point we even sticky note attacked his door with scriptures and quotes and notes of encouragement... because we really didn´t know what else to do.  :) So Thursday we finally got to meet with him!:) We kind of just discussed his doubts and read scriptures and the conference talks of the prophet... and decided to move back his baptism until he has a testimony of the prophet! :) The Lord does answer prayers... we´ve seen that with him over and over again. As long as he is praying, God can give him his answers... we just have to put it back into the Lord´s timing. Even though I don´t think I will ever have perfect patience, I know that as I have faith more in the Lord, the Lord will help me have more faith in His timing because it truly is perfect.

We had an awesome lesson with "A" about prayer! He is kind of the person who likes to help others and doesn´t like asking for help, so he hasn´t been praying because he didn´t want to ask God for help... we just explained that God really does want to hear from us... we aren´t a nuisance or a bother for him because we are his children and we truly are special to him. It was a really spiritual lesson, and the next time we had met with him... HE HAD PRAYED!! :)  Wooohoo. The Lord is a Lord of miracles!

We met with "S" and were reading in the Book of Mormon... we asked her to read a few verses, and she really got into it, she read what we asked her to and then kept on reading- you could just tell that she was really taking in everything! At the end she looked at us and told us she was feeling something strong in her heart... ´Is this normal?!´ ´yes, yes it is :)´

So transfers. I was so nervous! In ward council a few weeks ago the Bishop mentioned that we were getting a new set of Elders... and losing two missionaries... turns out he was joking about the losing two missionary part, but I didn´t know that and I freaked out... haha and might have caused quite a scene in ward council (haha this is why they all love me ;)). . . but anyway everyone has been teasing me for the last two weeks that I´m out of here :) and the night of transfer calls I was shaking in my boots... I made my comp do a yoga session with me while we waited for the call! :) But I´m safe!!!! I LOVE IT HERE SO MUCH!!

One more really cool experience... so we met with an awesome family this week.  The mom is very Catholic, the daughter is a Jehovah Witness and is really really receptive.. but anyway we found them because we contacted the dad on the street... and turns out he wants nothing to do with the church and the only reason he gave us his number is because he thought- felt it would be a really good thing for his family! :) So that´s pretty cool!! :)

Well love  you lots!!  Have the best week ever!!

Gospel songs... sunshine... and bus accidents

Great week on the Canary Islands!!

So Tuesday we met with "F". What a great guy. So a few weeks ago he got his answer that the church was true… but he still didn't feel ready to get baptized… so we kept on setting baptism dates and they kept on falling through… he kept telling us that he would know when he felt prepared and he wanted to wait until he did. 

So we've been patient... So we start talking to him on Tuesday and he just quieted us down 'Sisters...I have a story to tell you' keep in mind he is from Africa… so any story he has to tell is quite legit!!

So Sunday after stake conference he was in his house just pondering… I think he used the word meditating! :) So he's sitting there meditating and he's just praying to the Lord if this is the path that He wants him to take. And something over came him and he felt like singing, so he begins to sing his good old gospel songs. (At this point of the conversation he decided to show us what these gospel songs sounded like… so he begins to sing :) and we're just soaking up every minute of this. Gotta love it… :)) Well… his gospel songs touched his heart so much and he started to cry… '  Sisters do you hear the story that I am telling you… God touched my heart and I started to cry'. And he just felt really moved and he knew that this is the path that God wants for him. This is the time for him to be baptized. 

Just you wait this isn't even the end). So then he's just sitting soaking in his answer, and at this exact time at a different part of Las Palmas we are having a meeting with our ward mission leader and talking about him and how he is ready to be baptized, he just doesn't feel prepared and we're not quite sure what to do… so the ward mission leader pulls out his phone and calls him right then and there. So "F" who is pondering his answer, picks up the phone and talks to him (who is really bold and basically just calls him to repentance and tells him he needs to be baptized… not going to lie I was cringing a little at his frankness with him.. but I got called to repentance because "F" took this as his second witness from God that right now really is the time that he needs to be baptized. :) Well God does work in mysterious ways. :) So he is prepared to be baptized and we moved up his fecha to this Sunday!! :) 

Then we celebrated by listening to him sing us more gospel songs while we basked in the Las Palmas sunshine. Man it was a great moment. Words can't describe how happy I was.  Also I definitely got this singing on video.

"Y" is so great! She is living with her boyfriend so it will be a while before she can get married and then baptized.. but she told us that she really can't get her grandpa out of her mind (her grandpa is basically like her dad)… So background story… there was one day she was really stressed and she found herself at the cemetery, so then later that day we stopped by and we talked about the Plan of Salvation. So she brought up her grandpa and a member mentioned about temple work and baptisms for the dead. This really impacted her, and she really feels like she needs to get the work for him done! So in the next few weeks our ward has their temple week where they all go to Madrid and do temple work…. so "Y" worked it out with a member for her to baptize and do the temple work for her grandpa!! :) This week we brought a different member than usual and it was perfect because she had basically the same experience with her grandparents, and she bore testimony about how the peace and comfort that came after she did the temple work was the best feeling she's ever experienced. The Spirit was super strong. there were definitely tears flowing. 

Well it was a great week!!! There were quite a few fun experiences…

-We met a Danish couple in the park this week… we talked to them for a while about snow and castles and queens… they told me that the king can marry anyone he wants and so they want me to be their next queen! Sweet. They did tell me I would have to learn Danish…

-On Friday we had a YSA spend the whole day with us because she wanted to see what the day of a missionary was like! :) Kind of fun to be in a trio and show her what it is like to be a missionary!

- President flew down to give us interview this week :) and we got the conference ensigns… we can start teaching the people about the most recent talks… but as we were walking into the church a recent convert was leaving and he called us over and whispered 'hey your boss is here'... haha... Yes, yes we know!! :)

-Hey we were in a bus accident this week!!  haha we luckily didn't hit anyone….and luckily we were sitting down… but so i was looking down writing something and I hear the bus honk…. so I look up to see a car literally one inch away from the bus. So in an attempt to avoid this car we slid from one side of the street to another, hitting the street barrier and almost hitting the car on the other side of the street... but we didn't hit anyone so it was all good!! It all happened before I realized what was happening... but then the bus was making really weird sounds… so the driver gets out a few stops later and checks the bus… haha and he pulls a huge street barrier out from under the bus…so that was funny… :)

Well I love you lots!!!

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!!!!!!!! :):):):) 

Have a great week!!!

Stake Conference = Skype Conference

Fun fact.... The Canary Island´s stake is the only stake to be separated by the ocean. The 7 islands make up our one stake... and not everyone can travel to our island for the conference...as a result, Stake Conference is a big skype session! :) Woohoo!!! Sometimes the talk was by someone on our island and sometimes the prayers, speakers, songs were done by people done on different islands and we would watch on the projector. Thank you technology! :)

Saturday night session was all about missionary work and I got to bear my testimony! :) I was kind of nervous going into the conference... this is being broadcasted to all the islands!! Then I got even more nervous when I realized the whole conference was about missionary work and I was the only missionary speaking. Dang.  Luckily, all went well!  Phew, deep breaths!  I got up there and just saw all the faces of all the members that I love so much and it was just like bearing my testimony in a lesson... plus there are perks when God is on your side.  I honestly don´t remember what I said... haha  but I think that was mainly the nerves.  Then the Sunday session of Stake Conference was a broadcasting from Salt Lake... Elder Ballard and some 70s talked to us. It was for all the stakes in Spain, Portugal and Cape Verde. Kind of fun!!!

One fun little thing... so I usually write notes to all the members who bear their testimonies on Sundays...so Brother "G" came up to me after the meeting thanked me for my testimony and gave me a thank you note :)  Tender moments. Love the members here!!

Also, all the missionaries on our island (there are 10 of us...) sang ´El ejercito de Helaman´(Army of Helaman) and it was really cool!! haha  Only problem was that my comp and I were the only girls... so we had to sing really loud... and I am not a singer! haha

So the work here is great!!  We are finding and teaching a lot of great people with a lot of great potential! This week we talked a lot about how every one of our investigators has just something in the way of getting baptized. We´ve been trying really hard to improve our teaching and really bring the spirit so they know how great the spirit can feel and truly have a desire to have that spirit with them always. (aka.. through baptism and receiving the Holy Ghost).  I know that God can work miracles but we have to ask him for his help. We are trying really hard to emphasize praying with real intent. If all of our investigators truly prayed with real intent I know that they would feel the difference and really work towards baptism!! :) So that is what we are working with!!!

"Y" is great as always... she talked to her boyfriend this week about marriage... so she is one step closer!! Woohoo!! She really feels the drive to get baptized so her family can receive all the blessings of the gospel and also so she can do the temple work for her grandpa... she really understands what it means to come unto Christ! She came to Stake Conference and smiled at us as I bore my testimony-  and as we sang. She is so cute!!

Anyway... Lots of great things are happening here!! Love, love, love it!!!  Have a great week!!!!

Un besito!

Hna Fowers