Adeu

On 6 March 2012, 10 great missionaries completed their service and returned home. These are always bittersweet days - we are sad to see them go, but excited for what they will accomplish in the next phase of life!

The traditional Canto de los ángeles - Singing for the Angels - was enhanced by the accompaniment of Hna. Galilea Abellán, a returned missionay (England London) in the Hospitalet Stake. A nice touch!

Wednesday morning at the airport

Three missionaries had family members who met them and traveled home with them - Hna. Kline, Hna.Preston, and Elder Hughes. The remaining seven left early Wednesday morning. Look for big things in the years to come from each of them!

Miracles in Bilbao

"Therefore, dearly beloved brethren, let us cheerfully do all things that lie in our power; and then may we stand still, with the utmost assurance, to see the salvation of God, and for his arm to be revealed." - D&C 123:17

There were no baptisms scheduled for last weekend in the Bilbao Ward, although the missionaries had been doing all that was within there power to help their investigators progress. On Wednesday the Elders met with AJ, a young single adult who was preparing to be baptized later in the month of March. They reviewed with him the baptismal interview questions and, sensing that he was fully prepared and committed, asked if he would like to be baptized on Saturday. He readily agreed.

On Wednesday evening the Elders received a phone call from a recent convert who shares an apartment with another investigator, Tito. The Elders had been teaching Tito for several weeks, but during the last two weeks he had not really been progressing and they had not reported him as a progressing investigator. But after not attending Church last Sunday, he realized how much he was missing, and prayed for guidance. He felt he needed to move forward and get baptized. The Elders agreed to set up a baptismal interview for him on Saturday following the baptism of AJ to see where he was spiritually.

On Saturday Tito attended the baptism, as did another young adult, Carolina. Carolina attended Church regularly and came to the YSA activities, but because her parents opposed her joining the Church the Elders had never taught her. After the baptismal service Carolina came up to the Elders and said through her tears, "I want to be the next one baptized" and asked if she could be baptized Sunday with Tito! They discovered that she had received all of the lessons two years ago, and as she had been attending Church regularly, had a good understanding of the principles and was living all the commandments. She had felt the Spirit so strongly during the service that she felt compelled to be baptized despite the opposition of her parents.

By the end of the day on Sunday, the Bilbao Ward had three wonderful new young single adult members. When missionaries do all things that lie in their power, the Lord's arm is revealed and great miracles occur!

Saturday Night in Badalona - What We Do

Yes, Badalona, the city just up-coast from Barcelona. We drove over to the chapel Saturday evening to attend the baptism of two wonderful new converts. Last December the ward mission leader called the Elders to say that he was inviting a family to the ward Christmas party and wanted the Elders to meet them. The Elders were able to set up an appointment for the following week and began teaching the Alpiri family of five, and they have been reading the Book of Mormon and praying together ever since.

In late January, the father returned to Bolivia where he stayed for six weeks. He continued reading while he was gone and returned home on Thursday. While he did not feel fully prepared for baptism on Saturday, he was happy to have his wife and daughter baptized. He came to service dressed in suit, white shirt and tie, and is preparing to be baptized with his son in a couple of weeks.

Elders Estrada and Corbitt with the Alpiri family

Elder Estrada flies home on Wednesday morning, so this was his last opportunity to baptize someone he had taught. He is working feverishly with Elder Corbitt to finalize a plan for the baptism of Bro. Alpiri.

This was a week full of miracles. In Bilbao, a young single adult who has been investigating for two years but has always declined baptism because of opposition of her parents, attended the baptism a new convert on Saturday afternoon. After the service she came up to Elder Kane, who is being transferred next week, and said, "Elder Kane, I am going to be baptized!" He said, "Great! Please have the missionaries send me some photos of your baptism, as I would love to see them." She responded, "I mean I am getting baptized tomorrow. I have decided to be baptized tomorrow." She was.

In Pamplona, Hna. Moulton, who is also being transferred next week, had a lesson on Thursday with a couple they have been teaching for some time but who were never willing to make the commitment to baptism. When Hna. Moulton mentioned she was leaving of Tuesday, they said, "Well, you can't go until we are baptized. Can we get baptized this Saturday?" They were baptized Saturday afternoon and confirmed today.

It has been a wonderful week, with 21 convert baptisms during the week. The Lord is blessing us with great miracles in this great "second harvest" in Spain. Baptizing worthy converts is what we do. And there are many more preparing for baptism. In Ibiza a week ago a woman with tears in her eyes stopped the missionaries in the street and asked where the Church was. They explained they had only been on the island for a couple of weeks and asked if she was a member. She responded, "No, but I attended Church for 6 years in Paraguay but my mother would never let me get baptized." She then pulled out her wedding photos, showed them pictures of her husband and said, "Don't worry, Elders, I still keep all the commandments and my husband and I were chaste before we were married." She and her husband are preparing to be baptized on March 24.

"Hoy es el tiempo y el día"

Now is the time and the day

Alma 34:31

Specialized Training Conferences

We concluded the specialized training conferences this week with two days in Bilbao and two days in Valencia. The focus of this training was largely on two topics: leveraging the power of members, and using the power of the Book of Mormon.

Much of the training focused on specific investigators
with baptismal dates in the coming weeks. These are from the Vitoria Zone.

We eat way to much pizza at conferences!

The Guggenheim Museum in the early morning mist...

Most of the time was spent in "hives" - tables with two companionships
where they discussed principles and practiced applying them.

Working in their "hives."

Off to lunch!

On the second day of training, the local Relief Society  sisters
provided us with lunch - so much better than Domino's!

And Valencia, of course, means the Valencia train station. What a great town!

It has been a great month, spending two days in each zone and being taught by the Spirit! The promise of the Lord was fulfilled: "And it shall come to pass, that inasmuch as they are faithful, and exercise faith in me, I will pour out my Spirit upon them in the day that they assemble themselves together" (D&C 44:2).

Next Monday we will gather with all of the zone leaders in our monthly Concilio, and then prepare for transfers the following week. We have 10 missionaries returning home on March 7th - 6 hermanas and 4 elders. They are all wonderful, effective missionaries and will be sorely missed, but they are headed off to bigger and better things!

Scenes from Barcelona Zone Specialized Training

The entire zone!

Elders Hadley and Middleton help(?) Hnas. Soderquist and Roberts make the salad

Elders Olson, Huaman, Gonzalez and Oldroyd doing a role-play

Lunch!

New Standards of Excellence

During the January mission council meeting, the mission leaders discussed and developed new Standards of Excellence for 2012. These represent a substantial increase in the pace of the work, and will stretch us, but many companionships have already demonstrated that is possible to work at this level.

Click here to read the 2012 Standards of Excellence.

Also included here are our four areas of emphasis, or cornerstones, for 2012. We are excited about this great second harvest!

Specialized Training

February is "specialized training" month, and this month we are launching the new year with a 2-day "mini MTC" in every zone. Specialized training usually focuses and skill-development - learning and practicing how to teach and work more effectively. Our emphasis in these training meetings is primarily on two key issues: how to leverage the power of members, and how to use the power of the Book of Mormon.

We began in Lleida and had a wonderful two days. The weather was very cold, but the Spirit was warm!

Preparing in the hotel room in Lleida

Elders Bronson, Saldaña, Galan and Parry doing a role-play in Lleida

Saturday night we flew to Palma so we could attend district conference there (which was a satellite broadcast from Salt Lake with Pres. Uchtdorf, Elder Christofferson, Elder Zwick, and Sister Dalton). To our great suprise we awoke on Sunday morning to two inches of snow in Palma! But again, we were warmed by the spirit of the conference.
 

Pres. Hinckley makes a snowball in Palma!

The Baleares Zone: Missionaries from three islands gather in Palma!

Hermanas Dalton, Mancera, and Hinckley are awesome!