Letter #63

Hola! que hay? 

I loved the pictures!!! I was missing the ocean myself but today we got to see it. I will mention that in a second. I am really jealous that you guys went down to San Diego! I still haven't been there yet. That will be a fun place to go to. Everyone is looking great! 

This week went well. We have started to knock more doors. I have always like knocking doors because it gets me to talk to more people. It has always been harder for me(siempre me habia costado) to contact in the street. We have met some pretty cool people and some with some potencial. It also allows us to go to different parts of town where we usually don't go because there aren't people on the street. We are usually in the downtown part of town by all the shopping and stuff, but this week we were able to be in the more old town area with the cool old buildings. It is really refreshing to see new views and switch things up. We met a guy named Casimiro, cool name, it meens, Almost look haha. We followed up on him after recieving his number a couple days later. We knocked his door but he wasnt there but then he ended up showing up and then letting us in and we taught him the Restauracion! He is Gallegan encima! Really cool little miracle for me to see. Hopefully we can teach him this week. 

Santi is no longer in Santiago.. He moved down to Segovia to buscarle la vida, find a job and home and such. I was able to pass the reference down to Elder Weixler, it was good to talk to him for a bit. 

Today I had the coolest pday in the mission! We went with our Branch mission leader to Finisterra! We drove along the coast in his little read Audi for about 2 hours and then reached the End of the World! Back in the days of Colombus it was considered that because it is the farthest west point in Europa! It was beautiful driving there and back! If it be possible I would want to take you, Mom and Dad there. It is kind of out of the way but it would be fun to take a bus out there or drive there or something. Reminded me a little bit of California, it is the west coast, just of Spain :) Pictures will be coming probably next week, I don have much time today. 

The Branch is doing well. Presidente Bolter is doing a good job of trying to get the brach excited to work with us. It has been tough to have set lessons to have members to come to but we will figure it out. 

I love you all and hope that you all have a great week! I am really glad that you could all take a breather down in that Californian ocean air :) 

Elder Jayden

Letter #62

Cathedral  under renovation

 This week went really well. Although, it was kind of a tough one on the streets.  We did not find as many people that were willing to listen to us this week but that is okay. I have been learning to trust in the Lord´s timing in all things.

Conference was great! I was able to watch it with members and an investigator for one of the sessions. I love how straight forward they all were in telling us the things that we need to do! There was not much gray space. It is either right or wrong these days. I watched it all in spanish which was good. I missed hearing their real voices but it was great to hear it in spanish. 

District Elders

Cool Experience... So last year when I was in A Coruña I was with Elder Barragán and one night we found a man that was drunk out of his mind. He could hardly walk so we helped him back to where he told us he lived. We got his name out of him, which was Santi, like Santiago. We left him with a card with our number on it and that was the end of that. This week a man called our attention and told us that he had been meeting with the missionaries down in the south of Spain and wanted to have more charlas from the missionaries here in Santiago! He was going to get baptized there but he moved. We met with him that night and we invited him to follow Christ and be baptized. He expressed to us that he really wanted to make changes in his life and stop drinking and be a better person. That guy was Santi from a year ago! I read back in my journal and was able to confirm it. It is so amazing to me to see how the Lord works! Miracles happen!

I am doing well. I am having fun, working hard, and learning to trust more and more in the Lord. Love you all and hope that you all have a great week! 

Elder Jayden Miles

Letter #61

Q: Favorite Area:

A: My favorite area has probably been this one. It is beautiful and it is fun being getting to know that cultures of so many people and also traveling around our area.  

Q:  My favorite companion:

A: So far, probably Elder Harrop even though we were only comps for a transfer but we shared the same bathroom for 6 months haha. We always had fun just talking and singing and stuff, good guy. 

Q: What bothers you about Spain: 

A: I feel like there is no authority here and you can pretty much get away with anything, I don´t know what cops really do here other than pick up illigal immigrants hahah. Q: Most spiritual moment:

A: I can´t think of a specific one, but I love seeing the changes that people make in order to follow Christ. 

Q:The hardest part of my mission:

A: Has been realizing how much I have needed to change and then actually doing it. I have been humbled many times and have learned many times from my mistakes. But I guess that is probably what is going to help me the most. 

Q: What bothers you about the mission:

A: I hate when people tell us that they are going to meet us and then totally flake on us.. Super annoying!!

This week we saw some miracles. Small miracles more than anything but they were definitely blessings. First of all we were able to set two baptismal fechas for the 25th of October. It is going to take some serious faith and prayer for the investigators to be prepared for that date but I think they will be ready if they do their part. We are trying to do better with exact obedience. I think the fact that we are the older ones out in the mission got to our head and that we figured out what rules were of less importance, like getting to breakfast exactly at 8:30. But we are doing a lot better this week and we have been seeing little tender mercies such as running into investigators that we have not been able to get a hold of or meeting really cool people that have potential. Nothing too big but it has made a difference in the work for sure. 

We getting really tight with Pam's brother´s Restaurant and their employees there. We have not taught any of them but we walk by there every day probably 10 times a day and wave "hi" to them. So you know, you could say that we are pretty tight. We can walk in and chat with them anytime if we want. 

Church went well. We did not have any investigators there but hopefully we will next week for General Conference! I am really excited for conference next week! I have been getting by studying the Ensigns and and now it is time for a bunch of talks to learn from and study! Elder Eskelson just reminded me that this will also be the last conference that I will have out here in the field... weird. 

I splurged a bit and bought peanut butter for a nice price of 4€.. It is so good. That is probably one thing that I have really missed that is out here that I never buy becuase it is pricy. 

I am doing well health wise, no problems. Now on to week 3 of the transfer. Love you all and hope that you have a great week! 

Elder Jayden Miles