Sounds like you all had an awesome Thanksgiving!! I miss those good ol´ Turkey left overs. We didn´t do anything for the real Thanksgiving since we jumped the gun a week early haha, Oh well. The end of the year is always the best with so many family get togethers. I am glad that everyone had fun. This year here in Spain was the fist year that they did Black Friday haha. It wasn´t such a hit like it is there in the states but it was fun. The had it posted in all the store windows just in english.
The transfer ends this week.. I doubt that I will be ending my mission here. Who knows though, every time I feel like I am leaving, I stay and every time I feel like I am staying, I leave. So we will see what happens. If I leave I will have to meet people real quick before Christmas so we can eat at a members house :P I don´t know if this year can get any worse than last year haha. I just laugh when I picture Elder Cordova and I missing that last train and having to walk over to the other Elders piso in the rain to ask them if we could stay the night. Good memories!
This week: Vamos a ver..
We have still be on the search for new people to teach. Nobody will answer their phones or show up at appointments, which leaves us to contacting and knocking doors.
We did travel out to a pueblo an hour away from Santiago named, Lalín. We met with a women mom and dad´s age. She was super nice and has some good potential. It is always funny to think that a lot of the people that we teach out here are Mom and Dad´s age. We took a bus to a pueblo that we didn´t know at all to meet with a lady that we have only talked to on the phone. But sure enough she showed up and had a nice little chat on a bench in the bus station. I was nervous that everything was going to go wrong with traveling so far to meet with one person but everything went well.
We have a new friend. This man has changed his outlook on life. He has been a member since 2011 and is from Portugal. I met him about a month and a half ago with Elder Eskelson. He showed up in the chapel on Sunday and told us about some things in his life that were occurring. Last week was the second time that I have met him and he told us about more trials that he has been going through. To imagine him you can think of the story of Job in the bible. The only difference is that he is healthy but he has had a very hard life. I don´t want to go into to too much detail because he trusts us a lot. He is homeless, doesnt have food or money. He has been sleeping out by the chapel for the past couple of days. Just from mistakes in his life that he has made it has changed his life to upside down! Decisions determine destiny. We have been meeting with him and helping him with the branch. When you look at him you can just tell that he has seen another side of life that many people haven't seen. Very humbling to be able to meet with him and help him return to the Path.
I gave a talk in church on Sunday. I based the talk on Elder Scott in the Liahona in Feb 2011. I talked about basing desicions in our life off of Divine Truths. I always have enjoyed studying for talks because I end up learning way more than the people that listen to me. It is a great talk if your interested : "How to have peace, joy and purpose in the life". Something like that in English. One blessing that I have been able to see in the mission has been being able to just live the Gospel in its fullness. At home I went to church and read my scriptures, but never in my life have I felt such trust in the Lord and in His plans. I know that the Gospel was designed by God. I know that He loves us. I know that the Gospel is the way that we can overcome trials and have an eternal perspective. I know these things because I have experienced them. I have seen changes in my life and in the lives of others that I can never forget. Live the Gospel and the Lord blesses you.
Today for pday Elder Molina and I got a quick haircut, (with a nice little head massage, definitly worth it) did some grocery shopping, went down to the center of town and browsed around in all the clothing stores. If only I had €€$$ haha. No, I don´t need anything. Later we ate at a pub. Had some puplpo and a bocadillo. Hit the spot :) Now I am here writing you guys.
All in all, pretty good week. Had my ups and downs like I always do but everything always turns out okay.
Love you all and hope that you all have a great week!
Elder Jayden Miles
