Week 8

Wow what a week. First off thank you all for the emails I received and the prayers they all help so much. Also I'm sorry but there won't be any pictures really too because I still don't have a phone but I promise they will come. If you want to know where I've been at look up Manacor Spain for pictures hahaha or Portocristo on the island of Mallorca Spain is gorgeous (I like it more than Manacor).

So leaving off from last week we had Tuesday as P-day which isn't normal we usually have P-days on Monday. Tuesday night was just me staying the night while my companion went back to Manacor with another elder. We did an intercambio or in English an exchange and so all Tuesday night and Wednesday during the day I was with our district leader Elder Salazar. He is from Ecuador and speaks English so for 24 hours it was all Spanish and I can say I was drained after that hahahaha. He's a really great elder and talked to me got to know me and talked to me about mission goals and honestly I'm at a lost here. I'm here on the mission because I know I'm supposed to be but not with anything else really here. I know this gospel is true and I want to be here and share it with the people of Spain wherever that is. I want to learn the language fluently and that's it.  I haven't found anything else I'm looking for from the mission. I believe with time it will come but Elder Salazar is trying to help me come up with some goals. 

Thursday was weekly planning and so most of the day was inside planning for our investigators and going over goals. Honestly everyone, we need some help. This area is dead at the moment. We're really struggling to find people to teach and for appointments to follow through. We planned about 15 appointments for this last week which is a good number and only 2 went through and one of those lessons was with a recent convert so it kinda doesn't count. We need lots of prayers and any ideas because we need to start putting some numbers up out here.

Friday was my first normal day in the mission where I got to follow a normal schedule. Our days are pretty much like this.

7:30-9:00 (wake up,exercise,eat breakfast,get ready for the day)

9:00-10:00(Personal Study)

10:00-11:30(daily planning and companion study)

11:45-2:00 (proselyting/appointments) 

2:00-3:00(lunch)

3:00-4:00(language study)

4:00-8:00(appointments/proselyting)

9:00-10:00(calls and area book cleaning)

10:00-11:30(eat dinner, free time, and go to sleep.

This seems like a long day but it's actually shorter than you would think. Friday was basically we planned appointments that didn't go through so we went to pass by a less-active family's house that we've passed by many times but have never been home. But this time they were home. Their names are Victoria and Miguel and they are both members but really busy people. They have 2 daughters and just are a normal family but with a lot of problems with one of the daughters who has blood problems and has to go to the hospital once a week. We got to know them and then my companion shared a video called "Alto me Eleva" in Spanish I don't know the name in English but it's about how we all have trials but God is always there for us. Super touching video and when we finished the video the two members were crying they both said that this brought them a lot of comfort. We talked to them about church and things and I shared that we know that church attendance is a commandment and God prepares a way for us to fufill every commandment (using 1 Nephi 3:7 as reference). It was super spiritual and a great experience for me and the family. 

Saturday was a normal day as well but pretty much how I explained a lot of appointments that fell through. So we have had a lot of time in the streets but honestly after about 4:00 when we go out after lunch and study it's dead everyone takes mediodia off and is gone. So we have done a lot of training things for me we have to do online and some days we are really frustrated and go to the church and play ping pong for about 25 minutes to cool off. Our branch has a ping pong table and a water machine that dispenses ice cold water, it's heavenly.  

Sunday wow lots to talk about. First off I hope all you remember I had to give a talk but that wasn't all. I got to play 4 songs in sacrament meeting (one of them I didn't know at all) and give a 15 minute talk and give a prayer. Literally half of the service was me playing piano or talking in Spanish. Just what a day and then after that we went to a member's house for lunch. They're a Columbian couple and they made us a soup with chicken and potatoes and vegetables with rice and salad which was really good and filling. Also they're South Americans so they put everything of the chicken in the soup. So guess what I saw first when they handed me the food... a chicken foot... that's right a chicken foot. And how do you eat a chicken foot? You suck all the skin and cartilage out and leave the bones on the plate. Have to say I was pretty surprised... anyways the rest of the day was a family history activity with the ward and then some street contacting, which was good because we found a man who agreed to set up a visit with us next week. He is from Ecuador and listened to the missionaries about 40 years ago. We talked to him at his door for about 20 minutes and he started to yawn hahaha so I told my companion we should wrap this up and go. 

Today was a normal P-day. We went shopping I need to get some pants and some new running shoes cause I've put holes  in the ones I have. In this tiny town there's not much to see and so it was a pretty unsuccessful shopping day. We bought our food for the week. We cleaned our apartment finally. This piso has been trashed for too long and today finally it looks nice and presentable. Oh also we got haircuts which here in Spain and dirt cheap and is one of my favourite haircuts I've ever had. 6€ is a steal. 

Honestly this week has been so much better than last week. It's still hard, my body hurts more than ever but I keep moving on and working hard each day. I'm finding more ways to enjoy the mission like getting on the roof of our apartment building at night with my companion and just talking or playing contacting games. I'm thankful for the emails and the prayers from everyone. Please send me emails and pictures and continue to pray. Love you all!

Elder Keith