Another busy week - Otra semana muy ocupada

 15 And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and ^apreach the ^bgospel to every ^ccreature. Mark 16:15
 15 Y les dijo: ^aId por todo el mundo y predicad el ^bevangelio a^ctoda criatura. Marcos 16:15

Teaching a dog: he was rather interested, unlike the other dog in the street who only wanted to eat them.
Enseñando un perro, estaba bastante interesado, mas que los otros perro en la calle que solo querían comerlos.

Elder Read reports that once more  they have had a good week, not so may lessons but after two weeks, they have managed to get in touch with a less active, who they're now working with.

Today - Tuesday - they are going to Murcia for special training, which will be for three zones: Murcia, Cartagena and Alicante, and he will be seeing one of his companions - the second Elder Rodriguez. How smashing, Elder Read says!  The first Elder Rodriguez was his companion at the MTC while the second one was his second companion in Huelva.

How time flies!  We're using this expression so often and now he has just one more Sunday left in Cartagena and that will their stake conference, which he describes as their second, and the week after - of course - will be general conference. Then that's the end of the transfer and he's off.

"I can't believe it!" Elder Read says. "I don't want to leave, not at all.  I really feel part of this ward.  I have been here almost 5 months and a lot has happened."  He'll always remember Cartagena and now there are sisters in Huelva, so he always looks to see if they've got baptisms.  He hopes there will be soon.

When Elder Read wrote home on Monday he said that at that stage he didn't know where they were going that day but it would certainly be somewhere interesting.  

As Amalia and I are practising with Portsmouth Stake Choir for our conference on 12th and 13th October, Elder Read mentioned that he doesn't have time to go to choir practice in Cartagena as he has to receive phone calls from all the missionaries of his district.  Then he has to phone the zone leaders at 7.30, just when choir practice starts, and that call doesn't finish until between 8 and 8.30.  

Bueno, esta semana a sido muy buena, no tantas lecciones pero por fin nos ponemos en contacto con un menos activo después de 2 semanas de intentos. Ya tenemos su numero entonces por fin podemos quedar con él. 

Este Martes nos vamos a Murcia para entrenamiento especial. Vamos a ser 3 zonas. Murcia, Cartagena y Alicante, voy a ver a uno de mis compañeros, mi segundo Élder Rodríguez ¿Que guay? :D 

Solo me queda un Domingo mas en el barrio.  La semana que viene es la segunda conferencia de estaca de Cartagena y la semana después es la conferencia general. Y luego se termina el traslado y me marcho... ¡No lo puedo creer! No quiero ir me de aquí, para nada. Realmente siento como parte del barrio. He estado aquí por casi 5 meses ya y he pasado por mucho. Siempre me voy a recordar de Cartagena. Y además, !ya hay hermanas en Huelva! ¡No lo puedo creer! Siempre miro para ver si tienen fechas bautismales, aún no pero espero que pronto sí. 

Jugando baloncesto - Playing basketball

Bueno, no sé exactamente lo que vamos a ser hoy... Pero seguro algo divertido.

 Con referencia a la practica del coro de la estaca de Portsmouth: Hay un coro de estaca aquí pero nunca tengo tiempo para ir. Tengo que empezar a ser llamadas para los números del distrito a las 17:30 para terminarlos antes que los lideres de zona me llaman a las 19:30- justo cuando coro empieza. No termino hasta las 20:00 - 20:30 por ahí. 

Las fotos:  y enseñando un perro, estaba bastante interesado, mas que los otros perro en la calle que solo querían comernos. 

Baptisms to come and temporary change of companion. Bautismos en una semana y cambio de compañeros temporales

Food - Comida

All is well with Elder Read, although he says they have had a somewhat difficult week in the sense that they haven't had the number of discussions they were hoping for.  However, they did as many as they possibly could under the circumstances.

The problem was that his companion Elder Hampel and the companion of Elder Avilés, one of the Elders in the flat, were in Málaga for the week sorting out their visas,so Elder Read and Elder Avilés worked together and combined their areas for three days. Elder Read says honestly that it was thanks to God that they were able to work really hard. The two areas are far apart from each other so they were spending all day rushing from one side of the city to the other to be on time for appointments.  However, it was really enjoyable and they felt the Spirit enormously. He's taken a lot of videos and hopes to send them to us, but sometimes it doesn't work.  If it does, I'll put some on Facebook.

They've got two baptism dates - for Sunday 29th September - because the investigators couldn't go to Church last Sunday because of work. Their names are Oscar and Sadu, both come from Cameroon and are really excellent.

Dessert and squash for hungry missionaries

Postre y jugo para misioneros con mucho hambre

On Monday - P-Day - they were going to play games at the chapel, things like ninja and EFY games.  It was going to be really enjoyable although Elder Read hoped they would have time to get back to the flat for a rest - as he's soooooo tired!

He says it's strange to think that in just over a transfer and a half he'll have been on his mission for a whole year!!  How crazy!  He absolutely loves his mission and every day he learns something about himself, the Lord and also His work.  He bears testimony that this is the Lord's work and that nothing can either stop or destroy it.

Todo está bien por aquí. Tuvimos una semana un poco difícil en el sentido que no recibimos el numero de lecciones que queríamos pero nos sentimos bien :) Hemos hecho lo mas posible entonces esta semana va a ser diferente seguro :) 

 Mi compañero y el compañero de Elder Avilés (mi compañero de piso) estuvieron en Málaga esta semana para hacer sus cosas de residencia. Entonces Elder Avilés y yo nos juntamos y honestamente gracias al Señor trabajamos MUY duro. Nuestras áreas se juntaron por tres días. Lo que pasa es que nuestras áreas están muy lejos del uno al otro. Entonces estuvimos literalmente corriendo casi toda la cuidad para llegar a citas a tiempo. Era muy divertido y sentimos el espíritu un montón. He estado grabando un montón de vídeos y espero que los puedo mandar a ustedes, aveces no funciona. 

Bueno, tenemos dos fechas bautismales. El plan es que se pueden bautizar el 29 de este mes, porque no pudieron venir a la capilla ayer por causa del trabajo. Entonces  vamos a bautizar el domingo 29 de este mes. Se llama Oscar y Sadu, son de Camerún y muy buenos :) 

Bueno, hoy vamos a ir a jugar juegos en la capilla, cosas como ninja y juegos de la efy. Va a ser muy divertido. Pero también queremos ir al piso y tomar una siesta porque estamos cansadísimos. 

Es muy raro pensar que en un traslado y medio cumpliré un año en la misión. ¡Que loco! Me encanta la misión y cada día aprendo algo mas de mí, el señor y Su obra. Sé que esta es la obra del señor y ninguna cosa lo va a parar ni destruir. 

NOW, THE TSUNAMI: 37 MISSIONARIES ARRIVED, AND NONE DEPARTED.

 They arrived by train at 10am,

AHORA, EL TSUNAMI: 37 MISIONEROS LLEGARON Y NADIE SALIERON.

Llegaron por tren a las 10am.

It appears Elder Schoell and Elder Aviles are headed to the Mediterranean Sea, but actually they will be in the Cartagena 3 Ward.  

The two photos above are from 28th July when Elder Read went to Málaga to collect Elder Hampel and Elder Avilés went to collect his companion Elder Schoell.  With recent changes, these two companionships are in the same flat, and Elder Read and Elder Avilés spent last week together while their companions were in Málaga.

Las dos fotos en arriba son de 28 de julio cuando Elder Read fue a Málaga para recoger su compañero Elder Hampel y Elder Avilés recogió su compañero Elder Schoell.  Con cambios recientes los dos compañerismos están en lo mismo piso, y Elder Read y Elder Avilés pasaron la semana pasada juntos cuando sus compañeros estaban en Málaga.     

Three Baptismal Dates - Tres Fechas Bautismales

 Todo el trabajo que tuvimos que hacer para las nuevas hermanas. 

All the work they have to do in preparation for the new sisters

This week Elder Read and elder Hampel have three baptismal dates: with Segundo, Oscar and Sadu, three new investigators they found a little while ago.  They are planned for the 28th of this month and the Elders are going to do all they can to make sure these people enter the font.

One of Elder Read's converts phoned him last week and said he had been in London for a month.  He just loved the church there, holds the Aaronic Priesthood and is fully active.  They agreed that after Elder Read's mission he would meet Neftaly and go to London together.  by that time I would guess that Neftaly will hold a temple recommend so they could also go to the temple together.  You may remember that Neftaly is in the Spanish marines, although  we now discover that he happens to be Bolivian.

Yesterday afternoon - it being P-day - they were looking forward to going to a park to play football and other games.  On Thursday the new sisters arrived, so they have been teaching them the area for the last few days.  He still can't believe he's been on his mission for nine months.  How the time has flown!!

He's only going to be in this area for one more transfer - another six weeks - so he's excited to see where the Lord will send him next.  God's will be done!

Elder Read tells us that his district has now become a zone, which he says is quite unusual.  Does that mean he's no longer DL?  Who is the Zone Leader?  He doesn't say but hopefully we can find out for next week.

Lo que comimos después de la conferencia de zona 

What they ate after the Zone Conference

Elder Read dice:

 Esta semana fijamos tres fechas bautismales. Con Segundo, Oscar y Sadu. Tres nuevos investigadores que encontramos hace poco. Tenemos fechas para ellos para el 28 de este mes. Vamos a hacer todo lo posible para llevarles a la pila. Uno de mis conversos me llamó la semana pasada. Se fue a Londres por un mes y le encantó la iglesia allá. Me llamó y ya tiene el Sacerdocio Aaronico y está completamente activo :) Hemos quedado que yo le voy a visitar después de la misión y que vamos a ir a londres juntos :) Es Neftaly, está en la infantería marina española. Aunque es boliviano jeje :) 

Hoy vamos a ir a un parque para jugar fútbol y otros juegos. Estoy animado. Recibimos nuevas hermanas en mi barrio el Jueves. Hemos estado enseñándolas el área estos últimos días. Honestamente no puedo creer que ya llevo nueve meses en la misión. ¡Que rápido! 

Sé que solo me queda este traslado que luego me marcho de aquí. Estoy animado para ver lo que el señor me va a pedir. Lo que sea sé que sea Su voluntad. 

  

El distrito se dividió junto con la Zona. nuestra nueva Zona era de hecho el antiguo distrito. Es un poco raro. 

Entonces, significa que el no es ya Lider del Distrito?  Quien es Lider de la Zona?  No dice pero ojala vamos a descubrir la semana que viene.

Y Élder Avilés uno de mis compañeros de piso.

Élder Avilés, one of his companions in the flat

Lots of News - Muchas Noticias

This takes me back to my childhood.  We all used to have Pez in Pez Dispensers!

Me recuerdo de mi niñez 

It's been such a busy week that only now am I able to post this blog for Elder Read.  He says he was a little stressed the last week as he went to Málaga for a council of zone and District Leaders, and they were away from their areas for three days.  His companion went to Murcia with the Elders there.  Elder Read says he didn't like being away from him for those three days.  Last Sunday they spent practically the whole day, after their meetings, in the flat preparing the new area for the Sisters who are about to move into their ward. As they have had to divide the area it's meant plenty of work and there's still a lot to do, but they're just fine.

Elder Read says that their legs are getting very strong on account of all the walking they have to do.  

The Council was excellent and they learnt un montón - in other words masses: a lot about the priesthood and what it means to us as members of the Church.  The President asked them if they were ready to do all the Lord requires of them and, naturally, everyone said yes.  I trust that we are too, especially those of us who've been to the temple.

They now want lots of baptismal dates to come from all the finds they made the previous week.  During September the Mission goal is to baptise 100, so they are now going to see if they can achieve this. But only if there is faith and they work hard!

On the 5th of this month Elder Read completed 9 months on his mission.  How quickly it's gone!!  And this when the first three months seemed to go so slowly for us at home!

Now - Elder Read has a problem. soemhow, he's managed to lose his photo album so he'd like more photos, please.  Can you let him have some from EFY and YSA, his farewell, the chapel?  He wants to show them to his companion.  We, of course, are getting some together, but if you could send him some as well it would be great.

A little more news from Cartagena.  One of the Zone Leaders, Elder Pascua, is about to be moved to San Fernando to serve with Elder Lish.  And he only has one leg, but he works just like any other missionary.

This is his current address:

Elder Roberto Read

 Paseo Alfonso XIII Numero 68, 9B 

30203

Cartagena 

Murcia

España

Mission address

Elder Roberto Read

Av. Jesús Santos Rein Nº 2, 3 D-E
Edif. Ofisol
Fuengirola
29640 Málaga
Spain

This is Hermana León, who is Peruvian and comes from Amalia's home town of Trujillo, but now lives in Madrid,  Elder Read met her at the Council and she goes home at the end of this transfer.  Another instance of it being such a small world in the Church!!

Y una Hermana (Peruana Y trujillana) Que estaba en mi distrito que vi al concilio, se va a casa en un traslado, vive en Madrid.   Otro ejemplo de como es un mundo muy chico en la iglesia.

In Dominos Pizza the Monday before last

nosotros en Dominos Pizza el Lunes antes pasado

Also in Dominos Pizza.

Tambien en Domonos Pizza

Esta Semana he sido un poco estresante. Fui a Málaga para un concilio de Lideres de Zona y Distrito. Estuvimos fuera de nuestro área por tres días... Mi compañero estaba en Murcia con los Élderes allí. Jaja odio esos días. Ayer estuvimos casi todo el día, despues las reuniones, en el piso preparando el nuevo área para la hermanas que van a venir an nuestro barrio. Hemos tenido que dividir el área y todavía falta bastante. Entonces un poco estresados. Pero estamos bien :) 

Nuestras piernas se están poniendo muy fuertes  a causa de caminar muchísimo. Les estoy mandando fotos de esta semana.   El concilio era buenísimo. Aprendimos un montón. Aprendimos mucho del sacerdocio y lo que significa para nosotros como miembros de la iglesia. El Presidente nos preguntó si estamos dispuestos para hacer todo lo que el señor requiere de nosotros. Todos decimos que sí. 

Queremos poner muchas fechas bautismales. En el mes de septiembre queremos bautizar a 100 como una misión. Sé que lo podemos lograr. Solo hay que tener fe y trabajar duro. 

No puedo creer que este Jueves voy a cumplir 9 meses en la misión... ¡QUE RARO Y QUE RÁPIDO! 

Hey, me pueden hacer un favor y mandarme más fotos. No sé como pero se me perdió todas la fotos que tenía, menos una de ustedes y las que me mandó Cere. Pero me gustaría fotos de antes de la misión. De la capilla, mi despedida, los Cadetes, efy´s, College, colegio y todo eso. me encantaría para mostrarlas a mi compañero.

Bueno, todo está bien aquí. Estamos animados para recibir a las nuevas hermanas aquí en Cartagena. Élder Pascua uno de mis Lideres de Zona se va ha trasladar. Se va a San Fernando y va a servir con Élder Lish, que solo tiene una pierna. Y trabaja como cualquier otro misionero. 

Dos de las Hermanas de mi distrito en un caballo... No se porque pero me dio tanta gracia que tenía que tomar una foto jeje 

Two of the Sisters in his district on a horse.  He doesn't know why but one was so pleased he took a photo.

MI compañero recibió un paquete y hubo algo para mí.  Pero que??

His companion received a parcel with something for him.  But what??