Monday, 24 November 2014

17 Days - 17 Dias


Meeting an old friend and previous companion - Elder Hampel

Elder Read says they've had another excellent week, although a little difficult. And now he's got the details for his flight home.  He flies from Málaga to Lisbon, Portugal, so he says he needs to practise saying "Which plane goes to England?" "Where's the toilet?" "How much does it cost?" "Have you seen a missionary before?"

He leave Málaga at 10.50ma and arrives at London Heathrow at 5.25pm.  We were advised not to use the flight direct to Southampton from Málaga due to baggage restrictions - but we now discover that he's got to pay excess baggage anyway and he has to go all that distance out of his way.  However, he'll still be a missionary until he's released by the stake president that evening and he'll have lots of opportunities to talk to people.

A dew days ago they went to Málaga to listen to Elder Kearon of the Area Presidency.  He really enjoyed it and had the opportunity to shake his hand and to talk to both him and Sister Kearon.  He told Elder Read that he was the first English missionary he had met in the mission, and Elder Read replied that he was the only one. He thinks he's the only English Peruvian in the whole of Spain!!

This is what Sister Deare, the wife of the mission president put on the Mission blog:

"Our second session was held in Malaga on Thursday 20 November.  Pictured are President and Sister Deere, Sister and Elder Kearon, and Sister and President Jimenez, a counselor in the mission presidency.

"We had a wonderfully memorable week in the Spain Malaga Mission.  Each year we receive a visit from a member of our Area Presidency, and this week Elder Kearon visited our mission.  The first session was  held in Alicante with 110 missionaries from the Alicante, Elche, Cartagena, Murcia, Granada and La Mancha Zones.  The second session was held in Málaga with the remaining 110 missionaries from Málaga, Sevilla 1 and 2, and San Fernando Zones.    Elder Kearon thanked us over and over again for our service, and encouraged us to stretch  beyond where we are now, to decide to change and give the mission our all.  I personally am so grateful to Elder Kearon, his family and our other leaders and their families who so selflessly serve for years.  While our missionaries have sacrificed our time and money for 18-24 months, they sacrifice their freedom, time, entire career, and in the case of Elder Kearon move their families frequently, all to answer a call to serve the Lord."  

They have a rather high goal for this coming Sunday.  The target throughout the mission is to have 500 investigators committed to attend church that day, with an actual attendance of 250, which means 3 per companionship attending sacrament.

Elder Kearon invited them to do a number of things.  Rather than call investigators by that name they should be called friends because, really, they are our friends.  And there's a new "rule" in the mission: a new saying: "Attack the day"  Each morning when the alarm goes off at 7 o'clock they start the day with a companionship prayer before having their personal prayers.

As missionaries they pray a lot.  By 11 o'clock Elder Read has prayed at least seven times.

He says he'll continue working until he's released - and that's a promise.

He says he's now picked up a Spanish accent  together with the idiom, so he needs his Mum to help him get the Peruvian Spanish back!!!



Elder Read dice:
Pues la verdad es que hemos tenido una semana muy buena, un poco difícil pero muy buena jaja :) Como ya saben tengo mis planes de viaje ahora. Me van a mandar a Portugal primero entonces tengo que practicar diciendo: ¿Cual avión va para Inglaterra? ¿Dónde está el baño? ¿Cuanto cuesta? y ¿Ha visto un misionero antes? jaja :P llegaré a Heathrow sobre la 5pm- Voy a incluir los planes aquí en el correo entonces ya lo tendrán :) 

Hace algunos días fuimos a Málaga para escuchar al Élder Kearon de la presidencia de área. Me encantó. Tuvimos la oportunidad la dar le la mano. Hablé un poco con él y su esposa. Me dijo que era el primer inglés que había conocido en la misión. Le dije que era el único jaja :P Creo que soy el único Inglés/Peruano en toda España jaja :P 

Tenemos una meta bastante alta para este domingo. Tenemos la meta de tener 500 investigadores comprometidos a venir a la capilla este domingo. La meta es lograr 250 investigadores en la reunión sacramental. 3 personas cada compañerismo. 

Élder Kearon nos invitó a hacer varias cosas. Ahora, en ves de llamar a los investigadores, investigadores, les estamos llamando amigos. Porque realmente son nuestros amigos. Ahora tenemos una nueva regla en la misión y un nuevo dicho "ataca el día". Cada mañana cuando suena la alarma a las 7am hacemos una oración de compañerismo, luego hacemos nuestras oraciones personales. 

Oramos mucho como misioneros. Antes de las 11am ya hemos orado por lo menos 7 veces.

Voy a continuar trabajando hasta me relevan. Les prometo. 

Mamá, tendrás que ayudarme a quitar mi acento español y me terminología española jaja :P creo que la palabra que se me a pegado más es "vale" jaja :P 

Zapatillas gastadas  - Worn out trainers


¿Acuerdan esos?  Do you remember these?

Thursday, 20 November 2014

Three Weeks Left


Unfortunately Elder Read forgot the cable for his camera so I'm using this photo of him with his companion Elder Morán.
This is his latest epistle:
Thank you for the photos of Remembrance Sunday. I miss it. There is such a strong spirit there. I'm going to quit saying "I miss" because it doesn't help.

I'm going to echar mucho de menos the mission (note: I didn't say "I miss" haha :P ) There are so many things that I have learned here. I just hope that I can apply everything when I come back. I'm going to have to take things slowly. I know that many missionaries immediately jump right back into normal lifestyle. Going to movies, playing video games and watching tv until they're sick of it. Then they forget their mission horario.

I want to have a healthy mix. I'm still going to wake up at mission time. 7am go to bed at 11pm for the first few weeks. Keep my personal study schedule going. I want to keep that up forever. Also with morning exercise. I want to be as busy as possible. I know that the first few weeks home at Christmas are going to be hectic. There are lots of people to visit and lots of people I need to catch up with. Both at home and here in Spain. Tell the bishop and stake president that I want to work. I'm willing to do anything they ask me to do to help the work progress.

One of my goals is to be totally obedient to my church leaders. I know that I wasn't exactly before my mission. That is something that I have learned here; obedience. Obedience to the Lord and his servants, no matter what the request.


It's a lot colder here now. It's dropped down to 10 degrees and I have a little bit of a cold. But it's all good :)  (That'll prepare him for England!!!)

Now let's go on a tour of Córdoba:
This is the Mezquita - Cathedral Mosque

Roman Temple


Plaza de I Potro


Juderia Córdoba


Another quaint street along the Judería Córdoba


This must be inside the Mezquita




General views

I'll try to add some more photos later.

Friday, 14 November 2014

Photos

This week it's just photos, except to  say that Elder Read is sprinting towards the finish of his mission on 10th December.  By that he means that he has a lot to do and won't slow down.  There are baptisms in the offing and they are hoping and praying that they will take place within the next four weeks.





I'll try to add some photos of Córdoba, which is such a beautiful place.

Saturday, 8 November 2014

Farewell to Elder Pomazón and Hello to Elder Morán

 Adios a Elder Pomazán
Hola a Elder Morán

Elder Read is very happy with his new companion, Élder Morán.  They get on really well and they laugh a lot.  He's great and they work really well together, he says.  His last companion, Elder Pomazán, comes from Peru and Elder Morán comes from Argentina.

And there's a new missionary - a greeny - in Córdoba, by the name of Elder Stephens.  On Monday he had only been in the field for 4 days and is an excellent lad and very funny.



I've put  in the top picture for the sunset! These are the Córdoba elders. Can you recognise who is who?

Last week was really good as they managed to teach 22 discussions and they found an excellent new investigator.  However, they don't have an dates for baptisms. They did have four but they didn't turn up to Church on Sunday nor did they have time to meet with the elders.  However, Elder Read and his companion will continue to work with them.  

He would like to baptise someone else before he finishes his mission, and he's going to do all he possibly can to achieve this, but it won't be the end of the world if he doesn't.  He sincerely believes that the main reason for his being there is to strengthen the members of the branch who are lovely people.

On Monday - P-Day - they went to visit La Mezquita, which is part mosque and part cathedral, and a World Heritage Site, but before doing so they had breakfast at the house of an investigator and played various table games. They really enjoyed themselves that day!!!!!!!!!!!!  It's all great there, he says.  Yesterday, they were going to Sevilla for a zone meeting.  In fact there are several activities taking place there, which pleases Elder Read as it will give him a chance to see members from both Huelva and Castilleja, which are in the same stake.






In the house of a member
En la casa de un miembro

Elder Read dice:
Pues la verdad es que estoy muy contento con mi nuevo compañero Élder Morán. Nos llevamos muy bien y nos reímos un montón.  Es muy bueno y trabajamos muy bien juntos:) 

Pues hay un nuevo misionero aquí en Córdoba ahora que se llama Élder Stephens. Lleva solo 4 días en el campo y es un chico mucho bueno y muy gracioso jaja :P 

Elder Wilson will train Elder Stephens in Cordoba

Pues esta semana la verdad es que a sido muy buena. Hemos podido lograr 22 charlas y una nueva investigadora muy buena. Aún no tenemos fechas. Tuvimos cuatro pero no han venido a la capilla ni han tenido tiempo para quedar con nosotros. Pero vamos a seguir trabajando con ellos. Quiero bautizar a alguien más antes que termine la misión. Voy a hacer todo lo posible por hacer eso pero sé que si no lo puedo lograr no pasa nada. 

Sinceramente siento que la razón mas grande que por qué estoy aquí es ayudar a fortalecer a los miembros de la rama, quienes son gente MUY buena. 



Hoy fuimos a visitar a la Mezquita con los nuevos élderes del distrito y también un investigador de los otros élderes. Luego fuimos a desayunar en la casa de tal investigador y a jugar algunos juegos de mesa. Le verdad es que nos divertimos un montonázo jaja :P Todo va super bien por aquí. Este viernes estaremos en Sevilla para una reunión de zona. La verdad es que quiero que halla alguna actividad en que tenemos que ir a Sevilla. Porque quiero ver a conversos y miembros de Huelva y Castilleja jaja :) Están en la misma estaca :D 

 ¿Quien es? Who's this?




 Córdoba Elders

Saturday, 1 November 2014

Goal Achieved and Final Transfer - Meta Alcanzada y Traslado Final


Many old beloved faces in this picture--Thanks Elder Reed! So both Elder Read and Elder Reed are in this picture.

They did it!  The goal for the mission last week was to find 888 New Investigators.  They found 897.  It was a miraculous week!  They also set a new high in two other areas:  216 investigators in church, which is an all-time record high, and 3586 people attending church across the mission, which is also an all-time high.  

And in Córdoba Elder Read says that they had a fantastic week too.  The Lord gave them 9 new investigators, so he and his previous companion, Elder Pomazón, were "super content."  

In truth, Elder Read says that this challenge will keep him hard at it until right at the end of his mission, when he is released by President Gilmour.

Elder Read's new companion, Elder Morán, is from Argentina, although he's spent a lot of time in Spain. He replaced Elder Pomazón, on Wednesday and that signalled the start of Elder Read's last transfer, which ends on December 10th. He doesn't know much about his new companion 

On P-Day on Monday they played football once more, but he says he doesn't like it when the game gets too intense as he only plays for the enjoyment.

Elder Read just can't believe that he's got just this one transfer of 6 weeks left.  He's got a great mix of emotions ad all he wants to do for now is to keep focused and continue working until the end of his mission. 
I commented to him on this photo of the "Córdoba elders" that I posted on the blog last week, and he said that they don't live in the same flat as him and his companion.  There are two flats which are both too small for 4 missionaries and the other elders replaced sisters who would have had to live separately anyway.

Elder Read dice:


Pues ya como pueden ver esta semana a sido una semana muy buena la verdad! El señor nos dio 9 nuevos investigadores. :D Estamos super contentos de verdad. La meta como misión era 888 y logramos 897 como pueden ver. 

La verdad es que el desafío que me queda por delante es seguir trabajando hasta el final de misión cuando presidente Gilmour me releva. 

Pues mi nuevo compañero se llama Élder Morán. Es de Argentina pero lleva muchísimo tiempo aquí en España No sé mucho de él.  Estoy orando por nuestro compañerismo. 

Hoy jugamos a fútbol otra vez. la verdad es que no me gusta cuando la situación se intensifica. yo solo juego para jugar porque me gusta. 

No puedo creer que solo me queda un traslado... & semana nada mas. ¡VAYA! tengo una mezcla muy grande de emociones. Solo quiero por ahora enfocarme y seguir trabajando duro hasta que termine la misión. 

Los otros élderes no viven en nuestro piso. Y ambos pisos son demasiados puequeños para 4 misioneros. Había hermanas aquí antes. Entonces los otros élderes que reemplazaron a las hermanas también tomaron el piso de ellas.