CH-CH- Changes

   There have been quite a bit of changes since I last wrote. On Wednesday night, President Hinckley called and told me that on Friday I would be receiving a brand new missionary! It was a big surprise. A little bit of sadness-mostly because Hermana R and I got along so well. Plus we had just had the most amazing miracle filled day. But also excitement mixed with nervousness. Hermana R left quickly-Friday morning for Pamplona(again!) and I went to the office to be trained.

   My new companion is named Hermana S- she is from Sandy Utah and is hilarious. I am glad that the Lord blesses me with funny companions. She waited for three weeks in Salt Lake, until she got her visa. She rides unicycles and knows how to speak with an Irish accent. We may have told all the Elders that she is from Ireland... But most important she is is excited to work and has a strong testimony! We are already having a great time!

   I have had some funny experiences this past week. On Wednesday we went to a visit with the Bishop- the man had stopped some other missionaries on the metro and told them that he needed to be baptized. He lives in our area, so off we went! It turned out he lived in an abandoned warehouse...and there were a lot of shady looking people there. We had our lesson by candlelight and half way through the lesson, a HUGE rat ran across the floor. I am so surprised that I was able to hold in my screaming! He is a nice man but from now on we are meeting him in the church!

  We are teaching a man named Jesus who has a baptismal date for the 12 of November. His friend brought him to church last week- and when we invited him to be baptized, he said he would prepare to do so. It is amazing how there are people being prepared everywhere to hear the message of the gospel!

I love you a million lessons where rats run across the floor and the bishop has to hold in his laughter!

Love, Melissa the Beautiful 

October 17

Hello!

   I am doing wonderful today. The weather is gorgeous and I finally got stamps for about 15 letters I have not sent...so everything is great. I took some pretty pictures up on our roof- from the top we can see almost all of Barcelona.

 

We had some pretty funny happenings this week. We accidently left our keys in the apartment, and we really did not want to pay 50-80 euros to have it opened. We tried asking our neighbors, that have a kind of patio that connects to ours, if the Elders could climb over but they were not too keen on the idea...muy peligroso. So, we called the office Elders and they sent over Leo. He is from Argentina and knows how to repel down things- he has a harness and everything. So he repelled down from the roof onto the patio and rescued our keys. As he was going down, one of the people a floor down from us saw him and he was like 'It´s okay I am not a robber, I am just helping the missionaries.' Then he pointed up at us on the roof and we waved down to her. It turned out to be quite the hilarious adventure.

  

This week we also performed in the Ward TALENT SHOW.  I would like to call our talent Hoedown Showdown. Hermana R has an amazing talent with the violin, which just happens to involve fiddling! We decided to that she would fiddle and I would dance- all while wearing masks. One of the Queen of Spain and the other George Bush. Everyone knew that Hermana R was going to play her violin...and everyone assumed that I would be singing. Bahaha. I get up and introduce us, saying that we have prepared something very special for the ward. Then we run out in our masks, Hermana R starts fiddling like mad and I start doing some crazy footwork. It was good we were wearing masks because I was laughing so hard that I could not breathe. Then Hermana R played the Spirit of God (without her mask). It was hilarious. We are still laughing about it. I think the ward members were a bit confused but I got lots of compliments on my 'dancing'. Hopefully they will want us to teach their friends now!

  

We have quite a few investigators right now, just most of them are struggling to commit. We are always looking for people who are prepared! We got a reference from some other missionaries and when I called him he told me that he has been wanting to be baptized, that his grandma is a member and wants to know what he needs to do. Miracles!

  I love you a million Hoedown Showdowns where people go wild over my dancing

Love, Melissa the Beautiful

Roof top pictures

 

All the leaves are falling and the sky is gray

October 10, 2011

All is Well here...the weather has finally turned a bit cooler...until we walked out the door today and it was as hot as ever! Just when I pulled out the winter blankets! I have never been so excited for Fall in my life!!

   This week I went on exchanges with HERMANA P!!! It was a blast because we haven´t served together since the MTC. It was great because we both now speak Spanish. She is amazing missionary plus just a riot. It is funny because everyone one always accidentally calls her Hermana Roberts...even though we have never served together in the mission and we look nothing alike. I feel so blessed to have met so many amazing people. I really feel that I was here at this certain time for a reason. It is incredible.

Right now we are working...to find new investigators.. haha I feel like I write that every single week. We have been seeing lots of miracles. Yesterday, we were waiting for our investigators, and no one was showing up. Sacrament meeting started and I was feel ing kind of sad because no one had arrived, even though several had promised. Then as the opening song was starting, 3 of our investigators walked in! Miracles, Blessings!  We are teaching the cutest young kid from Honduras. He just turned 13 on Saturday and he is amazing. His father is a member and he wants to be baptized. He has amazing faith, and has recieved answers to his prayers. I love seeing his desires to learn and to come to church. He loves it so much!

I love you a million days of fall...with nice cool breezes!!

Love, Melissa the Beautiful

Mission Pictures!

Hermana Roberts and Hermana R

Sagrada Familia

Hermana Roberts, Random Elder, Hermana R

Hermana P and Hermana Roberts
(switching tags because everyone mistakes them for
each other. They look nothing alike!)

September 26

I am copying my presidents letter because there were some things I thought you might like...

Miracle. I feel like the miracle this week was the help that we have recieved from our Bishop. More than any other Bishop I have worked with, he truly seems excited about missionary work and truly desires to help us. We had a little meeting with him on Sunday- we talked about our recent converts and he made plans right then to go visit them. Then he was telling us about a woman he had given a blessing to and went to find out her address so that we could visit her. He is just excited about everything missionary related. He told us that we are needed at ward council...which is true because the last 2 that I have been to have been about the missionary efforts! I love this ward! It is true that when you have the confidence of the leaders of the ward, things run smoothly and miracles can happen! I hope we can spread this excitement to the whole ward!
   Hermana R. She truly is an amazing missionary, she speaks Spanish so well and has an incredible faith. I love that she is not afraid to open her mouth and speak, even when she thinks she doesn´t understand and everything she says goes right with what I am saying. I am excited to work with her and see lots of miracles!
   There were just a few investigators I wanted to talk about. We have been teaching a young man named Francis, who is from India, for about 3 months. He studied to be a Catholic priest, but then decided against it. He is probably our most consistent investigator-he has been to church about 7 times, read and prays- I just am not quite sure how to help him get an answer. He does not understand much Spanish but he continues to come to church. But everytime we ask him what he is feeling when he reads and prays, he does not have an answer. Just regular. I know he is feeling something but I just am unsure on how to help him recognize it.
  Juan Carlos, Lina and Ernesto. I am worried because their finicial situation has been keeping them from church. We finally talked to the Bishop and he is going to visit them this week, so it should all be sorted out. They are amazing though and every time we meet with them, they have more desires to learn about the gospel. Lina's sister Rosy has desires to learn as well. She currently works on the weekends, but we are working with her as well.
 
   I am trying to focus on the blessings that I have. I am a little sad about Hermana S going home, and just sometimes missionary work is hard-emotionally. But I was reading the part in John, where Jesus Christ goes to raise Lazurus from the dead. In 11:41 he says, 'I thank thee that thou hast heard me'. Jesus Christ, a perfect person, thanked his father in everything. I need to thank my Heavenly Father because I know that he has heard me, in every moment. I love Jesus Christ and I hope I can be more like him.
Have a lovely week!!

It kind of gives a good run down of my week! I am trying to be a strong senior companion. Being with a new missionary has help me realize how much I have learned...not just Spanish wise but in the spirit. I truly love being a missionary. I don´t think I want it to end. Even though I am tired pretty much all the time, and sometimes it is just heart breaking but there really is no other joy like serving the gospel. I can not believe I almost let my opportunity pass by. I am so glad I didn't.

I love you a million service activites that build more than just playgrounds!

Love, Melissa the Beautiful

September 12

This week started out well, then got a little sad but then got better again. We started out the week really strong, lots of lessons and a baptism scheduled. But on thursday she texted us and said that she was going to a job interview and that if she got the job, she would be working on the weekends. She said she would call us the next day to let us know. We prayed and fasted but the next day she called and said she had decided to take the job and that she would not be getting baptized. We were devastated because she is an amazing woman and we had had some powerful spiritual experiences with her. Then all of our other investigators just kind of dropped off, said they couldn't meet or wouldn´t be coming to church. Then somehow all my pictures got deleted from my camera...so all my pictures from Benidorm and my first few weeks here, gone except the ones I had sent you. Everything just seemed to be going awful.

But we just kind of gathered our courage, and have been trying to be a positive as possible. Things don't always go exactly like you plan. But we had some miracles happen. A woman came to our English class on Saturday, then stayed for the Relief Society activity, and was at church yesterday! All without us doing a thing. Then I contacted a woman on the metro Saturday night, we invited her to church and she came! Heavenly Father is always looking out for us. He knows exactly what we need. I have been taking a lot of comfort from the hymn Scatter Sunshine! Read it! It is beautiful. I want to be a Sunshine Scatterer!!

And also a birthday shout out to my kindred spirit, my bestie who shares my name, Miss Melissa Wilding. I love you - thanks for being hilarious and a great example! Dance and eat lots of cake!

I love you a million sings of Scatter Sunshine- scatter smiles and sunshine

Love, Melissa the Beautiful

September 5

Well we are just working hard! We have another baptism for this weekend. Her name is Julia and she is from Peru. She has been kind of unsure about if she wanted to be baptized but we had an amazing experience with her on Saturday and she is fully committed to being baptized this weekend! Barcelona truly is a place of miracles!

This week was amazing because....this young woman in our ward, Milicenta, called us on tuesday and asked us if we could come to the church because one of her friends wanted to learn more about the church! So we met Victor. He is amazing. He is 14 and in 2 days he reading the Book of Mormon through Jacob. He said he did not sleep because he just wanted to read. He also gave up soccer so that he could come to church on sundays- all this after our first lesson. It is amazing when the youth are involved in missionary work. The YW´s president told us that Milicenta was talking with Victor one day and just felt prompted to invite him to church. He accepted the invitation and now we are teaching him. Miracles happen when members share the gospel!

I am loving all my experiences. It is something to be a representative of Jesus Christ- to have people view us as that is amazing. I was reading the talk from the YW´s Session by Sister Dalton about being guardians of Virtue. She talked about how we need to look to the temple and cleave to our covenants. I love my temple covenants. It is something that we want each investigator to do- look to the temple, to make more covenants with God, that will lead us to his presence! God loves us!

I love you all! I hope you have a fabulous week!!!

I love you a million youth who love to read in the Book of Mormon

Love, Melissa the Beautiful

August 15

   Wow the baptism sounds like it was AMAZING!!! I am a little sad that I was not there but I can imagine that it was the happiest experience.. That is wonderful that so many people were able to come! I love the pictures. She is looks so beautiful in her dress. AHHH I LOVE SARAH ROBERTS. She is my example.

  Barcelona is pretty much my dream come true city. I am in love. I have not seen one thing that I do not like, and that is the truth. Not only is Barcelona lovely and historical but it is a city of MIRACLES!!! We have absoluely amazing investigators, the members are loving and supportive, and people accept baptismal dates right in the street! I love it! We are teaching this absolutely enchanting family from Honduras- Juan Carlos, Lina and Ernesto. It is fun to teach them- when they have a question, we just open the Book of Mormon and it answers their questions. Lina said to us 'that is why I love this book, it has all the answers!' They are getting baptized on the 27 of August. 'Una familia Dios me dio'

I am slowly getting over my mortal fear of...talking to people on the metro. I have no choice because we are on the metro all day. But I just smile with my brighty whiteys and hand out tarjetas. Being a missionary is amazing. I love seeing people change, I love feeling the Spirit, I love feeling the love that Heavenly Father has for each one of us!

I love you a million lovely Barcelona tree lined streets!

Love, Melissa the Beautiful

The only thing I would change is the mosquito that is infesting our apartment. We look like we have chicken pox.

Barcelona!!!

The big news is that...I got transferred!!! To BARCELONA!! To be with none other than..my favorite Elf Queen Hermana R!! I actually asked President Hinckley if he was joking when he told me, it is pretty much a dream come true. We live about, literally, a minute from the Sagrada Familia. I am so excited to be here, a little nervous because Barcelona is huge, but I am feeling like this is a tender mercy for me. This is HermanaR's last transfer, so President told me I really need to get to know the ward and the area! I never thought I would get the chance to serve here in Barcelona actual, entounces, I am very happy.

Today has just been a crazy day of 5 hour long train ride and dragging my suitcase through Barcelona. My big suitcase actually broke..the wheels on the back just kind of shredded away, but luckily I was able to borrow one from Hna. M.

This week was actually pretty amazing. We were able to set 2 baptismal dates. One with a man named Wilfrido that we met while passing by old investigators. He had met with the missionaries when he was young, about 25 years ago, but was never baptized. He is amazing and very prepared. I feel like he teaches us quite a bit. We also set a baptismal date with a woman named Marlane- she was a contact that I made with Hna. M about 3 weeks ago! I am very happy about the way I left Benidorm, there are so many people there just waiting to hear the gospel.

I am so excited for this transfer, just excited about the work in general. This last bit has been difficult for me but I am excited for this new start. I love being a missionary!

The hardest part about leaving Benidorm was saying goodbye to Ovidio. He helped us all day Saturday with our visits- he was even giving out tarjetas to people in the streets. Going to the temple has made all the difference for him- He is so much happier and sure about his testimony! I am excited for him to go back to Bolivia and share everything he has learned with his family. He is a changed person because of the gospel!

just send mail to the office until next week

I love you! And I can not wait to see pictures of Sarah's baptism next week!!!

I love you a million views of the Sagrada Familia

Love, Melissa the Beautiful

Pictures

Me making biscuits

Me with Ovidio

Me with my suitcases
(and my beautiful mom made skirt!)

Me and my MTC companions today after
almost one year of being in the mission.

July 18

This week has mostly been spent looking for new investigators...we did some walking around Benidorm with the giant Libro de Mormón to attract some people. When you are walking around with the gaint book and set it down right in front of people, they are more likely to stop and listen. It was quite fun.

Valentin has kind of disappeared- hopefully we will get to see him this week. And Stella, I love her but she just has to make up her mind. So we are still on the hunt for a family.

The best of all news is that my recent convert, Ovidio, went to the temple on Saturday!!!! I AM SO HAPPY!!! He told me that the inside was how he imagined heaven would be like. He is growing and progressing- it is amazing to see the changes he makes everyday, how he is growing stronger and stronger in his testimony! He is the best!

Thanks for all the cards and support. I have been feeling a lot of love coming from all sides. I am the luckiest girl in the world!

I love you a million accepted baptismal dates, where people say 'I will'

Love, Melissa the Beautiful

June 28

Yes it was transfers...I am still here in Benidorm with my companion. I got the package of Liahonas...I loved them. Thank you so much for sending me the things I ask for. I love the pictures, they made me so happy.

Yesterday, as we were walking down the street, I saw a woman with her teenage daughter. I realized that the daughter had Down´s Syndrome and I just knew I needed to talk to her. I got so excited that I barely knew what to say...it came out mostly 'your daughter has Down's Syndrome, so does my sister!' We talked a bit and I started crying- because he daughter, Natalia, had such a spirit about her. It reminded me so much of Sarah. I was just smiling at her and she was smiling back. We have a visit set up with them for Thursday, so pray that all goes well!!

I love you a million families, with girls like Sarah, just waiting for me in the street

Love, Melissa the Beautiful

Father's Day

  I am doing good today. I just sent you a couple of photos...I hope you like them! My week was okay. We had zone conference, which was of course amazing. I gave my testimony in SPANISH! It turns out I have learned some things while I have been here! As usual when you baptize someone, and you have been focusing all your attention on them, then you realize that you have not been looking for other investigators...AHHH! So we are again on the hunt for people who want to listen to our message!

We had an activity on Saturday near our apartment. We took our giant Book of Mormon out with lots of pamphlets and our bright, smiling faces. There are always a lot of people out on Saturday, shopping and such, so it is the perfect time. We had decided only to talk about baptism and how we have the authority from Jesus Christ to baptize! That kind of talk always stops people in their tracks! It turned out to be a lot of fun, we talked to quite a few people and even got some references. The member who was with us also had a great time. He thinks we need more young men in our ward, so he was stopping all the young men he saw and giving them pass along cards. It is true...sharing the gospel is fun!

Last saturday we got to help with the young women´s activity. They made us this giant flower headbands, representing the different values. I was Faith! Which is good because it is the Christ like Attribute I am focusing on this Month... 'I am a daughter of my loving Heavenly Father. I have confidence in his plan of happiness, which is centered in Jesus Christ my Saviour.' I loved being with the Young Women. They are so amazing and working so hard to be good examples!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY GIDEON!!!!

And Happy Father´s Day to all the incredible Dads out there! Your work is not unnoticed!

I love you a million young women's activities, dressed in flower headbands and being faith!

Love, Melissa the Beautiful

Ten Month Pizza

To Baptize Is To Have Fun

The best news of the week....OVIDIO WAS BAPTIZED!!! My heart literally wants to explode from the happiness and joy I feel. I might even write a haiku, that is how happy I am. We actually made a whole event of his baptism.. Yesterday was stake conference so our whole branch rode in a bus to Valencia, enjoyed stake conference, took lots of photos, got back on the bus, drove to Gandia, ate delicious food, Baptized Ovidio, back on the bus once again for Benidorm. It was possibly one of my favorite Sundays ever.

Ovidio is incredible. He came up out of the water just smiling. He bore his testimony about how the Book of Mormon has answered all the questions he ever had, how the branch is like his family and how he has come to feel the love of Jesus Christ and Heavenly Father. I love him. The Gospel changes lives. Words can not even express how beautiful amazing wonderful lovely this baptism was.

This week I am doing exchanges once again with the hermanas in Valencia. It should be a good time. I love being able to learn from different sisters. Plus we have a new hermana, and she is darling, so I am excited to get to know her!

One quick hilarious story...we went to a members house to eat. The member had a whole chicken that needed to be cut up, that Hna. N offered to cut up. It was kind of making me sick because I could hear the bones snapping, so I was making faces. The member asked me what I was going to do when I was married and my husband wanted chicken. I said 'well if he wants a whole chicken cut up, he can cut it himself'. They all stared at me in disbelief and then started laughing. The member told Hna. N that she would probably be the one who gets married because she has these domestic skills... Bahaha apparently knowing how to make oragami hearts, knowing all the songs to the Music Man, and making a mean carrot cake do not make for good marrying material. 

I love you a million Sundays of traveling and baptizing!

Love, Melissa the Beautful

Same Jersey

Melissa asked me to post this for her
-Karen

May 16 2011

We did have an earthquake...but we did not feel it! Some Elders in our district felt it and called to see if we had felt it. Sadly we had not. Then President called to make sure we were all safe. We were kind of disappointed. Possibly the only earthquake I will ever be a part of!

No baptism for now, sadly enough. There needs to be a little more preparation but we are praying that it will happen in the next couple weeks. I am still praying that we will find a family! We need a family!

The work is good. We had quite a few investigators progressing but then they have stopped progressing. It is sad especially when you work with people so much but we are again on the hunt for new people to teach. I am becoming a contacting machine and I love it. Bring on the eye contact. Weakness become Strength!

Paella is rice but it has some kind of sauce that makes it yellow...then it has chicken and some of these red peppers that are not really peppers but I can not remember their name. The President of our Branch is known far and wide for his paella. It is delicious!

Well it is the end of another transfer...and Hna. Reed got transferred. I am very sad because we only got one transferred together. She was amazing and we had a great time together. We had to buy her a new suitcase because her other one broke(Benidorm is very hard on suitcases). So we bought another at a chino just wanting it to make it to Barcelona...but it did not even make it to the bus station in Benidorm. A 15 minute walk turned into a hour long battle of me dragging the suitcase without wheels. It was hilarious. In Woman Vs. Suitcase, Woman always wins!

 The other news is that I am now Senior companion. President Hinckley called and said 'Are you ready for your new assignment as Senior companion?' and I said 'NO' and He said 'Well you better be by Tuesday!' Oh President Hinckley, he is such a jokester.

I am a little stressed and nervous, I have not really slept the last couple of nights. Mostly because I do not know Benidorm as well as I would like to, or all the members and such. But my new companion is an incredible missionary. She is from Armenia but has lived in Spain for 13 years, so she speaks Spanish perfectly, which is a blessing! Her name is Hna. Nabanlygan.....yeah I can´t spell it...sorry.

Keep praying for a family. I know they are out there just waiting for us to find them!

I love you a million suitcases with wheels(honestly one of the best inventions of my life, I decided)

Love, Melissa the Beautiful

Pictures!

First day in Benidorm



View from near our house




Paella!




Eggs with Luz!



I'm just a little black rain cloud

April 25, 2011

 

The sunny weather has disappeared! It has been raining here, in the land of sunshine and beaches! I can not believe it, I must protest! But things are well in the land of missionary work! We still have our baptism scheduled for May 7. She has a lot of things to change but she wants to be baptized. Faith and the priesthood power work miracles!!! I am so excited to see her baptized. Baptism is the GREATEST!! We see Luz every single day, ususally for just a short period of time. We even dyed easter eggs with her, which she loved because she loves the United States.

   Easter is a little different here in Spain...no Easter Beagle for one. They celebrate from thursday until sunday-semana santa. There are lots of processions, but we did not get to see any. We made little easter cards with a scripture and thank you note for every family in our branch! We had a lovely dinner of pizza and fresh strawberries with one of the members-plus we spent the day talking to people about the gospel, so it was amazing!
  

We are still looking for our family!! I want to teach a whole family so so much. I just keep praying that I will find one. I know it is possible.

One hilarious story...yesterday as we were walking home to our apartment, we contacted this old man and his wife. When we asked them who Jesus Christ was for them, the old man just started singing about how Jesus Christ gives us hope and love. It was the best thing ever!

I love the gospel. I love Jesus Christ.

I love you a million singing contacts  'Cristo nos da la esperanza!'
Love, Melissa the Beautiful

What I am up to

  I am doing so great. I love Benidorm already. I was so sad to leave Pamplona, you know how attached I get to places.  Benidorm is a completely different world. We can see the ocean from our apartment... The branch here is small, about 30 people on a good Sunday. But they are all amazing and I am so excited to work with them.

 

My new companion, Hna. R- she is great. I am already learning a lot from her. She is so good at talking to everyone, and I mean everyone. And she is hilarious which I always appreciate. Plus she has this calming voice, that pretty much stops people in the street. Good phone voice she calls it.  

 

 We set a baptismal date for May 7 with a woman named Luz. She is from Columbia and she is a little crazy but I love her. And she wants to be baptized and change her life! And we has 6 investigators in church! It was a miracle.

 

I love it here...I do not have to wear a coat, which is just lovely. Benidorm is full of old people and tourists but it is lovely as well. I am so excited to be serving here. I really love being a missionary. It is a miracle to me that I love being a missionary. But I do I love it!!!

 

We actually live in a little pueblo just outside of Benidorm Villa Joyosa. 

 

I love you a million beautiful beaches that I can not visit in BENIDORM

 

Melissa the Beautiful