Can't believe it but my first transfer here in Badalona is over! It went by wayyy fast! Almost too fast actually. My companion goes home at the end of this next transfer which is pretty scary because I remember when I first met him over a year ago and he was still "young" in the mission. Makes me start thinking that I'm getting "old" out here... :)
This week though ended really good. A little sad but still it was a very good week. If I remember right I said last week that we had a few people who were getting ready to be baptized on the 21st of this month. But not anymore :(. One of them wasn't sure if she was prepared enough and didn't want to until she felt more prepared. We tried to help her see that she was already prepared and everything but to no avail. Her mom has also been putting doubts and talking bad about things so it doesn't help at all. We're still working with her and praying a lot for her. Kimberly, the other young woman, also said that she isn't ready. Last week she just decided to tell us that she didn't see the need to be baptized at all which was a bit frustrating. Because before she said that she knew why and we couldn't figure out her doubts or what was keeping her back. We decided to fast with her this past week with two of her member friends from the ward here and after we ended the fast on Sunday with her and her friends, we asked her what she felt and she said that she wasn't ready. So that's about it for the update with them unfortunately. It's sometimes frustrating when you're doing all you can to teach people and to help them come to the restored Gospel of Jesus Christ, they progress, and then they still don't make the decision in the end. But at least I know that I'm doing all I can to give them the opportunity. Now it's just up to them.
The rest of the week went really well though :). We've basically been called as counselors in the young men's organization here, ha-ha. They already have the presidency and everything but the Young Men's president, who is also in the Bishopric, asked us if we could come to their meeting that they have to help support the young men since we've been really involved with the youth here. We had the first meeting yesterday. We basically go and see what we can do to support the youth and to know what the leaders want us to do to help them with their goals and to get them active and ready to go on missions some day. It's pretty fun actually because the young men are usually willing to work with us and to do stuff with us.
This past week we were thinking about the people we were teaching, what we could do to help them more, and what we needed to do to find more people to teach who could progress. We were sorta stuck thinking about where to go to find more people but as we went out to work and as we did so prayerfully, the Lord guided us and has blessed us so much! We were blessed to meet a family that was a reference from another family in the ward. The reference came as we were going to another visit before going home. The members told us that the mom was a member but didn't know the church was here and that she had her husband, two daughters, her sister, and her two nieces and nephews there, and that she wanted all of them to learn about the Gospel! We were really excited and we called and set up a visit for the next day. And the family is so good! The daughters and niece went to a Young Women's activity this past Saturday and they all came to church Sunday for the first time and loved it! They all want to keep learning and want to keep coming and we're excited to keep visiting them. We invited them to be baptized in the visit after church and the two daughters immediately said yes excitedly. But the dad and mom both weren't too excited about having them get baptized in May because they thought it was too soon (which actually it isn't) but we respect the parents and so we didn't set a solid day but they still want to keep learning. It'll be a fun teaching process :)
Things keep going great here. I'm loving Badalona and love working among the people here. I can't believe at how fast time flies and I'm scared that it'll finish before I'm ready. If I haven't written any of you back for a while, it's not because I've forgotten you. I just haven't had time. That's probably the best thing that can happen on the mission. Not enough time. It means that you've got lots to do, lots of people to teach, and that you're working a lot. But I still love you all! :)
