Hola!!!!

Hello everyone back home! I hope this finds you all safe and sound and that you´re all enjoying your summer. Everything is going great out here in Badalona. Summer is in full swing and the sun is shining and the heat is just great :) ha-ha.

It's been a great week full of learning opportunities. We didn't have a ton of lessons and it was a little rougher with some investigators but I in no way feel discouraged or feel like we didn't work hard. It's something really important that I've come to learn. Earlier on in my mission I used to think that if I didn't have a big teaching pool and if I wasn't teaching a lot of lessons each week, I wasn't a very good missionary. But as I've learned and grown out here, I've come to realize that that really doesn't matter. What truly matters is your own personal dedication, your diligence, your faith, and the amount of effort you put into the Lord's work. And if you do all of that, the success will naturally come. And I feel that even though this past week wasn't our best, I feel like the Lord is pleased with what we've done. And that's all I can ask for :).

Last week I said that we had a man preparing to be baptized for this weekend but we just got news a few days ago that he won't because he has to travel to Bulgaria. His family lives there (mostly his two kids) and there was a terrorist attack in the airport there and his family lives right next to it. So he's going back to see how his family is. He said that he wants to come back and he was really sad that he wouldn't be getting baptized this weekend. But I know that the Lord has His own plan and time for everything. And I know that this man will someday in the future be baptized and receive the fulness of blessings and joy that the Restored Gospel brings.

This past week as well I got to work with Elder Keeler on exchanges! I started my mission with him and we were companions for the whole nine weeks in both Provo and Madrid MTC. But since we've been out here in the mission field, we've never ever served together or even been in the same district or zone until now. He's now in the same district as me and we got to do an exchange this past week and it was an incredible experience. I felt like I was back in the MTC again studying and practicing again, ha-ha. And it just felt comfortable teaching with him because we just clicked together so easily. So that was a pretty fun learning experience.

I can't really think of much else...I know lots happens but I feel like it's just all a blur, ha-ha. Next week we have another meeting on Preparation Day so we'll see how much time we have to write and do other stuff. But I'm excited for it :)

I love you all and miss ya lots! Talk to you all soon!

"Oh Está Todo Bien"

We had a satisfying week I'd say. Everything seems to be just going along well and there's not really much I can even complain about. Actually, I don't think that there's anything to complain about, ha-ha. We've been working hard and finding some great people to teach and seeing a lot of success doing so. We found a family of three from Ecuador whom we started teaching this week and they're really good. They're really open and nice and receive the message well and we're excited to see how they progress next week. Another man who we're teaching, Giovanni, is doing fantastic. He came to church yesterday, loved it, and even participated in the classes. He's preparing to get baptized on the 28th of this month and he's really excited. And so are we :)

We had exchanges with some other Elders in Barcelona this past week and it went pretty well. There's a lot that I learned and there's a lot that we can do to also help the others to continue to improve. It was also pretty neat because I got to go to Barcelona and work in parts that I hadn't been to before and to meet some of the people that the Elders have been teaching. And it's always incredible to me to see that the Gospel blesses everyone who actively and willingly try to learn of its truthfulness. No matter who you are or where you come from, the Restored Gospel blesses those that let it. That's one reason why I love doing these exchanges.

Well, this past week I said that I was probably going to buy a new suit...I didn't. I came really really close though, ha-ha. I had tried it on, it fit perfectly, it looked fantastic, and I had it in my hands and I was debating about whether or not I should buy it then or wait a little longer. And I decided to wait. The thing with these sales here is that they last for about a month or two and about halfway or towards the end, the prices drop again. But you run the risk of something not being there the longer you wait because whoever gets there first gets the item. But both my companion and I decided to wait a little longer until the prices drop again. Hopefully that wasn't a mistake, ha-ha. Oh well.

Today we have interviews with President Pace and I'm really excited about that since it's my first real opportunity to talk with him one on one and to just see what he's like. I'm sure it'll go well though. After the interviews we're just coming back to our area to relax a little for the rest of our Preparation Day.

I can't really think of anything else for some reason, ha-ha. I know lots happened but nothing that really sticks out other that what I've mentioned already. I hope all is well back home and that you're all loving the summer. Take advantage of vacations :) ha-ha. Love you all!