Mission Week 29: Manacor

INTERVIEWS!!!!

Yesterday we had interviews with President. What a great man he is! We were able to just chit chat about the gospel, and he gave me some great advice on how to better our area!!!! We were in Palma all day, we didn't get home until seven thirty, so we ate and hit the streets, we were so tired, but it was worth it!!!!

I got your package!!!! The one with the little scripture and the fruit loops and things!!!! whooooo!!! Thank thank you so much!!!! We played games with those little book of mormon cards while we were waiting for our interviews. Everyone loved those!!!! The watch is super nice. Thank you!!!! It was a little big, but you know my around tinkering with things, and now it fits perfectly!!!!

Saturday was the big 19!!!! It was such a great day, thank you for those photos you took!!! They are so nice. C. was so great, filming that and sending it to you!

I had an intercambio with our district leader. He has a ton of time in the mission and taught me so much. Our district leader is the bomb!

Side note.... we got haircuts today

For district meeting, we learned about finding joy in the work, and our leader set up a huge obstacle course made out of chairs in the church. We blind folded our companion and had to guide him through the maze. It was so fun, it really brought joy into the work!!!!

This week during my studies I have truly come to see the power of grace in my life and in the work. It doesn't matter what I do, Christ paid the price. Nothing I do helps me be saved. I heard a quote that says, "we have been saved by grace, but have we been changed by grace?" Christ paid the price for us to return to our Heavenly Father. We have commandments to help us feel comfortable when we return, and the things we do determine how long we will be with him, but Christ is always there. Lifting us when we fall. Not just after we have done everything, but before, During, and After.

 

 Well I have to go.... Be good!!!!

Mission Week 28: Happy Birthday Elder Tyson!!!

Ok what a week. There was so much going on, We are going to have to take it day by day. Well starting with Thorsday.

Thorsday...

So ya. I threw up.... many times.... I was feeling really sick. Elder Allen was a good sport. Helping me to feel better. I was so hungry because I lost all of food, so I decided to make quesadillas.... He warned me that the dairy would just come right back out. I wished I had listened..... I made my quesadillas and within five minutes of eating them, I was puking it all up again.... TMI! I know. We passed the time in piso by reading scriptures and things... and then I remembered the game MASH..... So while I was on and off the baño, we played a little MASH, with areas to serve, companions to have and what not.... good times..... kind of.

Friday....

It rained perros and gatos out here. I was feeling much better but the rain hit us so hard.... I personally loved it..... because I've got sunshine, on a cloudy day. We tried and tried and tried to talk to people, but I guess not everyone knew that the sun will come out tomorrow.... even though I am betting my bottom dollar on it. That day was so great though, we were able to place 2 Books of Mormon in one day. Maybe a record of my mission.... #CelebrateTheSmallVictories

Saturday...

Sant Antoni-The was the party of the century! It all started all family friendly, families on bikes, riding around and looking at amazing paper mache sculptures, and enjoying the time. We enjoyed it too... with members in the streets just singing kumbaya... Until about 8 o'clock..... That was when the kids went to bed and then they lit all of these beautiful sculptures to the ground! Bonfires, screaming, dancing, no one caring about the hour of night. We got back to Piso undetected. We felt like Heavenly Father put the cloak of invisibility over us. We got back and the smell of the smoke (which still lingers over the city) wasn't even on our clothes, and we are talking fires on every single block! The fires we would do  in our backyard don't hold a candle to these things. We felt so blessed. It was like Shadrack, Meshack and Abendigo. Well the party didn't stop once we got to our piso. The people were out, playing blaringly loud music until 4:30 am. I thought I was waiting up for Santa Claus.  What a day!

Sunday....

We saw some people in the streets still celebrating. We thanked the Lord for the Word of Wisdom. When we got to the end of the night, we felt discouraged because our numbers were awful. Then, I thought back on the week. We had truly helped people come unto to Christ. We had committed several families to read the Book of Mormon and to return back to church, and we were able to bless the lives of others through prayers in the streets. I remembered why I came out here. Its not about the baptisms or the amount of lessons I have taught. Those are a byproduct of my purpose here: To help everyone I see to realize that Jesus is the Savior, and they can come to know him better than ever before if they will read the Book of Mormon.

 

Today we went on a hike and saw some of the beautiful parts of our area. Here are some pictures of the island and some pictures of the celebration.

 My scripture is Moroni 10:32 and I know that is typical and was the theme of the church, but i think it really describes what I am all about as a missionary, what i want to accomplish, and its my go to in teaching!!!

 

 I love you so much... and I am doing my best to find teach and baptize...... have a good week.... save some candles for me!!!!!

 

Mission Week 27: Reyes

This week has been so great. We have really been working hard and trying our best to change the lives around us here. We are really growing together and having a great time inviting people to come unto to Christ.

This week we set a fecha (date) with our good friend J. He is from Texas but speaks perfect Spanish. He just moved here and is fifteen years old. He is such a good kid, and really wants to learn. We had set a fecha for the 23rd but, he wasn't able to attend church so we are looking to set a new fecha for the 30th. He has such a good heart, but it was a little weird teaching in English. We are so excited to see the progression in him.

This week the Baleares District began its goal to become a stake, 66 baptisms in on year. We know this is possible, in the Lord's timing, with diligence, hard work and obedience. To help get us on the right foot our Zone Leaders committed us to wear the same tie until we had a baptism. It has been a little rough the last few days, but it gives me more drive to help my friends into the water of baptism.

I had the opportunity to speak in church this week about the Restoration, and how it applies to lives of our members. I realized that the entire first lesson is really centered on prayer. How because God loves us, we can pray to him and he will always answer and give us more light and knowledge. It was wonderful to apply the things i learned to my own prayers, and I feel my relationship with God growing.

Also this week was Reyes (Kings) holiday. It's like christmas all over again. we went and ate and took pictures by the reyes on their horses.... it was super cool....

I ate a whole dominoes pizza by myself.... its buffet here... so we go crazy... I have a video...

We saved an old woman who fell in the streets this week. She was like,"I have fallen and I cant get up" so we were like, "hey, we are human life alerts!" We got her on her feet, and we were happy she didn't break a hip. She said we were very nice, but didn't want us to talk to her anymore.

We contacted a man in the street, and he we went off on us, because we were wearing scarves, and the kids in Africa didn't even have food, so we walked away and later, while were taking a little break, he walked up to us and asked if we were the same chicos from before, I politely told him that we were NOT, and he seemed satisfied. we then tried walking around the block to see if we could confuse him again, but he was no where to be found... probably for the best...

 There are huge fires in the streets every night getting ready for the Sant Antoni celebration.

So this celebration is only in our town... no where else in Spain celebrates!

Love you lots!

Elder Tyson

Mission Week 26: Manacor

Happy New Year, and what a great start to a new year it was!!!

It all began with a zone goal to have 100 new investigators in a week for our zone. That meant that each companionship needed to have 10 by the end of the week. We worked so hard and spent most of New Year's eve tracting in the streets. We talked to everyone that day, had great conversations, and yet, no one chose to accept. But have no fear, on the first day of the year, we saw a miracle, one of the biggest in my mission. The minute we said we were missionaries, people wanted to listened. We got one man's number and he gave us the number of his brother to meet with him too. We touched every key indicator, and met all but one of our goals. What an amazing way to start off the new year!!! we started that day with three new investigators and ended with 7. I gained a huge testimony that the miracles come, after the trial of our faith. We are so excited to follow up with these great people this week, and bring them the restored Gospel, and baptism.

We as a companionship are really making progress, we are teaching more in unity, and recognizing the Spirit more. I know that is because we are humbling ourselves and turning our hearts to the Lord.

Our branch has a goal to baptize 8 people this year, to help the district become a stake. We know this is possible, and we are doing all that we can to make it happen here. We have one women getting close, and a young man who found us and said he would love for us to return and talk with him. We are so excited. The work is booming here, although we live right next to a giant catholic church, we know this is going to be a great year in bringing souls to the waters of baptism.

Today for preparation day the elders from Inca came over and we played basketball. My companion kind of got a black eye. He is tough though.

For New Year's there was a huge party outside our piso all night!  We had to be in bed at 11:30 so up until then we went out on the roof and just enjoyed the lights, then we woke up at midnight and ate 12 grapes, its a custom here. It was so fun! We loved it! It was tranquilo.

Love you lots,

 

Elder Tyson

 

Some pictures this week of Elder Tyson's apartment (piso) and area.