Tuesday, January 31, 2017

Mission Week 82

January 30, 2017

Howdy howdy!

It has been a marvelous week here in Badalona. I have felt so grateful for my area, my companion, and the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We have received so many blessings that we can't every count.

It was wonderful to be at the worldwide training this past week. I learned that we should always compare our day to the doctrine of Christ. Did we have faith, did we change and repent, did we honor our covenants, did we follow the promptings of the Holy Ghost, and did we give more today than yesterday? I am excited for the mission changes and know that they are inspired. I am so excited to get out and be a better servant of the Lord.

Right now our most promising investigator is J. He is from Peru and has a baptismal date set for the 11th of February although he might get baptized this week. He is seriously a miracle. We found him searching for his sister, and we have taught him the first three lessons, he has attended church, sports, and a baptismal service. He is incredible. He has completely turned his life around. About a year ago he was very depressed and didn't find purpose in his life. Now he is vibrant, full of energy, and is wanting to learn. We are so excited for him to take the next step of baptism.

This week we saw the miracle of Baptism! M. took a leap of faith and was baptized. We met her on the last day of the year and she was looking for a change in her life, she accepted the invitation to be baptized and quickly progressed. As the baptism grew close, we learned of a concern that she had that would prevent her from being baptized. We left it up to her and the Lord, and when we returned she said that although it was hard, she knew she couldn't live without God in her life, and she was baptized. The service was wonderful, we did all we could to keep it reverent, considering there was a youth dance going on below. I am so astounded by the faith of these strong converts, they give hope to the future of the church in Spain.



For preparation day we hiked the famous Monserrat!!! I took many pictures!!!! It was an absolute blast!!! A great last preparation day with Elder Maurer!!! It was a steep hike, but well worth it!!





This is a big week coming up, the last week of Elder Maurer. We have big plans this week to help him finish the mission with a bang! We are excited for another week of hard work, blessings, and miracles!



Transfers will be wild, have no idea what's going to happen. Big changes in the mission schedule, longer preparation day, and different key indicators, it should be fun. Also, this week we have a mission tour with Elder Kearon of the Seventy!! It will be great!! We are in charge of getting 72 Dominos pizzas, pepperoni all the way!!! So excited!!!

So happy to be a missionary! Sounds like the family is doing great, congratulate Allie for me!! Thank you for figuring out my housing situation, whatever you need else you need from me, I am on it!

Love you so much, have a great week!

Elder Kade Jay Tyson

Sunday, January 29, 2017

Mission Week 81: Happy Birthday Elder Tyson!

January 23, 2016

Hi Family,

Thank you so much to all of the birthday wishes!! It has been another great year! Yeah this week was great, M. is planning to be baptized and things, saw great miracles, Elder Maurer is doing fantastic, but I wanted to dedicate this letter to two things.

To be honest, I am pretty sure I have learned more in this year than any other year of my life. I have discovered life lesson that I know will have an impact for the rest of my life. I took the time in my personal study to write some things I've learned, and I would like to share them with you

  • To obey is better than to sacrifice
  • Celebrate the small victories
  • This life is between me and the Lord
  • There is a consequence to every decision, that may have an affect others around you
  • Piano practice is never a good backup plan
  • Talk to people at their level
  • The Book of Mormon is the most powerful tool we have as missionaries
  • Talk with the person who opens the door, when the person who was supposed to isn't there.
  • "Pueblo work" is a clever way to waste time
  • You know you are close to your companion when you can wrestle him
  • Miracles sometimes occur when we are just sitting and waiting, but they always occur when we are actively seeking them
  • The contacts we make when we don't want to contact, can be some of the most important contacts we make
  • You can find something in common with every single person
  • Baptism is the best way to spread love
  • The byproduct of caring for a missionary is success in their area, not visa versa .
  • Although we might be able to, nothing Gospel related should ever be done on the fly.
  • Hymns sound much better when someone knows a harmony
  • Eating with members is a great way to gain weight
  • Now matter how good or prepared you think you are, someone or something will always come to show you that you are not.
  • Don't be afraid to stress the little things, they are what make all the difference
  • Creativity doesn't always mean arts and crafts
  • Leadership is much more than hyping people up
  • The more we lose ourselves in the service of others, the more we discover who we truly are
  • Never quit
  • The ideas of others may not be the right one, but they normally help lead to the right one, so be open to everything.
  • You can't give all your heart, might, mind, and strength in the streets if you don't dedicate that same effort in the planning session
  • It's better to be over prepared than under prepared
  • We can't control how often they accept but we can control how much we invite
  • We are the resource, not the source
  • Missionary work should be simplified to two words, invite and testify
  • Just because you believe in science does not mean God does not exist
  • It really doesn't matter who the president is, what does is the status of our own home
  • Families are forever


So there are many more, but those are just a few I wanted to list. I am so grateful for this past year, I hope that I can learn new things in the coming year as well!!

Monday, January 16, 2017

MIssion Week 80: Badalona

Hey family,

Spirits are high here in Badalona. We are moving forward in the work of the Lord. There is a force that runs through these streets. People are being prepared to hear this message and we are on a quest to find, teach, and baptize them.

The zone had a good week. We are seeing that it's difficult to unify us in a zone goal when every companionship has very different needs. Some struggle finding, others greeting people to church, (us for example), others struggle in setting fechas with investigators. It's all different. Our culture as a zone is to invite daily and baptize weekly. The act of inviting should just be a part of us, just like the first contact leaving piso is. We have decided to focus on church attendance this week, seeing that it is a requirement to help our investigators be baptized. We are giving the missionaries simple things to do daily to be able help their investigators come to church and begin to sanctify the sabbath day.

M. is getting baptized this week! We are so excited for her. We were worried because last week she had a surgery and didn't know how she was going to feel, but on Sunday, though it was freezing cold, came to church and loved it. The members are doing well in fellowshipping and she is excited for the baptism. We asked if she would be ready physically for it, and she said it was happening yes or yes.

We are also teaching a young man named A. He has met with many missionaries but lacked strong desire to be baptized. On an intercambio with Elder Merrill we helped him see the need for the Restoration, and he has committed to change his work schedule and be baptized on the fourth of February. We are happy that he is making these changes in his life.

This week in my study I learned about the power of Prayer. Preach my Gospel says that we should take thought about our attitude regarding prayer. I realized that my prayers had become a routine, quite empty at times. I set goals to better my prayers, expressing more gratitude, and using specific names. That is an example that the Lord gave perfectly. He gave thanks always, and He prayed for Peter personally. I want to follow that example.

Elder Maurer bought an impecable suit today, he looks down town. I think that suit will help further the work, because, as I always say, look good, feel good. He is a very wise man. He has learned so much, and knows how to apply it. He knows how to share doctrine with people that need to hear it, but he makes the situation positive and not defensive.

Today for preparation day we tried to go see the famous Sagrada Familia, the famous Catholic Cathedral. they say missionaries can get in free for being a religious group, but today the people were feeling cold and we did not have the chance to go. It costs 15€ so we decided it wasn't worth it. Maybe another day.

I found a book in piso with every talk given by Thomas S. Monson as a prophet, I am now studying it!!! It is incredible!!! There is a prophet today!!!

Our miracle this week was definitely seeing M. come to church. We had the priveldge of giving her a blessing the night before, and after she said that she felt so peaceful, she was not very nervous. She is progressing so well, accepting the commandments and pushing forward to baptism. What a miracle.

Love you all!!!!! Have a great week!!!!!
Next week, birthdays!!!! I choose pancakes for the breakfast!!!

Elder Kade Jay Tyson

Monday, January 9, 2017

Mission Week 79: More from Badalona

January 9, 2017

Family!!!!

It's always a great week in the mission when a baptism or two fall upon us. I feel so blessed to be a part of this great work and help all those around me come unto to Christ.

The zone is doing well. We are working right now to establish consistency weekly. We know that comes from working hard and planning well consistently. We focused our zone enfoque on cleansing ourselves through obedience and receiving the Spirit, then did a practice on the importance of nightly planning, and finished with a teaching on inviting someone to be baptized daily and baptizing in the zone weekly. We know that we need to be more bold and just testify if we want to see success, so that is what we are going to do. That will become the culture of our zone, invite daily, baptize weekly in Badalona.

Right now we are currently teaching M. She is preparing for a baptismal date on the 21 of this month. She is incredible. We invited her to be baptized on the street and she gladly accepted. She accompanied us to a baptismal service on Saturday and to church on Sunday. She loves what she sees and knows that she needs to be baptized. In fact, she has been looking to get baptized for quite sometime.

We are also teaching a woman named G. She is also preparing herself to be baptized in the coming weeks. She explained to us that this past year has been the hardest of her life and she has been looking for a renovation of her soul. We have began to teach her, and she has been touched by the message of the Plan of Salvation. I am so grateful that the Lord put her in our path so that she can hear about the great Plan of Happiness.

This week in my studies I spent time on the 23rd Psalm. It is a powerful scripture that has helped me so much in my mission. We can have the surety that goodness and mercy will follow us all the days of our lives if we focus on following the Good Shepard. He will lead us to green pastures, and be on our side as we walk through The Valley of Death. I hope that this week, I can make more steps in allowing Christ to be my Shepard.

This week for service we volunteered in the annual Reyes parade in Badalona. We had to protect the floats from children trying to rush into the streets to climb on. It was a lot of fun and extremely tiring. We got to do it as a district though, which was fantastic. It ended up being great and one Elder got on the radio. Success. 

Elder Maurer and I are doing splendid. We are finding well and working hard. I am grateful to have a strong companion who supports me in the work.

Today for preparation day I got a haircut and we did some shopping. I found some gifts to send home, I got some sweats and a sweatshirt that I have been needing, so it's been great. Just simply and fun. You will be happy to hear that I am eating incredibly healthy right now!!! So many vegetables!!! Onions galore!!! I will teach you some of my new skills!!!

We saw a great miracle this week with the baptism of R. He has made huge changes in his life.   The service was wonderful. He was taking tons of photos and drinking in the moment. His whole family came to support him as well which was incredible! What a miracle.
 

In the end, a happy week here in El Faro. Can't wait for another.

Elder Tyson

Mission Week 78: Happy New Year!

January 2, 2017

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!!!

Sorry folks, we have been making a zone video in the office all day
that I haven't been able to write. I will try to fit as many details
in as possible in the time I have!!!

I absolutely love Badalona!!! It is known for its huge hills and many
Muslims. The work here is thriving, there are many people prepared to
hear the Gospel in our area. We are having a lot of fun trying new
ways to contact and teach those around us. Elder Maurer is incredible.
He is so wise. He teaches with so much power. Our theme for this
transfer is be a challenging and testifying missionary!!!! I
absolutely love it, we are inviting everyone and we have seen a
glorious difference!

He is from Brisbane Australia, and his name is Nicholas Maurer. Great
man. The piso I am in is in deed the one I was in my fist night,
luckily, it is spotless now unlike the last time.

We passed New Years wonderfully. We ate an entire turkey with some
members!! The members are great!. We have to meet for church in Barcelona
because our church was condemned so it's harder for people to get out.
We have faith though.

Kalee looks great!!!! So happy for her, and being with Elder Gomez!!

I am learning so much in my Gospel study!!! I will share some with you
next week!!!

I am setting some goals for myself in this year. Not home goals
obviously, but for just the mission. I hope the Lord will support me
in the changes I want to make.

I have also decided on a return date, I can't remember if I told you.
I prayed and received an answer that my time to go home is June. So I
will not be extending my mission. I know that this is the best choice
for me. Good, better and best. I got your letters with the pictures!

Love you so much... more to come next week, love you so much!!!

Elder Tyson