Saturday, April 30, 2011

100+

Do we ever get tired of the monkey pictures? Gibraltar is always an enjoyable preparation day as we see being enjoyed by the Jerez District. Elder Ferguson are you trying to look calm and collected?
Elder Waite, I think you have a captive audience.
And when did these baptisms occur? Well Elder Goodman finally figured out how to send his pictures to me so we will gladly put the baptism ones on. This is Espifania who was baptized before Elder Gold went home.
Another two baptisms of Valeska and Dahyana. Great things are always going on in Granada.
What are these two Elders doing?
It's called two Elders cleaning the font before a baptism. Way to go Elders Brian and Avellar. Cleanliness is next to Godliness, and we want clean baptismal fonts.
The baptism was beautiful for Lizeth in Fuengirola. The Assistants lives are busy as they work to shepherd the mission and be missionaries themselves. We are now over 100 baptisms this year. We are a consecrated mission with incredible missionaries thrusting in their sickle to reap the harvests.
Hna Cannuci and Hna Perera were rejoicing over the two baptisms in Torrevieja. Great work Hermanas.
Hna Cluff and Hna Sturgess love their most recent convert, Obdula. Such a great looking lady who has found the truth.
Granada has seen a family come into the church with the baptism of Juana, the wife and the mother of the two girls shown here.
The next week the two daughters, Karina and Carolina joined their mother in being baptized. Their father was already a member of the church, and now we have an eternal family in the making.
Elders Staples and Elder Adams rejoiced in the baptism of Sherezade in Chiclana.
They also sent this lovely picture around Chiclana.
What have we got here? It looks like a group of happy, excited trainers. We are receiving new missionaries and their trainers are ready for them to come. L. to R. Elders Redd, Fagersten, Becerra, Dunoskovic, Shaver, Stanley, Pederson, Thornley and Burdette.
The next day we were at the train station bright and early. You don't have to look so serious Elders Brian and Avellar. The ayudantes are always ready to help.
They arrived and were met with smiles from all of us. What a super looking group. Elders Blanch, Kirkham, Manning, us, Hafen, Peterson, Hunt and Walton are eager and ready to work, and we love that.
All the luggage had to go into the lockers. Sometimes it is hard to fit it all in one area. Elder Kirkham found out that he needed two.
Loaded in the van, getting a few donuts to eat on the way, to a great spot we are now hoping to be able to take all the missionaries to.
The sun was shinning brightly on the lovely balcony in Mijas. The Elders are listening intently to Pte. Clegg impart some wisdom.
This a great picture of a few of the great ones in the Army of the Lord!
Just so you know, this was what the Elders were looking at this beautiful spring morning, Fuengirola and the Mediterranean Sea below.
We brought them to the mission home with the trainers eager to find out who they will be training. Patience Elders.
Always the best part, where will I be serving first and who is my companion. The room was loaded with excitement.
It truly was hard to tell who was more excited, the trainers or the new Elders. My vote goes with the trainers.
Elder Peterson is going with Elder Pederson to Murcia. Here we have a 3 generation photo. Elder Solari trained Elder Pederson who is going to be training Elder Peterson, got that?
Another generation shot. Elder Fagersten trained Elder Shaver who is going to be training Elder Hafen. Great things await the Elders in Huelva.
We have this enormous group of Elders to feed. Hopefully there will be enough.
We ran out of room so the assistants and Pte. Clegg and I had to eat in the kitchen.
Here is a grand view of all the trainers with their companions. The trainers are in front. It goes Elders Blanch, Burdette in Malaga, Kirkham, Fagersten in Sevilla, Walton, Stanley in Sevilla, Manning, Dunoskovic in Badajoz, Peterson, Pederson in Murcia, Hafen, Shaver in Huelva, Hunt and Redd in Malaga. Whew, that is a handful. Elder Thornley's companion is coming Friday.
After everyone left for their area, we still had two Elders staying behind. That's because Elder Solari and Elder Del Molino have a new assignment. They are starting as our Traveling Trainers, or Traveling Assistants. They will be going around the mission spending 3-4 days with many of the companionships, teaching, working and helping the entire mission raise to the highest level possible, that of a completely consecrated missionary. It is going to be great.
A few days later look who we found at the train station in Fuengirola, the former Hna Brown and her two adorable little sisters Melissa and McKenzie.
They helped us greet Elder Rodriguez who arrived just a few days after the rest of his group. We are still minus one missionary from this group who is currently visa waiting. We hope it won't be too long till he comes.
As we go to get on the elevator to the mission office we are greeted with great smiles from the assistants again. They are busy all over the place this week.
The entire Brown family from Fillmore, Utah came inside to say hi for a few minutes. What a beautiful family and so fun to see Hna Brown again. She was a fantastic missionary.
At the same time Elder Rodriguez is getting a little oriented by the office Elders. Elder Avellar is excited to tell Elder Rodriguez about Motril, where Elder Rodriguez is going to be serving with Elder Thornley.
One more official picture and off he goes with a sack lunch in hand as he rides the bus to Mortril. Things never stop in the mission do they? We love getting new missionaries and love serving the wonderful people in the Spain Malaga Mission. This is one very special place to be with 100 very special missionaries to go along with our 100 baptims. We love them all.

Sunday, April 24, 2011

P-days and Baptisms and Conferences

Beautiful sites all over this beautiful country of Spain. Pte. had to go to Badajoz for some branch business and afterwards we spent an hour walking around Merida. This is a beautiful city in the mission that doesn't have missionaries but has beautiful old Roman ruins. This bridge was first built in 25 B.C. The city itself was recently renovated in 1608. That's what we call old.
Of course we want to highlight baptisms in the mission. The Zone Leaders, Elder Smith and Elder Kusseling are busy in San Fernando. We also had some more baptisms and when we get the pictures, we will include them on the blog.
Missionaries are about service. Here Elder Bennett and Lignell are helping a man get to church. Way to go Elders.
Missionaries do have p-days and here is the Zone of Elche at sharing a p-day together. I think they were playing futbol (soccer). The sun is shining on the Elche Zone as they are working hard to grow the church.
The Zone Leaders of Sevilla, Elder Stanley and Fagerston along with the District Leader, Elder Stowell and his companion Elder Hales enjoyed a p-day seeing the sites of Cordoba.
Hermana Frandsen and Capner along with Elders Bennett and Lignell are always discovering sites around Almeria.
Pte. and I took a p-day hour finding some of the sites of Merida. This is the temple of Diana. Quite impressive sites.
Pte. was trying to seeing if he could move a stone or two, but since they have been there for almost 2,000 years, I don't think they are going anywhere.
This weekend we were in Ciudad Real for the District Conference. Not every district has a baker as the District Pte. Pte. Pedraja cooked some empanadas for everyone. Elder Basurto volunteered to help serve and eat of course.
Elder Corradi was helpful to load some of the props for Hermana Cleggs talk. I didn't get a picture of the quilts when they were set up, but maybe next time.
Elder Card and Corradi helped us get all our stuff in the car. Great Elders doing great things.
A picture of the Presidents. Pte. Clegg, Pte. Velasquez and Pte. Clegg, not a bad looking trio.
The Cleggs fed the Cleggs after the District Conference and then it was off to the mission home, 4 hours away.
So as we say good-bye to the week of Semana Santa in Spain until next year.
And the sun sets in the west on a beautiful Easter day, we wish all of you a Happy Easter from the Spain Malaga Mission. In the Spain Malaga Mission we baptize and confirm worthy converts!