Sunday, May 20, 2012

Zone Conferences are Wonderful

 We love it when we see a family come together.  Elder Gibson and Elder Dunoskovic are excited that this husband was able to baptize his wife.  The temple is in their sights for next year.
 One step closer to be an eternal family.  The only person left for Elder Peterson and Elder Thomas to baptize in this family is their mother and she is getting baptized next week.  Another family beginning to make plans to attend the temple in a year.
 This dear mother is being an example to her 3 young children.  Elder Bennett and Elder Jackson are doing everything they can in Cordova.
 The newest ward in the mission is Molina in the Elche Stake.  Elder Cooper and Elder Brown are doing all they can to help grow the ward.  Baptisms are the place to start.
 This family is coming back to the church through re-activation. 
Elder Alejandre and Elder Manning are helping them come back by teaching them about the gospel and helping their son become a member.  
 It was so fun to hear from these two cute former Hermanas.  Hermana Bailey Capener and Hermana Alicia Sturgess are doing great back in school.  They are praying daily for all of us in the mission field and send their love to all of us.  Two great Hermanas!!
 The Sevilla District is striking a pose for all of us.  What do you think of this?
 I don't know what you think but we think that Elder Valenzuela and Elder Keller might be feeling a little bit uncomfortable.  Hey, but everyone needs to hear about the gospel. It was feiria time in Jerez.
 Look who dropped in to see us?  Anyone remember Elder Goodman?  He just had to feel what the pool was like.
 He came back to visit us and many others with his family.  Great family, great missionary, great little reunion.
Elder Fagersten and Elder Jones are jumping for joy at all the great things that are happening in Huercal Overa.  Don't you just love their smiles!
 Elder Thomas and Elder Mora and Elder Long and Elder Peterson are serving by helping paint an apartment.  Way to serve Elders.
Everyone enjoyed their calls home to mom and look who mom brought to say hi to Elder Peterson?  Yes, that is Elder Holland.  He said the Spain Malaga Mission is the best!!  (Well, if he didn't say that he meant to.)
 Zone Conference week is a favorite.  Everyone is happy in Sevilla.
 The food is great and everyone likes to be fed.
 Hermano Gomez is so wonderful to prepare all the food for the Sevilla and San Fernando Zones.  We can't thank him enough.
 Grandpa Elder Pratt is by son Elder Jordan by child Elder Jackson.  A 3 generation picture is always fun.
 What is with the Sevilla District?  Always posing.
Elders Keller, Mambo, Blanch and Salmeron are all very happy missionaries.  Working hard and seeing success and loving being a full-time missionary.
The Sevilla and San Fernando Zone conference was wonderful.  We all felt uplifted and encouraged and ready to continue on to reach our goals as a mission.
 What's this?  What it is that Presidente Clegg calls a chain?  All the Elders of the Alicante Zone jumped up to help the Hermana who was cooking the food for the Murcia/Alicante Zone conference bring in the food.  They formed a chain and passed the food in record time.
 Bringing the food all the way to the kitchen.
 You can always count on a wonderful special number with Elders Cooper, Fagersten, Stoner and Marchello.  It was beautiful.
 Zone conferences is always a time to see old friends that are formed by serving in the mission.  Elder Alejandre and Elder Stoner are sharing their memories in the mission.
 Elder Pearce and Elder Biamont are so happy with the Murcia Zone.  Everyone is dedicated to be obedient and do the work of the Lord.
 Elders Card, Marchello, Fagersten and Redd enjoyed the conference.
 Now this is a great generation shot.  Great-Grandpa Elder Shrewsbury, Grandpa Elder Rencher, Father Elder Wright and son Elder Tenney.  Whew, that's a group.
Hermana Ross, who are you writing to?  Hopefully it's someone special!!
Wouldn't you know it, we try to get an Hermana photo and there are always Elders getting in the picture.  That's o.k., we love everyone in the mission.
 We had another super Zone Conference in Murcia.
Please, Hermana Clegg, can we do a crazy shot?  O.k. kids!!
 The adult couples got together and decided Presidente needed to have a chair to take home to use when he is fishing in a few months.  
 Looks like it will work just fine.  With our shipment of goods leaving this next Thursday this was a sweet surprise.  Thank-you to all of our wonderful couples who do so much to keep the mission rolling forward.
 What a great looking group of missionaries.  This is the Malaga, Granada and LaMancha Zones all in the Malaga 1 capilla.
 Elder Peterson is feeling great after all the pizza's came and everyone was fed.  He along with Elder Thomas were the Zone Leaders in charge of the food.  They did a great job.
 There is nothing better than happy, smiling missionaries.  Elder Mendoza, Elder Barney, Elder Long, Elder Rodriguez and Elder Anderson are all happy, healthy and working and serving with all their wonderful hearts.  We love all our missionaries.
 We can't just have Elders smiling shining brightly.  The Hermanas bring so much joy and happiness to the mission.  Hermana Carter and Hermana Perera and Hermana Moreno and Hermana Brimhall are radiating nothing but pure love and happiness to be in the service of their Heavenly Father.  By the way, we are very international,  These 4 sisters are from the United States, Las Canarias and Costa Rica. 
 To wonderful missionaries loved by everyone, Elder Thornley and Elder Hatch.  Boy do we have great missionaries!!!!
We have more happy missionaries, Elder Mervai who comes from Hungary and Elder McGarry who joins us from Layton, Utah.  Members and missionaries are from every part of the world.
 Our biggest group of the 3 conferences, we think we were 53.  It was fun and exciting to feel the spirit in the room.
 Another little bit of fun.
 Elder Barbosa, Elder Hall and Elder Rodriguez of the LaMancha Zone are saying "Vive LaMancha!"
All Elder Allred can say is "Todo Rojo".  Need we say more.

 For the office P-day the Elders decided they would like to come up to the mission home and play a little hoops.  Hey, Elder Bailey, aren't you suppose to be in Almeria?  What is up.
 He didn't want to answer because he was too busy trying to make shots over hot-shot Elder Alejandre. 
They had a great time playing and we realized we have a few hoopsters in the group.  I think Elder Thornley was voted MVP for making the most shots!!!  But Hermana Clegg, you didn't answer your own question, why is Elder Bailey here?  Stay tuned, next week we shall tell you all!  
 As we reach closer to the final days in Spain we have begun our good-byes.  We were with Jeff and Anna Koh.  Presidente Koh has been a mission counselor.  He and his wife Anna have been so delightful to work with and so willing to do whatever was asked of them.  We will miss them so.  They are two wonderful people who along with their 3 children are doing all they can to serve the Lord. 

And to finish, a sweet surprise happened to Elder Dunoskovic.  Back just over a year ago he and Elder Manning baptized this wonderful couple from Badajoz.  They had just come back from being sealed in the Temple in Madrid and wanted to come and say good-bye to Elder Dunoskovic who goes home in a few weeks.  They didn't write him to say they were coming, they just rode a 3 hour bus ride early in the morning from Badajoz to share with him their joy of going to the temple and to tell him once again thank-you for bringing the gospel into their lives. This is how the gospel works in peoples lives.  It changes them for the better and brings true joy to their lives.  This is the ultimate example of success that every missionary hopes for their converts.  Such a sweet moment, never to be forgotten.

2 comments:

  1. When Elder Kellers Mom posted the picture with the Beautifully Dressed women on facebook, Elder Kellers Hiigh School teacher commented how much she loved Spain. Minutes later the teachers friend from Chile commented that the picture included her Nephew Elder Velenzuela, and guessed that Mrs Alverez must know Elder Keller. Small World, I think so!

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  2. So happy to see all the updates :) Can't wait to see you both when you get home :)

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