During the journey to Málaga with the other missionaries that were getting their DNIs, I read like, a bajillion pages in Jesus the Christ. Holy moly that book is fantastic. I learn so much from it every time I read it. Later that day, at the mission home, I had a great chat with President Deere regarding faith and courage to act, and I feel stronger because of it. Everybody was on a spiritual high that evening, and the next morning we had a lot of time to study and hang out (we didn't have any of our proselyting stuff) because we had a lot of extra time. I got my residency, and I am now Empadronized in Torrevieja. That's pretty cool.
However, when I got back from Málaga, my week took a dive. I don't know why. I became very irritable and silly, unimportant things made me angry, to the point where I wanted to leave my companion in Cartegena. I don't know why I was so grumpy. I wasn't thinking of his needs, service, let alone Christ-like love towards him. I recognized that I was being a doofus on Friday, and I was really trying to overcome those mean-spirited thoughts. Luckily, he and I had a great chat and talked about everything that had been on our minds. It is difficult with the language barrier. Many things we say to each other sound a little offensive, just because we are translating too literally. So, we decided to just shrug it off, and get to work.
The Germknödel was awesome. I loved it. The German lady that made them for us has been struggling with her testimony of the Book of Mormon. She has a testimony of the plan of Happiness, Jesus Christ as our Savior, Joseph Smith, Thomas S Monson, and so many other things, but it just hadn't been confirmed to her that the Book of Mormon is the word of God as well. So, last week, we found a verse while studying specifically for her,
Doctrine and Covenants 6:23.
She thought a testimony was exclusively a burning in the heart. She didn't know that feelings of peace were confirmations of the Spirit, but when we identified her feelings as she reads the Book of Mormon, we read her this verse, and her face lit up. She seriously smiled bigger that I have ever seen any person in the whole wide world smile. It made my life. Seeing how happy she was made me so extremely happy, I can't even describe it. She turned to her husband, and spoke excitedly, joyously, in the fastest German I have ever heard, describing to him how she now knows that she knows it is true.
We also had a great lesson with Standip and Pini, the Indian couple. It is extremely difficult to communicate with them, because their English is terrible, and their Spanish is worse, so we leave the communication to the Spirit. We taught them about baptism, and the neccessity of baptism through proper authority. He had initially refused to be baptized a ''second time'', but as the Spirit entered into the room, we began to warm up to the idea, because it isn't a second baptism, it is the first. A baptism is not Baptism without being performed the proper way, and by a man holding the Priesthood of God.
The next step is to get them interested in the Gospel, not because they want a Church-marriage as well as their legal marriage, but because their faith in Jesus Christ will develop into a desire to repent, and after, enter into the waters of Baptism.
Every time we teach, no matter which language we are using, Elder Rodríguez really amazes me. He is always so close to the spirit, so sensitive to the things he should say. I really want to become like that, but it takes a lot of spiritually intense practice. He is seriously the best trainer I could possibly have. That dude rocks.
We watched conference in the Chapel here. They set it up on a projector, and listened to it in Spanish. I was the only English speaker for 2 sessions, and since I can't be alone, I found a way to listen in English.
We have a translation set here, a microphone and a bunch of wireless headphones that are linked to the microphone (which are usually used in translating for the English speakers of the ward). I used the computer in the other room to play the audio of general conference (had I streamed the video it would have been really choppy for everybody), set the microphone next to the speakers, put on the headphones, and went and sat in the chapel. It was perfect. I was surrounded by the members of the ward, and I was hearing the conference in English! I love hearing the voices of the Prophet and Apostles. I know those guys are inspired.
I really loved Dallin H Oaks' talk. He laid down the line, and anybody that takes offense to what he said should probably consider why they are getting offended, and see if their opinions are in harmony with the will of the Lord (which it won't be, if they are offended). The Lord establishes doctrine and structure for a reason, modern opinions and popular ideas do not change what has always been.
To all my buddies leaving and preparing for your missions, remember; they aren't your missions. A mission isn't for you. You are only a tool in the hand of the Lord to bring those souls back to him. A mission is for those whom you serve. Not you. It is important that you don't lose any time (even just 3 days of grumpiness) in thinking of yourself. Think only of those souls that are waiting to hear the truth they haven't heard since before their birth.
Those who aren't, please pray to the Lord and ask him if you should. There are people waiting around the world that you promised--in the pre-mortal world--to bring them the gospel and return them to the fold.
I love you all, keep working hard at everything you do
Os quiero mucho,
Elder Oliver
ps. I realized that you could say "We are children of God" in 10 different languages, but if you do, you are saying the same thing 10 times. The only difference is the sounds. I think that is why the Holy Spirit helps us bridge the language gap.
***We didn't get pictures from Spain this week, so here are some pictures of him with the rest of the "Stripling Warriors" who assisted at the Stripling Warrior Boy Scout Camp this past summer. For more information about the Stripling Warriors and who they are, visit HERE.
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