5-6-09

From: elder.miller@myldsmail.net

Today we are going to a restaurant at the mall Isla Azul. It is pretty sweet and really close here in Aluche. They have a Taco bell, the only one in Spain, in the food court. I will have to give it a try. We are going to eat at the Brazilian buffet that is like Rodizio Grill but not as expensive.
Some huge news for Spanish speakers all over the world is the Latter-day Saint version of the Spanish bible coming out in September. It will have a better translation. The Joseph Smith translation will be in the footnotes and it just should be an amazing blessing for these amazing people in Spain and those all around the world. Another news flash is that jackets came off on Monday, so we just wear our nerdy white short sleeve shirts. It feels way weird without a coat and the shirts just beam. It doesn't make us sweat half as much though. Also, the Madrid Olympics might become a reality in 2016. That would be awesome. Keep your fingers crossed. The Madrid Open for tennis will be hosted in our area at the metro stop San Fermin-Orcasur. It should be a huge tournament, and it is going to be in the Caja Magia or "magic box". It's a huge arena, "the largest in Europe" is the word on the streets from the people. So those are the updates from Spain in general, now to the most important, the people we are working with.
We have an awesome investigator from Ukraine named Alex who works at a restaurant with his mom. We are going to start teaching him. He came to church the last few weeks as a member referral. We taught him for the first time Monday and the second time yesterday. He is preparing for baptism for the 30th of May, and there are 3 other baptisms with the hermanas and other elders before then. Alex is amazing, and he does his reading and prays and went to the fireside with the young single adults on Sunday. He is about 20 and speaks Portuguese, Spanish, Ukrainian, Russian, and English. I would say he has the gift of tongues for sure. He is just a sharp guy with amazing questions and oh so elect. He is one of the people talked about in the Doctrine and Covenants 29:6-7 and Alma 13:24. Barrio 3 is amazing. We are going to teach Alex's mom soon as well. We saw home teaching being done again when we went to visit a member family and teach them. We got to hear the tail end of the message, and it was great. Then we added our message and it was just a great experience. Also, we are teaching a man from Spain which we do sometimes but not that often, and even with less frequency here in Aluche. Part of our area, metro stop San Cristóbal, is the lowest priced housing in Madrid, and so there are just tons of humble immigrant people to teach. Jose' is awesome and is from the church Cuerpo de Cristo, or "body of Christ". He accepts and believes in the restoration of the gospel, the Book of Mormon and Joseph Smith. We will probably find some differences in the plan of salvation, but he should be getting ready for a baptism challenge come the 2nd or 3rd lesson. The hurdle will be the unmarried problem with him and his member girlfriend who he lives with. She is from Bolivia.
So that was a trial of our faith for a couple of weeks without investigators. Teaching members, inactive members and recent converts has now turned into awesome work with investigators who want to learn. We kind of did an overhaul of the area book and whipped it into shape and just have been working really hard. The Lord blesses us when we bear with patience our afflictions.
We get to take an investigator to a fireside after church on Sunday that is a broadcast with Elder Bednar. I am looking forward to it.
Keep on keepin' on in the world that's been turned on its head and during this economic crisis that people can't stop talking about.
I love you all and wish you a very merry week.
Much love from Spain.
Love, Elder Miller