Abanicos

Hey! So this week started out great with a surprise birthday party for one of the elders in our district. It was great except that I discovered that here in Spain normal cake doesn't really exist it's usually made out of some kind of mousse or cream but let's be real I'm always happy to eat anything sweet. On Tuesday we decided to try one of our menos activo friends that we hadn't been able to see in a while so we went out and pressed her timbre and nothing. We waited for a little bit and hit it again because I remember her telling us that sometimes you have to hit it twice or she would just think that it was someone trying to sell something. This time she let us in and we went up to her floor jut the door bell and nothing! We were a bit stumped because why would she let us come up if she didn't want to let us in? we waited a couple minutes and went to the elevator, the doors opened and there she was. We talked to her and she said that she had been visiting her sister of on another floor and she hadn't buzzed us in. She let in and we had a great lesson with her about forgiveness. Some people call that chance but I don't. I think it shows that Heavenly Father is going to make sure that He gives His children as many opportunities as possible to come unto Him. That day we also received a call that Hermana Viglione was going to go in to do residency and if Hermana Anderson could spend the night with us so they could together the next day. So we went to the train station and found her and an elder chatting it up with this guy. He told us that he wanted to know more about the church because he only knew things from what he had seen on TV. We all had an awesome conversation with him and gave him a Book of Mormon that he said he would read on his layover and train ride. I wish that everyone would just have the desire to know more! We made home and the next morning I went with Hermana Giler and Hermana Vederjo while Hermana Viglione  and Anderson went to Fuengirola to do their residency. We had the chance to be part of a cosecha, which is basically where a bunch of missionaries go to one area and contact as many people as the can. It was great but also intimidating because Hermana Giler and Verdejo are both native and would just fly with their Spanish when talking to people. We were all sweating and dying when we made it back to the church building took a small break and then headed to the train station to get Hermana Viglione. That evening Hermana Viglione and I did something magical, we bought abanicos(fans). They are fantastic and we feel more Spanish because walking down the street the past few days all you could  see were Spanish lady's fanning themselves with their fancy fans. We also had the chance to have an adventure of try to find the house of a member who invites us over to eat and lives out in a pueblo. Let's just say after 4 hours and  taking the bus 5 different times we finally made it back home. Before you judge the member said that we actually had the least amount of trouble finding everything then most of the missionaries they invite over... Man my public transportation skills are getting stronger everyday! This week was also the week that we had been planning to have an activity to show Meet the Mormons in the capilla. It actually went super well, the spirit was so strong and we had a pretty good turn out even though we were a bit disappointed because our investigators didn't come through! I know that these emails are always a bit jumbled and in reality to try to fit everything that happens in one week into one email would be crazy but I know that I have the chance to see miracles every week and that Heavenly Father loves each and everyone of us. I'm so blessed to be out here and I know that I will continue to see His hand in my life and the lives of others.

Hermana Evelo

 

 

Cookies from our investigator who works in a panaderia

 

 

As close to the beach as we can get when we went to have lunch with some members

 

 

Our crazy district with our ward mission leader and his wife

 

PB & J

Heat heat and more heat! I´m trying to get used to the fact that I am constantly sweating because air-conditioning is not a very common thing here. On the plus side I am now super tan well I don't know if that´s really a plus but hey it is what it is. So, This was our full week with our new area and it was great but let me start from the beginning. On Monday we had our last Pday together with our district so we celebrated by going to taco bell yeah I know we´re super fancy. Then we rushed home jumped on a bus to the Palo which is our new pueblo. We got there and we were thrown off guard by how huge it was. The Palo alone is probably twice as big as our area. The problem is that it takes us an hour to get there and we have to take two different buses so we can only go about once a week or we´ll run out of money. Tuesday, we had district meeting and the Elders gave us a lot of food because they had to clean out everything from their piso, one of those food items being peanut butter! So, I have been making some killer PB and J sandwiches! So some awesome miracles of this week! To start off once upon a time Hermana Viglione and I were walking up what seemed to be a never ending hill  because we wanted to knock on some doors and we knocked and knocked and do you know what happened? Nothing! So we tried some more until a lady opened the door and said that she was catholic and didn't have time but we ended up talking for a while until her daughter came up to the door and when she saw us she told us that she actually had a Book of Mormon. By this point we had been sweating on her doorstep for a while so they let us come in and man did they have a ton of questions. We´ve had the chance to teach them and her sister three times this week! They are so sweet and amazing! I love when I meet people that are just filled with questions because it means that they want to know what God really has in store for them. We´ve also had the chance to start teaching a guy that owns a locotorio (Internet Café)  and he speaks English! But to be honest teaching in English is crazy and I had a hard time not slipping back into Spanish. What else? Well, yesterday we were on our way to visit a Menos activo that had failed us a lot or when he was there we couldn't go in because we needed another girl because he was alone(rule of the mission for safety reasons) So, we called a member and miracle number one is that she was able to come with us and so we were praying so hard that the lesson wouldn't fall through because she was with us. So, we went to his piso and hit the timbre and nothing.... hit it again waited a good 5 minutes and still nothing! We were pretty disappointed and were started to head back down when the phone rang and it was him! What? He told us that he had just woken up and that if we gave him 10 minutes we could come up. So we went up and had a great lesson with him and he said that he wants to start trying to read the Book of Mormon more and praying. Man I wish that I could fully describe how great it is to be a missionary. I love that I have this time to really study the gospel and address the concerns that people have had their whole lives. I am so blessed to have been raised in such a great family and surrounded by amazing friends. Thank you all so much!

Hermana Evelo

 

 

Octopus! Yum!

Transfer week! Man another transfer has come and thankfully I get to stay with Hermana Viglione for another transfer. I personally think it's because I still have so much that I need to learn from her! So this week was a bit crazy. We got to meet our new mission president and his wife! Our district were actually some of the first to meet them because we were at the church late for a correlation meeting that started late because some of the Elders were teaching an investigator but it was ok because we had ice cream while we waited. So right as we were leaving the AP'S pulled up and out came our new mission president. He was great and we could feel how much he already loved us. We the got to meet them again at a zone conference that we had the next day. They are amazing and though they can't replace the Deere's I know that they are supposed to be here with us. Then Hermana Viglione and I were given the news that they were white washing(taking out a pair of missionaries) in the area next to us, so our area is going to double this week and we now have a pueblo(small town) on the outskirts of Malaga. So we are going to be super busy this transfer trying to figure everything out but I'd rather have too much work than not enough work. Hmmm, anything else... Well I had the pleasure of trying octopus and I have to say that it tastes exactly how it looks. Well, as I'm sure you all know I love being here in Spain and each day I get to learn a bit more and just when I think I have it all figured out I learn that I really don't. My companion and I had the opportunity to teach a 10 year old girl how to pray and even though she didn't always have food to eat and has a really hard home life all she asked for was for her grandmother to get better. I hope that one day I can be as self less as that little girl. I love that I have the chance to help people and even though it's hot and people reject you everyday it's all worth it, it really is.

Hermana Evelo

 

 

 

Gaby, her zone, and President Andersen

(new Mission President) 

 

Gaby and Hermana Viglione

 

A yummy plate of octopus

Artist Extraordinaire

Hey! So this week started off a little bit rough because poor Hermana Viglione has been sick on and off her whole time here but really you couldn't tell if you didn't spend 24 hours a day with her because she is always so positive and happy. I'm now a flower expert because apparently all the flowers and plants that grow here are the same in California. This Wednesday we had a meeting with president and Hermana Deere and the other Malaga zone because they're are going to be heading back home next week. I'm going to miss them so much! They are so amazing and are my parents on the mission but I'm also very excited to meet the Anderson's next week. It was probably one of the trunkiest meetings I've ever been to because all the talked about where things we needed to do with our lives when we got back home. Home? Yeah, no, I still have forever till I have to think about going home! This week we also had the pleasure of meeting a guy who hated Americans which was extra awkward because he only thought Hermana Viglione was American. #brownpeopleproblems #notsureifhashtagsstillexist . We also met this amazing lady in this pastry shop who said that she had talked with missionaries in Argentina before she came to Spain and wanted to meet with us. Miracles! Then to end the week with a bit of service since Hermana Viglione is an artist extraordinaire we went and painted the face of the kids of menos activo family. Well, that's my tiny bit for this week! Weeks feel like days and I love every second that I'm out here in the Spain Malaga mission a part of the Lord's work. I hope that everything is going well and I miss all of you!

Hermana Evelo

 

 

Pictures

Hey hey! I know I sound like a broken record when I say that the week passed by like a day. This weeks theme is probably sick. Poor Hermana Viglione was sick this week so we stayed in piso for a couple of days but she's a champ and we went out and worked half way through the week. Sorry like always if this is short but time is short. Thanks for everything!

Hermana Evelo

 

 

Weird But Delicious Combos

Hey! This week like all the other weeks just flew by! First off Hermana Viglione is the best! We have been working super hard and half the time I forget that it´s only her second week out here in the field. She has really helped me to remember the basics and I feel like she is really teaching me on how to be a good missionary. We spent this week working like usual and had the opportunity to meet many new people that wanted to hear our message. Everyone that we met this week seemed to have the same problem. They couldn't seem to understand that God is our loving Heavenly Father. Most of them think of Him as someone all poweful that forgot about us. When I hear people say that it hurts! I know that my Father in Heaven is always aware of me and wants to help me and every single one of us. Also this week Hermana Viglione and I discovered how to make brownies in a cup which is the worst because we just snack on it all the time and one thing that being a missionary has taught me is how to be creative with the food. You have to as you get to the end of the week. I have made some weird but delicious combos. So quick miracle. This week we were walking down the street when a lady stopped me because she said that she thought I was her cousin and we started to talk with her and her son. We found out that he owned the store across the street and said that we could stop by when ever we wanted to. We went by a couple days later and had one of the most powerful lessons I´ve probabaly ever had on my mission. And we invited her to do what we invite everyone to do Pray and ask God! Oh, before I forget this week I recieved an email from my investigators in Cádiz saying that he was going to be baptized in a couple of week!  I know that this church is true and that it can and will bless everyone! I am so grateful for the chance I have to be here.Have a great week!

Hermana Evelo

My Hija

So this week I went to get my hija! We went to Fuengirola and she said as soon as I walked in "the one in the yellow sweater" was going to be her trainer. We ate some great food and then headed back to Malaga. It was a party because we had Hermana Judy staying with us and Hermana Merrill didn't have to leave until the morning. That morning we went to drop Hermana Merrill at the train station and we went off to work. This week was pretty crazy because we got our iPads and then the Elders got lost on the way to correlation meeting so we sat waiting for them in the capilla forever. So, like always, I procrastinated writing this and so I'm going to spend these last minutes talking about my hija. I'm training Hermana Viglione! She is from California and is just full of energy and ready to serve. I feel so blessed that I get to be her trainer even though I feel like I'm learning more from her than she is from me. Thank you guys for your support and your great examples. I love this work and I can see the Lord working miracles everyday,

Hermana Evelo

 

Hermana Evelo and Hermana Viglione showing where they are serving

 

Evelo and Viglione