Monday, October 26, 2009
Another Good Week!
Hi everyone! Well we didn´t have quite as many people to visit this week but it was still a really good week. I´m trying to think of everything that happened as I´m typing! Well we had english class again but the spiritual thought went a little better this time. Nobody argued at all! How nice right? Afterwards we taught an 18 year old girl in the church. She is actually the zone leaders investigator but she wants me to teach her because she says she trusts me and has more confidence around me and Elder Reynolds. So we team taught her with the zone leaders. One of the zone leaders was really bold with her about baptism to see if she was really interested and she started crying and said "can I do it later because I´m really nervous right now." Haha we explained we just wanted to set a date with her right now. She said she will think about it. I think it will happen. On Sunday we had stake conference in a big theater on the outskirts of Barcelona and it was great. Two members of my ward spoke and it was fun listening to them because they are like my friends here in Barcelona. They have both finished their missions within the last 5 months and help me out all the time. Their names are Elias Guerrero and Hugo Estigarribia. Two of our investigators came to the conference and they loved it! One was the wife of the less active member. Her name is Vanessa and she is really sweet. We weren´t able to meet with her to set a baptismal date though. The other investigator was Emili. He is the Spanish man I have been teaching. I didn´t even know he was there until a member told me. So I went back in to find him and we saw him talking with President Hinckley and the stake president with his counselors! Then when he saw me he said "Langston!" and he came up and gave me a big ol hug!. I think he really enjoyed the meeting and felt the spirit. Anyway, after the conference all the members were out in the lobby area talking and I have never felt so much love from my ward! Everytime I saw someone from my ward they acted so excited to see me. I kept hearing people yell my name and I was getting hugs left and right haha. Its going to be hard for me to leave this area. I really love the people here. The work is tough in Barcelona but the members are amazing. I think we are going to have to push back the date with Vicente. He just isn´t progressing and I want to make sure we baptize a real convert. Thats the motto of this mission. We baptize converts. Well as you can probably tell I am still loving my mission and I love it more and more every single day. I know this church is God´s kingdom on earth and that the gospel of Jesus Christ has been restored to its fullness. I love you all and thanks again (like always) for your love and support. Until next week Love, Elder Langston
Monday, October 19, 2009
A Really Good Week!
Hey everyone! It looks like we have finally found a bit of success. We had such a great week! Last week we only had 7 appointments inside of peoples homes and this week we had 16! We were so blessed! Oh and more good news. The less active man named Jesus came to church again and brought his wife this time that isn´t a member and she told me she wants to be baptized!!! I was so happy to hear that! The tough part is the only day she has off is Sunday and we have to squeeze all the information into a few lessons but it will be easier since her husband
is a member. I´m really excited though. As for Vicente, it is going to take some work to get him baptized on his date. We might have to wait a little longer. He still doesn´t understand that baptism in this church is the ONLY way back to Heavenly Father. He has studied with the Jehovahs witnesses, the buddhists and he reads philosophy so its hard to get those ideas out of his mind. We have explained it in every way possible to help him understand bu
t he just seems really set on his beliefs. He still comes to church every week though. We had kind of a crazy experience in english class this week. Only three students showed up and one was a woman I recognized from a class 2 or 3 months ago. I remembered she liked to argue when we had the spiritual thought at the end. The thing is they have the option to stay or leave for the thought. So I warned my companion and told him just to bear testimony and end it if she started to argue with us. I read Matthew 3 13-17 and explained how the members of the Godhead are three seperate personages. She started swearing! The other two in the class are actually investigator of ours and they were just shaking their heads and
telling her to calm down. We just bore testimony
and closed the spiritual thought. She couldn´t deny testimony. I know that is the way to face objection. It was an awkward experience but it taught me a lot. Well the weather is really cooling down now and I´m freezing my little buns (or lack thereof) off! Luckily we have these little portable heaters to sit next to. I like the cold a lot more than the heat though so its ok. Well everyone thats about it for the week. I hope I have more good news next week. I love you all and you are in my prayers! Love, Elder Langston
is a member. I´m really excited though. As for Vicente, it is going to take some work to get him baptized on his date. We might have to wait a little longer. He still doesn´t understand that baptism in this church is the ONLY way back to Heavenly Father. He has studied with the Jehovahs witnesses, the buddhists and he reads philosophy so its hard to get those ideas out of his mind. We have explained it in every way possible to help him understand bu
telling her to calm down. We just bore testimony
and closed the spiritual thought. She couldn´t deny testimony. I know that is the way to face objection. It was an awkward experience but it taught me a lot. Well the weather is really cooling down now and I´m freezing my little buns (or lack thereof) off! Luckily we have these little portable heaters to sit next to. I like the cold a lot more than the heat though so its ok. Well everyone thats about it for the week. I hope I have more good news next week. I love you all and you are in my prayers! Love, Elder Langston
Monday, October 12, 2009
I Love my Mission!
For some reason I have been really happy this week. I´m looking at the numbers that we produced as far as lessons we taught in houses and it doesn´t say a whole lot. I´m still happy. On my mission I have been trying to develop Christlike attributes to make me a better person and in turn a better missionary. I decided to focus on charity and love because if you have those two things, you are going to have everything else. Of course we can´t just expect to have the pure love of Christ in an instant. Its a gift from God. So I have been praying for opportunites each day to increase my love towards my brothers and sisters here in Spain and so far I have seen miracles. Nothing big, but miracles. Earlier this week an old man fell down in the street and was crying for help so my companion and I helped him get up and sat him down. Nothing big but it made me feel good. Then an old woman asked us to help her lift her garbage into a dumpster. So we did it. Then an older woman in the ward called me and asked me to come give her husband a blessing because he can´t walk anymore and his memory is leaving him. It made me feel so good to be able to help her in her time of need. Then Saturday night all of our appointments fell through and Elder Reynolds and I had nothing to do. I looked through my agenda and found a less active member and his non member wifes address that was nearby. On the way to their apartment I passed the man I was looking for and asked him if we could set up an appointment and he was thrilled. We also invited him to church. The next day in fast and testimony meeting he got up to share his testimony and thanked me in front of the whole ward for finding him and inviting him to church. He called us his angels. It gave me the most warm feeling inside because I knew my efforts were appreciated. So I guess I have just been happier because I love the people here more and better understand that each person I see in the street is a child of God and He wants them back. I told myself last week that I needed to work harder. I felt like i have been working hard and doing well in the mission but i could push myself harder. 100 percent isn´t enough. As a result of pushing myself harder I have felt happier than I ever have in the mission and am having more success! We set a baptismal date with Vicente for the 31 of October. We are also going to teach an 8 year old boy who´s mom is a member but his dad isn´t. I am so excited to see some baptisms this transfer. I´ve also made a goal to speak spanish as much as I can. Even when I am in the apartment with my companion I am going to try and speak spanish. Anyway thats really all I have to report this week. Everything is going great and I am learning a ton! Thank you all for the emails and letters and the support. I can feel your love from across the ocean! I hope all is well back home. I love every single one of you! Have a great week. Love, Elder Langston
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
I'm Still Here!
Transfer calls were Sunday night and I found out I´m staying here in the Barcelona third ward. Elder Cranford left though. He went to Alcoy Spain which is a little city in the southern mountains of Spain. He wanted to stay here so I felt bad for him. He took it pretty rough. My new companion is Elder Reynolds from Spanish Fork. The best way I could describe him is that we are opposite body types. That´ll do. I like him a lot. He has a really strong spirit and I can tell he is completely devoted to the work here. We should have success. Wasn´t conference great?! All the missionaries in Barcelona and surrounding areas congregated in the Barcelona stake center and we got to watch it in English. We didn´t get to watch the Sunday afternoon session though and I heard Elder Hollands talk was amazing. I can´t pick a favorite talk though for some reason. I loved Elder Bednars on setting the family in order and saying I love you. It made me miss all of my family and friends though haha. I just love all of you so much. I think this conference was based on love and listening to the spirit or personal revelation. It taught me so much and answered a lot of my questions. When president Packer told his story of the little boy praying for the cow and how his prayer was answered I was overcome with the feeling of how much love God has for us. He listened to that little boys simple earnest prayer and answered it. It made me realize He is always there listening when I speak to Him and always wants to help me. Its amazing how unconditional his love for each of us. It doesn´t matter what we´ve done, what we look like, where we live or any of that. He loves us and always will. This conference made me reflect on my own life a ton. It just made me want to be so much better and work so much harder. I have so much to improve on and its comforting to know with the help of the Lord I can do anything and become like Him. As for the work that happened last week...well there isn´t too much to talk about. Sonia the mexican girl told us not to pass by anymore. She appreciates what we are doing but she doesn´t want us to waste our time on her. It kind of broke my heart when she told us this because I saw so much in her. Maybe one day though. But we are still teaching everyone and trying to help them progress and feel and recognize the spirit. Thats the hardest part is letting them know the things they are feeling are the spirit. Thats a challenge for each of us too. Recognizing when the Spirit is trying to talk to us. We have to listen ever so carefully and seek its direction. Well I´ll stop rambling now and let you all go. I love you each so much! I miss you like the dickens (Grandma Gloria style). I know this church is true with all my heart. It is so perfect. Thanks for all you do and the support and confidence I feel from you. You guys push me to go on. Until next week! Elder Langston
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