Week 78 - Baby Steps in the Gospel

Sorry about last week's lack of a letter. It was a bit of a crazy
P-day and I just plumb forgot to do it. All I managed to get out was
regarding housing, and heaven knows THAT's boring. So here's a quick
sum-up of our last two weeks.

Last P-day we went to President's house to do interviews and to have a
BBQ. It was a lot of fun, but nothing was weirder than seeing
President in a sweatshirt and jeans. We did interviews in suits, and
then after he finished he said, "Alright, go put on your grubbies and
we're going to play tennis and barbecue." So we made burgers and it
was cool to just be able to talk with him and Hermana Pack. They are
great people, and they're doing a great job leading the mission.

Elder Ávila and I have been planning a super fun ward activity - we're
going to do a movie night of Meet the Mormons. There's gonna be food,
the movie, food.... Alright, so it's just normal. But this week, to
get everyone excited, we've been going to their houses and giving out
invitations - the personal touch (:  And then, we told them they had
to bring a friend. Those who don't bring friends, don't come. It was
fun to try and hit all the active members in a single day - and this
is my first area where that wasn't actually possible! On Tuesday we're
going to do the same recorrido, but to do some follow-up and remind
them that no friend-no entrance. While we were out knocking the doors
of the members, almost all of them gave us food. And one Romanian girl
started talking about the homeless people in the city, and then she
looked at us and said, "Oh! I almost forgot!" And then she ran inside
and got us some food. People think we're starving I guess....

One of my favorite lessons that we teach is with a Spanish guy named
Raul. He got baptized in June, and we're giving him the follow-up
lessons. We teach him twice a week like clockwork, and he is
progressing really well. Buuuut - he talks a whole lot. My companion
timed it once, and in our 1hr 5min lesson, he spoke for 1 hour. So
last week, for the first time, he blessed the sacrament! And then he
taught Elders Quorum. The first one went much better than the
second.... Have you ever been in one of those lessons that you are
just praying to have it end? It was funny because the members of the
class had to fight the teacher for speaking time... Oh it made me
laugh. I love Raul, and we're excited to see him keep doing stuff.
This weekend we're going to have his first Home Teaching
experience.... More on that when it comes. But for sure it will be
funny. It's great because he understands the gospel SO WELL- better
than most people. He's just a chatterbox.

Maria is another woman we're doing follow-up after her baptism. And
she got assigned  to give a talk and clean the church last week. But,
she takes care of an old lady 24/7, so both of those jobs are not the
easiest. But we had a cool experience when we started explaining how
to give a talk and a testimony. I started asking her questions about
the gospel, and she just got frustrated. "I don't know, just tell me
the answers and what you want me to say!" And then I said, "Maria,
it's not a test - pretend I'm your friend who is honestly curious.
Tell me what you know, what you believe, and what you feel. Nothing
else." And a sweet spirit filled the room as she shared her testimony.
She had no idea what it was, but she could tell it was different and
real. The gospel works!

I think my favorite thing is watching the baby steps that people make
as we teach them. Things we invite them to do and then they actually
DO them, and it makes a huge difference in their lives. Jesus has now
come to church FOUR times, and he actually wants to - Maria fulfills
her church assigned ends - Raul gave a class. Six months ago (when I
got here... Transfers are this weekend) I would have never said any of
that was possible. But the Holy Ghost has been present in their lives
and changes have been made. That is so unbelievably cool.

Me.

Week 76 - Toledo P-day

Toledo P-Day Again

Week 76 - I love being a missionary

Jesus came to church yesterday, for the third time in 5 weeks! How unbelievably cool is that? He likes it more every time, and he loves the gospel doctrine teacher (he should - he's an ex-Seventy and the institute teacher of most of Madrid.) I'm really starting to see miracles in this guy.

I made some goals in the last week, as today marks my 6 months to home (or to a car to tour Europe :). I've also done a lot of thinking. I have gotten so close to the Book of Mormon during my time as a missionary. I know without a doubt it is what it claims to be - scripture, the word of God, written for ME, TODAY, and for the rest of my life. I have gotten closer to my Savior, and most of my goals are for becoming more like Him. Imitation is the highest form of flattery, right? I'll be honest, I'm not sure when I've enjoyed myself more than as a missionary. I have more headaches with my companion (almost daily... Today he asked my to buy a sword with the mission's money), but I am learning so much, and I'm learning how to love people I don't even know. Being a missionary helps me see them all as children of God, and that, to me, is a marvelous work and a wonder.

Well Mom, there's a little of my testimony. I love you, and I love being a missionary!

Elder Maxfield

Week 75 - Speaking in Church

Thought you Might like it, consider it my spiritual thought for the week :)

Discurso del día 27.12.15. (Último de 2015....)

Empezar hablando de la temporada navideña, lo que hacemos, pensar en los

Regalos - cuales son?

• Juan 3:16
• Las escrituras
• Profetas
• Dones del Espíritu  Moroni 10:8, Doctrina y Convenios 46: 9-15

Cuales son los PROPÓSITOS? 

Para beneficiar, siempre para beneficiar - no para señales ni para nada más salvo BENEFICIAR a los demás - es decir, compartirlo. 

Testimonio 

Sabiendo esto, diría que también es el testimonio un don. 

Qué??? No trabajé yo para obtenerlo? Es mío. 

Sí - vamos a Alma 32 para explicar un poco. El testimonio empieza como una semilla, así que requiere nuestros propios esfuerzos para hacerla crecer. Pero, no viene solo por nuestro trabajo. Quién  dio vida a la semilla? Quién  dio la tierra? Quién  dio la lluvia, el sol, el aire? Fue Dios. Y por eso, un testimonio solo viene a los dignos cuando lo vamos a usar para beneficiarnos a todos. 

El testimonio, tal como cualquier don del espíritu, hay que usarlo. 

Mateo 5 - la luz del mundo

No se puede recibir un testimonio a menos que lo va a usar. 

• Por ejemplo, Moroni 10:3-5. Solo recibes un testimonio de la verdad si ya ibas a hacer lo que estás preguntando a Dios. Así, Dios protege que verdades espirituales no sean "hollados bajo los pies" o que sean "tirados a los cerdos"
• (Quítelo si no hay tiempo) Otro ejemplo, Laman y Lemuel. 1 Nefi 17. No podían recibir ningún testimonio, no lo podían sentir, porque no iban a hacer nada al recibirlo. 

Pero, Yo ya tengo un testimonio. Esto no me aplica a mí. 

2 Nefi 28:25-30, cogiendo las partes subrayadas. 

Palabras fuertes, verdad? Pues, es así hermanas y hermanos. Dios quiere que usemos sus dones. 

Pues, yo no tengo un testimonio. Solo creo que El Libro de Mormón es verdadero. Esto no me aplica a mí. 

NO. 

Volvamos a Doctrina y Convenios, hablando de los dones. El creer también es un don, y también tenemos que compartirlo. El decir lo que creemos, lo que sentimos, los cambios que ha hecho en la vida, decir que nos gusta lo que escuchemos, TODO. Cada una de cosas es un don, y Dios solo nos los dio porque sabía que lo íbamos a usar. 

Parábola de los talentos (Quítelo si no hay tiempo)

Creo que estás escrituras pueden explicar algo de lo que quiero explicar. Hemos leído estas escrituras hablando de talentos, pero quiero aplicarlo en este sentido, de compartir testimonio. 

Leo Mateo 25:14-29, las partes subrayadas. 

Parte más importante - al Señor, no le importaba para nada donde empezaban los siervos - le importaba QUE hacían con lo que tuviesen. A él con 10 y a él con 4 el Señor dijo exactamente las mismas palabras - "Bien, buen siervo y fiel; sobre poco has sido fiel, sobre mucho te pondré; entra en el gozo de tu señor." La condenación no cae sobre el que tenga poco, sino que cae sobre el que no comparte. 

Hermanos y hermanas, Si pudiera dar un nombre a este discurso, sería "Tenga lo que tenga, compártalo."

Vale. Me has machacado por no compartir. Ya Sé lo que tengo que hacer. Pero cómo?

No hay una fórmula secreta ni una barra mágica. una frase sencilla - "Sean ustedesmismos". Sean honestos. Sean abiertos. Digan lo que sienten, un conocimiento, una creencia, una experiencia, digan positivamente como fue y porque quiere que la otra persona también tenga lo que tenemos. No se escondan la luz que tengan - déjenla brillar y ayudar - háganlo por compartir. 

Comparta su testimonio - sencillo, honesto y abierto. 

En el Nombre de Jesucristo, amén. 

Week 74 - Surviving the Holidays

Well, if you're wondering about long vacations.... The Spaniards start
school on Friday. Yep, you read that right. My schedule's been crazy
since December 20th and it won't be normal until next Monday.... This
country is so weird in some things. But they are really good at things
like food, parties, cider, random acts of service.... I actually made
a pretty funny joke about the schedule in my talk last Sunday, which
people keep bringing up.

Our New Years celebration consisted of a party at the chapel and then
a party in the piso with al, four of us Elders. We pulled out the
mattresses like last year, and slept all of us on the ground listening
to fireworks and drinking "Bambino Party", Spain's regular
non-alcoholic champagne. Good stuff.

Sorry the letter is short, Elder Baerwaldt lost his wallet and we four
had to go to the police and help. Actually probably not all four were
necessary, but hey, we're becoming more Spanish by the day - we love
being redundant in our helps and advices :).

I love being a missionary.

Week 72 - CHRISTMAS

This is what they have traditionally - without a Christmas tree. They
call it a Belen, and I know it as a Nativity on steroids. That is all
handmade by a member, handpainted, held together by glue and wire.

Pretty cool, right?