Monday, October 28, 2013
Letter dated 28Oct2013
Dear Family,
This past week turned out even better than what we had planned for originally. Most of our plans consisted of visiting old investigators from the previous missionaries and see what would happen. This week we met Juan Antonio and Joaquin, two Spanish brothers who received all of the previous lessons months before our arrival. Juan Antonio travels in a wheel chair and receives much help from his brother. After meeting them and learning more about them we started talking about baptism. We had already made plans to invite them for a date in the following next three weeks but Juan Antonio said ´´Why don´t we do it next week?´´ They had been to church a number of times before whenever they could get help with his wheelchair but it was still flooring that they were both asking ´´You know, why not do it sooner than later?!?´´ I am grateful to meet and know people like this and it helps me know that God is watching over our little corner of Barcelona!
With that miracle in my mind the entire week was just the best! We´re continuing to meet more and more of the members of the ward and we´re also meeting more investigators to start to teach, all with their own special story and we´re in high hopes. I am doing what I can to help my companion and adjust to these new things that are passing around, but I know he has good concerns about what it takes to be a good missionary. I hope that I can show him that example and be better in my everyday behavior to teach him, but overall I have to just love him! He´s such an honest Elder and I love his love for his Savior and for the work!
The district is such a great group of missionaries and when I can I´ll send a few photos of all of us. These are going to be a couple incredible months ahead of me!
I´m also reading in Mosiah and I just read the parts about Zeniff and I´m pumped to read the rest of Mosiah about Abinadi. As a mission we have a goal to read the entire Book of Mormon before the end of the year, so I hope I can catch up!
http://www.lds.org/scriptures/bofm/mosiah/9?lang=eng
I love you more than the distance that´s in between us all right now,
--
Élder Xander Weston Schindler
PS We have to go back, Kate...
Friday, October 18, 2013
Thursday, October 17, 2013
Tuesday, October 15, 2013
Letter dated 15Oct2013
Dear Family,
Like all things end, so has my time in Valencia ended. I´m actually still here and I'll be leaving tomorrow morning actually and I am both excited but sad at the same time. I´m going to an area called Cornellá, but if you want to know where that is, it´s part of BARCELONA!!! I've had companions and other missionaries serve there before and I've only heard amazing things from that area and I couldn't be more pleased than to go and (from what I can tell) finish my mission in Barcelona!
So I hope that all of these photos find you in good time and aren't too many, but I think I took 1000 within the past few days, not even joking! I´m going to always remember Valencia and I will be coming back frequently in the future, I know!
I am so grateful that I was able to serve with Elder Benton during these past weeks and I know that he´ll be in good hands with his next companions. His attitude towards the work and life all the way through is just something amazing and he´s coming along in learning more Spanish each and every day. He reminds me of myself and how I was, and while it wasn't an easy thing, it does come over time and then you just realize how much the Lord has blessed you.
I can´t wait to keep you all up on what´s going to happen in Barç, especially with the holidays coming up!
I love you from every corner of my very being (do beans have corners?),
--
Élder Xander Weston Schindler
PS We have to go back, Kate..
Letter dated 7Oct2013
Dear Family,
I can´t hardly even describe just how amazing this past conference was. I was sitting there and as I was taking notes I just noted how specific, how important, and how much I need to hear those words at that time. It wasn't only a learning experience for me, but will continue to be as my companion and I go and share these words with our investigators, recent converts, and other members. Of all the things that stood out to me, I felt that a main point made by many of the leaders of the church was that to call people back to remember the blessings that they are missing out on. It was something special for me, as a missionary, since I've seen the first hand witness of people returning and receiving those great blessing and just how the power of forgiveness helps us dramatically in this ´´rescue´´ we are doing.
Fernando has been doing very well and we had a bomb family home evening [meaning a good one!] with his and Yesi´s kids and several other members from the ward that they invited and we shared a message about tithing (that he asked us to share about). It was later at conference that I listened to Elder Bednar and I just felt like that was given to me to explain the purpose and the blessings that we receive from this commandment. But here is a photo of Fernando and Yesi with Elder Benton and myself. Also, here are some photos of me, Elder Peréz, then with him again and Elder Ashcroft getting some Kebabs! So good! We may not have Taco Bell here, but we can manage with our friends from Istanbul!
The time is passing along so well here and I can´t believe how fast everything goes by. I hope that I've learned to enjoy the moment the best you can, since we often prolong our time on the earth. I know that as we remain obedient and continue to strive to be better people, we will be blessed and have more peace, joy, and happiness in our lives.
I've had so many great experiences here in Valencia and I´m anxious to see what will happen next week! I only have two transfers left so I know it´s not unlikely that I could stay and die here but there is a feeling I have that another place is waiting for me and that will be just as loved. Though this might be my last week in Valencia, I know I´ll be making plenty of trips back to Spain, specifically to come back to Valencia.
With an ever amount of love, thoughts, and great feelings,
¡Chau for like, yeah!
--
Élder Xander Weston Schindler
PS We have to go back, Kate...
Weston's letter dated 30Sept2013
Dear Family,
Wow, what a week. You know those feelings when you just have so many good things going for you and then all of a sudden it changes around just in the blink of an eye? Yeah, that happened this week. It´s not bad, just a bit sad and means that I have a busy week to pick the sticks back up.
We've been working with just a great group of people in preparation to be baptized but now it´s not looking so bright around the field. We had to move some of their dates back because they did not feel completely prepared, but then they did not even come to church even though they promised they would.
One of our investigators shared with us a very tender moment with him and his daughter. When he was at the baptismal service, he went to sit in the front row to see the ordinance performed. When he left, his 4 year old daughter asked his girlfriend ´´Is he going to get baptized right now´´, not aware of what she was saying, or was she? When he came back to sit down she then asked him ´´When are you going to get baptized´´ which just about made me cry when he told me that part of the story.
I´m excited for this new month and all the things that we´ll be doing. Isn't it weird that over two years ago I knew that I would be coming to Barcelona? I´ll see you all real soon, and let me know how the university situation looks.
With ever so much love,
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