Is it always this cold in Madrid?

I have been asking this question to everyone in Madrid. It's actually a great conversation starter for contacting people. It's not even that cold here to be brutally honest but I just did not expect anything that cold at all, and it's a harsh contradiction to the winter I was blessed with last year in the Canary Islands. 

Crazy experience this week. We had contacted this guy and set up an appointment with him a week ago and he failed it. Last night we were walking around in the cold looking for people to listen and I thought I saw the same guy who we talked to a week ago that had failed us so I walked over to him and said, "Hello, your Alexander right?" The man looked at me and was like "how did you know my name, we've never met before..." after a couple seconds I realized it wasn't the same guy, and he even showed me his ID to show me his name was Alexander. Anyways, the guy ended up telling us he was in a hurry, so we invited him to read the Book of Mormon, gave him our phone number and left. As we were walking away my companion was like "what just happened?" He said that the two guys didn't even look the same and the guy we talked to a week ago was named Alejandro..... it kinda got me thinking, I wonder if sometimes, just maybe, God takes away the veil and helps us remember things from the preexistence. Maybe, just maybe, I promised him I would bring him the gospel before being born..... one of the many questions I want to ask the Lord some day. 

Another experience yesterday that was really cool was we were able to talk to one of our investigators about how the gospel makes us leave behind so many things that make people happy in the world. Drinking, smoking, clubbing, lying, and all kinds of other things that are claimed to bring us happiness. She began to tell us how empty she felt after trying all those things though. We were able to take advantage of that situation and bear testimony of the blessings of the gospel, and of the real happiness that comes from living the gospel. She expressed a lot of desires to change her life and apply these things with all her heart. I know that she will find true happiness as she does. It is experiences like these that make me incredibly happy as a missionary. It's the best feeling ever when someone really trusts your testimony of all these things you have worked hard to live in your life because you know the blessings that await them. Despite all the rejection and failure, it's all worth it when you find people like that! 

I know that this is the path of Jesus Christ here on earth because It truly is the real plan of happiness. Who do you know that is looking for that happiness in this very moment? Invite them to church this next Sunday and change their lives, but change your life at the same time as you watch them. 

Keep it real guys 

Elder Baron

Calle Fuerteventura 4, 2, Office 8B

28703 San Sebastian de los Reyes

Madrid

Spain

Fotos de Concilio con THE zone leaders and sister training leaders

Zone conference 

We ate this pizza that had this mystery meat on top from Egypt they called chicken and beef, or kebab for my companions birthday yesterday! It was super good! 

Warmer warmer warmer.... freeze Rey! Come on!

Well..... this week was uh, better than last week but another roller coaster. 

First off though, we had some sweet opportunities this week. We painted the house of a divorced women. It was so funny because we brought this young single adult who told us he was basically a professional painter. Well... he had some interesting painting strategies hahaha. We may have hurt the wall more than helped it at times. Also, they eat a lot of raw pig leg here. They just cut the pig leg off and sell it. It's called jamón cerrano. It's actually pretty dang good. We have eaten that a lot the past couple days. Also, we got a bunch of missionaries together and played a rad soccer game today too! That was sweet! 

This week we spent a lot of time talking to people in the streets. Day after day we went looking for prepared people. We've been trying to work with the members for a long time and well, it's going slow. One day was pretty hard.... we were getting rejected by literally everyone in this little town we traveled too and man I was starting to get frustrated to say the least. I remember thinking... "Heavenly Father, this is extremely hard, these people don't want to listen, honestly what do you want me to do here, nothing is working." The next thing that came to my mind was something I needed more than anything. I heard the words, " I just want you to try." I know that the Lord wants me to try with everyone because he loves every single one of his children unconditionally, and who am I to not have the patience with them to love them too! I know that I need to really do all I can to help these people because I have the best thing possible to bless everyone. Everyone deserves a fair chance to listen. 

Another hard thing happened too. We have been praying for months to help this investigator to progress towards baptism... HE FINALLY TOLD US HE WANTED TO PREPARE HIMSELF. We felt the spirit so strong that confirmed to us that this was exactly what the lord wanted him to do.... he changed his mind and said he wanted to wait a little longer before deciding the next day. Hence the caption to this email. But hey, this is his baptism and not mine, and I have faith that the Lord will guide him forward someday soon! 

Missions are hard but you better believe that this is the best thing you will ever do in your life and the most important thing that's happened in my life! 

Keep the faith! 

Elder Baron

Calle Fuerteventura 4, 2, Office 8B

28703 San Sebastian de los Reyes

Madrid

Spain

                               "Pig"

One of my favorite recent converts and best friends left on a trip to Peru

This is one of the coolest guys in our ward and one of my coolest companions Elder Bennett. Single ladies write him, his email is on the list 

One of the members gave me a sweet Argentina jersey that makes me feel like Messi! He wanted to thank us for helping him come back to church, have to say, one of the best gifts I've ever gotten. 

My companion Elder Campbell 

Week 2 of transfer 4 in B8

SOMETIMES you work really hard to fix things in an area, and sometimes despite all your work and prayers, things tumble down. Things fell hard here in Barrio 8 this last week as far as our investigators. We lost everything, and that is no exaggeration. 

It's funny because recently I have felt like I got my fire back in the mission a little bit more. I don't think it ever went out but before this week I felt like I added a little more gas, but the rain really came down..... It's difficult to persevere to the end sometimes.... but if you believe in yourself and if you try to think of the savior, it's manageable. 

Despite the hardships, the Lord blessed us with some really good experiences this week. One of them was seeing a member in our ward really come to bat to help strengthen an investigator we have who is fighting off an addiction. The member had to do the same a long time ago and man did he have inspired words for our investigator. I was so proud of this recent convert of three years who taught with such power and conviction. He really nailed it. He helped me increase my faith as he testified that all things are possible through Christ. 

The mission really makes you max out that's for sure. But what happens after you lift a weight and become even stronger, you only feel better. Sometimes you really gotta feel the burn though. No pain no gain! 

Have a great week everyone! 

Elder Baron

Calle Fuerteventura 4, 2, Office 8B

28703 San Sebastian de los Reyes

Madrid

Spain

0° Celsius

We have bundled up all week and working to stay warm over here. Things are going really really good here. It's a good possibility I've only got a transfer or two left here in Barrio 8 so I'm trying to give it all that I've absolutely got to finish things off! You go through ups and downs on the mission, but the trick is to always find the fire through spiritual experiences and using the atonement to keep moving on. I feel like I've got more fire to give it all I have to the bitter end. 

This week we had the awkward get used to having a new companion change period.... but hey, I really love my companion. He's a super great guy and he's got a lot of the same goals as me. We will carry on... 

I had a really really good experience in sacrament meeting this week. I began to really think about what the gospel has done for me. I think we all live life sometimes on our own. Yeah we do enough to get by living the gospel, but sometimes we kinda loose the faith. We forget the miracles that God is capable of bringing to pass in our lives and for that we don't ask for help. I call that surviving. What I've learned here on the mission and shortly before leaving is that we can live, find the joy God wants us to have, and see miracles on a daily basis when we are constantly on our knees and giving our heart to the Lord.... the more we do that, the more we feel that we are children of a loving Heavenly Father who wants to help us every day to be happy right now and forever in his presence. I know my father lives and loves me too! 

Carry On troops! 

Elder Baron

Calle Fuerteventura 4, 2, Office 8B

28703 San Sebastian de los Reyes

Madrid

Spain