Spain MTC

Hola!!!!!!!!!!  Well this week has been very different for me, but in a good way!  First off, I would like to say that my companion is so awesome.  Elder Johnson and I knew each other back in Provo, and now we will be companions until the field.  We have been working a lot on getting used to the schedule and the work here. It’s been great!

Well, let's see here, Spain... IS AWESOME!!!  I love it here!! It´s winter now, but there's no snow.  It’s in the mid 50´s every single day!!! Love it!!!  At the MTC here, we are allowed to wear short sleeved shirts and no suit coat so it’s really nice. So good news moment - we get to go to this huge park and talk to everyone. It is so nice.  Elder Hooper and I (we switch companions at the park so we can learn from others how they do things) walked for a good hour and we didn’t hit the same road twice.  This place is huge and has these 80-foot tall bronze statues. It’s so beautiful and ohhhh I love it here!!  Well, at the park, we just tore it apart!! Every person I saw, I talked to.... yes they might have ignored us or said some things to us but oh well.   Our goals were to talk to at least 15 people and have a good conversation about the church, plant at least 2 BofM and get at least 2 referrals.  Well we blew that out of the water!! We planted 5 BofM, talked to 25 people and sorry to say no referrals but we did get a couple to say they wanted to know more so we gave them the number.  We loved it!!  We did this all in an hour by the way.  It was so much fun.  But, with that said, it was also really hard and sad.  Yes, I got laughed at, shut out, and I think maybe cussed at... I’m not sure…but it hurt because I want people to have the joy that I have... they just need to listen for a couple of minutes and they can go on their way.. but, no.. they just look at you and that's it.  We talk and we get no response and we hand them something and they just say that’s not for me and walk away.  Oh well, it’s the mission.  Not everyone will listen but the people who do will be blessed for it. 

I do speak a lot of Spanish.  I also speak a lot of English.  Many people at the park are from London, France, and even America. They’re from all over since its a tourist spot.  When I speak in English, it’s really getting hard.  I think in Spanish a lot so I can get better at speaking it so my mind is all over the place!!!  I still speak but it’s just a little hard.  With speaking now the subject, I just want you to all know that my stutter is coming back a little bit.  I slow down and breath, but that doesn’t seem to work as much.  I calm down and really try to think on what I need to say but that doesn’t help that much.  But the Lord is always with me and has really helped me out a lot with it.  But yeah, so I am really doing well and don’t think that I am having a hard time.  Dad warned that it might happen.  I have such a great joy to say and Satan just doesn’t want me to say it.  I just will pray harder and longer for help.  Well things are all good on this end!

The food here at the MTC is okay... not the best of what I have been hearing about, but it’s actual real food...like the shrimp... still have the heads on them.. hahaha and the meat.. actually has bone in it..  but at least it´s real :)  (Oh Alex, heaven forbid you have fresh seafood and meat at the MTC, what a hard life you live)

Well, the teachers here are so good!! Most of them speak English and Spanish but with us, totally Spanish!! haaha but it´s all good! I understand 60% since it´s really fast and the lisp is very strong!! (When he spoke to my mom and dad, Alex said that he was told that in Spain they form their words and it sounds like a lisp to us.  He said that they warned him that it will take him a good month when he returns home to not lisp when he speaks!)  Well another quick story…I was on the Metro going to the park a couple days ago.  We were just going down the row talking to everyone.  Well we planted 3 BofM and got one referral and then at the park we planted 4 more BofM! It was such a good day.  We were talking with everyone, just the way I like it!!  Spain needs me a lot.  Some elders don’t want to interrupt someone’s convo with someone, so I bust in and do it for them!!! They all are like... no don’t do that.... I´m like... ahhh our message is a little more important on what to do today…so I just go in there and light it up!!! :)  I love talking to people and I just want everyone to know what I have :) 

Well I love you all so very much!! Yes mom I would like my card back. I already bought another one so I will send my other one when I get enough to send back so just send it back when you get done and I’ll send the other one.  I love you all so much and I can’t wait to hear from you all soon!!! I miss you all!! I love you!! I’ll make sure to make each letter nice and good for you all!!

Oh and the Madrid temple is by the MTC and it is beautiful!!  I have already done 2 sessions in it. It is very nice, but not as big inside, but I love to go!

I love you all so much!!!

Love your favorite missionary in Spain!

Elder Laubaugh :)

Oh by the way, I will be in this MTC till the 15 or 16 of March because of residence things we need to do, esta bien!!