Nov 22, 2012

Hello Everyone!!! How are you all doing??  I hope that your Thanksgiving is sooo good! Mine was amazing.  Today is my pday. President switched it so we could play today.  The sweet thing is that we have a Senior couple here, sooooo they cooked for us a great meal!! OHHH SWEEET GOODNESS!! hahah, yes we had turkey and stuffing and all the good stuff.  It was great.  Thank you for your letters, emails, and all the love!  I love you all so much!!  

Well, Ferrol is getting better, we are starting to see a little light at the end of the tunnel. It´s been a long, hard, and dark tunnel, and at times, I didn´t know what to do or say.  But right now we are seeing some light, which is great.  I am glad that  some things are starting to pick up.  One great thing is that we are seeing a change in an enternigator, Enrique. He has a great testimony, and he knows a lot about the gospel.  He has read the BoM a couple of times and has been coming to church.  He just has one problem, he smokes.  We just started to meet with him again, and there is a real change in his acciones in his manner of meeting with us.  He really wants to change, so we set some goals and we shall see what else we can do.  It has been a good soul lifter for me that we now have someone to work with.  Thank you God! 

Well right now I would just like to say what I am thankful for.  My appreciation of things has grown on my mission.  I am thankful for my mission, for this calling that I have right now.  I am thankful for it so much.  I have truly learned so much here on my mission.  I have seen many things that have really opened my eyes to the important things of this life.  I am thankful for you all, my family.  I will always be thankful for you all.  I truly feel all of your love day to day here.  I feel your prayers for me.  You don´t really understand somethings till you don´t have them.  Like you all, I am here alone, with my comp, and my Lord, I love it, but you know, I´d love to get a good mom hug, or a dad hug, or a nice talk with mandy or mitch or jana. I am so very thankful for the challenges that the Lord has put in front of me.  These challenges have changed the way I look at many things.  My whole mission has been a challenge, from the language, to the people, to the day to day troubles here.  But I am thankful for it, you know why? Because I´m learning.  I am gaining more of a testimony of the strength of this message everyday as it holds up to countless bashes from these spaniards.  I am thankful for my testimony that I have of these teachings, of this gospel in my life.  It has truly blessed me on my mission.  Having this testimony is priceless, it is my testimony, that no one can take away from me.  They can question it, the can bash it, they can spit at it, but it´s mine, and I´m thankful for that.  The last thing I want to say is that I am thankful for, My God, My Savior, and My Companion.  All three of them have helped me so much.  through the rough times and challenges, My God, My Savior, and My Comp have always been there, never fearing, there wavering, always at my right and left hand when I need them.  Always.  It has been a great blessing for me in my life, whenever I needed Elder G, he was there for me.  He is my best friend, through the times that I wanted to cry, yell at the world or do whatever, he was there to help me.  

I have so much to be thankful for, for this gospel, for the scriptures, for my friends, everything.  One thing that I have learned in the past little bit is that everyday I should be thankful for everything, not just one day :)  I love you all, have a great Thanksgiving.  Ferrol is getting better.  Our minds, hearts, and strength are on the up beat, that´s always good, they´ve been on the down for awhile.  We are workin our little tails off over here :P  I love you, thank you for everything you do for me and Elder G.  

Love,

Elder Laubaugh 

November 15, 2012

Hey all!! How is everyone doing??  I have to say I had a good week.  With all our sickness going on, it was nice to finally get a good week in.  We have people to teach, but just not as many as we used too.  Yeah we still are getting on track, but it just feels better.  I have to say that I still don´t know why I got sick, I don´t know why my comp got sick, I still have no clue why everything went wrong during those weeks, but what I do know is that the Lord is still with me.  I know that he still cares, that he is wanting the best for me.  I know that he wants me to find the answers to these things, he wants me to really search. He just can´t give it to me, I gotta do some work.

I have to clarify some things.  Today I got a letter from Mom, she was wanting to know what type of "hard" is this?  Emotional, expectation, or what?  I have to say all of it.  During this time when all of this was going on, I didn´t know what to do.  That was the hardest part.  During the first part of my mission I went through this same type of deal, when I didn´t know what to say or do.  But I had my trainer, I had people to help me get through those times, and I learned a ton by that.  Time goes by, I learn more, gain more knowledge of this gospel, things started to get easier, the language, the teaching...  When both our sicknesses hit, I didn´t know what to do.  That scared me, I didn´t know who to turn to or what to say.  My friend is in the hospital, I´m sick, our area is going down the drain and I am here... alone, with my mission leader trying to do everything at once.  Of course it is impossible to do it all at once.  Visit my comp, go to a lesson and all that.  It was hard on me, on my mind, my body, everything.  Soooo when I was saying it was hard, that is what I was saying.  I didn´t know what to do, I turned to my Lord and that´s all I could do.  My president couldn´t do a lot and others as well, they just watched me do it all, but I have to say I have learned a lot from this. I started to learn a lot more in my scripture reading and my prayers.  I have always turned to those 2 things when I am in my hour of need, and always, I have gotten my answers.  This past week I have been finishing up the chapters of Alma, good ol war chapters and things just started to make more sense.  I have to say, my studies have meant more to me. Also I have to say my man Capt. Moroni, Alma, Helaman have really been helping me through this.  This isn´t my time, this isn´t the time of Elder Laubaugh, but this is the time of the Lord.  I have learned that these things too shall pass, I won´t be stuck in this time for all eternity, that there will be an end, that I will learn from this.  I had really been in the moment latey and it´s been bringing me down, that ohhh nooo this is going to last forever, but it´s not, it will take some time yes, but it too shall pass.  That has helped me out a ton with this little problem right now.  We are both doing better, we are learning a ton.  Our bodies are getting better and stronger, I´m working out a little more and getting better. 

Well on to some fun things that have happened to me in the past week.  Well we have been helping a MA with a new house, we have been doing some service for him.  One of the members is moving out and is letting him and his fam live there for free.  So we ask if we can help.  He said sure and off we go.  Welllll what we didn´t know is that this house is bad... It´s not ohhh a little messy, it´s realllly messy.  Lets just say this fam is a fam of hourders.  They keep everything!!! It smelled sooo bad like something died.  So of course we get down and dirty.  I´m cleaning the shelves and finding weird things and old food and mold and all this grossness, but i have to say, now that house is alright, still needs a lot of work, but it´s better.  So yeah, it was a good day. 

Well on to some food things.  So in Madrid, I ate a lot of different things, as you all know. Up here not as much, a lot of octopus, pig, that stuff.  Well Naty and her fam love us... they feed us all the time. Well Flor cooks amazing food, yes good ol peruvian food.  mmmmm soo good! good ol papas a la juanciyna(spelling) its potatos, with this amazing sauce that I lovvveee!!! Then of course we get to have ceviche!! I loveeee ceviche!! yes raw fish that is cooked by lemon juice, yes it might be gross to you all but it is so good.  We had sooo much of that the other day!! AHHHHHH I miss Madrid!! I used to have that a lot.  Did you know that each country has ceviche, just made differently, I didn´t know that till a couple of weeks ago, pretty cool. 

But yeah it´s been good, still truckin along, but the Lord has really been helping me out for the past couple of days, well this past week.  Thank you all for your love, for you letters.  I love them! Family, I love you so much, keep on being great!! I love you!!

 

Love,

Elder Alex Laubaugh of Spain 

November 7, 2012

Hello alll!!! First off all, I need to thank you all for the birthday wishes!! thank you!!!! I loved my gifts as well!! My birthday was good! I didn´t tell a whole lot of people, but many knew about it(thank you Elder G), but yeah it was super cool.  The Stephensons(couple missionaries)  made me a cake with cream cheese frosting(my fave) it was soooo goood!!!  Then after we go to a members home and they made Empenadas also, another fave of mine.  They didn´t even know it was my bday, but they still made the best ones I´ve had! hahaha.  After we went to play practice, Yes I am in a play in the church, it´s about the Plan of Salvation. Everyone made me cards and got me a little gift.  It was cute and it really meant a lot.  After we went to another members house to eat.  My special dinner was Pulpo or octopus.  That was super good, well yeah I guess it was super good, it was rubbery but the taste was right.  They got me all these cookies, and chuches, and all that good stuff.  They are so cool!! They decorated their whole house with birthday stuff.  I have to say it was a good birthday.  Also I got your package last week, I opened it yesterday and I loved the gifts... Also Elder G says thank you so much, he loves it! hahaha, thank you all so much.  

We are slowly but surely getting back up to speed.  Elder G is still recuperating, but he is getting better.  I am mostly better as well. Life throws you some curveballs here and there. I do my best to keep on a smile.  I gotta keep happy.  I can´t get sad and be like wo is me, my life is so hard, well it is, but it´s just time to suck it up.  I´m on a mission, things pass.  I have learned so much so far, in a short 10 or so months. It´s my life right now, I have to learn from these things.  Elder G and I had a really great moment on sunday.  We just talked a bunch just about all of this stuff, we just feel bad, we haven´t been able to do more lately.  If you really look at it, yeah good we had a baptism but after the sickness and all that, it just has been hard.  The Lord knows, and President knows and thats all that matters. It was hard because well I felt I was being judged by others... Ohh he hasn´t been working or anything, but after that talk and after some other little things said and written to me, i forgot about that, it doesn´t matter what people think, I just have to put it all out, do it for me, and that is good enough for the Lord.  That has helped me out a lot, knowing that my Lord is there for me.  That is a big part of my testimony that I didn´t get to finish the other week.  That he knows us so well.  He is there for me every step of the way, guiding us, yes there are times that we need to take that step of faith, but that´s when we learn and grow the most.  Yes I have to say, during those times of adversity and all that, it was hard, but I had to rely on him, really trust in him... I have to say I made it through, it´s not over but I´m making it.   

I love you all so much, you know that right? I hope you do.  I love you all so much and you make me so happy.  Thank you for everything, for your love, support, and your testimony in this gospel.  Thank you.  

Like I said, life is hard, and I´m ready to Fight in the Shade any day.  ;)

I have to say that I have eaten some different things lately, I have had some good lil experiences putting down food.  Like I had a tortilla thing, i forget the name but it was filled with olives and all that, which is fine, then just huge chunks of big skin and fat! What the freak! haha, then some pig things here and there, then some big pieces of pig skin and that, I´m gettin used to it ;) hahah Ihope! haha I love you!

I love you all!!! 

Love,

Elder Alex Lobo

october 31, 2012

Hey everyone, sorry but this letter will have to be very short. I finally got to see the Fort in Ferrol. It is a bit of a trip so it took most of the day.  So in that case, I don´t have time to write a nice good letter. 

On the me front, I am doing well.  My health has been much better this past week.   I got some good meds from the Hospital that put me back on my feet.  That was a great blessing.  President as well can´t believe the things we have to go through up here.  Well Elder G is doing good as well.  He has been better since last week, but we still have to take it slow.  It´s really hard for me to take it slow, but it´s what I need to do.  I have to say it was hard to keep a smile on my face these past couple of weeks, but I kept advice I got when I was in Madrid in my mind all the time.  This sister from my ward told me this.  Elder Laubaugh, first off, don´t lose those eyes, people get lost in them, Second, don´t lose that smile, people just melt when they see that smile.  Never lose it.  Thirdly, work, don´t ever stop.  I have been keeping that in mind.  That smile was hard to put on this past week, really hard.  When everything was going against me, I kept it on.  When I was just in pain, just wanting to go home, sleep in my own bed, hug you all, I kept it on.  Just a smile kept me going.  I´m glad I smiled during that time, my mind changed when I did.  It was nice, just to smile, be happy, not sad. 

Well Mom this is for you, well all of you.  I sent you some advice for my talk but I have to say I just felt I needed to tell you some more of my testimony.  

 

Life is hard, when everything piling up on me, all the area work, health issues and just everything else.  I just knew that the Lord was with me.  I know that My Savior lives, that he loves me that he cares for me.  The reason I love Isiah 41:10 so much is because it says I am with thee.  God is with us, always.  In this work I have felt his love for me, my investigators, and the members, every day.  I want to say that he loves you too, that He is there for us.  I know that the Book of mormon is true.  I love you all I need to go.

 

I love you!!

photos!! Wahoo!!

Alex sent us a cute little letter with a memory card full of pictures! Wahoo! Here are some of my favorites and highlights from our favorite Elder!! Yay! He's seriously doing so good right now and is LOVING his area and his companion, Elder Gonzalez is just as great! They work hard and have a ton of fun. They are seeing great success in their area and are excited for what is ahead! We couldn't be prouder of these two missionaries!

 

i'm not exactly sure what's going on but this is one of my favorite pictures 

october 13, 2012

Well I gotta tell ya, this week has been freaking crazy on my end.  Doing A: Missionary work with a member  B: Going to the hospital and back everyday, it just was too much!!  But..... I got through it.  President pulled some strings, said some words, and now... drum roll please!!! Elder G is back!!!! OOO OOOO!!!!! What a great day that was.  He came back on Monday after 8 days in the hospital.  AHHHH!!!  Well that in itself gets an OO OO! hahaha.  Well he is doing better.  He can´t go on long walks or do activity for one month.  He can just do a little bit at a time.  So it´s going to be a little hard, but he is a trooper.  We just went walking and he just told me when to slow down, but he´s doing great. 

Well our members are sweet!! They are so good!!!  I love them.  I have to say, good members change the work.  I have seen it in my areas and others too.  When you don´t have good members, the elders well, they don´t want to work as hard.  It´s hard up here I have to say, and without members we have no work.  No one wants to talk to two elders on the street for 10secs.  But I have to say I need to give many members a big hug.  They did so much for us.  They made food, called Elder G, visited him, and did many more amazing things for us.  

We had zone conference in the Santiago Zone and that was a good treat.  I got to see President and his wife, talk to them and figure some things out for them.  I have to say I´ve been in many zone meeting and conferences, but this one was one of the best I have ever been in.  There was a sweet spirit in the room.  Just of peace and some other feeling, their isn´t a word for it.  I knew I would be learning a lot.  Through this experience I have had with Elder G I had an open mind on what I needed to learn.  What type of things I needed to do better, do more of, that type of thing.  I came with many questions and through each talk and practice, I learned and my questions were answered.  

For the past couple months I have been praying if my work for the day has been accepted by the Lord.  If I put in my full day´s worth, if I went all out.  Yeah my body was telling me yes, I was tired, dead, sore, headaches that tore me apart, but I felt as though there was a piece missing in my heart, or something like that.  After I would pray I would hear Dad, his voice saying to me ¨Son, just get out there and work, get it done, Light it Up!¨  day in and day out I would hear some voice saying Light it Up Lil A!  Just get it done! I would look around and wonder what the freak, who said that to me.. hahahah, but it pushed me every single day of my mission.  I know I still have a long ways to go but for some odd reason it just made sense to me.  I can´t put it into words. During Zone conf, It just started to make sense to me.  I don´t know, I just pray that when I get done after these 2 great years, that the Lord will accept my work.  I know if I do my best, if I know I did my best he´ll accept it, but it´s just a thought that comes in here and there.  

With that said, I want to say I feel myself changing.  This past week I really started to feel it.  After the little experience with Elder G, with learning a lot about myself, my mission, the work here in Spain.  I just felt this change in me, this change of heart, this change of mind set.  I love it, I feel myself growing, learning day in and day out, it´s beautiful.  Right now I know why I´m here in Ferrol, in Spain, just so many things are starting to make sense.  Like I told President, The Lord knows what I need to learn and when I need to learn it.  The only way He can teach us, is through these experiences.  

I love you so much family.  Elder G loved his cards, thank you for that.  That literally made his whole day, and probably week.  He loves you guys and He loves our family.  I´ll send him your love.  I love you!!

Love,

Elder Laubaugh

P.S  I bought me a new pair of shoes!! YEEEE HAA!! 

October 24, 2012

Hello family.  Sorry for the wait, I´ve been writing back you all from last weeks emails.  Thank you for those. 

I have to tell you, this has been quite the week.  I have to say we have had many blessings.  We have been in contact with a couple of our old Investigators.  They have been progressing a lot since we last met with them.  One of them didn´t believe in God... Now he does, and he wants to read the Book of Mormon, and wants to learn more.  He has been blessed with work as a Doctor for praying.  He now has a testimony.  How sweet it that!  That was a great lesson.  Also, I have noticed recently that I don´t have a stutter.  It's been great.  On Sunday we had a class and we were talking about talents.  I was thinking about my speech.  And I thought back to the last transfer till now and I don´t think I have stuttered much.  I have occasionally, but it is not that noticable.  Elder G knows I have one and he keeps me in check, which is nice.  But how great is that, it has been a great blessing to me.  I can speak in English and Spanish.  I just speak, without a stutter.  That was just great for me.  It gave me so much joy just thinking about that. 

I have to say this again, I love teaching.  We don´t teach a ton here, but we still do.  I just get this spirit of love for these people that I have never felt before.  It´s amazing what the Lord puts into our hearts day in and day out.  I love it!!  On a different subject, this week has been a tough one.  Elder G is fine he is doing great and getting back into shape, but now it was my turn to get really sick.  Saturday night, I was up practically all night.  I had a fever and just wasn´t good.  Sunday, I had a big stomach ache and it just wasn´t good.  Sunday night I lost it.  I woke up with the chills, but my head was on fire.  I went to the restroom and lets just say, it was bad.  Supppper bad.  I had the runs, vomiting, and a bad fever.  I took some Nyquil and went back to sleep after a good 2 hours in the restroom.  Monday we stayed low, but still worked.  I didn´t eat at all, I just drank a lot of water.  Monday night, same thing, just not getting better.  So Tuesday, We went to A Coruña for our district meeting.  I called up President's wife and told her what´s up.  I go to the doctor, They won't take my health card from the Church (we just got them, it´s a pilot program for us).  So I went to another one, and they still won't take me in.  So I went to the ER.  They took me in and I was hooked up to all the stuff.  They were rushing around and doing what they had to do.  I stayed the night and I didn´t sleep. I still had the runs, but not has bad.  They got back the tests and said I had a case of salmonella.  I think that´s how you spell it, but they said it just tore me up.  The doctors and nurses were really good.  They really liked me.  I was talking with them, cracking jokes and all that stuff.  I kept a smile on my face during this hard time.  Well this morning at 7, they let me out with 4 things of perscriptions to get.  It was a long day but I am better. 

During this time I have to say I was thinking that I was going to die.  Not DIE DIE but just not being able to get out.  Dad wrote me a letter that I read about 2 hours before I went to the ER.  He talked about Adversity.  I thought about that the whole time.  This was just another great experience that I have had.  I am not sure why I have had it, but it was for a purpose.  It gave me a ton of pain, but I got through it.  The Lord knows what he´s doing here in my life, in our lives.  We just have to submit to his will.  I have learned that a lot here.  We want lessons and baptisms.  But the Lord has a plan for us, for me.  It might not be as much as we want, but when we submit to His will, we will learn more, and and recieve more blessings.  I have to say, I still don´t know why I had this sickness, but I have to learn from it, get better from it.  I´ll find my answer in the scriptures or in a talk, but it should be fine. 

Family, I love you.  You are all the best in the world.  I am fine, Don´t worry about it, I am healthy, I am out, I am doing good.  I love you all so much!! Say hi to everyone for me!!

 

Love Your Favorite Elder In Spain!

 

Elder Alex Laubaugh!