Almost Got Deported For Smuggling

Can we even call this a week?


Last P-day I left the islands with Elder Quintana and I didn't come back until Friday night. I've been working for two days here with my new companion, Elder Nelson, and it's already P-day again.


I'm glad Elder Quintana made it home, he was an awesome companion but he also has a year-old nephew he needed to meet. Everything I've heard and seen about his time as a missionary was legendary. It was sad to split up at the airport but I'm pumped for the opportunity to bring someone new to these islands.


Tuesday and Wednesday I worked in a trio with our ZLs on Gran Canaria, which was cool. They've got an awesome area and work really well together. Then we went to Madrid for mission conference, which was awesome. Everyone was there, so I got to see all my old companions and district members, and pick up Elder Nelson. He just finished his training in northern Spain, and has the fortune to get to move on to the coolest islands in the Canaries. 


The first day of conference was great, and we talked a ton about our goals for the mission and what we'll have to do to accomplish them. The basic reason for holding an entire mission conference is that with our missionary shortage, we need to be prepared to expand rapidly. 30 missionaries are waiting on vias, and and if they all get them, we'll grow from about 90 to 120 missionaries in a matter of days. That means with the reduced number of missionaries we have, we have to really know what we're doing. We focused a lot on being able to recognize and respond to spiritual promptings. We can't just do this work with our best effort alone, we need the guidance of our Heavenly Father through the Spirit in order to do it right.


The second day was an all-leadership meeting, in which all the ZLs, STLs, and DLs planned some trainings that the mission needs during this transfer to continue the process of getting into shape for the 30 who are coming. 


Then it was time to roll out. The office had paid for Elder Nelson to check two suitcases, but missionaries coming to the islands generally leave one behind in the mission office. We got creative, and filled a cardboard box with as many copies of the Book of Mormon as we could, and hoped they'd let us check it. It totally worked even if it felt like smuggling. 


The Fuerteventura airport isn't close at all to our apartment, which isn't really fun with suitcases. We got off the bus with a 15 minute walk ahead of us, balancing our giant box of contraband scriptures on Elder Nelson's rolling suitcase. About 2 minutes from the apartment, two guys stopped us, introducing themselves as immigration police. (Those of you who have been keeping up know where this is going) They asked us for ID and started grilling Elder Nelson for the Spanish residency card he doesn't have yet. Without it, they claimed, he couldn't stay in the Canary Islands. 


He totally bought it and was about to call the mission office. Luckily, our friend José, island prank specialist, broke character and helped us carry in our luggage. We had arranged to play this joke the next day, but José spotted us on the road the night before and couldn't resist. We also met his friend Luca, who will be important later.


The rest of the weekend was really fun because I got to introduce Elder Nelson to this island and all of its people and places that I love. We're going to have a great transfer.


José had us and a few other members over for dinner on Saturday, and our spiritual thought on temples really caught Luca's attention. I gave him a photo of the Madrid temple and he asked us for our phone number so he could learn more. 


Church on Sunday was awesome, everyone was glad to see Elder Nelson and wouldn't stop asking if he's related to the prophet. He's not, but at least people have had practice saying his last name. Now he knows the branch at least a little bit and has met some of the key players. He got to meet Carmen and her grandson and participate in Claudia's confirmation. We also had our usual Sunday lunch at Zenón's. Elder Nelson is right into our routine already. 


President Flores had the fifth-Sunday lesson this week, and talked a lot about what the standards of the Church mean and do for us in our lives. I'd like to sum it up with 1 Timothy 4:12:


"12 Let no man despise thy youth; but be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity"


Following Christ makes people different in a lot of ways. Often, people can tell. It's important that we maintain ourselves as an example, a light and invitation to the world of the joy the Christ brings into the lives of His disciples.


Have a great week! 


Pictures
Spanish speakers, vlogs are here:
^^^Anglophones, there's more pictures too


Old district 
New district (sistrict)- smile and smolder
Comp pic at the Fuerteventura Muelle
Our favorite undercover immigration policemen
Farewell Elder Quintana 






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