Madman Week

Okay yeah...
It finally happened, I missed a week. It was a good run. Here's the email I started writing last week, I finished it up to show you wonderful people:


Hang on tight, last week hit like a truck, mission conference is not a casual event


Tuesday- 
We traveled to Pavones for a temple session with the Madrid zones. First throwback moment- the bishop of the Gijon ward from my time in Avilés was officiating and I ran into some of the cool members from up north! Plus we got to see both Madrid zones


Wednesday-
Zone conference in San Sebastián de los Reyes with Elder and Sister Alliaud, which was fire. We talked a lot about the importance of the work we're doing and the power and authority of our calling as missionaries. Also, how we're here to *baptize*. It was super spiritually motivating, and there's a ton of stuff I'm excited to apply. Later that night we headed to Pavones again for Elder Alliaud to run a YSA devotional. The other 3 zones were there and I got to see EVERYONE. I missed so many of these people. Missionaries from my time I the islands, missionaries who replaced me in my old areas, everyone. Elder Quintana, who finished the mission like 9 months ago, was even visying from Mallorca! I always connected Alma 17:2-3 (where Alma meets up with his old friends after preaching the gospel) with coming home from the mission, but it's just as valid, if not more, for seeing people from far corners of the mission. 


The only people I couldn't find were the Avilés elders, the guys who replaced me. Elder Nelson, one of my old comps, is one of them. Since I left, they got assigned a car.  Unfortunately, as they were driving to Madrid it caught fire and exploded. Luckily they pulled over and made it out, but they were VIPs for a sec at the conference. I'm glad they made it though, it's all too easy to laugh about these things later.


The conference was awesome, so many Madrid missionaries had brought recent converts and people they were teaching and Elder Alliaud was really happy to be able to speak Spanish. He spent a long time answering a (non-member's) question about how to discern the Spirit. Something he mentioned is that we should consider our spiritual state, physical location, and own instincts when we receive what we think to be a spiritual prompting. It's easy to confuse other voices or our own thoughts with the Spirit.


Thursday-
Technically a break in all this inspiring madness since we got to stay in Alcorcón all day... BUT it was Dia de Hispanidad and our branch held a cultural exchange activity where everyone brought food and dances from their native countries. I made Sonoran Dogs like I did in Talavera and we taught some confused members the Cupid Shuffle. Our friends Angela and Paula (and Paula's whole family) pulled up and had a ton of fun with all our friends in this ward. I even got a Dominican flag painted on my face. I started calling myself the Gringo Dominicano now, and all of the Dominicans we know love it.


Friday- 
Back at the mission office we had MLC with Elder and Sister Alliaud, and set up a lot of cool stuff for the coming weeks. We talked about how we can get motivated and overcome our limits. Last meeting for a long week.


Saturday-
Alessandra, the 8-year-old daughter of two recent converts, got baptized! Tons of members came to her baptism and she was really excited. Her parents were pumped too, it's awesome to see the gospel bring them together as a family. She asked me to give a talk on baptism, which I thought went great.


I brought up Christ healing the eyes of a blind man by anointing them with clay. Unfortunately, it turns out that I switched out the Spanish word lodo (clay) for the word lomo (tenderloin). I never claimed to speak perfect Spanish, and I guess you make mistakes no matter how long you've been out! Some members told me I made them hungry so I'll take it as a compliment.


Sunday- 
Had some great member appointments! 


I don't normally go day-by-day on these things so that's why it's so long, but I wanted to showcase Madman Week. I love being busy as a missionary because coming closer to Jesus Christ isn't something you do by sitting in one place. You go to Him. I am excited for this week though because there's a lot of good we can do here!


Pray for our friends Angela and Paula, we think they're close to a baptismal date!


Normal email soon,
Elder Curtis  





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