This last week was really good here in Fuerte Ventura. The Members are
awesome and so are the people. The climate here is a lot different
then La Laguna, its super seca here, no green whatsoever. My companion
Elder Boyd is an amazing missionary. He is always complementing me and
helps me with whatever I need. We have some really good goals for this
companionship and I am exited to work hard with unity and being fully
concentrated. I love my mission and I am so thankful to God for the
life that he put before me, and the trials that I have, so that I can
be stronger. This area is a lot different than others, but the field
is white and ready to harvest, and I am glad to be apart of it. We had
a baptism here last Saturday and it was really spiritual. I could
really feel the necessity of baptism right when he came out of the
water. I felt the love of God in my soul, and that even though it's
just water and a prayer, there is no other way that we can enter into
the kingdom of God with out it.
Les quiero un montón para todo,
Elder Beal
Elder Beal,
Today, well when you read this, is March 14th, Pi day! Life is short so we must celebrate all the opportunities that we can. At work we are having a pie contest. I made a Samoa cookie pie. We'll see how it tastes tomorrow as I have never made one before.
President Wright and his sweetheart spoke today in our ward for Sacrament. I always love to hear them speak. Such powerful testimonies of the Savior, his atonement and how we can draw strength from it. It was so wonderful to hear a few of their experiences while serving as the mission president in Chile. Some day dad and I will serve a mission together. Just have to get these kiddos through school!
I was surprised how quickly you transferred on. I am not even sure what your last companions name was. What is your new companions name? Do you two have much in common? Tell me all about the people you are serving. I understand you are down to one bag there. Were you able to bring your camera? Did you choose to replace your iPad or no? I looked online and the entire island looks like a beautiful resort. Is the more than one ward there? What is your home like?
This thought keeps echoing through my mind the last several weeks, I seem to see it everywhere. "There is no sin greater than the atonement of Jesus Christ" This applies to sins we commit, sins that are committed against us, and sins that others commit. Through the repentance process his atonement can heal us. Completely. Perfectly. Entirely. Permanently. I know he loves us, I know he lives. I know on that third day the tomb was empty. I know that we each can receive personal witness of these truths through earnestly seeking and searching. I am so grateful that you are sharing these great truths and your personal testimony with others. I love you, dad loves you. We are so lucky to be your parents. Keep up the good work.
When we were in Utah last week, Jodi and I went through the church history museum and the was a display of artwork in various mediums that had entered a competition titled "Tell me the stories of Jesus." I especially love this one in particular where the artist portrays the young savior holding his mothers hand as they walk through a crowded street. His eyes are filled with compassion as his head is turned back looking at a distraught older man sitting on the edge of the street. You see this pictures displays nicely that the savior was aware. Aware of the need of others and had compassion for them. This is an attribute of Christ that you possess and must always use so you don't lose it. To see others through the saviors eyes is the best perspective to see clearly.
I hope you have a great week!
Love,
Mom
The next day I found and sent this Canary Island history...
I found this excerpt from a Deseret News article. Love you!
CANARY ISLANDS
Jan. 1, 2009: Est. population, 1,844,000; Members, 3,500; Districts, 3; Branches, 18;percent LDS, .19, or one in 527; Europe Area; Spain Las Palmas Mission.
The Canary Islands, two provinces of Spain in the South Atlantic off the northwestern coast of Africa, are rugged volcanic mountainous islands with rich soil and long beaches where sand from the western Sahara Desert has drifted. Thirteen islands make up the provinces, seven of which are inhabited: Gran Canaria, Fuerteventura, Lanzarote, Tenerife, La Palma, Gomera, and Hierro.
The first converts baptized in the Canary Islands were Juana Vega Garcia, Francisco Dominguez Pena, his wife, Francisca, and their son, Javier, on 13 June 1979. They were introduced to the Church by Jesus Ramon Gomez Vega, a native of Gran Canaria, who had accepted the gospel while residing in Spain where he was baptized in 1973. He served in the Spain Madrid Mission before returning home to share the gospel with his mother, Juana, and friends, the Pena family.
For the first several months, meetings of the small Church group were held in the Pena home. The first missionaries to the Canary Islands were Elders David L. Gill and Scott C. Jensen of the Spain Seville Mission who arrived 30 September 1979.
The first branch was organized in Las Palmas on 29 January 1980. The first district, Las Palmas Gran Canarias, was organized 2 October 1984, with eight branches. The second district, Santa Cruz de Tenerife Canaria, was organized 8 August 1989, with six branches.
The Spain Las Palmas Mission, headquartered on Gran Canaria Island, was created on 1 July 1988 from portions of the Spain Seville and Portugal Porto missions. Marion K. Hamblin was called as president. In the first year of operation, the mission baptized 1,000 converts, and by 1990 was averaging 80 baptisms per month.
President Gordon B. Hinckley stopped in Las Palmas on 13 February 1998 on his way to Nigeria and spoke to 775 members.
The mission experienced a great loss on 18 January 1999 when full-time missionaries Jaarl M. Papenfuss and Joshua M. Prymak were drowned off the coast of Tenerife. A large wave swept the two missionaries off a cliff and into the ocean. One made it to shore but the other, Elder Prymak, was unable to swim to safety. Elder Papenfuss, who witnessed the scene from a safe position on the shore, attempted to save him, but both perished.Three tall sailing ships of Sea Trek 2001, re-enacting the Mormon emigration, spent three days in Las Palmas on 6-8 September before embarking across the Atlantic.
Jan. 1, 2009: Est. population, 1,844,000; Members, 3,500; Districts, 3; Branches, 18;percent LDS, .19, or one in 527; Europe Area; Spain Las Palmas Mission.
The Canary Islands, two provinces of Spain in the South Atlantic off the northwestern coast of Africa, are rugged volcanic mountainous islands with rich soil and long beaches where sand from the western Sahara Desert has drifted. Thirteen islands make up the provinces, seven of which are inhabited: Gran Canaria, Fuerteventura, Lanzarote, Tenerife, La Palma, Gomera, and Hierro.
The first converts baptized in the Canary Islands were Juana Vega Garcia, Francisco Dominguez Pena, his wife, Francisca, and their son, Javier, on 13 June 1979. They were introduced to the Church by Jesus Ramon Gomez Vega, a native of Gran Canaria, who had accepted the gospel while residing in Spain where he was baptized in 1973. He served in the Spain Madrid Mission before returning home to share the gospel with his mother, Juana, and friends, the Pena family.
For the first several months, meetings of the small Church group were held in the Pena home. The first missionaries to the Canary Islands were Elders David L. Gill and Scott C. Jensen of the Spain Seville Mission who arrived 30 September 1979.
The first branch was organized in Las Palmas on 29 January 1980. The first district, Las Palmas Gran Canarias, was organized 2 October 1984, with eight branches. The second district, Santa Cruz de Tenerife Canaria, was organized 8 August 1989, with six branches.
The Spain Las Palmas Mission, headquartered on Gran Canaria Island, was created on 1 July 1988 from portions of the Spain Seville and Portugal Porto missions. Marion K. Hamblin was called as president. In the first year of operation, the mission baptized 1,000 converts, and by 1990 was averaging 80 baptisms per month.
President Gordon B. Hinckley stopped in Las Palmas on 13 February 1998 on his way to Nigeria and spoke to 775 members.
The mission experienced a great loss on 18 January 1999 when full-time missionaries Jaarl M. Papenfuss and Joshua M. Prymak were drowned off the coast of Tenerife. A large wave swept the two missionaries off a cliff and into the ocean. One made it to shore but the other, Elder Prymak, was unable to swim to safety. Elder Papenfuss, who witnessed the scene from a safe position on the shore, attempted to save him, but both perished.Three tall sailing ships of Sea Trek 2001, re-enacting the Mormon emigration, spent three days in Las Palmas on 6-8 September before embarking across the Atlantic.
No comments:
Post a Comment