November 10, 2014

Familia mia!!

Well this last week has been good and hard! 

On Monday I headed down to Madrid and we had the mission council with all of the zone leaders which was reaaally cool! On Tuesday night, Elder Anderson, the assistant, and I went to a Real Madrid game which was sooo awesome!! On Wednesday we had our Zone Training meeting and it went really well but I started feeling sick during the middle of it. On Thursday I woke up feeling terrible but I got better throughout the day. The rest of the week was good just doing our best in finding investigators. I feel like I am finally learning what true success is on the mission. Its not always just about how many baptisms you have or about how good your numbers are, but when I work hard and do my best and when I am obedient, that's when I feel like I am being truly successful as a servant of the Lord. I love this work. I am falling in love with Spain and the mission more every single day. Its amazing how much my heart and desires have changed since I've been out here. I know that this is the Lord's work and that He is guiding us. I love you all so much and hope you have a great week! 

Love,


Elder Franklyn

November 3, 2014

Halloween party

we roasted "castanas" (chestnuts)

more halloween fun

We made pasta at Carole's house. She's awesome

Family and Friends,

This week has been... interesting!  We don't have a lot of investigators up here in my new area, 

so we are doing a lot of finding but it's been kind of hard because my companion has been sick this 

past week so we haven't had a lot of time to be outside.  Sorry, that was like a crazy run on sentence. 

Anyways, Oviedo is awesome!!  The buildings here are beautiful and the landscape in general is really cool. 

Lots of rolling green hills and cool statues. It does rain a lot though which is a challenge but there is definitely 

a lot of work to do! 

The branch here averages around 60 members in church on Sunday and there are a lot of really cool families 

that I have gotten to know. We had a young single adult activity on Thursday and we carved pumpkins! 

Then on Friday we had a Halloween party with all of the decorations we made. It was really fun! 

We had a few investigators there as well which was great. 

On Tuesday I had my first lesson with a guy from the United States! His name is Michael and he is

 from New York! He is really cool and we had a lesson with him on the Book of Mormon. 

His brother is a member of the Church and he has a lot of potential! It was great! 

Then on Wednesday we had a lesson with an investigator of ours named Manuela. 

She is from Guinea and she is awesome! She really wants to get baptized and comes to 

all of the church activities but just needs to get married first. Poco a poco… 

Last night we had a lesson with a man named Jose Alberto from the Dominican Republic! 

He is a new investigator and we taught the Restoration. Elder Carrejo did a really good job 

and we killed it! The Spirit was present and Jose accepted everything we said. It was like 

he wouldn't argue with anything we said and I think it was because we taught with the Spirit. 

I am really excited to see how he progresses in the future.

My mother asked me to write a little bit about how my mission  has affected my life and to put it simply:  

My mission has had a great impact on me. Before the mission, I don't think that I was a bad kid or anything, 

but I've really come to learn about the important things in this life. My testimony of the Church has grown 

immensely and my knowledge of the plan that God has for us has grown as well. I think that I would not 

be on the right track if it were not for the mission.  I now understand so much more about the importance 

of my family and the importance of the gospel in our lives.  I know that this Church is the true Church on 

the face of the earth. I know that Jesus Christ is my Savior. And I LOVE sharing this message. 

Until next time!

Elder Franklyn

October 27, 2014 -- OVIEDO!!

Looking to see where I am going!

Oviedo!

My new companion - Elder Carrejo

The office crew!

Office crew of Alcobendas and El Segundo of course

Goofing around with Elder Bohne's crutches

the Lopez's

some great members!

The sisters got my camera!

just some fake mustaches

Varones y varonas! Well guess where I am!!! Guess!! I'm in a city called... OVIEDO!! In the NORTH!! I am so excited!! My last winter shall be spent by getting rained on every day and just breaking a ton of umbrellas while preaching the gospel of our Lord, Jesus Christ. I'm so stoked!! I can't wait to just destroooyy all of my shoes and break the zippers on my back pack again! Anyyyway, my companion's name is Elder Carrejo. He is a recent convert from New Mexico. He was baptized in January of 2013 and is a boss!! I am really excited to get to know him better and see how he works. This is his 3rd transfer so I am really excited to get down to business here. I love the newer missionaries. They are just the best. My last week in Alcobendas was great but really hard to leave it behind. I loved working in the office. Elder Bohne seems to be pulling off transfers quite well and I've only received a few phone calls from him so far. He'll be a great secretary. I've also been assigned as a Zone Leader up here too. I actually have to take a trip down to Madrid in a week for a training meeting with President Jackson so I'll be right in my old area! I'm pretty excited about it! I'm really looking forward to a great transfer with a ton of time to do missionary work! The train ride up was beautiful as well. The north is just the best. I'm kind of lost for words right now for some reason. Just kind of in shock I guess of being up here. I'm sure I'll have a bit more to say next week. I am really going to miss being with Elder Cahoon. We had such a great time together and we worked really hard. He's the best. I'm sure the office will just keep trucking a long doing a great job. Well I better head out and try to figure out the streets up here. I love you all and I know that this Church is true. There is not a doubt in my mind. I know that the Savior is always there for us. I have seen His hand a lot in my mission and I know that He is there. Keep working hard and pushing forward!! Love you! Elder Franklyn

October 20, 2014 - Leaving the Office news

I was caught ordering Kebab!

Family and friends!!

This week has been crazy! I'll just start with the big news I guess. So on Tuesday, the Assistants Anderson and Wilson walk out of a meeting with President Jackson and Elder Anderson tells me that they were going to go down to the temple to pick up Elder Bohne. I replied with "Okay sounds good." Then Elder Anderson continues, "He will come here, you will train him for the rest of the transfer, and then you will be leaving at the end of the transfer." My only reply was "WHAT?!?!" I did not see that one coming. So I have a week and a half to teach Elder Bohne so he can take over on the 27th of this month. He is doing really well though and learning quickly. I do not know where I am going but I am excited to see. I am going to miss this place so much. I honestly have grown to love the office and Alcobendas. I have major mixed feelings about the whole thing. I'll find out tomorrow where my next area will be. Soo crazy!! 

The rest of the week has been good. We had a miracle day of all miracle days on Saturday. Everything just seemed to work out and the members were wonderful in the lessons that we had. We found 6 new investigators in one day and we are seeing the blessings of the Lord come to us daily. I can not me more happy and I could not ask more of the Lord. With all of the success that we are having, it is hard to think that I am going to have to leave all of them behind when I leave this area. I have grown so close to the people here and I will miss each and every one of them dearly. We have a good week set up with some great meals planned. It should be a great one! I just love the mission so much. My love for it grows every day. Yeah its hard and difficult, but there is just something about it that I can't get enough of. Now I wish the days were longer. I wish I had more time to spread the gospel and share it with everyone!! I am glad that I still have a lot of time here in Spain and I am just going to do my best to take advantage of every moment. I love you all and I am so grateful for all of the wonderful examples that you have been for me. I know that this Church and it's teachings are true. I know that I am out here serving the Lord and sharing His message. I love you all and hope you have a great week!

Elder Franklyn

October 13, 2014

Muy buenas!!

Well I don't have a lot of time this week!   We had a super awesome week this week and killed it! 

We had like the best numbers I think I've ever had as an office elder and we worked really hard to do so.

 A ton of planning went into this week and the Lord blessed us greatly. Some updates… 

We had a lesson with an inactive family named Yanina (mom) and Bryan (son) and Bryan 

committed to coming to seminary! And he came! Super awesome miracle because there are a 

good amount of less active members in this family and hopefully we can reactivate a good amount 

of them through the example of the son. He is soo cool. 

Other awesome day was Friday. 

Literally EVERY plan A that we had worked out and we had a great time and some great lessons with it. 

I have seen the hand of the Lord in this week a ton. 

On Saturday, we found two new investigators who are really open to hearing about the gospel 

named Paul and Estefania so that was another 

sweet miracle. On Sunday we had stake conference in Pavones (near the temple) which was 

great and in the afternoon alllllll of our lessons fell through. So we prayed and went to work. 

We had 5 lessons planned and we ended up finding 5 lessons by the end of the night and one 

new investigator. We got back to the piso soaked from the rain but with smiles on our faces, 

knowing that the Lord had blessed us with success that night when we really didn't know 

what to do. Just an awesome week and we are really excited for the next one! I love you all 

and I know that this Church is Christ's Church on the earth today!!

Elder Franklyn

October 6, 2014 - and a miracle!

Hello!

This week has been pretty great! We got invited to go play volleyball in a place called Torrejon so I have to head off soon buuut I just wanted to let you all in on how its going.

We had a great miracle and I kind of wanted to focus this week's letter on the miracle that we had. 

Soo we were contacting in the street on Tuesday night and I guy on a bike stops us. Yeah he stopped US. He explains that he had seen us from across the street and felt like he needed to talk to us so he crossed the street and stopped us and says that his name is Raymond. He then says that he has a question for us. He asked us,"What is your view on the Trinity?" Oh and he was also speaking to us in english (he watches a lot of movies). The amazingly spiritual man that Elder Cahoon is asks him what his opinion was on the trinity. He tells us that he had two theories. 1. That God and Jesus Christ are strangely one person but two at the same time but also one. 2. That God is our father, Jesus Christ is His Son and the Holy Ghost is a separate being. 

We begin walking with him toward our apartment explaining that we believe in his second theory. That they are three distinct beings working together as one. I'll quote Elder Calhoon from the best to years here, "He got sooo excited!" He really did though and we had a great conversation full of testimonies on our part and his. We set up another lesson to meet with him and we did. We taught him the Restoration of the Church of Jesus Christ. Towards the end he told us, "Some people would say that you two are crazy and that there is no way that God would come down to a young boy. I say that if I believe that God came down to Moses and gave him the 10 commandments, how could I NOT believe the story of Joseph Smith? It seems totally and completely possible." 

The next day he came to a session of General Conference and said that he loved it and that he also loved the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. We are so blessed to have been able to find him that night and I am just grateful that I was placed in the right place at the right time to be able to find such a prepared man for the gospel. 

I know that Heavenly Father is preparing the hearts of men on the earth to hear this message. Wherever they may be. I know this church is true for many reasons, but the main reason of why I know this church is true is the same way that Raymond can know of the truthfulness of this church. I have read the Book of Mormon and I have prayed to know. Heavenly Father has sent His messenger, the Holy Ghost, to touch my heart and to let me know that this is the Church of Jesus Christ upon the face of the earth.  It has blessed my life unceasingly and now I have the chance to share it with those around me. 

I love you all and I hope the best for each and every one of you. Read the Book of Mormon. Pray about it. Heavenly Father is there waiting to answer each of your prayers. 

Love,

Elder Franklyn

Toledo!! and a Freak Dancing Accident....

Elder Cahoon and Elder Anderson

My cut up arm

Toldeo!

Beautiful Toledo!

Elder Cahoon & I

Swords in Toledo!

This awesome Husky mix dog we found in an investigators house!

Vale (okay),

Well I don't have a lot of time this week because we went to TOLEDO!!! Just the best place ever. But I will try my best to fill you all in on what has happened this week and send a ton of sweet photos. We will see how it goes...

So we had the mission leadership council this week on Tuesday and so the zone leaders from the north and the islands were with us on Monday and that meaannss Elder Echegaray!! We went out and contacted on Monday night and killed it in the street together. We got some sweet references and it was really good to be back working with him. He's the best. I love him haha. 

Basically the story of this week has been that we have been getting really close to finding new investigators but we haven't had any success. We set up and confirmed around 6 or 7 lessons with new investigators and every single one ended up bailing on us or just not showing up. It was a little difficult and frustrating but we can't make people hear our message! We kept working hard throughout the whole week though and we are hoping to find some news this week.

One cool thing was that we had this amazing lesson with Vladimir and promised him that if he were to read, pray and come to church, he would have the desires to get baptized on the 11th of October. He accepted the invitation and seemed excited about it. He ended up not coming to church on Sunday though so that was kind of difficult. 

Good news though is that Baltazar is amazing! He has come to church 5 times in a row and although he is super mysterious and doesn't want to set a baptismal date, he is progressing really well! 

One of the highlights of the week was an activity that we had on Saturday with the ward. We did a party of the nations or fiesta de las naciones and it turned out reaaaally well! We made brownies and danced to Cotton Eye Joe which was unbelievably epic. I cut up my arm a bit right before we went on in a freak dancing accident but I still made it through. It was suuper fun and we grew a lot closer to the members here.

Excited for next week! I know that the Lord has many blessings in store for us.

Love you all!

Elder Franklyn