opening the first stake in the canaries

Dear Family and Friends (but mostly family haha :)) 

Ah the emails this week were awesome!! Thank you so much for them. I liked the live updates for the sacrament thing with Heman-thanks for that haha. Helaman is awesome, i´ll write him and see how he´s doing. hopefully that is the right email or else some random Helaman will get a email haha. 

So...first order of business. Maine?! It´s Blue! MY HAIR IS BLUE! hahaha Thats so cool!! I can´t believe dad was down for a last minute trip, or maybe you´ve been planning it for awhile?? How many days did you stay there? I miss that place. Sounds like you had a great time! 

So, The coolest thing happened yesterday! They made the first stake here for the Canary Islands!! There was a conference over on the Island Gran Canaria so we got to ride a ferry over early in the morning and watch the sunrise :) they rented a big auditorium thing to fit everybody and had some speakers, testimonies and musical numbers. Elder Texiera (the area president over Spain) spoke at it too. After that, we went to a senior couples home a little ways away and ate a delicious lunch, then played a game or two. Oh and before that all started, President Jackson took out someones ingrown toenail! haha It was so funny, lots of missionaries were taking pictures and freaking out. He ended up ripping the entire nail off, I´ve got pictures! haha, it was crazy. 

The last couple of weeks, or idk how long (1 or 2 weeks) have been super hard and humbling. First of all, learning a language is humbling! Wow I rely so much on the Lord. But it's just been super hard, we had 2 investigators but Sandra found a job in a different town and is moving (still has her baptismal date for the 26 of October but we´re not sure if she´ll pull through, she has no phone or car so it makes it more difficult). I think I said this before but the area me and my comp are in was basically like opening up a new area. The chapel is here but we only have about 6ish people who live in our area who are active members. The rest live a little bit lower in La Cuesta. So we walk all day and don´t have many lessons. But its okay! Lately, we talked about how to better the work here and how to preach the gospel in the Lord's way (that is something they are stressing a lot on here) and we came up with working more with the members. Almost every member here has siblings, kids or just family that is inactive or nonmembers! So we´ve been going to members houses and asking for their names and we pray for all of them (we have a huge list haha) and we ask the member to pray for them as well. I know it's hard to talk to friends or someone you´re close with about the gospel, I was always scared to in high school. Not that I was ashamed of it, i just didn´t feel comfortable with it and I didn´t have the faith. But the Lord will help up with things like that. After we started with that, I felt so much better about the work. My comp and I both talked about how we felt that this is how the Lord wants us to do it here. 

The Spanish is different here, they have a distinctive accent where they talk super fast and drop the s´s and z´s from the end of the words. Mas o menos (more or less) here is ma o meno. Kinda hard to understand haha. One time some elders in the MTC were talking about how much Spanish sucked and it was hard, and I just thought of dad having to learn Japanese and Jess having to learn Russian. I can´t even imagine... My respect for you both has grown a bunch! haha 

What do you know, another blog. canaryislandsysa.blogspot.com haha. This is from a senior couple here and she posts a lot of pics of the islands so that could be nice. 

Lets see...so many people exercise here (funny that they all smoke too) but I see so many bikers, runners, and lots of gyms. There is one gym on our way to the church that is all outside. It kinda just looks like a park but it has all this stuff in it to workout with. Its pretty cool. Each morning I just do ab stuff and push ups, I want to go on some runs in the morning but we´ll see if my comp is down for that haha. 

PS I asked the president about it so I have to wait for his approval first but I was thinking about asking for a workout dvd like P90X Ab Ripper or something like that to do in the morning. If we don't have that dvd then don't worry about it--I´ll survive. I just need to hear what he says first.

We have a jump drive that we play music on the dvd player and it has tons of songs on it. Theres a folder for piano and one of them is the Cat and the Mouse!! I was so stoked, I love hearing you play that song, Kayla. 

There is a small town above us, on the other side of the little mountain called Tegueste i think. It is such a cool place! Lots of colorful houses, green mountains on both sides, and then a great view of the ocean! It was so awesome, I loved it there. It isn´t super green here in this island, but good enough for me haha. 

Dad, we have a member here--woman, 40 i think--who we found out has lupus. I felt so bad, she just gets tired really fast and is sick easy I think. But she said the medicine she has helps. What do you know about lupus? I remember learning about it in medical terminology. There isn't a cure is there? 

Could I get Andy Nielsen´s email address? I want to see how he´s doing.

The piso we live in is kinda gross, but I now know exactly what Leah and Kayla were talking about in college haha. I have sympathy for them now. I have my own dishes because the other elders will just put the plates or whatever in the sink and leave them. I do not want to eat on one of those. 

My comp told me that during the night I sat up and said a prayer in Spanish haha.

I love you all, thanks for the emails. Mom you really are the greatest, I love you. Thanks for the stories, I like this idea for the one big email. Works out great and you all can hear more of what's going on! 

I love you!!! 

Love
Elder Franson

determined to not get chubby

Ok, I like that idea about the emails- I just felt really bad about not replying to one or two of the kids and having them feel left out or something. But with this I will just write one big one to you and have some little things for each of the kids inside of it. 

First, Kayla idk how much you use my Facebook, but Hermana Jackson (pres wife) doesn´t like it when the family uses their Facebook to post pictures and stuff. She said either always put that you are the one writing and posting, or delete it...so whatever you want to do. I don´t care ha.

P.S. Did a missionary in columbia get shot? I heard something but I just wasn´t sure. 

Mom, I just want to say real quick how sorry I am for being lazy at home, not wanting to do the stupid little chores that you needed me to do. I am so mad at myself for not bucking up and helping you and dad and the family out more. I hope you will forgive me for all those times. I have the best mom and dad and love you both so much. How can I thank you enough? 

So...in my planner I keep a giant list of stuff I want to tell you that I add to every week so I´ve whipped it out and got a lot for today haha. So, first of all, Kayla you asked about my comp Elder Pugh. He is a year and a month into his mission, said it has gone by way too fast, and is super super funny. We are worried we might be having too much fun and it's taking time out of working harder haha. He will be that super awkward RM when he gets home, he can´t even talk to girls around here! haha He is the district leader and at our meeting he was trying to assign one of the hermanas to do a spiritual thought but spent about 30 minutes one night holding the phone having a moral dilemma about how to talk to her and about how scared he is hahaha. Sooo funny.

 Levi and his trainer, Elder Pugh.

Anyways, I want to tell you all about some of our investigators. I think I told you about Javier right? Venezuelan, body builder, way cool guy. Anyways, he started to get really hard to contact and get a hold of and we were having a hard time. Elder Pugh had had some suspicions of him living with a girl or not but we weren´t sure. One day, we ran into a lady and talked to her for a sec. She recognized us so we were trying to figure out how she knew us and she told us that we have been teaching Javi, and that she's living with him... awkwardddddd. So what do we do?? Idk, we´ll figure it out.

The next is Sandra, I challenged her a couple days ago to be baptized and she accepted!! I was so happy! But she's kinda weird as well, hasn´t been giving us all details. Yesterday we ran into her in a bar, well outside of a bar, and she told us that she has 3 kids back in the peninsula! Gosh. But her baptismal date is the 26 of October and I´m praying for her to keep up with it and pull through.

Every September 14 they have a HUGE Jesus Christ party. At first you may think, as I thought, that it was a good thing, they´re recognizing him. Only nope nope nope. They somehow manage to have even MORE beer stands and cigarettes all over and they have a huge parade and drums and fireworks all night long that kept me awake. It was really sad to see. We had one more hour of the day to proselyte, so we walked up near it but not that close--I could see a crowd of people. As soon as I turned the corner and was in range of that, I felt the spirit leave so dang fast and I actually felt sick. We went back down and from then on we decided to try to stop the people going up in that direction (because everybody was going up there) and at least just tell them that we´re representatives of Jesus Christ. Then they could see the difference. I kind of felt like one of those men in the Book of Mormon who was amongst so many wicked people just preaching his hardest. I was trying my best--even though I didn´t see any immediate success I feel like I did just what God wanted me to do and that I may have planted some seeds.

They walk this road a lot.

There have been a bunch of times just in this week that I´ve felt the spirit incredibly strong and then something happens and I feel it gone. We were in a lesson with a member and inactive guy and we watched a movie that brought the spirit and a calmness into the room. Then right after the less-active just started making some stupid comments under his breath about his wife not doing her part (she has throat cancer and is scared to get it removed, so she's basically slowly dying) and the member just started chewing him out about bucking up basically and being a man. It went on for probably 30 minutes and I was just sitting there staring at them haha. Gosh it was crazy. I think God wanted me to have those experiences and to feel the difference. We as lifelong members have always had that spirit in our home and lives and don´t really know exactly what it's like to live without it, at least I don´t. But after having those, there is no way I am giving this gift I have up. No way. I feel so safe with it, it comforts me when I´m discouraged or sad, I can feel your love through it, and the love from my Heavenly Father. I cherish the gift of the Holy Ghost and I hope every one who has it will too. It is so wonderful to have, and I don´t ever want to lose it.

Now to the funny stories haha. 

1. The male police officers here wear skinny blue pants and boots that very closely resemble moon boots like Napoleon Dynamite.

Our toilet has something wrong with it (4 of us living in this piso with only 1 toilet, maybe thats why...) but it won´t completely flush the contents down. I´m trying to explain this in the best terms possible, bear with me. Anyways, one of the elders went in the morning and I was quitely eating cereal at my desk, and I hear a flush...then another flush...then a third flush. Then he comes out and said "Elders, I'm so sorry, but it just won´t go down." So it´s been sitting there all day, hopefully it´ll have softened enough to go down tonight. Oh boy I´m screwed.

This mission very well could be one where missionaries gain 20 pounds, the members feed you soooo goood. An older couple feeds us twice a week, and if someone else fails us she insists that we go again. So I´m basically in heaven haha. But I´m walking a ton, from 11:30 or 12:30 to 2, then from 4 to 10 at night. Constant walking. Unless in the blue moon that we get a lesson and I get to rest my poor skis. (We are basically opening up a new area, hardly any members and only 1 or 2 less-actives). One elder has gained probably 20 or 30 pounds since being here for 3 transfers and has had to have his mom send him 2 new pairs of pants because he can´t fit into them anymore!! hahahaha ohhh boy.

"The smallest car I've ever seen."

A few people have told me I have a really young looking face...not sure if thats a compliment or nooot.

An old guy was walking on a cross walk and in the middle just as the light for the cars turned green. So the impatient driver revved his engine really loud and honking and the guy jumped so high! Hahaha then started taking frantic small steps to get across the road. So funny!

I walked into a members home, the dad opened the door wearing his Gs and some camo pants. He let us in, I took two steps and saw their living room wall. I´m not joking at all when I say there were over 200 knives, guns, swords, all hung up on the wall. Funny, I felt like I was right back in the good old ´murica. Haha gosh it was ridiculous! He had 4 legit samurai swords too.

Some of you have asked about Pday--we study in the morning til 11:30, then go to the store to buy our weekly groceries (Dad I bough some awesome looking bread for 1.27 euros that looks like yours! I´ll attach a pic), then go back to the piso and cram in all into the fridge and cupboards (don't worry, I took pictures), then walk to the internet cafe where we write, then after this we will probably go back to the piso and do something, not sure haha. Depends. One of these days we´re going to go up and hike to the top of Teide (the volcano) I´m super stoked.

Every morning we workout for 30 minutes. There are some yoga pads and some elders get out of bed and unroll them out to start exercising but end up just sleeping on the yoga pad haha. I do a bunch of ab stuff and push ups because I am not getting chubby. Nope nope nope.

Cady! Congrats on volleyball!!! I am so proud :) Don´t worry, I´ll practice my setting so when I come home I´ll set and you´ll hit it like no one's ever seen before :) When is your next game? Let me know how they go!! The weather here is perfect, the hottest day its been here is around 80 I think. But theres always a breeze and almost always some clouds. Yesterday it looked like it was going to pour but it just drizzled. I guess there are hardly ever thunderstorms or pouring rain here. Oh and P.S. I wanted to tell you that so many people here ride vespas! There are some cool ones. Every pizza delivery guy or anything being delivered (the mailmen) ride vespas haha.

Leah: good luck with school! How were the blood tests? Still going? I love you lots, be smart, thanks for the letter with the pictures, it was perfect.

Porter--did you get the postcard I sent you?? I hope you like it! How is school going? Who is your teacher? I met a boy in the branch who reminded me a bit of you. You are the best brother in the whole world, no one else is as lucky as I am to have you as a brother.

Mom--thank you so much for finding out about the drivers license. It sounds like a pain but I´ll try to get it done as fast as I can. I have 1 passport picture that I saved from Paul but not two, ughhhhh. But I´ll find somewhere. Oh, and we´ll only need to do it for 1 year, because after I leave the Canaries I won't need to drive again I don´t think. Idk, we´ll see. There aren´t cars in the peninsula. Hahaha thanks for that story about your workout, very good. But hey, you probably got super stronger from it! :)

Dad: I bought some apples from the store, they are called Royal Gala. SO GOOD! I dont´know if they have them in the states, we probably do and I just haven´t tried them. but these are so good, I might just bring home a bunch of food for you all to try haha. I got that bread, I´ll try to eat it with some oil and vinegar later today and let you know how it tastes.

The bread that looks like Dad's.

Love you all, thanks so much for the stories and the advice and prayers. I feel your help and love and comfort everyday. 

Love, 

Elder Franson

first week in the canary isles

Hola!

So, last Wednesday they assigned us all and they sent me out to the Canary Islands!! I still can´t believe it. It is soo cool. I love it here so much. I also just love being an actually missionary in the field. It did feel a bit like a prison in the MTC haha. 

 

We walk a TON because we don't have many members in our area yet--yet. we´re working on it haha. I love walking though, just talking to everybody and seeing what it's all like here. So pretty. It´s kinda dry but as you go up it gets more and more green. I´m so happy to be here. The Lord has definitely blessed me and I am so happy. 

 

So, just a little about this place first. There are bars all over, almost everybody smokes it seems like which is sad. Hopefully I don´t die from secondhand smoke. They have cigarette vending machines here that anyone could buy from, a little kid even! There's just a sticker that says you have to be 18 or whatever age they say. We talk to so many people, but one of them was a lady who, no joke, had a beard!! There were some long black hairs dotting all the way down her chin line! So crazy haha. We saw a guy with implanted horns on his forehead, scary. 

 

We have an investigator named Javier. A huge guy who works out all the time and is awesome. He love us, but the other day he said he couldn´t be baptized even though he knows its right, just because his mom doesn´t agree with it. I´ve been praying for him and hope that he´ll make the right decision. 

 

Lets see, I hardly have any time, I´m so sorry for the super short email! I still need to write the president :S 

But...Oh there's a cactus fruit that is completely filled with these seeds. Don´t ask me how I ate it (a lady fed us 3) and while we were eating them she told us quietly that if you eat too many you can´t go to the bathroom. AHH! I was so worried, it was kinda like that moment when we drank the water and she said it was from the trout creek (trout poop creek) and I spit it out. I didn´t spit it out but I didn´t eat any more hahaha. 

 

Life here is great, next week I´ll send some pictures hopefully. 

Love you all, the Church is so awesome, 

Love Elder Franson

Elder Franson with President and Sister Jackson. Just look at that handsome kid.

He's headed to the Canary Islands!

called to the canary islands!

Dear Parents of Elder Franson,

We received your son into our mission this morning. We brought him to the Mission Home and fed him lunch. We gave him an overview of the mission and some of the rules and expectations, and spent most of the day with him. He was excited, and seemed ready to get to work.

Later this afternoon, we had a meeting at the stake center in Madrid on Temple Square, and met with his trainer to discuss the new 12 week training program. During this 12 week period, your son will have an extra hour of companion study each day, and will be given specific things that he should report to the Mission President. We know that this is an inspired program, and will help to make missionaries better teachers and better followers of Christ. Please encourage your son in this program. It will help him develop tools that will help him to have a successful mission and a more successful and fulfilling life after his mission.

Elder Franson has been assigned to La Laguna on the island of Tenerife, in the Canary Islands. He will serve with Elder Pugh, who is from Rexburg, Idaho. Elder Pugh is a happy, obedient missionary who will be a good first companion for your son.

Our Preparation Day is on Monday. Elder Franson is instructed to email his immediate family every week.

We look forward to getting to know him and working alongside him in this great work here in the Spain, Madrid Mission. We can tell he will be a great missionary. Thank you for sharing him with us! We already love him.

Sincerely,
President and Sister Jackson

waiting to hear about first transfer

Hey Mom!

We´re headed out to the field tomorrow, Tuesday afternoon, so they are letting us write now to let you know we´re okay. But the thing is is that I don´t know where I´m headed yet...weird I know. Tomorrow we are going to the mission president´s house to spend the day with them. I´m not really sure what we´ll be doing but it should be really fun. Then in the afternoon we go back to the stake center and thats where the president will announce us and our trainers and where we´ll be headed. I´m so excited!!! If I´m going to be serving in an area around here in Madrid or a surrounding area, I´ll go there tomorrow night and spend the first night there in the new area. But if I get called to the Canary Islands or up north like Vigo, I´ll spend the day at the president's house and leave the next day I think...but I´m not positive. Where are your votes on where I´ll be going?? I want to go up north so bad, but anywhere is going to be awesome. I can´t wait to find out!

I saw Chelsey yesterday! We actually got to have a good conversation and I got to ask her some things. She is staying in this area, right next to the temple, for the next transfer so I think it´d be cool if we served in the same area.

I had an interview with the pres and his wife and they are the nicest people in world! I love them. I guess for sacrement they go to the same ward Chelsey does and when they saw each other the pres and wife were telling Chelsey how they met me and thought I was sharp and a really good missionary, which was really nice of them to say.

Anyways, I gotta go pack and finish some letters. (I´m going to be sending out a letter to you and a postcard to Porter so keep on the lookout for those).

I love you so much, I don´t know when I´ll be able to email you next, probably next Monday since that will be the next pday.

Keep your fingers crossed for me!!

Love you so much!!!

Love Elder Franson