This past week was just made even better with being able to play the cello today! A really really nice member in another ward here let me play it for a little bit today for pday, and I was just in heaven.
This week though went by a little slower, not sure why. But I have some funny stories. First. We have this investigator, sort of (only have met with him like twice), and he has a bright green bird in his house. when we entered it was just on this wooden pole thing in the corner, close to the couch where we were. In the middle of talking to the guy, I had my back to the bird, I heard it take off and it LANDED ON MY HEAD! Freaked me out so bad, not sure why my head looked like a suitable nest, but it just freaked me out. Hahah we had a good laugh about that though.
There is a member here who works for a company that delivers the fruit, and he gave me for free a little carton of blackberries the other day! He found out those were my favorites, such a nice guy. That little carton with about 10 blackberries costed about 4 or 5 dollars though, ridiculous.
They are putting some manure on the small patches of grass around Fuenlabrada, fertilizing it I´m sure. For many it´s just that gross smell, but for me it just reminds me of our nice little hobby farm at home. When are you going to get the manure spreader out dad?
We have this great investigator from Spain, she´s 19, named Rosi, and already has a kid (she´s living with her boyfriend), but she´s doing so great. We were really impressed with how much attention she gives us. Pray for her please, I see a lot of potential with her, she just needs some more help from the Lord.
Sorry for the short letter this week. I hope all is going well there though, I love you so much! Thanks for your great examples and prayers.
Love Elder Franson
Monday, January 26, 2015
Monday, January 19, 2015
improving my relationship with the Lord
Hey everyone!!
I´m staying here in Fuenlabrada for another transfer with Elder Schwenke! We´re excited to stay here together for another, this will be our 3rd transfer.
We had such a good week, I feel like we were very blessed by the Lord in a lot of ways. We both were really trying to work hard, doing our best, and we saw lots of results too. Another huge blessing was that our Peruvian investigator, Esperanza, finally came to church!!! We´ve been making so many plans and goals to help our investigators come to church, and for a while none of them came. I knew we were doing our part, as much as we could do, but I think many of our investigators don´t have the strongest desires maybe to be really acting and doing something. They´re just spiritually lazy.
We´ve been meeting so many atheists lately, sometimes I wonder the percentage of people who believe in God and those who don´t. It´s really sad to see so many people say that because of so many problems, they don´t believe. I´ve heard so many times recently ´how could God exist with all of this wickedness?!¨. In fact, we got talking to one lady, possibly a bit drunk, and she went off on her life, how horrible and sad it is and that God has never helped her. She said that a while ago she believed in God and was happier (well obviously.), and now she´s not. My comp and I had mixed feelings of the need and wanting to help her in her life, to find this happiness, and at the same time a feeling that was telling us no. She kind of freaked me out with her facial expressions and the way she talked. We´ll see what happens, don´t worry. If we go to visit her again it´ll be in the chapel and we´ll have at least five other male members of the branch that could protect us. In sacrament meeting yesterday we finally got a branch president! Haven´t had one for about 3 months or so (my whole time here). He´s going to do a great job here and really help the members. There´s a huge problem of gossiping here, and the formation of clicks within the members. Many of the people here have gotten offended at someone else for having said something or not saying hi to them at church. It´s a bit frustrating in my point of view, and I´d like it to stop and feel like we´re just on one team. An investigator for the other companionship even noticed it and told them that she loved the church, that it spiritually filled her a lot better than any other church she´s been too, but that she does not like how the members talk bad about the other ones. I think it´s improving though, slowly but surely.
In one of the classes we had, talking about prayer, the teacher said something that really impacted me. ¨Let us remember, that the Atonement was in fact a prayer.¨ Never before have I thought of it like that, how the Lord really was praying throughout that experience and conversing with the Lord. In this next week, let us remember this moment as well and rely on our Heavenly Father during our challenging experiences and trials.
I hope we all can have the opportunity soon to personally be able to gain a better relationship with the Lord and to find out truly how much strength and power we can receive to better deal with those moments.
I love you all so much, thank you for your love and prayers, You all mean so much to me. Have a great day!
Love Elder Franson
I´m staying here in Fuenlabrada for another transfer with Elder Schwenke! We´re excited to stay here together for another, this will be our 3rd transfer.
We had such a good week, I feel like we were very blessed by the Lord in a lot of ways. We both were really trying to work hard, doing our best, and we saw lots of results too. Another huge blessing was that our Peruvian investigator, Esperanza, finally came to church!!! We´ve been making so many plans and goals to help our investigators come to church, and for a while none of them came. I knew we were doing our part, as much as we could do, but I think many of our investigators don´t have the strongest desires maybe to be really acting and doing something. They´re just spiritually lazy.
We´ve been meeting so many atheists lately, sometimes I wonder the percentage of people who believe in God and those who don´t. It´s really sad to see so many people say that because of so many problems, they don´t believe. I´ve heard so many times recently ´how could God exist with all of this wickedness?!¨. In fact, we got talking to one lady, possibly a bit drunk, and she went off on her life, how horrible and sad it is and that God has never helped her. She said that a while ago she believed in God and was happier (well obviously.), and now she´s not. My comp and I had mixed feelings of the need and wanting to help her in her life, to find this happiness, and at the same time a feeling that was telling us no. She kind of freaked me out with her facial expressions and the way she talked. We´ll see what happens, don´t worry. If we go to visit her again it´ll be in the chapel and we´ll have at least five other male members of the branch that could protect us. In sacrament meeting yesterday we finally got a branch president! Haven´t had one for about 3 months or so (my whole time here). He´s going to do a great job here and really help the members. There´s a huge problem of gossiping here, and the formation of clicks within the members. Many of the people here have gotten offended at someone else for having said something or not saying hi to them at church. It´s a bit frustrating in my point of view, and I´d like it to stop and feel like we´re just on one team. An investigator for the other companionship even noticed it and told them that she loved the church, that it spiritually filled her a lot better than any other church she´s been too, but that she does not like how the members talk bad about the other ones. I think it´s improving though, slowly but surely.
In one of the classes we had, talking about prayer, the teacher said something that really impacted me. ¨Let us remember, that the Atonement was in fact a prayer.¨ Never before have I thought of it like that, how the Lord really was praying throughout that experience and conversing with the Lord. In this next week, let us remember this moment as well and rely on our Heavenly Father during our challenging experiences and trials.
I hope we all can have the opportunity soon to personally be able to gain a better relationship with the Lord and to find out truly how much strength and power we can receive to better deal with those moments.
I love you all so much, thank you for your love and prayers, You all mean so much to me. Have a great day!
Love Elder Franson
Monday, January 12, 2015
if you run, run for real
Family and Friends :)
I´m super excited right now, I´ve been on a music kick lately and anytime I hear a stringed instrument playing I get all happy.
On Tuesday we had that leadership council thing and went to President´s house. It was very inspirational, at one point we were talking about giving our all and working as hard as we can and President started to share some video clips to us. The first one was the famous race of the horse Secretariat (!!!) (the real clip) I almost cried out of emotion and excitment! Wow, that was so powerful. The little bit of music behind it just added to the effect even more. I love that story so much. Then after that video, we watched the clip of Roger Banister as he broke the 4 minute mile barrier that seemed impossible to everyone. I was reminded that nothing is impossible in this work, nor in this life, and that if we truly have the faith necessary and the vision to see it happen, then it will. Leaving that meeting, I made personal goals and promises with myself to give it everything, To leave nothing left. Quoting one sister missionary who spoke, she said ¨If I´m in a race and I´m going to run, I´m going to run for real.¨ I hope to be able to speed up my pace and run for real, so that when I finish, I won´t feel regret knowing that I could have given more.
This last week was both short and long ha, kind of weird. We found and taught some really cool people though. We´ve been teaching and finding a ton of Spanish people lately and it´s really cool. They seem to have pretty good potential, we talked to this one young couple with a cute baby girl, Spaniards, a couple days ago. We should be meeting with them soon hopefully.
Hey if you could, I want you to pass on a true thank you to Megan Torman for her classes that she gave to me and the other youth at church. I didn´t truly realize at the time how great of a teacher she is and how that also played a part in my preparation for this mission. There are so many things that helps prepare one for a mission, and I think up towards the top of the list are classes and teachers like her, and also home teaching which helped me incredibly. I don´t think I realized at the time how similar it is to missionary work. It´s the same thing! Calling and scheduling apts., teaching, visiting, service. I´m so grateful for you Dad, motivating me to go with you to help those families, and I´m so grateful for those families we taught--the Burnhams, the Kellers, Roger, Carol and Dwight Black, the Gilmans, and also being able to help Elsie Rowland with the sacrament (tell them all I say hi please).
I´ve been learning a lot, and really been motivated with certain things lately. I´m trying to get a lot better at setting and fufilling the goals I set for myself personally. And I hope you all can do the same for this year.
I love you all so much! Have a really good week, filled with opportunities to serve and to help others.
Elder Franson
I´m super excited right now, I´ve been on a music kick lately and anytime I hear a stringed instrument playing I get all happy.
On Tuesday we had that leadership council thing and went to President´s house. It was very inspirational, at one point we were talking about giving our all and working as hard as we can and President started to share some video clips to us. The first one was the famous race of the horse Secretariat (!!!) (the real clip) I almost cried out of emotion and excitment! Wow, that was so powerful. The little bit of music behind it just added to the effect even more. I love that story so much. Then after that video, we watched the clip of Roger Banister as he broke the 4 minute mile barrier that seemed impossible to everyone. I was reminded that nothing is impossible in this work, nor in this life, and that if we truly have the faith necessary and the vision to see it happen, then it will. Leaving that meeting, I made personal goals and promises with myself to give it everything, To leave nothing left. Quoting one sister missionary who spoke, she said ¨If I´m in a race and I´m going to run, I´m going to run for real.¨ I hope to be able to speed up my pace and run for real, so that when I finish, I won´t feel regret knowing that I could have given more.
This last week was both short and long ha, kind of weird. We found and taught some really cool people though. We´ve been teaching and finding a ton of Spanish people lately and it´s really cool. They seem to have pretty good potential, we talked to this one young couple with a cute baby girl, Spaniards, a couple days ago. We should be meeting with them soon hopefully.
Hey if you could, I want you to pass on a true thank you to Megan Torman for her classes that she gave to me and the other youth at church. I didn´t truly realize at the time how great of a teacher she is and how that also played a part in my preparation for this mission. There are so many things that helps prepare one for a mission, and I think up towards the top of the list are classes and teachers like her, and also home teaching which helped me incredibly. I don´t think I realized at the time how similar it is to missionary work. It´s the same thing! Calling and scheduling apts., teaching, visiting, service. I´m so grateful for you Dad, motivating me to go with you to help those families, and I´m so grateful for those families we taught--the Burnhams, the Kellers, Roger, Carol and Dwight Black, the Gilmans, and also being able to help Elsie Rowland with the sacrament (tell them all I say hi please).
I´ve been learning a lot, and really been motivated with certain things lately. I´m trying to get a lot better at setting and fufilling the goals I set for myself personally. And I hope you all can do the same for this year.
I love you all so much! Have a really good week, filled with opportunities to serve and to help others.
Elder Franson
Monday, January 5, 2015
2015 can be as good as you make it to be
Friends and family,
Happy New Years!! It was pretty awesome here, lots of fireworks and banging noises to keep everyone awake. Like I´m sure happened everywhere, there were tons of drunk people and just annoying kids blowing things up, but it was great. I still haven´t made my New Years resolutions but have been thinking for a little while and want to make them good for this year. How about you guys?
I got to play a cello todayyYY!!!!! I saw one in a window of a music shop and today we went there to see if i could play it. I got to play it for a bit, but it was so out of tune I spent a while trying to tune it, and actually one of the strings broke...haha so funny. But the guy was so nice. It felt so crazy to hold one again, tell Heidi that I´m down to play for that group when I get back.
Get this, in two different lessons this past week, there was a TV over in the corner on mute, and in the middle of the lesson Back to the Future came on!! Haha made both me and my companion want to watch so bad, but we just had to ask to shut it off. Then as I was walking on the street we passed a bar that had playing on their TV HOME ALONE 2!! GAH good thing we were in a hurry or else it would have been super easy to have stopped for a second haha.
We started teaching this family from Guinea Equitoreal, and they are incredible. But 2 of them went back to France where they live, but had accepted to go to church there (we had found it on mormon.org with them). Many times we as missionaries have to pass these people to other areas and other missionaries, and of course it´s a little sad to know you won´t be able to teach those people and be a continuous part in their progression, but it is good to remember how we´re always on the same team. It might not me me teaching them, but more importantly they are getting taught. I hope and pray they continue talking to the missisonaries there and soon can get baptized.
We had exchanges a couple days ago, I went to another area here close--called Mostoles, which was pretty fun. There were lots of fair things that were going on, making the streets super crowded but it was good.
Not much else happened this week, it seriously went by too fast. Sorry there isn´t a ton of stuff. But I wish you all a new year, and hope you look forward with lots of hope, looking for the good in everything. 2015 can be as good as you make it to be.
Love,
Elder Franson
Happy New Years!! It was pretty awesome here, lots of fireworks and banging noises to keep everyone awake. Like I´m sure happened everywhere, there were tons of drunk people and just annoying kids blowing things up, but it was great. I still haven´t made my New Years resolutions but have been thinking for a little while and want to make them good for this year. How about you guys?
I got to play a cello todayyYY!!!!! I saw one in a window of a music shop and today we went there to see if i could play it. I got to play it for a bit, but it was so out of tune I spent a while trying to tune it, and actually one of the strings broke...haha so funny. But the guy was so nice. It felt so crazy to hold one again, tell Heidi that I´m down to play for that group when I get back.
Get this, in two different lessons this past week, there was a TV over in the corner on mute, and in the middle of the lesson Back to the Future came on!! Haha made both me and my companion want to watch so bad, but we just had to ask to shut it off. Then as I was walking on the street we passed a bar that had playing on their TV HOME ALONE 2!! GAH good thing we were in a hurry or else it would have been super easy to have stopped for a second haha.
We started teaching this family from Guinea Equitoreal, and they are incredible. But 2 of them went back to France where they live, but had accepted to go to church there (we had found it on mormon.org with them). Many times we as missionaries have to pass these people to other areas and other missionaries, and of course it´s a little sad to know you won´t be able to teach those people and be a continuous part in their progression, but it is good to remember how we´re always on the same team. It might not me me teaching them, but more importantly they are getting taught. I hope and pray they continue talking to the missisonaries there and soon can get baptized.
We had exchanges a couple days ago, I went to another area here close--called Mostoles, which was pretty fun. There were lots of fair things that were going on, making the streets super crowded but it was good.
Not much else happened this week, it seriously went by too fast. Sorry there isn´t a ton of stuff. But I wish you all a new year, and hope you look forward with lots of hope, looking for the good in everything. 2015 can be as good as you make it to be.
Love,
Elder Franson
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