Tuesday, October 15, 2013

false summit

Dear Family and Friends,

So I didn´t get a chance last week to tell you about our trip to El Teide, so I´ll talk a little about it today. Tenerife, my island, is the only one with a volcano out of all 7 islands. And interestingly enough it is the highest point of all of Spain. So we got up a little earlier, 6 or 630ish and headed out. The drive went through a thick foresty area that brought back memories of idaho--super pretty. There is a little resort spot down at the base with a little restaurant and gift shop. Then you get on the little ski lift thing, only it was enclosed, and you ride up the volcano! They don´t take you all the way to the top, I guess you have to have special permission to do that, but we went to the ´false summit´. I got some sweet pictures. It was super pretty, I could see all of Tenerife, and then the island of Gran Canaria and also Las Palmas.
 
So, today we picked up Elder Wilson from the airport--my new companion! He´s super short, of course, and from Alpine. Another funny thing, is that he is only 1 transfer ahead of me! He just finished his training, and then gets assigned to come out and finish training me in the Canary Islands haha. I'm a little nervous, just thinking about the stress that will be on our shoulders, but I´m so excited as well. Last night I wrote in my journal how I felt like the president is trusting us with this, as well as the Lord, and I want to work my hardest to prove to them that I can do it. It might start out rough, probably just lots of walking, but I love walking and can´t wait! 
 
So when we were in the trio, we got a reference from a member in Santa Cruz for a lady who lives over in La guancha (about 45 minute drive). So we went and met her at her house. She had so many questions, and at one point started crying just because shes been looking for the right answers and the truth and has talked to JW´s, evangelists and everybody else but it wasn´t there. We taught her the restoration and then made plans to get her to church--and she came!! With her son too! We taught her again Sunday night and when we first walked in to her house she had conference playing! How is this happening?! I feel like this is too good to be true. The sad thing is is that I wont be able to teach her again, the other elders have her--they have the car and me and Elder Wilson are always on foot ha. Its fine though,  I´m trying to get an attitude of your success is my success. That's something I struggled with a lot before my mission and I want to get a lot better at. 
We lost contact with Paco, who would have stayed as mine and Elder Wilson´s investigator, but he won´t answer and I´ve been desperately praying for help. I don't know what happened, maybe something with his family. I know that he wanted to get a divorce because his wife was not a good person. So I don't know, I´m praying for the best. 
 
We have an older couple who are members who actually were able to fly to Salt Lake and go to conference! They spent 10 days there with the missionary who baptized them and went to 4 or 5 temples. For people living here, that was such a huge blessing for them. Not many people here have the money to do that. 
We were in a lesson with a man, Hector, who has been going to church for 10-12 years. His wife is a strong member but he is just being a pansy. No I think its actually just his mom and dad are super strong Catholics and don´t want him to change. Its super sad because he won´t be able to baptize his son unless he gets baptized and gets the  priesthood soon. Anyway, we had a lesson and the spirit was strong, both of the other Elders shared experiences and started crying. Then it was my turn. I started talking about my family and how much you mean to me, and then I got a dang bloody nose! Ugh perfect timing. I only had one in the MTC, and in just the last week I´ve probably had 6 or 7. What can you do...
 
Anyway, that's good for now. Thank you for all of your letters and emails. I really appreciate it. I love you all

Elder Franson

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