Hey everyone,
We had an exhausting week, had so much to do, but as I look back on it, I don´t know if I´ve seen so many little and big miracles squished into one week before. We had the baptism of Mariela this week which was really special, she´s been taught for quite some time now but just never made the decision to be baptized, I think she was a bit scared, but when I got here we presented her with a date and she accepted, and now she´s baptized! Also, I found out that Lucho--from Alcorcon--got baptized as well! He is incredible, I talked to him on the phone for a bit and I can tell how much this Gospel means to him now. He told me he loves to watch the Mormon Messages now haha. He is going to come over here to where I live and he wants to visit investigators with us haha. I love that guy, such a good friend.
This week I´ve seen real miracles happen from priesthood blessings. I´ll share a couple of the experiences with you. There is a guy here who we are pretty close with, who has that skin disease (the one he thinks is psoriasis) that doesn´t have a cure. I´m pretty sure he´s had it for over two years, just scabs and scales all over his body that make it hard to move around sometimes. He asked us for a blessing, and as I was giving the blessings I started thinking about all of the blessings Christ did--healing so many people--and also about the John Tanner movie where the missionaries heal his leg and he´s able to walk after. Then just out of my mouth come words saying that with faith, his skin will be completely healed. I kind of forgot about it, but then three days later he came up to me, beaming with happiness and light, showing me his arms. Three days before it was covered in gross rash things and white scales, but it was all gone. I was astonished and speechless, I mean there was hardly anything there! I wrote it all down in my journal haha, that was an experience I had that I hope to never forget. The power of the priesthood is real. It has been restored onto this earth, and I am sure of it.
I was asked to give a talk in sacrament meeting on Sunday and it went pretty good, I talked about having faith and trusting in the Lord with missionary work. As I was preparing it I thought back to the talks Dad gave which were always so good, I miss hearing them. The funny part was that, well, in the talk I made a reference to that blessing we gave to the man and the complete change because of his faith in the Lord, and after sacrament meeting we had four people come up to us asking for blessings haha.
So, we have been working super hard every day, haven´t had much rest time, but it feels so great. I love the feeling of getting home at night knowing I worked hard and did my best to keep a good attitude during the day. I remember talking about that in one of my emails back a while ago, that after lots of hard work or when you feel like things are really down, is when the miracles come. Always give that one more step, go a little bit longer, and the Lord will bless you for that.
Thank you for the great emails and for all of the love and support you´ve given me. I couldn´t have done this without you. Have lots and lots of fun on the hike! I really wish I was there, but I will be next year :) good luck and have a great week. I love you all so much!
Elder Franson
Tuesday, August 12, 2014
Tuesday, August 5, 2014
translating for tad r. callister
Hello everyone,
Running out of first liners.
This week was great, like always, full of highs and of course some lows, but it´s easier to remember the highs.
Our investigator, Mariela, is getting all ready for her baptism which is coming up. We´ve been trying to keep daily contact with her so that she will be spiritually prepared and ready for her baptism. I´m so excited for her. She is the lady whose kids are all members now, except for 1 or 2, her in-laws as well, but she´s just been a little scared. I think her main concern is making that covenant and then having the possibility of making a mistake and breaking it. I think that is a really good concern to have, lots of times I forget about the real importance and significance of our baptismal covenant. Yeah, we´re not perfect, but that shouldn´t keep us from keeping in mind that that promise we made was real, and we need to do our best every day to have His name upon us. It´s tough, but Mariela taught me a little lesson, or maybe just reminded me of that. It´s good that she knows it is something serious and that she needs to try her hardest, but we also need to know that there is no limit to sincere repentance. The Lord loves us and wants us to be happy. Never think that you can´t repent or change, because it is always possible.
Yesterday at church we were standing by the front door greeting people as they came in, and guess who just walked up without any notice?! Tad R. Callister!!!! What??? Crazy, still can´t really believe it. The story is that our ward mission leader, who is American, married Callister´s daughter, and our WML's son is getting baptized this week so they came up for it. BUT the story gets even better. I only got to talk a little bit to him there at the door, but in the Sunday school class he came up to me and asked if I could translate the class for him! Can you believe that? I got to sit in the back right next to him translating the class for him, haha I was so excited. A bit nervous of course, and felt weird since he probably knows better than anyone in that room did of the lesson topic, but it was a really cool experience. Just be ready for a story or experience when he gives a talk at conference one of these times and talks about a missionary who helped him translate :) haha just kidding.
Ok, not much time today, but to finish up I just wanted to thank everyone for all of your help and love. You all mean so much to me.
Love Elder Franson
Running out of first liners.
This week was great, like always, full of highs and of course some lows, but it´s easier to remember the highs.
Our investigator, Mariela, is getting all ready for her baptism which is coming up. We´ve been trying to keep daily contact with her so that she will be spiritually prepared and ready for her baptism. I´m so excited for her. She is the lady whose kids are all members now, except for 1 or 2, her in-laws as well, but she´s just been a little scared. I think her main concern is making that covenant and then having the possibility of making a mistake and breaking it. I think that is a really good concern to have, lots of times I forget about the real importance and significance of our baptismal covenant. Yeah, we´re not perfect, but that shouldn´t keep us from keeping in mind that that promise we made was real, and we need to do our best every day to have His name upon us. It´s tough, but Mariela taught me a little lesson, or maybe just reminded me of that. It´s good that she knows it is something serious and that she needs to try her hardest, but we also need to know that there is no limit to sincere repentance. The Lord loves us and wants us to be happy. Never think that you can´t repent or change, because it is always possible.
Yesterday at church we were standing by the front door greeting people as they came in, and guess who just walked up without any notice?! Tad R. Callister!!!! What??? Crazy, still can´t really believe it. The story is that our ward mission leader, who is American, married Callister´s daughter, and our WML's son is getting baptized this week so they came up for it. BUT the story gets even better. I only got to talk a little bit to him there at the door, but in the Sunday school class he came up to me and asked if I could translate the class for him! Can you believe that? I got to sit in the back right next to him translating the class for him, haha I was so excited. A bit nervous of course, and felt weird since he probably knows better than anyone in that room did of the lesson topic, but it was a really cool experience. Just be ready for a story or experience when he gives a talk at conference one of these times and talks about a missionary who helped him translate :) haha just kidding.
Ok, not much time today, but to finish up I just wanted to thank everyone for all of your help and love. You all mean so much to me.
Love Elder Franson
Monday, July 28, 2014
there are always blessings to be recognized
Family and Friends :)
We now starting the last week of the transfer, can´t believe these things are going by so fast. Seeing how I just got here, I´m probably going to stay. I like it here, but sure wouldn´t say no to a cool break up in the north. I´m praying to be called up there some time to see how it is, I guess we´ll see.
We had a really good week. Four of our investigators showed up to church today which made me really happy, and also we´ve been visiting multiple less active people here and in the past we haven´t had too much luck with them coming to church, but 3 of them showed up as well! One of the less actives was Juan Carlos, an older guy who is kind of pscitzofrenic (schizophrenic) ( hahahaha NO idea how to spell that one) and just says the most random things.
We met a really cool Dominican guy, Jari, and after meeting with him throughout the week he walked with us to the church--he´s super chill and seems really interested.
Also, we had another huge blessing--his name is Domingo. He is best friends with a member who basically explained to him all about the Church, and introduced him to us. In that first lesson we had he kept talking about how the Book of Mormon has already changed his life--he won´t drink beer anymore! And he feels so much better and happier. We ended up setting a baptismal date with him at the end of that lesson for the end of August and I´m feeling really good about it. We probably won´t have to do too much, the Lord has already prepared him to accept everything.
We went this morning to Segovia! A really old city up outside of Madrid a ways (we got to ride a train there--that was so awesome, seeing the countryside of Spain). It is a beautiful city, kind of like Toledo with the cobblestones, narrow streets, old restaraunts. But Segovia has a huge castle with lots of towers and cool rooms, and an enormous cathedral to tour, and one of those aqueducts from the Roman Empire. I took lots of pictures, don´t worry :) I wish I could have had someone there explaining to me lots of the things, but it´s alright, I loved it.
I hope you all had a week filled with blessings like ours was. And if it wasn´t, look harder because there are always blessings to be recognized :)
I love you all so much, take care.
Love Elder Franson
The thrones.
The aqueduct.
We now starting the last week of the transfer, can´t believe these things are going by so fast. Seeing how I just got here, I´m probably going to stay. I like it here, but sure wouldn´t say no to a cool break up in the north. I´m praying to be called up there some time to see how it is, I guess we´ll see.
We had a really good week. Four of our investigators showed up to church today which made me really happy, and also we´ve been visiting multiple less active people here and in the past we haven´t had too much luck with them coming to church, but 3 of them showed up as well! One of the less actives was Juan Carlos, an older guy who is kind of pscitzofrenic (schizophrenic) ( hahahaha NO idea how to spell that one) and just says the most random things.
We met a really cool Dominican guy, Jari, and after meeting with him throughout the week he walked with us to the church--he´s super chill and seems really interested.
Also, we had another huge blessing--his name is Domingo. He is best friends with a member who basically explained to him all about the Church, and introduced him to us. In that first lesson we had he kept talking about how the Book of Mormon has already changed his life--he won´t drink beer anymore! And he feels so much better and happier. We ended up setting a baptismal date with him at the end of that lesson for the end of August and I´m feeling really good about it. We probably won´t have to do too much, the Lord has already prepared him to accept everything.
We went this morning to Segovia! A really old city up outside of Madrid a ways (we got to ride a train there--that was so awesome, seeing the countryside of Spain). It is a beautiful city, kind of like Toledo with the cobblestones, narrow streets, old restaraunts. But Segovia has a huge castle with lots of towers and cool rooms, and an enormous cathedral to tour, and one of those aqueducts from the Roman Empire. I took lots of pictures, don´t worry :) I wish I could have had someone there explaining to me lots of the things, but it´s alright, I loved it.
I love you all so much, take care.
Love Elder Franson
The cathedral reminded me so much of Hogwarts! Why can't I be a wizard?
The castle.
Wednesday, July 23, 2014
1 year down!
Hello everyone :)
The weeks are going by faster and faster, not sure why, but we´ve been working really hard and are kept pretty busy.
First item of business- it has been getting so hot lately that I just had to break down and hand in a little piece of my man card...I bought one of those hand fans. But luckily it doesn´t look too girly with flowers and everything, it´s got two Spanish bulls haha. My companion thinks it´s ridiculous but I love it haha. Don´t worry, I try not to use it too much in public.
For lunch today, a family that we are teaching-from Peru--invited us to eat at the restaurant that the mom cooks at. It is a Peruvian place that cooks SO good. I had some papa a la huancaina (potatos with a special sauce) and a big thing of chicken as well. One of the girls orderd anticucho which is cow heart--they just love that here. I was kind of scared of it at first but they let me try it and it´s actually pretty good. They served it with chunks of cow stomach though, which just looked so ugly and had the worst texture, but I swallowed it down, tasted alright. Porter, better get practicing now on eating crazy foods! haha.
I got a haircut today! I love it, always feels so nice. Elder Satlzman did as well but was really worried beforehand because he wanted to keep his hair longer on top--likes to comb it back--and the lady ended up cutting a ton off...he was preeeetty upset afterwards.
Every once in a while we do ´exchanges´ with other missionaries and this week I got to be with a guy named Elder Ziane--from France! Super chill and awesome, he was teaching me a little bit of French haha.
Ok I have been anxiously waiting to tell you this story. On Friday morning, between 6:30 and 7:15, I woke up 3 times, just randomly or maybe from a little sound, and without thinking, got on my knees and started praying! Until I would look at my watch and realize I still had time to sleep haha. 3 separate times in the same night! I don´t really know why that happened, but it made me laugh when I was truly awake.
That good old investigator Alberto--with the flares, cowboy boots, and wife beater--is doing great. He has really good desires, truly wants to know more. He´s been marking up his copy of the Book of Mormon like crazy. He doesn´t want to meet with us too often because he feels like he needs time to be able to read and study a lot, so he told us he doesn´t want to meet until the beginning of August...what?? I mean, good that he really is taking this seriously, but I want to meet with him a bit more often.
We had a really productive week, met almost all of our weekly goals lesson-wise. None of our investigators showed up at church though which was really frustrating.
That sums up our week more or less, I´m doing really good, and yep, about to hit my halfway mark in the mission. I´m amazed at how quickly it has gone by, makes me scared sometimes. This past year has been pretty tough, but by far the most productive (don´t get much time to sit on a couch and stare into space mom ;)), and rewarding year physically and spiritually. I am so grateful to be able to focus more on Christ and learn how to better my relationship with Him.
I love you all and hope you have a great week.
Elder Franson
The weeks are going by faster and faster, not sure why, but we´ve been working really hard and are kept pretty busy.
First item of business- it has been getting so hot lately that I just had to break down and hand in a little piece of my man card...I bought one of those hand fans. But luckily it doesn´t look too girly with flowers and everything, it´s got two Spanish bulls haha. My companion thinks it´s ridiculous but I love it haha. Don´t worry, I try not to use it too much in public.
For lunch today, a family that we are teaching-from Peru--invited us to eat at the restaurant that the mom cooks at. It is a Peruvian place that cooks SO good. I had some papa a la huancaina (potatos with a special sauce) and a big thing of chicken as well. One of the girls orderd anticucho which is cow heart--they just love that here. I was kind of scared of it at first but they let me try it and it´s actually pretty good. They served it with chunks of cow stomach though, which just looked so ugly and had the worst texture, but I swallowed it down, tasted alright. Porter, better get practicing now on eating crazy foods! haha.
I got a haircut today! I love it, always feels so nice. Elder Satlzman did as well but was really worried beforehand because he wanted to keep his hair longer on top--likes to comb it back--and the lady ended up cutting a ton off...he was preeeetty upset afterwards.
Every once in a while we do ´exchanges´ with other missionaries and this week I got to be with a guy named Elder Ziane--from France! Super chill and awesome, he was teaching me a little bit of French haha.
Ok I have been anxiously waiting to tell you this story. On Friday morning, between 6:30 and 7:15, I woke up 3 times, just randomly or maybe from a little sound, and without thinking, got on my knees and started praying! Until I would look at my watch and realize I still had time to sleep haha. 3 separate times in the same night! I don´t really know why that happened, but it made me laugh when I was truly awake.
That good old investigator Alberto--with the flares, cowboy boots, and wife beater--is doing great. He has really good desires, truly wants to know more. He´s been marking up his copy of the Book of Mormon like crazy. He doesn´t want to meet with us too often because he feels like he needs time to be able to read and study a lot, so he told us he doesn´t want to meet until the beginning of August...what?? I mean, good that he really is taking this seriously, but I want to meet with him a bit more often.
We had a really productive week, met almost all of our weekly goals lesson-wise. None of our investigators showed up at church though which was really frustrating.
That sums up our week more or less, I´m doing really good, and yep, about to hit my halfway mark in the mission. I´m amazed at how quickly it has gone by, makes me scared sometimes. This past year has been pretty tough, but by far the most productive (don´t get much time to sit on a couch and stare into space mom ;)), and rewarding year physically and spiritually. I am so grateful to be able to focus more on Christ and learn how to better my relationship with Him.
I love you all and hope you have a great week.
Elder Franson
Monday, July 14, 2014
new favorite food: ceviche
Ok, huge embarrassing story for this week. We were walking down a street, had 30 to kill before our next apt., and just randomly I looked down at my tie and noticed there was a huge bird poop splatter on my shirt!! Ugh so gross. I feel so embarrassed that for who knows how long, I had been walking down a somewhat busy street smiling, saying hi, and trying to stop people to talk about God. They probably thought I was just an embarrassment to nature.
I´ve been getting good at holding my breath, preparing for my swimming career after the mission ;) my best so far is 1:48. Sometimes Elder Galeano and I would, as we were walking, pick a tree up ahead and hold our breath until we got there haha.
Our ward mission leader here is American, which is pretty cool. From the LA area, knows Stevenson Ranch. He is an amazing mission leader--takes the work really seriously and is a really good teacher and leader--it's a bit intimidating. It is so weird to hear English to be honest, usually I can just talk to my companion in English, about people that are right next to us and they have no idea, but I´ve got to be careful haha.
There is a dish served here by the Peruvians and Ecuadorians that is amazing--called ceviche. We have many members from those places and have cooked it for us- it is so good. It is basically a soup type thing, served cold, and there are two types, 1 (Ecuador), with shrimp as the main thing, then 2 (Peru) with fish. The funny thing is though, that with the fish--they don´t cook it! Disgusting right? Well they let it sit in lemon juice to 'cook' it, but honestly I love that food. It´s alright with the shrimp, but I think the ceviche with the fish is much better. They taught me how to cook it so when I get home I´m going to cook it for you and let you try it. I think you´ll love it, Dad :)
They work is doing great, everyone´s doing good. although Jessica hasn´t been answering which is freaking us out, she found out about the law of chastity that we have and I think it weirded her out... :S pray for her please.
I think that´s about it, we had a really good week--teaching quite a bit which is keeping us busy. Thanks for your emails and support.
Love Elder Franson
I´ve been getting good at holding my breath, preparing for my swimming career after the mission ;) my best so far is 1:48. Sometimes Elder Galeano and I would, as we were walking, pick a tree up ahead and hold our breath until we got there haha.
Our ward mission leader here is American, which is pretty cool. From the LA area, knows Stevenson Ranch. He is an amazing mission leader--takes the work really seriously and is a really good teacher and leader--it's a bit intimidating. It is so weird to hear English to be honest, usually I can just talk to my companion in English, about people that are right next to us and they have no idea, but I´ve got to be careful haha.
There is a dish served here by the Peruvians and Ecuadorians that is amazing--called ceviche. We have many members from those places and have cooked it for us- it is so good. It is basically a soup type thing, served cold, and there are two types, 1 (Ecuador), with shrimp as the main thing, then 2 (Peru) with fish. The funny thing is though, that with the fish--they don´t cook it! Disgusting right? Well they let it sit in lemon juice to 'cook' it, but honestly I love that food. It´s alright with the shrimp, but I think the ceviche with the fish is much better. They taught me how to cook it so when I get home I´m going to cook it for you and let you try it. I think you´ll love it, Dad :)
They work is doing great, everyone´s doing good. although Jessica hasn´t been answering which is freaking us out, she found out about the law of chastity that we have and I think it weirded her out... :S pray for her please.
I think that´s about it, we had a really good week--teaching quite a bit which is keeping us busy. Thanks for your emails and support.
Love Elder Franson
Wednesday, July 9, 2014
the book that answers questions
Dad, you´re going to be so proud of me--we´ve been running every other day now, Elder Saltzman is a really good motivation for me with that since I struggle with motivating myself to run. It´s way to easy to justify a little loop around the block and spend the rest of the time stretching haha. We have a good 2 mile route that we do and it´s good, definitely makes the day better.
This week went by really fast, honestly I feel like I just barely wrote you guys. We had a really good week too, found some really cool people who have lots of potential. I have learned in my mission that it is so much easier when you have the spirit to guide you while contacting.
We have this one investigator, Alberto, who is kinda funny. He likes to wear jeans that flare out at the bottom with cowboy boots, then a white tank top tucked in haha. A little bit weird, but he´s super nice. He stopped us on the street actually and we found out that 4 years ago some missionaries had given him a Book of Mormon but he never read it until a couple weeks ago and he has some questions. He, for some reason, loves the guide at the end of the book and saw the section for Melchizedek, not sure how to spell that one, and he just loved it. Seems so excited to have found a book that can answer so many of his questions, which was pretty cool. He seemed a little scared to come to church but I think that just little by little, he´ll feel comfortable enough.
Ok these last couple of weeks I´ve had memories just going through my head of our hikes each year, and I miss them! Where are you going this year? When? I can´t wait to see lots and lots of pictures.
I´m doing well, the heat of the summer is hear but I´m doing alright, not much more you can do than just bare through it haha. Most nights we get back to the piso just dripping with sweat, haha it's gross.
Have a great week! Happy late 4th of July!
Love,
Elder Franson
This week went by really fast, honestly I feel like I just barely wrote you guys. We had a really good week too, found some really cool people who have lots of potential. I have learned in my mission that it is so much easier when you have the spirit to guide you while contacting.
We have this one investigator, Alberto, who is kinda funny. He likes to wear jeans that flare out at the bottom with cowboy boots, then a white tank top tucked in haha. A little bit weird, but he´s super nice. He stopped us on the street actually and we found out that 4 years ago some missionaries had given him a Book of Mormon but he never read it until a couple weeks ago and he has some questions. He, for some reason, loves the guide at the end of the book and saw the section for Melchizedek, not sure how to spell that one, and he just loved it. Seems so excited to have found a book that can answer so many of his questions, which was pretty cool. He seemed a little scared to come to church but I think that just little by little, he´ll feel comfortable enough.
Ok these last couple of weeks I´ve had memories just going through my head of our hikes each year, and I miss them! Where are you going this year? When? I can´t wait to see lots and lots of pictures.
I´m doing well, the heat of the summer is hear but I´m doing alright, not much more you can do than just bare through it haha. Most nights we get back to the piso just dripping with sweat, haha it's gross.
Have a great week! Happy late 4th of July!
Love,
Elder Franson
Monday, June 30, 2014
twin towers walking the streets
Hello folks,
Madrid is pretty awesome, different of course, but cool. My companion and I are doing great--the Twin Towers over here walking in the streets. People are probably just a bit freaked out when we try to stop and talk to them, but hopefully they´ll get used to it.
The investigator pool here is a bit small so we´re working hard trying to increase it, but the people that we do have are really awesome. Jessica, this lady from Peru, has no doubt been prepared by the Lord to listen to us. She told us that all of her life she´s been opposed to churches, but instead just have your own faith and stick with that. But she came to church and also to the baptism on Saturday and has been improving so much! When we taught her back near the beginning of the week, she started crying at the end--I could tell our message to her touched her heart a little bit more than the other churches. We have a baptismal date with her for the 9th of August so pray with me please for the Lord to help her get prepared and be ready.
I´ve been doing really well, I can tell the lord has been blessing me with Spanish lately, I feel even more fluent when I talk, it just rolls right off so much more easy. The spiritual gifts such as tongues or whatever are real. No doubt about it.
My companion is doing great, struggles a bit with Spanish, but just in this last week he´s improved! I´m trying to do my best to help him with the little that I know.
I hope you all had a great week, I love and miss you all. Thanks for your examples and love for me.
Love, Elder Franson
Madrid is pretty awesome, different of course, but cool. My companion and I are doing great--the Twin Towers over here walking in the streets. People are probably just a bit freaked out when we try to stop and talk to them, but hopefully they´ll get used to it.
The investigator pool here is a bit small so we´re working hard trying to increase it, but the people that we do have are really awesome. Jessica, this lady from Peru, has no doubt been prepared by the Lord to listen to us. She told us that all of her life she´s been opposed to churches, but instead just have your own faith and stick with that. But she came to church and also to the baptism on Saturday and has been improving so much! When we taught her back near the beginning of the week, she started crying at the end--I could tell our message to her touched her heart a little bit more than the other churches. We have a baptismal date with her for the 9th of August so pray with me please for the Lord to help her get prepared and be ready.
I´ve been doing really well, I can tell the lord has been blessing me with Spanish lately, I feel even more fluent when I talk, it just rolls right off so much more easy. The spiritual gifts such as tongues or whatever are real. No doubt about it.
My companion is doing great, struggles a bit with Spanish, but just in this last week he´s improved! I´m trying to do my best to help him with the little that I know.
I hope you all had a great week, I love and miss you all. Thanks for your examples and love for me.
Love, Elder Franson
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