Training, a whole new set of worries!

Due to the massive demand of questions I will start with the answers. Sheesh! Take it Easy!!

His name is Elder Ponce. He is from Equador, but lived in Madrid and came here from Belgica. He is very smart and a very good teacher. He does know it though!  It is a little tough to give him advice. We´ll get right through that though. Slowly he is getting more and more humble. He does want to baptize though, so that is great! He fits right in with the piso. It is even more crazy than it was before!!! I get along with everyone in the piso. When Sunday comes no one has food but me and they end up taking all mine. That bugs me a bit,  but it´s just something I deal with with these turkeys. 

Manuel. He is just being a pain in the butt. He knows it´s all true but he just wants more family support before he will be baptized. He thinks he is going to be baptized and then the family is going to kick him to the curb. It is a little difficult right now with him. We have got some others that I will keep you updated on but some definite possibilities!!!

(Dad if possible could you send me pics of you on your mission. They would love that)

I really do feel bad this week. Almost all of our planned visits have fired us. All that Elder Ponce has seen is how loose all these ding bat humans are. It drives me nuts! We have tremendous faith, and it can´t diminished! I am really nervous about everything because really all the decisions and the blame is pointed right at me. My decisions determine what happens here. It´s a little nerve wracking but we roll with it. We are expecting some serious miracles this week! I am very excited!

Thank you so much!!! I love all of you and thank you for your prayers!

Prayer list:

1.Steven. Baptized 8 de Marzo

2.Carlos. Recontact. Baptism 8 de Marzo

3. Marcos. Recontact. Baptism 8 de Marzo

4. Find Find Find God can prepare people for us to find them.

5. Members stay animated! (34 people in church!) They bring there friends.

Élder Smiley

Go baptize someone today

A muslim on the street gave me a prayer Yolabi. I am fired up!!

My Nuevo

THINGS ARE READY TO TIP IN MENORCA! SMILES IS A TRAINER NOW, HERE COMES A NUEVO!!!

Great photo for our mission!  Our mission symbol is the Lighthouse, guiding the people to God

This week Mica went to Argentina. It was a little tough because yesterday she told us that it is all true. We showed her where her building is in Argentina and she is fired up. I am excited for her! She will be an answer to some missionary’s prayer in Argentina.  She will show up at the church and say ”I want to be baptized!” and she will be ready.  Manuel went to the hospital this Saturday. Serious?!? It was super hard. He should go down this Saturday or the one that comes. He just needs that push. AHHHH!!! VENGA!!!! 

News. I am going to train.. I am going to pick him up tomorrow from Barcelona. I´m a little nervous but bring it on! He better be ready to work because we have got some work to be done.  Not called greenbeans here, we call them Nuevos

The work has been exploding. You would not believe what has happened this last week!

#1 We had 36 people in the church on Sunday. 36!!! Wooohooo!!! I think there was 12 when I got here. Tripled!!!! 7 investigators were at church, 3 of them being amigos of a member family. They told us this week they want to be baptized. Game on!!!

#2  Carlos. Spanish, loves to read, wants to learn more, and be baptized. Understands when we teach, and made perfect friends with a less active that now wants to get right back into the church!  

#3  We found a Columbian by helping him change batteries while he was just swearing up a storm. We got a return visit and he wants to be baptized.

#4  We found 3 more Africans whose sister was baptized 2 years ago and they want that relation with God. It has been incredible!!!

This Nuevo is coming into the fire! Elder Alder left it well! I am excited for him. He is going to Barcelona. The exact opposite of Maó. Everyone is getting right back on their horses and here comes the Menorca Branch like a stallion! I am so excited!!!  

I love you and thank you all so much for your prayers and everything that you have sent my way. I feel your spirits.

Prayer list:

Carlos. Recieves his answer. Baptized 1 de Marzo.

Manuel. Recieves his answer mas fuerte. Baptized 22 de Febrero or 1.

Steven. Comes to church, reads, prays. Baptized 8 de Marzo

Marcos. Finds time to see us. Baptized 8 de Marzo.

Feli, Kevin, Ernesto. Find time and take the discussions seriously. 

Jose, Manuel. Put a fecha. Teach their families and baptize them.

I love all of you!!! Let´s go!!! Here we go Menorca!!! 

Élder Smiley

Go baptize someone today.

Last time with this foursome!!

My favorite Lighthouse

Exploring the Island of Menorca

This week was super good! We had a lot of people get closer and closer to baptism!!! We are asking for some serious miracles that Manuel and Mica can be baptized this week!!! Come on baby!!! Mica heads back to Argentina this next week. If she is going to get baptized it is going to happen this week! Ahhhh!!! Woooo!!!! We have had a ton of menos activos return to church and they are bringing their family and there friends!!! We had almost 30 people in church!  That is triple what it was when I got here!  I am going to let the pictures tell the rest. I used up almost all my time with pictures this week so I am sorry for the short message. I love all of you!

Prayer list:

Manuel. Baptism. This week. Just a little more!!!!

Mica: Baptism. This Week. Understanding the importance of baptism.

Feli: Keeps going. Baptized 22 de Febrero.

Leticia: Get a new job so she can come to church and be baptized.

Use the members to baptize. That´s what we need! Let´s go!!!

Thanks so much!!

Love from Menorca!!!

Élder Smiley

Go baptize someone today

Elder Nuemiller and I Outstanding in our Field

Manuel, Mica, and my companion, Elder Alder

Menorca Island overlook

Fruit Spies

Things are looking bright {or white} in Menorca!!!

I love all the pictures of Mark and his birthday. Those are great! Sounds like the Superbowl sucked. That sucks. Sounds like not much happened this week back in the States. Here, Different Story!!!

Good ´ole padre quiere una informe de los investigadores. {Good old father, I want to report on my investigators} 

This week we will start with the investigators.

Mica: Argentinan. In 2 weeks has read almost to Alma. Only needs to link The Book of Mormon to Joseph Smith to the authority. She leaves for Argentina 2 weeks from today.  Fecha 8.

Manuel. He only needs the family acceptance and he is wet. We are working on his family and they are loving it. Just that little push! Fecha: 15.

Jose Luis. Pray that the book of Mormon is true. Quit smoking. Fecha: 15

Leticia. Pray that the book of Mormon is true. Quit smoking.

Denilson. Talk to him. (Miracle reported later on) Fecha: 22

African family. Keep coming to church. Be calm when we teach them. Listen and read and pray. Could be something incredible here!

A couple others that we just have to get them up on the teaching horse.

The transfer is Feb 17. I really want Elder Alder to see a baptism while he is here. I think that it really could be Manuel, Mica and/or Jose Luis. I really don´t want him to go 6 months of his mission without a baptism. That would be really hard. He is starting to get this baptism moxie with me and we are seeing so many miracles! He is really focusing on baptism with me and we are helping everyone progress towards baptism!

In the Barcelona mission we have goals called Pautas {patterns} that we try to reach each week. They are: 1 baptism, 3 fechas, 6 investigators in church, 12 lessons with a member present, 6 new investigators.  This is the first week in more than 6 months that missionaries from Menorca have got at least 4 pautas. This week we had 3 fechas, 22 lessons taught, 10 investigators in church, and 6 new investigators (The most anyone has ever had in Menorca!!!!

The office elders were freaking out! The Zone Leaders were freaking out! It was a huge comotion! I am all fired up!!! Woooohoooo!!!

Miracle story de Denilson:

The miracle this week happened last night. We had 2 fechas. We knew we could set one more fecha before the night was over. It was 9:30 at night. We had just got out of a visit and we knew we could find that person that God would put in our path. (Here in Menorca there is no one on the street after 9:00) We were on a track to pass by an investigator when we contacted this chico and asked him if he would like to listen to a message about god. He said yes and in 10 minutes he said he would like to be baptized in our church. I love it! It was one of the biggest miracles I have seen on my mission.

The whole Branch is getting back on its horse and we are pushing this work together! We are getting the help of the members and it is incredible! It all starts with the members. I love them. Thanks Scott for that story!

When we push through the crappy times I know that the Lord will bless us with the good times that lie ahead. I am so grateful that he did all that for us! I am so grateful for your prayers! I am so grateful for your help from so far away. I can feel the angels that you all are sending me helping me out so much.  We have just got to go baptize!!! I love all of you and thank you so much!!! Let´s go baptize the World!!!

Elder Smiley

Go baptize someone today

Smiles walking the streets of Mahon