Chapter 34: Happy Halloween

Chapter 34: Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween!! I definitely missed the United States version of the spooky holiday, but we still tried our best to make it festive. It´s not really celebrated here in Spain. The day after is El Día de los Santos, which is the equivalent to Memorial Day in the United States. However, Halloween was also one of the Elder´s birthdays in our district, and I was bound to make it special for him as well. So, I made Halloween cupcakes! Complete with orange cream cheese frosting with “bug” sprinkles. And yes, I made the frosting beating it with a fork. I was pretty proud of myself.  Then my companion and I were scheming on how we could dress up by still following mission rules, and then it hit us! We were going to be each other! Haha So I dressed up like my companion, and she dressed up like me, and we switched chapas (name tags) when we delivered the cupcakes. I only saw about 5 children in the street wearing costumes because really here in Spain, it´s a holiday that gives adults an excuse to go get drunk. No trick or treating here. That morning, we taught Aglaece who was supposed to get baptized last Saturday. She told us, “Hermanas I thought I would let you know, that when you started visiting me, I was smoking 2 packs of cigarettes a day. Now, I have gotten down to 2 cigarettes a day, and I promise if you give me a week, I will be baptized.” I´ll take it. We are really really going to work on her next week. For English class that night, we always give a spiritual thought at the end, and I thought I was being pretty clever by giving a thought about the Holy Ghost. After class, we approached this Brazilian lady about seeing if there was a time we could visit her and explain to her a little bit about the church. She has a friend in the church and said, “Sure! In fact, why don´t I come pick you both up on Saturday and you can come to my house for lunch!” I love Brazilians. Sometimes, I think I should have followed my brother and dad´s examples and served there as well. Haha Anyway, Saturday came and we talked on the way, and then we pull up to this little Spanish villa in the countryside of Spain. I was in awe!! It was the most beautiful little home I had seen in Spain yet. There were tons of palm trees and fruit trees, and she went to town on this lunch! She had a “princess garden party.” set up among the trees in her yard with these darling little decorations, and a feast prepared. I thought I had eaten a lot in my life...but I think if you add together all the Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners I have had in my entire life, it might just maybe would add up to what I ate. I couldn´t move.  She served us this GIANT plate of rice and beans. I thought that was the main dish. Oh no. Then she pulls out the fist and potatoes....a HUGE fish, mind you. Then when I thought I couldn´t fit another bite in, she filled my plate. Twice. And there was no telling her no.  My companion just looked at me with her cheeks filled with food, and this panicked look in her eyes. I was stuffed to the gills. Then came the dessert. She brings out this big plate of fruit, ice cream, and chocolates. We shared the message and invited her to come to  church, and she drove us home, and we died. We had to lie on the floor, half laughing and half crying for about a half an hour before we could get out and work again. Also, we have continued to work with Fernando. Well, we taught him the restoration, and we asked him if he would like to be baptized. He was just like, “Yea! I´ll be baptized.” Ummm, what??  Not only that, but he actually came to church! I was so excited. I think he might have some word of wisdom problems, but after dealing with Algaece these last couple weeks, it doesn´t quite phase me like it did before. He had to leave Sacrament meeting early, and it was so funny, he walks out the door, and then sticks his head back in and in his deep, gravely, Dominican voice says, “May Jesus bless you all, see you next week!”  All the missionaries just bursted out laughing. We couldn´t help it. I love the people we are teaching. We have had a few nights this week where every appointment cancelled, which leaves us on the streets to do contacting, door knocking, etc. And those nights are hard. But, we also have seen the Lord´s hand in this work so much. Last night I was not in the happy missionary spirit that you see in church movies. Every cita cancelled on us, it was windy outside, and I was exhausted since we had to be up early for a conference. I was just walking grudgingly along, and I was thinking, “This is just a miserable night.” So, I said a prayer in my heart for a miracle. We were knocking doors, and no one would even let us talk. Then we found this Spaniard that seems to be prepared just for us. He talked about how he has been looking for the truth since he believes that the Catholic Church has changed too many doctrines from the bible, and how the bible needs something to complete it since so many truths were taken out. I am so excited to teach him! He is so open to our message. God really does answer prayers, sometimes not when we ask for them right away, and sometimes yes. This week is going to be really busy preparing Algaece for her baptism, so please pray for us here. I have a new testimony of the devil during the weeks before baptisms!

 In the words of Fernando, “May Jesus bless you, and see you next week!”

Les Quiero,

Hermana Hopkins