The Misty Mountains

Hey!

I honestly don't have too much to say for this week; there was very little variety in our day to day interactions, but there are a few new features that were added on to our area this week.

1. We officially have a car now!

...that's about it, really. But it's still pretty big news! 

In addition to that, Elder Dransfield's license finally arrived on Thursday! He sent his stuff in last transfer, so it's been a while. Also, my own license arrived on Friday, so now we can both drive! This new addition makes our multi-national area a little less complicated. 

We did a lot of passing by people that we had marked down as wanting us to come back another day, but we quickly learned that none of them wanted us to come back another day...figures. We also tried a little contacting in the street, but that's difficult to do when you live in a country that might as well be a national park. Either nobody is out on the street, or the streets are packed with pasty Northern Europeans, haha.

Different country, same routine. 

We bussed down to Lleida on Wednesday to have exchanges with our district leader there. It was a little weird, and probably the quickest exchange in history because we arrived around 7:30, split up, turned in for the night, then had district meeting in the morning. Elder Dransfield went out with Elder Wilden (district leader, from Málaga, in the same group as my old companion Elder Hansen, 6'5") and I went out with Elder Pain. Elder Pain is hilarious. He is just out of his training and just doesn't care. He'll say "Hola, guapas" to groups of old ladies passing by, he straight up preached to a street corner of Muslim Africans sitting on benches one time, he just gives random kids on the street high fives and fist bumps without knowing them, it's a riot! 

During district meeting we learned that President Galli is beginning to loosen the crazy-tight leash that has been around the Barcelona mission's neck for years in all the right places. So that's nice. After lunch, we bussed back and our day didn't have much left to it after arriving 3ish hours after lunch. We stayed in La Seu and cleaned the chapel (it was our assignment this week) for the evening, and then the Southwicks handed our car over to us to drive back to Andorra. 

The other days were kind of a blur of rejection and parking frustrations. Other downside of living in a tourist country: Free parking is practically nonexistent. Fortunately, we have a lot next to our apartment, but anywhere else in the various towns of the country only have places with up to an hour and a half of free parking. We're figuring it out. We're also still using busses occasionally in Andorra.

I'm starting to get to know the members a little more. I gave a talk in La Seu and Andorra on how to grow and keep your faith. I was told that it went really well, so I guess that it went really well! It was a little stressful making sure everything was prepared and that I was doing well with time (I was asked to take up at least 15 minutes), but it's over now! It feels good to be done with that. Now I just have to wait until the next time I'm inevitably asked to speak again.

Man, I really don't have much more to say about that. We have interviews with President Galli this week and we'll be doing them over Skype this time because our mission is huuuge with 250ish missionaries spread out amongst all of northern and eastern Spain. I'm pretty hyped for that.

I don't know if I answered too many questions with this email, but I don't know what else to write at the moment. Maybe next week. Sorry :P

Despite the challenges of the area, I'm still in love with my surroundings. Elder Dransfield continues to be great. It's weird to see how all of my friends are home or on their way home really soon. I wish them well in the next steps of this crazy journey we call life.

Haaave a good one!

Elder Jensen :)