Week of Bajada de Los Reyes

Hi everyone!  1/11/16
Good news, baby E is out of the hospital! He's still not 100%but he's doing a ton better.He's 


precious. Anyway, thinking of this experience, I'd call it the refiner's fire for K. It definitely tried her faith, but she has come out of it well. Sometimes the Lord tries our faith, but he never gives us a trial we cannot support.


   Y is back in the hospital with her youngest son, L, now. The family just can't catch a break. It is trying their faith a lot. Y really needs support and guidance right now to get her life in the
gospel back on track, but her husband doesn't seem to want to. He told her he doesn't want to go back to church again. We're not sure what happened, if it was all just too many trials at once, or what. That family has so much potential and needs a lot of help and prayers right now!

   We have a new menos activa who moved here recently. She is from the Philippines and is named J. She got baptized 2 years ago in Norway when she was there for work. She speaks English and hardly any Spanish, which makes our lessons interesting because my companion hardly speaks English haha anyway, I have honestly never seen someone with such great faith before! She really trusts in the Lord. I'm really excited to meet with her more and help her. 
    Also, I don't know if I ever mentioned R. She is an investigator from the US! She is from New Jersey but has lived here for over 30 years. She is married to a Spaniard and has 2 boys. She is someone we found in the carpeta. She has been receiving visits from hermanas since 2006 on a service basis. She has a son named A who is 16 who has a brain injury and is in a vegetable state. So, we go once a week to do stretches with A and talk with her. She's wonderful, but 16 years of constant care for a son in this condition is trying. They don't know why he's in this state or why he's not improving, but rather getting worse. No one seems to want to help her, they'd prefer to just maintain the state he's in. He also has now developed some rare type of diabetes... Anyway, the family has been through a lot. 
   Recently this has been trying R's faith. She is looking for answers and hope. We have been blessed to have short lessons with her about the resurrection and the plan of salvation. It's hard to not have concrete answers for why bad things happen to good people, but at least we know that there is a better future in store for all. I love R.







This week was Bajada de Los Reyes [the arrival of the Three Kings http://www.enforex.com/culture/reyes-magos.html ] and so we had roscon... A lot! There was so much for about a week straight, in every house we were in. But that's ok. Anyway, Elder Yokum, who is in training, won the prize twice... It's gonna be a lucky year! 

  I had intercambios this week. I kind of forgot what it was like being
on the other side of intercambios for once. It was fun, really. I was
with Hermana Staker in Barrio 2... Fun fact, I've done about 4
intercambios there now haha anyway, Hermana Staker is really wonderful. She's so focused and really dedicated. I felt like I learned a lot from her. She's just so sweet.
I was also sick this weekend, which was miserable. So I slept 16 hours straight... Felt a bit better after! Hopefully it's just a 24 hour thing. I think the elders gave me whatever they had because me and also their recent convert felt like we got hit by a truck yesterday.


  Bueno, life is a bit uneventful. No one is really progressing here, so we are looking for more people to teach. Barrio 4 is huge, so I know there are people here!

I love you all! Have a great week!
Hermana Griffin

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year, family! 1/4/2016

We were sleeping through the new year. We set an alarm to wake up and eat grapes and such, but we slept through it! Haha we only woke up because someone called us at 12:15.

So, this week has been a bit chungo. Two of the families we are teaching have children in the hospital and everyone in our tiny ward is on vacation, so we've been going back and forth between the hospital and our area.

Baby E is in the hospital! K is a mess. He has some unknown respiratory infection and just keeps getting worse. We were at the hospital on Saturday with her when they decided to move him to the ICU and on the way there, he stopped breathing. He has been there 6 days now. K hadn't slept until they moved him to ICU, but now she can't be with him 24/7 in ICU so she has to go home and sleep. That's the only plus side. Anyway, pray for E, the poor thing is only 2 months oldl! I'll include a picture of me playing with him in the hospital bed his first day there. He's basically the cutest, sweetest baby ever and it breaks my heart to see him like that. We're gonna go check up on them this afternoon.

Our menos activa Y also has a son in the hospital and the same day he went to the hospital, her father in law died. So that's been super hard for their family too. They luckily have been super positive and understand very well the plan of salvation. Their son got released yesterday, but will be under observation every few days because of the effects of the virus he had, he may now need surgery. He was well enough to go home, but still isn't out of the woods. Pray for him too!
His name is T, he is 3 and just precious.

I never felt so helpless than when I was watching these poor little things sick in the hospital. I wish I could help them more than the little that I'm doing, but I know the Lord hears and answers prayers and that he never gives us trials we can't support or overcome.

So that's pretty much been our week. Also, we had a Noche de Hogar in the home of a new Columbian family in the ward. We had a good lesson about obedience where the kids participated a lot and then later, we played a game... You can tell we had lots of fun!

I love you all. I hope you all enjoyed your New Years! Have a great week!

Hermana Griffin

Goodbye 2015

12/28/15

Can I just start by saying I feel robbed! My full year of being a missionary is gone... And all I did was blink! I am in shock thinking about how fast it went and how fast I know the rest will go. It's like trying to hold water in your hands, but watching it run out. Anyway, I'm trying to take advantage of what time I have!

Christmas was great. Very tranquilo. We went to Barrio 3 to visit A, one of the members, and we had lunch with her. Of course before leaving I had to see J! 


I miss that girl so much! But her and her family are good. Of course I wish they were more active, but they are doing well.

D didn't have a chance to read the Book of Mormon before we met because of the holidays and all, but he promised to read more before our next lesson. We'll see. We taught him the Plan of Salvation... He was not a fan because it's not what he's been taught for the last 15 years by the JWs. We're going to go back over and try and explain better. His lessons are hard because he speaks Spanish, but not super well, even though he's been here for about 15 years, so it's easier
for him to understand English, but my companion doesn't speak English. So it's about 50% English, 50% Spanish. He's got to be a little more open minded if he's going to progress, but I'm not giving up in him!

We've been meeting with K still. She is doing better with her health, but still not great, and two of her three are sick. But, on the plus side, her husband got a new job and now doesn't have to work
Sundays so it's more likely that they'll come to church because she won't be trying to get them all ready by herself and then taking the metro for 45 mins to church. Talk about a Christmas miracle! Anyway, we spent Christmas Eve with her and her family and then used their house to Skype. And they have also invited us for New Year's Eve! So that's exciting. We are seeing a change in her husband too as he is now at least willing to do family prayers with them instead of just K and the boys doing them. Honestly, they are wonderful. You'd all love them!

Bueno, not much else since Friday. Have a great week and a happy new year! I love you all!

Hermana Griffin

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Merry Christmas!


Things are good here in Barrio 4! It's been a great Christmas.

Yesterday, for Christmas Eve, we spent the day with President and the missionaries in Madrid. It was really wonderful. We had a special devotional with Christmas music and the Christmas story from the Bible and Book of Mormon and quotes from prophets and apostles.

  


 Super great and then after, we had a gift exchange and then we sung on the steps of the temple. It was really great to be with everyone again even though I feel like I don't know anyone after being in the islands.

After, we went to K's for dinner. Her and Hermana Valverde made Peruvian and Ecuadorian food. Super yummy!

 Papa Noel came and brought their kids gifts and brought us new pajamas too haha.




After we shared a message. I started  thinking at the end of the message, how blessed I've been the last two 

Christmases. Last year, I spent Christmas Eve caroling with missionaries and giving out pass along cards in the center of Alcobendas. This year, I was with a wonderful family
teaching them about Christ. I love being a missionary during Christmas. I'm going to miss it so much, but have been so blessed to spend two Christmases forgetting about material things and thinking about Christ and the spiritual growth of others. What a blessing.
   We have a new investigator named D. He is from Liberia. He's a Jehovah's Witness that some hermanas in the islands had contacted and taught a bit. He is currently reading the Book of Mormon and loves it. He is finishing Jacob right now and is obsessed with the parable of the olive tree. Anyway, we were teaching a lesson and a man walked up and started talking badly about the Book of Mormon. D picked up his Book of Mormon and started testifying to this man that it is another testament of Jesus Christ. He was even quoting parts of it. Coolest thing ever. After, we went back over Moroni's promise and D said, "I know I can read and ask God if it's true and he'll answer. That's what Joseph Smith did, he asked with faith and God answered. I can do the same." So basically he's just really prepared.
  
CCM group 1 year later

Bueno, one quick thought someone shared with me this week that I thought I'd share with you. What if Jesus Christ lived where you live?
Would you be willing to invite Him to visit your home? I have no doubt that every single one of you would. There is a promise to missionaries in the scriptures that says, "And whoso receiveth you, there I will be also, for I will go before your face. I will be on your right hand and on your left, and my Spirit shall be in your hearts, and mine angels round about you, to bear you up." The Lord himself has said, those who receive his missionaries, he will be there also. So if you want to
invite Jesus Christ into your home, invite the missionaries. They are the representatives of our Savior Jesus Christ in your area. How cool, no? A lot of the time, we forget how important the missionaries are and the work they do. Invite your missionaries over!
    Anyway, this week has been good. I'm loving my area, working as hard as I can. I wish I could be with you for Christmas, but would not change what I am and what I'm doing for anything. I hope you all have a fantastic Christmas and are able to enjoy it with your family and friends and also remember the true purpose for celebrating.
Love,
Hermana Griffin

New area!

Hola from Barrio 4! 12/14/15

This week has seemed so long. Adjusting to a new area is hard! But kind of fun too. I love the people here so far. Haven't met a single person that I don't love.

So I got here at 7 pm on Monday last week, which means proselyting time had already started. So, we went as fast as we could to the piso to drop off my stuff and leave. Luckily, the airport is in our area. Anyway, so we left and went to go visit this menos activa that lives


just down the road from us named M. She is the best. I like to
think of her as my Dominican grandma  anyway, we passed by and she
freaked out when she found out she was the first person I knew in the
area, she gave me a huge, minute long hug and insisted on making me
lentils. She's funny and they were delicious, so obviously I was not
opposed, especially since I hadn't eaten since 8 that morning. Anyway,
M basically is our third companion because we bring her to all of our lessons. I just love her. She wants everyone to know about the gospel and be baptized. Her coming with us all the time is definitely strengthening her and her testimony, you can tell.

 Hermana Valverde is great. We've had some really awesome lessons together honestly. We seem to be really united when teaching, which is the best, and I'm sure that'll just improve with time. I am learning a lot. Mostly Spanish, but also how to make delicious Peruvian food. I'm pretty positive I'm going to gain tons of weight this transfer...

We have a really amazing investigator named B. She is Dominican and truly looking for the truth. We taught him her the restoration and she loved it. She said she was going to read the Book of Mormon and pray that night because she needs to know if it is true. She's amazing! She understood the apostasy really well too and said the restoration all just made sense to her. Can't wait to meet with her again soon!

There is also a menos activa named K. She is just the sweetest. She has three boys, 16, 10 and 2 months. She invited us for Christmas Eve, so we'll probably be there with her. She told me I remind her a ton of her little sister, which is funny because she reminds me a ton of Naomi. Anyway, she had a high risk pregnancy and now is having a hard time getting back in the routine of going to church. She has an amazing conversion story and we reminded of her of how she felt when
she joined the church and it seemed to relight that fire for her, but then, of course, her middle son had a fever and her husband was out of town, so she had to stay home with him. No worries, I know it's just a matter of time for her!

Funny story of the week, we were sitting in a lesson, talking about the gospel of Jesus Christ and all of a sudden, the doorbell rings. Someone else who lives in the piso answers the door and we think nothing of it, until someone knocks on the door and says, "um, it's for you." Our investigator says he's not expecting anyone, excuses himself, walks out and walks back in shortly after. It was the police. They were undercover and they were there to take him to the police station because of some accusations. So, our lesson obviously ended. We go to leave and M starts preaching to the undercover police officers which was basically the funniest thing ever. Long story short, the problem was all a lie and he was free to go the next morning after spending the night in the police station.

So the area of Barrio 4 is huge. I've heard from a few people that it is 1/4 of Madrid. However, the active members make up something more like a branch. I'd say we have 40-50 active people including the children which are about 2/3 of that... So I feel kind of like I'm back in Blue Water, with a huge area and not many people! But hey, the Lord needs me here.

My district is fun. It's the zone leaders, Elder Voss and Elder Priest (who was in my MTC district), the sister training leaders,


Hermana Staker and Hermana Ross (who both were in the MTC with me), me and my comp and the elders from B4, Elder Forsberg and Elder Yokum.
So district meeting is pretty interesting.

Well, that's about it for this week. I love you all! Can't wait to see your faces next week!

Hermana Griffin

Good news, transfers

Hola Familia!12/07/15

    Ok, good news. First of all, president asked if I could extend, then transfer dates got changed, then I followed up on it and he had to ask permission, but long story short... Permission granted, IM EXTENDING!
So Merry Christmas to me  

   Second, transfers are today and I'm leaving to Barrio 4 in Madrid. That's like the sad part actually because I'm leaving a huge piece of my heart here, but the bright side is, Hermana Ross is in my district and I think there is a chance we may end in the same district together which has been my dream since we were in training together in Alcobendas. Also, I get to go to the temple now! Woohoo!

So yeah, I leave this afternoon for B4 which is kind of freaking me out, but at the same time I'm really excited to be going back to Madrid. I will not be sister training leader anymore, which is a
little sad, mostly I'll miss concilio, but it's nice to take a break and be on the other side of it all. My new companion is Hermana Valverde. I know just about nothing about her except she is 30
something, from Peru and really hardworking. I'm ready to learn lots from her.

   Anyway, this concilio was amazing. I felt like I learned so much. We talked about the importance of leaders and also the attitudes we have in all aspects of the mission. It was great. I felt like it was a
great way to end my time as a sister training leader. I love the opportunity that I've had to be instructed by and participate in the leadership of the mission. Also, while in Alcobendas, after concilio, the ayudantes took us to get Burger King and then to the office. One year later, dream accomplished of seeing the office. Less exciting than I thought, but still awesome.
I mailed my Christmas package home, just so you know. Expect that soon. mom, you'll have to distribute that all somehow
B family  ferret
. 

    So, saying goodbye to the B was the hardest part for me. They honestly have become my family here. Every one of them was bawling as I said goodbye last night, me included. I just have to come back and see them, I love them so much. It was just a really strong spiritual moment and I loved being able to end with a kneeling family prayer. I could not have asked for a better way to end my time with them. I'm not worried about them, I know that V has a super strong testimony of this church and will be baptized soon enough.

M is ready for her baptism on the 19th and it makes me sad to not be here for it, but i know it'll go well. 


D was crying saying goodbye too! So sad to leave him, but he assured me that he'd be 

emailing me lots and updating me on lessons and such. He's still doing
great here and progressing super well, love that kid. 

    Ok, not much else. Just something I wanted to share from my studies.

John 14:12 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me,
the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these
shall he do; because I go unto my Father.

If we have sufficient faith in Christ, we can do great things, even
miracles, things like unto that which Christ has done and even
greater! How amazing is that? That just shows the importance of faith
in Christ. We can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth us!
Not only faith is necessary to see miracles, but also sacrifice.
Sometimes I don't think we fully understand what sacrifice is,
sacrifice means something above and beyond the minimum. The Lord asks
us to obey what he commands. We know that blessings are based on
obedience to the laws upon which they are predicated, but as we
sacrifice and go that extra mile, go above and beyond, we are even
more blessed and that is truly when we see not only blessings, but
miracles!

I hope you all have the chance to see not only blessings but miracles
this week! I love you all! 

Have a great week!             Hermana Griffin

Grateful for everyone of you!

11/30/15 Hey beautiful people!

      This week has been good. Let's start with the two highlights of my week! First, S, my convert from Barrio 8, got married! I hope she doesn't mind, but I will be including a picture because I just
love these two so much! They are like family. Second of all, D got the priesthood! He was so happy, just grinning from ear to ear. It made my heart melt. I'm just so proud of that kid. Also, he taught the restoration like a champ and will be teaching the plan of salvation this week. They are also looking at potential callings for him and I know he'll be great just wherever he is!

 Bomb picture of district

Ok, so we went to the dunes Monday like you know... I still am rinsing out sand from my hair and ears... It's never going to go away. 

Anyway, We had a combined thanksgiving district meeting with the other district in our island too. We had our meeting and then celebrated. It was one of my favorite district meeting ever I think. We talked a lot about humility. Also, to finish, we had everyone go around a share their testimony and the spirit was so strong. It was beautiful to hear what everyone is grateful for. I hope you all know that I am so grateful for every one of you. Anyway, we all brought something for our lunch. We had chicken instead of turkey, stuffing, salad,mashed potatoes, rolls, triple chocolate cake, and fruit cobbler. Yum! Not traditional, but I for sure am not complaining. 

  I did intercambios with Hermana Grenfell in Vecindario too. That was a little weird because she is about to finish her mission and she was my sister training leader in my first area. She said she was glad we made it full circle though haha. Anyway, she is an amazing missionary. She reminds me a lot of my trainer. I really admire her and how hard of a worker she is. I can almost guarantee I learned more from her than her from me, but it was a good change nonetheless.
  J came to church! And stayed all three hours! She was even sick... But she said she didn't want to leave. The talks and lessons were incredible, honestly. The talks were about repentance and the
atonement, which I think is always the best. We had a combined third hour and talked about the Europe Area plan for the church and how to better do it as members. It was really fantastic. Our bishop talked about how we can better fulfill our roles as members of we do this plan. Really informative and really strong spirit. Loved it!
  Anyway, things are good here. This might be the end of the transfer, but maybe not... The church is changing the time in the mtc for natives, so that changes our transfer dates now, so this transfer date isn't super firm yet, and we'll also be finding out my new release date... Sounds like it might be sooner. We'll see.
  Things are good here. I've been extremely blessed to see so many miracles here. I was reading a talk this morning called "Live above the law to be free" and also, "That Ye May Have Roots and Branches". They were both a lot alike. They talk about obedience and the blessings we receive for being obedient and how our obedience shows our love for the Lord. Really, I can't explain it better than this general authority does, so go read them!
My traditional turkey!
I love you all tons and tons! Have a great week!
Hermana Griffin