Sweet Hermanas!

This week I am just grateful to be a missionary.  With our time quickly approaching to leave our mission life behind us, I am more grateful than ever for the privilege that we have had to serve this mission.  We talk a lot as missionaries about the privilege it is to wear our "chapas" (the Spanish word for name tag.) 

As I look at my chapa, I always think about the fact that there are two names on the tag, mine and the name of Jesus Christ (Jesucristo.)  I am grateful for the opportunity that I have to represent Jesus Christ. I am grateful to share the knowledge I have of His gospel and of His atoning sacrifice.  I am grateful to have this time to spend working with the wonderful people in this mission, as we work together to share a message of joy and happiness with the people of Spain.  Our time is growing short, but what a wonderful experience it has been to serve in our callings!

I am not quite sure where the week went to.  With the few pictures I took, it doesn't look like we did too much.  There were many hours spent at the office, doing that all important work.

I did spend my Pday with two of my favorite hermanas, Hermana Marsh and Hermana West.  We wanted to play together one more time before Hermana West leaves us.  We ate with the elders at a yummy Greek cafe in downtown Madrid.  Too bad it isn't close to us.

We did a little bit of shopping.  I found a pretty Madrid apron for Caroline. 

And we had to enjoy Llao Llao Yogurt one more time.

Elder Larsen picked me up in time to meet at the Packs. Caroline was out of school for the day, so she had her friend birthday party.  If you have been counting, this is the 3rd time she has blown out birthday candles.  I guess you have to party big when it is your 16th birthday, and you are in Spain, and you can't get a driver's license!

Earlier that day, Hermana Pack was able to get pick the Hermanas up from the hospital.  We were all glad to have Hermana Figueiredo doing better.  They spent the next couple of nights at the mission home.

Then we went with the Packs to meet the Esmiols and the Woodburys downtown to get a bite to eat. The Esmiols are serving in Gran Canaria and the Woodburys are serving in Oviedo. They had to come back to Madrid to get their residency cards.  They had enjoyed an afternoon at the Prado Museum. The Esmiols spent the night with us.  We talked for quite awhile about our Young Single Adults on the Islands.  It made me homesick.  They are planning a conference and have gotten permission to use the old mission home.  The Esmiols are just wonderful. They are so full of enthusiasm and I know they will be a great blessing the young adults.

It was a little bit of a sad week as we realized that everything we did with Elder Koeven would be his last time, as he is going home on this next transfer.  He is a great young man and we have loved serving with him.

Saturday night, we found out that Hermana Figueiredo was being transferred from our ward.  I just love these two hermanas.  After our hospital event, I have grown especially close to them.  She won't be far away, but we will miss seeing her on a regular basis.  It is so good to see the sparkle back in her eyes!