Hey
everyone! How are you all doing today?!
This week
has gone by so fast! I can hardly count the days as they go by! Hahaha! Well,
in Spain it was Mother’s day and it will be Mother’s day in the States before I
can write another email so I will take this opportunity to say "HAPPY MOTHERS DAY!!!!" ❤🦄🙌🎆🎈🎉🎉🎖🎊🎊🏅🏆🥇 Its sad that Mother’s day
isn't celebrated too big here but I celebrate big in my heart and when my
actual Mother’s day will come. I love you Mom!!! You’re the best Mom that
there is!!!
We had a
pretty good week. We have seen lots of miracles this week, and I know that it
is because we are doing the right thing and trying our best as well to do the
work. Of course, obedience is key in matters such as these. The miracle that I
want to talk about is when we did an Intercambio (exchange) and I was in my
assigned area. We were on the outskirts and I got the feeling to pass by this one
point. It was a member’s house with a non-member, who was actually a referral
for us. But I kinda of wanted to go by [a few other areas] to clear them up.
But I finally decided to go to the [original place] that I felt we had to go
to. Turns out that the member who lives there is named Lexy and she lives with
her boyfriend and son. She has been going to church on and off for the past
couple of years. But now we are going to get her going to church again. She normally
isn't at home at the time that we passed by, but she had already bought her
groceries and decided to clean so we caught her while she was at the house. I definitely
know now that it was the Spirit who was pushing me to go pass by them.
For our
Preparation Day today, we went to Castle Olite (O-leet-eh). Wow that was so
amazing! We took a bunch of amazing pictures and I was having so much fun. I
was just being crazy and my normal self, kind of dancing around, doing a little
jig. Things like that. Hahaha! We had to pay $3.50 to tour the castle
but it was pretty much worth it. We went up pretty high too, like where they
hang the flags on the castle. I will tell you all right now that it was a
little too high for me. Lol. I bought a new shirt today, so I can have a little
variety, ya know. We picked up elder Vargas' glasses today. He asked me to pay
the other $30 euros, which I did. Wow, just when I thought that the
day was going so well and I would get my full 2 hours to write and read my
emails. Guess I was wrong. Sigh.
We did
have Zone Conference this last week. Wow, it was a pretty good one too! So, if
you all are wondering, I did sing, and it was pretty good too. I started a
little early, but everyone told me that it was super good and that we sang
beautifully. I got two letters this week, one from aunt Chris and one from
grandma. And I got my Phase 10 cards as well!!!! Yay, and I love them so
much.
It was my
brother Daniels birthday on the 4th of May so a shout out to him.
And I forgot to do a shout out to my brother Joshua for his birthday on January
2nd so shout out to you as well Joshua! LOL.
Elder M
and Elder V got into a little heated discussion about one of our investigators.
His name is Miguel and he moved into the other Elders area a little while back.
Well, Elder M never talked to us about trading him over completely and we
thought (Elder Eiguren and myself) that we had permission to keep teaching him (after
he moved). Well he is really close to his baptism, but Elder M wants him now
because he lives in their area. Now here is where I'm torn. Yes, we should transfer
him to the other Elders because it's their area and Miguel can get to know the
members in his ward. But he is so close to his baptism that we don't want to
switch everything to him and lose him a week before his baptism. So I am praying
to the Lord about it. I'll let you all know when I get a response, or something
happens. So yeah, that's happening right now.
Some
spiritual insights from what I have been studying is from the Book of Mormon. I
have been reading in the Mosiah right now and King Benjamin has finished giving
his speech. Something that impressed me about him was that he labored with the
common folk of his kingdom. Then later we read that King Mosiah has done the
same thing. Therefore, it is a testimony to me of the power that is in the example
of someone. Mosiah walked after the ways of his father. Just Christ has done
nothing save he has seen the father do it as well. The power of example is what
can lead us to salvation or trials and tribulations in this life. If we follow
the good examples in life such as the Savior, we will become closer to him as
we become closer to being like him.
Well, I
got a lot of pictures to send right now so I hope you all enjoy them. I love
you all and be safe out there! Keep the faith!
Love
Elder Maybury
Me and Elder Vargas walking the streets of Pamplona!
*That's my boy...doing pull-ups where ever he can 😄*
*I love how he is standing appropriately an "arms length away" from the hermanas*
*he crafted this picture and pose...love his personality!*
After a FULL day of P-day Activities ... tired!
This is me and my companion at the church preparing for the English classes which we do once a week
Well, as
you can tell, the work is alive and thriving in Spain! The one thing that I love about my son (among
the others I have written about), is that he doesn’t let things keep him down
for too long. He keeps smiling. He keeps up that light-hearted side of things
that ultimately brings a smile to others.
Another really cool thing that I loved about his week's pictures was that you will notice that he is wearing his hat facing FORWARD. He often wears it backwards and he did that almost every single day the year before his mission. So, I told him that I really wanted to see his hat facing forward and that I think it ensconces his face far better when it is forward. Well, look at my obedient son. Hahahaha!!! He did it for his momma! 💕💕💕💕💕💕
Regarding
this business of transferring an investigator over to new elders…well, missionaries
are assigned to track and teach in specific areas. Investigators can be transferred to different
missionaries for a variety of reasons, namely, moving into a different area,
etc. When Elder Maybury asked for my
counsel, I told him to ask himself one question and it was this: “What is best
for the investigator (versus the ease, comfort, or stats of the missionaries)?” When you look at things in this way, the
answer seems to fall into place. I know
he will do the right thing.
So, these
past 2 weeks, he has only had 15 minutes of email writing time, as opposed to
the 2 hours he normally gets. It has
been frustrating for him and a little sad for me, but I love that he is working
it out with his companion. In the past,
pre-mission, he would have just never said anything and let it eat him up
inside. Now, he is learning to be
compassionate and diplomatic when discussing an issue in the
companionship. Boy, if that is not
preparation for all future relationships (business and personal)! So, even in
the trials and difficult moments, the Lord helps us become stronger and grow
more.
I am
excited to hear that he sang again in Zone Conference. This is one of the things that I miss a lot
about him – he was always singing. And
directly connected to that, he was joyful as a person. I think he brought a ray of sunshine to
wherever he was. He is my son who not
only sings, regardless of who is around, but he will dance and spin, just
because, and he likes to go in the backyard and play with a pretend light-saber…just
because. Hahaha! It was always so funny to watch him through
the windows to the backyard just having a lightsaber duel with an imaginary foe
in the backyard. This is the joy that he
carries inside of him. When he was a
baby, he always had to be with me – in my arms, on my lap, or able to see me in
the room – and to this day, he likes being around people and his parents (yay). Over the years, I have seen this God-given
trait develop and grow into a beautiful thing, wherein he brightens the day of
those he is around. He is a kind-hearted
person (something he gets from his father), and he is a giver (something he
gets from his grandmother), and he is loves to sing and dance (something he
gets from his mother). It is beautiful
to watch these traits be alive and well while he is over 5,000 miles away from
home. He is growing into the man that he
will be, and I love it.
Thank you
to those who have sent him a letter or a card.
As you can tell, it brightens his day to get any mail. If you would like to send him a letter or a
card, you may do so at the following address:
Elder Alexander J. Maybury
Spain
Barcelona Mission
C/Calatrava
10-12, bajos
08017
Barcelona
Spain
All mail
will require one international stamp = $1.15 / up to one ounce
Emailed: May 7th
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