three week shafted part 2

Well, well, well, good thing I never really unpacked. :) I'm being moved to Malaga, or more specifically, Fuengirola. Which is once again on the coast, I guess there's just something about me and the ocean. :) Coast part 3 here we go!! I'll be companions with Hermana Roderer, who despite being in the same zone as, I know next to nothing about. I'm sad to leave San Fernando & Cádiz, but also I was only here for 3 weeks, so it'll be fine. The only part of this transfer news that I'm truly distraught about is that we will have a car. Not sure how many of you have experienced European driving, but it is not something I ever wanted to do. I guess I know why the office Elders were so anxious for me to send in the documents needed for me to get an international driving license now. :) Big sad, but I'll probably not be driving this transfer, so yay! President told me on the phone that I was going to the most beautiful area in the mission, and with how beautiful I find San Fernando to be, I have pretty high expectations for Fuengirola! I'll be boarding a train for Malaga on Tuesday (well one for Sevilla, and then switching to one to Malaga, with all my luggage, pray for me).

Also I went to Barcelona this week!! And it was high-key ~immaculate~. If the only reason God sent me here for 3 weeks was so I could be companions with Hermana Guerrero for the perfect window to go to Barcelona, that is fine in my book. We took a train to Sevilla and then flew from there, and my comps were straight up scrubs at the airport. Both of them hadn't flown in a long time, and I was trying to explain things (because an airport is an airport weather in America or Spain) but they didn't really seem to think I knew what was happening. They PURCHASED water before we went through security, and I asked if they could take that through security (because in my mind I was like...maybe security is different in countries that don't have 9/11 trauma???) and they said yes. The answer was no. Then when we got to the security the man said something to them, and then they didn't do it I guess, because in English he asked, "Do you need English?" And they were like no, but she does and points to me. The guy then looked at me, saw I was slipping off my shoes and had my bin full of all my belonging, gave me a thumbs up and moved on. They were also super nervous during take off, which I guess is understandable, just not something I personally relate to. I quite like take off on a plane, I have quite the faith in science. Being in a car drove by an office Elder here in Spain though....I fear death. Anyway all of that was super unimportant, but it was important to me.

Barcelona is so amazing though, I saw so many pretty things (2 castles??), and stood in the middle of the city while birds legit came and attacked me. At one point three were on my arms, and one ON MY HEAD!?! Hopefully one day I'll get to see that cool parts of Madrid too, because all I have seen so far is the mission office (and el templo, which is quite beautiful so yay).

Anywho here's a lil run down of my last week here in San Fernando/Cádiz :

A lot of this week was just citas for Hermana Reyes to say goodbye to everyone here. Which was super wholesome.

Margarita, a sweet member of the Cádiz Ward, heard I was American and had us over for Thanksgiving dinner! It was so sweet of her, and it was probably the most I have ever enjoyed Thanksgiving food. Probably because it was LITERALLY, made just for me, so it tasted extra sweet. We had the whole shabang, turkey, mashed potatoes, gravy, bread (bread here is so good!!), stuffing, cranberry sauce (still not sure what the purpose of it is), vegetables, yams and pumpkin pie to top it all off! My personal favorite part however was that in true, American style, she allowed us to dish our own food. A true blessing, which isn't very normal here. Usually they dish it for you, and give you an unreal serving that you are expected to finish; so that, combined with the incredible meal, made just for me, gave me a lot to be thankful for this week. :)

This week I noticed something during our lessons, and starting searching through my memories to confirm, and I genuinely don't think that in any of the lessons we've taught since I've been here, we have shared a scripture...like not one. Unless it's a member message, in which case we just share a scripture. But the lessons... like actual lessons, we haven't used a scripture...which is insanity to me. We were teaching a family from Columbia the Plan of Salvation the other night, so I could actually understand enough to semi-follow, and kept opening up scriptures from the LDM about what we were taking about, and they just...didn't get the hint. After that night I just kept noticing. There has been a lot of differences, that I have just gone with, but if we're not using the BOM to teach the restored gospel of Jesus Christ then there's a problem. I hated role plays as a new missionary, but I think I'm finally getting why we did them. The Book of Mormon isn't talked about for its power of conversation for nothing.

Speaking of, I've been trying to the read the LDM during personal study instead of the BOM. Which is rough, because personal study has always been my favorite hour of the day, and now most of it is taken up by reading one chapter (because it's my second language, and there's always sounds going on during personal study in the apartment, personal study isn't held to the same level of sacred as it is in the OEM here, to say the least). It's rough, and I end up re-reading a lot of verses in English. While reading I noticed a difference in Omni 1:13 between the English and the Spanish version. In English it reads, "as many as would hearken unto the voice of the Lord", but in Spanish the verb used is a conjugation of "querer", to want. "As many as [wanted to] hearken unto the voice of the Lord". When we're confirmed after baptism they say, "receive the Holy Ghost". We have to receive it, we are not entitled to it. It takes work. We have to want it, that's the whole point. Everything about the gospel, every growth point is something we have to want. If we don't want it, we won't work for it; and everything worth doing takes a little work.

I hope you all had a great Thanksgiving, I love Thanksgiving and I love gratitude. I'm thankful for everyone of you on this email chain, and it you made it this far in this monster of an email, I'm even more thankful for you. This has been a rough month. I've been out for a year, and I've never been more homesick or felt more out of place. I'm starting to believe there's a reason that you're supposed to deal with this while your greenie fire is still blaring. BUT I'm still so thankful to be here. I'm so thankful to serve the people here, to live in these beautiful places, and to suffer through learning Spanish. I'm so thankful for those 11 months in Oregon, and I'm so thankful for my knowledge of Jesus Christ and His restored gospel. I can't believe people go through life without it. I've never felt so alone as this past month, and can't imagine what I wouldn't done if I didn't know He was right there beside me. ♡

Sorry this is so long. I think not being able to talk to my companions makes me miss communicating my thoughts a lil' bit. :)

Hermana Shelton

F O T O S :

1 - screenshot of a bird attack

2 - la familia Rodríguez

3 - Juan y Susi ♡

4 - me @ Montjuic (low quality because it was send over messenger)

5 - Thanksgiving dinner

6 - Cádiz baby

7 - lil piece of Oregon

8 - 6th time boarding a plane with the tag!

9 - presidente de la estaca y su familia