How's Everyone Doing?
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| Elder Knight and Elder Larkins |
So first full week here in Spain. Kind of crazy, but definitely got to have some amazing experiences. Technically though I wouldn't call this a full week because we went back to Madrid this Wednesday. We spent two full days there and got to go to the Madrid temple and have mission conference with Elder Alliud. He has such a strong testimony and his outlook on life really helped me grow. Now it was all in Spanish so my understanding of it was probably not that good, but you could feel the spirit speak through him. However the Spanish will come some day just have to keep working at it. Truly all things are possible through God, even me learning Spanish.
I love my ward though. They truly are all such great people. This Sunday was Father's day
for us and they brought cake for the whole ward. The primary even sang a song
that they threw together during our 2nd hour of church. It was a really special
sacrament meeting, plus we got cake.
Also!!! This week I got to see my cousin! Crazy we get to serve in the same mission! We actually opened our calls on the same day and now we are finally both here! Hopefully we can figure something out and be companions, but who knows...either way definitely feels good to see family!
Miracle:
I had an experience that reassured me of the fact that on our missions we do not teach
others through our own words, rather we are tools to be used by God and he uses
the holy ghost to speak through us. This week we got so lucky to have the
opportunity to meet a new amiga. Her name is Ilda and she is amazing. She loves
Jesus Christ and does not stop talking about him. One night my comp and I were
walking home and Ilda called us (usually never happens that way but we were so
glad she did) she wanted to hear a message of the Lord. So we rushed back to
our apartment and taught her a lesson. She asked me to say the prayer because
everyone loves hearing the new guy try to speak spanish. After I put together a
prayer that definitely wasn't the best spanish at all, I looked up and I could
see the power of the spirit comforting her. There was a feeling of such great
peace. God is always making miracles happen, we just have to be prepared to
receive them.
Scripture: 2 Nephi 31:20
The importance of feasting on the word of Christ. Reading the scriptures everyday will change your life, it definitely has already changed mine. I love trying to find little differences I have never noticed before in the scriptures. Elder Holland once said regarding scripture study, "This is not fast food, this is a Sunday meal. We are going to take time with it." It's so true, the more attention we give the scriptures the more blessings we will receive from them.
Life is definitely not always easy, we all have harder times, and in these harder times
we can sometimes feel we are only making mistakes. That is the best part of
Christ's atonement for us. It allows for us to repent. One lesson I have
learned during this week is during the sacrament to not only remember things
that I want to repent for and try to do better, but also to try and remember
the things I did well and where I felt God was pleased with me. That way every
week I can see how much I have grown.
~ Elder Larkins
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| Elder Larkins at the Madrid Temple |
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| Love the Temple |
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| No tie day |
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| Always fun to look at shoes |
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| Madrid Spain |
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| Elder Larkins and the missionaries during the conference |
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| Spain Madrid South Mission Conference |
Great Pictures ! Elder Larkins--:) Looks like you're having a great start to your mission- so happy to got to be in the MTC--there's a special spirit there. Looks like your companion is Spanish? That's the best way to learn the language. I never had a Japanese companion and wished I had had one for the language.
ReplyDeleteAlways be happy no matter what--that's what will help the long days turn into short days. May the Lord continue to bless you in the work of sharing the gospel with others to help them improve their spiritual lives :)
Take Care Ed J