Our First "Greenie" Week
I can't believe that August has already flown by. This last week has been a real adventure. It marks our first full week here in Spain, and we both really feel like "Greenies". The Romneys have been very patient and sweet as they've been trying to train us. It seems like there's a million and one things to remember to do, each one of which will end in catastrophe if it isn't done correctly. It's got our heads swimming a little bit, but we're confident that we will eventually figure things out. Hermana Musser and I are going to be sharing an office and so I'm listening to her being trained behind me as I'm being trained, and I don't think it's fair as I haven't heard nearly as many whimpers from her side of the office as have come out of mine!
Outside of our office work, we really do live in a nice situation. Our apartment is nice although there are a few little quirks that remind us that we're not in the U.S. anymore. For instance, the air conditioner pulls the humidity out of the air and that water flows into a bucket out on the balcony that we have to empty a couple of times a day. The dryer sounds like you're trying to dry an M1 Abrams tank every time you turn it on, so we try not to use it as much as we'd like. When it comes to showering there is a VERY thin line between glacier ice melt, and molten lava, and it tends to shift quickly without warning. So, you have to almost keep one hand on the knob while you're washing with the other. We're also having fun figuring out what you can buy at the store, and what you can cook with what you find. Hermana Musser hasn't skipped a beat however as she still is one of the best cooks I've ever met (truth to which my belly size is a testament). My biggest enemy, surprisingly, is the keyboard on my computer. It's a Spanish keyboard, and I'm constantly having to retype stuff because I've inserted stuff that wouldn't be there on a normal keyboard. The worst part is I can't seem to retrain the muscle memory that I've developed for typing. GRRRR.
Hermana Musser has been planning on baking the famed "Brendadoodles" for the missionaries since before we came. She even brought Cream of Tartar because she figured that we couldn't find that here (which she seems to be right on that). However, she didn't anticipate not being able to find shortening yet. So, she found out that you can substitute Coconut Oil. They turned out delicious with a slight taste of coconut in them. I'm a fan!
Driving in Barcelona is going to be VERY interesting. The streets are seriously narrow, and there is almost zero parking. The church has to rent out a few parking spots for the mission cars (as the finance guy I can tell you it's not cheap!), and those spots would be difficult to park a "smart car" in much less the regular sedan that I'm going to have to drive. Add to that that there are concrete pillars all over the place that you have to weave in and out of, and unlike my 16-yr-old self, I'm not really a fan of driving here, but we'll do what we have to do. As a result we have walked to work most of the days. It's about a 25 minute walk and we've gone on several different routes to get there. Unfortunately, it's uphill on the way to work, and downhill coming home, so I arrive at work pretty sweaty. I'm hoping that once the weather cools down a little, that it won't be so bad.
The other night we were able to attend a concert that was put on by a few of the missionaries. They held it outdoors and it attracted a lot of people. They've been touring the mission. It really was fun. As part of the concert they had the primary kids come up and sing. Those primary songs invite the Spirit just as quickly in Spanish as they do in English. I'll attach a little taste of that. Hermana Heckmann told us that after the last concert they had a guy approach them and say he's a professional studio guy, and that he wanted to record them. So, they stayed up until about 2 A.M. and he recorded it. He'll give them the finished product after he mixes it properly.
We absolutely love President and Hermana Heckmann. They are very kind and patient. I'm sure that I'll be testing that patience once I lose my Elder Romney "crutch" in a couple of weeks. This coming week will be our first transfer week and so I'm girding up my loins - fresh courage taking as we look forward to whatever craziness we're faced with.
Bottom line is, the Church is true, these missionaries are amazing, and we're in it for the next 2 years. Just where the Lord has called us to be.
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