Books, Roses, Knights, and Dragons

 


This week was pretty busy for us. On Easter Sunday we had 10 missionaries and a recent convert to our house for dinner. We needed to borrow a folding table and a bunch of chairs from the office, and it was really crowded, but it was neat to have all of those missionaries in our home on Easter Sunday. We hope that your Easter was wonderful. 

Another big event that happened this last week was on Wednesday. There is an interesting holiday in Catalonia called Sant Jordi. As the legend goes, there was a kingdom that was under tyranny from a dragon. Each year a maiden needed to be sacrificed to the dragon to keep the peace. One year the lot fell on the princess to be sacrificed. A brave knight named Sant Jordi rescued the princess, and killed the dragon. Where the blood of the dragon fell to the ground a rose bush bloomed. Somehow that legend has turned into a festival where you give a single red rose or a book to a friend. President and Sister Heckmann have had their eyes on this for some time, and ordered several pallets of copies of the Book of Mormon for the members to give to their friends on Sant Jordi. On Wednesday morning, I looked out my window and saw several tables being set up where vendors were selling red roses. The stakes in Barcelona also set up tables where we were handing out Books of Mormon. It was pretty interesting to watch. One local flower shop that we pass on our walk to work had gone so far as to sprinkle rose pedals all over the ground in front of their store to get people to buy their flowers from them. 

Anyway, as part of the challenge, one of the office elders gave us a couple of Books of Mormon to give away. Benda chose Eugenio who is the concierge of the building where the office is. I thought of the guy who cuts my hair. I call him my "Amigo Cubano". He's from Cuba and my goal is to be able to understand his Spanish by the time I go home. He talks a million miles an hour, and it is obvious that he likes to be around people. Anyway, we wrapped our gifts up and waited until Wednesday. I had needed a haircut for about a week, but waited until Wednesday to go to the barber. I gave him my gift after he cut my hair, and he gave me a hug. On Saturday I got a call from one of the office elders who went to get his hair cut there, and without being asked, my Amigo Cubano told them that I had given him a Book of Mormon. They asked if he had read any of it, and he said that he has started to. I'm excited to see how this goes. We didn't see Eugenio before we had to leave on Wednesday so we left it on his desk. He later commented to President Heckmann that he now has two copies (apparently Sister Heckmann beat us to it), and President Heckmann said "that's great because now you can have one at home, and one here." He then read out of 3 Ne. 11 with him. Anyway, it's all pretty exciting to think that we have planted a couple of seeds.

On Tuesday night Brenda and I decided to walk down the main Rambla in Barcelona to take in the sights. It was kind of fun. There is a place there that contains a whole bunch of individual shops that sell tons of different items like spices, candy, meat, fish, fruit, empanadas, jamon, olives, and a bunch of other stuff. It was fascinating to wander through there.

On Wednesday night we had a senior couple from Valencia come to stay for a couple of days. The Johnsons were here to meet with the government officials to start the residency process. They are delightful. He sang in the Tabernacle Choir for 20 years. We ended up taking them back down to the Rambla because it was so much fun for us and then ate at a wonderful Italian restaurant down there. It was fun. 

On Saturday, we were able to watch Adam's boys do a piano recital via video call. I am super grateful for the technology that allows us to talk to each other from opposite sides of the world face to face. What a blessing that Heavenly Father has provided. I can't help but remember when I was a missionary in Uruguay when the only means of communication we had was via letter. It would take 2 weeks one way to send a letter, so if I wanted to ask a question it would be a month before I could get the answer. Most of the time, I would have forgotten what the question was to begin with. Now, video calls are so commonplace that we take them for granted. It's all important though as the Lord needs these tools to hasten His work. 

I am grateful to be able to be here, and be engaged in His work. We are being stretched, which is sometimes a little painful, but it's wonderful to be eye-witnesses as these wonderful missionaries work so hard to share the Gospel. We love it. We love and miss you all, and pray that the Lord will watch over you and keep you safe.


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