Blog Post 52!
This week has been pretty hectic. We have been trying to move some sisters from one piso to another in Sabadell. It's about an hour away from Barcelona, and we've been out there a couple of times already. First with the assistants moving the big stuff, and then with just us to move small stuff. Started the work of cleaning, bought a washing machine for the new piso, and so forth. We also had to go out to Reus which is a little over an hour from Barcelona (down the coast) to look at another apartment. Looks like we will be renting that one, but will have to get some bunk beds, and other piso supplies as well as an Air Conditioner before we can move missionaries into it. We also looked at an apartment in Catarroja (down by Valencia) via WhatsApp video with the sisters down there. I hope we can get that one as well. Things are getting pretty stressful as we look forward to the next two transfers where we are getting a boatload of missionaries if all of their visas come through.
Along with all of the piso drama, we've been hosting the family of one of our favorite missionaries who came back for a visit. He was the Secretary to the President and did travel. Great young man, and it has been fun to get to know his parents and sister as well. With all this going one, we've been in an all out sprint. This doesn't stop the problem calls from the missionaries. This week we had a couple of missionaries who somehow had a door jam which will probably have to be broken down. Spain never ceases to surprise!
Through it all, my sweet Brenda just seems to deal with it all. I am amazed at the stamina that woman has! She gets pretty stressed, but she just keeps plugging away, and the missionaries all love her for it.
It's been brutally hot and muggy. After an 8 hour sleep, the bucket that catches the water that the A/C pulls from the air is full. I can't forget to dump it, or I'd have to get a mop out to clean it up. I am very grateful that we have A/C though because there are those who do not, and they are miserable.
The life lesson I learned this week came from my Cuban barber. He was telling me about his story as he cut my hair this week. He had to learn to work very hard as a kid just to survive. One of the jobs he had was going to the local well, pulling water up with a bucket, and dumping it into a couple of tanks on a horse-drawn cart. He would then go to the apartments that don't have running water and lug it up stairs to them by hand. He told me that Cubans could only buy a certain amount of cigarettes and since he didn't smoke, he would go buy them, and then sell them to the smokers at a profit. He had to do that on the sly because it was illegal. He would take that money, and buy his barber supplies on the black market so that he could cut hair. Then he taught me this lesson. He said that a lot of people think that they need a lot in order to be happy. He said that he is happy with a small apartment for his family. He doesn't want a big place. He told me that always chasing happiness in material wealth will never bring happiness. You can be happy right now if you are simply grateful for what you have, and be content. I think that is a lesson we can all learn. Happiness is a choice. I once heard someone say "you can be happy miserable, or miserable miserable." Lot of truth to that.
We love you all billions, and hope that you can all find happiness in your hearts, and true joy through our hope in our Savior Jesus Christ. Have a wonderful week.
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