Happy New Year!!!
It's hard to believe that 2025 is over and that we are in 2026. I can vividly remember as a kid looking way into the future at the year 2000 and thinking that I would be 41 when that happened. That seemed so old, and so far away that I didn't even care at the time. Now, however, It has been more than a quarter of a century since the year 2000, and I look way back at the 1900's and wonder what happened.
With the new year comes another realization. We have just over 6 months left on our mission. I have to wonder where the time all went. I can't help but think of Jacob in the Book of Mormon who said that "our lives passed by as it were unto us a dream". I've got 67 staring me in the face. Can't I just go back to that 41 that seemed so old?!?!? I guess I have no choice but to just go boldly forward, and do the best that I can.
On new years we had a zoom call for the mission, and invited those who have already gone home to join. It was fun seeing so many of them on the call. After hearing from President and Sister Heckmann, we did the Spanish tradition of the grapes. Basically, you have 12 grapes that represent 12 wishes for the new year. At the stroke of mid-night (in our case it was actually 11:00 so the missionaries could all get to bed) you eat a grape for every chime of the clock. It's kind of a fun tradition.
Friday night, since there was no institute, we decided it was high time we went on a date. We went to see Zootopia 2 and then went to dinner. The theater is in a mall that used to be a bull-fighting arena. The restaurants are on the top floor of the building. You go outside, and wander around to pick out one of several nice restaurants. It was a nice evening. When we got up there the fountain at Montjuic was going and I was able to catch a short video (see this weeks pics) of how beautiful it is. We will have to go there some night to get a closer look. It looks wonderful.
Of course, this week was no different than other weeks where we see tender mercies of the Lord in the work. The one I want to share with you is what I refer to as the "Miracle of the Ties". The Heckmanns wanted to make sure that all of the missionaries received some gift for Christmas. Most received packages from home/Amazon.es. However, there were several who's families couldn't afford something, or aren't happy that they're serving, or didn't care. Hermana Heckmann found a bunch of bracelets for the sisters, which Brenda wrapped for them. We needed to find ties for the elders. 4 needed to be found immediately because the APs were going to head out to Valencia and that would be the only way to get the ties to them. Another missionary happened to be in the office that day as well, and so we needed one for him, and then we needed 12 more for the rest. Well, I just happened to have 4 ties in my office that I was going to have on hand to trade with the elders (a mission tradition). So, I was able to send those 4 to Valencia. We also had another couple of ties in the office that we were able to give the elder who was there. Brenda and I needed to figure out where to get 12 ties quickly. We first thought of Amazon, but that would have taken a few days. Brenda thought about going to a little "chino" near our piso (you find these all over Barcelona. They are usually run by a Chinese family, and are packed to the gills with Chinese goods for sale). I was a little skeptical because this one specialized in women's clothing, which Brenda has loved. However, I thought "why not?" We went in and asked the little Chinese lady if she had any neckties. She said "just those up there" pointing to a hook with exactly 12 beautiful ties on it. We were able to buy them for 5 euros each. The next day Brenda wrapped them, and they will be going out to the missionaries before 3 kings day. Now, many people might think this was a coincidence. I do not. Somehow, a little Chinese woman running a woman's clothing store thought she needed to buy 12 nice neckties. I know that Heavenly Father is in the details of our lives. This is just one more evidence of that.
Of course, the biggest event this past week was losing Elder Holland. We were able to watch his funeral which was amazing. The overall thing I learned was expressed beautifully by his daughter Mary. She said that the only thing that would truly be sad in an eternal sense is if we were to turn away from the Gospel that Pat and Jeff spent their lives proclaiming. We ran across a verse in Alma 28 that resonated with me on this very thing. While Alma was mourning the loss of so many people at the end of a great battle he says the following in verse 12: "While many thousands of others truly mourn for the loss of their kindred, yet they rejoice and exult in the hope, and even know, according to the promises of the Lord, that they are raised to dwell at the right hand of God, in a state of never-ending happiness." The Gospel brings lasting joy and happiness. Death has no sting when we have been true to our covenants and stay the course. What a blessing.
We hope that all of you have an incredible new year. We hope that 2026 is the best year ever for you and yours. Love you all billions.
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