WEEK 23: CADIZ CASCO ANTIGUO, CADIZ DISTRICT
8:18 AM
Monday- It was a pretty normal P day. Played a lot of ping pong and foosball again which is always nice. Also bought a Cadiz football Jersey! My goal is to try and get a football jersey from every city that I serve in in Spain (Granted if they have a team, although almost every city has a team, just the majority are not very good) Then that night we had Javi's baptism interview which he passed very well and yea that was our night.
Tuesday- District meeting for the morning which was nice. Then we went and ate lunch at Juan Ferrezuelo's house which was really good and Juan is always way awesome. Then we went and got all the baptismal clothing ready for Javi and he tried it all on to make sure it all fit and then we showed him how everything was going to work for the baptism and that was great, he was way excited. Then tried finding some new investigators and then visit some less actives, but they were busy.
Wednesday- For the morning we went and visited Juan the less active we are reactivating and he said he's basically almost given up smoking and he talked to the bishop about receiving a calling in the next month or so! That's way awesome, rescuing a member is just as good as baptizing a new one! Then our washing machine had broke (again...) in the morning so our land lady had to come over and fix it, which she did for free which was way nice of her. Then we went and ate at the Martinez family house, and their parents Milagros and Guillermo (who we always eat with as well) were there and Guillermo was celebrating his 82nd birthday! That was way fun, and the food was delicious, but way too much as usual... But that's okay, I'm fine with a 5 course meal every day, but I'm not sure the wonders it's probably doing to my health. Then we went to the hospital to visit Zaira because her mom just had a tumor removed and we went to see how she was, and we were planning on trying to share a quick little message with them inside the hospital, but I forgot how European hospitals work, which isn't the same as the US. Her room was shared without about 3 other people and it was kind of loud, and her mom had fallen asleep eventually, so that kind of fell apart. Then we went and taught English classes which was nice and then tried to contact some references we had received, but no one answered and our phone was being weird :(
Thursday- Weekly planning for the morning and then the regular Juani Ferrezuelo for lunch which was very very filling and quite good. Then we went and taught Javi everything that was left and then went to have a lesson with the less active Young Single Adult kind of recent convert guys Guillermo and Fernando and that was a good lesson. I was taught a really good parable on my spilt with Elder Alexander last week which is in Matthew 22, and it's really good to share with less actives, and everyone should read it because it's a great chapter too. And yea, that was our day.
Friday- For the morning we went to practice our musical number for the baptism the next day and that was nice and the rest of the morning wasn't too much. Then for the first time in weeks we didn't have a lunch appointment! We were actually a little relieved because we are getting fed a little too well, and we needed to have a break from a 5 course lunch that we usual have every day at members house. Then Javi just kind of wanted to meet again, and we did and just went over the baptism again and talked about him serving a mission maybe one day, and he said he will if the spirt tells him to. And I can assure that if he truly means that, we will be serving a mission, because the spirit tells people to serve missions, and he would be a great missionary. He said he will be thinking about it in the next few years. Then we went and visited some less actives that night, and it was good.
Saturday- One of the best days of my whole mission. No one of the best days of my whole entire life! The morning we played Futbol with all our friends in the ward and Javi and some other investigators and less actives. It was way fun. Then we went to start fixing everything up for the baptism. Then we received transfer calls! I won't tell you until the end. Then we had the baptism of Javi!!! It was such an amazing service and Javi asked me to bear my testimony and I did and it was such a powerful moment for me, then he was baptized, and he gave his testimony after. I also got to play clarinet for a musical number! One of the best moments of my entire life. Baptism, it really is the door to enter the kingdom of God and I could just see a new light in Javi. I never had such an amazing friend as Javi and I will never forget what he did for me in my life and his friendship. And I won't forget the lord and what he did in all of this, because really, all of this was because of him and the Holy Spirit. Then after we went and celebrated at an amazing pizza place!!! Best day ever!
Sunday- Well I'll just give it away now, I'm leaving Cadiz and so is one of the hermanas here. Today was just a giant day of goodbyes to a lot of the members. Church, we confirmed Javi as a member, and Elder Mitchell gave An amazing confirmation blessing. Then l had to give a little talk in sacrament meeting after. Then we went and ate at Juani's house for the last time (for me and Hermana Butler) and then, we went and had a meeting with our ward mission leader, and that was awesome. Then we had a family home evening with Javi and two of our investigators Zaira and her cousin in the house of Javi's girlfriend's aunt's house with lots of people and that was amazing, but the worst part was when I had to say goodbyes and people started crying, and so did I and I don't like saying goodbyes I've decided. It was a really bitter sweet day with lots of sadness, but lots of happiness for all the friends and family I now have here. I was born as a missionary in Cadiz, and it will always be my second home. The worst part was when people asked where hermana butler was going and she would say Sevilla
and everyone would say "WOW how cool Sevilla is so awesome!" Then I would say where I'm going and people would kind of go "Ehhhhh yea that's a nice place, I don't really know it, but I've heard it's cold and small and the people are very serious..." That was just funny though, it gave me a good laugh.
Well, I just want to say how incredibly grateful I am for this amazing city of Cadiz that I've had the opportunity to "be born" in my mission. It was the perfect place for me and I've had so many spiritual experiences, both trials and joys, that will make me always remember this amazing city, and the absolutely amazing people I have met here. I love Cadiz, and I love the people so much. I love being a missionary so much, it's the best thing I've ever ever done in my life without a doubt. Also I want to share my appreciation for my two incredible companions who I've had here, Elder Stephens and Elder Mitchell. Both have taught me so much on how to be a good missionary
and I know that they will be some of my best friends I will ever have in my life. Both are amazing missionaries and I will remember their influence on me for the rest of my life.
Alright, finally for where I'm going, and I will do it in a dramatic missionary fashion. Acts 23:11 "And the night following the Lord stood by him, and said, Be of good cheer, Elder Hirst: for as thou hast testified of me in Cadiz, so must thou bear witness also at Ciudad Real" Yep, I'm going from one of the most southern points of the mission to the most northern point of this mission. Ciudad Real is in the La Mancha province of Spain which is famous for it's fine wines, door making, and bricks. It's a pretty small city, and me and my new companion (who I already know because he served in Gibraltar/La Linea last transfer so he was in my zone and he's way way cool, Elder LLavina) are the only missionaries for about 1 hour by driving. Also, Madrid is only about an 1.5 hours away from me, but I can't go there because it's a different mission... But yea, so I'm extremely excited. It has a very... Well... Infamous reputation in the mission. It's a Little branch with about 16-20 members and well. Yea. But honestly i am so so excited to serve there. I've always joked that I would go there one day, I always said that I would go to ciudad real after Cadiz just because of how opposite of cities they are. And here I am. When my zone leader told me I would be serving there, I jumped out of my seat because I was so excited. It'll be such a different experience and I am really excited for it. I will miss Cadiz, but this is missionary work and transfers are just a part. WOOO!! Ciudad real!!
Ciadad Real, Spain
Main square in Ciudad Real
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