Wow. Who knew the time would fly so fast? I don't feel like I've been out this long... it's just snuck up on me! I've been having the time of my life though. It just impresses on my mind the importance of making every day count.I laugh to hear about the "shrine" you've got of me. :) I'll try to take some pictures that will work well for a life-size cutout.
It is currently week 5 of the 6 week transfer cycle, so in a week and a half we'll have them again. Elder Zollinger and I are pretty sure someone is going to get moved but, as usual, we really don't know anything so it's all wild speculation at this point. I wouldn't mind staying in Segovia at all; I've grown to love it here.
As for my current whereabouts: I'm in Madrid again, within a minute's walk of the Temple. Since today is Preparation day and tomorrow is Zone Conference, we decided to come up early and spend the day here. We'll be staying in the Barrio 6 piso, and you know what that means... Elder Ogden!!!
Yes, we'll be having a grand ol' time today and tonight and tomorrow. I'm quite happy about it. We spent an hour or two already playing some futbol in the pit, taking some pictures and making some audio recordings. No doubt we will take and make more.I'm also excited for zone conference because that means we will soon receive mail again (finally). The cycle seems to be that we receive mail about once every three weeks, so I've resigned myself to that. But that will change, of course, if I get sent to a new area closer to the center. I can't wait to see what letters and packages are awaiting me. :)
The Swine Flu (or as they call it here, La Gripe A) is a commonly talked-about topic. I have been fortunate enough to avoid not only it but also almost every other sickness, and have been in good health this entire time. If I have been sick, I haven't really noticed at all, for which I am very thankful.Alfredo's family continues to progress well. He and his son William are our only progressing investigators right now but they're both doing really well with their reading and church attendance. They're just good people, that's all there is to it! I don't worry too much about not seeing success as I'd like to see it; baptisms isn't the gauge of a successful missionary.
Obedience and hard work are, so I focus on being as perfect as I can in those and leave the rest to the Lord. After all, the only baptisms I've participated in on my mission thus far were of the Mejia boys, neither of which I found or really taught very much. Someone else did all the work there. And with things going the way they're going now, it looks like I probably won't be the one to baptize Alfredo or William either. That doesn't matter though. All that matters is that they get baptized and stay strong afterwards. The details of who gets to do the ordinance is just superficial.We set a goal last week to push ourselves and make 200 contacts. The normal standard is to do 15 a day, thus getting 105 by the end of the week, but we wanted to put forth a special effort to find, so we doubled it.
We worked hard all week and... we got 201. :) There have been whispering rumors that I'm going to get transfered to the office. To these I respond "I'm too young to die!" :) Nah, I'm just kidding, I'd love to serve in the office and do the work there. We'll see what happens with the mazy ordeal we call transfers this time around.Now, I just want ALL of you to know that I'm very grateful for the letters and packages you've sent. I thank you ALL for your diligence in writing me, especially those of you who are more diligent. ;) And I very much enjoy receiving the letters, packages and pictures that come through for me, and I will gladly receive them for as long as they will be sent. Thank you, thank you, thank you!
Well, I need to get going now. Thanks for the email correspondences you sent me this week, I enjoyed them very much. I hope you all do well this week and keep smiling, no matter what!
-Elder Knorr
