Hello

It's me, a somewhat tired Elder Knorr.

It's been a busy last two days. I went up to Madrid for a companionship exchange, beginning Monday morning, and it's lasted 2 days. This morning, we ended it by going up to Segovia for a Zone activity by bullet train. It was a fun activity, and it was nice to be in Segovia again, of course. However, I'm quite exhausted after so many consecutive days of unexpectedness and adventure. Not to mention that since we left the Madrid 1 apartment, I've been carrying around a 20 pound box of Libro de Mormon on my shoulder, or under my arm, or in front of me, etc., plus my two backpacks that I brought on exchanges. I'm a bit sore...

Rumors are that I've received a package while I was away and that it's waiting for me in the apartment. Only time will tell if these rumors are true.... :)

So yeah, Villalba is an awesome area. I thought I'd take some time to describe it to you.

Villalba is a small, uncelebrated, clean little town about 30 minutes from Madrid on the bus. It lies almost exactly halfway between Madrid and Segovia, on the Madrid side of the mountain range. Thus, it gets slightly warmer temperatures and not quite as much snow as the other side. It's population is mostly Spaniard, but with lots of South Americans (Colombians, Ecuadorians, Peruvians, Bolivians, Paraguayans, Dominicans, etc.), and an relatively large number of Morrocans (Muslims). There is also a smattering of Bulgarians and Romanians. Most of the activity in the city happens on Calle Real, the main street that divides the city in half. A river runs through Villalba, but it isn't a very pretty river. There are often ducks floating in it and I've heard that river otters have been spotted there occasionally.

The ward in Villalba is impressive: a large compliment of Spaniard members with a good mix of South Americans as well. It has over a hundred people at sacrament meeting every week, and is well known for its outstanding musical talent. There are many members of all ages willing to accompany us to lessons and help us in missionary work. That, plus the good work done here by Elder Holub and Elder Meek, is the biggest reason for all of the success here lately. I hope to continue the tradition.

I've enjoyed this last week, though today specifically I will sing praises when it's time to go to bed (I'm very tired). In the meantime, I'll keep working hard, meeting new people, sharing the Gospel and doing my best to please the Lord. La vida es una lucha, but with the help of Christ and the ones we love, we can win.

Take care! Thank you for the letters that have been sent to me recently. I appreciate beyond words your love and support.

Until next time,

-Elder Knorr