Andorra Branch...The Building Begins

Hola Nuestras Familias y Amigos,

Keeping with an important family tradition of "Elder" care, initiated by the Richards missionary sisters, we started our first weekly pancake breakfast this past Monday for our beloved Andorra Elders.  Even without maple syrup, I managed to make and they handily consumed mountains of pancakes.  They were over the moon when we served them with fresh, cold milk from the cow that Elder had milked that morning.  They work so hard and we love them.  I am always moved to be with them during gospel lessons.  They teach with great power and spirit. 

Monday Pancakes Elders Graham and Cullimore

After breakfast they stayed to help us prepare for first Andorra Branch activity at the Farmhouse.  Elder Cullimore spent a couple of hours knocking down weeds, while Elder Graham and I made a table out of an old wooden gate and some wooden pallets. What made it ever more challenging is that we had just a few broken hand tools.  After much perseverance we were able to bet it made.

Rudimentary Carpentry by Hermana Fowers and Elder Graham

Tuesday evening, nearly everyone of our branch members along with a few friends, gathered for a bar-b-que potluck.  They arrived about 6:30 and didn't even begin to leave until about 10:00.  They are mostly South Americans that have immigrated to Spain and they so enjoyed the evening of socializing.  The grill was going all night and we could feel the unity build among the members as they laughed and talked together.  We are hoping that the well know phrase, " Mi Casa es Su Casa", becomes a reality as the come often to rejoice together.

First Branch Gathering at the Farmhouse

Members and their friends enjoying the covered patio.

Elder Fowers is still in farm heaven.  Wednesday, we heard an early morning tractor start up just outside our window. They were chopping out the field of corn that borders our house.  Before you could blink, he was out the door with his camera to take pictures to send home.  I have to admit the smell of freshly chopped corn brings a ton of memories of our farm days.

Corn chopper and truck, with our farmhouse in the background.

Thursday, the young Elders were away for a training, so we ventured out to Andorra on our own.  As beautiful as it is, it is more than scary to drive there.  With so little land, they have narrow, winding streets between multi-story buildings that wind up through the mountains and of course all the signs are in Catalan.  We drove around for nearly and hour lost...without functioning cell phones!  After much consternation we were able to find Bro. Hector who acted as our navigator for the rest of the day.  We went searching for menos activos (less active) members who stopped participating in church when the branch was moved from Andorra to Le Seu.  We were able to find Sister Maria Teresa!  What a dear elderly Spanish saint!  Even though they moved the branch many years ago, she has remained strong in her faith and dedicated to her personal worship and scripture study even though there is not a unit of the church there.  She was brought to tears when we explained that we needed her help to reestablish an "official" group there once again.  We are systematically finding "lost sheep" that we hope to pull into a group.  We then went to meet Jose, and elderly gentlemen who slowly lost his faith during his religious isolation, but Emily, a new member who joined us on the visit, bore a powerful testimony. We were humbled by her pure, determined faith.

Friday we drove to Barcelona at attend a mission-wide training under the direction of Elder W. Craig Zwick of the Seventies.  We were well rewarded for our efforts, spending the day immersed in the things of the spirit.  The training presented nearly totally in Spanish and I was able to track the major concepts presented...a tender mercy. I am beginning to see the promised gift of tongues in my life.  Elder Zwick was so powerful and concise in his instruction, helping us understand how simple the gospel of Jesus Christ really can be.  We often make it way to complicated when we teach. He taught us to keep it simple and intensify your message with powerful testimony.  

Elder Craig Zwick at Mission Training

Elder Bledsoe, an Elder from our home ward.

Finally at the end of a long day we took a moment to consider how blessed we are to be here in Spain, doing His great work, as we watched the sun set over the Pyrenees. We feel our Heavenly Father guiding the work as we try to build this little group of members into Saints who are motivated by their love Him.  Thank you for your thoughts and prayers!  Without all of your love and support we know we couldn't be here.

Mucho Amor,

Elder Y Hermana Fowers

Evening View from our Rock Wall