Sagrada Family... Our Sacred Family

Querido Familia y Amigos,

The big news of this week is that Sarah, Mark and our two oldest grandsons, Johnathan and David came to visit and spend a few days with us.  After being on the mission for seven months it has been such a joy to have them with us and spend a few days exploring the amazing architecture and antiquity and fill our farmhouse with happy noise.  It has been a blessing to share our mission joys and challenges with them. 

Together in front of Barcelona Cathedral

Elder Abuelo y sus Nietos 

We were busy every minute yesterday (Sunday), that we could night find one minute to write our blog.  We had our regular double meetings with a three-hour block in Le Seu and then after a quick lunch break we headed to Andorra to meet with our new group for another couple of hours.  We arrived home just in time to gather again at the church for a little farewell gathering for Elder Bromley who will be transferred tomorrow.  Without the help of Mark and Sarah, who made food for the evening gathering, I am sure we would not have made it through the day.

I started my week with a nasty head cold so Elder Fowers joined the Elders to climb yet another mountain and explore another mountaintop church, while I caught up on a few hours of extra sleep.

 

Conquering Mountains

Elder Fowers exploring San Vicente Church

Recently we have been holding weekly cooking classes with the sisters to teach them a few American dishes that are so common to us, but all new to them.  This week I had a few sisters join me to teach them how to make strawberry freezer jam.  The berries are beautiful this time of year so I found some pectin and made a few jars last week.  They tasted it on the fresh rolls from last week’s class and asked me to tell teach them how to make it.  I am almost to the point that I can communicate in Spanish when we are on a gospel topic, but I have no “cooking” vocabulary. So the cooking class was a lot of pantomime and demonstration with little explanation, but somehow I managed to teach them how to make fresh jam with they ate on hot waffles.

Just Jammin' with my Amigas

The long awaited day of the arrival of Sarah and family was Wednesday.  We had organized our work and planned ahead to that we could spend a couple of days in Barcelona.  We walked many miles in old town and spent hours exploring the amazing old structures including the Barcelona Cathedral, Sagrada Familia, waterfront port of Barcelona and many of the structures of Gaudi, the famous architect of the Sagranda Familia.  We loved every minute, but it was especially sweet because we were with family.

Sagrada Familia Main Nave

Interior Beauty

Mark and Sarah in Sagrada Tower

Gaudi's magic use of Light

Sagrada Exterior...the Passion of Christ

Gaudi's Animated Architecture

More Gaudi

Gaudi's Park Pavillon

Sarah enjoying Gaudi's Park

While at the Gaudi Park, Johnathan got bored with looking a buildings, so he set up shop and started entertaining the crowds with his "speed-cubing" talents to solve his Rubik's cubes.  He made 33 euros in just one hour!

Johnathan Speed Cubing

Friday was drove back to the farmhouse and introduced Sarah’s family to our life here in Le Seu, which as Sarah put it, “It’s like little house on the prairie Spanish style.”  Things are really slow paced and laid-back compared to the pace of the big city.  Yes, Sarah even had to hang out her laundry to dry since the farmhouse has no dryer!

Saturday we decided to drive to one of our favorite mountain top churches.  We wound our way back into the brush to explore some old gristmills that were hundreds of years old! Grandpa totally enjoyed the adventure as Johnathan and David joined him as the followed the creek bed and found beautiful pools of clear water.

Old Grist Mill

David rock hopping!

Sarah in the back country.

Johnathan at Mill

Elder Fowers has been functioning without counselors and a clerk for the past several weeks. He only has an Elders quorum president.  We lack priesthood leadership.  Some weeks ago Elder awoke one morning with the strongest impression that he should call Brother M. who is a priest, to be his counselor in the Branch Presidency and challenge him to step up and honor his Priesthood.  The only problem is that Bro. M and his wife have been less active for many years.  After several weeks of trying to get an appointment with them, we finally met with he and his wife last evening.  President Fowers proceeded to tell them that he had been impressed to call Bro. M. to serve as a leader in the branch, helping him to understand that he was needed and called of God. He promised him that the Lord would provide for him and solve his family problems if he would only exercise his faith and magnify his priesthood. The spirit was profound and he was clearly touched.  We left them with the charge to ask God through prayer for confirmation of the call and commit to return to the fellowship of the church.  It is in the Lords hands now.

Mi Sagrada Familia

Mucho Amor,

Elder y Hermana Fowers