BLESSED...

Hola Familia y Amigos,

Yesterday my late brother-in-law, Lon Hansen was inducted posthumously into the Weber County Cowboy Hall of Fame at a ceremony that took place in the Union Train Station in Odgen, Utah.  Marie, his wife and my younger sister, received the award and belt buckle while friends and family gathered in admiration of this achievement.  In our world today it seems like much of the public recognition, awards and praise often go to those that are undeserving of such, thus rendering the recognition meaningless.  For Lon this was certainly not the case.  He was so talented in many areas of the true cowboy spectrum.  In retrospect, it was best for me to leave the farm, so Lon could have a venue to build and share his creativity with so many.  I could not have asked for a better brother-in-law. His memory will live on through the numerous artistic creations he left behind.

Marie Hansen honoring an amazing man...her beloved Lon.

We are so proud of all of our kids.  We know that our family has been blessed as we have served here is Spain.  We are deeply grateful and humble as we watched from a distance.  We can't begin to list the blessings, large and small, in the lives of our kids and grandkids as they have flourished in our absence.  We would like to recognize our youngest son Jesse; he is entering the work force after decades of higher education. He will be working with a public utility company in Baltimore calculating electricity demand.  You might say it is a step or two up from a lineman’s job and certainly better than driving a sweeper truck.  We are proud and excited for him.

Last Monday night at our farmhouse we held the first introductory class for our temple preparation seminars with the goal to prepare seven people to receive their endownments in the Madrid Temple in December.  Hermana Lasley has worked over 25 years in the temple both in San Diego and Minnesota. What better teacher for our little branch?  She carries such a sweet spirit as she helped them understand the sacred and special edifices we call temples.  Others members also attended. Hermana Fowers baked hot rolls served with fresh peach jam and homemade cheese from our neighbor’s cows.  It was a heavenly treat to talk about heavenly things. We also added to the discussion by describing how our temple sealing will assure us of raising our son Justin some day, which brings us immense comfort.  After the fireside, we all gathered for a picture and then stepped outside to enjoy the cool evening and to admire our garden.  There was a feeling of peace and no one wanted to leave.  We know that the little branch will be strengthened greatly if these seven members can prepare themselves for the temple and continue in faithfulness.  Our mission will have been accomplished.

Temple Preparation Fireside

Since arriving in Spain I have kept one new white shirt in its original wrappings thinking I would use it later.  However, when I ordained Jordi last week with the Aaronic Priesthood, I knew it was time to put the shirt to good use.  Today he is the proud owner of a new, imported white shirt, but moreover he is a proud priesthood holder passing the sacrament for the first time.  He was emotional as he placed the tray for me to partake of the bread.  There were only 11 in the chapel today, which made it even more intimate. This was a sweet blessing to see him pass as Rui blessed the sacrament for the first time—two less-active men, now honoring their priesthood and fulfilling their duties.  Reactivation is a sweet part of missionary work.

Prepared for his Priesthood Duties

On Wednesday we took Hermana Lasley back to Barcelona for the final three days in Spain.  We toured the Sagrada Familia, the Barcelona Cathedral, Christopher Columbus monument and the seaport.  We overheard many different languages as we walked down the main Rambla that was packed with tourist from all over the world.  We ate lunch just off the main Rambla overlooking and old ancient Roman burial site.  Some of the headstones went back to 8 AD. The antiquity of Spain never ceases to amaze me. It was difficult to say goodbye to such a sweet friend who touched the hearts of so many in just three short weeks.

Elder and Hermana Lasley enjoying the Sagrada Familia

Delighted!

Tourists with Christopher Columbus in the background.

Barcelona Cathedral

The most important work that we do is one on one.  We filled much of our time with visits to individual members, nurturing them in their own homes as we try to impart our love for them and help them understand the greater love of their Savior.  However, never do we intrude on these relationships by pulling out our camera for a photo.  I fear that you only see the "fluff" in our blog every week, and not the intimate work we do "in the trenches" with our dear friends as we serve them one on one. We come away from each encounter feeling like we are the ones who have been blessed.

Con Mucha Amor,

Elder and Hermana Fowers