Random Sampler

Querida Familia y Amigos,

Sorry for the delay in getting our blog posted, but we had such a long day yesterday with three sessions of conference in two countries that I couldn't muster the energy to write the blog.  Many of our members do not have the technology to watch conference in their homes, so we hosted every session in the church both in Andorra and La Seu.  Even though I was weary, I was filled to the top with the spirit and messages from our beloved leaders and it was a joy to be together be with our members.  On Saturday evening session (which is actually morning session for you) I served hot apple crisp, a memory that is linked to my childhood.

La Seu members viewing conference...

and Andorra Group 

We are having a beautiful Indian Summer so our garden has not yet frozen and our morning walks (or runs in Elder's case) are beautiful.  We often wake to a cold fog but by 10:00 the sun is shining brightly and it glorious to be out and about.

Morning Sunflowers

Our seminary class is coming along.  We pick-up three students from La Seu and meet up with three more students from the Andorra group and hold seminary in the Hotel each Wednesday night. Elder Fowers teaches the lesson each week.  He was so excited about last week's lesson which was about Nephi and his brothers returning to Jerusalem for the Plates of Brass. The students were really engaged throughout as he told about how God put the drunken Laban in his path and beheaded him with his own sword.  Nearly to the end of the lesson, Elder Fowers was trying to explain that when Joseph Smith opened the stone box that held the golden plates, there was the every same sword of Laban.  Now the word for sword in Spain is "espada", but the word for spine or back is "espalda".  So imagine their amazement when Elder Fowers explained that the "Espalda de Laban" was in the box.  They were so confused about why they would have preserved his spine.  One kid asked, "Was his head there too?" We all got a really good laugh out of it, once we got it sorted out.

Elder Fowers' teaching seminary class.

Last Sunday just before our meeting started we had a film crew show up from the National Television Station. They wanted to do a little blurb on their local station about the new Mormon church in town.  We permitted him to film for just a bit at the first part of our meetings and then he returned on Thursday for brief interviews and filming of our missionaries out on the street.  We don't think it has aired yet, but we will let you know when it does.  We could use some positive publicity!

Since we live in such a small village, we often take a "walk about" around the town in the evening just to become a presence in the community and hope to run into a lost member or two.  Believe it not, quite often we will encounter someone we had been hoping to contact and have a pleasant chat.  This week we ran into our dear friend, Chieta who had not been able to attended church for several months since she got her new job.  What a delight to see her!

Our dear friend Cheita

While wandering the streets last Friday night, we noticed a couple that were in fancy, native costumes. We assumed that they were headed to some cultural event and we decided to follow them. Sure enough, on one of the back roads near the Cathedral they were holding a celebration and had invited a band and Catalonian dance troop to perform.  It was delightful!  Elder Fowers struck up a conversation with a few of the couples and found out that the dance which is called the "Baile Cerda" was a courtship dance. It goes back many centuries, and was performed when the mountain folk would come to the valley for the annual festival looking for a bride. We spent an hour or so just mingling with the town folk, trying to understand their history and culture while we shared with them our purpose as missionaries.

Hermana Fowers with our local giants.

Baile Cerda...Cultural Dancers

Catalonian couple performing Baile Cerda

We spent the day with our Lleida District Elders and Hermanas. We hosted a special preparation day lunch and showed them the sites of Andorra.

Lleida District

Bells of Fantenada Church

Elder Fowers with District on our favorite medieval Bridge

Everyday is a different adventure as we serve our members, our missionaries and even our community.  We do all we can to introduce the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to any and all that will listen. So many that we speak to have never even heard of the Mormons, so our goal is to make sure they know a bit more before we part ways.

Con Mucho Amor,

Los Fowers