Misión de Fowers en Barcelona, España: Still Searching

Querida Familia y Amigos,

Hermana Fowers and I have been trying to visit all the known members in their home during the last three weeks of our mission. We know that some of our flock will gladly receive us, while others are lost and don’t want to be found. Either way, we have set the goal to leave our blessing with each who will open the door to us.

Our first visit this week was to Mari Ruiz, 28 years old, who to Andorra emigrated from Paraguay. She joined the church as a youth being the only member in her family and has remained strong in the faith even through difficult times. Similar to most of the immigrants, she is over worked and under paid by her employers. Presently she has three jobs and is not able to attend church. We met with her and gave her some council while trying to lift her spirit.

Saying Goodbye to Mari

Later in the week we met with Gladys, 29 originally from the Dominican Republic. She too joined at a young age with her father and has fond memories of growing up in the church, attending Primary and Young Women. She is now a single mother with a hyperactive 5-year-old son, living in this foreign country with her mother who dislikes the church. Her older brother has recently been committed to a mental institution. Gladys has only come to church once during our service here. However, she still has the glow of the gospel in her heart, loves the hymns and prays every day. She knows that God hears her prayers, and of her desire to return to church activity. We told her that our arms would always be open to receive her.

I mention Mari and Gladys only because these are those to whom President Nelson referred in his opening comments last Tuesday as our new prophet of the church. He said: “Come back, remember your covenants. This church has a place for everyone.” That same rescue has taken the majority of our time here in Spain and Andorra including many others that we spoke to this week. We thought we had rescued some, later to rescue them again. We must never give up on anyone, providing all the opportunity to feel the joy of the Lord in their lives again.

Once again we joined with the missionaries to help our farmer neighbors Juan and Carmen with their annual pig slaughter and “butifarra” (sausage)-making gathering. Our “Mormon Helping Hands” must have tied up 50 yards of various flavors of butifarra! Believe me, nothing is discarded in the process. Elders Warr and Hughes really got up to their elbows mixing the pig parts… sometime missionary service is rendered in unorthodox ways. Juan and Carmen appreciated the help and they tell everyone in town about their great Mormon neighbors.

Unique Service

Missionaries-earnestly mixing pig parts!

Carmen and Hermana Fowers in Slaughter Room

Elder Fowers, Carmen and Juan (with unnamed friend)
mixing blood sausage

We spent three days this week in Zaragoza, Spain that is 3 ½ hour drive to the southwest. Our assignment was to help the elders there find a new piso (apartment). After endless phone calls to rental agencies, tromping all over town to check out the local listings, we finally found the perfect apartment for the Elders to call home. Now if we can just teach them to keep the toilet clean!

Spain has a deep, rich history. We were able to find a few hours to explore the Palacio de la Algaferia, a well-preserved 11^th century palace that lies in the center of Zaragoza. The architecture had a dynamic Moorish influence since the control of the palace changed hands many times over the centuries. The earliest foundations of this amazing palace surrounded by an impressive moat, date back to the 8^th century. It was hard to wrap our brains around the idea that this majestic building has been continuously occupied for more than 1300 years.