10 months....AHHH!

¡Buenos Días!

Well this week went WAY too fast! I think I could say that about most weeks on the mission, though. Today is my 10 month mark...I can't believe that 1 year is right around the corner already.I'll just try not to think about it haha

On Tuesday I did splits with the Utrera Elders. I always love doing splits because you get to meet all new people and see new areas. And this one was particularly good because they have a DRYER in their piso! I took all my socks and my towel so I could put them in the dryer after I washed them, haha. They also live near an American base and they got us ROOT BEER! Yes, that's right - real life A&W Root Beer. AND when we visited some members they gave us Root Beer FLOATS! It was almost too much to handle...Root Beer twice in one week. It was a truly incredible experience hahaha

Elder Wells and I had quite the elevator adventure this week. I'm not sure if I have ever talked about Spanish elevators before, but I would like to say a few words about them today. They're awful. This is just one example: On Thursday we were in an apartment building in a pueblo called 'Nueva Sevilla' and we were coming down from the 11th floor to the 5th floor. And then it passed the 5th floor so we tried hitting the 4 button to stop it at the 4th floor. It didn't stop then either. So we figured we would just go all the way down and then go back up. That is, until it stopped itself between the 2nd and 3rd floor. The elevator doors opened but the door to the outside was locked and we couldn't open it. Luckily some people saw us and went to get the emergency key. We found our way out after a little while and climbed down onto the 2nd floor. We weren't in there too long, luckily, but it was long enough! But, as much as I may gripe about the elevators, it still beats walking up 11 stories of stairs. I guess the moral of the story is to count your blessings, haha.

This week I started reading the Book of Mormon again from the beginning, but in Spanish this time. It has been great so far, as it always is. It is amazing to me that the scriptures can teach us so profoundly everytime we read them no matter how many times we have pondered them or in what language it is in. The Spirit of the Lord touches us when we study the Gospel and can always teach us the way to Eternal Happiness. I'm so grateful for that!!

I love you!!!!!

Elder Mockler

Tortilla de Patata!!

Hola!!

This week went by WAY too fast! We were really busy doing splits with the zone leaders and having zone conference...I ended up spending about half the week in Sevilla instead of here in our area! It was a lot of fun, though...I love being in the city!

So the food of the week would probably be tortilla de patata. We ate a lot of it. On Monday some members invited us over and we ate homemade tortilla with them AND got to take almost a whole one home with us which was great. And while I was in Sevilla with Elder Hafen we decided to try to make one. It turned out really good, actually. I've learned to love tortilla...it is a little different but if you make it right it is awesome.

We have 2 investigators who are really progressing towards baptism. Sonya is married to a member (Tito) who recently reactivated and they are striving towards going to the temple to be sealed. It is awesome to see how the Gospel is blessing their lives. Tito is an awesome guy and an awesome member missionary. And, interestingly enough, he lived in Utah for 3 years while he was in high school so he speaks english perfectly. I think I've said it before but probably half our ward speaks English really well. And one of the members absolutely LOVES the USA. He is always talking about how awesome it is. It is great, haha. The other investigator is named Orlando and he is a great guy from Ecuador. When he gets excited he'll pump his fists and say "yes we can! yes we can!" haha it is hilarious. He is a super outgoing and fun guy but is searching for something more in his life. Lucky for him we can show him where to find it!

Well, not too much more exciting to report. The work is moving on and going really well. I'm so grateful to be able to teach the Gospel and remind people of the eternal goals they set before being born. We are all striving to live worthy to enter into the presence of our Father again. We get there by living the Gospel and for it we are blessed every step of the way. It isn't always easy (in fact it hardly ever is), but it is worth it. I'm so grateful to know that and to have such blessings in my life!

I love you!!!

Elder Mockler

These photos are from the Spain Malaga mission blog and were taken at zone conference this past week.

Elders Crawford, Mockler, Pearce, and Barrett

A Baked Potato is Always Worth a 6 Hour Trip

¡Feliz Lunes!

I should start off by saying that I forgot something important in my letter last week. Elder Wells and I had to go to Plaza de España to do some residency stuff, so I can check that off my list of sights to see in Sevilla! I'll attach some pictures.

It was an exciting week! On Tuesday I got to go down to Fuengirola and stay in the mission home for the first time. We ate real baked potatos for lunch and they were amazing!! I think it was mostly because they were prepared by American hands. We had a really awesome conference for all the district leaders. Anytime we get together for conferences and meetings as missionaries it is awesome - lots of fun and even more spiritual nourishment.

Anyone remember "Welcome to my Study"? The bishop here is that guy. The very personification of that character. It is awesome.

As far as the work goes here, we set a fecha this week! A lady named Sonya is preparing for baptism on the 24th of March. Her husband, Tito, is an awesome member that recently reactivated and they are both really excited about the Gospel. We have a lot of other good investigators but they are having a hard time coming to church. We'll see how we can help them this week to see the importance of attending church!

Speaking of Tito, an interesting fact about our ward is that about half the people have lived in America at some point in their life. Tito spent a year living in Utah. With the American family we may be one of the most patriotic wards in the mission (besides the wards on the military bases)...God Bless America!

Well, I think that is about it. I love you!! The Gospel is true! It isn't easy to live but if we look at the things that we really want in the long term then living the Gospel is really the only reasonable decision. As Christ said, he is the living water that springs up unto eternal life. The water we draw from the deep well of the world won't satisfy our thirst for more than a few brief hours at a time but He can bring us water that satisfies eternally. I hope we can always remember that, even when it may appear backwards it is not. I'm so grateful to know where to go to find the BEST things Heavenly Father has given us.

Have a great week!

Elder Mockler

Three photos from Andy's visit to Plaza de España

There were lots of pictures of Andy on the Spain Málaga mission blog this week.  Andy was at the mission home for training meetings.

Week 2 in Aljarafe

¡Hola!

So I've been wondering this week...do you guys have a hard time saying the names of my areas? There is a couple here that always says them with really American accents and I wonder if it is hard for y'all. I know I wouldn't have been able to say any of these places before the mission....I actually am still confused every once in a while. And, on the same theme, Aljarafe is said All-huh-rah-fay. If you can get a phlegmy sound on the huh it makes you more Spanish.

Time for the weekly food update! The other day we ate PIE with the Montoyas - a family here. Real apple pie! They lived in Utah for a few years while Hno. Montoya studied at BYU so they love the USA. Hooray! This morning I also made some chocolate chip pumpkin pancakes (thanks to Aunt D for the mix!!) and they were incredible. And we have gotten a LOT of fresh oranges from members so we have eaten plenty of great fruit as well.

Well we had a good week here! We only got lost like 2 times which was a huge improvement from last week. We have been doing a lot of finding (knocking doors, etc.) which is always interesting and fun. We don't have a ton of investigators right now but we have been finding new ones and slowly the area is growing.  It is weird because unlike Huércal we can't really walk to any part of our area - we have to drive to everything - so that can be kind of inconvenient sometimes.

Well, that is about it! We are going to go bowling as a district and then eat at IKEA for lunch so it should be a good PDay. Tomorrow I am headed to Fuengirola for a few days to stay at the mission home so it will be an exciting week of travel. I'm so grateful to be here as a missionary! It is amazing how much we learn about the Gospel by teaching it. Yesterday we had a regional stake conference and President Uchtdorf spoke. It was an awesome talk and he focused a lot on living the commandments. I have said it a lot but I know it is true: living the commandments is the best path to the best happiness. Sometimes it is hard to see but if we have faith in that promise and try it we will always see the benefits.

I love you!!!!

Elder Mockler

Sevilla-Land

¡Hola!

Well, here I am in the Aljarafe library. This area is basically the complete opposite of Huércal...it is HUGE! In Huércal there were 3 or 4 buildings that had 6 floors...here there are plenty of buildings much bigger than that. We live in a pueblo called Mariena del Aljarafe. We are about 20 minutes from downtown Sevilla so we will go there a lot on our PDays. The largest pueblo we have is San Juan de Aznalfarache (yes, that really is a name). We are part of the Castilleja de la Cuesta ward which is about a 15 minute drive away. It is pretty weird having to drive so far to church but it isn't a big deal. We live in an actual house which is really cool. It has central heating!! Woohoo! Anyway, my new address is:

c\ Jara Nº 14
41927 Mairena del Aljarafe (Sevilla)

It has been a pretty interesting couple of days here. Elder Wells is a little directionally challenged and just learned to drive a stick shift about two weeks ago. So we have been lost a good number of times and he has stalled the car just about as often. But I'm starting to figure out my way around so things are getting better, haha. Our ward is mostly Spaniards which is a big difference from other areas where it has been about half Spaniard and half South American. There are a ton of Domicans here which is cool. I love Dominicans.

As far as culinary experiences this week, I had one which was quite exciting for me but will probably not be too exciting for you...potato salad, ribs and chicken wings! There is also an American family in our ward and they invited us over and gave us a real American dinner. We even ate it at 6:00pm! It was a lot of fun and, more importantly, delicious! Haha

Well, that is about it. Amidst all the changes we have in life, one thing is always constant: The Gospel. The joy we can have when we live it and share it doesn't change depending on where we are...the only variable is us! So if we aren't where we want to be, we only need to see how we can follow the example of Jesus Christ better and all the doors will open for us.

I love you!!!

Elder Mockler

Goodbye, Huércal-Overa

January 23, 2012

¡Buenos días!

Well, the big news this week is that I'm leaving Huércal. I'll be headed to Sevilla on Wednesday morning! Aljarafe, to be exact. I actually have no idea what it is like there or what my area is like...I just know we have a car again and that I will be serving in a WARD instead of a branch! Woohoo! I'm really really going to miss it here but every transfer is a good chance to change and start everything over again and I won't let myself miss that opportunity. I will be serving there with Elder Wells who goes home in April so there is a good chance I will be his last companion. 

Well, there isn't a lot more to say about this week. We did a lot of searching and knocked a lot of doors. We started the project of knocking every door in the city and now we have a big map of Huércal and we cross off streets with a sharpie when we do them. It is fun but really hard work. There is no work that makes us happier than the work of the Lord, though, and I can testify of that! I love being a missionary and sharing the Gospel! The commandments and the gospel are our way to happiness on Earth and in the eternities.

I love you!!

Elder Mockler 

Photos: 

1. The Most Stylish District in Spain

2. Elder Marchello and I with Carlos, one of our investigators

Snow?

¡Hola!

Well, we're getting to the end of another transfer. We'll find out on Thursday if there are any changes and it is looking like I might be leaving Huércal. We gave up the car this week because it has been to hard to get investigators to church from the pueblo so there have been a lot of changes already! We drove to Granada to drop off the car and there was a lot of snow on the mountains around there. This morning we woke up to see snow on the tops of some of the mountains around here, too. Crazy!!

We didn't have a super exciting week this week, just a lot of teaching and finding. While we were knocking doors the other night we had a pretty weird experience though. We knocked on a door and we heard someone say, in English, on the other side "I think it's the mormons." Two American girls answered the door and we talked to them for a minute about the Gospel. Things got weird when they said they were kind of drunk and asked us out so we just told them they could come to church any Sunday and then left. It was really random and weird. I'll stick to talking to Spaniards.

Well, not a whole lot else to say. The Church is true! Living like the Savior is the best way to live a life full of profound happiness. I am so grateful to be here and to be able to help people come unto Christ.

I love you!!

Elder Mockler