let me summarize this by just saying we finally have a piso, and FINALLY have furniture, but still no electricity or hot water! ahah yep. so when i got to the sevilla train station on transfer day, we learned that we didnt have a piso yet! something about the contract, and we didnt have the keys. so my new compie and i waited in the train station for a few hours, and then ended up staying at the hermanas piso for the night. the next day, we finally got keys and headed out there! and when we get to the piso... it wasnt furnished or anything yet. .which is not normal haha. even if you are opening an area and getting a new piso, its required to have certain things like a bed.. table.. couch.. etc. but the members were going to donate some of that stuff for us. which they did! and honestly i am so grateful for them and for the love they have already shown us. they brought that later that night, but the mattresses were super gross and smelled like smoke.. the couch was falling apart (and gross) and the table and chairs were borrowed from the church. we didnt even know how we were going to sleep that night cuz we didnt have sheets or pillows (or decent mattresses). but we couldnt help but laugh at our situation (maybe so we wouldnt cry hahaha jk) but the elders became our heroes, because they not only brought us blankets like we thought they left to go get, but they brought us two mattresses from their piso! they were life savers!!!
oh, and on top from all that, we didnt have electricity yet or hot water.. and we actually still dont have that!! hahah all we have for light is one flashlight, and some light bulb that is connected to this cord that is plugged in somewhere outside. its been an interesting few days.. living off of seriously only very basic needs.
these days have been full of us searching around alcalá trying to find stuff for our apartment, and traveling to and from sevilla, becasue weve stayed with the hermanas in their piso a few nights. and literally, we have been so busy trying to get all this stuff that we havent had any time to actually work. its been really weird. i feel like it would be so much different in the states to do all this. you just get in your car, go to walmart or target and just pick up the stuff you need and then go home. but spain is not like that! we have to take a train, then a bus, then another bus, and walk forever, and search around everywhere for hours. haha. thats what all our time has been spent doing. and honestly ive learned a lot of real life stuff!! such as budgeting, focusing on what your needs really are (like for example, what do we need TODAY so that we can get by? hmm-- a pillow so we can sleep, and some bread to make a sandwich.. etc.) haha and on choosing good items for your home that are good quality yet inexpensive! so these are the good life lessons i have learned this week!
today though, our mission president came and took us to ikea, and we were finally able to buy all of the things that we need! we finally got mattresses, dressers, tables, pots and pans, plates, glasses, etc. and then afterwards, he and his wife came and helped us put everything all together. it was so sweet of them to help us, cuz there is no way we couldve gotten anything without them or their car. we have honestly received so much help from them, from the elders, and the hermanas, and the members. its been awesome!
and like i said.. as far as the work goes we havent been able to do hardly anything. we were able to plan with the elders and they talked to us about the people we should go visit, and we were able to visit with a few members.
church was the best! its a smaller ward, with only about fourty, but i already love it! the bishop is so great! and so is our ward mission leader. they are very loving and so on top of things. and the members were so excited to have hermanas finally! everyone got so excited when they saw us, cuz there hasnt been hermanas there for over 30 years! i can tell we will have a lot of support from the ward.
and my comp hermana vigo is the best!! shes from peru, but has lived in spain for a few years. shes a convert of about 4 years, and has the best conversion story and the strongest testimony. im so excited to be with her and learn from her.
well, i hope i was able to explain myself okay, there was a lot more i wanted to say to explain this week haha. but i know it will be a better week! because we will finally be able to work, we have furniture finally, and we should have electricity and hot water tomorrow!:)
spiritual thought for the week.. so there has been a lot i have learned this week, such as patience and to be happy in every situation that life throws at you. also that God is very aware of us, and he is always looking to bless us. we have seen so many tender mercies, from the members bringing us food, the elders sacrificing their stuff, president coming out to help us, and so much more. he is always blessing us! i love the verse in 1 Nephi 1:20 that says "but behold, I, Nephi, will show unto you that the tender mercies of the Lord are over all those whom he hath chosen, because of their faith, to make them mighty even unto the power of deliverance."
love you all. i hope you can exercise your faith, and see thes tender mercies that the Lord showers upon us all. have a great week! and pray that we get elecricity tomorrow!:)
love,
hermana knowles
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