Changes Galore and Merry Christmas

Hola a todos,

It has been quite some time since I have written a blog post. I thought if I didn’t write again soon I would be accused of being Terry Meinzer.  Speaking of the Meinzer's, maybe I can make a few bucks on the side by teaching Terry, Spanish, since I understand that soon he and Jennifer will be south of the border.  Hopefully Terry makes it back to the US before Trump gets the wall built.  He may not be allowed back, haha.

Quite a lot has happened in the past several months here in the mission.  Several months ago our Mission President met with me and we discussed a change in leadership in the branch.  I was serving as the 2nd counselor at the time.  He said he felt that I should be called to serve as the Branch President.  Frankly I felt this change coming and so it was not a surprise.  It’s not like I was desiring to be the Branch President but I knew that some changes needed to take place so the branch would move forward in certain areas.  As 2^nd counselor and a missionary,  I had quite a bit of influence and was constantly approached by members for help in certain areas but sometimes I had to refer them to the Branch President, which was the correct thing to do.  Unfortunately changes needed to be made.  Follow-up was not something that was a high priority.  I jokingly said to our Mission President that “return and report” had not reached this far north in Spain.  On Nov. 20 I was sustained as the Branch President.  I chose two “go-getters” as my counselors.  One is from Argentina and the other in a Spaniard.  They are both hard workers and have been a pleasure to work with.  I am trying to put on a “full court press” with them which is to say, give them as much training and opportunity to serve while Linda and I are here.  I made a “mini-manual” training guide for them that will help them in their callings.  We discuss items such as: how to conduct a meeting; how to sustain and release a person in Sacrament Meeting; the purpose and content of a Branch Council; budgeting; planning; calendaring; what, who and when to counsel; proper use of welfare (fast offerings) funds; tithing settlement; member records; etc. etc.

Cáceres Branch Presidency

It’s interesting how much information, long standing, active members of the church possess. Things that we take for granted sometimes are unknown here.   For example one of the members said that he heard a Stake President say that women could not touch a sacrament tray.  I’m thinking that perhaps the SP said that women aren’t allowed to pass the sacrament.  Things like this need to be addressed so that proper protocol is practiced. Most of the members in the branch are converts, many of them within the past 2 to 8 years.  So you can see the need for leadership training.  Hopefully by the time we finish our mission we will have been able to train the branch leaders on the proper way to administer as well as minister in their callings.

This past week I have been conducting tithing settlement and will conclude this coming week.  We have already gotten to know the members quite well however as the Branch President there are things that only the President should know.  It is so sad to see the difficult financial situation that almost all of the members face.  Last week I sat in counsel with a couple that were going through some very trying times.  When there is no money and demands are upon you it is so difficult to find words of encouragement. I was able to work out a plan that should get them past the immediate need but the future is so challenging.  I sat with them, prayed with them and wept with them.  My heard hurt so much as I tried to share their burden with them.  I told them that the Savior bore the burdens of us all as he understands our pain.  He has and does carry the weight of all the children of His Father. 

My time here in Spain has taught me great lessons.  I believe the number one lesson I have learned is GRATITUDE.  Even though I served a mission in Uruguay many years ago and learned to appreciate the blessings I had, today I look through the eyes of a mature man and see things differently than I saw through the eyes of a young missionary.  The blessings of the Gospel and the blessing of growing up in the country that was earmarked to be the land of the Restoration cannot be overstated.

Please take a moment and reflect upon the daily blessings that we so often take for granted.  I very much appreciate the December campaign the Church is providing.  Service to others is the rallying cry we should all trumpet not just this Christmas season but throughout the year.
LIGHTtheWORLD

This Friday we are going to Sevilla where we will have our Christmas Zone Conference and Christmas party.  There will be a program as well as a nice dinner.  Our Mission President has asked us to perform our Sonny and Cher skit (song) which we performed here in Cáceres a few months ago for our branch talent show.  President and Hermana Andersen saw a video of it and asked us for a repeat performance.  It’s a good thing that we kept the wigs and costumes.  There will be 3 zones combined which is about 90 missionaries.  I hope we don’t mess it up too bad.

A couple of weeks ago we were able to get permission to go with the branch members to the Madrid Temple.  Whenever a missionary couple goes to the Temple they need to get permission from the Area Presidency because Madrid is outside of our mission boundaries.  Some years ago Cáceres belonged to the Madrid Mission.  In fact, when Talon Sessions served in the Madrid Mission this was the case.

Dennis and Linda at Madrid Temple

Madrid Temple

Cáceres members at Madrid Temple

On the Saturday of the Temple trip we had to get up at 4:00 AM so we could be on the bus by 5:00.  I was concerned how many would show up.  Thankfully all but 2 that signed-up were there.  Three who had not signed-up also made the trip with us.  The couple that served before us had left some money in an account and we made up the difference and were able to rent a bus for the day.  The cost of gas here in Spain is quite high.  Gas is sold per liter and there are 3.78 liters per gallon.  A liter of gas is about 1.19 euros which comes to just about $4.50 per gallon.  For a member to drive to the Temple (those with cars) it would cost about $50.00 just for gas, which is a great deal for them.  Add the cost of clothing rental at the Temple and food,  it adds up to a tidy sum for those already struggling.  So you can see that it truly is a sacrifice to attend the Temple for the members of the branch.  Linda and I were very happy that 20 members made the trip.  It was a long day and we were exhausted by the time our heads hit the pillows very late that night, but we were grateful for the blessing of the Temple experience with the members.

One issue that we are trying to address is PUNCTUALITY.  We have come to learn there really are three time frames: Normal time, Mormon time and Spanish time. The vision of my Dad sitting in our driveway in Livermore CA, honking his horn one hour before Sacrament meeting, has never left my head.  I have been a creature of punctuality it seems, thanks to my Dad.  Our Sacrament meeting starts (is supposed to) at 10:30 AM.  Rarely during my stint as 2^nd counselor were the Pres. and 1^st counselor both on the stand and ready to go at 10:30.  Now our presidency is almost always there early with everything in order for the meeting.  We are still working on the members, although it is improving.  At least it is “two steps forward, one step back” instead of “one foot forward and two steps back”. 

I am fortunate to have an executive secretary that understands his responsibilities.  I never have to worry about him getting his assignments fulfilled. 

Communication here is not what we were used to at home.  Instead of texting, most members use the app “WhatsApp”.  I may have addressed this in a prior blog.  Suffice it to say that not all members have wi-fi and therefore don’t have “WhatsApp”.  Also a phone call is expensive for those making the call. so at times it is hard to get ahold of certain people to keep them informed of things.  We do our best and it usually works out. 

In November, Linda’s brother Craig Thurgood and his wife visited us for 11 days.  We were able to get out a town for a few days and show them around Spain.  It is nice to be able to discard the white shirt and tie for a day here and there.  

Craig and Lynet Thurgood

We went to Ronda which is where the buildings are hanging over a deep gorge.  It is a beautiful little town with a great history. 

We also took them down to the southern part of the mission where the mission office is located.  We were able to hook-up with another senior couple who work at the mission office. We spent the afternoon walking along the Mediterranean which we all greatly enjoyed.  Later we went out to eat at an English fish and chips restaurant that has quickly become a favorite, although we have only been there twice.  The next day we spent at Gibraltar.  It’s interesting as the Gibraltarians are English but have their own culture and actually speak a dialect of their own as well as English and Spanish.  Gibraltar has a fascinating history.  The Rock of Gibraltar has a great maze of caves that were carved out so as to have a fortress against invading powers.  To enter Gibraltar from Spain, the airport runway has to be shut down to allow vehicles and pedestrian to cross.

Ronda at night

Ronda - Check out the cliff

Ronda

Ronda - Puente Nuevo

Typical mountain Spanish Pueblo

Condos near Southern Spanish coast

Airstrip from Spain to Gibraltar

View from the Rock of Gibraltar

Chilling with the Monkeys at the top of the Rock

Grooming 

Rock of Gibraltar

St. Michael's cave

Entering Gibraltar

St Michael's Cave

Inside the Rock of Gibraltar

View from the top of the Rock

Gibraltar

Christmas time for us, is and always has been, a special time of year.  We miss our family and friends and this month brings with it an amplification of longing for home.  So to help us couch this longing for home we are busily preparing goodies (Linda is) and framing pictures for the members.  It feels so good to be able to share with others.  We are taking large framed pictures of the Savior to many of the members.  For others we are taking home baked cookies.  The members LOVE Linda’s baked goods.  Several of the girls are coming over to get cooking lessons and want her recipes.  I told them it is more than the recipes so pay attention.

Speaking of Christmas – The city has done a very nice job of decorating the streets with Christmas lights.  We were pleasantly surprised that they celebrate Christmas to the extent they do.  Even though this is a Christian country it is mostly by tradition and not practice.  Many of the holidays are religiously (Catholic) based but are supported by the state (Spain). Until about 1968 or thereabouts, the Catholic Church was the only legally recognized church in Spain.  Because of this the LDS Church is relatively new and now just getting well established.

The weather here has turned wintery.  It has been cold and when the wind picks up it’s quite icy. Luckily we have a nice car and don't have to walk if we don’t want to.  The church is just a few minutes away and we normally walk there.  We can’t wait for spring to come.  Spring is when the storks return from their winter stay in Africa.  Linda has developed quite the fondness for these creatures.  I think when she sees the storks she thinks of more grand kids.

We are fast approaching our year mark and at time it seems like it has flown by while at other times it seems like we have been here forever.  I still remember however, that at home we have a great big king sized bed waiting for us.  So far neither one of us has fallen out of our “queen sized” bed.  I actually think it is a narrow queen or a wide double bed. 

The other day during a presidency meeting, my counselors asked when we are going home.  I told them the end of July and both of their faces fell and were sad it was so soon.  I felt good that they feel we have been a positive influence in the branch.  They said they would be calling often for advice. 

We still have a lot of time left to serve and are constantly looking for ways to make a difference.  Mission life, just like home life, has it’s routines so we are looking for ideas to change things up. 

Currently the Elders serving in Cáceres are Elder Hildebrant and Elder Chancahuaña.  Elder Hildebrandt is from Spanish Fork and Elder Chancahuaña (say that 5 time fast) is from Barcelona but originally from Perú.  An interesting fact about the missionaries from Spain:  Many of the missionaries serving from Spain are from families that have immigrated to Spain from Latin America, mostly South and Central America.  The sons and daughters from these immigrant families usually serve in Spain.  This is because if they are sent outside of Spain they may not be allowed back after their missions because their papers many times are not in order.  It is a very complicated and time consuming ordeal to become a legal Spanish resident.

Well this blog has probably put many of you to sleep with its’ length so I’ll close for now. 

We miss you and think of you ofter. Thanks for keeping an eye on things in our absence. Also thank you for making Monica, Anessa and Sean welcome and a part of our ward family.

We love you and pray for your well being.

Merry Christmas and may the Lord bless each one of you.

PS: I only quickly proof-read this post so if there are grammatical errors just blame it on "Spanglish".

Con Amor,

Dennis

Elder Dennis Gibson

Baptisms, Driving, Cigüeñas and Ancient History

Hola a todos.  It has been some time since my last blog, but I have a great excuse.  As you know, I have been studying to take the written portion of process to get my Spanish drivers license.  The general knowledge portion is not that different than a t home.  Where the problem lies is the small insignificant sections that can trip you up.  For instance, there are several types of highways which include freeways (2 types), normal highways, roads that pass through towns, roads within towns, one way streets, reversible lanes, special lanes, etc., etc. You get the picture.  Now, depending on the type of vehicle, the speed limit is different.  Also, within a category of vehicles such as trucks, the weight of the vehicle determines the speed limit.  Did I also mention that on conventional highways the width of the shoulder of the road determines the speed limit!  One some roads you can surpass the speed limit by 20 kilometers per hour in order to overtake (pass).  But if the person you are passing is going the speed limit you cannot pass.  A person in a motorized wheelchair can actually drive on the highway, but not on the two types of freeways.   I could go on and on but I don’t want to bore you.  The major gripe I have is that I only care about the things pertaining to cars because I really don’t think I will be driving a Harley or an 18-wheeler as a missionary.  Since you can only miss three questions on the test, you need to know all of the superfluous information.  After studying manyyyyyyyyyy hours in Spanish, I reviewed the info in English and it was worse.  Whoever translated the manual to English did a horrendous job. 

Last Thursday I went in to take the test.  The room was full and everyone was local except for a Chinese lady and myself.  Either I was totally prepared or the Lord was tired of hearing me complain about this process because the test was easy.  I knew everything on the test and just had doubts on two questions.  The same afternoon as the test I was able to get the results online.  When I saw that I had missed only one question I was more than thrilled.  As I sat and thought about this I realized only those who have passed a Spanish “DMV” test will grasp the significance. The preparation was so much more rigorous than the test.  In the days leading up to the test I kept reminding myself that I had prepared well and I was on the Lords’ errand.  I am here to be a missionary not a drivers training instructor.  Every hour spend on studying took time away from the really important part of our mission.

Yeah baby!

Of course we had to celebrate at the renowned Spanish restaurant “Burger King”.  You may have heard of it.  We called the Elders and used our BK coupons to save a few euros.  Hey – missionaries have to be thrifty!

Now I “get to” get behind the wheel and relearn how to drive a stick.  I am certain that I will be in a group of kids who have never driven before in their life.  At least the hard part is over.

Now – what is going on in the missionary area??

We had a baptism a couple of weeks ago.  It was the first baptism in Cáceres in over a year.  A sweet lady from Peru was baptized by Elder Child (Idaho Falls, ID).  She asked me to confirm her which I was very honored to do so. Below is a group picture of those who attended the baptism.

On July 2 we will have another baptism.  Camilo (50) will be baptized.  He asked me to confirm him.  I guess I will be the “confirming Elder”.  We also have another brother on the radar for baptism. 

The branch is still small but recently we received the addition of two excellent hermanos who have been attending regularly.  One is a member who lives about an hour away but has been able to come on a regular basis.  We invite him to eat lunch with us and the Elders on Sunday, when he is here.  The other brother lives in Cáceres and because of other commitments has been attending the branch at Badajoz.  He is now transitioning to our branch.  It is amazing how much energy just two additional, active members can bring to a branch.  It is a testimony on how much each of us matter, and whatever we can contribute is a great blessing to the branch or ward we attend.

We are working hard on trying to improve the communication within the branch.  Most of the communication takes place over Wi-Fi, using WhatsApp.  This is essentially a no cost texting app that allows people to send messages, pictures and videos.  It is used much as we use texting.  Some members have email but it is really not used much.  The problem with WhatsApp is that is only works over Wi-Fi and unless you have a data plan that works away from your home, you will not receive any messages until you get home.  Also, outgoing phone calls are expensive, as they don’t have very affordable plans here as we do at home.  At least they are very expensive as compared to the average wage in Spain.  Many times I will receive a “hang-up” call from a member, which indicates they want me to call them back.  If you call, let it ring, then hang up, there is no cost.  Unfortunately not all of the members have phones and so we try hard to make a great effort to keep in contact with those that don’t.  It isn’t always possible but we all try our best.

Linda and I want to “run” a branch council and demonstrate how the Church has outlined this meeting.  Many of the members are fairly new and have not been trained how the organizational meetings should take place.  We have been careful not to come in and overstep our calling as missionaries but now feel that we have been here long enough to step up our game.  We feel a great love and respect from the members and we are more than pleased with the relationships we have forged. We remind them that just because the branch is small doesn’t mean that it can’t run smoothly and properly.

Linda has become quite famous with the branch members.  When we have activities or certain meetings, members bring food. Linda got ahold of some American cake mixes from our “black market contact” (actually a senior missionary) at the US Naval Base.  She has made cupcakes a couple of times and they almost fight over them.  They just love them.  The ingredients in our food from home seem to be a little less course and that makes the final product smoother and less grainy.  Linda thinks the frosting she makes also is a big difference.  Speaking of “black market bounty”.  I finally have my Diet Dr. Pepper connection.  Elder Jeppesen takes good care of me in that area.  He is awesome and so willing to get from the base whatever we need, if it is available.  He and Hna. Jeppesen go home the first of Nov so we will make sure he trains their replacement in a proper manner, ha-ha.

Speaking of Linda – she is starting to understand the language much better.  I don’t think she is quite ready to expound in Spanish “Lehi’s Dream”, but she is also learning phrases that she can use. She has been a good sport and takes everything with a great attitude.  

A couple of weeks ago we had a senior missionary activity. Since the location of the activity was in Córdoba we drove to Sevilla the day prior so we wouldn’t have to drive such a distance the day of the activity.  We go to Sevilla every month for zone conference but since we have the Elders with us we need to get back to Cáceres as soon as possible after the meetings are completed.  We spent a nice day in Sevilla and went on a tour, which included the Cathedral, which is one of the largest Cathedrals in the world.  The workmanship in these churches is quite amazing.  We also toured the palace, which is near the Cathedral.  After seeing so many old structures in Spain it seems unbelievable but they start to seem normal.  Everywhere we drive we see some type of castle, alcazar or church that is hundreds of years old.  When we get home we will say: look, there is a new building. 

Below are some of the pictures of Sevilla.  We will be there many more times during our mission so will get better acquainted with Sevilla.

Here are some of the pictures we took on our outing with the other senior couples.  This was in Córdoba.

Our outing in Córdoba included a tour of the Alcazar on the outskirts of the city.  Elder Hopkins (Sr. Elder) arranged a private guide to spend the day with us and serve as our tour guide.  We learned of the history of the Muslims in Spain.  It is quite a wild history.  We also toured the Jewish section of Córdoba and leaned more of the history of Spain. 

About three weeks ago we received a new Elder.  His name is Elder Larsen as hails from Wellsville, Utah.  He is brand new.  Elder Bailey, our English Elder, was transferred to San Fernando, which is south of Sevilla. He is in one of the zones that meets with our zone every three months, so we will see him again soon.  Linda is excited to have two “gringo” Elders so she can keep her English up to date, ha-ha.

Elder Larsen and Elder Child

The Elders in our mission were just given permission to wear hats.  Each hat has to be approved by our mission president prior to purchase.  I am thinking that a nice Panama hat would look nice on Elder Gibson.  Also the Sisters and Elders can now wear sunglasses after approval is given by the President.  Poor President Andersen, I bet his phone will be ringing like crazy.

This week I HAD to get a haircut.  I had put it off longer than I should have but after my first haircut experience I wasn’t exactly looking forward to another one. My first foray into Spanish haircuts was “memorable”.  My hair grows fast but I sure didn’t want to revisit the Bart Simpson lookalike fiasco. Last week I had Linda trim my hair so I didn’t look like a modern day apostate.  A few days ago I went in to get the haircut and crossed my fingers.  I explained how I wanted it cut and hoped for the best.  I actually showed her a picture from my iPad on how I wanted it cut. I sat back in the chair and closed my eyes and acted like I was resting.  I was actually channeling positive thinking to the lady who held the scissors. I wasn’t sure if she had a smile or a smirk on her face. When she was done I opened my eyes and she had done a nice job.  By the time I have her trained we will be home, ha-ha. I think she added some gray but that's ok.

A while back we visited a little pueblo about 10 kilometros outside of Cáceres.  It has a cigüeña (stork) refuge.  Many storks spend part of the year hear then return to Africa.  Linda wrote a piece about them so I won't be redundant.  Here are a few pictures that you might enjoy.

Caracol (snail)

I told Linda to watch her step but I guess she didn't believe me! Yes folks that is her footprint. You can guess what she stepped in!

I just tweaked the blog settings, which hopefully will allow readers to send messages, if they so choose.

Hasta luego until the next blog.

Elder and Hermana Gibson
Dennis and Linda Gibson