Road Trip and Spanish Castles

On our weekly missionary message from our mission president there is a saying on the bottom of the companionship goal chart.  It says “Dos Veces En Blanco”, which in English means: “Two Times In White”.  I knew what the words meant but the meaning escaped me.  I asked one of the Elders and he said it meant baptism and temple, which then made it perfectly clear.  First, baptism of worthy investigators then the goal of getting them to the temple in one year.

Since my last blog we have been busy.  Even though our schedule is very flexible and not extremely pressing we always seem to have things to do.  There always seems like there is something that needs to be done in the branch.  Since we live literally just 3 1/2 minutes away from the "capilla" we are called fairly often to let someone into the building.  We are waiting to get more keys as that seems to be a universal issue whether here or at home. The problem here is that the keys come from Madrid and it takes forever to have them made.   

Speaking of Madrid - there is a conference being held in Madrid this week.  The Stake Presidents, Bishops and Branch Presidents from Europe are gathering for a training session.  Elder Bednar will be the Apostle who will be presiding.  We are excited that our BP is able to attend.  Madrid is about a 3 hour drive from Cáceres.

Recently we experienced a first hand view of socialism at its' finest. We walked into an English language school and volunteered to help.  The English lady who owned the school was very appreciative and asked us to come help the next day. Later that evening we received a telephone call telling us they we would not be allowed to volunteer.  Apparently if there is any possibility that a payed position would be filled by a volunteer, it would not be allowed by the government.  She said it wasn’t "just" but  that’s the way it is.  This won’t stop us but we may have to change our strategy.  I can just see us in court:

Judge: Elder and Hermana Gibson, you have been charged with unlawful volunteering.  How do you plead?

Elder Gibson: Your honor, we plead guilty for volunteering. 

Judge: That will be a fine of 1,000 euros.  Pay the clerk on your way out.  If you volunteer again that will be 30 days in jail.

Elder Gibson: Would we be fed well in jail?

Judge: Yes, by some local people who volunteer this service.

Elder Gibson: Thank you your honor.

For our zone meeting in Sevilla Zone we were asked to give a short training on companionship unity.  I guess they figured if we could make it together this long we probably had some good ideas to share.  We had a good time with it and I think the Elders and Hermanas liked our presentation.  We did it in English so Linda would be able to participate.

I have been studying up on Spanish law as it pertains to immigration and employment.  No, we are not looking for jobs.  In fact our residency cards expressly forbid us to work, at least in the wage garnering sense of the word.  Since many of the members are immigrants and I've heard conflicting stories of employment issues I want to know the facts.  We are always on the lookout for jobs for the members so this added knowledge could come in handy. If you aren't a Spanish citizen, you can’t work here unless you have a work visa and you can’t obtain a work visa unless you have a job, so you can see the difficulty many of the members have.

The biggest concern with the members is the lack of jobs.  During the RE boom which occurred worldwide there were many jobs available.  The Spanish people were given the higher paying jobs and the immigrants (Latin Americans) were able to get jobs, albeit on a lower scale.  Since the cost of things in Spain are generally lower than in their native countries the members were able to live comfortably.   However, since the “crisis” (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2008–15_Spanish_financial_crisis) as they call it, the jobs are scarce and not reliable.     Many of the members work as caregivers for older people and the pay is low.  One family still owns a house in Argentina and if they can sell it they will be greatly relieved of the financial pressure.  Another member is a great graphic artist and designer but needs a new production machine to allow him to produce in larger quantities.  It is also very expensive and bureaucratic in Spain to open a business.  One member wanted to open a simple vegetable/fruit store and it would have cost him 6,500 euros just to get a permit.  Another member was asked for 1,000 euros just to sign a form to open his application for a business.  The members just don’t have the funds to get the ball rolling, so it is a difficult situation.  I have made a few simple suggests such as someone getting a haircutting/styling license.  Everyone is the branch could then become a client.  We have made a few other suggestions which are graciously received, but implementation seems a long way off.  If regulators would get out of the way and drop the “red tape mentality” people could lift themselves from the depths of financial uncertainty.  We hope to be a source of encouragement and become cheerleaders for these wonderful people.  Daily we count our blessings and thank our Heavenly Father for the bounties of life and the opportunities we have been given.

Beautiful Blossoms

We enjoyed General Conference.  Most members stayed at home to watch conference, much like at home.  I watched PH mtg at the Church with the missionaries and Linda and I watched the Sunday morning session live with some of the members at 6:00 PM (our time).  The branch has a projection system and a large pull-down movie screen.   We just streamed our iPad onto the screen and used a speaker plugged into the iPad for sound.  It worked great except for the few times I had to restart the iPad because the streaming got backlogged.  I’m not sure if that is the technical term but you get the picture.

Elder Striebeck completed his mission a couple of weeks ago and returned home to Argentina.  He was a great missionary and a very hard worker.  He was replaced by Elder Child, from Idaho Falls.  We will miss Elder Striebeck but Elder Child brings his own unique missionary experience, talents and personality. One awesome surprise is that Elder Child can play the piano.  When we discoverd this, we were ecstatic.  At home there are always several people who can play the piano so we never really gave it a second thought.  So parents, please see to it that your children take music lessons.   

Elder Striebeck - Adios

Vaya con Dios Elder

The work is progressing here in Cáceres.  When we first arrived in Cáceres we visited the members with the Elders.  We still do that but have branched out and are making our visits with just Linda and me.  When we are visiting without the Elders we can talk about things that the Elders perhaps aren’t necessarily equipped to discuss.   Life’s experiences certainly are a great teacher and the wisdom that is learned is invaluable for a senior missionary couple.  Personally I have felt a great connection with members as well as investigators when we meet with them.

We have had the opportunity of participating in quite a few discussions.  Two of them have been held in our piso (apt).  Our piso is very confortable so the two discussions we have had here were very nice.  The Elders are currently teaching a Peruvian family.  The husband (Joel) and wife (Mercedes) are very very interested.  I would consider them golden.  Their teenage daughter is not as interested but we are working with her.  Joel and Mercedes have attended church several times and have a baptismal date later in May.  Mercedes has some health challenges.  She is currently going through chemotherapy for stomach cancer but seems to be doing really well.  Since their first contact with the missionaries she has felt much better.  Joel has a good job, he works for the equivalent of DirecTv.  It is called Movistar (imagine that).  They also live in a nice piso and have a car.  It is nice that they are comfortable financially which is a huge plus for them. There are very few members in the branch who have cars which, can make it difficult to get to church, especially on rainy or very cold days.

Last Sunday there were 12 priesthood holders at church (counting me and the Elders).  We have great hopes that with a few more members the branch will function better and better.  One goal we are working on is to help people be more organized and less reactive.  The concept and principle of “return and report” is not quite working up to speed here.  In our branch presidency meetings I make sure that after an item is discussed that an assignment is make concerning what has been discussed.  I realized early on that the same issues were being rehashed and no assignments had been made to deal with the issues. A return and report system was not being practiced.  The items of discussion were simply “kicked down the road”.  I try to be gentle, caring and loving (of course that is me – right?) as I help carry the load.  I always remind myself (and Linda) that our assignment is MLS, Member Leadership Support.  Each week I see areas that we can help improve.  Our branch president, Presidente Nelson, is young and I support and encourage him totally.  He is a gentle, sweet and kind man.  He gives great counsel to the branch members.  He comes to me for advice and is very humble and accepting of the counsel that I offer.  I consider very carefully the advice I give and am very much aware of the position of influence I have in my calling.  

A funny thing happened some weeks ago.  Someone was speaking to Linda, of course in Spanish.  When Linda didn’t understand, the person just spoke louder.  I told the person, she isn’t deaf, she just doesn’t understand.  Linda is a good sport and is getting better and better with the language.  She is understanding more and more.  The speaking part just takes longer.  This morning I went with her to the beauty shop to let the girl there know that when Linda comes in for her appointment to get her hair cut, she would also like a color.  The gal asked if I would be coming in with her (for the language) and I told her that I would.  I want to continue living so I wouldn’t dare leave her there alone, trying to figure out the color and cut. 

Lindas' Spanish language teachers

Since my last blog we have had the opportunity to stretch our legs a little and see some of the surrounding country. Cáceres is located in Extremadura Spain which sounds kind of scary.  It actually is one of the prettier and scenic parts of the mission.  Granted, we have no view of the Mediterranean Sea here but there are rolling hills, gazillions of trees, green fields and peaceful towns.  We recently went on a “roadtrip” with a member of the branch and the Elders (P-Day). We visited a town just south of us called Mérida which has some great Roman ruins.  There is a town close to Mérida called Medellín which has an awesome castle.  We completed our roadtrip in Trujillo which has another castle.  These castles are absolutely amazing.  They have extremely high walls that are 4 to 5 feet thick.  I can’t imagine how they were able to build these giant structures.  There are scads of olives trees and even cork trees here.  The cork trees are interesting.  You can see where the bark is peeled off and the cork removed.  The bark then rejuvenates and the process repeats.  Below is a picture and you can see where the bark on part of the tree has been removed to harvest the cork.  Spain and Portugal are large producers of cork.

Cork Tree

We thought the weather had finally turned warm but then it rained for about a week straight.  We want to get out and walk more but the weather has not cooperated.  This morning we had a full-blown storm with loud thunder.  

This afternoon Linda received a "Mothers' Day package" from Angela. Although it had been opened everything arrived in fine shape.  In the package were things that we can't get here in Spain such as taco seasoning, onion soup, brown and powered sugar, and marshmallows.  Even my favorite hairspray and deodorant were in the package.  Believe it or not, you can't get antiperspirant here (just antideordant).   That was a nice little tender mercy.


The couple we replaced in Cáceres, Elder Will Redd and Hermana Peggy Redd are leaving for home tomorrow as they are finishing their mission.  They have been so generous and kind helping us get our feet on the ground.  We drove down to Fuengirola last week and spent some time with them.  They had some things for us which we could use in our piso so we "had" to go pick them up.  On our way down we spent a couple of days in Córdoba and Granada.  In Córdoba we spent the night with Elder and Hermana Hopkins who are the senior couple working there.  In Córdoba we went to the Mesquita which is a pretty impressive place.  It was built by the Muslims and held by them for hundreds of years until the Catholics conquered them and drove them out.  

Mesquita - Córdoba

Mesquita - Córdoba

Mesquita - Córdoba

Mesquita - Córdoba

Mesquita - Córdoba

Mesquita - Córdoba

Mesquita - Córdoba

Mesquita - Córdoba

Mesquita - Córdoba

Bell Tower - Mesquita

Roman Bridge

Córdoba

Patio Flowers - Còrdoba

Córdoba

Córboba

Córdoba - Patios

Córboba - Patios

Córdoba - Patios

We spent two nights in Granda and had an enjoyable time. We happened to arrive in Granada on "El Día de La Cruz", the Day of The Cross.  The streets were totally jammed with people after it got dark.  We walked around and talked with the people and took some pictures.  The women and girls dressed in flamenco dresses with brillant colors.  You can see in the pictures below.  It was actually quite fun. Of course I had to stop and talk with the local fuzz.  I gave them one of my Sac Couty Sheriff patches and they are going to send me one of their's in the mail.  We were able to score some tickets for the Alhambra from the hotel for the following day.  We lucked out because you need to get tickets well in advance because it is such a popular attraction.The Alhambra was well worth the 37 Euro fee per ticket.

Dia de La Cruz

Dia de La Cruz

Dia de La Cruz

Granada's Finest

The pictures below were all taken within the Alhambra.  It was an amazing place to visit.

We topped off our trip with a quick trip to Fuengirola where we dined with Elder and Hermana Redd and Elder and Hermana Frost.  The Frosts work out of the mission office.  Hermana Frost is a Physician's Assistant and head medical guru.  Elder Frost is the office manager for the mission and Hermana Frosts' private translator.  Elder and Hermana Redd, if you read my post: Thank you for everything and God's speed as you return home.  Keep in touch and we will will see you when we get home.




Hasta luego until the next blog.

Elder and Hermana Gibson
Dennis and Linda Gibson

 

  

Semana Santa (Holy Week)

Semana Santa (Holy Week)

This past week was very interesting.  It was Semana Santa, which in English for Holy Week.  The entire country pretty much took the week off; at least the Government workers had a holiday.  On Friday, which was Good Friday, everything was definitely closed.  I will give some more details later in the blog.

There is a member who lives in a small pueblo called Jaraíz de la Vera.  This pueblo is about 120 kilometers from Cáceres. There are approximately 7,000 people who live there.  We went there as a MP quorum to visit a member named Angel. Seven of us went to visit Angel to support him and encourage him.  Angel is the only member that we are aware of who lives in Jaraíz.  It is difficult for him to attend church because of the distance and expense so we wanted to spend some time with him and let him know that we love and support him.  As a side note, Angel went to the Madrid Temple this week and was endowed.  What a great blessing for him. 

Jaraíz de la Vera

We spent several hours with Angel and ate lunch near a river in a lovely spot.  After lunch we met with the vice mayor of Jaraíz de la Vera who gave us a tour of the town.  The pueblo is definitely Old Spain.  I met a couple of the local “Policía” and gave them each a shoulder patch that I brought from the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Dept. and the CHP.  They invited me into their locker room and each of them gave me one of their shoulder patches.  So I now have a “get outta jail card” in Jaraíz.  The vice mayor also took us on a tour of the “pimentón (paprika) museum.  They claim that the best paprika in the world is grown in Jaraíz.  I had no reason to doubt it because it seemed it to be a super big deal there.  The vice mayor took us to his office in the city hall and gave us all gifts.  He was extremely gracious and attentive to all of our questions.  A member of our branch (Mauricio) is the vice mayors’ campaign manager and has been a big help in his ascendancy to office. 

It is a REAL BULL!

We are certainly settling into our role in the branch.  Our role is: if you need anything just ask Elder Gibson!  Not really but I have to be prepared for just about anything.  Here is a great example: 

Narrow streets of Jaraíz

 Last Saturday was the 174^th anniversary of the Relief Society (at least that is the number I heard from the hermanas).  There was a RS activity at the branch, commemorating this date.  I walked Linda over to the “capilla” or chapel and came back to our piso.  Perfect timing, as the baked chicken was just coming out of the oven.  I was hungry and ready to dig in. Linda had also just made come cookies and I was going for it.  Suddenly my phone dinged with a message that the hermanas urgently needed me at the capilla.  I just had to laugh because the unexpected that is quickly becoming expected was happening again.  I put the steaming hot chicken on the counter and waved goodbye to the cookies as I stuffed one into my mouth on the way out the door.  When I arrived at the church, the hermanas were all seated, waiting for my arrival.  As I entered they all gave me a great big smile and started the meeting.  Apparently I need to improve upon by ability as a mind reader.  Neither the branch president nor the 1^st counselor was there to represent the Sacerdocio (Priesthood) and I had not been asked to represent the presidency.  I was more than happy to preside over the meeting.  The hermanas held a wonderful meeting, bearing testimony of the great Sisterhood of the RS.  Did I mention that as I entered the capilla I was asked to give a talk to the hermanas?  Well I was and I did.  Fortunately I am getting over my shyness as you might imagine, ha-ha.  Speaking is something that I actually enjoy which is a blessing in a branch in the mission field.  My scheme, if I can call it that, is to tell a few stories that relate to a gospel principle, expound upon the blessings one receives by living the gospel and to bear testimony.  A couple of well-placed (and appropriate) jokes, good eye contact and there you have it.  This is my recipe and it has carried us so far.  A little forewarning would be nice but we are working on that aspect.  One thing at a time.

RS Celebration

We had a branch conference two weeks ago.  Our area Seventy, Elder Obando and his wife along with Presidente Rodriguez and his wife came to be with us.  Presidente Rodriguez is the 2^nd counselor in the mission.  The Obando’s are from Costa Rica and the Rodriguez’s are from Cádiz, which is on the south coast of Spain, close to Gibraltar.  On Saturday evening Elder Obando gave a charla foganera (fireside), which was very well attended.  We had a nice activity after the charla foganera.  The majority of the members are from several different Latin American countries and brought “platos tipicos” or dishes from their home countries.  It was excellent and a lot of fun.  On Sunday the attendance was the largest since we have been here.  I believe the attendance was 52.  It was interesting because they ran out of sacrament water and had to fill some additional cups.  I guess that was a good problem.

Elder y Hna. Obando (70)

During the branch conference I was called and sustained as the 2^nd counselor in the branch presidency.  Since I am a set-apart missionary, it was not necessary to be set-apart as a counselor.  I look forward to working more closely with the presidency in the work of the branch.  There are many needs that need to be addressed.  I think the hardest part is to make suggestions slowly and with love.  We have to be careful not to create a “water hose” affect, if you know what I mean.  The nice thing is that the members of the branch really do look to us for advice and direction.

Our Branch President just purchased his first car, but he is terrified to drive.  I had to laugh this past Sunday as he drove away from the capilla.  His family piled into his car and off they went.  As he entered the first roundabout next to the capilla, he almost stopped in the middle of the first turn.  I was thinking, Presidente, step on it!  Even though he had the right of way, he was taking no chances.  It reminded me of the drivers in Rocklin who stop in the middle of the roundabouts on Rocklin Rd. The BP safely made it through the roundabout and he must have made it home because I just spoke with him on the phone and he sounded fine. 

Remember my “new best friend”, José Antonio that I chronicled in my last blog?  Well a couple more encounters with him, one which included a plate of cookies, and we are certainly good friends.  He wants to sign-up for the English class we are planning and he has made himself available for any help that we may need.  I’m not sure where this is going but I am certainly pleased the direction this has taken.

José Antonio

Linda and I have challenged each other to achieve a “daily success”.  This can be as simple as having a pleasurable exchange with a stranger or helping someone in need, whether a member or non-member.  We are making new friends everywhere we go.  Our new friend today is Francisco who works at the post office.  He was extremely helpful and even recommended some interesting places in nearby towns that have historical significance.  After we part ways with someone, I jot down their name so we will know it on our next encounter with them.  I have found in life that this is extremely helpful in developing relationships.  The time will come with each of these new friends when we begin them to tell them our message. I feel this is one of the reasons we have been sent to Cáceres Spain.

We are now official “Documented Aliens”.  Some people still look at us as if we were actual aliens but we are getting used to that.  We picked up our “Permisos de Residencia” today and are now possessors of official Spanish Residency cards.  Unless Linda says something I can’t get us out of, we are good for one year at which time we will need to renew the permisos.

OK, I know this is getting extremely long so you might want to go get yourself a Diet Dr. Pepper and raise your glass to me.  If you at least email me a picture of a Diet Dr. Pepper, I will be extremely grateful.

I promised you a few words about Semana Santa.  Well it seems everyone here is Catholic although we did have an interesting discussion with a couple of Jehovah Witness missionaries.  Semana Santa is a big deal here in Spain.  It is the week leading up to Easter Sunday.  Of course Easter for us is indeed a very special time of year as we remember the life, crucifixion and resurrection of our Savior.  Hopefully our remembrance and reverence for the life of our Savior is a daily event for us and not just an annual ritual, which I believe is the case here.

It appeared this week that everyone was outdoors watching the different processions that the Catholic church presented.  Every day there was a different procession.  The processions are somewhat like a parade that starts at a church and slowly, and I mean slowly, completes a circuit.  On Friday night, which was Good Friday, we went to the old town and watched one of the processions.  It lasted for about an hour and was very interesting.  If you look at Brent Moore’s Facebook posts you will see some of the pictures he uploaded concerning the procession he witnessed.  We positioned ourselves close to the front of the procession and were close enough to reach out and touch the participants.  Of course we keep our hands to ourselves.  The path of the procession in the old town was on a cobblestone type road that was approximately 20 feet wide.  As the members of the procession slowly marched past us we could see their eyes move to Linda’s “chapa” (missionary badge) and remain there as they read the inscription.  This happened more times than we could count.  I thought it was awesome, two Mormon Missionaries in the middle of a Catholic procession on Good Friday, in the heart of Old Spain. Even the “curas” or Catholic Priests  couldn’t keep their eyes from looking at the chapa.  Linda was standing in front of me so I don’t think they could see mine.  I’m not certain if the Catholic Bishop, who was dressed in the best processional clothing, took a peak at the chapa.  I was hoping he would at least make eye contact with me.  I do have to appreciate the many people who came out to honor the Savior in the way they did.  These are good people and we wish we could teach the Gospel to each of them.

Well my blog has come to an end.  I know many of you may be saying whewwwwww, but I promised I would keep you posted.  Since Terry Meinzer let us all down (ha-ha) by only posting a couple of times, I feel pressed upon to keep the fire kindled.  I think Terry, in quest of perfecting his Cambodian, has forgotten his English.

Next blog coming soon...........

Hasta Luego

Dennis and Linda

Elder and Hermana Gibson

Misión España Málaga

Spanish Street Walkers