Putchorshuldertothaweel

Cómo andás pana? 

Lacing up for the big day (I'm on Jesus' team)

Shoutsout to my day one seminary teacher, Sister Packard for having us write on pillowcases Doctrine and Covenants 115:5 like 5 years ago. I use that pillowcase every night and I finally read that verse and it is super good. 

"Verily I say unto you all: Arise and shine forth, that thy light may be a standard for the nations"

KAWS (mainly for Cooper)

Shout out to a 7-year-old girl who is the daughter of a less active awesome dad and an electisima mom for being so smart. We invited them to read The Book of Mormon Stories (best resource on the mission) and she can tell you who every person in the Book of Mormon is and if they were good or bad. I'm telling you this family is straight from HEAVEN. We taught the Plan of Salvation to them and the investigator's mom said she believes it and then they all came to church and we are meeting on Saturday with them and their sobrina. I dream about these things

Littest day of my life

On Saturday I played futbol on a turf field in Trintxerpe with 10 young guns who are all cracked. I only scored on myself once and two days later I'm only a little sore lol. Missionary bod is sad. 

Free food

I was talking on the phone with a reference from Facebook and she didn't believe that I was from the United States  She thought I was either from Saudi Arabia or Brazil, so idrk if it is a compliment, but at least I have some sort of accent. I think it means I need to clean up my pronunciation??

The bogg of Mormon will help you

CutsbyChad - super fun because Elder Chad Romrell is from Corvallis and knows my grandma and grandpa

Sometimes it is hard to wake up in the morning and face the world but there's truly nothing else I would rather be doing right now. I'm just trying to make my big bro proud. VIVEJESUS!

Love, 

Elder Ditto

God knows I love Brasil

 mi Reino
 

Catholic cathedral in Bilbao that we got to go to on P-Day

There's an absolutely LIT family from Brasil that lives in a city an hour away called Irun. The mom and two of the three kids are members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, but the 11-year-old boy is not. They moved here two years ago and didn't know where the church building was located. On Saturday we had planned to go to Irun to visit five less active families (including the Brasilanos) but they all fell through. So we had an afternoon without lessons. We said a prayer asking God to help us go where He wanted us to go and ended up going to Irun anyway.

We knocked on the Brasilians door and they let us in. We walked in and started teaching a normal lesson and then the mom walked out and she was looking super sick. She told us that her work has not been paying her and that she is very sick right now. It's hard to understand her because she speaks a mix of Portuguese and Spanish so the gift of tongues was helping out a lot. She even told us, in front of her kids, that she thought about committing suicide the day before.  Élder Arcos and I offered to give her a blessing. I know that priesthood blessings are real. And after we gave her the blessing she said she felt better. 

Then we invited them to church and helped them find which metro and bus to take and everything. It is hard to go to church in Europe because the chapel is ONE Hour away!! And no one has a car. We are pouring our testimonies on them and doing everything we can to help them get back on the covenant path, that really is the best way to live. And then the next day they didn't come. RIIIIIIP. It was the saddest thing ever. So Élder Arcos and I are going to wake up at 6 AM next Sunday to take the metro to their house, pull them out of bed, and bring them to church. They need the blessings.

So there's a nice story for y'all.

Spilled a lil mate

I am studying the New Testament right now and trying to develop more charity. 

Because "though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains and have not charity, I am nothing." 

-Your  Dad in Heaven (1 Corinthians 13:2). 

There is a little bit of contention between the Vascos, Spaniards, and French haha. America is the best country!

 There was a race and a rollerblading race that shut down the whole city, including the buses on Sunday. So that made us pull up to church late. 

 Posted up in Getaria, a super beautiful city

Lowkey my new comp and I are super different from each other and sometimes it gets me down because holy we are like the opposite from each other. It would be lit to be comps with my brother Cooper because we are so similar but if God needs me to learn some things from Élder Arcos (those who have served missions understand) I just hope and pray every day that we can find those elect amigos while I'm working on my charity. The Bible has some good stuff in it.

Go have a fun day. I'm gonna slay the dama like the good ole days. 

I'm a Spaniard!!

"The mission is the MTC; and after the mission is the Mission" - Biblia

Metroooo

This was a European week to describe it simply. I like Europe. It sure has its weird stuff. Like metal Clone Wars porta potties with lasers, Nesquik haters, and not a lot of people are just dying to listen to us, but I do like Europe a lot. The members here are legit. They are disciples of God and not just Sunday Mormon-type lads. I like that because you know what, I'm learning that if you really want to live with God again, then you can't just be a Sunday Mormon. You might as well be a Friday Athiest. Maybe that's harsh and not doctrine, but the point is that we need to Endure to the End and be Lifelong disciples and followers of Christ.

Highlights of the week!!

- Had an awesome Mission Conference in Madrid with Élder Alluaid and his wife.  He is from Argentina and taught us so much good stuff.  One of the things I learned is that you can't have a testimony unless you are willing to put in the work and you can't give someone a testimony.  They have to want to build one! He also taught us about the scripture in Ether 12:6.  I loved the concept that we need faith in order to have a miracle.

6 And now, I, Moroni, would speak somewhat concerning these things; I would show unto the world that ^afaith is things which are ^bhoped for and ^cnot seen; wherefore, dispute not because ye see not, for ye receive no ^dwitness until after the ^etrial of your faith.

I am really loving my new companion!  I'm learning so much Spanish but also just enjoy searching with someone from Spain.

- Got to go to the Madrid Spain temple and participate in everything in Spanish!!!  I could understand everything so that was awesome.

- Jose María, Jorge, and Rosmery are all preparing for baptism in one way or another. Please pray for them:)!

Irún, Spain with vespa zooming towards Hendaya, France

Juan Carlos really embodies the classic Spaniard look

- gave a talk off the top in spañol and it was 9.5 minutes long!  It was about Alma and I tried to use some of the teaching techniques that I learned from Élder Alluaid at the mission conference.

My nephew Quinn tryna give me besitos

Made Baleadas with the Oviedos! Love them so much (We are helping them get married, then baptized)

- tried to give myself a haircut this morning

- Claudia got confirmed!! 

The young guns here in San Sebastián

The Good Book, The Book of Life

If you are thinking about serving a mission and are unsure. GO! It's the best decision I've ever made and I've only barely started. It's hard and weird and sometimes you feel incapable of talking or helping (like rn. I'm in a car with this member named Santi and I don't understand more than 10% of what he is saying) but I have already seen myself change a little and become more of the Nathan Chapman Ditto that I am supposed to become.  Plus God recommends it, so go if you can!

Love, Elder Ditto

Púchica!

Where do I start!¡ 

This week I was in my area for like one day and 5 hours lol. But those hours were legit some goodies. Had a fire member family lesson with another awesome family. The spirit was aboding with us. Then Hermana whipped up high-class Nicagüense cuisine. 

Espana X USA

Elder Nebeker!!

Had an absolute DIGNO exchange (intercambio) with my DAWG Élder Nebeker. Love that man like a brother. He speaks Argentinan Spanish like a real one so I spent the day learning voz and the Argentinian accento. I'm gonna come back with every accent on lock.

1 Corinthians 9:22

"To the weak became I as weak, that I might gain the weak: I am made all things to all men, that I might by all means save some" 

Paul was such a good missionary because he focused on helping everyone individually by becoming like them. So for those españoles dang right I'm gonna talk with a lisp and with them argentinos darn straight finna say "sjho me sjhamo." I'll let y'all know how it goes.

Rip the squad!

Farewell Elder Nelson

Then Élder Nelson left! RIP. Crazy that I'm leading out PAIS VASCO. Sheesh, gonna rely on the Lord a lot.

My view from the bus on the way back from Bilbao for the 100th time this week.

Bilbao!  My 2nd home!

Bilbao!

Then I went on "exchanges" with Élder Smith for 3 days straight lol. Waiting for my new companion, Élder Arcos to arrive. Elder Smith and I worked well together and we had fun seeing a few miracles. The work is so lit. It's literally just miracles all day.

Taking out someone's trash.

Got my new comp - Élder Arcos, from Barcelona (padres de Perú).  It took him four days to travel to get to me because he had been serving in the Canary Islands.  This is why I spent several days in Bilbao while I was waiting for Élder Arocs to arrive in Sans Sebastian. So this is when I get that ceta down, that nicely Spanish that is cool. *I'm gonna be praying for the don de lenguas a lot* He's dope, he is a lot different than my last comp. Possibly the exact opposite. Love all the comps. 

This week while I was in church during sacrament meeting I realized, I am literally the ONLY person here who is from the United States of America. Idk if you have ever had that experience, but let me tell you. It is like, ¡PÚCHICA! (Like "shoot!") For my fellow Americanos. So I felt like an absolute foreign boy, but hey at least we all love Jesús and have the same padre en those cielos. 

Four returned missionaries (served in San Sebastián) five years ago stopped us on the streets to talk.

B Pack!  I saw basically my brother on a zoom call this week (Braydon Packard, Alexa's brother...top left picture with the glasses)

Love y'all, I'm gonna do all I can to have a productive, spiritual, fun week. Do the same. Then send me pics!

Love,

Elder Ditto

Élder Ditto (feat. young chap)

Rap this to the Instrumental of "Never That Bad" on the church's music app for full effect.

Click here to listen to the instrumental version while rapping at the beat times listed below:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1DvNIgsoiK0jhhO-3mxE8osTEqvCHMPBp/view?usp=sharing

0:10

Woke up late last lunes, made for one Loco día

Élder Nelson and I buying tickets, no policia

Hopping on busses, just tryna arrive in Santoña

Had an exchange the next day, so I'm toting my maleta

0:19

We stopped at a bar, met the Legend Antonio

Started the 5k, we running like super fast

Really beautiful day, at the faro de Caballo

Snapped a few flicks, I'll drop em in the link down below

0:29

El martes I took on Bilbao with el Élder Smith

We were MTC comps so I knew we would get so lit

Trying peach the good word but the streets lowkey desolate 

Then Lord sent us electos so we taught them what heaven is

0:39

Got transfer news and I'm staying in Sanse!

My new comps a native, so I'm praying for Donny (don de lenguas lol)

Im loving the Savior, and I hope to heed His callings

Have a good week and say "I love you" to your mommy 

Idk man it's been a minute since I hit the stu with Jackie D and RBR

Other things:

I had the opportunity to baptize Claudia on Sunday. Not once or twice. FIVE times. The water was so low, like mid-thigh, and I'm short g. So that was interesting. But that's not the important part. The important part is that Claudia has chosen to be more like her Savior and I'm never gonna forget that day. For two reasons lol. She's getting confirmed next week so I'll add pics then

Check out the France flag!!!  We have one family in our ward that lives in France but attends our ward in Spain because it is so much closer to their home.  

The Adam's family

We went to France. Got the thumbs up from President and had a fire lesson with the legends the Adam's. I said "Bon Appétit" in France so that's Liiiit

I went on exchanges with Elder Smith this week!!  We served together in the MTC so it was so fun to see each other.  He is such a great missionary and truly loves the Spaniards!  We were in the town of Barakaldo which is a suberb of Bilboa.

President Nelson spoke with absolute power and truth in his talk during conference. 

Think Celestial! 

I was thinking that if I am always thinking celestial then so many problems would become non-problems, and that my faith would absolutely skyrocket. I will follow the prophet and always try to remember to think celestial and to remember the atonement when I fall short. I feel like I have had a strong testimony of prophets for a while, with visiting Liberty Jail where Joseph Smith ended his mortal life for Jesucristo and the Book of Mormon. And then it was strengthened more when Come Follow Me started just before Covid and nobody could go to church, but of course God spoke through His prophet and we were prepared. And on the mission, I testify of the prophet almost every single day (hopefully every day) and this General Conference just hit absolutely different. And it is because I finally know, like KNOW that God called President Russell M. Nelson as His prophet, to be his messenger. So that's what I mean when I say that I know we have a living prophet on the Earth today, and I'm gonna follow him.

I love Jesus, He's so cool and at the end of the day, He just wants us to feel real happiness. 

We got to go on a hike today with some of our friends.  Hiking here feels a lot like it does in Oregon and Washington.

We saw this crazy "rock climbing" when we were hiking today.

Send me an email, I'm gonna miss Americans as my comps gonna be a native!

I finally bought something cool!!  This scarf!!

Love, Elder Ditto