The mission doesn't disappoint!

Howdy! Trio life is so fun, we are like the Migos when we teach. Someone's got adlibs (MAMA), someone's got the chorus and someone's got the verse. We eat good, lots of protein. Work out, and have fun. 

New Swag

We had a few days to work hard here and it paid off because all four of our amigos who are progressing came to church! . 

Beautiful Spain Countryside

One of our amigos is struggling with some real tough things right now so we meet with him every other day más o menos. We found a new tactic to do missionary work with him. We simply bro him up (hype him up) to feel God's love. We are his personal hypemen, it's a good gig. 

Oh, Christmas Tree!!

É Romrell, Elder Stone, and I had a super epic p day today. I bought some sweaters, my swag levels have been suffering lately, and we just cut down a beauty of a Spaniard Christmas Tree. It's Christmas time baby! 

John 8 shares the story of a master teacher (Jesus) in go mode. He was teaching a group of people and then the Pharisees threw a woman who had committed adultery in front of Him. They asked Him "Oh ya Jesus, if you are so perfect, whatchu gonna do wit her?" (They went trying to find a way to prove Jesus wrong) Then Jesus laid an inspired answer. "He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her." Then the Pharisees all left. 

1. You can teach a powerful lesson in 1 MINUTE

2. Stop judging people

I hope everyone stays productive and has fun this week! Congrats Elder Packard for finishing your mission! 

I'd love a Christmas card from home!!

Nathan Ditto 
Misión España Madrid Norte
Av. de Tenerife, 11
28703 San Sebastián de los Reyes
Madrid, Spain

Love, Elder Ditto

Daddy Daycare

Yuh boi esta en la ciudad mas fomosa of the RUNNING OF THE BULLS. I, my friend, am in the promised land of Pamplona España. And I love it! I am in a trio with Elder Romrell and Elder Stone. We are in charge of two areas and two wards, so we have a lot of work to do (Elder Romrell and Elder Stone are the zone leaders and I am the district leader). 

vibiest trumpet sesh of my lÿfe

On Friday night the carbon monoxide alarm went off at 3:30 am. I woke up and remembered the Safety Zone video lol so I called the po po. 4 cops and 4 firefighters skrrted on over, asked for my ID and parent's name a few times, and then searched the apartment. Turns out the batteries were just dead. So Elder Arcos and I went back to sleep and woke up 20 minutes before our bus to Bilbao for transfers. I ZOOMED around the house packing my damp clothes into my bags and we were off. Elder Shoenrock, Nebeker,  Campbell, and I all flew from Bilbao to Madrid. Hung out with other missionaries and said bye to my pana Elder Nebeker, but he is off to bigger and better things <3. 

KENNETH 

Madrid 

Slept the night with the office elders, and hung around the mission office that morning waiting for Elder Romrell and Elder Stone. Then we drove home. We got to the apartment and it was a lil dirtski, so we teamed up and cleaned it, it was lowkey a hoot. 

Posted up on the new stomping grounds

Hit up church the next day (2 wards = 6 hours) and had a lesson with a dope fam, the mom is from Spain, and the dad is from Uruguay. So I tried practicing both of those accents. 

exteberren (pueblito de Pamplona)

Élder Gomez y Élder Foerster in Carabanchek

On Monday we drove BACK to Madrid for MLC (Mission Leadership Council). I got dropped off at "daycare" with the Elderes en Carabanchel for 2.2 days. Madrid is a blessed area, we had four lessons and they were all insanely good. 

Los Oviedo 

Then today we drove back to Pamplona and we did District Council in the whip, in and out of service. The drive is so epic, driving through little pueblos and ruins. 

Zhan 

Today we had three lessons. One with Isabel and her son Tomas about the restoration. The spirit was like giving me goosebumps I was aboutta shiver it was so strong. The other was with a Chinese 22-year-old man who is studying in Spain and learning English, his name is Zhan. Elder Romrell found him on his birthday, the best gift ever. Zhan is from China, he grew up being told that God doesn't exist, but Elder Romrell and Elder Gentry started helping him understand better who God is. It was the best lesson I have ever taught. Super slow English to make sure Zhan understands and ONLY saying things that are going to really help him. The way that Elder Romrell looks at Zhan and treats him, you can just see how much love he has for Zhan. So that was an eye-opener for me, that's charity. Then Zhan prayed to Heavenly Father in CHINESE. 3 Americans, and one Chinese dude, in Spain. I love this!

It's go time here in Pamplona!!

Love, Elder Ditto

Adiós San Sebastián

Caray! I'm getting transferred from my home to a city called Pamplona, it is close to my area right now and reminds me of Yakima, and I am excited!

BiLBaO exchange with élder Campbell

Some of the biggest homies (los barrahona)

This week was really good lowkey, nothing insane happened really but I liked this week. Started out with an exchange with Elder Campbell in Bilbao, Elder Campbell is my District Leader (which means he is in charge of 10 missionaries, including me) and he is super genuine, patient, and a hard worker so we had a fun time. Talked to a Paraguayan lady about mate (a South American drink) and the bible and had spirit-filled lessons. 

Four boys in an elevator

 The lads

On Thursday had FIVE MEMBER MEALS, cinco! This is a lot. and I tried to eat it all, I was so close (I even prayed to be able to finish the last plate) but sometimes you take an L and I did that night. That was the first time I couldn't eat all the food on my plate on the mission, I've lost lol. One of those foods was wild bore and sour yogurt. I said "bye" to some of my favorite members yesterday, I'll miss em fr. I'm happy about my time here in San Sebastián, I learned a lot and I hope to learn even more in Pamplona.

Real Sociedad (my team) played Benfica (my dad's team) this week

Us and the amigo Cristian posted up with the good book

One sec lemme speak my mind. When a line is clean on the dama or the skateboard and when a song is gas, it's because every part of the line was clean or because every part of the song was fire. Some lines are more fire, like "the way it stings so bad, she must bee a keeper" and sometimes times on the mission or in life are more "fun" or "successful" but to have a good life I think it is what you make of it, or what you have done. So when the days are hard here I try to remember I can choose how I react. 

2 Nefi 9:18

18 But, behold, the ^arighteous, the ^bsaints of the Holy One of Israel, they who have believed in the Holy One of Israel, they who have endured the ^ccrosses of the world, and despised the shame of it, they shall ^dinherit the ^ekingdom of God, which was prepared for them ^ffrom the foundation of the world, and their ^gjoy shall be full ^hforever.

Choose the right!

 Quinn rockin' his new kicks I gave him

Abbadia le château con los Adam in France

Love, Elder Ditto

Papas

Matador missionary

We was out and about on the calles (streets) this Halloween. I was dressed up nicely as a servant of the Lord but still not many wanted the sweet treat of the Word of God that night. I think four lessons were canceled in a row. 

lil skatepark

We were walking around this pueblo (city) and then I saw a skatepark! What a tender mercy, I was hoping God had also placed a skateboard in the skatepark, but alas there wasn't, so I just ran around it for a sec imagining. Then we randomly ran into Claudia (who got baptized a month ago!) Another tender mercy! 

 How many potatoes do you think are in there?

Then we did a pass-by (knock on the door of a member or amigo) at a member's family's house and they let us in to share a message. Halfway through the message, the doorbell rang and a tío (uncle) had just brought a GARGANTUINE bag of potatoes yo. It was large. So Élder Arcos, Juan Manuel, and I got to do service and carry this thing up 4 flights of stairs jaja. A literal tender mercy for reals ! I love serving people (like manual labor) and in Spain, service almost doesn't exist cuz nobody has a yard or a house (all apartments).

This day must have been good because I also wanna share the message we shared with Juan and his wife. Since it was all unplanned I had no clue what we should share with them but I was studying the allegory of the olive tree (Jacob 5) so I was like, aight vamos. And everyone talks about this chapter and how it's super long and confusing, but we did it anyway.  

And it was super good! They ended up talking about their kids who aren't active members anymore and how there is still hope for them. I'm not gonna toot my own horn because I'm really just a normal guy but my confidence in teaching hard things really went up after that lesson. I like that chapter a lot, verses 47 and 75 are fire. 

47 But ^awhat could I have done more in my vineyard? Have I slackened mine hand, that I have not nourished it? Nay, I have nourished it, and I have digged about it, and I have pruned it, and I have dunged it; and I have ^bstretched forth mine ^chand almost all the day long, and the ^dend draweth nigh. And it grieveth me that I should hew down all the trees of my vineyard, and cast them into the fire that they should be burned. Who is it that has corrupted my vineyard? 

75 And it came to pass that when the ^aLord of the vineyard saw that his fruit was good, and that his vineyard was no more corrupt, he called up his servants, and said unto them: Behold, for this last time have we nourished my vineyard; and thou beholdest that I have done according to my will; and I have preserved the natural fruit, that it is good, even like as it was in the beginning. And ^bblessed art thou; for because ye have been diligent in laboring with me in my vineyard, and have kept my commandments, and have brought unto me again the ^cnatural fruit, that my vineyard is no more corrupted, and the bad is cast away, behold ye shall have ^djoy with me because of the fruit of my vineyard.

In the vineyard (viña) the servant (us) and the Lord of the vineyard (Jesús) get down and dirty TOGETHER to help produce good fruit (yummy olives) and even though we work our hardest and water, dig, dung a nice orchard some trees bring forth good fruit and others bad. Más o menos. You should study it!  

I've also set the goal to finish the New Testament by my birthday, the Book of Mormon by Christmas, and Jesus the Christ by the one-year mark of my mission. I need the info . 

Pday fun with my district

That's about it homies, also last night I thought of this:

"An apple a day keeps the doctor away but a chapter a day keeps Diablo away!"

Sign me Cole Bennett!!

On the way to Biblao to celebrate Élder Esmít's bday Tutaloo

My dream is to be fluent enough in Spanish that I can freestyle in Spanish!

love, Elder Ditto