Jesus is Awesome

 Hello, Homies. This week was loquito otra vez. I had Chick-fil-A sauce for the first time in nine months (wild), we got lost, and Jhonatan got baptized and confirmed! Basically the highlights of the email.

Enjoying the beauty of the town called Echaurri.

I'd love to come back here after my mission and go rock climbing.

I listened to a super good talk from way back when (the older the talk the better it is) and the apostle talked about "He made me mad" or "I lost my temper", that kinda thing. And he was talking about how those two phrases are impossible to be true! In fact, no one on earth has the power to make me mad. Why? Well, it is not hard to explain but it is hard to do. It is because all of God's children have agency, the power to choose between good and evil. We can choose the decision but we do not have the power to choose the consequence. So that's super cool and all but Elder Ditto why are you saying that? Well because as a missionary you deal with other people's agency all the time. As a parent you also do probably, idk, and as an employee or a teacher or a friend or grandparent. Sometimes I think it would be awesome to have all the people who say "Ya we will come to church!" Actually, come to church 100% of the time (we would all love that) But, people need to learn to use their agency wisely. 

Here's an example of the power of agency:

"During all of the taunting, the abuse, the scourging, and the final torture of crucifixion, the Lord remained silent and submissive. Except, that is, for one moment of intense drama which reveals the very essence of Christian doctrine. That moment came during the trial. Pilate, now afraid, said to Jesus: “Speakest thou not unto me? knowest thou not that I have power to crucify thee, and have power to release thee?” (John 19:10). One can only imagine the quiet majesty when the Lord spoke. “Thou couldest have no power at all against me, except it were given thee from above” (John 19:11). What happened thereafter did not come because Pilate had power to impose it, but because the Lord had the will to accept it. “I lay down my life,” the Lord said, “that I might take it again. “No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again” (John 10:17–18)."

I have ZERO power over our amigos/investigator's lives. Kinda sucks to say, but at the same time, I also have 100% power over my own life. Only I can make myself mad, is what I'm going for. 

Doctrine and Covenants 123:17

"Therefore, dearly beloved brethren, let us cheerfully do all things that lie in our power; and then may we stand still, with the utmost assurance, to see the salvation of God, and for his arm to be revealed."

My goal this week is to NOTGETMAD once. Anyways, cool week, gonna have to rely on my boy Jesus mucho. Happy Easter! 

Chik-fil-A sauce from USAAAAAa

Jhonatan the first time he came to church

Jhonatan before his baptism

Hanging out with the "causas"

Lost

Love, Elder Ditto

March Madness

I'm staying in Pamplona! 4th transfer here and we are all excited to keep working, none of the six missionaries here are leaving. Our district is getting Hermana misioneras in San Sebastián, which is a big WIN for the district. My day one boy, Élder Smith and I are parting ways for the first time in both of our missions which is actually wild. We have served in the same district for 9 months (almost). And he is gonna love it on the Canary Islands  Élder Miranda is going to train a new missionary in Madrid!

 Lil Fotita

Cumpleaños Feliz

I am 20 years old! So are Élder Cox y Élder Kemp! My cumple was super good, a normal missionary day but two Elders from Logroño had an exchange here so they celebrated with us as well as Betzabeth, Maryori, y Luana. My actual 2nd family fr (for real) The Peruvian version. 

New comp (Élder Eduardo)

Hornada (from Ecuardo, so good!)

A member named Eduardo got called as a ward missionary last week, he is a classic Spaniard grandfather and super awesome. For fun we did a compañionship study with him, that day he invited us to eat with him, then later he helped us in a lesson. I saw Élder Eduardo three times in one day jaja. Mucho. After Eduardo was like, "Hey, I'm done for the day haha" agreed. We are gonna buy him a name tag today. 

Miracle caught on camera

Milagro time: about the Holy Ghost

Two weeks ago during an exchange Élder Hill y Élder Smith had a lesson with an amiga in her house. We have half of her address so I told Elder Hill during daily planning that we were going to visit her and that he would need to use the Holy Ghost to remember, or guess. I don't even know if he knew which floor and room she lived in. So we got there and he thought about it for like 5 minutes then pressed 3D and boom...it was her! 1st try! She came out and we were able to talk to her for a few minutes pray with her, and set up a lesson. It's been a while since I physically went to an amigos house without a lesson plan, so that was a nice time for me to remember to be more bold and active.

Redbull Rampage

The weather is so prime right now, Mangas cortas, short sleeves baby. Been zooming around the ciudad on the biciletas, and eating yummy grub también. Trying to make District Councils more spiritual and helpful and bring more people to the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I hope everyone prays for a miracle this week and can remember it when times get hard. Love y'all!

Tony Kroos signed mi pelota de fútbol (Real madrid played vs Osanuna (in Pamplona)

Elder Ditto

Church?

I have been studying why it is important to come to church on Sunday with the end goal of being able to testify and invite amiguitos with more power and authority. My boy Élder Smith also is focusing on that, so in our exchange #34 we practiced how to simply teach and invite EVERY SOUL to choich. 

My strat:

I used to do it like this, because idk why not?

-  "Queremos invitarle a orar y leer el Libro de Mormón y orar para saber si enseña la doctrina verdadera de Jesucristo, y venir a la capilla este domingo a las 10!"

It wasn't bringing many to church, so I simply switched up the order, helping them realize what invitation was the most important right now.

- "Queremos invitarle a venir a la capilla este domingo a las 10 para experimentar el evangelio restaurado. (Wait for answer, it'll be "sí" hopefully) Y leer el Libro de Mormón y orar para saber si lo que hemos enseñado es verdad!"

¿Lo ves? / Do you see it?

I was mind blown, all that happened was the order of pray, read, and church switched. And bam! It worked!!!! We had three little families pull up to choiiiiiiich. I know it wasn't actually for the words any missionary (including me) said; I think God was waiting to show us these families until we thought about the importance of going to church. Because they came, and now I understand way better what that means. God is good at his job.

If you are having trouble feeling that church is important for you to go to every Sunday, or if you don't usually look forward to Sundays, and everyone has felt like that before. I invite you to sit down and figure it out. Look up "sabbath day" or "sacrament" or "Sunday" and read all the scriptures and talks about it until you realize how important and maybe even hype going to church with the fellow saints is! 

Elder Hill is a wheely master!

Élder Hill is quite skilled on a bicicleta. He can wheelie (caballero) on a whim and bunny hop. He does a little of that Danny McCaskill stuff tambien. I shall learn both

Yummy potato and meatball soup I made!

Made from scratch!!!

Meanwhile, the lads are whipping up every day in the kitchen. Those pots and pans and ingredients are now my instruments. On Saturday night we cheffed up street tacos with homemade tortillas, sí, from scratch. They were a little thick and a little heavenly. The cheese was un poco melty and the meat was una poquita fiesta en la boca. I want to cook them again. Also, cooking chicken in the oven is a game changer, I never knew.

Joseph Smith

I am grateful for Joseph Smith. He was a normal kid with questions but he was different because he was a kid of his word and also he was chosen by God to be a prophet. So that's a big difference, but when you think about who he was, he was very normal. He had a massive purpose, to restore the church of Jesus!! And a lot of ignorant people hated him for that. One time while he was in jail, he asked God why he was suffering so much. God said,

"If thou shouldst be cast into the pit, or into the hands of murderers, and the sentence of death passed upon thee; if thou be cast into the deep; if the billowing surge conspire against thee; if fierce winds become thine enemy; if the heavens gather blackness, and all the elements combine to hedge up the way; and above all, if the very jaws of hell shall gape open the mouth wide after thee, know thou, my son, that all these things shall give thee experience, and shall be for thy good.

 The Son of Man hath descended below them all. Art thou greater than he? 

Therefore, hold on thy way, and the priesthood shall remain with thee; for their bounds are set, they cannot pass. Thy days are known, and thy years shall not be numbered less; therefore, fear not what man can do, for God shall be with you forever and ever."

How can this change your attitude?

Love, Elder Ditto

I saw D Todd and bought a fancy spoon

This week was epically hype, to be honest.

1. Élder D Todd Christofferson llegared in Madrid for a lil confy (conference) so all the missionaries in España got to congregate for the event. I saw a heap of people. 

Hermana Bauer y Hermana Trejo (de San Sebastián!)

Maryori, Luana, y Élder Miranda after their first baptisms in the temple!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Also saw Brooke Bauer which was loquito. Luana and Maryori (recent converts) did baptisms in the temple for the first time EVER and they loved it, we couldn't go in with them :( but it's chill cuz we got a pic with Élder Miranda my kp. Two insights from Élder Christofferson:

    |_|  [\|  ( )   D Todd addressed the importance of the Book of Mormon, he said that if an "amigo" or someone investigating the church doesn't want to read the Book of Mormon then we also do not want them to be baptized because God needs members who are converted and have strong testimonies! 

   | ) ( ) $    D Todd did not say this but I did think it and I'm pretty sure it was inspired by the Holy Spirit. Imagine two batteries -- One with a full charge and one almost empty. Faith is when we are almost empty spiritually battery wise and we remain faithful by remembering when we were fully charged. Idk how I never thought of that before but I think it's gonna help me explain faith!

Posterity Pic. Élder Nelson, Élder Ditto, Élder Hill

I love España and I love my companions and other missionaries, wherever they are serving. I had this lowkey w (win) moment during zone conference and I was being taught by a missionary I do not really know. I could tell how much he loved the gospel and I legit had a second of like "yo, this dude is awesome!" It was weird but not really even, it was just cool. So if you are a missionary, or have been, or will be, or answer your friend's Qs about John Smith, or are a good example. Somehow, I love and respect you even though maybe I don't know you super well. 

Roger (recent convert) and I big time protected against all evil.

San Sebastián

I really want to improve my Spanish. I'm thinking about using the Spanish accent "lisp" ifykyk yk? It's kind OP. But I'm bot tryna get hated on, so I will just learn all accents  

Dogwood trees are starting to blossom 

Future family heirloom

Also today we are in San Sebastián for intercambios (exchanges) and I bought a thimble and a little spoon. I'm a changed man already. They are both lit tho.

Love, Elder Ditto

Rebajon Robber

Happy Valentine's Day week, "If ye love me, keep my commandments" - God.

Kinda looks like San Diego?

Well, rip the bikes 😢 On Saturday, we walked outside, and lo and behold the bike chain was cut and the normal-sized mountain bike was gone. The password for the chain is 1820, if the dude knew about Jose Smith and the First Vision the robbery would've been a lot smoother for him, but whatever. It's actually really sad because biking was so effective and fun. The funny part was that they didn't rob the payaso (small bike) lol, that's a blessing.

The New District

The weather was really good this week, sunny, rainy, cold, hot, and sunsets. I think this is the first time that I have written about the weather on my mission, it is because Elder Hill is in love with Spain and everything about it. I have definitely been more appreciative of the little cool things this week thanks to being comps with the new Elder Hill. Last night we were waiting for our bus and there was one of the Clone War bathroom Komunak porta potties so I had to show him it. This one didn't have a laser like the last one I tried. I went in after Elder Hill but I forgot that these baños (komunak in basque "euskera") rinse clean themselves after every use, so when I went inside the door locked itself, the toilet seat flipped up and water started spraying onto the floor. Luckily the water doesn't spray from the walls, more like the floorboard area, so I was able to do a barn-door rock climbing maneuver to balance in the slightly elevated doorway as the soapy water started filling up the floor and the lights turned off. I felt like I was in a Star Wars movie or sum. 

We missed our bus and were chilling by this big statue called "estatue de los fueros" if you wanna look it up and Elder Hill out of the blue just goes, "WOAH!" me- "What bro?" "WE ARE IN SPAIN!!" and then proceeded to slap the statue to make sure it was real. I am sure I did the exact same thing a few times with Elder Nelson haha. 

Me and the boys playing a sacred tune

A crazy miracle is happening with our amigo from Portugal (Valerio is his name) and his female (Martha, she is a member of the church), allow me to compare. They are not married but are coming to church and want to get baptized. Before you can be baptized one needs to obey the commandments, one is the Law of Chastity (Matthew 5:27-28, New Testament). So on Saturday, we taught them about the Temple and marriage. Three-fourths of the way through the lesson Martha goes, "Vamos a casarnos el 27 de Febrero!" "We are going to get married on the 27th of February" whattttttttttttttttttttt? So ya, they have come to church three times in a row and are gonna get married in a week. I am astounded by God's timing, it is perfect. 

 I have been working out every morning. Let's go!

Overall, this transfer is definitely way different than the last two with Elder Romrell and Elder Miranda, but I listened to the talk "Remember Lot's Wife" and Elder Holland was saying that if you are stuck in the past, it is a way of showing God that you don't have faith in His plan and yourself in a way, so I am focusing on looking forward with an eye of faith.

Jose Maria

 

Jose Maria from Argentina got baptized on Saturday and confirmed on Sunday! He is an awesome guy, and I've never seen someone be so passionate about Mate. 

James 1:22 "But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves." 

Our amigo, Jesus, asked us if we had seen his keys, and we said "no" but if you pray for them you'll find them. He prayed and then found them (1 Nephi 10:19)

Love, Elder Ditto

¿New Fav Scripture?

Elder Miranda x Elder Ditto was too good to be true so now we are running Elder Hill x Elder Ditto until it becomes too good to be true. I actually miss Élder Miranda, he is a brother from another mother, I'm gonna be front row in his marriage and padel tournaments, no doubt. We weren't like magically best bros but we had some really good talks and evened out any problems we did have and now we are pure homies.

Farewell Élder Miranda

Brother from another mother

Comiendo olivos con Dios. We got to fly First Class to Madrid!!!  

I was thinking about the saying "All good things come to an end" and I think it is true, but also I was thinking about the Plan of Salvación and how the whole point of it is so that the good things and joy actually don't come to an end. Quite interesting to think about. I love studying about the Plan of Salvación. I have gained a better appreciation for the perfectness, justness, and merciness of Heavenly Father. We had Fabrizio (our amigo) draw on the chalkboard everything he knew about God's Plan for him. He drew a world without people, a world with sad people, and a world with happy people. Pretty good but when we taught him the plan that God actually has for him, it made a lot more sense.

Training a new young lad

Two siervos de Dios en the Heart of Pamplona

Being a new missionary is so crazy, I forgot how different and new and cool and hard and confusing and important everything is in the beginning. I'm grateful for Elder Hill because I've been able to appreciate a few things more, things that I maybe took for granted. My goal is to help him feel super confident in his Spanish and enjoy every day of our time in Pamplona. Especially the "bad" ones, so it's gonna have to start with my attitude. I feel like I'm gonna learn some important lessons from these transfers!

Faith = attitude

Elder Hill and myself

One more thing, I have been thinking of this verse for probably 3 weeks straight and singing "Love One Another." This might be my new favorite scripture. It's between Juan 13:35 and Éter 12:27. Which one is better???? No sé kp

John 13:35 "By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples if ye have love one to another."

Or 

Ether 12:27 "And if men come unto me I will show unto them their weakness. I give unto men weakness that they may be humble, and my grace is sufficient for all men that humble themselves before me; for if they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become strong unto them."

A pillar of light rested on him, the windows of heaven were open again, they called him by name, chosen by God, he was part of a bigger plan, it all began, with a Pillar of Light.

This email is already very long so why not make it longer? Focusing a little more on the topic of a new missionary and the crazy language barrier and that vibe, my testimony has gotten stronger that missionaries are God's Work, it is His. It is not mine and it is not yours, and that is how the Gospel will be shared in every nation kindred tongue, and people.  God uses us young, imperfect, weak lads to help out in His work. And it will be accepted because the message of The Book of Mormon and Jesus Christ is true whether it comes out in perfect Spanish or super bad Spanglish. A fact is a fact. Quavo probably said that a while ago, I just didn't catch it.

Love, Elder Ditto

Jajetopata mita'i

We made dinner with our new friends who recently got baptized and ate it together at the church.

Transfer news update happening at the end of the week:

Elder Miranda is getting shipped off to Madrid to serve in a city called Carabanchel with Elder Gomez. Elder Romrell is flying to practically Africa, he is going to the Canary Islands again, the island of La Gran Canary, a city called Vecindario. Elder Stones and I are staying in Pamplona and I am going to train a yunglad.

We had two intercambios (exchanges) this week. One with Elder Smith in Pamp and the other with Elder Romrell also here.

Elder Smith and I focused on "teaching always" as I Iike to call it. This could mean teaching for 5 or 10 minutes in the street, on Facebook, or on a call. One goal I have been thinking of is teaching at least one time every hour of proselyting time or eight "lessons" every day. Anyways, enough missionary stuff lemme tell you a miracle:

A chaval was speeed walking in the park and I signaled bro to stop, his name was Diego. Taught him the restauracion (God loves you, Joseph Smith saw God, and The Book of Mormon will help you!) and he loved it. We gave him the Book of Mormon, then we scheduled a lesson and bounced. Two hours later we were on the way to a lesson in the church (which is like one mile away). We received a text from a member of the church saying, "I am already here in the church, ready for our lesson with the investigator!" Sick. Then another text from the investigator, "I can't come to the lesson" poop.

*Btw the member biked like 20 minutes to come to the church and then the lesson was cancelled.* Lesson cancellations happen quite a bit, but I was still like bruhhhhh. 

So I thought for a good second, looked around for a miracle, and couldn't see one, so I prayed, "Heavenly Father, please help me know what to do right now, Amen." 

Then I looked up and saw a couple from Nicaragua and thought, "God is the best, these people are for sure gonna have interest and we can teach them in the church right now with our member." We talked to  them while crossing the street and then figured out they had 0 interest. 

Just then I looked up again and saw... DIEGO. BRUHHHHH, no puede ser. After he talked to us in the park he got a haircut and we found him as he was, still speedwalking down the street with his Book of Mormon in hand. W. He said he had 10 minutes so we went into the church and had a lesson with Diego and our member. Prayer is my favorite superpower.

Diagram of our miracle

I drew a picture of this story because it's definitely impossible to follow haha.

Some things I learned from Elder Miranda:

1. Guarani, and things about Paraguay

2. forgiving fast

3. diligence

4. I love Elder Miranda

Some things I learned from Elder Romrell:

1. Charity

2. Treat everyone equally

3. How to cut hair

Think about your prayers, can you make them better? Hasta Loogo

Pday fun!

Love, 

Elder Ditto