My Beloved Family,
You people make me so happy, just so you know. :) I think you´re e-mails this week were one-fifth the size as before. X) I guess the message is that you all want me to write more. That´s fine, but also remember that I LOVE hearing from you all, and that the letters you send me give me so much strength, peace, and guidance. On top of that, I love you family, and I want to know what is going on in your lives, and how you are feeling--it helps me pray for your needs.
I love you. :) Did I ever tell you that enough? Please remember to tell yourselves "Pablo loves me", at least 10 times a day, for me, alright? :)
Here´s my e-mail to my Mission President (sorry, I spent a lot of time writing to him today--just got carried away, I guess):
Dear President,
I am so excited for the changes that are going to be happening in the Lord´s work!! In our area, we see that there would be a huge benefit for the work if we can get the members to work with us more. I know that we can do it--there´s nothing that we can´t do with the Lord on our team! Something that hit me yesterday, after watching the Conference, was that we are inhibiting the Lord´s work if we prohibit ourselves from thinking big. So many ideas had come to mind, and they were further validated by the things said in the Conference.
On that note, I was wondering if I could ask you for some help and advice. The Stake Center here in Vitoria is big and beautiful, with lots of grounds, and room for large groups of people. I was told by a member that President Utchdorf said, when he dedicated the building, that it would bless the area as a place to hold events. So, I was wondering if we should try and hold some events there--so that everyone would know where the LDS Church building is in Vitoria, and so that people would get interested in learning more about LDS people and the lives they lead. In the Church, we have many talented artists and groups that have the resources to go on tours: can we officially invite them to come and tour the Barcelona, Spain mission, and (particularly) to visit Vitoria? The Piano Guys, Inside Out, and Lindsay Stirling (a few examples) are very popular artists, and I really think people would come to see them. I think that there is a good possibility that we can spark people´s interests in this way, and help people recognize better the name "The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints" in a good light.
Maybe I´m just having a crazy idea, but I really believe that nothing is impossible in the Lord´s work. We can accelerate the work in this part of the Lord´s vineyard, and we have so much creative "wiggle-room" wherein we can help carry out His work. It is better to get things done than to simply think, or talk, about them, so I want to know if you´d like for me to try and make this happen, or if you think that this is a good idea. What do you think?
My companion and I are good friends, and we have so much fun working out here in Vitoria. It´s hard, but it´s invigorating. After watching yesterday´s conference, we feel even more enthusiastic, and we've seen so many miracles as we´ve been trying to find and do the Lord´s will.
Speaking of miracles: while we were trying to follow the Spirit´s guide, and while we were trying to contact the world, we found a woman sitting on a bench with another woman. The woman in question was giving her address and phone number to the other woman, so that she could give her the assistance necessary to sustain herself and her child. So, from right off the bat, we knew she was golden. We began to talk to her, to get to know her, and to have a lesson, right there on the bench. Her name is Lidia, she´s 50-ish (or so we´re deciding to guess), she has three children here in Spain with her, she´s married, she´s from Colombia, and she´s been searching for the Lord´s truth her entire life. It felt so good to tell her that her search is over. The Spirit was there, and knew what she needed to hear. I´m so grateful for the power of prayer, and scripture study, which helps us so much to follow the Spirit. We began with a prayer, and we began talking about the Plan of Happiness. She asked questions, and we answered. The Spirit helps us listen to people, and He helps us ask the right questions, and then again to listen to people. Time flew by, and we spent (no, invested), more than an hour with her. Lidia calls us her angels. She invited us to visit her, in Miranda de Ebro (a pueblo 30 minutes away from Vitoria--oh, and President, could Elder Sutton and I get sent to Miranda as a new area? There are SO many youth there, and so many families--it makes Vitoria seem like a night-life-party-metropolis. We both felt like there´s so much work to be done there), so that we could meet her family. We had lots of obstacles in getting there (Satan is real, and he doesn't like us--but that´s fine, because we are on Heavenly Father´s roster), but we got there, and taught them about why we are here. The Spirit is so great, and helped us express our sincere love for them. Even though my knowledge may be small, and my testimony may be meager, the Spirit of God gives strength to the words that come from our hearts. She is astonished that we are so young, and has adopted us as her children--we call her "Mama Lidia". We love her, and we know that she knows, and we know that she loves us. Heavenly Father is a God of Miracles, and always will be.
I am trying my best to be obedient, President. My first lesson as a set-apart missionary was, in the words of my Stake President, "Obedience brings blessings; strict obedience brings miracles." I´m glad that here in the Barcelona Mission that obedience is such a focus--it blesses me, and I know it blesses the work of the Lord, and the people around us.
My goal last week was to focus on humility. I know I will probably never be humble enough, and even though I´m focusing on a different goal this week, I will also keep in mind this goal to become more humble. My goal this week is diligence--hard, focused, continuous, determined, and smart effort in all that I do. I know I won´t come close to progressing much on the continuum of diligence this week, either, but I know it´s important to at least try to grow in this aspect.
I am so blessed, President. I am the most blessed person I know. I am happy, doing well, and trying to learn and improve. I´m so small for such a calling, which makes me even more astonished at how much the Lord can do through the "least of these". I know that there is nothing that I can´t do if the Lord wants me to do it.
There is so much to tell you all about every-day missionary life, about what has happened this past month, and what I've learned and how I've grown as one who strives to be a servant of the Lord. Turnips, I haven´t even told you about my experiences at the MTC, have I? Oh, well--I will try and do better in the future. I would tell you all now, but I need to dedicate time to writing you personal letters, now. :)
When it comes to forwarding these e-mails, parents, you can decide how you wish the rest of the family to receive them (I just want to make sure that the cousins/aunts/uncles/
I don´t want anyone, especially those who I hold dearest to my heart, think that I have forgotten them. I HAVEN´T FORGOTTEN YOU!!!!! I THINK OF EACH OF YOU, INDIVIDUALLY, EVERY NIGHT IN MY PRAYERS, and I try to listen to the Spirit to know what to pray for, for you.
I love you, family. :) You are always in my heart, and I carry your pictures with me everywhere, and I show them to everyone who asks (speaking of which, I would immensely appreciate receiving pictures of each of you). You are all pillars of light and strength in my life.
I love you.
Simply,
Élder Pablo Zubeldia
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