Windows of Heaven

Dear family,

I love you!! :) NEVER FORGET IT!!!!! 8D

Other than the beautiful clouds and fun rain here in Sabadell, Heaven's showers are bringing so many miracles!!!

Our friend Nancy was BAPTIZED last weekend!!! 8D She is SOOO HAPPY!!!!! She is from Ecuador. We met her almost a month ago, when we were helping her less-active friend receive comfort from the Spirit over the loss of her husband. The next day, when we explained the Plan of Happiness, Nancy told us that she wanted to make a change in her life, to be baptized and follow the Savior. 8D She told us last week in a sacred visit, through her tears, that she could feel the Savior redeeming her -- that she felt the Spirit confirm the truth of everything we had taught. She is so converted!! :) WHAT A MIRACLE!!!!

This weekend, Marie, from Cameroon, will be baptized by her husband (who was baptized in January). The week after that, our friend Veronica is going to be baptized. So many of our friends, and their families, are excited to learn about how they can come closer to the Savior, be freed from their past mistakes, and have more of His influence and guidance in their lives!!! WE HAVE THE BEST JOB EVER!!!!!!!! 

I've never had weeks so full of lessons ever!! We have SO much work to do!! Even on days when all of our plans fall through, we are struggling to meet with everyone!!

Heavenly Father keeps putting people in our path, especially those who used to be on it! We've found SO many people who used to be members (who for years have strayed away, forgetting their membership with the Church). 

It's incredible. Heavenly Father is doing so much for us. There is seriously nothing that we can take credit for. He is doing so much for us.

Here is how I put it to President:

Dear President Pace,

I am doing fantastic! We have had such a great week! President, there is really no way that we would be able to accomplish any of this without Heavenly Father's help. We're trying our best to be obedient, to work hard, and to scatter sunshine, but all of the miracles are gifts from Heaven. Heavenly Father is opening the windows of heaven in our area, and I'm so grateful to be permitted to be a part of this work.

I love these missionaries I have the privilege of serving with! Élder Wheat is a stalwart and constant example of Christlike temperence and love: he is always so calm, and searching for opportunities to serve. Élder Seegmiller is a dynamic and thorough missionary: he is so perceptive while teaching, and he is excellent when it comes to planning. Both of my companions have a very real sense of how precious the Lord's time is, and they're so eager to work!! I love them!!

I want to be a better companion for my companions. I want to serve them more. I can make breakfast every day -- so why not make it happen? I want them to know I love them.

This week was overflowing with miracles and tender mercies! For example, our friend Nancy was baptized!! I'm grateful to feel comforted by the Spirit -- my two friends that have been baptized are truly repentant, and converted. That's a tender mercy. In church, four of our friends who want to be baptized felt the Spirit (it shone in their faces) during the Sacrament, and are also on the path of conversion. Veronica, a cousin of a member, is so excited to be baptized! She almost wasn't able to go to Nancy's baptism because of unexpected work, but she was able to be there last-minute. Her eyes filled with the Spirit as she saw herself in her mind's eye being baptized. Miracles. All because of Him -- we're so blessed to be His representatives in helping our friends come to Him!!

I know that if we just do our best to do the Lord's will, He will bless our efforts to serve others. I know He loves me. That's another miracle -- He lets me feel it every day. :) I love Him.

I love you, too, President!!

Love,

Élder Zubeldia

I KNOW that Heavenly Father loves us and is aware of the situation of all of us. He wants us to be happy. If we focus on expressing gratitude (for example, by being obedient, leaving thank-you notes, praying often, etc), we will be happy. :) 

Be obedient, have faith, and have fun = recipe for satisfactory missionary work.

I love you!!

Simply,

Élder Zubeldia

Hahaha, WHOA WHAT A WEEK!!!!! 8D

Dear Beloved Family,

I love you SO MUCH!!!

You would not BELIEVE what a crazy and awesome week it has been!!! 8D As you know, I'm in a missionary-trio (my companions are Élder Seegmiller, a blond from Mosco, Idaho who speaks with a British accent; and Élder Wheat, a red-head from Sandy, Utah who is also an engineer [like Élder Seegmiller]. We have so much fun!!) here in Sabadell (the heartland of Catalunya). We're working as hard as we can, and we had a miracle that was the fountain of so many miracles this week: we got another missionary to work with us for the week!! Not just any missionary, but a missionary who is FROM our ward (he is serving in Málaga, but he needed to come back for some residency paper issues). His name is Élder Neira. He is from Barberà, a pueblo that I'm familiar with, so we split up the companionship that way, and WENT TO WORK!!!

Here's how I put it to my mission president:

 

Dear President Pace,

This week has been a week of miracles!! Having Élder Neira with us has been amazing--we've been able to help his family make a complete turn-around (his mother is now determined to come to church every week, and his "lost" brother now wants to serve on a mission), and we've been meeting with his friends, many of whom are receptive! Thanks to the miracles that've happened this week, we are now going to be able to work much more with the members.

On this note, Élder Neira's brother Harry, who wants to serve on a mission, is wondering about the possibility of serving a mini-mission sometime soon. He was wondering if he could live and work with us -- it would relieve the economic burden of his family, and would provide him with an excellent opportunity to serve and prepare. Is this a possibility?

I love my companions: Élder Seegmiller, Élder Wheat, and Élder Neira. Élder Seegmiller is such a level-headed and hardworking missionary: with the coordination of splits, and running all over Sabadell, he has very aptly taken charge and made sure to use the Lord's time as effectively as possible. Élder Wheat is such a loving and sincere missionary: whenever we're in a lesson, the purity of his testimony drives home in our friends' hearts. I know Élder Neira isn't in our mission, but for this week, he has been my companion -- I highly admire and respect this missionary. He has such a strong relationship with the Spirit, and because of his testimony, he has become a powerful instrument in the Lord's hands, especially in the saving of his family. My companions are examples of excellence to us all.

By the way, I also love the Hermanas in our district! I'm so grateful to have two of the most enthusiastic and hard-working sister missionaries of the mission. We are seeing such amazing miracles in our district!!

Our friends who are going to be baptized soon are: Marie this Saturday (the wife of Romuald, a recent convert -- she is so excited to be baptized by her husband!), Nancy on the 3rd of May (she is one of the elect, found while helping her MA friend, and she wants nothing more than to follow her Savior), Verónica on the 3rd of May (also one of the elect, the cousin of a member, and is praying for strength in this decision she's made, even though her family isn't supportive), and Carlos and Fabiola (husband and daughter of a MA, they're committed to do this as a family!).

I want to make sure we have companion study this week. :) We've been having SO many lessons that it's difficult to make the time, which is a wonderful challenge, but companionship study can help us to meet the demands. It's good to be anxiously engaged, but if we don't have time to be peacefully engaged in our study, then our work will be engaged with anxiety. Our friends deserve to have anxiety-free and spiritually-charged missionaries -- companionship study will help us give them that!!

I love this place, these people, and this work!! I love you, President!! Thank you so much for your prayers, your faith, and all that you lovingly do!!

Simply,

Élder Zubeldia

Now I'm going to answer some questions from last week that were asked me:

 

How was Conference? It was FANTASTIC -- didn't you see it?!?!?!?! All of our investigators (we're calling them friends, because that makes more sense anyway) I loved the emphasis on becoming more Christlike, the hastening of the Work of Salvation, and defending our faith despite the direction of the world.

Where am I? Who are my companions? Read above, I answered this.

What are people like in Sabadell? They're very friendly; they just don't seem to like people in suits that talk about God. X) As soon as we get to talk with them, though, they see past the ties, and feel "positive vibrations" (the Spirit of Happiness!!) from us.

Am I being fed? If only you knew. I don't even know why I buy groceries. Today I don't think I will. Member and non-members must really notice the blessings of feeding us, because they are always trying to give us food!!

My turn!! Here's some questions (take into account that I haven't read any of the emails yet -- but these are what I am wondering about):

How is Millie? How are John and Rebeca?

How are Paige and Logan?

How was the play?! :)

How are my favorite siblings on the whole world?! :D

Well, I sure love you all, and I use your pictures in just about every lesson that I meet new people!!! You would all turn pink if you could here how often they tell me how beautiful and handsome and happy you all look!!

I love you!!

Simply,

Élder Zubeldia

Haha, oh my goodness!! :D

Dear Family,

I love you so much!! I trust you all are doing well (since I haven't heard otherwise :) ), and I'm excited to read the emails I've printed off!!

I am out of time, again. X)

Here's my report to my mission president:
   
Dear President Pace,

I am doing fantastically well, and I love my new companions! Élder Seegmiller and Élder Wheat are outstanding missionaries! Élder Seegmiller is a very thorough thinker, and he teaches with great clarity and courtesy. He also has a great sense of humor, which is wonderfully witty and appropriate. What a fantastic missionary companion in lessons! He is assertive, and is very clear-headed in decision making moments. He is always trying to improve his Spanish speaking skills. Both of my companions are so humble, and aside from their excellent Spanish skills, they really impress me with their personal dedication to BE missionaries. Élder Wheat is an exceptional example of modest spiritual strength. He is very thoughtful, and kind, and is always looking for ways he can help. He conducts himself in a very well-mannered and respectful way. He doesn't see problems--he sees opportunities to try things differently. What a blessing to have such amazing companions to love and work with!

Our biggest challenge is that we have so much work to do that it is difficult to get to everyone (an interesting "problem"). We haven't had time for much planning, studying, or mediodía as a result of having so many people to visit, transportation, and challenges in getting members to accompany us (so that we might go on splits, and work in both areas). My fear is that people might start to fall through the cracks, as it were. What a blessing it is that Heavenly Father trusts us, and believes that we can do it! If He thinks so, then we can. I firmly believe that if we all work together, Heavenly Father will help us achieve the unachieved.

Our friends who've accepted to be baptized for this week (Veronica--I haven't met her yet, and we need to get into contact with her. It's likely to be postponed, but I trust É. Seegmiller´s conviction that she will be baptized.)

A less-active sister we have been working with invited us to her house, and we arrived to terrible news: her "pareja" of 15 years just died, in her país, that morning... she was devastated. We did the best we could to provide comfort and support, and we began teaching the Plan of Happiness, to remind her of the hope that Father in Heaven has for her. Listening attentively was a friend of hers named Nancy, among the other friends who were there, also there to comfort her. We sang hymns with her, and promised by the Spirit that she would find peace. She invited us over the next day, and the peace and hope filled her heart as we went over again the Plan of Happiness. Nancy was there again, and she felt the Spirit. Long story short, she accepted to be baptized, and after praying together, she set her date for the 19th of April. I'm so grateful for the privilege of having been able to be used by the Lord to help comfort and console our less-active sister, and to simultaneously help Nancy decide to come closer unto Christ.

Miguelina (a Dominican woman I contacted a month ago, whose son is a bishop back in the Republica Dominicana) and Jose Maria (her Spanish husband) are also planning on being baptized the 19th, as is Mari (the wife of a recent convert, found through contacting, from Cameroon). We are being blessed right and left!! I am so grateful to Heavenly Father for the divine privilege of being able to participate in this miraculous work!!

I love this work!! I love these people, our friends, our ward, and my companions!! What a tender mercy to have the Spirit guide our lives!!

Love,
Élder Zubeldia

To sum up: the summer is coming on, things are warming up, and (now that the baptismal fonts will definitely have warm water) they will be filled up with so many of our friends here in Sabadell!!

Literally, our problem is that there are so many people to work with, we simply can't visit with them all and help them progress with just two companionships (we need the members to actually work with us or for more missionaries to join us!!)

To answer some questions from last week real quick:

Dear Mother -- well, where does Levi want to go for 9th grade?

Sofía -- I have absolutely no idea at how many copies of the Book of Mormon we've handed out (quite a few).

I love you all!! My companions want to go play basketball, and so I need to get off!!  I love you!!!

Sabadell!! :)

Family,

I'm so sorry that this is so late and so short. This week was transfers. I'm staying in Sabadell, and now I have two companions!!! :) Élder Seegmiller and Élder Wheat (a blond and a red-head -- they're fantastic missionaries!!! We're really excited in our district!!

 

Last Saturday was MARIBEL'S BAPTISM. Speaking of which, SHE WAS SO HAPPY, and her family is SO GREAT, and she brought her sister and that family, and EVERYONE felt the Spirit!!!! She is excited for Conference, going to the Temple, helping her family get baptized, and getting her Patriarchal Blessing!!!!! HUGE THINGS ARE HAPPENING IN SABADELL!!!!

 

1 Peter 3:15 -- we need to always be ready to open our mouths and share the reason of WHY we're so happy!!!!! (the gospel of Jesus Christ, of course!!)

GENERAL CONFERENCE IS COMING!!!!! BRING YOUR FRIENDS AND NEIGHBORS!!!!!!!!! If you prayerfully prepare questions, THEY WILL BE ANSWERED DURING THE CONFERENCE AS YOU LISTEN WITH THE SPIRIT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I love you all!!!

Élder Zubeldia

From Élder Seegmiller to Sarah

Sarah Zubeldia,

I am your brother's new companion, and I'm loving it. I have lived with him for two transfers and now have the opportunity to work with him full time. I dare say that he is, in all honesty, one of the very greatest missionaries I have ever worked with. He truly loves the mission and gives his whole heart to the Lord, and to his investigators. Serving a mission has made him as happy as I have ever seen a soul be, and he is incredibly excited to have you as one of his sister missionaries in the field. He considers his family to be the greatest blessing in his life and speaks of all of you constantly. It is his firm belief that your service in the mission field will be one of the greatest moments that your life will compass. If I may insert my own humble opinion, he can only be corrrect. 

I only wanted to write and let you know that your brother is well, and to give a small amount of encouragement to a future missionary, and to carry a small joke out to it's bittermost end. Do not feel obliged to respond, as I neither expect nor anticipate such.

May all the preparations for your mission go in joy and success.

Elder Seegmiller

Oh my goodness miracles!!!! 8D

Dear family, (friends, you are family!! :) )

I love you so much!!!!

I am doing fantastic, and I'm excited to read the emails.

Sorry that I can't write anything!! The guy next to me already knew my name was "Élder" before I said anything -- turns out his sister is a less-active from forever ago, and she isn't on the record. I helped him type up and format a legal document (who knew that that skill was going to help on the mission?), and talked with him -- using almost all of my internet time, but I got his number and most of his address and the other elders will hopefully be able to meet with him (and his sister) sometime soon!!

I am happy, we're working hard, and we're going to have a baptism this Saturday. Her name is Maribel, she's from Peru, and her husband and her daughter are fully supportive (but not ready). We want them to be baptized as a family, but she wants to be baptized NOW (in her words "like a child wants Christmas"), and her family wants to wait, and this is my companion's last week. I'll tell you about it next week!!

The most important thing that I can say right now is that Heavenly Father loves us (1 Nefi 11:17, read the second half before the first half), and that He wants us to be happy. I'd like to invite everyone to take whatever time necessary to rediscover the REALITY that you really are a Son/Daughter of God. The Holy Ghost will let you know this, if you consistently study the scriptures, pray and listen, and keep the promises you have made with Heavenly Father. It's true for our friends (investigators is an odd term); it's true for us. If you sincerely want, and act on that want, it will happen with you. (John 7:17)

The same thing applies to all principles and teachings of the LDS Church (God's church). Try it out!!

I love you!!

Simply,

Élder Zubeldia

News from Kaysville (Response)

Dear Papi,

I love you!!

For Daniel: I am so proud of you for your efforts in memorizing scriptures!!! It will help you so much on your mission!!! I wish I had made scripture mastery more of a focus when I was in seminary, despite it not seeming like such a big deal. Way to go, Bud!!! I love you!!! Thank you for your amazing example!!!

Thank you for fixing the game for Carlos!! :) I hope that they have lots of fun!!

  

Sofía: HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA, that's the BEST poll I have ever heard of my entire life!! XD Papi, I want so badly to have your same eyebrows when I grow up!! :) Haha, workin' on it!! ;)

On shoes and clothing: I am totally fine!! I have more than enough of all clothing!! My shoes are surprisingly in good shape -- I switch in between the three pairs, and they're holding up well. The only thing they might need could be a shoe-polishing kit, to keep them shiny.

Please tell the members of the 3rd ward that I love them, and that they've taught me so much. They're a real blessing for me, as they've shown me how a functional ward SHOULD work. Several members have written me, and I'm sad to say that I haven't been able to respond to them, any of them. Please apologize for me.

I'm going to try and see what I can do about learning how to make those Catalan foods -- keep giving me suggestions for what you'd like for me to make when I come back, so I can start learning NOW!!!

I love you!!

   

Élder Zubeldia