Sweater Weather

I would not have guessed I would still be wearing short sleeves all the way in November, but missionary life on the beach isn't so bad. This week we went to Madrid and the weather was cold and rainy, a little taste of home. Even got to put on the sweater which is awesome.

On Thursday I did an exchange with our ZL Elder Cabrera from Brazil! We had prayed to find a women with a stroller that would be interested. Not long after that we found a mom from Paraguay with a stroller who was looking for a church here in Málaga. Also, when I was with Elder Cabrera I was able to teach a lesson in English which was awesome! Her name was Anna and she had been looking for a community where she felt at home. She had been searching for something for a long time, but had always felt anxious. We shared Elder Kearon's talk about new beginnings and the Gospel of Jesus Christ. 

On Saturday we had a lession with a wonderful family. The mom's name is Milagros and she has a son who is 14. Milagros in Spanish means "miracles" and she has been that for us. She has already met with missionaries and loves what we teach. What's better is that her son, Juan Pablo, is very interested and has even read a little of the Book of Mormon. There's a photo of him below. He plays football on Sundays, so it has been hard for him to come to church, but we're hoping he can come soon. We also can't play soccer anymore because a missionary in our mission tore his ACL playing :(

We finished our week with a baptism in our ward! It was a friend of the other Elders, but it was still so much fun to see a baptism and see the ward all together. Hopefully we'll see more of those by the end of the month. We know that through baptism we can gain a new beginning, and as we renew our covents, a new beginning again. There is no end to the fresh starts that God offers us through through the sacrifice of His Son Jesus Christ. 

"What does this mean for you and for me? His goodness and mercy and loving-kindness know no bounds. New beginnings are at the heart of the Father’s plan! Fresh starts are the mission of the Son! New dawns, new chapters, and new chances are the simple core of the gospel’s good news!" (Patrick Kearon, 2025)

I'm immensely grateful for the hope that we have thanks to the new sunrises we may have anytime we turn our hearts toward heaven.

Elder Dougall