Week 4

I cant believe ive already been out for a whole month.  Im already running out of time left on the mission.  Everyone says that time doesnt exist on the mission because it never seems possible how fast time goes.  Im sure everyone who´s been on a mission can agree with that.  This week has been an awesome week!  Last saturday we got to go to a park in the middle of Madrid and talk to people.  This park is huge!  They switch up all the companionships each trip to the park so i was in a trio with Elder Wilson and Elder Rigtrup.  The first lady we talked to, I think i understood maybe a total of 3 words... and we talked to her for about 20 minutes.  Haha but each person we contacted, i started to understand more and more.  It was hard to think of what i wanted to say when we were talking to people but us three missionaries worked together to get the message across.  We got one referral on the way to the park in the metro which was a really cool experience.  The girl couldn´t really understand spanish very well but we talked to her about the Book of Mormon and tried to give her one but she said she couldnt take it right then.  She wrote down her number and gave us her name, Nana.  We dont know if it was her actual number but we were excited anyways.  We contacted about 12 different people in the park but every single person shut us down and wouldnt listen about the Church.  It was definitely a learning experience and it was good to practice listening to Spanish and speaking it.  It was awesome.

Today we got to go to the temple again.  Yes mom, we get to go every week while we´re here at the CCM which is a huge blessing because i wont be able to go at all once i get to Barcelona.  A temple worker came up to me and Elder Hardiman after the session and asked if we wanted to be witnesses for baptisms.  We said we´d love to and we witnessed for at least 450 names and it was all in Portuguese (or however you spell it).  Each person was baptized for about 40 people.  It was way cool.  I felt bad for the guy who was baptizing because he was the only one there to baptize.  I think his arm almost fell off by the end.

 Elder Hardiman is a great companion.  We work really well together when we´re teaching.  He gets homesick a lot though and he thinks about home all the time.  Im trying to encourage him and help him and i think he´s getting better.  I love him.  We´ll only be together for about 2 more weeks though because there are 10 native Spanish Elders coming and President said he´s going to try to put all of us with a native companion which im SO excited for.  It will help a ton with spanish.  There were 4 Elders and a Sister who left the CCM today.  They all got here last week with the rest of us but they could already speak Spanish so they all left out to the field this morning.  Elder Tirado (the one i traveled with) was one who left so now im the only one here going to Barcelona.  I cant wait to get there.  But i would probably die if i left the CCM right now because i still have so much to learn with Spanish.  This CCM is so sweet.  Oh by the way, did Jon and Leah move here to Spain??  Because there´s a teacher here that looks like Jon´s clone.  He´s just a little shorter but its pretty weird when i see him and i almost call him Jon and give him a hug. Haha im just kidding but its crazy how much he looks like Jon.  I´ll try to get a picture of him and send it.

 Mom and dad im glad you guys are adjusting to real life but im sorry you had to leave this awesome full time missionary work.  Val and I are the lucky ones now being out on missions.  We got to watch a video last night that was a talk from Elder Holland last year at the Provo MTC. He talked about how the work isnt easy and it´s not supposed to be easy.  It wasn´t even close to being easy for Christ, so why should it be easy for us?  He said we have to go through a little bit what He went through because we his disciples and his representatives.  The talk made me just want to go out and talk to every single person i see.  I love this work so much and im growing to love Spain more and more every single day.  I know this is the Lord´s work.  I feel His love and His strength every day.  Love you all.  I´ll send some pictures throughout the day.  These emails take forever to send pictures so you have to do a couple at a time.

Elder Reeves

Los Fotos

Dear Missionaries, families and friends

I just wanted to get off something quickly so that you would have a picture of when you got here and so your parents would know you are ok.  We will send the formal pictures that we took yesterday, as soon as they are developed.

Pres. Douglas Earl

Madrid Spain MTC

French Group

Geest Group

Reeves Group

Wilson Group

España

Wow today has been awesome so far.  Last night they let us go to bed at 7 so i almost got 12 hours of sleep.  it was probably the greatest thing ever.  Then this morning we went to the temple and did a session.  It was in English but i got a translator thing and listened to it in Spanish.  It was pretty funny because at first i was on the wrong channel and it was talking in some crazy language.  I thought i was done for because i couldnt understand a single word.  But then i realized that it wasnt spanish so i finally switched it and i could understand the whole thing haha.  Today is p-day so we get to go out for 4 hours around Madrid and see any place we want to see.  That´s how awesome the CCM is here.  There´s so much freedom compared to the MTC in Provo.  We´ll be taking pictures today that the CCM Presidente, President Earl, will be sending later.  These computers dont have a slot to put my memory card in so i cant send any pictures right now.  I forgot the USB cord for my camera back in Utah so i´ll try to buy another one. Never mind!  Another Elder has a thing for a memory card so i´ll send some pictures of España.

 Mom and Dad, how does it feel to be done with the mission??  Is it a crazy feeling?  I feel like i´ll be a missionary forever.  i can barely remember my past life.  How did you get released?  Was it by the area president?  I have a new companion here!  His name is Elder Hardiman.  He´s from Virginia and he´s a big hunter.  I still dont know him too well because we only had a couple hours together yesterday before we went to bed, and most of that time was in class.  But he´s really cool.  Right now, mostly everything is in English because all of us missionaries know almost nothing.  But the longer we´re here the more Spanish the teachers will start speaking.  This CCM has missionaries going to France, Italy and Spain.  There´s only about 20 of us right now.  But other missionaries will be coming in later, hopefully Elder Kane and Elder Fica will get here by next week from Provo.

 Oh by the way, does anyone know if Jon Yates has gotten his mission call?  Let me know if he has.  I want to know when he´s coming to España.  Haha just kidding but that would be awesome.

 Here is my new address if anyone wants to send me letters or something.  I know i gave some of you an address for this CCM but i think its safer to go with this one.

Centro de Capacitación Misional

Elder Ryan David Reeves

C/ del Templo, 2, 4a pl.

28030 Madrid

España

Talk to all of you next week.  Love everyone.

P.S.  The first 2 pictures are with Elder Tirado (who i traveled with), the next 2 are pictures on the way to the CCM, and the last one was the sunrise this morning outside our window.  Its pretty cool because no one has houses here, they´re all big high-rises of apartments and they're EVERYWHERE.

Love Elder Reeves

Week 3...In SPAIN?

Hola familia!!  I just want to thank everyone for your prayers for my visa because they worked really really REALLY well.  I found out that my visa came in last wednesday but i couldn´t go to see the consolate for Spain until monday (June 26).  So i got my visa back on monday and then they gave me my flight plans right away and i was on a plane tuesday morning at 8:30 on my way to Spain.  It was pretty crazy getting my flight plans and realizing that i was leaving the very next morning.  There were 10 other Elders and 2 Sisters coming to the Madrid MTC (none of them from my zone) and we had a layover in Atlanta and then left tuesday afternoon for Madrid.  We landed here in Madrid at 9:30 AM (Madrid time).  So it was 1:30 AM Utah time when we landed.  I maybe got an hour of sleep on the flight so im going on about 5 hours of sleep in the past 2 days.  I feel great!  except that i almost fall over whenever i get up to start walking.  They dont let you go to bed until tonight so you get used to the time zone.

 i shouldn´t even be complaining though because im pretty sure i found paradise here.  This MTC is amazing!  It´s right next to the Madrid Templo, even on the same grounds.  The food was way too good to be MTC food and they have the nicest showers i have ever seen in my entire life.  I feel so bad for everyone still in Provo haha sorry friends!  I dont have very much time to write today but tomorrow is Pday so i´ll be able to write a lot more.  Just letting everyone know that i´m here and safe.  I love Spain already!  I know Heavenly Father answers prayers and there´s a reason for me to be here right now.  I dont know why Heavenly Father blesses me so much but im definitely humbled to be here in Spain.  I love my family so much.  You are all amazing examples to me.  I hope all is well in everyone´s lives and i´ll talk to you tomorrow!  Adios from España.

Love, Elder Reeves

Photos from the MTC

The whole District - Left to Right: Elders: Kasen, Skeanshang, Taylor, Smith,
Williams, Halvorsen, Reeves, Lybbert, Kane, West, Fowkes, Fica 

From left to right: Elder Fica, Elder Fowkes, me, Elder Kane (the 4 Spaniards)

Our first temple trip (Sunday June 12) Elder Reeves, Kane, Fowkes and Fica

Me y mi compañero Elder Kane

Me, Elder Fowkes (Malaga), Elder Fica, Elder Kane (Barcelona)

Left to right: me, Elder West, Elder Kane

Left to Right: me, Elder Lybbert, Elder Kane 

8 of the 12 Elders in our District. Left to Right: Elder West, Halvorsen, Smith, Lybbert (Long Beach)
and Elder Fowkes (Malaga), Elder Kane, Elder Fica, y yo

Week 2

Fam Bam

Funniest/worst story ever.  So as a district leader i have to go get mail every day.  On friday night, Elder Kane and i went to go get the mail and there were 4 papers in the mailbox: one addressed to each of us going to Spain.  I quickly skimmed over the letter and read, "we have received your visa".  I yelled to Elder Kane and we both started freaking out and telling everyone and giving people hugs!  And then i decided i should read the whole thing.  I skipped over one word that changed the whole letter.  It really said, "we have not received your visa and you wont be able to leave on your scheduled departure date."  It felt like someone ripped my heart out and threw it in the trash.  Haha but now when we look back we just laugh.  So we're still waiting for our visas and they should be coming hopefully within the next couple of weeks.

 Emailing is hard here because your typing against a clock.  It gives you exactly a half hour and it starts counting down right as you open up the internet.  Sorry i forgot to tell everyone that its a ton easier if you use Dear Elder.com.  That way i can read the letters throughout the week and then i wont have to read any emails and use up the time to read.  I know i said i was going to send pictures this week so i went today to go print them out but apparently it takes 2-3 days for the pictures to print out. So i'll send the pictures when i can.

 Another crazy story... Yesterday we were going to the field for our gym time and we ran across the Elder from the District 2 videos.  Elder Moreno i think his name is?  It was pretty funny to see all the Elders going crazy and wanting to talk to him.  I shook his hand and talked to him for a minute.

I love the MTC more every day.  But i want to get to Spain so bad.  But I know everything is in the Lord's hands and everything will be done according to His will.  I am so grateful to be His servant and a tool in His hands.  This work is amazing and i love being able to feel the Spirit almost constantly.  Elder Kane and I have some bumps and differences that we have to get over each day but he is still an awesome companion.  There's something you have to learn from each companion and im definitely learning a lot from Elder Kane.  Love you all.  Oh and happy birthday padre and happy father's day!  I totally didnt even realize what the date was until my branch president announced it during sacrament on sunday.  Happy birthday to anyone else who had a birthday.  Sorry fam i dont know anyones birthday.  Until next week!

Love, Elder Reeves

Week 1

Hola mi familia!!  Como estan?  How are things back in the real world?  I heard that the Mav's pulled out the win so im happy about that.  That's about the only thing ive heard about what's happening outside the MTC in the past week.  I cant believe ive already been here almost a week.  The first couple of days were the slowest and longest days of my life.  But the saying goes, "just make it to sunday" on your first week and then you'll be fine.  Well now the days are just flying by.  If youre wondering, tuesdays are my pdays.

Alright a little bit about my life here at the MTC... i LOVE my comp Elder Kane.  He's from Missouri City, Texas and he redshirted his freshman year for football at the university of houston.  He's a really cool guy and we get along really well.  Yeah he's coming to Barcelona with me.  There's 4 of us in our district that are going to Espana: me, Elder Kane, Elder Fica, and Elder Fowkes.  We're all in the same room.  Im pretty sure we have the coolest room in the whole MTC.  I'll send pictures in a letter soon.  Elder Fica is coming to Barcelona too and Elder Fowkes is going to Malaga.  You'll have to tell the Cleggs that he's in my district.  But he got his visa in late so he'll probably be in another mission here in the states for at least a month.  The showers here are always SCALDING hot.  You can only stand under the water for about 2 seconds at a time.  If you get lucky, the water will randomnly turn to cold for about 10 seconds and then it will go back to unbearably hot.  The food here always looks amazing but im finding out that looks can be very deceiving.  Haha most of the food tastes pretty good but other times its not so great.

They told us our visa should be coming sometime within this week but you never know... our scheduled date is to leave in 2 weeks on June 28.  I'm praying that it comes on time.  Espanol gets a little frustrating and overwhelming sometimes but its starting to catch on.  It's so true dad, I think i learned more the very first day than i have ever learned.  Now its sometimes hard for me to pronounce everything in english correctly when im reading.  Im getting way used to speaking spanish.  We say our prayers in spanish all day every day and whenever i hear someone pray in english it doesnt sound natural.

I love my district.  There's 12 of us all together.  Us 4 who are going to Spain and then 8 others who are going to Long Beach, CA.  Elders: Lybbert, West, Kasen, Sheanshang, Williams, Taylor, Smith, and Halvorsen.  All of us get along great.  Oh and by the way... Im the district leader.  Our branch pres met with us on thursday last week, our second day, and interviewed all of us.  Then he called me to be te district leader.  I was very humbled and it was tough the first couple of days to do everything i had to do as both a missionary and the district leader.  But im finally getting the hang of it.

Thank you for your letters everyone.  Stacey fam: thanks for the advice and the awesome drawings from your kids.  Jaclyn: thats way cool about Jerusalem.  You'll have to definitely write me and tell me how it is over there.  And yes the MTC is everything you'd expect.  Its great.  Ally: I think i answered all your questions.  Mom and Dad: yeah i see my friends all the time here in the MTC.  Elder Marsden, Elder McKell, Elder Oberg and tons of other people from high school and college.  I cant believe you guys will be done so soon.  Good luck with moving and everything.  Im glad i slipped out of having to help move everything back into our old house in bountiful.  I cant wait to see Uncle Robert and Aunt Janet next week.  It will be awesome.

Well my time is almost up.  Love you all.  I love this work and this gospel.  The church is true.

Elder Reeves