Email 13/2/17
Hello everybody,
Wow, I feel like a ton of things have changed since the last time I wrote. Obviously the biggest change has been that I now have a new companion here in Motril. Elder Pack is from Lehi, Utah, loves BYU (just like me), and has been in the mission for two transfers less than me. Both him and my last companion were fairly close to me in terms of time on the mission, and I love serving with other missionaries who are close in time because you just learn so much from each other. It’s going to be a great transfer with him.
Other changes haven’t been so good. We’ve basically lost contact with some of the investigators I’ve spent the past 12 weeks teaching, so we’re in full on finding mode right now. We’ve spent a lot of time in the street contacting people and knocking doors in the last few day and that will likely continue for a while. But that’s okay! There are a ton of prepared people out there. In the words of my cousin who also served his mission in Spain, “you have to sift a lot of mud to find those nuggets of gold.”
It’s been a pretty fast week. Monday and Tuesday were spent helping Elder Jarvis Pack and clean the house for him to be transferred to his new area. Wednesday I spent like 8 hours in the bus station in Granada waiting with the other missionaries in our district for our new companions to arrive. Something like 30 missionaries passed through that day, including some in my group whom I haven’t seen since the CCM, so that was really fun. And then the days after that until now were spent with Elder Pack adjusting to the area and getting to work!
Oh, and I’ve still been sick this whole week, for the second week in a row. I lost my voice for a few days and have been coughing a ton, but I went to bed a little early last night to get some extra rest, and I’m feeling a lot better today, so I think I’m finally getting better.
Something cool that I was reminded of while doing my studying this week comes from an entry from the Book of Mormon Student Manual, referencing Alma 13:3:
“The Prophet Joseph Smith (1805–44) taught that those who are ordained to a calling in mortality were foreordained to that calling in the pre-earth life: “Every man who has a calling to minister to the inhabitants of the world was ordained to that very purpose in the Grand Council of heaven before this world was. I suppose that I was ordained to this very office in that Grand Council”
I know that my call to preach the gospel in the Spain Málaga Mission was given to me by a prophet of God through revelation from Him, and that I was even pre-ordained to this calling even before I came to the earth. How great of a blessing is that! I know without a doubt that being here, in the mission, in Motril, doing the things that I am doing is exactly where and what I need to be doing with my life right now. Heavenly Father has a plan for me and for each one of his children. It isn’t always easy, but as long as we trust Him and do the things he wants us to do, we will always be happy.
Love,
Élder Stark ??
Photos
1: Don’t drink beer
2: During our last district meeting before transfers: Elder Jarvis, Elder Kröff, Elder Köhler, Elder Stark, Elder Jones, Elder Egbert
3: Elder Jarvis and I with Alberto, a member.
4: An investigator, Rosa, with Myself and Elder Jarvis.
5: City, Sky
6: Alone in the Motril bus station ?♂️
❌
7: Elder Pack
8: Until next time.
