May 7, 2016

Seventh of May Weakly report

Pres. Andersen

The week began busy. As you may recall late Saturday night or early Sunday morning last, the branch president's father died. He,and his family, were not at church on Sunday but it was mentioned that the viewing of the father would be all of Sunday morning and Sunday evening and the burial would be Monday morning. There would be a mass Monday morning at the Catholic church near his home on the south side of Cordova. 

On Sunday afternoon we had the Canero Family over for Sunday lunch and family home evening. The lunch was an amalgamation of my ideas and Spanish ingredients and did not turn out very well. However everyone was polite and ate their portion. Of course Sophia's dessert of fresh fruit and dulce de leche and pound cake was a wonderful success. We then had a family home evening in gaining a testimony of the book Mormon. Sophia felt that that was the most important work we have done since being in Spain. The 15-year-old daughter, Christina, is struggling with her teen years. She opened up to us about some of her fears. A wonderful success.

At 7 o'clock we went to the viewing. President Clavero is the only member in his family. He put on such a wonderful smile as we made ourselves through the crowd of family members and friends. Sister Clavero was equally overjoyed to see us. She gave sister Hopkins a hug and then just held her close for several minutes. The death was not a surprise but he was a father and a grandfather who will be missed enormously.

Again the next morning the four of us attended the mass and then later the placing of the casket in the vault. How sad life is for those who do not know of the gift of Christ atonement. Several Family members had to leave the area because they were overcome with the finality of death for them.

We knew we had the Gibsons coming Monday evening to spend the night but we also had plans to teach an investigator in our home at 8 o’clock.  We knew that they, the Gibsons, would not be opposed to it and would even enjoy participating in the lesson.  However the lesson canceled.  On Tuesday night we had just about called it a day when the elders called and asked if we could  attend a  meeting immediately. Are most usual answer was “of course! That is why we are here in Spain!” The contact had just gotten off work and needed to prepare dinner for the other older person that she cared for. She was to be at his home by 10 o'clock. All four of us squeezed into her home/ kitchen. Sometimes we cooked, sometimes we washed dishes, we were always talking and sometimes we bore testimony of the message we wanted to share with her. All in all We  gave a partial lesson on the plan of salvation and left her home shortly before 11. What a wonderful evening. (and this  from the couple who likes to be in bed by 9:30).

On Wednesday we fasted for another investigator and also for Christina. But the week was very much overshadowed with medicinal issues. We needed to get sister Hopkins into a doctor. The Spanish medical system is a labyrinth all of it's own. However once you have the correct names or notes this system can be greatly abbreviated. At one Dr. To whom we carried a note from an earlier doctor, without an appointment we were told to sit and they would squeeze us in. The couple right behind us needing the same procedure was told they would have to come back next week on Wednesday. A lot of time can be used up in trying to get through the labyrinth. Wednesday is also English Conversation classes. I made Rice crispy treats but they didn't go over very well. I had six beginners in my class. I realize for the beginers I need to have more material written down. The advanced class does not need as much preparation. Sophia uses the book Tom Sawyer for part of her class.

On Thursday evening we went to teach a part member family that lives 30 miles outside of town. They live in a small farming community of only 800 homes. She made us an infusion, her term, of six different ingredients. These included Orange peel, clove, cinnamon, and several others. We teased her that she was missing the tail of gnat, and the whiskers of a cat but the result was exceptional. We hope that she will come in and show Sophia how to make it.

Of course all this was overshadowed with my operation on Friday. We were told to be at the hospital at 1 o'clock fasting. By 11 o'clock I was ready to be there. And so shortly after 12 o'clock we left for the hospital on a somewhat roundabout path. We arrived to check in at 12:25 and the check in man was the same from two weeks earlier. He immediately knew who I was and said come this way. There was a group of probably 30 people all waiting for me so we could go up, Like a tour group, and be assigned to each of our individual rooms. The hospital orderly would take us each to our individual rooms, explain to us the proper functions and dress, hospital gowns, and told us they would be by to pick us up sometime later. By 10 to 1 I was ready. 

Just before 5 o'clock Carlos finally came to get me. I was wheeled Down to the operating area and a team of five people introduce themselves and made sure I was me and I wanted my left foot to be worked up. Felt tip markings we're put up my left hand and leg. At 5 o'clock the doctor began operating. At about 5:45 I woke up and he was sewing up the wound. I clearly remember him using A power saw on at least four different occasions during the operation. The vibrations would come up through my knee and leg and I could feel the vibrations but there was no pain. There are two long incisions between the fourth and fifth toe and the big toe and the second toe. My guess is the incision is over 3 inches long. I honestly was not impressed with his sewing job as there seems to be a large welt where the skin was brought together. He showed me a picture, An x-ray, he used four screws in each of the metatarsals. Each toe was shortened and you can distinguish where he made the cuts. Each screw was $100. One screw broke as it was going in but I still had to pay the hundred dollars for it. So much for the lifetime warranty.

Sophia spent the night in the hospital with me. It was so lovely having her nearby. It is now Saturday at 7:30 and there still is no pain and have not taken any of the pain medication that they gave for me. But you should also know though there is no feeling in the left foot. Maybe that is why there is no pain.

Breakfast was another unique experience. I was brought in one cup of warm milk. There was a normal bread roll and a small container of what looks like Green jam. It was a little bit larger, Perhaps twice as large, as a jam container in a restaurant in the states. But whatever was in side was very fluid. After opening we learned that was olive oil. So breakfast was want milk, a roll, and some olive oil. However I should say the service and the attention in the hospital was excellent. They were courteous they were concerned and helpful in every way possible.

Know that we are well! Getting to know the Spanish Health system is a new adventure. We are trying to listen to His Voice and we love where we are serving. Thank you for your friendships and prayers and rejoice in all the beauty and happiness that surrounds you.

Elder and sister Hopkins

May 2 2016

To those of you who maybe trying to understand or learn what we are doing in Spain I am sorry that our blog is so inconsistent. We definitely keep busy. For over three weeks we did not have Internet connection here in Córdoba. Therefore it was impossible for us either to read any emails and also impossible to send our blog. After receiving the Internet, That was just a week ago, I sent my sister an update of what we have been doing. I have also started sending a weekly, to him I call it a weakly Report, recap to our mission president.  Since it summarizes what we have been doing  I sent it to her and now to you. Therefore attached you will find the letter I sent to my sister and then the to weekly reports to the mission president.

Since sending the report to him not 24 hours ago we have been to the funeral viewing of the branch president's father, Rafael Clavero, and then the Catholic Mass and then to the cemetery where he was put into an above ground vault. Rafael was a Shoemaker and shoe repair man most of his life. He had four sons. His wife had died over 20 years ago. She had already been into in this vault. Prior to our arrival at the cemetery her remains had been removed and were placed in the coffin with him.

After our church services on Sunday we invited a single sister and her two teenage daughters to our home for a meal and Family home evening. Afterwords sister Hopkins told me that she felt that we have probably accomplished more in that evening than in each of the other meetings we had held in our home previously. The one 15-year-old daughter is struggling to know who she is. Her mother a convert to the church when she was 18 served a mission when she was 21. The mother grew up in Córdoba and served a mission in Barcelona three years later. After her mission she married an immigrant from Africa, had two children and then went through a divorce. Now the girls are 15 and 12 and having the normal stresses and complexities that go with those years complicated by living in Spain with a divorced mother. We were later told that the 15-year-old opened up more to us then she has to anyone prior in her life. We talked to her of spiritual gifts and how to get them. Now we will see if she wants them bad enough to read and pray and fast. We told her we would be happy to do it with her if that is what she would like.

This Friday is the operation on my foot. I will stay overnight in the hospital. The doctor told me that with what the x-rays are shown he will actually be breaking three of the bones in my foot and putting them back together with screws his comment was that the third and fourth toes we'll actually be shortened because of the breaks and how he has to put them back together. I am looking forward to having it done and then getting through the three weeks that The doctor indicated the rehabilitation wouldn't take.

Anyway that is the latest with us. What now follows is the letter to my sister and the two letters to the mission president. It will definitely give you an idea of What we have been doing. I do note there is not much pizzazz (sorry faithful reader who shared that insight), just a telling of activities. If you are an insomniac I would recommend reading it when you want to go to sleep, it may have enough chloroform or other soporific qualities to relieve you of your insomnia.

First greetings and salutations

20 minutes ago we finally received our Internet connection. Since we arrived here in Cordova we have not had that convenience. It is hard to believe that we have been here going on three weeks. The first week was very harried, we were here Saturday and Sunday and left Sunday night. Monday was the conference of all zone leaders that is held each month in Fuengirola and we needed to be there so the transition of us going to Córdoba would not affect other parts of the mission. On Tuesday the conference was over and by four in the afternoon we were able to return to Cordoba.

Then on Friday was the Sevilla zone conference. We are part of that zone and therefore put two elders in our very small car and drove the hour and a half to Sevilla. As we talked to the zone leaders they wanted to know if they could stay in our extra bedrooms that very night. So when we got home at 6 o'clock in the evening the zone leaders we're arriving by train and spent Friday night and Saturday with us. Sunday of course was a day to meet all the branch members. 

On Tuesday morning we again picked up two of the elders and drove back to Sevilla for our district meeting. Our car is a very tiny opel. The model is not sold in the US. It is larger then a smart car, if you are familiar with that model-I don't know who makes it, but not larger by very much. If we pull our front seats forward two missionaries can sit in the back. Anyway we went back to Sevilla. The district leader of our district is one of the missionaries in Córdoba. But he also has eight other missionaries that are serving in Sevilla and in that area to the north east of the city. Again it was late in the afternoon before we were able to arrive home.

You had stated that I didn't mention how I broke my foot. We are not sure. the first Sunday of March when we were visiting in Córdoba it happened. We had parked the car near our apartment and walked to the branch. We had not yet moved-in to our apartment. As we were walking along the sidewalk there was a 4 inch stepped Down that I did not notice. I stumbled stayed standing up but in part was helped by holding Sophia's arm. It hurt but I continued walking to church and walking back to the car. As we drove back to Fuengirola my foot Hurt considerably and I wanted to stand on the last two toes with the heel my other foot. Or if not to somehow pull out on those toes. On Monday I was walking barefoot in the backyard of our apartment. I was on a cement pathway and stepped on a small stone's smaller then my little finger finger nail. This really hurt a lot and I quickly stepped to the grass lifted my foot and saw the small rock embedded in the skin. No skin was broken I flipped it out and continue with our activities. The next morning that entire foot, no I exaggerate it was only the third of my arch and the four toes were all swollen and black. I could not put on a shoe. We went to an emergency room had x-rays And learned  that I had re-broken the fourth metatarsal of my left foot. You might remember that I  broken my fourth and fifth metatarsal of that foot six years ago. All we can figure out is when I stumbled on Sunday I sprained or strained or cracked that weak Union. Then when I stepped on the stone and it was exactly embedded between my third and fourth metatarsal that it caused the break. Anyway the first break clearly had not healed correctly. Then the crack and the second break we're obviously not going to heal correctly. So I get to learn how these Spanish hospitals and surgeons work.

I did not know that papa Had chemotherapy. Please tell him I received his letter. It was here in our mailbox and was the first letter we received. Please thank him for writing us.

You really keep a very busy schedule. We would love to see you in Cordova, but know you would not want to stay with us. We do have a three bedroom apartment. But our bed is a double bed and our other rooms are even smaller. But you would definitely be warmly and enthusiastically welcomed.  will write again soon but must go for now.

I am also enclosing the weekly letter I have just sent to Pres. Anderson. It gives you an idea of our second week here here in Cordova.

Weekly (weakly?) Letter to Pres. Anderson

Week of April 22

This has been a wonderful week. On Sunday we had planned to have Ada, an investigator who should be baptized soon, and the branch president and his wife and daughter over for dinner for a family home evening. On Saturday the branch president became sick and he had to cancel along with his wife and daughter. On Sunday at church we met sister Mata who returned in January from her second Temple Mission. She is a single older sister. She agreed to come for the Home evening. We had a wonderful time with dinner and then the family home evening. Sister Mata bore her testimony of her conversion and also of her mission. It was wonderful, even perhaps better than if it had been had the branch president been present.

On Monday the Redds were here and we were a tourist for a day. Cordova has many interesting and very ancient ruins to see. I also met with the doctor in the afternoon about my foot operation. It will take place on May 6 at 1 o'clock in the afternoon. I will stay overnight in the hospital but then should be walking back to normal within three weeks. The operation did not take place yesterday because of an error that I made in not re-meeting with the surgeon after going and having the x-rays at the hospital. But the operation Will be taking place shortly and I am very grateful. 

Tuesday we had the district meeting in Sevilla. I gave a short 5 to 10 minutes talk on courtesy. Next week I will be more specific and will teach the Elders to rise as they are greeting sister missionaries as well as the older sisters. We also mentioned how loud volume can be offensive to others and how we as missionaries need to control our enthusiasm when we are in public.

On Wednesday In the evening we had the English classes at the church. We had about 15 non members in attendance. Sister Hopkins taught the advanced class. I had two men who hadn't been to church before, one a chemistry professor (retired) and the other a translator of documents from Arabic to French. They both wanted to improve their conversational English. It will be much tougher with fewer elders to have as many divisions of English in the classes starting next week. We are trying to reactivate Martin, a member in the branch who we have been told speaks very good English to help us in the classes (two birds with one stone). 

On Thursday morning we had Ward missionary correlation meeting with the ward mission leader Brother Heberson. He is very serious in this position and directed a very good meeting. We have three baptisms that we are planning for in the near future. On Sunday we will have the first Ward correlation meeting.  One has not been held in a very long time. We've then left his home and met with all six missionaries to plan the coming week. We had hoped to have  dinner at our home on Sunday afternoon, but the ward correlation meeting will be during that time. We also have another first discussion at 6 o'clock. Later that day Ada come over here and she showed Hermana Hopkins how to cook a Bolivian meal. We had the missionaries over to enjoy it. 

On Friday we taught a first discussion to Sarah, in her home, and it was the best discussion I have been in. Her prayer at the end was excellent, and she wants to attend church on Sunday. She was actually excited two come to see how we worship God. 

Yes there have been a few problems, some a little larger than others but overall it has been an incredibly wonderful and spiritual week.

We have just heard of the transfers for Wednesday. We thank you for listening to the spirit. The problems last week we're with Elder Diaz and not having him will aid our ability to work with the missionaries. If there was one Elder that I definitely wanted to have stay in Córdoba it was Elder Padilla. He has such a fervent testimony and desire to do the work. I feel a wonderful brotherhood with him. We will definitely miss Elder Sant and Elder Van Leuwen. Both of them are wonderful examples of How a missionary should be. Neither one is afraid to open his mouth and invite others to learn of the gospel of Christ.

second weakly letter 

Again it has been a busy week. Going through transfers here in a branch and in a small district is a lot different then transfers in the mission office. Losing three of the four missionaries here in Cordova was difficult for my wife. There is no question Elder Van Leeuwen can go home saying he worked very hard as a missionary. Elder Sant can also say he was very diligent and that he learned from a wonderful first contactor.

Last Sunday evening my wife with the missionaries taught a wonderful Second discussion with three Women. She then had the pleasure to take them to administer the sacrament to an invalid sister who hasn't been to church in many weeks, Perhaps even years. She cried as the missionaries shared their spiritual message with her.

Although five of 10 missionaries were being transferred it was still deemed important to have our district meeting. I again gave a short presentation on manners.  Elders should stand up when they are shaking hands with sisters,  members of the church or when they are greeting sister missionaries. I also talked about simple table manners, good posture at the table and not spreading out as if you were going to sleep while eating. Some took it better than others.

Sister Hopkins in Costco as we were coming home from District Meeting made her first contact by herself in Spanish. She grabbed the Elders to finish the contact and write down the young woman's name and phone number. We later called the Sevilla Elders to ensure that they would contact her, we will follow up to make sure they have.

We gave a health blessing to a non-member in the hospital on Thursday. The Branch President's father has severe diabetes and we offered to take the presidents place on Thursday, Friday, or Saturday nights as he sat with him. He died late Saturday night or early Sunday morning. The father, not the branch president. Today we did attend the viewing of the body with the two missionaries. The Branch President and his wife were very grateful for our concern for the family.

On Thursday evening we had the ward council meeting and the primary president expressed a desire to learn how to follow-up when she had given a book of Mormon to her friends. We invited her and her two daughters to our home for dinner after fast and testimony meeting. After dinner we showed her how to use the gospel art book to give an enthusiastic intro and recap of the book of Mormon. To our surprise her 15-year-old daughter who is struggling with activity in the Church became much more interested than her friends. We talked and so we will fast with her, the daughter, as she begins reading the book of Mormon and preparing for a blessing. We talked of fasting and she will want to do a fast to put herself in a position to listen to the spirit. All five of us at the table were enthusiastically happy to join her in such an activity.

We did miss two opportunities to place books of Mormon but did testify of Christ this week. But we are getting better accustomed to opening our mouths to whomever we are around. Although the Branch President and his family were not at church we had 41 people in attendance today. Two inactive and one investigator!  Only 19 more to become a Ward!  We are excited to be here and to share our testimony of the living and loving savior and Christ. You are in our sincere prayers daily. With great love elder and sister Hopkins.

 it has been a busy week. Going through transfers here in a branch and in a small district is a lot different then transfers in the mission office. Losing three of the four missionaries here in Cordova was difficult for my wife. There is no question Elder Van Leeuwen can go home saying he worked very hard as a missionary. Elder Sant can also say he was very diligent and that he learned from a wonderful first contactor.

Last Sunday evening my wife with the missionaries taught a wonderful Second discussion with three Women. She then had the pleasure to take them to administer the sacrament to an invalid sister who hasn't been to church in many weeks, Perhaps even years. She cried as the missionaries shared their spiritual message with her.

Although five of 10 missionaries were being transferred it was still deemed important to have our district meeting. I again gave a short presentation on manners.  Elders should stand up when they are shaking hands with sisters,  members of the church or when they are greeting sister missionaries. I also talked about simple table manners, good posture at the table and not spreading out as if you were going to sleep while eating. Some took it better than others.

Sister Hopkins in Costco as we were coming home from District Meeting made her first contact by herself in Spanish. She grabbed the Elders to finish the contact and write down the young woman's name and phone number. We later called the Sevilla Elders to ensure that they would contact her, we will follow up to make sure they have.

We gave a health blessing to a non-member in the hospital on Thursday. The Branch President's father has severe diabetes and we offered to take the presidents place on Thursday, Friday, or Saturday nights as he sat with him. He died late Saturday night or early Sunday morning. The father, not the branch president. Today we did attend the viewing of the body with the two missionaries. The Branch President and his wife were very grateful for our concern for the family.

On Thursday evening we had the ward council meeting and the primary president expressed a desire to learn how to follow-up when she had given a book of Mormon to her friends. We invited her and her two daughters to our home for dinner after fast and testimony meeting. After dinner we showed her how to use the gospel art book to give an enthusiastic intro and recap of the book of Mormon. To our surprise her 15-year-old daughter who is struggling with activity in the Church became much more interested than her friends. We talked and so we will fast with her, the daughter, as she begins reading the book of Mormon and preparing for a blessing. We talked of fasting and she will want to do a fast to put herself in a position to listen to the spirit. All five of us at the table were enthusiastically happy to join her in such an activity.

We did miss two opportunities to place books of Mormon but did testify of Christ this week. But we are getting better accustomed to opening our mouths to whomever we are around. Although the Branch President and his family were not at church we had 41 people in attendance today. Two inactive and one investigator!  Only 19 more to become a Ward!  We are excited to be here and to share our testimony of the living and loving savior and Christ. You are in our sincere prayers daily. With great love elder and sister Hopkins.

On to Cordoba

Although this is being written on April 1 it is not an April fools trick. I am sitting at home waiting for Sophia to return from the office. We have a mission van packed with most of our things. We have been moved to the city of Córdoba. I say most of our things only because the last of them have yet to be put in containers or boxes or bags to go into the van. These last weeks have been very Busy. 

I'm sorry that my blogs are not very interesting. I have heard from one of the readers, whose opinion I value, and they wished that I could make them more exciting. Several of our friends also on missions we're shared with me as examples of more pizzazz, I don't even usually include pictures. Pizzazz and excitement don't naturally occur to me. Anyway this will be what it is and I will try to get back, If I had ever accomplished, to a weekly (or should that be weakly) publishing. Hopefully Sophia Will be able to assist me in getting some of her pictures into the blog.

Sophia is very sad to leave the mission office. We have a wonderful chance to meet the mission leaders at the monthly leadership conference. We also then get to house six of them for the one night. Then when new missionaries arrive we are part of the greeting and the instruction to the new missionaries. Again six of the missionaries we'll then spend one or two nights with us. I however have found the amount of work not only daunting but even nearly impossible for me to get through. The amount of technology that is required is foreign to me. So I am grateful for Pres. Andersen's decision to put a senior couple into Córdoba.

Cordova is Spain's 10th largest city. It has beautiful Roman ruins. The church only has a small branch in this lovely city. The branch is a lovely rented building just a short five minute walk from the Roman historical area. Just a few years ago this little branch Had over 100 active members, but with the serious recession that Spain has suffered they have left the this agricultural Area and have gone to where there's a greater likelihood of jobs. Last Sunday there were probably 32 members in the congregation. One of the very bright spots is at the branch leadership is well established.

Normally there are only two missionaries in the city. But with the recent arrival of 16 missionaries there are two sets of Young elders. However the total number of missionaries is decreasing in just three more weeks and so Córdoba Will have the one set of young missionaries and one senior couple (us).

Our new apartment is on the street, called Calle Pintor Espinoza #12. Just across the street is a lovely park and we are just a short 10 minute walk to the Roman ruins area. We will be having a car but our plan is to walk directly to church. Parking in that area can become difficult.

This city has many fountains and many parks in part because Cordova is the hottest area of Spain. We were fortunate in having the mission president decide that all missionaries should have air conditioning. So are three-bedroom apartment does have air-conditioning. The building I believe is seven stories high, you may not believe this but I did not count how many floors where in the building, and has an incredible view from the roof. We are on the fifth floor. Clothes dryers are seldom found it apartments. Therefore each apartment has an area of the roof where there are clotheslines. We went and yes the clotheslines are very acceptable but the view is much nicer. Normally After we do a laundry we have portable aluminum drying racks, they are made of an aluminum Frame with clothesline material cording through the frame, this is where we usually dry our clothes.

I am going to publish this on the blog even though I just made available the blog written at the end of February. If I don't this may also sit around for a month before I put it into the block. We are very blessed to have such wonderful friends and we think of you surprisingly often. Oh yes I forgot to tell you. Last week, maybe it was 10 days ago, Sophia thought she might be having a heart attack so we have gotten to know the Spanish healthcare system a Little bit. Yesterday sheTook the stress test and passed with flying colors. It was only stress and the uncertainty of the things that we're going on here. I mean, while have rebroken my fourth metatarsal of my left foot. We are not going to care for it until we get to Córdoba. After reviewing the x-rays I believe the best thing to do is the take off my fourth toe and pull it out that part of the metatarsal that is causing problems to the ball of my left foot. We have not yet met with the surgeon to see if that is possible. I broke my foot, actually we really don't know when or where, but believe it happened when we were walking in Córdoba. But it took two days before the swelling and the blood pooling in my toes told us that something was wrong. 

Also you may be aware that we have had now three good size earthquakes since the first of the year. The first one was the most recognizable. It clearly woke us from our sleep and we had to discuss what we should do and where should we should go (no where). The second one woke us up and we had four missionaries staying with us and I wondered if I should awaken them them and have get dressed. We did not. The third one last night did not even wake me up yet it was the strongest one so far. It was 6.3.

until next time from cordoba. oh yes i put up two posts today.

This was written in late feb.  i am only getting it posted now (April 1).  Soon i will have another. 

Another three weeks have gone by, how the time flies. Sophia gave an excellent talk last Sunday in sacrament meeting. She read most of the talk but did a wonderful job. It seems that they're going to make her the nursery teacher. She will have a class of four students. The branch president was changed two weeks ago. It was a necessary change and probably was quite overdue. So very much is asked of the leaders in the small struggling units. I have been asked to be the branch presidents first counselor. The stake turned down the request the first week hoping that it could be filled by local member. But that is not the case, so my name has been again presented. We will see tomorrow what will happen. (it happened)

Two weeks ago on Tuesday the president asked if we could stop what we were doing and make a run to a small community 2+ hours to the east. An Elder has been playing soccer hit the ball with his head and received a concussion. He is had a history of concussions from the other activities that he's participated in. The parents we're very understanding knew that we were doing the best we could.The headaches had gotten worse and worse, the medicine from a local doctor was not helping and the president wanted the mission paramedic to be with him as a neurologist examined him. As we visited with them and they went to the hospital we made spaghetti and a salad for when they got home. The neurologist in the states wish shared the x-rays and visited over the phone with the neurologist that was treating him here. We even had medicine hand carried from the US to try to treat him.Now today 20 February the elder arrived home yesterday at six in the evening. It was a very difficult decision to make for the president and the elder did not wish to go home. But he could not do missionary work he could barely stay standing for an hour at a time.

We have also had our first Group of missionaries return to the states and also our first group of missionaries arrive. We now are two missionaries more then we were. The city that was opened was the city of Nerja where we go on Sunday. It is wonderful to have them there. We also had our first additional senior couple arrive. They are going to the far western part of the mission to an area called Cacares. Since they were arriving we invited the other senior couples to also come in and we had an afternoon together. We went to one of the local tourist spots a deep cave discovered in the 1950s. Then we had lunch together, a late lunch for us. And everybody returned home.

Other things to keep us busy we had my accounting contact from Germany come and spend three days with us in the office. I also was given an assistant. This has relieved me of so many daily pressures.

Blog for End of January

What a week it has been! We had 40 missionaries into the office to begin their paperwork for their extended Spanish visas. We have the opportunity that one sister for two nights then five missionaries for two nights then with six missionaries. They were wonderful to have in our home. On Thursday night it was our turn to take the group who we're staying overnight out to a buffet dinner. I had forgotten how much missionaries can eat. On Wednesday we had several missionaries waiting in the office and it was wonderful to use them to get so much of my filing caught up and closing files for 2015. I almost wish I had that many assistance all the time but then I would worry about having them have enough to do.

The president returned on a surprise visit on Monday, he was supposed to be doing interviews to the east of the mission but he got a call saying he could take his drivers test on Monday afternoon. The last three people in the office who took the test failed it. To get an appointment to take the test can have up to a 30 day delay. He is now requiring that everyone have a valid drivers license for them to be permitted to drive a mission car. He has studied for six months and taken practice test over 100 times. The other two missionaries, one a junior missionary, the other a senior missionary both failed for different reasons. You must take at least 10 hours of instruction to be permitted to take the theory test. People study and cram for it as if it were a test  to enter graduate school. After the theory test is taken and passed you have six hours of compulsory driving practical. And if you have passed those your then permitted to take the test. One elder has already spent over $1400 and still has not passed the test. The president had spent well over 40 hours and I am not sure how much to get ready for the test. But the good news is he passed!

I have come up with an idea on how the mission can save $800 per month and it has passed the presidents tentative approval and the APs (assistance to the president’s) approval. We will implement it next month, actually in the month of February, and see if it works.

On Friday night we went out to NERJA and had family home evening with a mother and two Young daughters. Sophia took the makings for oatmeal cookies and bake them while we were there. As we drove out we saw large cumulus clouds forming. We were concerned because it had only sprinkled on us. I said we went to NERJA  actually we went to a community just before nerja. It's name is Acarroba. It is built on A Steep hillside. You can only Drive to about 25% of the community. The rest of the way the streets are so narrow you can almost touch from one side to the other with your arms outstretched. The streets are all cobblestone with two or three story houses I need side of you. Then the streets that runs up the hillside are just stairways. I counted one and it was 68 steps to the next street. Some of the tree of the steps, the part of the step you walk on, are the normal 12 inches but others can be four feet. There are not very many over weight people in this community. Nor is it handicap accessible.We had a fun time baking oatmeal and peanut butter cookies.

As the evening was ending, about 10 o'clock, we heard thunder. The sister assured us that it hasn't rained for weeks. Then it started to rain. No that is not true it didn't rain and it was so far beyond pouring that I can't describe it. We waited a half hour and decided we would brave it and and walk/run to our car. The car was about a half mile away. We were Lent an umbrella and we were off. After two minutes we realized the umbrella was doing nothing. The stairway look like one in the waterfall after another. The streets had six to eight inches of water flowing down them. After we got to the car we made the circle and Sophia took several pictures of the water pouring off the roofs running down the stairways and flowing down the streets. The pictures do not do the experience justice.

The above was written three weeks ago we continue overbusy at least I will tell you we are well.

To all our friends

Sorry it has taken us so long to make an entry. We have been very busy in the office and in the Nerja branch.  Three weeks ago we had a zone leaders conference for two days. The quality of the leadership here in the mission is very impressive. I forget what day it was, they arrived in the evening and we went to the Mission presidents Home to help serve a dinner. It was a simple buffet but it was very impressive to see the enthusiasm of these 30 (elders and sisters) missionaries. After the dinner there was a planning meeting and discussion of 2016 goals.  Both Sophia and I had a minor presentation at the beginning. The dinner started at around five, the meeting ended around 11. Six elders then came with us and spent the night in our home. We had a photo taken of the group and had each of them sign in one of our notebooks. Our plan is to have everyone who spends the night with us, to take their picture and have them sign our book. It will be a wonderful memory of those who come through.  The next morning they were picked up at 6:30 and then stayed until noon with continued meetings.

The Croshaw's, a senior couple, arrived two weeks ago. They arrived not knowing they needed to get an international drivers license from AAA before arriving here. We had planned to have them leave driving one of the mission cars to the northern most part of the mission. This is the area of Alcazar de San Juan. When they couldn't drive it was necessary for them to go by train and then by bus. Having six large suitcases it would have been very difficult for them to travel. So they stayed with us three nights and then traveled with some elders from the area as they went to their new home. The elders had been down for a zone conference in Malaga. Anyway the good news we got them back to their proselyting area and within three days they had found a new apartment. When you're back away from the tourist areas, prices for apartments are very reasonable. A three bedroom apartment with  air conditioning, fully furnished was only €450 per month.

When they first started talking to the rental agency they had the agency phone me. I indicated that I would need two forms completed and emailed the forms to the agency. Three days later after meeting with the owner, the agency informed me that they would only give five pieces of the two pages of information that the church requires to rent a an apartment and told me that was all the information that the church needed. It was not a good morning for me and the wrong thing to tell me then. I had early on agreed to doubling the security deposit to 2 months rent for the apartment. I was not about to have an agency tell me what the church needed especially when I told them upfront that it would be needed. I told the couple to get up and leave the agency. I strongly told the agency that they would not tell me what the church needed or not. I had met their demands when they wanted an increase in the deposit and they would either fill out the pages completely or the renters would go find another unit to rent. I spoke to the Croshaw's who were there in the office, they were not on the speakerphone, and told him that this was a negotiating issue. They were to get off the phone thank the woman and leave the office. They did as I asked.  Previous I had told her, the renting agent, that the church would decide what information it needed and that she would not determine the extent Nor the limits of what they, the church, needed. We would be happy to go find another unit.

The Croshaw's walked out. The renting agent pleaded for them to come back and she quickly completed the two forms entirely and then email them to me. What was funny amongst this is when she sent the forms to me it was noticed that the checking account was missing four digits. I emailed her and told her the number was incorrect she came back immediately and said it was correct. She then sent her checking account Number which we were to credit and it had all 22 digits. I pointed this out to her comparing her account number to the owners account number. She not pleasantly said the number was fine to get on with the transaction. We attempted to make the transfer to the owners account and our bank came back saying the transfer could not take place due to an inaccurate Account number. I contacted the agent again told her exactly what my bank was saying and then she finally Believed the bank but not me.  When she checked the account number that she  had given me twice, it was missing four digits. With 20 minutes to spare she finally got me the full account number and the transaction could take place. I do believe if I had to rent another unit from her she would be much more careful in how we dealt together and how she would answer me.

The work here is much more then I ever anticipated. It was such a mistake to send out someone to take over finances during the month of December. During December our books were closed after the 23rd. We were traveling the 21st and 22nd to zone conferences. The closing of the books required such specific detail that I could not give it. So being the shy quiet person I am, I wrote a very gentle letter to the church missionary Committee suggesting that their timing if possible should never have a new financial secretary to begin in December. I don't know if it will do any good but at least I tried to help future Financial secretaries.

My typical day, I leave the house before 8 o'clock. It is only a six minutes walk to the office and I'm always the first one there. Sophia usually comes in about 930 and the other elders coming about 10 o'clock. In that first hour and a half I do all missionary reimbursement of expenses and the payment of water and light bills. Then by 10 o'clock I'm ready for the phones to begin ringing. And ring they do. It is not uncommon for me to have 4 calls pending.

Sophia has done a wonderful job in organizing and straightening the supplies for the missionaries.. She is such a hard worker and it is so very thorough in her job. We usually leave the office by seven. I set a new record this last week by having lunch two days in the week. Normally we don't break for lunch.

This is now Wednesday next week Will be transfers. This week we will be having over 50 missionaries coming through to be fingerprinted and forms completed to get their permanent visas. What really is incredible is the frequency that we see god's hand in simple necessary decisions. This week on Friday we will go to nerja and bake oatmeal cookies. Oh yes I forgot to tell you on Monday morning at 4 o'clock a.m. We had a 6.6 earthquake. It was only 20 miles deep and with an epic center just a couple miles away. We rolled are bed shook for over 40 seconds. 45 minutes later we had a 2nd 5.5 shaker. It was an interesting problem to decide what we should do. We live on the third floor should we get dressed and go downstairs? Should we stay in bed and not worry about it? Or should we run screaming and jump off our balcony! I stayed in bed, Sophia got up got dressed and then came back to bed. But we never did hear if anybody got hurt.

I hope it won't be another three weeks before I blog again until then thanks for reading.

Our after Christmas Blog 

It has been such a busy week it seems much longer then seven days since last Sunday. You heard in that blog that Sophia was asked to give her testimony in Spanish. And she did. This is in the little branch of Nerja that is just one hour to the north of us. We will be attending Church services there each Sunday.

Monday was a work day and trying to learn our expanding duties and responsibilities. That evening we were able to go shopping for the first time. Fortunately there is a nice market just a block off our path as we travel, walk, to and from the office. How much you buy when you know you have to carry it home six blocks is much different  then when you are going to put it in your car and drive. 

Small park  to the southwest of our apartment

Tuesday morning we left before seven a.m. We drove to Malaga to pick up another North American couple, elder and sister Frost. She is a physician assistant and cares for all missionary illnesses both here and in Madrid. We again drove across Andalucia to the city of Sevilla, 5 1/2 hours west, where half of the missionaries had gathered for a Christmas conference.

The first hour was Sharing of individual talents -singing, Piano playing, and some fun skits. During the second hour we walked over to a very large shopping center and sang religious Christmas carols to the shoppers. It was wonderfully fun and joyful to be part of an unpracticed choir of Over 100 voices. The mall security guard Took pictures as well as did several Shoppers. When we finished one woman near me asked if we were going to sing elsewhere and could she come and listen again. We returned to the church that was about a 15 minute walk where we had a Christmas based short program. It was at this time that both Sophia and I were asked to give our testimonies. Of course all of this was done in Spanish.

We left at 5 o'clock p.m. And drove the six hours across the country of Spain to the city Murcia. The other half of the missionaries had gathered here for a second conference. It also begin at 11on Wednesday with the talent show and then off to sing in the city Plaza. This time we had  missionaries who played the violin the flute and viola to accompany us. The weather was ideal cool but enjoyable and the number of people who stopped and listen was surprising. Again we returned for the more serious meeting, but this time Sophia was not surprised and did a good job.

About 5:30 we left for the 4+ hour Drive back to Malaga and home. The excitement did not end. As we got to Malaga to drop off the Frosts two of the main roads to get to their house had been closed. They do not have a car and we spent an hour driving around and around trying to get into their area of the city. At one point the GPS had us do two identical loops before it could figure out where we were. If we hadn't been so tired it would have been very comical. Fortunately we were all in good moods and said we will remember this is part of the trip for a long time. We arrived home at midnight.

A street near ours

On the 24th we were again in the office trying to learn all our many tasks. We had invited the three Office missionaries and the two missionaries who work in the city to come for breakfast at our home on Christmas morning. I have neglected to tell you that our mission presidents wife was not here when we arrived. She had returned Home to Idaho for their youngest son's wedding. She returned on the 23rd. On the morning of the 25th the president phoned and invited us to his home for breakfast. We explained we had the elders coming and learned that he had just sent them in invite to his home. Rather than have a conflict or a double booking we all took our planned breakfast to his home and he shared what he had planned and we added ours to theirs.

What a wonderful time we had together. We played a white elephant gift exchange, sang some lovely hymns and shared various Christmas experiences that each of us felt. As we left we were much fuller than the quantity of food than we had eaten. And we had eaten very well (pancakes, BlackBerry jam, dulce de leche with bananas, papaya, Oranges, Tangerines, Bacon, Eggs, Muffins, and three different juices, two french hens, and a partridge in a pear tree). In the afternoon and evening Sophia and I went for a walk and enjoyed the Christmas decorations and historical parts of the city.

 Trying to keep track of apartments, Reimbursements, illnesses: in general activities of 200 Young missionaries is a much larger issue than I had understood. On Saturday we again went into the office early to be able to get all the year-end books finished. I don't know if we'll get it all done but we're doing our best. We finally left the office at7pm. and  Saturday night we both worked on the talks we would be giving in our branch. We had been each asked to give a 10 minute Christmas -based talk.

This morning, Sunday, we left before nine in order to get there on time. Sophia's talk use the song “let there be peace on earth and let it begin with me”. She did a very good job. She wrote out her talk first in English had it translated by using Google and then read it to the congregation. We both took about 10 minutes. I was then surprised to learn that for the third week the Sunday school teacher for the adult class had not arrived. So I was volunteered to teach the Sunday school lesson. We talked about goals for the coming year and how to use the words of Christ to both change and to help us reach those goals.

Do you notice how clean the streets are?

There where only 22 members in attendance today. But we were able to me each one and hopefully remember their names. By being able to teach the Sunday school class I was able to get to know them better then if I had just been part of the class.

We arrived home at 4 o'clock and again slept for two hours. It is amazing how deep of sleep you can be in. At that time. We're looking forward to the new year we hope you are. Know that you are in our prayers and in our thoughts frequently. The small adult Sunday school class reminded me exactly of the Sunday school class at FOY where we spend our winters.

Happy new year and hugs all around!!! Elder and sister Hopkins