Week Ten Semana Santa

Hola familia y amigos!

First, HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MY TWO FAVORITE SISTERS IN THE ENTIRE PLANET! AUDREY ON WEDNESDAY AND SARAH ON SATURDAY!!!!! I love you two I sure got lucky. Everyone give them lots of love from me okay?:))

Also, HAPPY EASTER!!!!! So here in Spain, Easter is kind of a big deal hahaha. It's called the Semana Santa and they all get off school for like 2 weeks. AND the celebrating starts on Thursday. So Hermana Sperry and I happened to be passing by an apartment, and right there where we were they started a big parade!!! They had huge floats with statues of Christ and different Saints and with each float there was a full on marching band that played dramatic marching music. Everyone was dressed up in costumes with masks and they all carried the floats. Super heavy. It was very interesting. But since everyone's Catholic here, that's how they do it! 

So currently I'm actually eating an ice cream cone haha there's a gelato place right on the way to the church and we walk by it every time we go to the church building AND it's only 95 cents...so we get some a lot. It's so good hahaha. Also on the way to the church is the Plaza del Torros! It's this huge ancient-looking stadium thing where they used to do bullfights. So yesterday we walked around that a little bit since it was open. SUPER interesting. They actually outlawed bullfighting in Catalunya so that's good.

Oh man this week is going to be SO GOOD. WE HAVE TWO BAPTISMS ON SATURDAY!!!! Ricardo and Alex are both getting baptized this Saturday. :) It's the happiest thing ever.

Ricardo is doing so well. We met with him and taught him some of the commandments and when we walked in he was listening to the Mormon Tabernacle Choir and watching a slideshow on YouTube of pictures of Christ and Temples and such. He's so ready, he just soaks everything in. 

Alex is doing really well too. He had been addicted to cigarettes since he was like 16 years old and since meeting the missionaries has totally quit!!!! It's incredible. He has such a desire to be obedient because he's having a super hard time with his family trying to figure out child custody or something. So he's been sad and he knows that through being obedient and trusting in God, he can have peace. So that's so great!!!!

Ah man I love Easter. Church yesterday was so great because it was all focused on Christ and remembering His sacrifice for us, and that He truly lives! How blessed are we that God loves us so much to have given His only begotten son...we are a blessed people.

I love you all I hope you have the best week!!!! 

Love,

Hermana Johnson