Week 95...partay

Hello everyone!

This week has been interesting, full of opposition and miracles. Not
to mention the fact that no matter where I go, people insist on
screaming TRUUUUUUUUMP at me, knowing that I'm the only American here
in Benidorm... I've had to memorize my response "as representatives of
the church, we don't discuss political views and blah blah blah"

It has been pretty stressful trying to overcome the opposition to the
work. Every single baptism came with blatant opposition, which can
also be seen as an evidence of the importance and reality of the work
we are doing. On Wednesday, the people who were going to pick up the
girl getting baptized decided that they couldn't last minute, there
was no one else to bring them, apparently she couldn't find anything
she needed, they held her late at work, and she arrived about ready to
blow up, but once the service started there was such a strong peace. I
tried to organize a special musical number including me, myself, and I
and at the last minute the damper pedal on the piano broke, so I
resorted to the ukulele I found in our house and played and sang I am
a child of God in Spanish and Portuguese. I didn't have high
expectations, but despite the circumstances there was an immense
feeling of peace. The room was absolutely silent and the spirit was
strong. It turned out to be a really beautiful service all together.

Then on Friday, we got a call from the mother of the kids who were
going to be baptized and she told us that she had contacted with their
father and he rejected giving them permission to be baptized until
they were 18. We were heartbroken, more than anything for the kids. We
began to fast and pray along with some of the other missionaries for a
miracle. At least something to help them feel a little better. The
kids even tried calling him and asking him but he again denied
permission. The morning of the baptism, we decided to try ourselves
and call him. He picked up and with my heart racing about 100,000
km/hour I explained to him how I have been blessed in the course of my
life from making the decision to be baptized, what they would be
committing themselves to do, and how we have seen them change in the
course of these past couple of months. At the end of the conversation,
he surprised us all saying that he simply hadn't understood before and
that he would have no problem with them making that type of decision.
It was incredible! We had to basically sprint to the church to change
out the water and try to get everything ready for the baptism. While
in the process, I accidentally turned the water pump into a hydro
soaker 2000 spraying water all over the ceiling and the floor and the
paintings....but in the end everything turned out okay. The service
was amazingly spiritual and afterwards as we were cleaning up I walked
into the room with the baptismal font and saw 5 men absolutely soaked
in water and one laughing hysterically....turns out I'm not the only
one to make the water pump mistake.

I'm so happy and feel so blessed to have been able to have such a
miraculous last week with my companion. We have both been making
nonstop jokes at one another about who is going to leave and where
they will go. I also finished up his training this week and as we were
watching the training videos about missionary work and all the
miracles and experiences or what not I literally said to my companion,
"good thing I don't have enough time left to train again because if I
had to watch these videos my last week in the mission I would be a
WRECK!" Well later that day we got an unexpected call from president
about transfers and it turns into it that my trainee will actually be
leaving to be companions with one of my OTHER trainees! The one who is
7 feet tall, I'm excited to see them together: DYNAMIC DUO! I'm sure
they will have fun telling elder Jenkins training horror
stories....anddddd....ill be training again! It is pretty ironic
considering the comment I made earlier that day, but I'm so excited to
be able to finish my mission dedicated to helping someone begin
theirs. Training has been one of the most fulfilling experiences that
I have had despite the fact that I've never really felt good at it. I
guess the Lord just keeps giving me more chances to get it right...4th
times the charm, right?

Awesome thing about Spain, because they don't have thanksgiving in
between Halloween and Christmas there is already Christmas decorations
everywhere, music playing in the stores, I even felt the Christmas
spirit sneaking in during studies...

I hope you all have a great week!

Love,

Elder Jenkins

Baptisms and setting up the "pool"
Also if you didn't get the picture last week, take a gander at my
compans feet.








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