Thursday, March 19, 2009
Benidorm!
We´re at a little internet locutorio right now trying to straigten out April´s debit card. That´s right...April! She is here! What a surprise to see her in the lobby of the Westin Hotel in Valencia when we stopped by just to take a few photos! That Holly is slick. She knew all along April was coming and I was totally clueless. She pulled it off so perfectly. I was speechless to see April and Melanie standing there. We have had so much fun. We have still been in missionary speed, getting everything in possible from morning til night. The fallas were amazing. It was so much fun to share it with April and Melanie. We went to the ¨virgin¨statue our last evening in Valencia and saw how the princesses make their offering of flowers and the men add the flowers to the ginormous statue. By now it is covered in flowers. So many parades with princesses in their beautiful authentic spanish dresses and bands playing and men and boys throwing fireworks and what seem like bombs in the streets. Yesterday we came down by rental car to Villajoyosa and Benidorm. Such a beautiful drive through farm houses and orange orchards! The coast and Mediterraneaan are so amazing. Such deep blue water. Well, everyone is ready to go, so bye for now!
Monday, March 16, 2009
Barcelona, Palma, and Valencia!
I´ve been in Spain exactly one week! Last week just zoomed by. So glad I have more time here! It was amazing picking up Holly. The taxi driver dropped me off outside the mission home and I had to explore a little to find the right door to enter. Got scared a bit, thinking I was in the wrong place. When I walked in there were all these hermanas and elders just grinning at me. I walked down the hall and there was Holly off to the side. We ran to each other and hugged and had a shed a few tears! and hugged some more! Since then I have been her constant companion. Poor thing! So good to get her back safe and sound. I've missed my little buddy so much, and I'm so proud of the wonderful work she accomplished in Spain! She is one energetic hermana who is hard to keep up with. That's what I've heard over and over from the missionaries, even from her Mission President!
Palma was amazing. It´s so beautiful. Words just can´t do justice! Had a beautiful flight over. There are old time windmills everywhere. And buildings in town made out of stone. Windy roads and beautifl scenery. Lots of mountains and hills. And yes, the deep blue mediterranean! In the evening we went to the central shopping area walked around the little shops. We went to a castle the day we arrived and a monestary at the top of a mountain, where we could look over the entire island. It was amazing! Holly is doing so well. She DROVE the rental car here in Palma, and she was so cute the first time she sat in the driver´s seat! We had an awesome ¨villa¨ to stay in way out of the way. Marriott rocks. They treated us so well! It was beautiful. Truly the trip of a lifetime! We ran so fast to get everything in that we could. We didn't hardly stop to eat. We went to a grocery store and got stuff that we keep in the car and we just snacked on it. But we have had some authentic spanish food that is so good. Tortilla potatas sandwiches are so yummy! And I had real spanish chocolate and we went to the Barcelona central market. What an experience!!!!! The food and presentation of it is incredible!!! It was great having a car to get around ,... made our time really productive. The weather was beautiful. Holly is happy and cute as ever. Barcelona was incredible. There was so much to see that we already have an agenda for when we go back there for out last afternoon before flying home.
In our second day in Palma, we woke up to beautiful weather and a cloudless sky. We drove to the far side of the island to a place called Formentor. It´s a point way up high in the mountain where you can see out to the Mediterranean forever! Try googling it. The wind was blowing mightily up there but the view was to die for! Wowzer! On the way back we stopped at a couple of little villages and took pictures of an old church and a place where there are caves. In the afternoon, we went to the Quierolos for dinner and Carolina cooked up a masterpiece. I finally see why Holly said that we would be fed well. They are so hospitable! Amazing family. It was so fun to see Holls rattle off the Spanish like it was her native tongue! She is absolutely amazing! Then we went over to another couple´s home and other people showed up to see Holly. She is loved so much in Palma! And they fed us more food! Holls navigated the island like a pro in the rental car. What a great time we had!
We are now in Valencia staying with Paquita, who is a hoot! She is a member who doesn´t come out very much, but loves the hermanas. Her husband died 16 months ago and she misses him so much. She has made us feel so much at home. She is a talker!!! The fallas are going on. There are fireworks going off constantly! Yesterday after church, I watched the primary kids get fireworks out of their scriptures and light them right on the street outside of the church! I don´t even know how to describe the fallas! Huge satiric statues painted bright colors everywhere. People people people everywhere. Streets and plazas blocked off to cars and people milling aroung everywhere. Street vendors selling everything! And I look up and there are the most amazing buildings...some like castles and some very old and ornate. Beautiul parks! Oh my, it´s just so much to take in. I feel like I´m on a movie set and it isn´t real.
Church yesterday was amazing. The spirit was so strong. They actually sing like they mean it! Beautiful voices in espanol! Everybody loves Holly so much. You should have seen the hugs and tears. She gave her heart here. It´s amazing. I don´t know how to describe it. We have appointments to visit and eat with several members while we are here. Today we are going to see some of the biggest fallas statues and try to get to the lladro factory outside of town. Oh! The metro is just like in Japan! We were squished in like sardines last night when coming home! I´m going to try to attach some photos. Well, doesn´t like like this computer will let me. Sorry! Maybe another time!
Palma was amazing. It´s so beautiful. Words just can´t do justice! Had a beautiful flight over. There are old time windmills everywhere. And buildings in town made out of stone. Windy roads and beautifl scenery. Lots of mountains and hills. And yes, the deep blue mediterranean! In the evening we went to the central shopping area walked around the little shops. We went to a castle the day we arrived and a monestary at the top of a mountain, where we could look over the entire island. It was amazing! Holly is doing so well. She DROVE the rental car here in Palma, and she was so cute the first time she sat in the driver´s seat! We had an awesome ¨villa¨ to stay in way out of the way. Marriott rocks. They treated us so well! It was beautiful. Truly the trip of a lifetime! We ran so fast to get everything in that we could. We didn't hardly stop to eat. We went to a grocery store and got stuff that we keep in the car and we just snacked on it. But we have had some authentic spanish food that is so good. Tortilla potatas sandwiches are so yummy! And I had real spanish chocolate and we went to the Barcelona central market. What an experience!!!!! The food and presentation of it is incredible!!! It was great having a car to get around ,... made our time really productive. The weather was beautiful. Holly is happy and cute as ever. Barcelona was incredible. There was so much to see that we already have an agenda for when we go back there for out last afternoon before flying home.
In our second day in Palma, we woke up to beautiful weather and a cloudless sky. We drove to the far side of the island to a place called Formentor. It´s a point way up high in the mountain where you can see out to the Mediterranean forever! Try googling it. The wind was blowing mightily up there but the view was to die for! Wowzer! On the way back we stopped at a couple of little villages and took pictures of an old church and a place where there are caves. In the afternoon, we went to the Quierolos for dinner and Carolina cooked up a masterpiece. I finally see why Holly said that we would be fed well. They are so hospitable! Amazing family. It was so fun to see Holls rattle off the Spanish like it was her native tongue! She is absolutely amazing! Then we went over to another couple´s home and other people showed up to see Holly. She is loved so much in Palma! And they fed us more food! Holls navigated the island like a pro in the rental car. What a great time we had!
We are now in Valencia staying with Paquita, who is a hoot! She is a member who doesn´t come out very much, but loves the hermanas. Her husband died 16 months ago and she misses him so much. She has made us feel so much at home. She is a talker!!! The fallas are going on. There are fireworks going off constantly! Yesterday after church, I watched the primary kids get fireworks out of their scriptures and light them right on the street outside of the church! I don´t even know how to describe the fallas! Huge satiric statues painted bright colors everywhere. People people people everywhere. Streets and plazas blocked off to cars and people milling aroung everywhere. Street vendors selling everything! And I look up and there are the most amazing buildings...some like castles and some very old and ornate. Beautiul parks! Oh my, it´s just so much to take in. I feel like I´m on a movie set and it isn´t real.
Church yesterday was amazing. The spirit was so strong. They actually sing like they mean it! Beautiful voices in espanol! Everybody loves Holly so much. You should have seen the hugs and tears. She gave her heart here. It´s amazing. I don´t know how to describe it. We have appointments to visit and eat with several members while we are here. Today we are going to see some of the biggest fallas statues and try to get to the lladro factory outside of town. Oh! The metro is just like in Japan! We were squished in like sardines last night when coming home! I´m going to try to attach some photos. Well, doesn´t like like this computer will let me. Sorry! Maybe another time!
Friday, March 6, 2009
Last Emails from Holly
Here are Hermana Holly's final emails to me! Tomorrow I pack, and the next morning I leave for SPAIN!! I can't believe it's actually happening. Today I got so emotional thinking about my reunion with Holly. I can't wait to hug my daughter again!!!
February 16:
hey mom! we just got done hiking up to the top of a castle here in Alicante. it was so much fun. vaya. i think i just got my exercise in for the day. if i lived in alicante i would do that every single day! haah. wow. what a week. are the weeks flying by or what? haha. i am really excited but so sad to leave the mission. good news is on sunday we invited to karina to be baptized and she will be baptized my last saturday in the mission. WAHHOOOO!I am so excited for her. she is so excited for it too. since we started teaching her about 4 months ago, she has missed one sunday at church. one sunday. that is amazing. and she comes on her own.
so on saturday we had a paella in the mountains and it was so much fun. the whole branch and us went up there and ate a HUGE thing of paella. i couldn´t believe it. i´d never seen so much paella in all my life. and they told me that it wasn´t the biggest one that they do. debbie was scared to drive her car down so it ended up that Presidente Sempere, our branch president had to drive it down for her.
I am trying to make the most out of the short time that i have here in benidorm. every second counts for me and even though i still have a hard time sleeping and eating, i am still the same Hermana Thomas that i have always been! Jumping over those hurdles! anyways until next monday, when it will only be 2 weeks! AHHH!!!! Love you. Big hugs for the cats! Holly michelle
by the way, get this... the mission president that will replace mine is president hinkelsys son! crazy. i`ll be gone.
February 23
so i don't have much time cause we are going to Guadalest, a beautiful pueblo in teh mountntains of Bendidorm with some members. I love benidorm. i am so excited to have been here in this area. They were about to give up on it and it's the area where i saw the most baptisms. 6! That is amazing. vaya. I cant believe it. i only have one more preparation day left, after today. more stories next week.... gotta run. Love you more than i love chocloate frosted cookies.... !!!! HOlly Mihcelle
Hey mom. It´s me again. Ya i have more time because we just went to GUADALEST with our English members and now we are back and can do internet for 20 more minutes! SO i can explain more. First of all, GUADALEST was AMAZING! you have to see my pictures. It´s this old spanish town with a monestery and all and little shops and its just really spanish. So. THis week was also really great. We had so many members helping us and so many really good appointments. This week we are going to Murcia again for Zone Conference. It´s my last and then i just have a week and a half. Weird. I am really happy for these baptisms that we are having cause, well first, i am just excited for them, and second, it will keep me on my toes until the VERY end! SUnday they get baptized after church, and the next morning i take a train up to Barcelona to see YOU!!!! Weird. I can´t believe that i will see you in 2 weeks. i really can´t believe it. You are just going to love spain. Sunday was our branch conference and all the stake members came from Valencia. it was good cause i said hi to them and told them i will see them again sooN! And PALMA! Hermana Henderson is so excited to meet you. Oh, and by the way, if you have room, bring your haircutting sissors cause hermana Olson wants some hair trimmed and i offered your services, since nobody likes to get their hair cut in the salon here in spain cause all you end up with is a mullet. i hope that´s okay. you can be the haircutter :)
OH, on sunday we went searching for inactive members in Villajoyosa, the town next to our town, and we met the craziest couple ever. we knocked on the door and just heard this weird man screaming who is it? who is it? and when he saw us through the peephole he was like, oh, it´s just the missionaries. their house smelled like a dirty diaper or something but they were so sweet and they want to come to church next sunday. oh, did i tell you that i accompanied an entire choir on sunday (well, the branch choir!) in our special musical number and didn´t mess up at all? I sat down at the piano and just started freaking out cause there were so many people there! We are almost a WARD! with these 2 baptisms that they will have coming up, we will be even closer! New chapel, coming right up! I hope so. Love you more than the fact that i will see you in 2 weeks from today! yesterday i made 18 months. time has sure flown by. Holly mICHELLE
March 2
ONE WEEK! AHHHHH! KARINA IS STILL GOING STRONG. SHE IS SO EXCITED FOR HER BAPTISM AND I AM EXCITED FOR YOU TO MEET HER. IT IS GOING TO BE FUN. NEXT SUNDAY AFTER CHURCH WE ARE GOING TO HAVE A BIG PICNIC IN THE CHURCH AND THEN JUST HEAD ON OVER TO ALICANTE RIGHT AFTER. GUADALEST WAS REALLY FUN AND ZONE CONFERENCE WAS WEIRD CAUSE IT WAS THE LAST ONE. REALLY GOOD. GAVE ME THE STRENGTH TO ENDURE TO THE END. LINA CAME TO CHURCH AGAIN! WE ARE GOING TO INVITE HER TO BE BAPTISED THIS WEEK... MAYBE FOR THE END OF MARCH. I CAN´T BELIEVE IT.
WE ARE GOING TO HAVE SO MUCH FUN! OH MAN. VAYA. WE EVEN HAVE A CAR? 30 EUROS TO RENT A CAR FOR 3 DAYS? THAT´S INSANE! I THOUGHT IT WOULD FOR SURE BE MORE EXPENSIVE. OH MAN. YOU ARE GOING TO HAVE THE SPANISH DRIVING EXPERIENCE. THIS IS GOING TO BE INTERESTING! HAHA. IT LOOKS AMAZING. I CAN´T BELIEVE THIS IS ALL HAPPENING! OH MAN. I CANNOT WAIT FOR PALMA. GET READY TO LIVE A DREAM MOM...
LOVE YOU SO MUCH. SEE YOU NEXT MONDAY!
February 16:
hey mom! we just got done hiking up to the top of a castle here in Alicante. it was so much fun. vaya. i think i just got my exercise in for the day. if i lived in alicante i would do that every single day! haah. wow. what a week. are the weeks flying by or what? haha. i am really excited but so sad to leave the mission. good news is on sunday we invited to karina to be baptized and she will be baptized my last saturday in the mission. WAHHOOOO!I am so excited for her. she is so excited for it too. since we started teaching her about 4 months ago, she has missed one sunday at church. one sunday. that is amazing. and she comes on her own.
so on saturday we had a paella in the mountains and it was so much fun. the whole branch and us went up there and ate a HUGE thing of paella. i couldn´t believe it. i´d never seen so much paella in all my life. and they told me that it wasn´t the biggest one that they do. debbie was scared to drive her car down so it ended up that Presidente Sempere, our branch president had to drive it down for her.
I am trying to make the most out of the short time that i have here in benidorm. every second counts for me and even though i still have a hard time sleeping and eating, i am still the same Hermana Thomas that i have always been! Jumping over those hurdles! anyways until next monday, when it will only be 2 weeks! AHHH!!!! Love you. Big hugs for the cats! Holly michelle
by the way, get this... the mission president that will replace mine is president hinkelsys son! crazy. i`ll be gone.
February 23
so i don't have much time cause we are going to Guadalest, a beautiful pueblo in teh mountntains of Bendidorm with some members. I love benidorm. i am so excited to have been here in this area. They were about to give up on it and it's the area where i saw the most baptisms. 6! That is amazing. vaya. I cant believe it. i only have one more preparation day left, after today. more stories next week.... gotta run. Love you more than i love chocloate frosted cookies.... !!!! HOlly Mihcelle
Hey mom. It´s me again. Ya i have more time because we just went to GUADALEST with our English members and now we are back and can do internet for 20 more minutes! SO i can explain more. First of all, GUADALEST was AMAZING! you have to see my pictures. It´s this old spanish town with a monestery and all and little shops and its just really spanish. So. THis week was also really great. We had so many members helping us and so many really good appointments. This week we are going to Murcia again for Zone Conference. It´s my last and then i just have a week and a half. Weird. I am really happy for these baptisms that we are having cause, well first, i am just excited for them, and second, it will keep me on my toes until the VERY end! SUnday they get baptized after church, and the next morning i take a train up to Barcelona to see YOU!!!! Weird. I can´t believe that i will see you in 2 weeks. i really can´t believe it. You are just going to love spain. Sunday was our branch conference and all the stake members came from Valencia. it was good cause i said hi to them and told them i will see them again sooN! And PALMA! Hermana Henderson is so excited to meet you. Oh, and by the way, if you have room, bring your haircutting sissors cause hermana Olson wants some hair trimmed and i offered your services, since nobody likes to get their hair cut in the salon here in spain cause all you end up with is a mullet. i hope that´s okay. you can be the haircutter :)
OH, on sunday we went searching for inactive members in Villajoyosa, the town next to our town, and we met the craziest couple ever. we knocked on the door and just heard this weird man screaming who is it? who is it? and when he saw us through the peephole he was like, oh, it´s just the missionaries. their house smelled like a dirty diaper or something but they were so sweet and they want to come to church next sunday. oh, did i tell you that i accompanied an entire choir on sunday (well, the branch choir!) in our special musical number and didn´t mess up at all? I sat down at the piano and just started freaking out cause there were so many people there! We are almost a WARD! with these 2 baptisms that they will have coming up, we will be even closer! New chapel, coming right up! I hope so. Love you more than the fact that i will see you in 2 weeks from today! yesterday i made 18 months. time has sure flown by. Holly mICHELLE
March 2
ONE WEEK! AHHHHH! KARINA IS STILL GOING STRONG. SHE IS SO EXCITED FOR HER BAPTISM AND I AM EXCITED FOR YOU TO MEET HER. IT IS GOING TO BE FUN. NEXT SUNDAY AFTER CHURCH WE ARE GOING TO HAVE A BIG PICNIC IN THE CHURCH AND THEN JUST HEAD ON OVER TO ALICANTE RIGHT AFTER. GUADALEST WAS REALLY FUN AND ZONE CONFERENCE WAS WEIRD CAUSE IT WAS THE LAST ONE. REALLY GOOD. GAVE ME THE STRENGTH TO ENDURE TO THE END. LINA CAME TO CHURCH AGAIN! WE ARE GOING TO INVITE HER TO BE BAPTISED THIS WEEK... MAYBE FOR THE END OF MARCH. I CAN´T BELIEVE IT.
WE ARE GOING TO HAVE SO MUCH FUN! OH MAN. VAYA. WE EVEN HAVE A CAR? 30 EUROS TO RENT A CAR FOR 3 DAYS? THAT´S INSANE! I THOUGHT IT WOULD FOR SURE BE MORE EXPENSIVE. OH MAN. YOU ARE GOING TO HAVE THE SPANISH DRIVING EXPERIENCE. THIS IS GOING TO BE INTERESTING! HAHA. IT LOOKS AMAZING. I CAN´T BELIEVE THIS IS ALL HAPPENING! OH MAN. I CANNOT WAIT FOR PALMA. GET READY TO LIVE A DREAM MOM...
LOVE YOU SO MUCH. SEE YOU NEXT MONDAY!
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