HEY!

"This week´s miracle is about the priesthood and the power of faith. The husband of Obion, our recent convert, had knee surgery this past week and Obion called us crying because Tony needed a lot of medication and they do not have the money to pay for it--they were not able to get him any of the prescriptions that he needed. We went to visit her the next day and had a lesson with them about faith. Tony has listened to us in the past, but wasn´t really interested in wanting to learn and change to accept the gospel in his life. We shared Alma 32 and talked about how to exercise faith. We told them that we would come back that night with the Elders if he wanted a priesthood blessing and we explained what it was. We stressed that it would be according to his faith. We invited them to pray and prepare. We went back with the Elders and the blessing was a sweet experience and then we went to work the rest of the week. We had a visit with Obispo to translate for Obion Saturday morning and she told us that "Tony now has faith." Then she told us that after we left that night, a Spaniard lady who lives on the same street came over randomly to see how they were and offered to give them the money that they needed to buy the prescription. It was an immediate answer to their prayers and the blessing according to their faith. We are working with the ward council and leaders to help them through this difficult time and it is amazing to see the Lord´s hand in the work through the members.

Laura´s baptism was stressful this week because we had to call so many people to get priesthood holders there, but it all worked out--as it always does with baptisms. And I realized how much I need and depend upon the priesthood, especially the Elders, which is interesting considering what we talked about in the Sister´s meeting with Sister Richards. Laura has changed so much since we started teaching her and I know it is because she is doing the right things and has the Holy Ghost to guide her. I also love seeing the changes it is making in her family."

Thanksgiving dinner was SO good with José and Yannina. They made potato and chicken tacos, chicken with mole (chocolate and chili) and dips--chipotle and guacamole-- and we drank zero-zero(ask Connor) with lemon fanta--they have an obsession--and sparkling cider..shots. ahahaha They are crazy and fun.

We just found out that Hna Goodman´s mini-mission companion has to go home tomorrow because of school stuff so we are going to be a trio again indefinitely...but they are reorganizing and making a new ward here, so I figure that the missionaries will shift, too. We may get more here. We´d love to move to the new ward, but we shall see when we travel to...ALICANTE for the multi-stake conference. It is not in our mission, but we have special permission to go! I´m really excited :-) Should be a fun day.

I have pics from Laura´s baptism, but I can´t send them because we are at a different locutorio. Sorry! Next week.

LOVE YOU ALL,

Hna Clarissa Dalton

Hey everybody,

"The miracle I want to share from this week was when we went to teach a friend that another investigator told us about. Her name is Violeta and she is from Poland. She lives in the other hermanas´ area so I wouldn´t have been able to meet her if we weren´t in a trio this week, which I am very grateful for. At the beginning of the visit it sounded like she was just interested in a way to practice and learn more english, but we really tried to listen to her and ask inspired questions. It was a very powerful visit and she understood why we were there and was very excited to read the Book of Mormon we left with her. It was very spiritually powerful for me to feel the Spirit guiding us to know how to connect with her and help her realize the things she is looking for in this life and the questions that she has.

Hna Oslund noticed that I was stressed out at church this week and asked the right questions to help me open up and recognize what was bothering me. Then she wrote me a letter thanking me for all that I do. It was exactly what I needed and changed the rest of my day. That´s why we have companions! Laura decided to be baptized this Friday and the Bishop told us that her father will be able to do it since it has been over a year since he has been coming back. We have seen a change in her attitude and desires this month and she is so excited to baptized now compared to a month ago when she wouldn´t talk to us if we mentioned baptism and refused to accept a plan of conversion calendar. Heavenly Father knows when His children are ready and I love being here when they decide and getting to see the difference in their eyes.

We had a good visit with Obion´s husband, Tony, this week. He is getting surgery on his leg, but we found out that at least one of the reasons he has not come to church is that they do not have the money to pay for metro for both of them so he let´s her have the money to go. I think that poco a poco he is coming around.

We were invited to a special ward council this Sunday to discuss a ward plan for next year. We were all surprised when the Bishopric passed out OUR ward mission plan ideas to everyone. They want to use it as the official plan for next year! They were all so excited and focused on missionary work. It made me so happy to see. The Relief Society President said that she wants to baptized 100 people in the ward this year--and she was serious about it! What incredible faith--I understand why the work is moving forward at such an increasing speed here in Spain."

Today is Hna Oslund´s birthday so we ran around Valencia and had some fun. We bought a yellow cake mix and milk chocolate frosting from the American store...it cost like 10 euro but hopefully it will be worth it. haha We are heading over to Laura´s for a Noche de hogar and birthday celebration. The members here are the best and are treating Hna Oslund so well for her birthday.

The mini-missionary came in Saturday. She is from Matorell and is Spaniard. Doesn´t speak a lick of english. I think Hna Goodman is having a rough time with the transition. It´s always hard, but it should be fun to get to know her.

I don´t think hermana trios are any easier than elder trios. To be honest, they might be worse considering how girls are--especially when there are 3! But we worked it out and I am glad to be back to a normal companion, less stressful for me.

Mom-ok. here´s what I´m thinking for Christmas. The most important thing for me is another roll of kinesio tape so that I can keep working almost pain-free. Could you send one and the receipt, please? Granola, more slip-on dress socks, instant oatmeal packs, drink mixes...I really need some good minty gum. No fruity, please. Well, maybe one fruity pack for Hna Oslund. And if you could put in tootsie rolls for Hna Oslund, that would be fantastically fabulous, too. Um, that´s all I can think of...I think anything else can wait a month until February, don´t you? haha Welp, gotta run, as always.

I´m glad to hear everyone is excited for Thanksgiving. We are too! Yannina and José are cooking a mexican thanksgiving for us on Saturday and I am SOOOO excited. She is from Mexico and he is a CR Spaniard. I LOVE them.

And I love all of you!

-Hna Clarissa Dalton

Wow, it´s been so crazy with transfers. I haven´t had a minute to breathe. We are losing 3 areas here in the south to the Málaga mission so we have some surprises...Hna Oslund and I are whitewashing again! In Mataró! They closed it down a fews transfers back and took the elders out. Sorry this isn´t longer, but we have to run to catch a train.

Love you! Bye!

-Hna Clarissa Dalton

　
Ok I feel bad-I´m still comps with Hna Oslund here in Valencia. No changes for us this transfer. Just thought I´d spice things up and see if anyone was paying attention. The other Dalton is opening up Mataró though because we are losing Benidorm. So it was kind of true...but Hna Oslund said I can´t lie like that...who knew she´d be keeping me in line!haha Hna Goodman is training a mini-missionary but she isn´t coming yet so we are a trio for now. Best trio ever!

"One of the many miracles we saw this week was with the friend of a part member family that we work with. She is over for lunch every week but has never really been interested in the gospel before now. But Hna Oslund has a special ability to open people up and make them instantly comfortable with us. There is just something in the eyes of a missionary that people notice and can´t deny-that they are drawn to. We connected with Maria and she came with the family to church on Sunday without us even inviting her! We met with just her personally and she is really searching to know and feel the truth. She told us all about her family and showed us pictures, she even took one of them out and gave it to us to keep :-) I am thankful everyday for the opportunity to be companions with Hna Oslund."

I am sad that Hna Maxwell has to go-I have learned so much from her and her example of Christ every day. El faro is an incredible mission because of the quality of missionaries here and their dedication to our Heavenly Father.

We are trying to teach Obion´s husband, but he is hard to get ahold of and to get to stay for a visit. I think that he is scared to change and give up coffee. We shall see..

A lesson on the Plan of Salvation went well with Collins-he seemed to understand it better. Poco a poco.

Laura´s cousin has a fecha for the begin of December so we are going to prepare her to be baptism with him, if she wants. She knows she needs to be baptized-but something is holding her back. We will find out tonight!

We found a snail in the street and carried him around with us. Hna Oslund got attached, but we named him Gary and used him in a lesson. I think it was a hit. bahahaha

Ah, this keyboard doesn´t work-so frustrating. I had a list for Christmas stuff Mom, but I left it in piso. Sorry. I´ll send you some ideas when we do the informe this week. I hope everything went well in Utah, well on the way back. Sounded pretty interesting getting there!

I feel so good every day and just love everything about being a missionary right now!

Love you,

Hna Clarissa Dalton

Happy Halloween and welcome to Nov!

It has been a hard week, but we are pushing through and I think as we continue to grow and work together, Hna Oslund and I will see lots of success here in Valencia.

One miracle story from this week is about Fanny, a woman we met on a bus to corelación meeting. She knew the missionaries is Bolivia. We met with her Tuesday night and it was a very powerful visit. The missionaries found her years ago at a difficult time in her life and she said it´s not by chance that we found her again. She wants to stop drinking coffee, but didn´t think it was possible, but now does and wants to do it. She really opened up to us as we listened and were able to teach and testify about the Plan of Salvation because she has never been able to accept the death of her father. At one point she was talking about how important what we do as missionaries is and she touched my chapa (badge, name tag). It was like an electric shock. Definitely one of those moments I won´t ever forget--just how much it meant to her and really means to me. Neat experience.

Even though we had some rough times this week, I feel like it was successful as I tried to understand and help my companion, and I realized that she is doing the same. I admire how she valued and used fast Sunday as a source of strength.

Obion has been in France, but we are meeting with her tonight and she went to the other ward for church yesterday. She sent the missionaries in France to teach her friends there :-)

Alex now has a triple and is preparing to receive the Priesthood. Collins does not believe that the Book of Mormon is different from any other religious book, but I feel like we are slowly understanding each other...very slowly.haha

Well, for Halloween we decided to have some fun...muahahahaha....and we dressed up as each other. We switched personalities, too. Not going to lie, it might have been my best piece of acting work yet, considering how different our personalities are--it was quite the gem of a day.

Today we traveled to a little city that has a castle with the Elders from Gandía--E´s Fica(who was in my district up north) and E. Buttcane (yes, that´s a real name). It was SO fun.

Connor, don´t worry. Life happens :-) I trust you. Career options, huh? I need to start thinking about that...but I don´t.  ahaha Although, I did decide that I am not going back to Mizzou--Clark, do you need to tell them that for me or do I need to do something?

Mom--way to go with the reactivation and visiting! You´ve always been good at that and I feel like so many people need it. El rescate, the rescue. That is Pte Monson´s theme huh?

Caleb-way to go and get things done with the mission papers/prep. That will help you so much--being active and getting everything done. Heavenly Father will bless you.

Oh man, my foot hurts after the hiking and nonsense today. But it feels so good to be active. Thanks for the love and emails!

MUAH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

-Hna Clarissa Dalton