Sorry I´m so late this week, just kind of describes me at the moment.haha Behind. Here are some miracles.

"There are 2 miracles that I want to share with you from this week. The first was Monday night when we were in Hospitalet and we were able to set up 4 visits in less than 5 minutes with an investigator and 3 recent converts, two of which have been having trouble getting to church because of their work and schedules. We had a very powerful lesson with Xavi. We couldn´t land on a lesson for him that felt right, so we decided to ask him what he wanted to learn from us and go from there. He had a question right away and asked how we can know/feel that we have really repented. Hna Oslund had a scripture that she shared and I was able to share another one and a personal experience. It was all what he needed and felt so good. The other 3 visits included a CR (recent convert), Ruby, who is having lots of family/work problems and cried when we called to come over. I felt like it was a boost she needed. Maria Rosa was so happy to see us and I really love her 7 year old son, Julian, who is preparing already to become a great missionary. He bore his testimony to us and made me cry. The last visit we fit in was with CR, Angela, who can no longer attend church because she is working interna and it is so hard for her. We had to talk in her doorway, but she said that she keeps reading and studying the manuals and scriptures and that she has felt a peace in her heart that Heavenly Father knows her and is ok with her situation right now. She was so happy that we haven´t forgotten about her and we set up a way for the Hnas to still be able to call and talk to her if they can´t visit. It was such an incredible night.

The other miracle was yesterday in our last visit. Hna Oslund had set up a visit with some youth in the ward who always come, but we found out that one sister, Cristina, isn´t baptized. We visited the grandmother awhile back, who is an active member and the Bishop asked us to visit the family because all the kids have gone inactive as they have married nonmembers, but the grandkids all like to come. Both sets of Hnas thought that the other set was teaching her!ha But Hna Oslund set up this visit and it was exactly where we needed to be. The family was so excited to have us and to read together and hopefully we can help them come back. The daughter mentioned that she wasn´t baptized, so I asked her if she wanted to and she said yes. So I asked her when and she asked when she could and if that was ok. I was almost at a loss for words at how excited she was and really wants to and has just been waiting for someone to invite her. We helped her set up a calendar for the 2<sup>ndof February and she was beaming all night. When her Dad drove us all home, she told him 3 different times that she was getting baptized :-) Maybe he will be baptized then, too!"

It was so AMAZING to be back in Hospitalet for one night and to visit so many people, especially Xavi. I feel like he is so close to baptism and at a key moment in his life. Jonathan, the ward mission leader´s son who helped us a lot, helped us with Xavi and is getting ready to turn in his mission papers :-) It all made me so happy.

The Hnas Conf was...incredible. There just isn´t time to tell you everything. I had 15 minutes to speak about what I´ve learned on my mission and what has meant the most to me--I shared my thoughts on prayers and how making Heavenly Father my best friend has changed me and missionary work. I also got to translate for the last few hours on Tuesday and it was really fun. I don´t think I did a great job technically speaking, but I put some personality in there and had a lot of laughs.ahaha It was one of those moments that I got to sit back for a second and realize that I was really comfortable with the language.

Ummm, I´ve had a few more health challengs as of late, but that just seems to be my lot at this point in my mission/life. I was doing fine, though and seemed to have things under control for the moment. I got a letter from the Thompson´s that has put a smile on my face and warmed my heart. Can´t wait to talk to them in person!

All the plans sound great. I am praying for Clecca´s baby to come this week. We hit a cold spell here and in Barç and I´m still trying to feel my toes.ahaha Gotta love it. It is finally rebajas and I am looking for a good peacoat...and a lot of other clothing articles.muahahaha Oh dear.

Love you all and thanks for the prayers and emails. Keep smiling!!!

Love,

Hna Clarissa Dalton</sup>

Salutations,

"Before I give you the miracle story, I have to back it up. We are making knocking doors more of a focus, like we get it in whenever possible even there is something else to do or not a lot of time or just normal missionary life things getting in the way. We have gotten one return cita from all of it, but as everyone else seems to be reporting, the blessings from obedience are flowing in from other directions. Oh, I give you permission to read this to Hna Pace if you would like. You´ll see why :-) We had our first Sunday of 9am church which is quite the feat to get 4 Hermanas to church that early with one shower at a time. But we did our best and after the first hour of church we were talking in the hallway when someone called to us and when we turned around, it was Rosalba! She was supposed to be in Colombia until mid-February, but had to come back early for residency issues. We did not get to see her before she left because she fired on us and then cancelled last minute on coming to the multi-stake conference, but she came to church for the first time in YEARS!!!!!!!! She said she felt like she needed to and told her son to drive her and she looked so good and was SO happy, as was everyone who saw her. It warmed my heart and was one of those moments that made me feel like, ok, we are doing something right and have been visiting the right people and the impressions we have been getting aren´t just from our heads. It was a miracle for me.

Also, Narda was baptized this week and she is so happy. Her Mom hugged me after the service and told me in english (she likes to practice with us, or tell us things she doesn´t want other people to hear!haha) “I am so happy right now. We just have two more sons left.” I think Narda´s baptism and strength will be a turning point for her 2 remaining brothers who are not quite ready yet. It is amazing to see how Heavenly Father guides each step and this family is on it´s way to becoming an eternal one. In my head sometimes it seems tooooo slow, but if I can take a step back and think about the incredible, miraculous things that have happened for them suddenly this past year, things are moving right along on the Lord´s time.

 

Elijorson was able to come to Narda´s baptism because the Bishop went and picked him up. He talks about baptism all the time, but just isn´t ready to set a date and we haven´t been able to figure out why yet. He also doesn´t know how he can get to church because he lives so far away and doesn´t have any money or a job. We are trying to find members with cars who can bring him. We, well I, just need to have patience--story of my life."

The 6th is the BIG holiday here, bigger than Christmas--celebrating the 3 Kings who come and give gifts. Lots of members were upet that it fell on a Sunday, AND that it was our first Sunday on the new schedule--9am. Ouch. Rough for us with 4 Hnas. But it is to get ready for the 3rd ward they are creating at the end of the month and the hours of 2-4pm are sacred mediodía time so no church. Ridiculous, but that´s life. So wards will start at 9, 11 and 3.

We just got back from visiting the HUGE castle in a pueblo called Xátiva...but the joke was on us--it was closed. But it was a good hike and we made it fun. Pics attached.

We have interviews with Pte tomorrow and I am excited. Also, we are having an Hnas Conf in Barç on the 14th-15th so that will be new and exciting and crazy. I don´t think Spain can handle all of us in Barç at the same time...

I don´t know what else to say except that it is weird to be here and now in the mission and kind of indescribable...might not be a real word. I didn't expect it to feel like this and days are flying by and so much is happening and I´m here and a part of it, but not, like I´m a 3rd party observer at times and watching a familiar movie on fast forward. But I am enjoying every minute and trying to take it all in.

Happy New Year´s everyone and what a great year it will be!!!!!!!

Connor and Caleb--take it easy with the meds and don´t drive Mom crazy.ahahaha I wish I was there. Keep sending the pics, I love to see what you are up to.

Hey Mom, any chance of the Christmas tree staying up until, oh--you know--Feb. 7?!  hahaha  Love you all so much and thanks for the emails and love.

-Hna Clarissa Dalton

¡feliz navidad y prospero año nuevo!

"We received a wonderful Christmas miracle this week from a referral. We hunted down the referral in a pueblo. His name is Elijorgson and he is from the Dominican Republic. He is catholic, but feels like something is missing. He met the missionaries in Santa Domingo and they invited him to be baptized, but he just didn´t do it at that time and feels like he should have. He got online and looked up the church and asked for the missionaries. It was such a good lesson and the Spirit was strong. As a missionary, you live for moments like that :-)  Our recent converts, Obion and Tony, brought their friend Caroline to church this week and she brought her son. She really liked it and is opening up to us more each time.

Narda is going to baptized this week, but her brother Walter still wants to wait. He talks about receiving the priesthood and knows all the answers, but for some reason is holding back. His father might have scared him a little bit about having to be 100% sure before he should be baptized. We shall see, but I´m sure he will realize he wants to be baptized soon.

Also, we have talked to our bishopric about having missionary-themed firesides once every 3 months and they love it. We want to invite Pte. and Hna Pace to come give the first one. I think it would be really good for the members here, especially because the 3^rd ward will be relatively new and it would be wonderful to have missionary work as a foundation from the beginning.

Obispo Ciriac and the ward leaders here are INCREDIBLE with missionary work. This Sunday, for the first hour of the block, they had everyone together and they read OUR ward mission plan and talked about how to implement it, including one Saturday morning each month for everyone to meet at the church and then go contacting with us. Their attitudes make ALL the difference."

What else to say...oh, not so good. This Sunday was our last Sunday on our 10am schedule. Because of the new ward, next week we start at...9am. I think I may cry. We will have to get up super early to even catch a metro/bus to get there on time. Woof. Oh well, we shoulder on. (Not so excited for grumpy bear Hna Oslund though. She´s such a morning person!)

Connor- I found a scripture for you, I wish I had found it over a year ago, but we can just pretend, right? Romans 15:24. I drew in a Spanish flag :-)

It was SO good to talk to and see everyone. Hna Oslund wants to know how her initial impression went over so please send commentaries.ahahahaha  She cracks me up. And no worries Mom, she gets the voice thing all the time. I would have given ya´ll a heads up, but I have been around her so long I didn´t remember.

I...always blank out when I sit down to write now. Darn.

Tonight the church building is open after 9pm and I think until like 7 or 8 in the morning for New Year´s so we are going there until we have to go back to piso. I want to do the 12 uvas (grapes) at midnight, so excited. Connor can explain. What are your plans? Hey, last year I came up with this idea from Alma 22:18 to follow the example of King Lamoni´s Father and start giving up some weaknesses/sins every year. Starting small, of course. One at a time. I mean, we obsess about what gifts to give our family, friends, significant others, etc...but how much time do we think about what we can give to the Lord? Do we even give Him a gift? He who has given everything for us and continues to do so daily...I wrote the scripture on an envelope and inside what I wanted to change/give up for 2012. We shared this lesson with the members in SanSebastian and we did it again this year. I loved opening that 2011 envelope up again and really seeing the difference in myself. I still have a loooong way to go, but I´m further along than I was then and progress is the real measure of who we are. So the question is...what will you give to your Heavenly Father this year...?

Welp, gotta run. I miss you all and am happy that you are happy.

I LOVE YOU!!!!!!

-Hna Clarissa Dalton

Merry Christmas Everybody!

"Miracle:We had to go to do my huellas (fingerprints for residency) this week and here in Valencia you have to go wait in line to get a number and they only hand out 120 numbers each day. People start lining up the night before! We went very early and spent basically the whole day there. I prayed the night before to be able to talk to someone or make the day useful. I was in line behind a woman named Carmen with whom I started a conversation. We chatted and got numbers and were told to come back in a few hours. Before we separated, I gave her a pass-along card and my companion had a Libro de Mormón for her. She said she had to work and would not be able to come back for the afternoon...but when we went back, she was there! She came up and said that she had gotten off work and got there early and started reading. She said that she usually can´t read and pay attention if there are distractions, but it was different with this book. She loved it and had some questions! We talked and she told me that she knew about missionaries in Bolivia and that it was NOT a coincidence that we met and talked and gave her that book. She is excited to come to church and gave us her number and address. I felt Heavenly Father´s love for her and that we were in the right place at the right time doing the right thing to help one of His daughters find what she has always been searching for but never knew.

Tony was baptized this week! Obion´s husband, so now they are both recent converts. Obion could not come this week because she was out of the city, but Tony still came by himself to receive the Holy Ghost. I can see such a change in him and it makes me so happy!

We had a really good visit with a recent convert, Alex, who has gone through a rough couple of months, but we were able to connect with him through the Book of Mormon and help him see that if we are willing to read it every day, it will help us with every other aspect of our lives.

We shared a lesson I came up with last Christmas in SanSe thinking about what we can give to Heavenly Father as a gift every year--through our weaknesses and character flaws--using Alma 22:18. José and Yannina really liked it and are going to take our challenge to give some weakness up this year and every year. They are amazing!"

OK, so we will "see" each other tomorrow!haha I´m so excited. We had dinner today with Yannina and José. I love them so much, it was lots of fun. 

See you tomorrow!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

-Hna Clarissa Dalton

Smile! Life is good.

"The biggest miracle is that Tony was baptized even though I was next to useless and stuck in piso/bed most of the week. I guess that is how I am learning over and over again that this work is Heavenly Father´s and it will go forward with or without us-thankfully. We can decide to be a part of it or not. Obion, Tony´s wife, gave a testimony about baptism and especially how it was Hna Oslund who “touched Tony´s heart” and helped him open up to the gospel and it´s true.

I have been reading back through my mission journals and I want to focus more on trying to do the little things-for other people-this makes me feel better and lets them know that I love them.

The magic is back. I hit a rough couple of weeks healthwise and was worried, but that happy-for-no-reason-being-on-the-mission-is-magical feeling is back :-) I was afraid I wouldn´t get it back. Thanks for your help and prayers and not giving up on me or making me feel like I was letting anyone down-I do that pretty well on my own. I love you all and have never been happier to be here."

Thank you all for the prayers, fasting, mental hugs and everything. They made all the difference.

Someday I´ll give you the long version if you´d like, but the reader´s digest version is that after 2 hospital Urgent Care visits, being poked and prodded in BOTH arms so that I look like a heroin addict...I woke up thinking about Nephi. 1 Nephi 3-4, going to get the plates. Plan 1-fail. Plan 2-fail. Opposition, brothers beat him, etc. How can things get worse?! What´s the answer?-"do it my way." The angel says go back and he is led by the Spirit not knowing beforehand what to do. OK, so I had been trying to do things my way and hitting wall after wall and was frustrated. So I decided to pray and then do whatever came. So the crux of the matter was I had been having a back-of-the-mind nagging feeling of just going to a farmacia and asking about birth control pills. It was the option I was not willing to consider....so we remembered that we were in Europe and you can get most anything over the counter. So we pulled some strings, found the ingredients that I recognized and got what I needed. And it was the right answer. It´s not what I wanted, but it is what I need right now. And it has made all the difference and should hold me over until we can figure things out in February when I get home.

Tony was baptized! It was a small affair--he didn´t want a lot of people there, but I almost liked it better than other baptisms I have been a part of. We didn´t get a lot of visits in this week, but we got the essentials done.

Ok, Christmas! When are we going to talk?! The day before is preparation day, so we can get the last minute stuff organized. We really can do whenever, I was thinking in the morning for you...? Like 10am-ish. That would be 6pm for me, right? What do you think? Oh, and is there any way to use a different webcam? The home one is really hard to hear what anyone says unless they are directly in front of it...the ipad maybe? Just thinking.

OHHHHHH! I FORGOT-transfers!...Hna Goodman is training, but Hna Oslund and I aren´t changing :-))))))))) So my mission comps will officially be my trainer, my trainees and Hna Oslund.haha I couldn´t be happier. Heavenly Father knows. He always know exactly what we need.

Back to Christmas, will you sing me a song? A Christmas song as a family? I´d love that :-))) And Hna Oslund wants to talk to and meet everybody (ya i do) .haha should be fun. Let me know! I should be back on email at the end of the week for the informe.

Sorry this is crazy and disorganized. I´m still recovering my brain.

Love you all!

Hna Dalton

Hi :-)

"Miracles: I have struggled a lot this week with how to feel like and be a successful missionary and also slow down to take care of my physical health, especially when I don´t know/understand exactly what I am dealing with at this point. Basically, it boils down to an issue of pride and humility. I am right in the middle of a life lesson about how I react and feel when I can´t be the one leading out or going and doing. I think it is the hardest thing I have faced on my mission so far. But with the greatest struggles come the greatest blessings and learning opportunities. So here´s what I have seen so far...I was discouraged Friday because of how our week had been going so far in terms of numbers and visits, but we had 3 incredible visits that day that were direct and immediate answers to prayers. Every Friday we eat with a part member family and 2 of the kids will be baptized in Dec. But the oldest son has never shown interest past physically being there (sometimes) when we are. We planned to ask the other 2 about why they wanted to be baptized and how to use the Book of Mormon to find answers. I felt so strongly to talk and testify directly to the oldest son and asked him if he´ll ever be baptized. He said he doesn´t know, which was wonderful to hear because it leaves room to find the answer! And it wasn´t an outright “no”--progress. Something changed in him and his eyes during that lesson and he is thinking about being baptized with his siblings.

Next, we met with Obion and Tony, who is still on track to be baptized on the 17^th. He is so happy and has changed so much. The difference is incredible, a 180. He wrote his fecha (baptism date) in on their calendar and came to church. It was one of those moments where you are just so happy that you can´t contain it.

And last but not least, we had a visit with Laura (recent convert, 9 yrs old), where she was supposed to teach us...but she had her cousin over and forgot. So we asked if we could share a scripture with the rest of her family, which are recently reactivated members and menosactivos. Hna Oslund chose to share Alma 7:11-15 about the Atonement. It was guided by the Spirit. We asked them each to think about what Christ´s Atonement means in their lives and the Spirit came and took over. I told them that after a moment of silence I would start. I prayed in that moment to say what someone needed, what would touch their hearts. A sentence from a folleto (pamphlet) came to my mind that says, “All that is unfair in this life will be made up for in the life to come.” So I said it and bore my testimony about it´s truthfulness. As we went around the room, an aunt started to cry and opened up about what I had said and how it was exactly what she was struggling with. We got to know and understand some of her struggles and questions about all the suffering in the world. Now we know how to teach HER.

Heavenly Father knows us. He knows me. He knows how and what I struggle with and He will NEVER say that our best isn´t good enough--even if others, or we ourselves!, try to. If I can remember that every day, the rest doesn´t really matter.

He always finds ways to let me know that I´m doing just fine, even if it doesn´t feel like it every minute--like right now. I wish that I could say that medically speaking things are better or getting better...but I seem to still be in the "patience and humility" stage because things are still the same. I´m waiting. And that´s ok...right?

On a funny note, I´ve gotten really good at making remolacha...I think those are...beets in english? and spinach juice smoothies to up my iron. They are very...purple :-) But seem to be helping. Who knew.

We got to watch the Christmas devotional last night in spanish. SO good. I loved Pte Uchtdorf´s talk--I am going to work on being a "good and grateful receiver" <- that´s my personal translation from my head so I don´t know if that´s what he said in english, but the meaning should be the same I think...I hope.ahaha "With Wondering Awe" was so beautiful...I can´t remember if that´s a real song either. Oh dang, the one with the reed pipe? I need to start english study instead of spanish study!ahaha

I have listened to Elder Richards´ "The Atonement Covers" talk from April 2011. I remember loving it when I heard it at Clark and Becca´s, especially the line "pain is a gauge of the healing process." SO true, especially for me right now. (He is also the seventy who just had a mission tour here.) Check it out.

Life is hard, but that´s what makes it worth it. And I am still loving it, my mission, my companion and being here in Valencia. So smile for me :-) And know that I love you.

Love always,

Hna Clarissa Dalton

Hello, hello,

Highest highs and lowest lows. Let´s focus on the highs.

"Miracle of yesterday--So we weren´t having the best day after Zone Conference because of my health issues. But we talked as friends and companions and got everything out in the open. Then we went to a visit and it was perhaps the best lesson of my mission to date. We taught a recent convert, her husband who has started listening to us and their friend, who told us before the lesson that her father in Africa passed away yesterday. And the lesson that we planned was ...the Plan of Salvation. We have been reading with them from the Book of Mormon and we decided instead of just teaching the plan, we would read 2 Nephi 2 and teach THEM, as we read and they were learning. The Spirit was so strong and we were able to testify to their specific needs and worries. My companion invited Tony to be baptized again and he said that this time, with us, it has been different and that this church has “won his heart.”We testified that it is the Spirit telling him it is true and he wants to get baptized in December. This is such a big miracle considering that a month ago he wouldn´t stay for our visits and wouldn´t listen. Heavenly Father has prepared his heart to open and accept the gospel at this time and it was through reading the Book of Mormon."

Obion´s husband Tony is going to be baptized!!!!!! And a member Carolina´s son and daughter, Walter and Narda, are also going to get baptized in December when their Dad gets back from Suiza. Miracles, miracles.

The multistake conference was the largest gathering of Saints here in Spain at one time, or so they have been telling us. We met in a convention center (looked like an airplane hanger) and was incredible. Elders Teixeira and Kearon were there and now we have the Cartagena Stake. It was such a unique experience and because of extenuating health issues on my part, we got to drive to the conference with the Pace´s :-))))) We went to Benidorm to check the piso before we give it to the Málaga Mission and we saw Gandía :-)-- answered prayers.

At the conference, Elder Fica (my buddy from up in Vitoria district) is serving in Gandía and introduced me to some people Connor will know :-)-- more answered prayers and tender mercies. I can´t remember their names because we just had time to talk for a minute before the conference started and I wasn´t feeling 100%, but I made sure that we got pics. And..Ximena maybe?...with the baby, she grabbed my arm as I was walking away and told me something I will never forget. Elder Monks and Dalton taught and baptized her. After Connor got transferred, she was going through a really rough patch in her life and stopped going to church and began to drift. She told me with tears in her eyes that she received a letter from Connor that changed her heart and helped her go back to church. She said it was because of him and his letter. I can´t think of a better example of a missionary being in tune with the Spirit and being the rock to help a new member with a shaky testimony to grasp the rod once again and now she is a faithful member and will always remember Elder Dalton :-) If that moment was the only reason I needed to serve here after Connor, it is enough for me.

 

The Málaga Pes. and his wife talked to me and we talked about Logan Bailey, he is doing really well. Elder Richard´s conf was amazing, the multistake conf was wonderful, the Zone conf the next day was my last and it was exactly what I needed-lots of things learned. I wish i had time to share but...life as a missionary.

Sorry I don´t have to time comment on your emails, just know that I cherish them.

Sending much love your way,

Hermana Clarissa Dalton