Underground bowling

This week has flown by. Several of our appointments got canceled this week (the life of a missionary), but we were still able to meet with a few people. Tuesday we met with a family from Nigeria. They are super nice, and English is their first language (mine too!). It was great because we got to teach in English, although that was harder than I thought it would be because I have only taught the lessons in Spanish.

Also this week while we were contacting we saw some stairs in the middle of the city leading underground so we walked down them and opened a door and it was a bunch of old guys playing some bowling type game. Where you bowl a ball on a wood plank and try and hit a pin. So I guess we finally found the bowling alley!?

with Elder Cruz

This week when one of our appointments canceled we ended up teaching the seminary class because the teacher was not able to teach it that day. Crazy to think that I was on the other side last year and was actually the student in seminary class. Thursday we had district council in Burgos. After we had intercambios I was with Elder Cruz (who is from Brazil) and we took a bus another hour and half to Aranda de Duero for an appointment they had scheduled.  This past Sunday the stake president came and spoke in our ward. I'm not really sure what he said (because he spoke really fast) but he looks exactly like the Virginia basketball coach Tony Bennett.

Philippians 4:13 -  I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.  (You can too!)

Tenga una buena semana!

Elder Neuberger

night time in Vitoria

lunch with the district

churros and chocolate

finally got a matte cup

English Connect

This week we did a lot of contacting to increase the number of people we are teaching.  We have several return appointments this week because of our efforts.  Pray that they don't all cancel on us.  

The Elders in Logroño challenged us to find someone while playing a musical instrument.  Challenge accepted. We happened to have a guitar in our apartment. Although, I don't play the guitar but I strummed a few chords and sang from the heart.  This actually worked to get people to stop and talk to us.  One group of guys even jokingly asked if we wanted money :) 

me playing the guitar as we meet people

 This week we were able to teach one of our new amigos Danilo and we will be seeing him again later in the week. Christian came to our weekly soccer activity.  It was good to see him as he has been gone for awhile.  Hopefully, we can start teaching him again and he will be at church this Sunday.  Also, this past week of church was well attended.  There is a young couple that just moved here from the States.  Also, Carlos came and Beatrice came with him.  Everyone was super nice to her and she really hit it off with the Sister missionaries.  We went to their house later that evening and the Sister missionaries came with us. We are hoping that Beatrice will be interested in listening to the lessons from the Sisters.  

overlooking Vitoria with Elder Hannant

Yesterday we kicked off our first class of English Connect. It was a great success we had 11 people in the advanced class and 10 people in the beginner class.  I think everyone in the class now has more sympathy for me as they know learning a new language can be challenging as they are trying to learn English.  Elder Hannant and I taught the more advanced English class.  We had a great time.  Hopefully, the word gets out and even more people start attending.

For preparation day today we went for a hike. It was super fun until it started to down pour right after we reached the top.  We got soaking wet as we hiked back.

Tenga una buena semana!

Elder Neuberger

drinking mate with Carlos

more pics from the hike

all wet after the rain storm

Basque Country independence sticker

Elder Hannant asleep on the bus ride

zones of the mission

Transfers

town center

On Tuesday this week we had exchanges with the Burgos Elders again. I was companions with Elder Rappleyea for the day.  He has only been on his mission a little longer than me, so that made it fun since we had to rely on our own spanish skills to talk with everyone.

One cool thing that happened this week was we went to a small pueblo called Zuhatzu Gasteiz outside of Vitoria and contacted there. We were also fortunate to have a few meal appointments this week.  One of my favorite dishes here is tortilla de patata.  Basically it is chopped up potatoes cooked with eggs.

This week we were able to meet with our amigo Jheisson again and teach him the plan of salvation.  Hopefully, he will be at church this week. We also did helped a non member move into a new piso (apartment). 

with Elder Lyman

Also transfers calls were this weekend and half our district is being transferred including my companion. He is going to Gandia (south of Valencia). I will definitely miss Elder Lyman I have learned a lot from him. So right now I'm chilling in Logroño with Elder Sawaya (he is from Kansas City) until I meet up with my new companion Elder Hannant (who is from Australia) tomorrow in Vitoria.  Our mission is so big that depending where you are coming/going from, it might be the next day before you get where you need to be.  Plane, train, or bus is the mode of transportation when it comes to transfers.  

Tenga una buena semana!

Elder Neuberger

fotos:

pday with the district at a trampoline park

a palace in the city

escalators in the older part of the city,
this way you don't have to walk up the
very steep streets

pretty sunset outside the town of Zuhatzu Gasteiz 

the cathedral in Vitoria

dinner with Felipe and Amandin

a church in Logrono

at a dinner appointment. we were
given these shirts so we wouldn't
spill on our white shirts

at the train station dropping off our those being transferred