Nuts

Right now I am eating a hazelnut cream filled chocolate. Yummy.  Just thought I would share.  Spain sells lots of peanuts as snacks, but, like most of Europe, likes hazelnut flavored chocolate.  Here in Fuen, almond is second.  Oh and while I am on nuts, I have yet to find pecans.  So interesting.  Anyway, let's say it has been a nutty week.  Ha ha ha.  I am so funny.

This is my favorite 'nut' with his beautiful orange hibiscus.  He talks to his plants you know. Actually he talks to his machines too, but it seems to help with both so you can't say much.

It has been a bit busier medically this week, lots of flu.  We had zone leader training, and a few of them stayed with us.  This was especially good because I managed to get my other TB skin test done. (a pair of elders were exposed while visiting a member in the hospital) The elder kept saying it would take too long.  I won!  I have discovered that we don't need a doctor's order for a lab test.  You can request them yourself.  The Tb test is done at a lab too, so much easier than the 3 step process at home.  I didn't even have it read.  I just explained to the Elders what to look for and that was it.  A piece of cake.  I also spent some time trying to get insurance reimbursements set up.  NOT a piece of cake!  It's my least favorite part of this whole job.  I think I did it though.  I am pathetically happy when it is a Spaniard that needs to see a doctor.  It is so much simpler.  Anyway, while I was moaning about it at the office, my sweet companion asked if I needed a treat to cheer me up.  Then he handed me a package with the Andalucía Suite in it.  I have been wishing for that music because I have lost the ability to play Malaguena and since we live in that city, I felt I should resurrect it.  It is so much fun to see that old familiar friend. With some work, I think I will be able to play it again.  I have to be careful letting people hear me play though, because they then think I can play other things i.e. hymns, which I really have a hard time doing.  You should hear Rod though.  He is getting to where he can play hymns with sharps!  It is amazing what practice does.  I am so impressed with him. We have really enjoyed having this piano of ours. 
We had a little 4 th of July celebration, my best imitation of root beer floats.  The Sisters came by and we were all in red, white and blue.  I really liked Amber's comment on facebook.  'Congratulations to the English on loosing their problem child'.

Sis Theobold, me and Sis Ramsey.

Elder Butler liked it pretty well.

The event of the week was our trip to Cuidad Real.  That is in our zone (because it is so far from everywhere else) and we went there for a zone meeting.  It is a long ways away though, so we rode this.

This is called the AVE.  It is a very fast train.  It sometimes goes 300 km per hour.

 

I think I have mentioned before that I love traveling on the train.  I sat next to a young lady from Malaga who is studying to be a concert viola player.  She was on the way to Barcelona where she would meet up with friends and travel to a farm in France for a music retreat.  We spoke in English which she was fluent in, and I gave her a pass along card.  The sisters were sitting near me and gave her the Malaga Elders' number for English classes.  I told her she should take her 16 year old brother too.  It was so easy and natural. 
We had a good meeting, enjoyed pizza with everyone, wandered around the city  a little bit afterwards,

Helping El Gutierrez reach new heights.

enjoyed some music making too.

All you can eat pizza buffet.  They didn't make much money on us I am afraid.

We liked the entrance to the Zion pub.

 and then came home.  To get from the train station back to Fuengirola, we take a small subway sort of train that isn't really underground much.   It just goes from Malaga to Fuen.  The funny part was that soon after we got on, a group of English speaking ladies got on.  I started visiting with one and the Sisters with another. Rod was talking with a gentleman in Spanish but they ended up in English. Then a few more people got on, and it seemed that everyone who got on spoke English, even the little dark skinned couple that we were sure was Spanish.  So funny.  We had such fun talking with every one of them, we invited everyone to the music night we were having the next night at the chapel.  One lady said that her parents were members back in London. I thought how neat it would be if we could 'reach' her. Then as we were getting off, the whole car sang happy birthday to one lady whose birthday it was.  There was such a warm, happy feeling there.  I am sure that everyone could feel it.  None of them came to our music night, but we left them with positive impressions of the church, and they tasted a little of the Spirit too, which always lifts people.
Our music night was organized by the Sisters and was a treat.  We had excellent musicians along with little kids just learning.  We had an inactive couple come so their kids could be in it.  It was also lots of fun.
We are excited because the family we stayed with before our mission, the Cooks, will be visiting Spain next week.  We are planning to go see the Alhambra with them a week from Monday.  The week after that  another group of new missionaries will arrive.  No rest for the wicked, right? Love you all.  Take care!