Visiting Madrid and the CCM

We were off for a weekend in Madrid and stopped on the way in Benavente. The Colinas family are the mainstay of Benavente. We have grown to love them and will miss them. They are such faithful people.

We arrived in Madrid in the early evening and had time to go to dinner with our dear friends the Watkins and the Hinckley's. We are the 3 mission presidents of Spain in about 3 more weeks. With the consolidation of the Spain Bilbao mission there will only be 3, Barcelona, Madrid and Malaga. We had lots to talk about as all of us are sharing missionaries. We love Spain and we love our missionaries and we love our fellow leaders.

Cute Emma, the daughter of the Watkins has spent her entire senior year of high school in Madrid. She will be leaving the 1st of August to go to BYU. We will all miss seeing her and I am sure her mom will miss her the most. Good-luck at the Y Emma.

The next morning we attended and spoke at a morning fireside at the CCM. It was so special. We love being around missionaries and this was no different. Two of these 4 missionaries are going to Malaga. We are excited to get to know them better when we go there ourselves.

This group picture is with all the current missionaries at the CCM and with Pres. and Sister Earl, the MTC presidents and with the Hinckleys. Two of these missionaries are coming to Bilbao. They will be 2 of the 3 last missionaries to arrive in Bilbao. We are receiving one more Hermana a few days after they come.

We attended a session in the temple and had the joy of seeing Elder Chavez and his mother and his girlfriend, Naomi, there. We enjoyed so much our session then afterwards we ate lunch in the temple cafeteria. Oh it felt so good to be in the temple. Wish we could go more often.

We also had Hermana Calderon there too. She is such a beautiful and fun and pure person. We were enjoying a few laughs outside the temple together. Seeing our former missionaries is a special occasion that is only sweetened by being in the temple with them.

One last picture with both of them. Two great missionaries who served with all their hearts. We miss them so much, but rejoice in their goodness and happiness. It was off to Bilbao because the next day we are attending church in Santander. Life never stops in the mission field.