Our Trip - Part 4 - Palma de Mallorca

So

We left Castellon on a Saturday night and flew out to Palma. Damaris met us there, a member who Ryan reactivated while he served in Palma. We spent the week at her house, spent Christmas there, and visited lots of people. Part way through the week Scott and Lisa flew out and joined us there. While there, we also helped mend some broken relationships between Damaris and her daughter Dana, and we spent time with them and with her other daughter, Dayana. 

They laid out the "red carpet" for us when we got to Damaris's apartment!

Ryan's apartment from his mission

Being a rebel and crossing the old train tracks after church

Wading in the Mediterranean on our second night there :)

This cool fountain/splash place in the town. Kids would have a blast!

Poinsettias for sale - outside - it was in the low 70s most of the time we were there :)

Palma cathedral - with flying buttresses like Notre Dame. Very Gothic.

Ryan got himself locked up... just kidding :)

Inside the Muslim Baths (super old!)

Visiting Jaime, the King of Spain's friend (he used to be his tutor).

Ryan with the head of our Christmas dinner. I didn't eat any of it...

With Yomaira, Edgar, and Melanie (investigators we visited Christmas Eve)

Christmas dinner with Damaris, Dayana, and Tamara

The Christmas tree :)

Opening our stockings on Christmas morning that Santa Claus packed in our suitcases for us :)

Mediterranean, Christmas afternoon 2012

Cold - but not TOO cold!

Proof that I DID actually swim

Ryan jumping in

With the Palma missionaries at a ward sports activity

With Leticia - we visited a big nativity thing with her

By the harbor

With Elisabeth at lunch at her house

With one of the missionaries

Eating churros at Dayana's work with Dana, Dayana, and Damaris

The night Scott and Lisa arrived - with Dana, Damaris, and Tamara

Up at Formentor, a lighthouse - with Damaris and Dana

Ryan and Scott jumping in

Me with Dana

Viva la Vida

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- Jennifer

Our trip - Part 3 - Castellon

After visiting Madrid, we took the 5:00 train to Castellon - which is about an hour north of Valencia. It's about an hour from the Mediterranean coast. This was Ryan's fourth area in his mission. We were there a Thursday through Saturday evening, so we didn't get to go to church in this area, but fortunately there was a ward party on Friday night that we got to attend, so it was practically the same thing :)

This was our first experience in Ryan's actual mission - and it was such a cool experience for me. I got to see how much everyone loved Ryan while he was there. While he was on his mission, I was very careful not to call him my missionary - because he was the Lord's missionary. As we visited everyone, I could see what an impact he had on so many people's lives - he was the Lord's missionary to them and it was obvious to me and everyone that he filled that role well. I was so proud of him the whole time - and getting to see his mission firsthand was life-changing for me.

While in Castellon, we visited people. We stopped at a lot of people's homes and talked. Some of them we surprised. We tried to convince a few to go back to church, had some really great discussions with others about the gospel and why we love the gospel, and even accompanied the missionaries on a visit to try and reactivate one lady. That was a cool experience for me, since I've never served a mission. It was great for Ryan to be able to see people again, and overall, not too many people had gone less active, but we still had our work cut out for us!

We were supposed to stay with a member friend while in Castellon, but when we arrived, she surprised us with the booking confirmation to the honeymoon suite in a local hotel - as a late wedding gift. It was touching and we appreciated it so much!

Cool statue with lots of hands

Bull statue - I guess all the missionaries get pictures with it at some point

With the bishop and his wife

With Edith (Ryan taught her and convinced her to be baptized). She has the cutest little boy, Rodrigo

With Jairo (Ryan baptized him)

With Mariela, a member in the ward. We ate delicious food at her house the first day :)

With the Zsiga family (Shee-guh). They're from Romania. They were so nice, and we had a great visit. We hope they all join the church soon - they are a wonderful family. Ryan baptized Alex, the son.

With the Rojas Bellota family. We were going to eat with them but ran out of meals.

This is the entire terminal for flying out of the Valencia airport, 45 minutes before our flight was to leave. We got there almost 2 hours early. Dumbest move ever... there was nobody there!

Our trip: Part 2 - Madrid

Back when Ryan and I started talking about visiting Spain, we never even considered going without also stopping in to visit Madrid - where I studied abroad for three months. Best three months ever. So after we visited Paris together, we flew down and spent two nights in Madrid. It was great being able to show Ryan my favorite spots, eat lunch with my host mom, Pilar, spend time with a mission friend of Ryan's who is now serving in Madrid, and best of all, attend a session in the Madrid temple - the most beautiful temple in the world! :)

One of the fun sites on our walk the first night, when we got TOTALLY lost and turned around :)

Madrid ayuntamiento (city building) all lit up for Christmas. This plaza traditionally fills up with people every time Real Madrid wins a soccer game.

Us on our romantic *long * walk around Madrid

Ryan with the bear and the tree (a famous statue in Puerta del Sol (big plaza) in Madrid).

With Armando (missionary from Castellon) in Parque Retiro

Me with Pilar, my host mom from Alcala

Both of us with Pilar

Ryan pointing to his dorm room from the Madrid CCM (MTC)

Outside the Madrid, Spain LDS temple after attending a session - in which I got a headset for English, but then didn't even use it! :)