So this is the town of the lizards?
I looked up Jaén and learned this tidbit: The legend of the Jaen Lizard.There used to be 4 missionaries here but they merged it a few transfers ago. So yes, we are the only ones in this city. I did know that it was a big olive producer and the biggest in spain but not the world! It´s not surprising! If you get up on a hill and look out all you can see is miles and miles of olive trees! It´s crazy! I also knew that they kind of hoard some of that olive oil to put in the food! They use soooooooo much olive oil here! It´s actually part of the food pyramid here. It goes on the bottom with the wheat. I think they are "supposed to have" a cup or two! :P It is more than I think I had ever had in my whole life before the mission.
Many legends exist in Jaen but one of the most famous tells of the Malena Lizard, known throughout Spain as the Jaen Lizard, and also the reason why people from the province are called “Lizards”. This animal was said to have terrorised shepherds at the end of the 15th century and eaten their sheep. They didn’t know what to do until one day, a man on a horse, who was said to have been a prisoner condemned to death, arrived on horseback. He called for the lizard to come out and threw a lamb at it in which he had placed a lighted branch. The lizard gulped the lamb down one mouthful and seconds later exploded and died. This led to a Spanish saying which goes; “You will explode like the lizard of Jaen”.
The work didn´t change much this week! A couple referrals, pass by and they don´t want anything. However, the church meetings were a lot calmer. It was sooooo much better this week! I think I almost felt the spirit there this time. Elder Pitts and I helped pass the sacrament this week and if we didn´t I think we would have drank un-blessed water. It was us two and three old, old, old men that were almost completely clueless about what was going on. Oh well! We survived and partook of a legitimate sacrament! There are about 45 constantly attending... out of about 450! A measly 10%. It is a Branch but could be two wards if they tried at all.
As far as the carry on bag goes... that was kind of a last minute decision because if I didn´t do that I would have been wearing everything. It was more or less a mutual decision between the four of us. And I almost got stopped when I was boarding because a lady, for some reason, asked to pick up my bag. She then said to her co-worker, "I don´t know who checked that bag." But she just said thank you and let me continue!
The piso is looking a lot nicer! There is no more mold in the cabinet with the plates and stuff... or on the plates and pans themselves. I had a nice long morning of bleaching, vinegar-ing and washing lots of things! The kitchen is CLEAN!!! Now we´ve got a couple other rooms to go. We rewarded ourselves with some Pizza Turco! I don´t know exactly how to explain it but... Filiberto´s size burritos, Delicious rotisserie style beef and chicken made into a giant mouth-watering wrap! Basically one of the best foods I´ve had here on the mission. And for sure it was the best fast food I´ve eaten.
I do remember Tanya. The change in J and M is amazing. It was only one year ago that he was dealing drugs and stuff and now he is getting almost completely out of debt and planning on moving to a better place where 1) he´s not known as the mafia and 2) where the church is stronger. They are awesome!
So when do semesters start at BYU and BYUi around April 2011? I´m going to find out, maybe, if the transfer dates are going to be changed with the mission changes and if they are and school starts in that little gap then I´ll choose the three weeks earlier. I hope you understood that!
Well, I don´t have much more to say other than have an amazing week! Go to the Temple and Keep reading the scriptures as a family!
I love you all!!!
Elder Austin Heywood
ps. I know you were planning on sending me a package... when should I expect that to come?
