Hello Everyone! I thought I would make a group message to let you all know that I arrived in my new area. The Canary Islands!!!!!! Crazy right! I am in Vecindario, on the Gran Canaria. It is a fairly large city, and we have a ward here! It is a small ward, and very young as well. The Canary Islands Stake was formed only 6 months ago, and everything in the ward of Vecindario is finally getting settled. My new companion let me know that pretty much every week, we are translating sacrament meeting, as there are some members from Norway that live in the South of the island, and some other people that speak English as well. I had my first experience in translating during sunday school yesterday. It is so exhausting! Haha, but I know that it will improve my Spanish skills. We have quite a few investigators who speak english as well, so I have gotten to teach in English for the first time this week. Haha, so weird! I was so used to doing it in Spanish!

As you might expect, the weather is a little warmer here. Haha, not just a little, a lot. Pretty much every day gets to at least 18 degrees. (Which, I believe is in the high 60s?) The members actually say that it has been rather cold lately, but to me, that is a lot better than the weather in Asturias. I sure do miss Avilés, and especially the people. But, I know that they are in good hands with that awesome branch. 

Well, besides that. Not much else to report. I know why it is called the canary islands, as we can pretty much always here birds chirping. Hmmm, what else is different. Oh, there are cockroaches! Haha, that took a little while to get used to. The first night I was here, I opened a drawer in the bathroom, and saw one just chillin there. Haha, that scared me quite a bit, but I am understanding a little of what my dad experienced in the Philippines on his mission! Uhm, the buses are called guagua´s instead of buses. Haha, and we have a car! It´s a little strange, but I have been able to drive again! (It is a manual, thank goodness.) Since I have been here for less than six months, I can use my US drivers licence. Also, my companion doesn´t really like driving stick, so I get to drive pretty much everywhere!

Well, I think that's about it. I love it here! It is so gorgeous, and me and my companion are already having success with our investigators. 

Until next week!

Élder Rawlinson

Here are a few photos of the past little while:

The first is a picture of the plane from Madrid to The Islands.

The next two are pictures of Vecindario

And then one of me with a cute little cucaracha on my shoe.

And the last three are pictures of a small town called Santa Lucia that is in our area.