Saturday Night in Hospitalet

Late last summer, two sister missionaries, Hna. Bennion and Hna. Johns, were visiting Gaudi's famous Parc Guell on a preparation day and met a 50-year old Peruvian woman who was selling ice cream in the park. She was a well-educated woman who was a relatively recent immigrant to Spain. When her children were grown (one son is an electrical engineer, a daughter is married to an aeronautical engineer in London, and her youngest son is finishing his degree in architecture), she left her Communist husband and, at the invitation of her uncle, a retired orthodontist in Belgium, moved to Belgium to begin a new life. Her uncle owned a vacation home in Barcelona, and she eventually moved here, where she met the missionaries in Parc Guell.

Because of work and other obligations, she was never able to attend Church or meet more than a few times with the missionaries, but she knew there was something special about them. Some months later she was on the metro in Barcelona and saw two young woman with an older couple, and thought one of the women looked like Hna. Bennion. She tapped her on the shoulder, and to her delight is was Hna. Bennion. She was with Hna. Culverwell and Hna. Culverwell's parents two days before they all returned home. They invited her to Church the next day and she came. Tonight she we attended her baptism in the Hospitalet Stake Center.

Hna. Marlith and Hna. Hinckley

On Christmas eve, Maria was walking to the local parrish church with her daughter, but found the church closed. She had not felt good about where she was spiritually in her life, and recalls praying in her heart, "Heavenly Father, I know this is not the right path, I don't know what is, please lead me to it." Although her mother was a less-active member, Maria had never had any interest in the Church. On her way back home, she heard some missionaries singing Christmas carols. She stopped to listen and Elder Egan began to talk with her. She was impressed with the spirit she felt as she talked with him. She gave him her name and address and took some pamphlets home with her, and immediately felt like this was an answer to her prayer.

Two days later two elders contacted Maria's mother and she told them she wanted to get in touch with the bishop and receive a blessing. The elders gave her information to Hna. Kline in Hospitalet who called her and invited her to Church. Not only did she come, but her daughter Maria, to her surprise, said she would come with her. So grandmother, daughter and grandchild attended Church the following Sunday together. Tonight Maria and her daughter were baptized.

Hna. Marlith, Hna. Maria and her daughter Maria Rosa

 We love Saturdays!