Christmas Week!

Christmas week was filled with activities! Where do I start? The beginning of the week sounds like a good day, but since Pday was a Wednesday last week it was really in the middle of the week. Either
way, we had really fast exchanges on Thursday morning because Sister Packard and Tucker are STL's (Sister Training Leaders) and so they went to MLC (Mission Leader Conference). Sister Andersen and I went and volunteered and a soup kitchen and it was lots of work, serving and decorating, but also lots of fun! Also, we were running a bit late to the service but driving on the way we drove past Sister Andersen's investigator, Guy. He's a homeless man they'd been teaching, but
recently had made up excuses not to meet with them. So it was miracle because we just pulled over and gave a short lesson there. Guy understood that he needed to learn more, he just didn't feel good
enough. Wow, it was definitely inspired and we were at the right place at the right time!

We ran into the Elders less active they are working with, Gerry, so we took a

picture with him!

Sister Andersen and I feasting after out labors!

Afterwards we went to an investigators house named Eileen where we made Christmas cookies! Eileen is the kindest old lady on the planet, but she is already firm in her faith and doesn't have a strong desire to learn more. We keep visiting her though because she always has lots of connections in the community and people for us to visit, and she is a cookie making expert, so we bring those people the cookies we make with her. She's a good finding resource, and she is always learning to hear about our faith, so who knows? Here are some pictures of the district with our aprons and cookies galore!

We did lots of caroling door approaches, handing out bags of some of the cookies with Light the World cards in them. People were a lot more accepting when we had carols and cookies for them. Who knew? A family member in the ward, the Weeds came along with us. Here are some pictures of us in the snow!

Elders...

The biggest event was probably the mission Christmas conference. We had to have special permission to have the entire mission together, but oh man, what a wonderful conference it was. It started with John Mishock's baptism. The entire mission gathered in the chapel for the beginning talks, but the members of the ward and those involved of the teaching of John got to sit and watch the baptism live, while it was broadcast to the the entire mission in the chapel. Being in John's ward it was so amazing getting to see him baptized. He really had been waiting such a long time, and the excitement on his face was undeniable. He kept jumping up and down, even in the baptismal font.

After that I was able to sing "Mary Did You Know" for everyone while John dried off. It was such a joy being able to sing and I really have such a strong testimony of the power of music. This was especially true this Christmas season as we were able to lift people's spirit with song. A side note, but something we did the next day on Christmas was go see Sister Chiverton one last time, the woman we visited on Thanksgiving in the hospital. We visit her consistently on Sunday, but this last Christmas Sunday was probably the last time we would see her. Her health is deteriorating and a lot of people didn't think she would make it to Christmas. We simply stepped in and sang The First Noel to her, and that was all she needed really. Sometimes that's all people really need. I invite you to listen to a hymn, Christmas or not, and really listen to the power and Spirit that comes from it. I promise, it will bring peace to your heart, even in the most trying of circumstances.

So the rest of the Christmas conference was great. There was a white elephant gift exchange and different activities. The NYRM is one crazy mission, but seeing everyone really made me realize the special spirit we each have, and the joy it is to be able to serve in this sacred area. Here are some pictures from that!

Christmas Day is up next! Wow, it was so great being able to Skype with you all! It was such a special experience telling the family about all the mission stories. I will admit, seeing you all made me realize how much I miss the family, but I know I am where I need to be, and am very excited to continue making more missionary memories and stories. I got the Christmas package a couple of days earlier and put all the presents under the tree to be opened on Christmas. Thank you family for everything!!! Many of the supplies were much needed, especially the candy ð%%%

I told the family about the Christmas miracle of Lesta!! We'd been meeting with her a while, since Halloween time, but things always come up about church or family and so Lesta has never been able to make it to church. But miraculously everything worked out and we step into church to find the best Christmas miracle ever! Lesta sitting in the pews! This mission isn't the easiest when it comes to

people's interest, so it makes moments like that all the more worth it. Church was a beautiful service filled with music. I sang in the ward choir, which was fun! We spent most of the day at the Ward Mission Leaders home, the Stines. The district wanted to stick together on Christmas but lots of people were skyping families at different times, so we spent a lot of time helping Sister Stine

cooking. Here is a picture of the district on Christmas Day! And since then nothing too eventful has happened. Courtney's been out of town, but we've continued our phone/Skype lessons with her and she is still progressing! Her baptism is coming up very soon, please pray that things will continue progressing for her!

I love you all of you! Thank you for everything you've all done and for helping me have a very merry Christmas! I hope you have a great week!

Hermana Abreu

The Week Before Christmas!

What a week, let me see what I remember. Oh, before I forget! Part two of the Barney jello story: We decided to airdrop a pic to our district leader during zone meeting while he was directing the music so he had to keep a straight face. Here's a video of that:

.

Anyway, on to more eventful things. We had the most AMAZING lesson with our investigator Lesta. We had not seen her in a while, but then while serving at the Grandin we get a text from the senior couple saying that a woman named Lesta called the Hill asking for our number. Apparently she had lost ours and she frantically called the Hill trying to find it. We give her a call and she expresses she would really like a visit from us. So we go, expecting to teach the beginning of the plan of salvation, which we did, but then Sister Tucker asks her to read Moroni 10: 3-5, which explains that we must ask God if these things are true. She read, and immediately the spirit FLOODED the room. There

was a long moment of silence. She kept repeating "that is the most amazing thing I've ever read". We left with the Spirit and we are feeling really good about the whole thing, so keep praying!!


Another exciting thing that happened. The Simpsons came down! It was so much fun because we had dinner at the Jung's house (Brother Simpson's sister) and I didn't know they were in town yet. We open the door and Sister Simpson yells "well, HELLO!" It was nice to be able to catch up about what's going on back home, and see some familiar faces! Here is a a picture of me with the Simpsons:

 

Sister Topham left this week! Many tears, much sadness. It kind of feels like Sister Tucker and I have a leg or an arm missing. I have yet to be on the mission not in a trio, so it's been interesting. Sister Tucker and I are going a little crazy figuring out how to get places without her, but we are moving forward! The last day she was here we got ice cream and went to the top of the Hill Cumorah. Both cold things.

After we dropped her off we had an online shift at the Smith farm, but before that Sister Topham had asked us to drop her written testimony off in the box of testimonies (a little box in the frame home where all departing sisters leave their testimonies). While we were walking back from that it kind of hit us that she was gone. This is the first picture of us without her:

Courtney is also progressing very well! She loves every thing we teach her. Her baptism on January the 7th is still going as planned! Every time we meet up with her my Spirits are lifted, she is such a kind and wonderful person, and a great example of Christ like love. I don't have a picture with her quite yet, but one of these days I'll remember to get one! Online is also trucking forward and is just as crazy as ever. Sister Tucker and I refer to it as our day job. For more explanation about online, what we do is take referral confirmations. So people put in a request for a free Book of Mormon or Bible, and we call to confirm their address and see if it's alright for missionaries to drop those books off. We also take chats, people who come online just wanting to know more. Anyway, here's a picture of us in our "day job" roles:

We also had zone meeting, which was fun! The director of proselyting Brother Hemingway had come to the mission and went to MLC where he dropped bombs of knowledge on everyone, so zone meeting was just basically lots of training on what he taught. Here is a picture of all the Spanish people in the zone!

Anyway, Christmas is almost here!! I am getting very excited to talk with you all over Skype!! I hope everything is going well back home!

Love you all!! Have a great week!!

Hermana Abreu

The Week of Secrets

Wow, lots of stuff happened this week, and mainly a lot of secret stuff. Earlier in the week it was Sister Topham's last time serving at the Smith farm so we were basically doing all of her bucket list
things, such as going into the root cellar of the log home. Guests aren't allowed down there, and sisters don't normally go down, but it's not technically against the rules. One of the senior couples,
Sister Bergstrom, let us go down. It was just mainly fun getting to see all the hidden compartments of the different sites. It was also really slow at the the sites, and being bored, we tried on all the costume pieces on display.


My floating head looking up from the root cellar.

In the darkness of the root cellar.

Outside the log home with Sister Bergstrom.

Being fancy in the frame home with our costumes.

Model pioneer.



Looking up the root cellar.

Another top secret thing that happened this week. So the Elders found a Barney shaped pan while shopping and immediately thought of us for some reason. They then proceed to buy packets of grape jello, and this is the result. It was a few minutes before curfew that night when we hear a knock on the door and open it to find this.



Sister Tucker and I destroying Barney.

Completely random and weird, but hilarious. The Elders booked it back to their apartment (they live in the same complex as us, and Elder Holmes, the district leader ripped his pants slipping on ice on the run back) then we were left with the monstrosity. Instead of eating it we just got really fascinated with the jello and played with it. Later, we agreed to keep it from the Elders that we got the jello and have been pretending we have no idea what they're talking about when they refer to "Barney jello". So, everyone who reads this letter, this is top secret information you can never let the Elders know. We are the Barney murderers.

Us with the Barney jello.

We had an activity called Joseph Smith Christmas where one of the senior couples dressed up as Mother and Father Smith and told the nativity story in the log home. There was also caroling in the Frame home, and dancing in the barn, led by the sisters who fiddle. Our responsibility was basically to take groups in and lead them down the path with a lantern, giving facts and little tidbits about the Smiths. It was pretty sweet because it was snowing and felt super Christmas-y. It was also the most I've seen people at the sites, and got me super pumped for summer when there are actually people here. Santa hats were also involved. After the night was over we got all the sisters together in the barn and had a secret dance party (under the direction of the Visitors Center Directors, the Bradfords, of course) with fiddling, and it was the best thing ever.



Sister being silly!

All of us in the barn after our dance party!

Sister Tucker, Sister Andersen (the sister who lives in our same apartment) and

I with the Light the World cards we were giving out.

All of the sisters in the Canandaigua apartment. In order (Me, Sister Andersen,

Sister Tucker, Sister Packard, and Sister Topham).

So lots of fun! Courtney is progressing very well and there have definitely been some miracles involved with her. It turns out she's really good friends with a less active who lives in Naples whose name is Amanda. Amanda really knows she needs to come back to church, and Courtney's baptism could be the thing that brings her back, so keep both of them in your prayers! A little bit of sad news, the Elders investigators who were getting married on the 17th couldn't find all the paperwork they needed, so the wedding has been pushed back until February. Even though it's being delayed please pray for them to stay strong in the wait, and that soon they will be able to get baptized!! On a happier note, the Elders have a famous investigator, John Michock, who was been investigating the church forever, but has been on parole, and thus unable to get baptized. Recently though he just received the permission to get baptized!!! He's met with tons of Elders in the past years, and so they can all be there to see him get baptized, he's getting baptized at the mission wide Christmas conference on Christmas Eve! He asked me to sing Mary Did You Know at his baptism, and it felt like such an honor that "The John Michock" would ask that of me. So that should be really fun, I am get super pumped for that!! Isa is coming home today!! Let her know I love her tons and please send me lots

of pictures!! I love all of you, and even though I won't be there greeting Isa at the airport I will be there in Spirit.

I hope you all have a great week, and Merry Christmas very soon!!

-Hermana Abreu

The Trio of Life is Still Life

So much always happens on the mission, and this week is no exception! Transfers were this week and I am staying in the 'Daigua! The trio is also still the same, Sister Topham will be leaving us soon though (many tears, much sadness). She really has been a wonderful trainer and I've learned a great deal from her!

We served at the sites a lot this week so we didn't have much area time, but when we did it was fabulous. We went to Naples again, and miracles always happen in Naples! I'm not sure if I've mentioned Courtney in past emails (can't remember) but she is our fabulous investigator who we just set a baptismal date with! She has gone through a really hard life, but I know this knowledge of the gospel will bring her so much! Also in Naples we got to visit Brother Bosser, a less active who is only less active because of his health. We visit him every week, and really he is the most charitable person on the planet. He isn't able to leave his house, so he always says we're the battery that fills his light.

We also had a ward Christmas party this past week. That was lots of fun and it was great getting to know the ward members better, they really are sweet people. We're being well fed (especially by the Stines, the ward mission leader's family). This is a funny little meme we made up while bored at the sites. It's from a seminary video about olive trees. Long story short I was reading Jacob 5 and confused, and this is what ensues!

 

Oh!! Some super exciting news! The Elders in our ward/district have been meeting with a sweet family the past few weeks. It's a couple named Kenny and Amy and they have a daughter named Daisy. They have just loved church, but aren't married (though have been engaged for nine years) and so not able to get baptized. This week though they decided they wanted to get married! So they are

getting married the 17th, and baptized the 24th (Christmas Eve). We've been planning for them and they are so excited! Also, we had our last district meeting this past week (not the last now, because we're all staying), but here's some pictures from that!

 

Online teaching has been crazy. With the light the world initiative people have been having tons of questions and the referrals for Bibles and Book of Mormons has been out the wazoo. You could easily do online teaching for four hours straight (not much else to do when not many people show up to the VC in the winter time) and leave with very dry eyes. But it's been good! Online teaching is such a blessing, even if there are some crazy experiences.

 

We drove by the temple on Sunday because of the Light the world suggestion, visit a temple, so here's a picture of of that. It was way higher than expected, so this picture is actually of me jumping up and holding on for dear life (my  feet are not touching the ground).

 

So yeah, there have been tons of miracles and more to come! I love you all! Keep participating in Light the World!

P.S. I should probably start telling you all when my p-days are because we know a week in advance, I just always forget to. Next week it will be on a Wednesday (I know, odd), but you can still send emails before then. It makes it a little easier reading them beforehand so I've already read them by p-day, and it's not a flood of stuff to read, but yeah, you all do you!

Love you!

-Hermana Abreu

Thanksgiving and the Temple! Also Olaf

Wow, this has been the most eventful week of my mission! So much happened, ah! Let me try to explain it all.

Well the biggest part of this week was obviously Thanksgiving, which was amazing. Sister Tucker really wanted to do service, but we couldn't find any all week and were wondering what we were going to do all the way up until the day before Thanksgiving. We finally get directed to a restaurant called Patty's place which serves a free Thanksgiving meal to lonely or homeless people. We go over there in the morning and ask if we can help, and they were happy to have us! We spent the morning serving meals and talking to people all in Canadaiuga and it was great.


Us talking to people at Pattys!

The snow melted pretty fast, but we got to spend a good amount of time trudging through it. We spent one evening before it melted at the grove, and oh my goodness, it is so pretty in the snow. Ah, I can't wait for it to snow more, and I know I'll be super cold, but I'd rather it be cold with snow then cold for no reason. Also, serving at the Smith Farm that day I met Hermana Aybar who was serving alongside us, and is from the Dominican Republic! That was super awesome, and she is so sweet, her accent is pretty thick, and I didn't know how much I missed hearing Spanish accents until I heard one.

All the Spanish Hermanas!

We spent Thanksgiving dinner (really lunch) with a family named the Martins. Fun fact! Their family was in the show A Baby Story seventeen years ago when they were pregnant with their now senior in high school, and I thought it was so funny because I have so many memories of watching that show as a kid. The family is super funny and ah, they were perfect for the first holiday away, and I was very well fed!

The Martin family!

The cute turkeys they made us!

Being silly with their dogs!

Us at a less active's.

We spent the rest of Thanksgiving visiting less actives and singing to them. We had planned on singing at the hospital, but that fell through. Luckily though we visited a woman in the hospital and we were able to sing to her, and it was such a sweet tender moment.

Singing to sister Shiverton at the hospital!

Highlight of the week though, dressing up in mascot costumes for service. There was a service for the kids in the area, and they needed volunteers, and we thought cool neat, we can set up and stuff. That is not what they had in mind though. It's taking place at a hotel, and they take us into this hotel room full of costumes, let us choose one, and say we're going out advertising for the activity. So we put on our mascot costumes, hop in the back of a delivery truck, and drive to Walmart. So yeah, I walked around Walmart dressed as Olaf. We walk around other places like Denny's too. All of us missionaries are blind and stumbling into each other, but it was by far the most funny and interesting

thing I have done on the mission so far.

Heads on.

Heads off.

In the back of a delivery truck.

Walking around in Walmart (sister Tucker had to hold her face to see)

Today we went to the temple and it was amazing! I don't think I've said, but we're only allowed to go every six months, or with a recent convert. None of the sisters in our apartment had used their six month visit yet, so we thought why not? It was so nice to be able to go when I hadn't been in a while. I know it will be another six months before I can go again, but I'm glad I went today. It is so pretty inside the Palmyra temple, with stain glass everywhere.

Me at the temple!

So yeah, it's been an eventful week, and even more happened but I don't have time to write it all! Know that I love you all though and you are always in my prayers! And of course, you can't read an email from a missionary without hearing about Light the World! The video is out now, so go and watch it and share it with all your friends, and more importantly participate in it! I would  challenge each family who reads this to hold a family counsel, and plan each week out to how you are going to apply the initiative! For those far from family or without one, look at the schedule and set up a system for yourself! I know so many blessings will come from using this beautiful initiative, whether a member or not, and bring a special spirit of the true meaning of Christmas into your

home!

I love you all! Have a great week!

Hermana Abreu

(Click below to see the video)

Light the World- A Christmas Message