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

Snow, snow, and more snow, also Hurmanus

Hola familia!

It's snowing!! It started last night and is still going on and it's fabulous. I'm sure eventually I'll get sick of it, but for now there's a magic to snow when you haven't seen it in a while. If I didn't know any better I could swear I'm in Rexburg. Last night we had a dinner appointment, and we showed up and they were like "why are you here??" Apparently they had texted us and cancelled but we never got that text, so there we were! Then we left, but it was alright because the wife had dropped food off at our apartment without us knowing. Still sad we didn't spend the evening with them, but what can you do?Anyway, today is zone p-day so we're all huddled in the church building. We had zone conference earlier this week and that was fabulous. It's always fun seeing other missionaries, knowing we're not alone in the world. What was even more fabulous was the introduction of the light the world initiative. You all don't know what this is yet probably, but the day after Thanksgiving the church will release the new Christmas video. However, this one is a bit different. It's a call to action. For the first twenty five days in December there's a call to an act of service. I would encourage you all to participate in it as soon as it comes out, and you can get more info once it does, but really it's an inspired event, and I can't wait for you all to see and participate in it!
https://www.mormon.org/?cid=HP_FR_25-11-2016_dMIS_fmorg_xLIDyL1-A_

The trio of life at zone conference

 

I tried smiling here.



Us in the middle of nowhere, I couldn't smile because the wind hurt my face

Other things that happened this week, we went to Naples again and visited one of the people we had knocked on the door of last week. Her name is Courtney and she is so awesome! She was just casually like, "I only read the first ten chapters of that book you gave me." We had a great lesson with her, but it's kind of sad  because since Naples is so far we can only go there once a week. Also while in Naples we go to visit a less active, but the GPS leads us to this crazy place in the mountains. Meanwhile we pass dead deer and tons of people hunting. So yeah, you gotta love NY.

Dead deer hanging from basketball hoops

In terms of visitors center stuff this week we served at all the sites. This Sunday was stake conference, so while we were there the VCT's (visitors center trainers) asked us to fill in for a shift because one of the companionships assigned to serve that day was sick. We go to serve at the Hill, and then a couple walks in. We start chatting about where they're from, and we soon find out the girl is from the Greensboro stake! She was from Eden and had served at Temple Square. I can't quite remember her name, but anyway, it was awesome because I got to give a tour to someone from home! Also, it was super warm on Friday and we were doing studies at the hill, casually sun bathing. A stark difference from today.

(Here are the snow pictures Giselle promised!!!)

Yeah, so I'll send more pictures later of us in the snow because we're planning on playing in it for zone p-day, but yeah! I love you all, I hope you have a great week!

Hermana Abreu

(This is the girl from NC who Giselle's boyfriend Antonio is friends with, and her name is Karlyn! She was kind enough to send him this picture and then he sent it to me! Thanks Antonio! Small world!)

Us on the last warm day of the year.

Us being bored in a study room. This one is Hermana Abreu

This is Hermana Abreu's alter ego, Hurmuna Abroo (pronounced as spelled).

Beautiful Hurmuna!

 

(I asked Giselle to send us a picture of her desk! Cause us mama's like to see stuff like this!)



The middle of nowhere house of the less active who wasn't home







Grove tour with Bob and Blackouts in the VC

Hello everyone!

So this week some weird stuff went down. We had some solid area time and we went to go visit a referral in a trailer park, but he was nowhere to be found, so we went and visited some old people from the area book in that lived in the same park. That was an adventure, they were a pretty crazy family. They had previously met with the missionaries but didn't really want to change. Their daughter loves reading from the Book of Mormon though, and they are open to reading scriptures, so we'll stop by every now and again.

Also, while serving at the Hill this week the power went out, but we really had to use the bathroom so we go in with a flashlight. It felt like a horror movie, but we survived :) I got to give a Spanish tour
to a group of young men in a Spanish branch from Pennsylvania, and it was so nice speaking Spanish.

So I sang in Sacrament meeting this past week. I sang "I Know that My Redeemer Lives".  It was a missionary themed sacrament meeting. There's a fair amount of missionaries in the Canandaigua ward (two sets of sisters including our trio, and a set of Elders) and we all either spoke, sang, or said a prayer. I was the singing one. It was so wonderful to be able to sing for those there. I hope I was able to bring the Spirit into that meeting and they would be able to feel it. Speaking of all those missionaries, here's a picture of us after district meeting. Our zone leaders are there and some of the sisters had left by then, but yeah, that's us!

One miracle this week! So in reading Isa's email this week the four door approach really impressed me and I read the method to my companions. For those who haven't read Isa's email it's basically a form of finding where you knock on four doors, but beforehand you pray that one of those four doors will lead to someone prepared to hear the gospel, and that you will be led to that specific door. We agreed to try it and knock on four doors. And soon as we finished the prayer we look up and wait, and something tells me to go to a trailer park we had passed (a different one), and so we go. Every door accepted a Book of Mormon, and two doors accepted return appointments (which is a big deal for this area, where everyone is Catholic and "all set".) So shoutout to Isa, thank you! 

Today we had a grove tour with Bob, which is why I'm emailing a bit later in the day. I mentioned him last week, but he's the keeper of the grove. He really is the most sweet and humble man anyone could ever meet. He is so insightful and finds joy in the most simple things, like giving us empire apples. He always has a smile on his face and is so kind. The grove tour was amazing. Bob knows so much about the grove, down the every last little root and rock. One thing he described are character trees, trees that are tilted at angles or somewhat awkward positions. This happens because they have to grow past other branches or different obstructions, and they are always searching for the sunlight. In a lot of ways we are like those character trees. We may not be the straightest, and we

may have gone through many trials, but we are growing, searching for that light of the gospel, and if we reach it, that's what's important. It doesn't matter if were covered in tattoos or emotionally battered, Christ wants us all to come to Him, and we can always stretch towards that light. *End of metaphor about trees.

A side note I was supposed to say ten million years ago, but forgot. Everyone go like the Hill Cummorah Visitor's Center Facebook page. They post good uplifting stuff and a couple of weeks ago they posted a picture of all the new sisters with their trainers in the Christus room, which includes me. So scroll back some, and I'm there!

I love you all and hope you have a great week! Hermana Abreu

A smaller "character tree" and also Sister Tucker's head!

 

The beautiful grove!

 

A "character tree" in the grove!

Site Training Week

 Hi everyone!

Things have been good in the NYRM (New York Rochester Mission, pronounced by everyone here as the Nurm). So this week has been lots of training at the sites. I've served everywhere now and can
officially give a tour anywhere (no matter how unqualified I feel to give that tour), which is sweet. The Visitors Center site directors, the Bradfords, led the training and Elder Bradford gave super in depth tours. We were told lots of super fun stories about the Smiths and the very early days of the church.

This is our trio in front of the Jesus bust at the Whitmer farm. Fun fact, that

is actually a time capsule. The general authorities put a bunch of stuff in

there for general conference on the 150th anniversary of the foundation of the

church and will open it in a little over 13 years. Also a fun little story:

Sister Bradford was talking about how during Pageant time sisters get kind of

brain fried and say odd things. One sister had given so many tours she pointed

to the statue and said "and here is the bosom of Jesus". It was pretty funny!

By far my favorite place to serve is the Smith farm. On Friday my companions had MLC (mission leader conference) all day because they're sister training leaders, so I went on exchanges with the other sisters in our district, sister Packard and Andersen. They live with us in our apartment, so I've gotten to know them pretty well. We served on the Smith farm together and did studies in the grove that morning (it so so cool to be able to say that.) I gave my first solo tour and didn't mess up anything! It was to a group of four old people, and one lady said they were going on a road trip to visit 65 temples, because it was her 65th birthday, and her husband wanted to do something special
for her. When I'm 65, that's going to be my goal in life (maybe even earlier than that).

Me and sister Topham at the top of the Hill Cumorrah

The trio at the top of the Hill

That same day, Bob, the keeper of the grove, gave us apples. Bob is a sixty something year old man who maintains all the forest of the sacred grove and all the sisters love him. He has such a strong
testimony of the First Vision, but surprisingly isn't a member. There have been generations of sisters determined to baptize him, but no luck so far. But really, he is the sweetest person ever, and yeah, he
gave us apples which was nice.

I found this in one of the site guides (the guides we get all our history info

from). It gave me a good laugh for the day!

In terms of tracting, we met a woman named Lesta we found in the area book. She really is so prepared, but we haven't been able to consistently teach her. We have a lesson with her today though, so pray that goes well! Also, there's a woman named Marneil I have yet to meet, but we're going to be teaching her soon, so that's really good! Tonight we're also going to meet a referral with a Spanish name, so pray they speak Spanish, because I have been really wanting to use
that!

Now that site training is done, were still given shifts at the sites, but there's not much to do because it's really slow this time of year. So we usually end up watching some church movie in the theater when things get really slow. Lots of good restoration videos. Either that or sit in the Christus room and weekly plan, we try to keep productive:)

 

Sorry there aren't as many pictures this week, I need to be better at taking them. Anyway, I love you all and pray for you! I hope you all have a great week, write you next time! Hermana Abreu

So we went to an alpaca farm today for P-day, we got a tour and nuzzled alpaccha noses. 

Me with alpaccha earmuffs





 

First Week in the Field (Lots of Craziness)

So this week has been a whirlwind of craziness. I would write about temple square and the stuff there, but being in the field has given me lots more to write about. So I'll write a little. I was companions for the day with a sister from Mexico named Sister Evans. It was nice because we got to speak Spanish all day with everyone. She would correct my Spanish and I'd correct her English, it was pretty sweet. People at temple square you kind of had to chase around to talk to,but we still had some really great missionary moments!



Speaking of Spanish, so I'm not really speaking it here. There's only two sisters in the whole mission who are assigned to speak Spanish,and that's me and Hermana Tucker, who is one of my trainers. We barely get to use it because the area we are in, Canandaigua, has zero Hispanics. Hermana Tucker says when she does find Spanish people it's like gold because she can finally use her Spanish. But we do get to use it at the sites. We can give Spanish tours, which so far there hasn't been a lot of, but everyone says will pick back up in the summer. Everyone keeps talking about how crazy it gets in the summer. Around that time we won't really be in our areas, we'll just be on the sites, kind of like an all hands on deck deal for three months. It makes me glad I came in around the time I did because we can take our time with training for the sites. Sister Topham, my other trainer, was talking about how she came in during the summer. They asked if she was born a member, said she was, then was just kind of thrown in. She said during tours she was all "And I can just testify that the gold plates
were buried here." If only you all knew Sister Topham, she's hilarious.

Anyway, so yeah! I have two trainers, so two mothers! Yay! As mentioned above Sister Topham and Hermana Tucker are super sweet and awesome. They really help with me getting adjusted, because I'll admit, it feels like a lot. Everything to learn is kind of overwhelming, but the best way to go about it is one step at a time! Hermana Tucker has been out for almost nine months and this is Sister
Topham's last transfer, so we're a bit all over the place. We work well together though, we call ourselves the "Trio of Life" (yeah, we're hilarious). Also my trainers are the best because they are huge Avatar fans. We were just talking about it isn't the car when Sister Topham screams, "We could so be that for the trunk or treat!" So we were earth, water, and fire, and our car was supposed to be air
(appa). Long story short we were in a dinner appointment and missed the trunk or treat, thinking it didn't end until later. So we showed up and no one was there. But it was alright because we got to use the same costumes for site meeting (basically district meeting, but mission wide with all VC sisters.) So I can officially say I've been an Avatar character in some form for Halloween five times! (Keeping up the tradition).

Sister Topham, Hermana Tucker and me! We are Avatar!

So more on the sites. I've only served at the Grandin so far (Book of Mormon publication site), but it's been awesome, and I've visited all the others sites except for the Whitmer farm. There are only a few people who show up this time of year, but it's great because it's people from all over. We've given tours to groups from Australia and New Zealand. No Spanish people thus far, but they'll come! There really is so much to learn, but from what I can see sisters pick it up really fast, it just comes with serving at the sites ton. I gave a tour by myself the first day and was like "this is uh...this thing, but yeah, I just know the Book of Mormon is the word of God." Yeah...it'll come around, that's what I keep telling myself at least. The coolest thing though about serving at the sites is how familiar they start to become. I can already  tell this is going to forever be a special place to me. Not many people can say they've chilled at the Book of Mormon publication site eating pizza (it was a slow day, and the senior couple offered to pay). I should probably explain how it all works. Were called to serve on a specific site for an allotted time, normally all day. Shifts run from 9-9, 9-7, 9-5, 11-7, 11-5, etc. Whenever we're off site were serving in our area. Senior couples normally run a shift with us so we chill with them. Some days we don't serve in the sites, just the area, it depends on the schedule.

Speaking of my area. So I'm in Canandaigua which is tons of farm land and consists of lots of driving. But it's great! It is so pretty here, and most of the members live in like fancy log cabins in the woods. Anyway, our area covers a lot and there's this town called Naples we don't get to visit much because it's out of the way, but Sister Topham was like, you know what, let's go to Naples. It was pretty much the best day ever. We got grape pies (grapes are a huge thing here) and met tons of people who were way more open than back in the normal proselyting areas). There was a sweet family we met, and also a nice lady at a pizza place, and we also got to serve a less active member. Ugh, Naples is the best!

The ward here is really missionary minded and they love feeding us so we have tons of dinner appointments. There was a really sweet family with three young toddlers, the same age apart as Rio, Genevieve, and Ryker, so that got me a little teary eyed. They were so sweet and drew us pictures, which I am saving in my journal. Tomorrow is more training in the sites, and I'll be able to go serve at the Hill. That should be sweet. Here's a picture of all the VC sisters at site meeting, they're great!

Some house keeping notes I guess! So P-days are weird with VC sisters. The Visitor Centers are always open so we alternate P-days. We aren't told until we get the schedule (which I'm still not sure how often that is), so some days it will be Tuesday, others Monday, occasionally Wednesday, so just hold tight if I don't email at a consistent time! Speaking of emails, we have I-pads, so we can read emails all week long, we just can't respond until p-day.

I love you all, and there's still tons I haven't talked about, but hopefully I've been able to give a good review of all the craziness. I love love love you all! Have a great week!

Hermana Abreu