Live, Laugh, Love

Hola Familia!!

The sites have been slowing down a little more with Spring-Breaker-ers ending their trips, but no fear! Here at the Visitors' Center we keep ourselves busy with studies! With all the downtime we get loads of extra study time, which can either be viewed at as a blessing or a curse. I choose to view it as a blessing because there are so many new and cool stories found in the site guides and other places that I am so excited to learn more about. Joseph Smith is so cool. Seriously. Huge Fangirl. Anyway!

The Peter Whitmer log home in the setting sun:

 The first time there I took Sister Ward and her daughter on tour! They are from the Lyons ward and some of my absolute favorite people. I always enjoy seeing people from past wards I've served in come to the sites, and it is always a special experience.

Sister Tucker and I also gave a tour to a woman named Cassie who knows Nancy Zelaya/Dearborn! She is from Idaho and was baptized three years ago, and was awesome! Here is a picture with her! I for some reason always get pictures of tours at the Whitmer farm, very random side comment, but anywhoo!

 It was Sister Tucker's birthday on Thursday so we got up early and decorated the house and made cupcakes with peanut butter frosting, so that was fun! We spent the entire day at the Hill eating sweets because all different kinds of people would come and give us things! There's this famous place here called Chill'n Grill close to the Grandin known for it's very not small labeled "small" ice creams. So, we each had cupcakes in the morning, Chill'n Grill ice cream given to us by the Shortsville area sisters, a cake made by the VCT's, another cake made by a senior couple, and then brownies in the evening that a member from the Canandaigua ward brought. You can bet we fell into a deep sugar crash that night.

Online has been going well! The other day a tour came in at the Grandin of a newlywed couple, and the girl had served her mission in Brazil. Here at the sites we have these little referral cards, so that people can put down the information of anyone who comes to mind they might want to send to local missionaries. Someone came to mind for this girl, a former investigator named Simone, in her mission. She didn't remember her address or number, but I assured her if I knew the area I could work some magic and get the missionaries back to her! I spent a good forty minutes calling all these Brazilian missionary phone numbers with the conversations going something like this:

*Calls number*
"Blah-blah-Portuguese-blah-something-that-sounds-like-Spanish-blah?"
"Hi, this is Sister Abreu from Mormon.org. I'm so sorry I don't speak Portuguese, would someone happen to be there that speaks English or Spanish?"
"Ugh...un...moment"
*Scuffle*
American Companion: "Hello?"
"Hi, this is Sister Abreu from Mormon.org..(explains situation)"
"Oh, yeah...Wow, it's a lot harder to speak English than I thought it would be..."

That happened about six  times. I called a few of the wrong missionaries, then finally figured it out. Anyway, now missionaries are on their way to visit Simone! Yay! 

On Sunday we served at the Whitmer again. We normally drive down with the senior couple who is serving there because of miles, and on Sunday the Nielsen's were serving, but they go to church at a small branch in a small town called Penn Yann. So I got to attend a branch again, and man, Piedmont is BLESSED. There were maybe like twenty people, half of whom were missionaries. One of those missionaries gave a really wonderful talk titled after the famous saying "Live, Laugh, Love" which I realize I am doing a lot of these days. In the words of Oliver Cowdery while scribing the translation of the Book of Mormon, "These were days never to be forgotten".

Today we went to Alvin Smith's grave and had a picnic near the Erie Canal. I love how that is something we can do. Really, it is such an honor to be here. I know I need to relish the time that I have , and already it feels like it is going by so fast.

Majestic Hurmunah:

With serving at the Whitmer so much I've shared a not very well know story about a woman named Mary Whitmer--wife and mother to the Whitmer family--who struggled a good deal:

Early in the summer of 1829 Joseph and Oliver Cowdery boarded at the Whitmer home for a time to finish the translation of the Book of Mormon. They were long hot days, especially for Mary, who worked day by day keeping the house tended to, and everyone fed and happy. She often found herself falling into doubt. What were Joseph and Oliver really doing up there? Why did her family need to be a part of it? One evening while milking the cows, she found herself plagued by these thoughts. No sooner did a strange man appear along the trail, carrying a large knapsack. He approached Mary and told her he knew of her troubles.  "It is proper therefore," the stranger said, pulling the knapsack from his back and pulling the strings open, "that you should receive a witness that your faith may be strengthened" Inside lay the glistening golden plates. Mary never did question the work again. 

That stranger was an angel named Moroni, and though he may never appear to us and show us golden plates, we can receive a witness just as strong for ourselves. In the words of Moroni and Sister Abreu, "It is proper therefore that you should ALL receive a witness that your faith may be strengthened." 

Please read the words these early prophets worked so hard for us to receive, in them you will find that witness we wish to receive. A witness that Jesus is the Christ and He lives and guides us today. I know this to be true with my whole heart.

With all my love,

Hermana Abreu