One Stunning Week

Hola familia!

The sites are absolutely amazing! I can't tell you how much I love being here. I've moved to the famous White House, just a short walk away from the chapel and the Smith Farm. We've started to use our exercise time by running to the Smith Farm then walking through the Sacred Grove. It's absolutely stunning each morning, and never fails to take my breath away.

The stunning-ness:

After our shift one evening:

I said goodbye to lots of people, including the Bennett family in the Lyons ward. I haven't talked much about them, but they have been one of my favorite families I've had the privilege of serving with. Lots of kids, and lots of daughters, one who served a Spanish speaking mission, and another who is getting married. They live in Sodus, so we saw them once a week, and I didn't get the chance to say goodbye, so they stopped by the Smith farm with a piece of their family and said goodbye there!

The second day of this transfer was Sister Ewell's birthday, so we found out where she was serving and brought her cupcakes! I made them with lemon cream cheese frosting (Sister Ewell and I shared an affinity for lemon things), but I didn't get a picture of all of them before they were devoured. However here's one I caught of just mine!

It being spring break for lots of people we had tons more guests come in. I took a tour of a family from Mexico City, a mother and her daughter both named Eloisa, and a son in law named Cristobol. The older Eloisa shared her conversion story in the log home. She explained how missionaries had come to her apartment complex looking for a Cadenas family, and were shown to her apartment by some neighbors. The Elders eventually started teaching their family and after being baptized the mother asked how they came to her home, and they explained they had been looking for a referral of a different Cadenas family, but had later discovered they took a wrong turn and were on the complete other side of their area, and had believed them to be the referral. That led us to talk about the Smith family and how they were brought to New York because of a hard winter in Vermont, and there was cheap farm land here. There really are no coincidences, the Lord has a hand in every small step of His work.

I also took a family on tour from the Philippines. The dad really reminded me of Papi, just things he would do. For example: he grabbed one of the hats used as props in the log home and wore it around. The Lord truly provides tender mercies like those to bring a smile to my face.

Online is a huge miracle! I talked to a young woman whose name is Tonya on my temple square day back in the MTC, and she is preparing to go on a mission. We've been sharing insights back and forth and she is just so awesome. She's been called as a ward missionary, and dang, she's fabulous.

Being with Sister Tucker and Sister Cahoon is such a blessing and already we have so many inside jokes and things to laugh about. If I were to serve full time at the sites with anyone it would be these two chicas! 


Reunited, and doing online!

In the grove, watching spring slowly creep up:

We decided to hike up the Hill Cumorah along the nature trail. Wow, can I just say that is one gorgeous walk.

Easter will always be a treasured memory here. It was my first Sunday in the Palmyra ward, and there being so many missionaries in that ward (fifteen of us I think, lots of full time sisters) we helped out in nursery. It was loads of fun, and very hard following the no holding children rule, but still very sweet. I just really love chilluns'. Afterwards we served at the Hill and took loads of pictures. It was one of the warmer days, and ah!!! Everyone, spring is here!!

I took a picture outside with the flowers to commemorate the event!

I am so excited, and so so so happy to be a Visitors' Center sister at the Hill Cumorah!

There are too many stories and too many experiences to share, but I hope you have been able to get a taste of the Spirit that is here. The things that happened here really happened. A young prophet named Joseph Smith restored the gospel of Jesus Christ, and Christ—that very Lord and Savior who suffered at Gethsemane and died on Calvary—leads and guides us, TODAY. He will never leave us alone.

I love love love you all!

Hermana Abreu