"Go to the Ohio"...

What a week! Lots of meetings, lots of teaching, and lots of testifying!

The one and the only... Pat Parker came to church!! If any of you recall he is the fox hunter who lives behind the Book of Mormon Publication Site. It's been a journey. We've taught him a few lessons, and he's progressing! He read the introduction to the Book of Mormon and he said, "I told my girlfriend Jesus lived with the Indians, but she didn't wanna hear nothing." As funny as he is, he is just as genuine, and is excited to keep coming! In terms of others we are teaching, Mike who I talked about last week relinquished his pipe! We asked him what he felt was keeping him from baptism, smoking being one of the problems. He agreed to stop smoking, but wanted to keep his pipe to "put incense in it and keep it as a memory." We finally agreed that he would give us his pipe until he was baptized and could put incense in it afterwards. So we are now in possession of Mike's pipe. It's a pretty powerful feeling.

I don't know if I've mentioned, but the site director couple, Elder and Sister Bradford, are finishing their mission. We had our last site meeting with them this past week. I will be forever grateful to them and all they have taught me, and to have had these last few weeks to work closely beside them. The new site couple are named the Neffs (if any of you are familiar with Neff beanies, he's the owner of that, so he's pretty cool). For our last site meeting we met in the basement of the Hill for ice cream and were asked to get into lines. Those who liked chocolate got in one line, those who liked vanilla got in another, and those who liked both got in another. Each were all served one scoop of that ice cream, but those that chose chocolate and vanilla got two scoops. This was to illustrate how even though the Bradfords are leaving, and there will be changes with the Neffs, we can still learn and experience great things with both, and we should be open to learning from both. With this experiment we were expecting some grumbles, but our sisters are the best and didn't give a singel word of complaint, so the demonstration didn't work so well. Though still, it is a great principle to be learned!

With the passing of President Monson, it's given us a lot of reason to reflect. I am grateful for all President Monson did for us, and I will forever remember him as the living prophet whom I testified of as a missionary. Though, I will just as gladly testify of the next prophet, because I know God leads His people. Whether that is through the hand of His servant, President Monson, or on a smaller scale Elder Bradford, or Elder Neff, He calls inspired people, and He will not lead us astray.

I love you all and am thinking of you!!

1. We had to clean out Facebook of old embarrassing posts to use it for proselyting and I stumbled upon this gem. It was prophesy for where I’d serve my mission.
2. Mike’s pipe!! (P.S It reeks 😷)
3. A picture the Waltons took when we had Christmas breakfast with them. They gave this picture to us this week.

4. Pat Parker the fox trapper at church!! 🦊
5. The Bradford’s leaving (they live in Cincinatti, so they were leaving for the Ohio 😉)

6. One last photo together

Another Week in Narnia

Another week in the Narnia. One day the winter curse will be broken...we think. For now we go out in the cold and survive! It's actually getting around the 30's today an

Off the topic of the weather and moving on to more important matters! It's been a good week. We've been on a few team-ups with some of the sisters and they are fantabulous. I continue to be amazed by their endurance and their love, and their amazing site skills. I feel like I learn more from them they I could ever hope they learn from me.

Here's a cool experience of a new man we are teaching named Mike. He is the boyfriend of a less active we work with and recently moved back in. He was taught by the sisters a while ago, but lost contact because he moved out. He has a strong testimony of everything, but struggles with certain things, which he is willing to work through. We brought up baptism to him and suggested a date and his jaw dropped to the floor and kept saying, "I'm speechless." We didn't have a clue as to why he was speechless, but then he confessed, "That day is my birthday!!" He was close to being moved to tears. Though a very simple thing, it was very heartwarming to see him get so excited. He really does want this for himself and has such a desire to change his life around.

Online has been pretty cool lately. Last year Sister Murdock got in contact with a man from Somalia (a.k.a where the pirates are) who was Christian and wanted to learn more. Unfortunately she went to Buffalo and lost contact with him. Then the other day she randomly thought of him and decided to email him and lo and behold, he still wanted to learn! We had a lesson over Skype. His name is Osman, and he's pretty dang cool. The Lord definitely provides miracles online.

The mission has also been approved to use Facebook, so I'll be back on Facebook soon! I'll write more about the guidelines and such in a status, but don't freak out when you may see my button occasionally be green on chat :)

1. Serena from the 3rd Ward brought me Chick-fil-A which is non-existent in New York
2.With the sisters in Rochester
3. Trying to be cute 

The People of Palmyra

Hello everyone!

The weather outside is frightful here in Palmyra, but filled with adventure! Last email I didn't get to write too much about the people we are teaching, but there are a few, and they are fun! There is a young couple with a baby named Tim and Ashley who are on date for baptism, but would need to be married first. They are pretty quiet, but very interested in learning. Every lesson with them kind of feels like a Napolean Dynamite movie, but in the sweetest of ways. They've been coming to church every week, which is exciting!

We are also teaching a family named the Novicks. Wendy is a single Mom of two teenage boys who fight and mess around with each other, but slowly they are humbling themselves. We also teach a man George Rimmel, with a seven year old daughter. He has studied to be a pastor and recently felt that a lot of the churches he went to were corrupt, so he decided to make his own church, and was in the midst of doing that when the sisters came along! He is definitely a smart man and wants to know if this is true, is just taking the time to study it.

This week we've also found a new investigator. His name is Pat Parker. Pat Parker is a fox hunter. Pat Parker's uncle bought the farm behind "the Mormon hill." Pat Parker describes my mission. Sister Packard and Sister Murdock (who was here with Sister Murdock before I came in) found him, and the video below was our return appointment. He waved us in to look at his foxes, so we stood in the doorway with our purse propping the door open. This is what followed. It's people like these that make the mission worthwhile.

Being a Visitors' Center Trainer continues to be filled with adventures! Lots of scheduling changing (we should know by the end of the week about the schedule for the rest of the transfer so I can tell you my pdays, but for now I'm sorry for the sometimes surprise pday!), and lots of love to give. We go on what we call "team-ups" with the sisters, basically like doing a mini exchange because it would be slightly impossible to do full exchanges with everyone. It is a joy to be able to minister and that way, to just sit and listen to what the sisters need.

Overall, it's been a good week. I'm grateful for all the experiences I've had this year, and am only looking forward to the ones to come in 2018. I love you all and hope you have a great week!

Hermana Abreu

P.S I'm sorry there aren't too many pictures this week! I do hope you enjoy the videos though :) Sister Murdock and I die laughing whenever we watch the one with Pat Parker.

1. Sister Murdock and I doing online!
2. Out in the cold, but still smiling! Also, my hood looks like my hair 3. The one, the only, Pat Parker...

Spiritual Reunions--Also the Story of How the Log House Burned Down

What a beautiful week. I love my mission, this area, and the sites so much. Being back living in Palmyra is one of the sweetest tender mercies. I feel so much peace here, and so much love. Being a Visitors' Center Trainer has been so much fun. Though there is lots of scheduling and administrative stuff involved, it is all very Spirit focused. Most of our meetings are people centered as well, and it is not until now that I've realized how much our leaders talk and care about us. Each of the sisters names are brought up and their own personal growth and happiness is our goal. What a privilege it is to serve in this calling.

The people of Palmyra and Macedon are so sweet, even if sometimes a little off. We were in a lesson with a less active and he said, "Some weird things started happening after I was baptized. I brought a goldfish back to life..." Sister Murdock and I just nodded.

For anyone who didn't know, Joseph Smith's birthday was two days ago, and so we celebrated by bringing a cake into the log home and singing happy Birthday during our dinner hour. Again, the joys of this mission are unreal.

Last night we visited Michael, the recent convert who I mentioned a few emails ago that Sister Dickey and I found. The Spirit in that room was unlike anything I've ever felt before. To give a little more background now that I've been in this area and have been updated: Michael has cerebral palsy and has gone through some very hard things in his life. He's always been kind of alone. To give a little recap, back in August, Sister Dickey and I were outside the Grandin building and invited him in for a tour. Afterwards he agreed to meet with the sisters in Palmyra. When they first started meeting with him he was very skeptical about it all, but understood what it would mean for there to have been a Restoration, and wanted to know if it was true. After much prayer and time spent in the Sacred Grove he came to the decision to be baptized.

The Harmers, a couple in the ward have done amazing things at fellow-shipping Michael (from waking up early Sunday mornings in order to get him dressed in a white shirt and tie to pass the sacrament, to inviting him over for Thanksgiving dinner, etc) brought him Christmas presents which we opened with Michael. The smile on his face was indescribable. As we talked about the year Michael said, "I've gone to many churches, seven or nine of them, and each time I felt like God was telling me 'move along'. But since coming here, I think I've found a home..." Immediately, he began to weep. I found my own face wet with my tears, watching him, as I realized the chain of events that had taken place. Michael is a very special person and it is an honor to know him.

This Christmas I am grateful for the Savior. I am grateful for the kind of joy He brings that can make a simple room of missionaries, and a few Saints, weep.

With my love,
Hermana Abreu

P.S I know there are tons of pictures, but it’s been an eventful week!

1. Saying goodbye to Brother Rivas my last day in Rochester 😢

2. Sister Murdock, a.k.a the best person ever!! (Seriously though, she’s hilarious and we have so much fun together)

3. Winter in the Sacred Grove—Gorgeous, I know

4. Outside the log home with a cake for Joseph on his birthday

5. Singing Happy Birthday in the log home  (didn’t realize until afterwards we probably weren’t supposed to have candles inside 😅)

6. Reunited with Michael 😊

7. A small video of him watching the digital picture frame the Harmers gave him 

 

Back to Palmyra!!!

Transfers have yet again crept up on us! My mission is taking another turn and I am being transferred to Macedon (basically Palmyra area) and becoming a Visitors' Center Trainer. I may have referenced them before in other emails, but they are basically the assistants to the site director as the normal assistant's are to the President. Some responsibilites include leading site meeting, training the sisters, making site schedules, etc. I'm just dying a little bit, and still don't really feel like that's happening, but the Lord has definitely given me a lot of comfort since finding out last night. I will also be with with Sister Murdock who literally is literally one of the most amazing people on the face of the planet and so I am PUMPED. Also the Bradfords (the site directors) are another pair of the best people on the face of the planet. I'll be moving into the same house I lived when I first became full site and Lucy the van is reappearing! So, very thrilling times indeed.

We also received the news that the downtown area will be combined with other areas and the Spanish work will be given to just one set of Elders. It does just twist your heart a little to see the people we've taught split and moved around. Calling Brother Rivas was very sad, as well as other members and investigators, but I know they will do great and amazing things, even if I'm not there to watch. This day has just made me realize how much this area has changed me, how touched I've been by the lives of these people. A piece of my heart will forever be in Rochester.

Sister Ingersoll and I spent the last part of the week going at it strong. She was a trooper for it being her last week and we knocked as many doors as we could! Yesterday we spent some time at  get together with the Spanish group and just watching everyone brought even more Branch memories back, and I am just grateful again for the opportunity to have served here.

Christmas is coming up soon!! Still crazy to me that a year has passed since that last first Skype call. I'll be very excited to see the family and enjoy the Christmas season, especially in Palmyra, another place I can call home.

I love you all and hope you know you are always in my prayers!

1. I went on exchanges to the GVB (YSA branch) and we had a lesson at Barnes and Noble. It was the first time I had stepped inside a Barnes and Noble in 14 months so we took a secret picture where I look slightly deranged. Ah well!

2. I’ve translated in Relief Society the past couple weeks and I always feel so fancy with the box I’ve always seen but never used, so I had to take a picture. 

3. Last district picture!

Smith Farm Magic

What a week it has been. To quote our district leader Elder Anderson, "Meeeeeracles" are happening. 

To start off, this time last week Sister Ingersoll and I were sitting here typing away, when a man pulled up beside one of our computers and asked if we could find the internet. We helped him find it and right before he left handed him a "Light the World" card. "Mormons?" he asked. "I used to study with the Mormons." He went on to tell us how he had in prison for the past thirteen years, really changed his life around, and had just gotten out four days earlier. Apparently there had been missionaries who held a Latter Day Saint service in his prison in Indiana. We set up a return appointment a little later and one of the first things he said was, "Oh, I forgot my Doctrine and Covenants!" He came to church, and invited his fiancee who has two kids and literally it was the coolest miracle of my life to see Allen carrying a small child on his hip into the chapel. 

Luz, the Puerto Rican woman we have been teaching also came to church this past Sunday. She was the sweetest, and said she would definitely have to come back! Also, the Spanish group was really full in Relief Society so I had to use the headphone things to translate and I felt so fancy and like I was at the branch, and very cool. Translating is very difficult though, especially live translating. Completely butchered some people's comments. But the Lord helped, that's for sure!

We also had our famous Smith Farm Christmas activity, where all the sisters gathered together wearing Santa Hats and shuffling groups through to the different homes where there was caroling and barn dancing and hot chocolate. What joy was had. We also hosted a field trip at the Smith Farm for a group of first graders in the Palmyra school district, which is HUGE. There is some anomosity/hesitancy within the community about the sites here, but Elder Bradford finally had it approved and assured religion wouldn't be talked about. So we talked up the homes, read story books to them, and taught the barn dance from the Smith farm Christmas to them, and even more joy was had. And even though Christ's name never left our lips, Elder Bradford later said, "who you were, how you loved them, and what you showed, will do more for them than you know." 

Brother Rivas continues to be amazing and always makes us treats. Word got out I loved lemon things so he made us a lemon cake. He informs us about the weather each morning, which by the way has been getting very cold. We had our first real snow of the year this week, which was fun! We still visit the Santiago family and love seeing them. 

Seriously, there are so many amazing things and people and I wouldn't trade it for the world. 

1. Smith Farm Christmas!
2. The Lemon Cake Brother Rivas made for us 
3. Sister Guimaras and I reading to the first graders 
4. Dancing in the snow with Sister Ingersoll
5. All of the lovely sisters