An Unexpected Call...

Hello all!

Apologies this email is so late! So I have some pretty sad news, a sister in the mission named Sister Rae is going home early for medical reasons. She has full intentions of returning when it is all figured out, but until then--I have been emergency transferred to be companions with Sister Barret, her previous companion. I am super excited because I love Sister Barret lots, she was VCT when I came into the mission. I'll be leaving behind lots of memories though. The past month of my mission has honestly been the best. I will miss the trio lots. Sister Barret is also a full time sister, however she lives at the White House closer to the Smith farm, so today has been filled with packing and scrambling around.

Saying goodbye to Lucy (the van for all the sisters living at the old White House--named after
Mother Smith and her gaggle of eight, later nine children):

Since the other White House is super closer I didn't pack everything in the suitcases and just threw lots of things in the car, this is the mess that ensued:

On the sunny side the new White House is literally on the Smith Farm property (for anyone who has visited it's the houses by the parking spots), and the Sacred Grove is LITERALLY my backyard. Again, I am astounded by my mission and the opportunities and experiences afforded here.

In terms of this week the sites have been a little slower, but the tours that have come in have been some of the best tours ever! A group of youth leaders from a stake in Virginia came into the Hill inspecting everything for an upcoming youth conference with these fancy "Ask of God" binders. Almost thought they were from Salt Lake for a second. We start talking to them and Sister Tucker begins to explain her conversion story, and this group of five or six adults literally sit on the carpet and listen to Sister Tucker as if she were their pre-school teacher. The tour that followed really got us all pumped up for the summer when their youth group will be coming!

Us with the fancy binders and cool adults:

At the Smith farm I was able to give a tour to some past ward members in the Lyons ward, the Dors. They are a sweet family with lots of girls (one who is named Nauvoo, very pretty name), and they were just a delight. One of the daughters kept picking up the flowers that are popping up in all the meadows and handing them to me. By the end she commented on how I looked like a bride.

Me with all my flowers:

And just today while serving the morning shift at the Smith farm a group of young adults walk in looking pretty windblown and to be very frank---very cool. They then begin to explain they are biking through the U.S and this was one of their stops. I was very intimidated by their cool cat hipster-ness so I grabbed Sister Tucker along and it was one of the best tours EVER. They were all members of the church, most returned missionaries, except for their friend they brought along named Roberto. He was from Tijuana Mexico. Sister Tucker and I both shared the First Vision in the log home in Spanish and English and--wow, really those are the only words. What a privilege it is to be here.

Here are some more pictures of the week:

A group house picture, so many memories in this house!

Being our true selves, there's Hurmunah again:

There are super pretty tulips outside the Smith farm I needed to take a picture. Gorgeous:

A story I'm making more well known as I serve at the Smith farm is that of young Joseph Smith--a mere ten years old. As his family was traveling from Vermont to Palmyra to escape a particularly cold winter (albeit, it's not that much better here), Mother Lucy ran out of money on the last leg of the trip and their driver abandoned them. They were able to hitch a ride with a family by the name of Gates, traveling on sleigh. Sadly, Joseph, still recovering and limping from his leg surgery a few years prior, was on the last sleigh and one of the Gates boys knocked him over. His family far ahead, and unable to arise himself, in his own words he said, "I was left to wallow in my own blood." By the grace of a loving Heavenly Father though, a stranger stumbled upon Joseph and gathered him in his arms. He carried the soon to be prophet the last few miles into the town of Palmyra--the cradle of the Restoration. We don't know that man or what happened to him, but his act of kindness forever effected Joseph.

This week, take time and think of ways you can lift a fallen person. I promise you there are many, and the Lord will guide and prompt your thoughts as you pray for opportunities to--you never know what may come of it.

I really love you all! All my love from the sunlit Smith farm!

Hermana Abreu

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

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

The Fun Will Never End...It's Transfer Time!

Well hello everyone!!

So remember when we were all skyping on Christmas and I said that the sites were wanting to put in full time sisters? Well, now I'm one of them! Just to explain a little more it won't be for my whole mission, but something you get transferred in and out of. So I'm moving down to Palmyra and living at the White House and will now be a full time Visitor's Center sister! And to be one hundred percent honest...I am STOKED. Splitting area time and site time is a challenge all site sisters face, but now all of my attention will be on the sites, just as we are getting into the busy times! WAAH! I'M SO EXCITED!

In other crazy developments, I am going to be back in a trio, with none other than Sister Tucker (A.K.A my trainer), and a Sister who I flew in with who came from Canada, Sister Cahoon. She's about a transfer ahead of me but got to the mission at the same time because she was visa waiting. This is super rare and never happens but President Evans is a pretty wild card of a mission president and always keeps us on our toes. I really can't explain how excited I am though. I love love love Sister Tucker and Sister Cahoon is so sweet! I know it will be one par-tay! Also, all the full time sisters (there's nine of us) will be sharing a mini van. So yeah, I really really love my mission.

In terms of this week there was lots of finding and lots of talking. As the sites are picking up speed I've given lots more tours! We were able to go down to the Whitmer farm and serve there again (a total of three times so far on the my mission) and a half hour to closing a young woman and another woman walk in. Her name was Karina and was a convert of almost a year, and came in with the mom of the missionary who taught her. They were one of the most AMAZING tours I have ever taken. They have such a strength. Karina herself was almost done with her mission papers. At the Whitmer farm there is this room called "The Growth of the Church" where you watch a video showing how the church has grown since it first started in Fayette, and never fails to make me cry. Afterwards we shared conversion stories and testimonies and the Spirit was SO strong. I am very very grateful for them! They make the sites some of the best places!

A picture of Karina and I, and of course Christ

Sister Evans came into the sites and we did some online with her. She is such a fabulous example and though she is a very busy mission president's wife, she always takes time to show us how much she loves us all and gets involved in the work! Here is a picture of us with her in the Christus room.

It was also Sister Packard's nine month mark so Sister Ewell and I decided to throw a party for her. They were late from the sites (held up by tours, we're getting busier!) And so we streamered the house and got her a cupcake. Sister Ewell had the meet the Mormons movie downloaded on the "Let's Have A Party" part and played it as she came in. Here is her reaction!

Last week we found a new investigator while visiting Ronda and Mike (the same couple we visited and tried to watch the women's session of General Conference with) who is a friend of theirs. This week he began progressing very well and came to church on Sunday! Such a big miracle. His name is Kevin, and while growing up he had a good amount of seizures but a few years ago had a surgery to

stop them, since then he's recovered and doing well. But another amazing miracle was the fact that one of his middle school teachers who helped him a lot in school with his seizures is the ward clerk! They just started talking and catching up like old friends. The Lord really is aware of where each and

everyone of His children are, and what they need. I will be sad to leave him, and all of the people we have taught here, but I do know they are in good hands with Sister Ewell and the Lord. We had our last district meeting in the basement of the Hill where there are lots of clothes Sisters have donated over the years, so we put on a bunch of stuff and took a picture. We're cool like that.

Well, I will let everyone know next week how things end up! I will give you a fair warning, full time sister p-days are pretty wacky so these nice consistent Monday pdays probably won't be a thing anymore. Have some patience with me as things get figured out! I love you all!!! Have a great week!

Hermana Abreu

Hispanic and Six Month Celebrations!

Another week down!

So it started off Monday evening when we had the celebration of the anniversary of the publication of the Book of Mormon. We were assigned the Grandin again and this time we got to dress as pioneers and take throngs of people through tours. Behind each station were characters from the stories we tell, such as Martin Harris, E.B Grandin, and Emma Smith. It love being a site sister, where we can

all join together in song and sing Happy Birthday to the Book of Mormon :)

We hosted a Spanish dinner! A week or so ago Sister Ewell and I were at the hospital trying to see an investigator we visit there named Virginia who just had leg surgery. As we got to her room we opened the door and find a completely different woman lying in her bed. Upon asking a lady at the desk where Virginia was she said she checked out the day before, which made no sense because we had called Virginia that morning and she said she was still in the same room. We called her again and she confirmed she had checked out, and thought she had let us know. So as Sister Ewell and I sit there trying to figure out what to do, out walks a couple speaking Spanish. I was ASTONISHED. Then I stopped them and asked where they were from. I get to talking about how my dad is from the Dominican Republic and they're from Puerto Rico. They're names are Ruth and Rafael. Soon enough were exchanging numbers and voila, Spanish dinner! We invited them over to the church where we got Francisco from the Rochester third ward to come down and Aaron and Christina as well, since Christina is Puerto Rican. We spent part of the day cooking (I made mangu, Papi would be proud. My hands got super dirty from peeling the platano, but I felt like a true Dominican.

Yummy Hispanic food!

There were lots of good Gate City Branch memories flooding back when we all showed up with our different dishes. Eventually Francisco got to talking about his conversion story, which is AMAZING. And completely what Ruth and Rafael needed to hear. It was such a good experience and something I will always remember.

I hit my six month mark this past week! All day I had completely forgotten about it until as Sister Ewell and I are sitting in bed and I write the date out for my journal. I made a comment like, "Oh, today was my six month mark." Sister Ewell was apalled and gasped, "We didn't celebrate!" She then made me get out of bed and take a celebratory picture.

General conference was absolutely fabulous! Sister Ewell sadly wasn't feeling the best so we went to the Hill on the Sunday sessions and sat in one of the teaching rooms (the same room that I was sick in) and watched both sessions on her iPad. Last general conference I had the privilege to hear from Elder Bednar not even a week later in the MTC where he urged us to make the conference talks

"our walk and talk for the next six months." I still stand in his desire, and invite you all to review the talks and see how you can walk and talk in General Conference even after it is finished. I love you all! You're always in my thoughts and prayers! Have a great week!

Hermana Abreu

The Anniversary of the Publication of the Book of Mormon!

Hello everyone! Wow, lots happened this week. We had exchanges and I was with Sister Embley, who is a fabulous missionary STL extraordinaire. Lots of finding! A man taught us to meditate on his

doorstep. We had the most POWERFUL lesson with Aaron and Christina. Much boldness, much love. We started the lesson by singing "Savior, Reedemer of My Soul". Something President Evans has advised me is to use more music in lessons with everyone. SUCH inspiration!

Door Knocking!

Afterwards we invited Aaron to stop smoking for the next twenty-four hours. My heart was pounding, but he agreed! I know the Lord is working with, guiding and leading them.

The Book of Mormon is now 187 years old! On March 26th 1830 the Book of Mormon first came on sale. Sister Ewell and I had the privilege to serve at the Grandin Book of Mormon Publication site on this glorious event and took lots of tours! Oh I love love love the sites! And the Book of Mormon! When it got slow we also decided to sneak downstairs (with the permission of the senior sister, Sister

Bergstrom, who has ironically been the one to lead me to a lot of secret places)where we touched the original door of the Grandin building!

While serving a man randomly walks in with a fancy camera and asks to take pictures of us. He turned out to be a photographer who had a daughter on a mission once and someone took professional pictures of her and decided to send them home, so he wanted to do the same for us. So at the thanks of the wonderful man I can't remember the name of, here are fancy pictures outside and inside the

Grandin building!

General conference is coming up!!!! Sister Ewell and I tried to watch the General women's session with Christina, but it wasn't communicated very well that it wasn't downloaded and we didn't have wifi. So we then try to scramble and find a place and end up going to a less active's home named Ronda and her boyfriend Mike. Their wifi wasn't the most clear, so while we were waiting for

it to load Mike decided to show us some of his gospel music on his HUGE speakers. There we sat, listening to gospel rap, waiting for General Conference to load. I really really love missions.

Sister Ewell commemorated the event.

We've got lots of plans for the upcoming week! Stay tuned for next week where we will be featured in our pioneer costumes for the upcoming celebration at the Grandin building ð

I love you all! Have a great week!!

Hermana Abreu

Nit-Picky Missionaries!

This week has been pretty slow, but we've definitely made lots of memories. Tuesday evening we were snowed in and not allowed to leave our apartments, and the same goes for all of Wednesday. We kept ourselves busy with studies and cleaning (loads of organizing) and also picking nits out of my hair. Oh yes, the most fun part of the week. Lately I've just been hit with all kinds of sickness
and ailments, and the specialty of this week was lice! We didn't find a ton, but Sister Ewell and Sister Packard were very sweet and spent a good amount of time combing them out of my hair, thus nit-picky missionaries! After lots of combing it looks like I'm lice free!

Not fun lice!

Fancy French toast we made while being snowed in!

The first day after Snowmageddon at the Smith Farm:

We attended the funeral of a woman in our ward I visited a good deal. Her name was Lori Watrous and she was known as the "birthday card lady". She wasn't very old, and her passing was very sudden. She was really great friends with a recent convert, George Higbee, and it was just very devastating for him. He's not one-hundred percent mentally there, but he is a very sweet man and we are all so sorry for his loss, and the family's loss. It's times like those that truly make you reflect on the joy of life, and the blessing it is to have the knowledge of the gospel, and that death is not the end. This week I was asked to participate in the Easter concert. The Hill Cumorah is putting on a series of six concert pieces leading up to Easter weekend, featuring students from Rochester in the Eastman school of music. I opened the program by singing the song "His Hands" one of my favorite Easter renditions that testifies of the Savior. Afterwards we listened to two students play the harp and the Spirit was so strong. I love being able to serve at the sites where we can constantly be refreshed by sacred experiences like these!

Sister Packard (who played the piano, and the amazing harpists)

Sorry this week's email is short again! But I'm excited to move forward in the area and everything the Lord has in store for us. I love you all, have a great week!

Hermana Abreu