Library Selfie!

Hey mommy! This week has been great! A lot has been going on but at the same time it's been the same old same old (but good!) Good news of the week: Our investigator, John came to church for the first time!!!! And he brought his son, we didn't get to talk about how he liked it because they left like right after church but it truly was a miracle. Sunday was great, my favorite family the Tomyn's  (the family I ate lunch with on my bday) gave really great talks on the family and that night we had dinner with the Stewart family. They are a young family who have 3 cute boys, one of them is 3, I just thought of Ryker the whole time they were being rowdy :) This week we've had members come out with us to work which has been fun. There is a recently married  couple who just moved into the ward, her name is Angela Lovell and she just got back from her mission in Honduras, like 6 months ago so we have become close friends with her and her husband Lee, plus they met at BYUI so it's fun talking to them about that. We've already had her out with us twice this week hehe. 

Guess where we went the other day! Chickfila!!! The members have been kind of iffy about feeding us so we've gone out to eat a couple times and I realized one of the Chickfila's was in our area, so we went and it was enjoyable. However it was kinda hard because it felt like one of you guys would pop up with a refill or something, like Chickfila was "our place", so it was bittersweet ( sweet because I got a peach shake) :) :) :) 

 

Overall though this week has been great. Transfers are in the coming week I believe, but I think because Sister Hatch is my trainer and I'm not done with the "12 week training" we will be together for a while longer. We are working hard to find people to teach and hopefully, we have a couple people we've met in the streets who might become investigators so we shall see! It's definitely awkward walking up to people and testifying to people about the gospel but it's something that you gotta get over because you never know who is really gonna need the gospel. So far I've had a couple of not so good experiences but it really is all worth it when you can talk to someone on the street, civilly and strengthen their faith whether their catholic, Muslim etc. We never want to tear down anyone's faith when we talk to them, just build upon it. 

 

Oh my goodness! Poor Danie! I'll keep her especially in my prayers this week. Tell her I love her! 

I forgot that you had to be at church early! Ohhhh man, Marina better get it together. Haha I know that's gotta be hard going back to that early stuff again but I know Heavenly Father is gonna bless you for your service for the branch ma, that's not easy I know it's not but you're awesome and I'm grateful for your example. Mommy I'll admit, I think the thing I miss most is just being able to talk to you, when things happen on the mission I immediately just want to tell you, only you, all about it. But we will "see each other again" and oh what a great reunion that will be! For now, I'm enjoying it and trying my hardest to focus focus focus so that I can give it all to the Lord. 

 

About Giselle, I'm sorry about that fiasco! And oh no, I know how Audrey can be..., I hope it wasn't too bad. Someday though, I'd like to give her a piece of my mind, all the grief she's caused us. It's sad about Kyle leaving though, he was the coolest one there. Any news on her job at the movie tavern? When does Marina start MADS camp? She sent me a picture of herself in the costume, it made my day!  

 

By the way, Diane sent me a birthday card last week with some money, she is so sweet! I wrote her back a quick thank you note for thinking of me.   Also thank you for the email in the middle of the week, I loved it!!! :) I love you mom, keep on going keep on being the great mommy that you are because you really are wonderful. Talk to you next week! 

  p.s-- if you wanted to know, we normally head over to the library to email at like 4pm and we have a couple of hours... I believe you guys are three hours ahead so if you are ever on your phone around that time, shoot me an email and maybe we can go back and forth for a bit. It'll seem like we're closer :) Anyways love you love you!!! Hablaremos pronto! 

Love, 

Hermana Abreu

Library Selfie!

 

Another great week!!!

Hey!!! I hope you all have had another wonderful week! It looks like you all have. I LOVED seeing the chickfila pictures, I completely forgot that even happened. There are a couple Chickfila's around, I am not sure if they are right in our area but oh how I miss good ol' Chickfila! Everyone looks so good! Wow another week has come and gone. There is a saying in the mission that "the days feel like weeks and the weeks feel like days" and boy is that true! Today I don't have too much time because I had to do some new missionary trainings on the computer but I am gonna try to say all I wanna say in the time that I do have :) So the best part of this week had to have been our 24 hour exchanges with the Sister Training Leaders, I got to go to their area for a day and it was so awesome. I was with Sister Moli, seriously she just is the best, she just gets me we are like the same ahaha. (Love you Sister Hatch...but yeah anyways you catch my drift) ;) It was such a great experience! Their area is in Santa Fe, I believe about 45 min-1 hour away from our area. Their area is a Spanish area and I loved it. Right when I got there we had lunch at home and we went right back out, we had set lessons with some great investigators. I taught the Restoration a couple times but it was hard to get back in the Spanish groove. It was nice to be back with the Hispanics though :) They truly are more humble and loving haha it is SO much easier talking to people in that area because everyone is open and loving and willing to listen. Anyways it was super fun and I was able to discuss some things with Sister Moli and take some things that were great in their area and apply it to ours. It is crazy how Heavenly Father puts people in our paths. On exchanges we met a guy named Julian who was super interested about the gospel and we ended up praying with him. It was such a cool experience. He had tears in his eyes. Oh man! On exchanges, Sister Moli and I also taught a less active family and guess what? Two of their kids are named Nacho and Steven...I couldn't stop laughing on the inside. The mom said their names at one point and I was dying. NACHOOO LIBREEE! :) I tried to tell Sister Hatch but she has never seen the movie so she didn't get it :P

 

On Friday at District Meeting, I was so looking forward to getting my birthday package but then after the meeting our DL, Elder Afualo said there was no package for me and I was kind of sad so we went home. However when we headed back out to see some people we got a call from our zone leaders that said they had to talk to us so we came outside and they were carrying my birthday package!!! I don't know how they had it but it was a nice turn around! I LOVED my package, (Sister Moli took some pictures of me opening it, you can thank her ;) ) Seriously, I can't believe you did all that, the pictures on the outside, the EVERYTHING. I loved every bit of it. It made super super happy, Thank you bunches family. I am lucky to have gotten two pretty awesome packages close together :) I managed to salvage the pictures while ripping it open hehe

 

Also one of the training I have to get done today is this iPad training! I don't know if I told you but we really do get ipads and all the new missionaries should be getting there's tomorrow yayyy! There a many many restrictions on ipad use but its all good because it means I do not have to carry all my heavy scriptures around ahaha! Another awesome thing is that I can read e-mails any day of the week, I just cannot reply so if you ever wanna send me a quick e-mail, thought, picture or whatever I will be able to see it during the week, I just can't reply so yay! The only thing is I have to have wifi and our apartment doesn't have wifi so that's okay though. Apparently we can keep them after our mission too which is crazy awesome! They really teach and encourage the missionaries to use the ipads to mainly help our teaching and investigators its super cool that we have this amazing tool. We have already used it in a few lessons because it has the little pamphlets with cool videos and things anyways I should be receiving mine tomorrow!

 

Overall this week has been great, we set a new baptismal date for John for August 22nd which is awesome, now we really just gotta get him to church. The work is moving, and I am adjusting and the schedule and everything is getting easier. I read Giselle's e-mail about work and tell her she can tell that stupid Audrey to shut her mouth man I don't like her haha. I am glad she's worked with Sydney and Olivia I LOVE them! I am glad to hear she's doing it though. It is cool to think she is working tea now. Awww my beautiful Genevieve, you can tell her I am trying hard not to count the months but she is right , 17 months, we can do this. It'll be gone before we know it. My sweet Ryker, tell him I love him gah I miss him. I miss all of you, but when I stay busy and focus outwards it is a lot easier. I've learned so much already its incredible to think how much more the Lord needs me to learn. Anyways I love you so much family. I pray for you all the time and when I am not physically praying there is always a prayer in my heart for my wonderful family. I hope you all enjoy this coming week! Talk to you next week!

 

 

Love you. Stay happy and remember the Lord is always by your side. You never have to fear.  

Love,

-Hermana Abreu

 

Birthday Time!

Thank you mom!!! So I did get the first package the other day! Thank you so much!! I loved everything, it made my day :) and then Sister Hatch liked the card you gave her :) My birthday was so great, it was a normal day, however a few people made it very special. There is this wonderful family, the Tomyn family in the ward. They are a young couple who have two precious babies one is a boy who is 2 and the little girl is 7 months and they are just the sweetest. We had dinner with them the other day and somehow it came up that my birthday was the coming Saturday so they really wanted to do something for me. They ended up having us over for lunch, they grabbed in-out burgers and had a yummy fruit cake for my birthday. It was sooo sweet. We later went out on like an hour splits with the sister training leaders, whom I LOVE! Sister Nauta and Sister Molli and they surprised me with a cupcake and sang to me over the phone and for my birthday, they seriously are the best. On Sunday though haha, I got asked to speak last minute in sacrament and the Primary President, Sister Magalheas asked us to do music time, oh it was so great to be back in primary :) One of the other sisters in the Primary remembered it was my birthday so the whole primary sang to me on my birthday, it was all I could really ask for :) I would honestly have to say the best part of my birthday was when we were out contacting that night and trying to find people to have meaningful conversations with (in the mission we have a goal of having 20 meaningful conversations related to gospel truths) anyways we were headed to the car and we ran into a guy named Brett and started talking to him and he was super interested in talking about the gospel. He had some really great questions like, is the kingdom of God on earth and he was talking about how he was taught to fear God. Anyways we talked with him for like 20 minutes and invited him to church the next day, he didn't come but we are gonna stop by again, we are crossing our fingers for him to be another potential investigator! That was honestly the best part of the whole day. It was a day full of fun and miracles. I was honestly worried about it, thinking that I would be sad but it turned out to be great. President Weidman even wished me a happy birthday! :)

 

This week we also got to go to the temple!!!! Oh what a gorgeous temple the Los Angeles temple is! It is so great that we can go. The session was at 6:45am....and it takes about 20 minutes to get to Santa Monica Blvd. where the temple, visitors center and the mission office is, when there is no traffic but sometimes it can take up to over an hour from where we are in Torrance. We carpooled with Sister Clark and Sister Ortiz which was fun. But anyways, the temple is so big and so beautiful and it was a great start to the day/week. It is just better and better everytime I go.

 

About packages, it really does suck about how the timing works here with packages. If it arrives on a Thursday, I have to wait another week to get it. So I am waiting on my birthday package but it is for sure something to look forward to! :) :) :) I will ask about having it sent to our address but I don't think it is allowed :( Thank you again for everything I asked for, I loved every bit of it!!! The photo book made me cry of course, but in a good way. I am so glad I will be able to have it with me. Thanks mommy.

 

Here in the mission, some days surely are easier than others but I have come to the conclusion that you really have to make the most of it. You choose to be happy, of course Heavenly Father helps you in the hard times, but we have the ability to choose to be optimistic and positive and that is such a blessing. Whenever I get upset or down in the dumps, I just think about the Savior and I really can't ever ever complain because I know that I am doing the Lord's work and whether or not someone chooses to come to church or not or to slam the door in our face, it doesn't matter because we're here for the the ones who are truly searching for the truth but just can't find it and I don't need to stress or worry because this is the Lord's work. It is in His hands.

 

Anyways I love you guys! I cannot believe Kyle quit at O'Henry! He was the best!! Dang. Well Giselle is awesome if she can master two jobs :) tell her I am proud of her and I miss her, I am sitting in the library emailing and I just keep thinking of her :)  Tell Marina to have fun with youth conference and camp and everything!

 

I love you guys and I hope you have another great week! I pray for you constantly and I know that Heavenly Father is watching over you. Talk to you next week!!! Mwah!!!!

 

Below are some pictures of my week! Also I would love letters if you want to spread my address! LOVE YOUUUU!

Con mucho amor,

-Hermana Abreu

 

Birthday cupcake!

First Package from home!

We made easy biscuit pizzas!

Tomyn family in the ward. They ended up having us over for lunch, they grabbed in-out burgers and had a yummy fruit cake for my birthday.

 

Temple pictures!!!

 

 

 

Pictures of our apartment

Dinner with the Sato family

Fun (but different) 4th of July in LA!!

Hey mom!!! I love you! And I have been thinking about you and the family all 4th of July day. On the 4th of July we did our normal thing, however a less-active lady invited us over for hotdogs and beans so that was super sweet of her. She just had surgery so we helped her do some stuff around the house, we also had to be in by 6pm so we did our weekly planning for the rest of the night. We could for sure hear the fireworks all night though!

 

This week has been another good one! Hmmm where do I start? So this week we had zone conference, which was really great. It was about mighty prayer and working with the members to hasten the work. It is always so great to hear from President Weidman, he just knows how to speak. You would LOVE President Weidman, he is just one of those inspired men! Zone conference is exactly what I needed to get pumped up. Our area is great however, our one investigator with a baptismal date, John hasn't shown up to church and a few of our appointments have fallen through with him. Which has been sad so we're hoping this week we can meet back up with him and get him back in the groove of things. I have truly felt what it feels for the missionaries back at home! FEED THEM. Haha our ward is eh pretty okay with doing it haha. I'm in an English ward and I haven't spoken a lick of Spanish. There is one guy that we visit sometimes who speaks Spanish so I speak to him sometimes but so far its all been in English. Sister Hatch is great! She is from Arizona, Winslow, and she is fantastic. She is the oldest of 5, so she gets me :) Our apartment is great! Its in a pretty nice complex, we really can't complain and the area I am in is really a good area. You can walk almost anywhere and feel safe.

 

 I loved hearing and seeing all of the 4th of July pictures, it looks like TONS of fun, I am sad that Papi had to work :p Let him know how grateful I am for all that he does because if it wasn't for him I wouldn't be able to be on a mission. Also mommy I LOVE YOU and I pray for you all the time, seriously. I pray that work isn't too tough for you especially during the summer and I pray that you don't miss me too much. Because even though I miss you single minute of everyday, I just have to think back to Jesus Christ and that through Him we don't have to worry about this short time period because we have eternity! It is so comforting to know that. Whenever you feel sad or upset or whatever just PRAY. Because I will most likely be praying at the same time and Heavenly Father will comfort you and me and he will help us do this together. I really am happy! I love being a missionary. My favorite thing is meeting and spending time with all kinds of people and leaving them with spiritual messages that are meant for just them or their family and seeing the Spirit work through them. The other night we had dinner with a Hispanic family, the Masciotti family, I LOVE THEM. The mom reminds me so much of Gladys hehe and their family is so sweet. Sister Hatch and I are trying hard to find new investigators but its tough sometimes, its not the easiest area to start off on the mission but I feel like the Lord needs me here to work and He will help me to do it. He already has. 

 

I haven't gotten any packages or anything yet but I will be sure to look forward to that :) We get our mail at our district meetings which are normally on Fridays.

 

 

I know the Lord will bless you Ma, for always being such a good member, being willing to do whatever!!! The babies and everyone look great. I am glad you all enjoyed the 4th :) Remind Ryker of me please, all the time, that I love him. Ugh its tough not being there, I definitely took all that for granted, being with you guys. Anyways. I just hope you know that I am so happy! As far as my birthday I think I emailed last time that any goodies of any kind would be nice, my pink/coral skirt hemmed up and the picture collage you were gonna make! Okay well I will talk to you soon, Heavenly Father is caring for you guys and loves you all and I know he is watching over me so don't you worry I LOVE YOU GUYS and I hope you have a good week and everyone is enjoying their summer!

John 14:27 <3

Love,

-Hermana Abreu