East Coast meets West Coast-- California Los Angeles Mission: 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