Happy Spring Break!!!

Happy Spring Break!

Well at least it is spring break for everyone around here this week, which makes proselyting 10x better because families will be home and out walking and enjoying the vacation! Spring is for sure hitting LA because its getting hot again, not too bad but definitely warming up. Happy early Easter to everyone. I love Easter, I feel like I have come to appreciate it so much more as I have been studying the Atonement, Christ's ministry and His Resurrection! I can't get enough of telling people about it! :) 

With our mini missionary we had this weekend, Sister Sofele!

 

 

    Well I can't really express into words how strongly I have felt the Lord's awareness and love for me and my comp this week, especially this weekend. I had mentioned that the week before we were a bit bummed out and were feeling abandoned because of all the people that we had to hand back to the Lord and stop teaching them, to the point where we were having no lessons and no one to work with. We actually had Zone Conference this week, on Friday and normally before we start the meeting President and Sister Weidman always have us come up and they greet all the missionaries one by one, President jokes that they want to look into our souls...haha and this time when I shook President's hand he looked at me and told me to "Hang in there. I know your area is going to start looking up!!" It gave me so much comfort! After the uplifting zone conference, filled with trainings about counseling with our comps, burying our missionary "weapons of rebellion" how to more effectively daily and weekly plan, we went to work! Blessings have been poured over our area this week as we have.

We got a mini missionary for the weekend, Hermana Sofele, who didn't know a lick of spanish but we had a great time together. On Friday night we picked her up and ran to our dinner appt. While we were eating, Hermana Franco's son came in while we were about to begin our spiritual thought and brought in a friend of his, a young mother and her son, Anita and Jonny because apparently they needed a place to be for a while. So we shared the video with the both of them. We shared the Easter video and she liked it a lot and so we set an RA and she became a new investigator! The next day, Saturday we called it "Bendiciones Saturday" There were so many miracles!!!! Every time I saw a tender mercy I would start singing "Count Your Blessings" in Spanish and I sang it about 13 or 14 times that day. All that day we received referral after referral from either the other Elders in the ward about people that were in our area, waiting for missionaries to come, a referral from the VC, this really prepared guy that says he wants to be Mormon and we met the cutest family Sandy and her two daughters, Aurora and Melody. We had a lesson with the mom, Sandy and we felt the spirit so strong as we testified about how this gospel would bless her family. The rest of the day we tried people and all the apartment gates were open and everyone was home! We worked so hard, all while laughing along with our mini missionary. At the end of the day I just came home that day with the surest testimony that God loves us. He NEVER leaves his missionaries alone or anyone else. We have to trust Him enough to keep pushing through, being obedient and working hard. I know without a doubt that God has prepared these people that will become new investigators. My heart is so full!!!! I just want to repay Him by taking care of His children and being a worthy vessel to teach them about the gospel. Sister Castillo are really looking forward to this next week as we meet with these people. To anyone who is really suffering for any reason I want you to know that God knows where you're at and what you need and He loves you! Look for the tender mercies and when you can't see em' pray to see them! I love you all and I hope you enjoy your spring break..whether its this week or next week! ;) 

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ALL THE BIRTHDAY COUSINS I LOVE YOU, AND I WILL BE THINKING OF YOU! Happy Birthday to Cameron, Gitta and Tanner and Happy birthday Mom, I love you. Happy Easter! #Hallelujah

Con amor, 

Hermana Abreu

 Raspados while contacting on the street, Sister Castillo was craving one so bad one day and she was like "I wish more than anything that I could get a raspado, its so hot..."

and then we found a man selling them just around the corner! BENDICIONES 

Preparation day adventures @ Target 

"Mustache you a question.." and "Princess Castillo"

 

 

 

"Follow Him"

Hi to all!!! 

It makes me so happy to hear about all the fun that's happening in at home :) 

Marina and the gang really did look beautiful. Her dress was so pretty!!! That is so funny about Genevieve Lee! I "ODIO su cara" Hahahaha I miss that girl! I know it's probably hard, all her seesters leaving her one by one :) please tell her how much I LOVE her! And all those sweet babies, Rio, and Ryker. Whenever we teach families or I see families out in public I just think of you guys! 

It's been a good week with a lot of really cool things happening :) 

 

On Tuesday we had a really fun lesson with our new investigators Cynthia and Emerson. Cynthia is Emerson's mother and Emerson is about 9 years old! Emerson also has a little brother who's six named Andres who we also have been teaching because he loves learning.

We're teaching a 9 year old named Emerson and this is his little brother Andres. He is 6 years old; he reminds me so much of Ryke T!

For the lesson we taught Emerson and Andres the Ten Commandments and made it fun using our hands. (One of my comps showed me a really fun and easy way to teach them :) ) and they loved it and we're pretty proud of themselves for learning them all! During the lesson Andres mentioned that commandment #11 is "Don't hit your brother!!!" And then throughout the rest of the time he kept thinking of other commandments that were all pretty valid :) they also danced the "watch me whip and watch me nene" don't really know what that is but it was the funniest thing ever, me and my comp were dying! I just love teaching younger people because of all that I learn from them! On Wednesday we do service regularly at SUVA food pantry, in which we package food and hand them out to those who need it, they have a really awesome group of volunteers that have been working there for years and are super fun to work with! One of the workers, Fred, always gives us a warm welcome! "It's the Hermanas!!!!!!!'" Just picture the gringoest accent. That afternoon after service one of our recent converts, Guile took us to eat pupusas and have a lesson!

 Our recent convert, Guile took us to eat pupusas!

 

He is so hilarious, I was able to hear a little more about how he met the missionaries and his conversion story. Every time I hear someone's conversion story my testimony grows more and more knowing that there are people like him everywhere, waiting for the restored gospel. p.s. I LOVE pupusas! My favorite thing in the world. On Thursday we accidentally locked our keys in the car, that was fun :) had to go up to the mission office get a spare and unlock our car. :) but all was worked out. We have been working hard every day to talk to everyone that is in our path and find new investigators. We meet so many cool people everyday and I have been truly seeking the Lords guidance in how to effectively find new investigators. 

 

Sunday was good. It was a little hard because although we have some people that we are working with we had to stop teaching a few of them because they haven't been progressing and none of our investigators came to church....so we were a little bummed out. But in gospel principles we talked about the life of Christ and the Hno. Teaching the class asked the missionaries in the class to reflect about how many times we have had a really hard time in the mission from either investigators not progressing or having disappointing moments. He said that having faith in Christ helps us to look at the bigger picture. To trust that not everything may not be dandy and wonderful but that we go through these things so that we can learn from it. Sometimes I don't know why I have had to go through some of the hard things I have had to go through on my mission but I trust that it is for my good and for my benefit.

 

Later that afternoon the Elders in the ward actually had a baptism that we had invited almost all of our investigators to and all of them canceled last minute!! So then we decided to call one of our investigators Noemi and she miraculously came last minute and she loved it and she said now she really wants to come to church!!! I know that we just have to have faith that we don't know the reasons why all the time but God knows, that is part of faith! I know that Jesus Christ lives, I know that He is there for everyone and I know that as we hold on to the faith and hope that we do have left that Christ will carry us through those hard times. I love you all and I hope you have a great week! Check out the new Easter video! 

FollowHim.mormon.org 

Con mucho Amor,

Hermana Abreu

Our beautiful church building; only part of it, couldn't get a more beautiful picture at night :(

 

Last Week in LA 4th, Bienvenida LA 3rd!

Hello!! This week has been great! 

I love my new area! We're in Arlington Heights which is not too far from my last area, about 20 minutes from Hollywood. My new companion is Sister Castillo, she is from Texas, her family is Mexican. She has been out for about 7 weeks now! You would never be able to tell though, she has got the whole mission thing down. We are doing great! We're trying to learn the area together because although Sister Castillo was her before she still gets confused as to where everything is but we're figuring it out poco a poquito! We are working with some really awesome people! Had some cool miracles! We had 3 investigators at church my first Sunday it was the best! A super cute family, Teodosia and Oscar and their 2 kids! The cool thing is that I had actually called their number in the phone when I was here for an exchange and set a return appointment, then they picked them back up. Apparently they were formers but now they are more interested and are progressing! 

 

Anyways! Everything is going really great and I am really looking forward to this transfer with my compa Sister Castillo! Today we walked all down Hollywood Blvd. it was a blast :) 

On Sunday after church, we were talking to members as they were leaving church, in comes walking in McKay Carlson and her husband, Tyler!!!!! Apparently they are in the Wilshire ward which meets right after the LA 3rd ward!!! I might have screamed because it was such a surprise but it was so cool especially because I haven't seen her I'm forever! 

 

Besides all that we are finding finding finding! And we have some really great people and a few families! All is well! :) Miss you all and I hope you all have a wonderful week!!! Love you!!!! Sorry so brief! Kind of really distracting in here! Will give more details next week!!! 

-Hermana Abreu

Me and McKay!!!

The despedida the Perez familygave me!