One of the greatest weeks on my mission!

Hey Mom and Pops and Ringa and Giselle (I decided to send it to you all!)

Looks like this last week, NC decided to snow on ya. Haha, that is awesome! So typical of NC. It looked like it was a hoot! I loved all the pictures, thanks for sending them. 

This week has been truly amazing!!! My new area is wonderful! We live right in Hollywood. Our street is right off of Hollywood and Sunset Blvd. I love it so much! There literally are people everywhere. Every single day is an adventure, haha

Me and my new companion Sister Moli!!!

 

My companion, Sister Moli is the best!!!! She is Tongan and she is from West Valley, Utah! We have so much fun together and we are seeing so many amazing miracles. When I got here, they had just had a baptism on Sunday and the Sunday before that, and now our recent converts have referrals for us, they are inviting their friends and family to learn about the gospel! Its so wonderful! Literally everyone wants us to teach their brother, mother or wife etc. It is honestly so amazing. I am getting to know our new area, it is huge! We do tend to stay around the same areas though, because they get to be pretty far. 

We just started teaching one of our recent converts granddaughters who are 11 and 10, and they are the sweetest. They went to their grandpa's baptism and loved it and they love church so now they want to be baptized! We also are teaching some other cool people and we have found a lot of new investigators. 

 Something really amazing that happened this week we were able to watch the special missionary broadcast that was shown to alllllllll the missionaries all over the world, about 75,000 of them. It was such an uplifting conference. We were able to hear from Neil L. Andersen, Dallin H. Oaks and other members of the seventy, they taught about how us as missionaries need to teach repentance and baptize converts. I learned so much!!! 

We are in the LA Cuarto ward, I love it!!!! I have only been here a week and they are so welcoming! They are so kind and friendly. Its funny because surprisingly they all remember my name because almost everyone I talk to say " Hna. Abreu???Hay un futbolista que se llama Abreu jajaja!!!!" ABREUUUUUU haha. My first Sunday Hno. Garcia, our ward mission leader and another Hno. started shuffling down the hallway at church as we were walking and chanted "Abreuuu, Abreuuu Abre- Abreuuu" Apparently this futbolista is the talk of the town in the LA 4th ward lol!!!

**Funny little chisme: the English ward that meets in the same building is the Hollywood ward and apparently a while back David Archuleta came to sing in that ward about a year ago....who knows.....hahahaha

IN OTHER NEWS, 

Truly I am so excited for another week full of miracles. We have a missionary leadership training this week and Sister Moli and I are giving a mini training and we are so stoked! Something I wanted to share with you this week is something I heard in the broadcast from Elder Neil L. Andersen that I really loved, he spoke about how we must always keep the Savior's name on our lips, as missionaries we should always testify of Jesus Christ. When in doubt, testify. I was thinking about how we as members should always keep the Savior's name on our lips and no matter what or when we should always be prepared to testify and to defend Him. With all that's happening in the world today and being a missionary in the midst of it all, sometimes its a little tough but I know that our testimonies and our conviction of the Savior is contagious and as we share it, many will look to us a source of light, our friends, family etc. I love the Savior, as I have been studying in the New Testament last transfer and this transfer, my testimony of Him and His power has grown immensely. I love you so much! And I hope that your week is filled with light and soooo much JOY! LOVE YOUUUUU family SO MUCH talk to you soon :)

p.s sorry that this email was all over the place just so much that happened and more pics to come next week!

Love always, 

Hermana Abreu 

Happy MLK Day!!!!

Happy MLK Day!!!

This week has been a great last week of the transfer!

Jennifer's Baptism!!!

Yesterday, Jennifer was baptized!!! It was so wonderful. Her husband Matthew, was able to baptize her and the baptismal service was so great!!! As always, there was a bit of opposition. There was a bit of a miscommunication with the font filler and filling the font but the Lord worked it out to where it was all filled perfectly in time for the baptism! The room was filled with all her loved ones and she was glowing. It was so awesome to see the smile on her face, and I knew that her Father in Heaven was smiling right there with her. Soon after the baptism, Sunday night, we got transfer calls....

  And it turns out I'm leaving to be a Sister Training Leader with Sister Moli in the city of LA!!!!!! (Not quite sure yet, but in the city for sure) They just opened up the area about a transfer ago! I'm so excited!!! but of course, a bit sad to leave my home of Bell Gardens, filled with laughs and cries, moments of frustration and joy. Biking every street in the hot sun or hearing the non-stop ice cream truck going around its usual route, the hugs and kisses from lovable, welcoming members. Bittersweet but mostly sweet because I look forward to meeting new people and experiencing new things! 

 

It turns out they are combining the two areas of Bell Gardens, so there will now be only one companionship of sisters in BG. So Sister Morrison will finish her training in a trio with Sister Vincent and Sister Christiansen in Bell Gardens!! They're shutting down our apartment so we have today to get all of it cleaned out and packed up, oh so FUN! Hehe so we have been busy with that. I can't even believe we're nearing the end of January!! Time goes by so quickly!!! On Wednesday, there is going to be a special missionary broadcast that will be shown to every single missionary serving, all over the world, I'm so stoked! I'm looking forward to what miracles the Lord has in store in this new area and this next transfer, especially as we hear the counsel of Elder Oaks and other apostles. 

 

I was thinking a little bit about it this week and I feel like sometimes as missionaries we work so hard and focus all our energy for an investigator to be baptized and we pray harder than we ever have in our entire lives and we fast more earnestly for our investigators to be able to make it to the waters of baptism.....and they get baptized!!!! And we then think.... What's next?? What's to be done next???? And it makes me think of a scripture in D&C 18--

 

15 And if it so be that you should labor all your days in crying repentance unto this people, and bring, save it be one soul unto me, how great shall be your joy with him in the kingdom of my Father! 

16 And now, if your joy will be great with one soul that you have brought unto me into the kingdom of my Father, how great will be your joy if you should bring many souls unto me!

 

The joy that I felt, seeing one of God's children get baptized was inexplicable but to think how many more are seeking this same joy, and how much joy we feel when many are found and brought to the knowledge of the truth! There is so much work to be done, if we are to bring MANY souls unto Christ! 

I know God loves His children. I've felt that love so strongly this week. I love being a missionary!

I hope you all remember how much your Heavenly Father loves you this week!!!  

Love you!!!! Have a wonderful week!!!!! 

Talk to you pronto! 

Con mucho amor, 

Hermana Abreu 

p.s--more pics of the baptism to come 

 

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

HAPPY NEW YEAR! I hope it was wonderful! Derek sent me a few pictures of the festivities! :)

Ours was wonderful, we were in our apartment by 6pm to stay safe from any crazy borrachos ;) However I probably didn't actually go to sleep until 12pm because of the partying that went on, I heard laughing and singing and fireworks all night, here in Bell Gardens, the parties never end.

This week we had exchanges and the wondeful and fantabulous SISTER VINCENT came to our area and it was a grand ol' time. Because we were out of miles for a car, we spent the day biking and oh I have missed it! It was so much fun! Sister Vincent absolutely loved it and the weather was so beautiful so it was so enjoyable. Exchanges are my favorite because you learn so much from other missionaries, different approaches to teaching, planning and contacting. Truly an exchange that I shall never forget. 

It has also been a rollercoaster of emotions kind of week, due to our investigator Norma. We had a miraculous event, with Norma deciding to be baptized early this week for January the 3rd, this past Sunday. We were so excited and ready for her to take this step to baptism. However due to some WoW issues, she wasn't able to be baptized, so it was hard, especially because we were just so excited. But I have come to understand the Lord's timing and have truly come to trust Him, whenever things don't go exactly as planned. As I was studying, the scripture in Alma 36:3, came to mind. "...for I do know that whosoever shall put their trust in God shall be supported in their trials, and their troubles, and their afflictions." 

So many wonderful things are happening in Bell Gardens! As we trust in God, and trust His timing, we will be comforted to know that all will work out. I hope that your week, and especially your year is filled with tender mercies of the Lord. I am excited to make this year of 2016 on my mission, the best. Keep on trusting in the Lord and His timing, and it will always be well. 

All is well, all is well!

Love you family! 

-Hermana Abreu 

Went to the Visitors Center, twice this week!!! :) 

One of our Visitor Center trips this week!

Me and Sis. Vincent on exchanges!

Visitors Center again!

 

Guess what? It's raining in LA!

Hello wonderful family!!!!

Oh my goodness! You don't know how happy this e-mail makes me!!!! I am so happy that things are looking so good at home! I know that the Lord is so aware of us! I love you!

I know he blesses us for our diligence to His commandments and our service to His children. 

   Sister Morrison and I have been joking that this week, we made a trip to the Seattle Washington mission, due to the ridiculous amount of rain that has been poured (literally) over Bell Gardens and a lot of the mission. I felt so much gratitude for serving in SoCal when we experienced the downpour a few days this week. Proselyting in the rain is a lot harder than the normal sunny and 75 degree weather hehe :) We are grateful as well, because it helped a bit with the drought we've been in over here. But the rain sure didn't stop us! This week we have been praying for new investigators and boy, has the Lord answered our prayers. I can't truly tell you how strong I have felt God's presence this week, in the work. When times were hard during the rainy days, and no one was home and we had no set lessons but we were just talking to everyone, we felt Heavenly Father telling us to try a little harder, go a little further and I will bless you. We  ended up finding 2 really cool investigators, and one of them was a referral that we had tried probably 4 or 5 times and on the last time she was home!!! She is a young mom, (we seem to be teaching a lot of those lately) who is searching to have a relationship with God again. She is so awesome!

   

  This week we had a wonderful Zone Conference and it was so edifying and I learned so much! Something that I really liked that President Weidman  told us is that a lot of times we hear the phrase, to forget yourself and go to work, in the mission. He said that people look at it in a different way, God isn't telling us to leave behind our strengths, talents, skills and everything that makes us unique and who we are but that God is telling us to use those gifts and talents that he has given us to serve Him. Use them, especially on our missions, to give it our all and use the tools that he has given us to hasten the work. I really loved it, because it reminded me that although we're missionaries and a lot has changed, our schedule, what we do in our free time, who we spend our time with etc. God still wants us to be who we are and to not forget that!!!

   

In other news, we're having a baptism this Sunday!!!!! We're so pumped, Jennifer is so ready to be baptized and we are getting it all set up, it is going to be so amazing we're ending the transfer with a SPLASH!!! hahaha

Bell Gardens ward is doing well, we recently have finally gotten a new ward mission leader, we haven't had one for about a month now but he is awesome and ready to work. This week, Sister Vincent and I were asked to speak at the ward Noche de Hogar about missionary work and it was great! Afterwards for refreshments, they gave out a Rosca de Reyes cake, which is a tradition in the mexican culture for Dia de los Reyes, its basically like this bread that they have and inside is hidden the baby Jesus, it represents when the 3 kings visited Christ and he's hidden in the cake to kind of represent when King Herod was trying to find Him. Very interesting.....but cool! All in all, it was a good Noche de Hogar!

Side note: I forgot to mention couple weeks back we got the info of who our new mission president and companion is going to be in July, their names are Brother and Sister Robert Haynie of Shoreline WA! 

How awesome!!!!!

Well I hope you all have a wonderful week and make sure to use those special gifts and talents which God has given you, to serve His children and to help and uplift His church. I pray that all of my NC friends are well and are getting adjusted to life back to school and work after the holidays! Love ya'll! Talk to you soon!

p.s--- I actually have been spreading the word about Cheerwine the famous soda that does not exist over here, but our investigators, Jennifer and Matthew are in love with Dr. Pepper and I told them about Cheerwine so now they are begging for a taste. So if there is anything I would like is a thing of Cheerwine so my peeps over here can taste of its goodness ;) Hahaha LOVE YOUUUU! 

Love,

Hermana Abreu 

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!

Merry Christmas!!! LOVE YOUUUU!

I can't even believe that I get to talk to you all this Friday, it doesn't seem real!! But I am so excited, we have plans to Skype at the Osorio's house on Christmas Day, and we can Skype at whatever time we want, we just have to decide so we can let Hermana Osorio know so she can get the Skype stuff all set up :) Whatever time is good for you all! She said, if we want, they can set up their TV so that I can see you all, big screen! I cannot contain my excitement, talk to you SOON!!!!!!!!!!!

I got my Christmas box, THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!!

Sister Morrison got hers too, so we took them all out and put it underneath our little tree:)

My early Christmas present from home!  I have been listening to David everyday, as long as Sister Morrison doesn't get sick of it....hahaha!!!

Our little Christmas tree!!

I know I say that every week is a week of miracles, but this one has been a Christmas miracle-kind of week! This week we had our mission Christmas Devotional, where the mission gathered together and had a day full of training's and we celebrated together, the birth of the Savior. There were many beautiful musical numbers from missionaries, and narrations from the scriptures of Christ and his birth and we also had a spirit filled testimony meeting with a delicious, Christmas lunch to finish! It was so beautiful, it definitely helped me feel the Christmas spirit, but most importantly the Spirit of Christ. Something that President Weidman shared that really has helped me understand the importance of my first Christmas on the mission, is that before our missions, we remember Christ but as missionaries we represent Him. It is such a precious time to serve the Lord, and this time of year is so special because people's hearts are opened to that spirit of Christ! There are so many prepared people here, we have seen the fruits of that this week!!!

 

Christmas miracle of the week #1 -- Our investigator, Norma wasn't progressing too well, when we talked to her about her baptism she said she wasn't ready, due to certain things/concerns. We then went back a few days later and she told us about this bad feeling that she had been having, she had felt as though there was a bad presence around her, she couldn't even sleep all that week. We then talked to her about a priesthood blessing and she said she would love one and so the next day the Elders came over and gave her the most beautiful blessing of comfort. She had tears in her eyes, and right after the blessing we had a lesson with her and her heart was changed. The spirit was so strong and she committed to pray about baptism for January! It is so amazing to know that this power of God was restored through the prophet, Joseph Smith, and that we have it today to bless the lives of God's children. I know that priesthood power is real and it enables us to feel and experience the powers of heaven on earth.

 

Christmas miracles #2-- Yesterday we received a member referral through the phone of a woman in the English ward who wanted the missionaries to go visit her nephew and his newlywed wife. She called us and explained to us the situation and apparently the wife, Jennifer, had gone to a baptism of a nine year old girl the week prior and said that she felt the spirit so strong and wanted to feel that same thing for herself, baptism. She had also gone to the Tijuana, Mexico temple open house a month back and commented and said "how and when can I get married in here?!??" Basically, she wants to get baptized. Sure enough, Sister Morrison and I go over that night right after the phone call with the member who gave us the referral and we have the most amazing lesson with her and her husband. We set a baptism date with her for January 17th!!!!!!!! Her only question for us was how soon after I am baptized, can I go and get sealed in the temple!!!!!! She is amazing!!! She is so sensitive to the spirit and is so willing and ready to know more and to follow Christ fully. Sister Morrison and I could hardly contain our excitement we jumped for joy!!! Knowing that God prepares people and they are put in our path is just so AMAZING! I know that missionary work is joy. It is pure joy, I felt it last night and I feel it every single day that I am here. Our brothers and sisters that are seeking this joy need to be found, I like to think of it as the JOY CYCLE :) People who are looking for the gospel are seeking joy, we as members of the church and missionaries, bring this joy of the gospel and share it with them and when we do that we feel a new joy that comes from sharing something we cherish and seeing another cherish it! I love it! I love the gospel and I just love being a missionary!!!!

I love my Savior, Jesus Christ and I know that he lives. I know that he was born to live and set that example for us, and to die and suffer for every single one of us so that we might have joy. The joy I feel when I think of His birth and his Resurrection are indescribable. I want to invite all of you to share that joy of Christ and of the gospel with someone who needs it, this Christmas season. 

"Adam fell that men might be; and men are that they might have JOY." 2 Nephi 2:25

Merry Christmas to all of you!!! Xoxoxoxo I hope that you spend it well and with loved ones <3 

I will talk to you in 4 days!!! WOOOOOO :) LOVE YOU!

-Hermana Abreu

President and Sister Weidman and I at the Christmas devotional :) 

Sister Morrison and I celebrating my 6-month with churros from Lucero's Bakery

My new companion--Sister Morrison!

My old companion Sis. Evans and I
 

 

It's because of Christ!

Happy Holidays Mom! So happy to hear about all that's happening! I seriously can't even believe that Riley is coming home! Send him my love at the airport on Wednesday :) 

My week has been another busy one! My new companion is Sister Morrison, she's from Springville, Utah with a family of 6 as well, you can tell she loves them a lot!!! She is fresh from the MTC and is green as it gets hehehe it's weird not being the new one. She is so sweet! She struggles a bit with Spanish but is working hard to get it down! I wish I could say I know how that feels, the blessing of growing up speaking Spanish! I admire all the missionaries that have to go out and learn a completely foreign language, I have witnessed the gift of tongues with my companions! 

Bell Gardens is doing well, Christmas is everywhere with lights all around! We haven't tried it yet, but we want to try the caroling tactic for proselyting and just start caroling for people and then having lessons on the spot. I think it will open people's hearts a bit :) We've been losing contact with a good amount of our investigators due to the holidays and things but we shall hopefully get in touch with them all soon! Praying for a white Christmas this year! ;) (baptism jumpsuits)

 I don't have too much time today but I just wanted to let you know that I love you all so much! I am just so filled with gratitude to my Heavenly Father for being able to be on a mission, as different as it is from any normal Christmas, it's cool to be able to take a step back from the gifts, and the decorations etc. and remember why we celebrate. Our Savior was born! And oh what a sad sad world it would be if we couldn't repent, or have a second chance, or say I'm sorry or feel any type of joy! It's because of Christ that we can be joyous and celebrate this time of year!!! 

   "10 And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.

For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.

And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.

And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,

Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men."

(Luke 2)

I hope that your week is extra joyful!!!!! Love you times a million! Have a wonderful week <3

-Hermana Abreu

Prayer Works!

Happy Monday! Love you! How are you doing?? It looks like Genevieve's baptism and her Skateland birthday party was a success! Everyone looked so beautiful, especially Genevieve in her beautiful baptism dress!!! I am so happy for her, that is the cutest thing "I did it, I'm baptized" man she is the purest, most sincere, wonderful girl in the world! My heart aches for not being there but everything looks like it turned out so well.

Another great week in Bell Gardens, a lot of changes, for sure! Mid-way through the week we got a call from the assistants to the president notifying us that our bebecita missionary, Sister Flake got her visa for Brazil and that she would be flying out on Monday. So this morning our little birdy, flew away to Brazil! But its okay because I will be training a new little birdy!! :) We got transfer calls last night and Sister Evans is leaving, while I am staying and training a brand new missionary! I am anxious for the next transfer but excited all at the same time. I still feel new at missionary work although I have been doing it for 6 months now. I have complete trust in the Lord and his plans for this area.

Us and Hermana Reyna at the Relief Society Christmas dinner :)

I am so excited for the amazing things that are happening in this area, Norma, is getting closer and closer to baptism on December 20th! On Saturday night, we had a Christmas Relief Society dinner  and she went and loved it! It was so beautiful! The hermanas made like all different kinds of soups, with bread and salad for dinner and at the end they had a beautiful spiritual thought where they took us into the RS room, where the lights were turned off except for some Christmas lights they had lit around the room and they had different Hnas dressed as women who lived during Christ's time on the earth and they all gave testimonies of Christ as if they were the women who witnessed Christ, like Mary, Martha, the mother of Joseph, Elizabeth and the inn keepers wife. It was so cool! Norma really enjoyed it and she met a lot of new people!

Sister Flake and I matched, completely on accident!
 

Picture of some of the Christmas lights at the LA temple, when we went to drop Sister Flake at the mission office

 

I have gained a stronger testimony of prayer this week!! I know that God really does answer prayers, whether they are small and simple things, or bigger issues in our lives. On Friday we were walking when I realized I had misplaced my planner somewhere along the way. I lost my other planner the transfer before so I wasn't going to let this one be lost forever! So as soon as I realized it was missing, we retraced our steps, (which is hard as a missionary, because you walk everywhere) and stopped by the members who we ate dinner with, our apartment, we looked all along the street with no luck. I went home that night pretty bummed, especially because it was nearing the end of the transfer and the planner had all the information of potentials, investigators, and basically the record of my whole entire transfer here. I prayed hard that night for my planner to be found by some chance/miracle. The next morning we decided to try one other place where we had been the day before to look for it, so before we left the car we said a simple prayer, asking for my planner to be found, still in tact. We get out of the car and start looking, and not even 10 seconds later, Sister Flake gasps and runs to the sidewalk and there is my planner, in a corner of the sidewalk, perfectly in tact and whole. What a great tender mercy! I know that Heavenly Father knows how much that meant to me, although it was small, I know for a fact that He led us to that place to find it at that time, completely fine. Its has been amazing to see how prayer has blessed the lives of our investigators, when they pray they feel the difference, their faith in God and His influence in our life grows and their love and relationship with Him is strengthened. I also know that no one can receive spiritual truths without prayer. All truth comes from God and he gives us that witness of what is true through feelings and impressions from the Holy Ghost. I know that God is so aware of every single one of us and what we need. "And whatsoever thing ye shall ask the Father in my name, which is right, believing that ye shall receive, behold it shall be given you." 3 Nephi 18:20

I do know that it does take effort on our part, and answers to prayers do not always come right away. "As soon as we learn the true relationship in which we stand toward God, then at once prayer becomes natural and instinctive on our part. Many of the so-called difficulties about prayer arise from forgetting this relationship." (Prayer-Bible Dictionary)

Prayer works! If you haven't tried it, I invite you to! I promise that you will more peace, more direction and more joy in your daily life. 

I love you fam! I will update you on my trainee this week, once I meet her! :) I hope you all have a wonderful week and I will talk to you soon!

Can't wait to skype on Christmas! Xoxoxoxo

Love, 

Hermana Abreu