Transfer 10 week 3

Well the time just goes by so fast. I feel like everyday just goes by in a flash and blur. Things here in spain are going really well. The lord is definitely pressurijg his work, and we have been non-stop busy thansk to it. We have started teaching a few of the mmebers one on one English class as some service hours, and its actually really awesome because it is really helping our relationship with them, and it helps us to work better together.  So one of the people that we teach is our relief society president, who is from Brasil. So we went over there thursday morning, and as we were going in, we met this man. So a few weeks earlier, we had talked to this super kind, brasilian man on the bus and he said that he had somw friends that were mormon, and that he really admired them and how they lived their lives. So as were goingnto maria house we found him, Jefferson! So turns out that his super good mormon friends are our relief society president, and her husband. Cool right? 

Also, this week we started teaching this man named jorge. He is awesome, and really smart. He is feom Bolivia, but jas lived in the united states. He is a realtor, and has a family, and his life put together. So we taught him the plan of salvation which he loved, and he really had some super profound, and deep quesrions that were answered by the plan and the scritpures. It was cool. So we will teach him again next week. 

We also taught this other guy named jose. He is from Ecuador. His nephew serve a mission in barcelona and loves in vecindario. So he already knows a little bit about the Book of Mormon and the Restoration, etc. Its guay. Or I guess they say chévere in Ecuador. They say guay, or chulo here for cool. 

Also, we finally had a ward activity! The elders quorum put on a ward talent show! So we participated and had a ton of fun. We sang an EFY somg with some MEMEBRS, yours truly at the guitar and weird alto part that i never really learned. Thwn we did a, " How missionaries get ready in the morning" skit, or muppet thing. So all you cpuld see was my companions face, and I was her arms. So we ate cereal, I put on her makeup, I brushed her teeth, and wroked out, etc. The ward loved it! I definietly messed my companion up. So the funny thing is, is that it turns out that the lipstick that we used, and that i so carefully smeared across her face was permanen. Its te kind that is meant to stay on all day long. The poor thing. 

Okay, also the super tender Cuban lady that I told y'all about, named Cari, came to church! Sjw loved it, and the pesson in gospel principle was on point for her. It was exactly what she needed to hear. Then, in releif society she fell asleep, but just like president uchtdorf says, church sleep is the healthiest type of sleep. 

Then we went to susies house to eat, and then to watch the general womens conference. Then I fell aslwwp for the last talk. So dont ask me anymore uchtdorf qutoes because I couldn't tell ya. But then we left and went home and didi our studies, and weekly planning. 

All in all a super great week. I know that tjis is only a small fraction of all of the amazing stuff  that we saw and did, but I am really greatful for the week that I had. Well I felt like I should share a scripture with you guys; Helaman 5:12, and this story jist happens to include it so, cool beans. Its from, "Our search for Happiness". 

By the antagonistic philosophies of the 1960s, Steven found himself years later wandering around the country in pursuit of purpose and direction for his life. He walked one day through the streets of San Diego, California, when he saw two Mormon missionaries. Boys !, "he yelled at them as they passed by on their bicycles through a quiet residential neighborhood. "Are you selling something good?" The missionaries watched him and, for a moment, thought not to pay attention and continue pedaling. They had never seen a possible candidate who seemed less than promising. Steven had hair up to his shoulders, a thick, dirty beard, tattered clothes and dazies and a military cap. His face and hands were dirty, and a muffled cigarette hung from his mouth. Then, with the missionaries, they looked at each other. "No, we're not selling anything," said one of the missionaries, shrugging slightly and with a smile on his lips. "What we have, we're giving it for free. Very good! Steven replied. Somehow, during the conversation, the missionaries fought for Steven's spiritual longing, who invited them to his little messy mess. where they began to teach him about Jesus Christ and his important role in God's eternal plan for his children.After two hours, the missionaries arranged with Steven another visit for the next day. the missionaries discovered that Steven was not in his apartment at the appointed time, but there he was waiting for them, only this time they noticed something different in him, his eyes were bright and clear, and both he and his room looked very clean. soon as you were yesterday, "Steven told them excitedly, I took a shower, cleaned my room, and threw the bottle of liquor in the trash. cho more were surprised the next day when, upon arriving for a third visit, they found that Steven had shaved his beard and cut his hair. Once again, they heard him say, "I thought it logical to do it." He also thought it logical to buy clean clothes and get a job and break relations with certain friends. Each time they arrived at his apartment, the missionaries discovered that Steven decided to make it important to live. The missionaries had been teaching him about Jesus Christ and his gospel, but they had not yet asked him to make any change in his existence. Steven made those changes of his own volition and totally because the spirit of Christ was making changes in his person. In actuality, that spiritual tramp is a devout man of family, a prosperous businessman and a faithful disciple of the Lord Jesus Christ. In one of the passages of the Book of Mormon, a noble spiritual leader named Helaman counseled his children: Remember that it is upon the rock of our Redeemer, who is Christ, the Son of God, where you must establish your foundation, so that when the impetuous winds, yes, their darts in the whirlwind, if, when all their hail and furious storm whip you, it will not have the power to drag you into the abyss of misery and endless anguish, because of the rock upon which you are built, which is a sure foundation, a foundation upon which, if men build, they shall not fall. "(Helaman 5:12)

Transfer 10 week 2

Well this week has been really great. We have been running around like crazy people all week getting to appointments and find places and meeting new people. It has been awesome. We are mweting wirh somw really great people.

So we met this new lady who was a reference from the missionaries in barcelona, and then from la laguna, who is named caridad (charity in english), but we call her mama cari. She is originally from cuba but is here living with her son for a little while, a few months or years. Shes not sure yet. She is super sweet and one of those people that you love after talking with them for 5 minutes. So we taught her about the Restoration and asked her what she wanted to get out of talking and learning with us. She saod that she would like to know the truth and get baptized. So we were like, "Okay.... (whispers to companion)... Did you hear what I heard?" So she is super cool.

Then we are meeting with this guy named George. So he is this older guy from Ghana, Africa. He is the coolest guy ever. So we were talking to him about his life and he told us that he was a ship merchant for a long time, and that he would travel to all of these crazy countries. He lived in japan for like 3 years, amd learned japanese. He has this big, crazy dog named fushi which i gues is something in japanese. He also speaks spansih, and chinese, amd some african languages. He then taught african cooking classes. He is a machine. So we taught him a few times and its cool beacuse we also teach him in this dog paek so that his dog can run and play. But his dog always ends up sitting on the bench with us the whole time so its kind of pointless, but watching the dogs play reminds me of rocky, so its makes me happy. He is still working toward his baptismal date of the 7th or October. Also we invited him to come to church on sunday. It was stake conference so it was kind of wierd schedule, but we invited him and he said that he would come. So sunday morning came and i called him and he said that he was on his way. Then we waited and waiter and waited. But then we came just a little late and he was able to have a great time. Also there were people there ttanslating so he got to listen to everything in english! Miracles!!! 

Today is officially 100 days until I go home.    Crazy how fast the time goes by. I feel like, in thw beginning of my mission, the time went by so slow, and i felt like I would never be able to speak Spanish, or learn to be a good teacher, or follow the spirit, or be this awesome missionary like I wanted to be. Now that i am here, I have found that my expectations were a little unrealistic. I dont speak perfect spanish, but I speak and and understand it. I am defnitley not a perfect teacher, but people can feel the spirt as I testify of truth. I have learned to follow the spirtr, and the way that is speaks and communicates with me, and that when i follow the things it tells me, I always see miralces. I know I am not the "Perfect Missionary, person, sister, daughter, friend, grandchild, student, etc," But I know that I am a child of god and that I have worth, and that I can become a better and more perfect version of me as I follow the savior. 

Anyhow, we had a great week and next week will be even better! 

Something that I have been thinking a lot about lately is technology. Technology is something that can be such a blessing in our lives, or such a destruction and  destraction. It is something that can make or break our lives. What is at the center of your lives? If you took away everything from your life, every object, thing, what would be at the center? Is is christ? Is it a desire to follow him and to do all that you can do to be a witness of his name in every moment? Is his name always on your lips? If not, how can we chage that? I truly can say that as a 20 something girl living in the world today, that one of the biggest distractions I had before my mission was Definitly technology, and buy Things; the foolish and vain this of the world. So we must learn how to control these things so that we are agents and not objects. These are some quotes and things from a book called, "Safeguards for using Technology." You can find it under the missionary tab on thw gospel library app, at the very bottom.

The choices you make regarding how you use technology should help you become more like the Savior. Rely on grace—the help or strength given through Christ’s Atonement—as you seek to become an effective instrument in the Lord’s hands. The best filter you have is your own will and desire to make righteous choices. Elder David F. Evans stated: “The only really effective filter for lifelong technology use is the individual heart and mind of the individual young person. … We have great faith that … thousands of people develop worthy lifelong digital habits, which will bless their lives and their families forever” (“Elder David F. Evans Discusses Expanded Missionary Efforts,” mormonnewsroom.org). People should take seriously the responsibility of continually striving to “purify [their] hearts” (D&C 88:74-75)

74 And I give unto you, who are the first laborers in this last kingdom, a commandment that you assemble yourselves together, and organize yourselves, and prepare yourselves, and sanctify yourselves; yea, purify your hearts, and cleanse your hands and your feet before me, that I may make you clean;
75 That I may testify unto your Father, and your God, and my God, that you are clean from the blood of this wicked generation; that I may fulfil this promise, this great and last promise, which I have made unto you, when I will.

1. Columbus's house

2. The church where columbus prayed at before leaving on his trip. 

3. Us drawing the plan of slavation in a park with some random kids. 

4-5. Cuban money, note the guns. 

6. Us and luis, our recent convert, and his mom.

7. Some cool cursive paper that columbus wrote.

8. His house... Again. We took a tour. It was super cool. His house is older than our nation.

Transfer 10 Week 1
Hermana Phillips
Gran Canaria

Well... 

This is the first week of the transfer. My new companions is awesome, and is named Hermana Phillips. 

We have had a fun, and really busy week. We taught a lot is Africans from Ghana, Sierra Leon, and Ecuadorial new guinea. So that's cool. 

We taught 2 guys who were super super kinds and really open to the gospel. One is named George, and the other, Mustaphe. It's kind of like mufasa... only diffrent. He has never seen lion king. 

We invited him and our friend Kalman to be baptized on October 7th! It was super good to meet with them and help them learn about the gospel. 

I am really strapped for time, and kind of unmotivated to write more, but I will send you this cool thing that I read from the book, search for happiness. 

My grandfather Ballard's account of one of his most sacred experiences among the natives of nortwestern United states. While serving as a missionary, he lived in the Northwest of the United States, a time of incredible strife, when there were unprecedented difficulties there and apparently insuperable against the Church. My grandfather spent innumerable hours on his knees for guidance and inspiration. At that moment, when everything seemed to be gloomy and desperate, it received, according to its prupous words, a marvelous manifestation and feeling that one has never left me. I felt a voice that told me that I had to have a great privilege, "he wrote in his diary," Se me a room where I was going to meet someone. "When I entered that place, I could see, seated on a raised platform, to be more glorious than ever I could imagine and I had to approach him to introduce me.In doing so, I noticed that he smiled at me, I heard him pronounce my name and I saw that it extended to my hands.If I lived a million years, I could never forget His smile, He took me in His arms and kissed me as He approached His breast, and He blessed me until I felt a great emotion in my whole being.When he concluded his blessing, His feet fell and then I could see in them the mark of the nails and when I kissed them, with immense rejoicing flooding my soul, I felt as if I were really in heaven. I felt with emotion: ioh, if I could live with dignity, even if it took me eighty years, so that in the end , when it's all over, you'll be able to His presence and receiving that feeling that I had at that moment in His presence, would give all that I am and what could never be! My grandfather concluded his story by saying: "I know, as I myself live, that he lives. And this is my testimony. 

El relato de mi abuelo Ballard en cuanto a una de sus más sagradas experiencias entre los Mientras prestaba servicio como misionero vivió indígenas en el noroeste de Estados Unidos, miabuelo una época de increíbles contiendas, cuando allí se manifes- taron dificultades sin precedentes y aparentemente insu- perables en contra de la Iglesia. Mi abuelo pasó innume- rables horas de rodillas en procura de orientación e inspiración. En aquellos momentos, cuando todo parecia ser sombrío y desesperante, recibió, conforme a sus prupias pa- labras, maravillosa manifestación y sensación que una nunca se ha apartado de mí. Sentí una voz que me dijo que había de tener un gran privilegio," escribió en su diario Se me un cuarto en el que iba a conocer a alguien. Al entrar en aquel lugar, yo pude ver, sentado en una plataforma ele- vada, al ser más glorioso que jamás pude imaginar y tuve que acercarme a El para que me presentaran. Al hacerlo, noté que me sonreía, le oí pronunciar mi nombre y vi que extendía hacia mísus manos. Aunque viviese un millón de años, nunca podría olvidar Su sonrisa. Me tomó en sus brazos y me besó al acercarme a Su pecho, y me bendijo hasta sentir yo una gran emoción en todo mi ser. Cuando concluyó su bendición, caía Sus pies y entonces pude ver en ellos la marca de los clavos; y al besárselos, con un regocijo inmenso inundándome el alma, sentí como que me encontraba realmente en el cielo. Con emoción sentí en mi corazón: ioh, si yo pudiera vivir dignamente, aunque me llevara ochenta años, a fin de que al final, cuando todo haya terminado, lograra estar en Su presencia y recibir ese sentimiento que en ese momento tuve en Su presencia, daría todo lo que soy y lo que jamás podría llegar a ser!" Mi abuelo conclu su relato diciendo: "sé, como que yo mismo vivo, que El vive. Y ello es mi testimonio

Transfer 9 Week 6
Hermana Phillips

Well what can I say about this week? There have been lots of days, countless hours, and seemingly endless minutes. Don't even get me started on the inumberable seconds, and milliseconds. 

This has been a really great, miracle filled transfer. We worked really hard to try to help all learn and know about the True and Living Christ, the Savior and Redeemer of the world. We saw countless MIRACLES and countless blessings. I know, as each day goes by that I have been called to preach, teach, and testify of the things that I know. I know that the gospel of Jesus Christ blesses individuals and families, and blesses all of us as children of God. 

So we got the transfer call. Hermana Storheim is leaving after one transfer and is going to villalba in Madrid. My new companion will be hermana Phillips who is coming from Madrid and is one transfer older than me. So I am really excited to start this new transfer and change 7 Palmas, and the people here. I am so excited to work and spread the good word. 

Also there have been to super cool exciting changes in our mission. This is the announcement that we got from our mission president. 

This  past week, I  received two  exciting announcements from the missionary department.  The first  announcement is  that our  mission has  been approved  to begin online proselyting.  This  means  that  after  being  properly  trained, we  will all be able to  use  social media  applications  such  as Facebook,  Instagram, Google Hangouts,  WhatsApp  and possibly others  to  proselyte.   This  is  a miraculous  blessing  that  will allow  us  to  find people  that we  otherwise might  not encounter.   The  second  announcement is that our mission  is  one  of the  first missions  worldwide approved  to  use smartphones.  In  the coming  weeks,  each  companionship  will  be issued  a smartphone with  a data  plan  to assist in  their  proselyting efforts.  We  expect to  begin  online proselyting and  roll-out the smartphone  usage during  the  month  of September. 

So not only will we be able to use social media and whatapps which is basically the only way that Europeans communicate, but we will be one of the first missions in the world to use smartphones! How cool is that. 

Okay so apart from the I just want to share a story with you that I heard this week that is super cool. You know how I like my stories.