Look Out Madrid, Here I Come!!

Hola!

Well. It´s the last P day here en el CCM. I´m filled with mixed emotions. I´m excited to hit the ground running and go and baptize all of Spain, but at the same time i´m so scared to leave all these wonderful people i´ve learned to know and love behind.  The main emotion i feel about 99% of the time is gratitude. I can´t handle how blessed I feel. To be aqui en este ciudad, is more then I could have planned for myself. On Fridays for example we do "service" for an hour. Last week we cleaned bird poop off the temple steps, and surprisingly i was smiling. I kept asking people "Is this what you had planned for yourself a year ago, cause i sure didn´t." What a blessing this CCM has been, I´ve loved my teachers and their help in becoming the best person I can be here.

The language has been such a blessing and a curse. This past week has been rough, because we just got a whole bunch of spanish speakers en el CCM, and one sister who I was assigned at the park with let me know on several occasions that my Spanish is terrible. But, that's ok. My pride has been knocked down a few pegs which is great. Heaven knows I needed a good slap in the face. One experience at the park last Saturday I would love to share; 

There was a man by the name of Juan and boy was he MEAN. He made fun of my Spanish, and ridiculed God. But after my companion began testifying, and me trying to testify I saw his countenance change. He went from being the meanest man I´ve ever met, to a decent fellow. I know that this gospel touches not only hearts, but deep in our souls.We all knew the truth once before, and sometimes our spirits hear a familiar sound and our hearts change. 

I love this gospel. I´m so excited to MEET MY TRAINER! This past week one of my teachers that served in Madrid was trying to tell me all these horror stories about his mission, and honestly it got me so pumped! I love this church, and i can´t wait to share that message with my brothers and sister. I love my savior, I have felt his

grace everyday in the CCM. I know I have made lifelong friends here. I can´t wait to go on this adventure

with my savior, he has not left my side once. 

I miss you all, and love you! 

Con Amor,

Hermana Shurtz 

Outside the Prado Museum with my Companion, Hermana Shake

Heading Bowling with these lovely ladies!!

The Beautiful Madrid Temple

Side note by the editor, AKA dad CCM is an abbreviation of Centro de Capacitacion Misional.  Basically Missionary Training Center but in Spanish.  For those that were wondering.

One month down 17 to go

Hola Familia!

Pues it´s kinda like groundhog day here everyday. The days are pretty much the same. We teach "investigators" we listen to devotionals, we laugh. Same old same old. I love the ccm and i´m so sad to realize i only have like a week or so left. The time has just flown on by it blows my mind! All the girls in my district were having a ¨month aniversary." I tell my companion that our relationship is by far the healthiest one i´ve been in. Haha. I love it here, I feel like i´m on sacred ground every day. 

We just got the native spanish speakers on tuesday. It hit me how little spanish I do know. But i´ve learned so much and I know it´s only going to keep getting better. 

On Saturday I went to the park with a sweet sister, who struggles because she is so shy. I got to take the lead and say hi to everyone i met, and you know what i realized? I had three people on saturday alone cry when i approached them, and i realized it´s because they know who i am. I´m a messanger of the Lord, I´ve been set to heal them spirtually. It broke my heart to realize for years these people have been hurting longing to hear the mensaje that we can give them. It really helped me realize how much I need to be here. It was a very powerful and moving experience. 

Well I love you all. The church is so true. I know the Atonement is real and is so necessary in every aspect of our lives. 

Con Amor,

Hermana Shurtz

Week Three at the MTC

I´ve been trying to think what to write, and it´s been so difficult, because honestly everyday is the same here. My journal is pretty boring because everyday it says  “On a spirtitual high” Life here is Spain is amazing. I feel so blessed to be here. I love the things we are allowed to do here because it´s such a small CCM. For example, we sing on the temple steps every Sunday night. We all eat at the same table because there is only like 20 of us. We go proselyting at the park every Saturday. It´s amazing I wouldn´t trade it for the world. I am sad though because i´m already halfway done with this place. But i´m so excited to get out there in the field!

 On Saturday my companion at the time Hermana Jones and I ran into the sweetest old man i´ve ever met in my life. His name was Juan and every day he goes to this massive park in Madrid and feeds the birds. He wasn´t  really interested in learning about our message, but it was so nice to get to know him. I love that because of this mission I am able to see people the way that He sees them. I loved talking for hours with this old man about birds, it was the best ever! I know that’s exactly how God feels about listening to us ramble on about nothing.

 I know this church is the only true church on the earth. I know Jesus Christ directs the church through his prophets. I know that service is probably the best way to feel closest to him. I love my Savior. I don´t know what I would do without him. Be good! I miss you all.

Con Amor,

Hermana Shurtz

Amulek District, all 5 of us!!

Hermana Shurtz with President and Sister Lovell

Week 2

Hey Everyone!

You have no idea how much i love Reading your thoughts in emails. I wish I had more time to respond. It kills me that I only get 30 minutes, but I heard once I get into the field it should be an hour. So here is to hoping! Just a hint I would love to get letters, it´s so hard to read all the fabulous emails in again 30 minutes, so a nice little hand written letter would make my day. Its so funny at 530 all of us missionaries huddle around to see if we got a letter it´s like Christmas everyday! Anyway just a hint.

This last Saturday we went to the park again, and I was assigned a portugese sister once again. It wasn’t as hard this time, I had a thought come to my mind right before and so I read exodus 4:10 which talks about how moses was nervous to speak but god gave him the words, and so I had faith. The first man we ran into was AMAZING, literally a God send. I was blown away at how prepared he was for the gospel we sat and talked for an hour alone, and he demanded for a book of Mormon, and to know when church started the next day. We ran into three more people just like that, I was overwhelmed at the honor to be a witness, and a mouthpiece for the Lord.

Ironically, my companion and I get along SO great yet we´ve been accused two times of ¨hating´ each other. It was a huge ordeal, I guess it´s cause she is so quiet and I am not, that they think we don’t get along. Far from the truth.

Last week we went to the Prada museum, wow. I saw real life paintings from Raphael, rombrant, and botecceli.  I cried when I saw the birth of venus in person. It was fabulous. For the fourth of july we all dressed up in red white and blue to celebrate, and at dinner we all shared our traditions. I got a little hearbroken knowing I couldn´t see my dad´s firework show, but I will soon!

My favorite thing about this mtc is that no one can say my last name. Like it´s physically impossible for them because the z makes a th sound, so they just call me Hermana. It´s awesome. Well I really don´t have much to say this week, i´m sorry. I miss you all and pray for you everyday.

Con amor,

Hermana Shurtz

First week

My family! Oh how i miss you guys so much. I´ve literally been counting down this day for the past week and a half. So just so you know my p day is on Thursday. On Thursday we go to the temple! I can´t begin to describe how beautiful that temple is. The celestial room was so beautiful the first time I saw it, I cried my eyes out. The mtc here is so small there is only about 25 of us total. 8 portugese students 2 russian, and the rest Spanish. My  companion is Hermana Shake she is an angel from Virginia, we get along sooo well which is a huge blessing. Im sorry this email is going to be way rapid because I only get thirty minutes in the mtc. Which is not nearly enough time for me to write down all the desires of my heart.

I miss you guys like crazy. However i´ve been blessed with feeling peace knowing i´m suppose to be here. The language is kicking my butt, it´s so hard. I´m in the advance class and everyone else already speaks beautifully and i´m in the corner having no clue what is being said, however it´s getting easier each day.

Cool thing here about the mtc is that on Saturdays we go to the park and prosylete. I was NOT excited about that at all, because my companion for the event was a portugese sister. Hermana da luz, she didn’t speak English or Spanish. So that made for one heck of a day. I ended up getting an atheist to take a book of Mormon and meet with the missionaries. It was the coolest feeling ever.

Today later we are going to the Prada museum and i´m so excited! Unfortunatly I can´t take pictures in the mtc, so i´ll have pics of my trip of today later for you next email. I´m sorry I can´t write more, i´ve gotten so many emails. The love and support means more to me then you´ll ever know.

I miss my puppies so much, I keep bragging about them whenever I get the chance.

I miss you all and pray for you each day. I´m sorry I can´t write more, i´ll talk to you next Thursday.

With all the love I possess,

Hermana shurtz.

Arrival

Hola mi familia!

Greetings here from Madrid Spain. Sorry if this sounds weird i´m not used to this computer, it´s got like a different keyboard. Sorry mom that I couldn´t call. I only have like 30 minutes to write you this quick email.

I love you guys so much. The flight was Sooooo long, but boy was it worth it. Luckily on the last flight I had the window seat. I was sitting waiting for the clouds to part to see spain! Once the clouds broke and I saw spain my heart soared, because I felt like I was home. Does that make sense? In salt lake city I met up with like 8 different sisters and 2 different elders. So don´t worry I wasn´t alone.

It is beautiful here. It´s rainy and muggy and i´m in love. They just gave us a tour of the mtc and it´s so small. The temple is gorgeous. I can´t believe how breathtaking it is.

I didn´t leave Paris just so you know. I didn´t want to risk it, although I was heartbroken that I didn´t get to see the beautiful eiffle tower.

I want you to know that I feel good. I prayed almost the entire way from salt lake city to paris. I couldn’t sleep, and I couldn´t watch the movies, and the people around me were watching bad movies, so in essence all I had left to do was cover my eyes and pray. God and I had a nice conversation. He´s got my back, and I am his. Saying goodbye to you guys had to be the hardest thing ive ever done. I miss you so much it hurts, but I know with everything I have that this is what I am suppose to do with my life. It would be selfish of me not to return all the blessings i´ve been given. The best blessing being all of you.

The girls I am with are very nice, the elders are young and ready to serve. Everyone in the mtc speaks only Spanish. By only I mean they don´t know English. Wanna know what´s amazing though? In my head i´m already speaking  ssppaaniinsh, I guess those four years of Spanish did pay off for something. I´ll be writing in Spanish in no time, making dad proud, and driving mom crazy.

There are dogs everywhere here, it makes me miss my baby boys. Please give kannon and tango the biggest kiss in the world for me.

Well I really don´t know what else to say, besides that God is so good. The church is true, i´ll see you guys in 18 quick months. I miss you guys and love you with everything I have. Let me know how you are doing. I can´t wait to hear what´s going on in good old saint geezy.

Love you all,

Hermana shurtz