I´m a Real Missionary Now!

Greetings from Alcobendas!!

Well transfers have come and gone, and I have remained in Alcobendas but my sweet trainer Hermana Bennett has left to Vigo!!! The most north area of our mission. She was so excited! I am so excited for her, granted I am so sad to see her go and I already miss our laughing attack that we had together but I know she is just going to kick Satan´s butt up there in the north. She is such a bomb missionary that taught me so much. I love missions, because all though its so hard to say goodbye you just make so many life long friends! And you know whats so amazing about this gospel we know that there really is never Goodbyes. Because we know that death, seperation, is NEVER the end.

Last hug goodbye

Hello Hermana Fulller

However, when one leaves another always comes in! My new companion is Hermana Fuller. She is amazing! She trained Hermana Seegmiller, my very good friend in the CCM. When we got done with transfer calls Hermana Seegmiller just called me screaming with excitment. Its crazy because Hermana Fuller only has about two months left in the mission. Its amazing to see the beginning and the end of the mission. But I know we are going to work so hard together and Im SO excited. 

A cool story for the week. We have a menos activo (less active) that we visit all the time, unfortunatly she has diabetes. One night she was not feeling good and we asked her about her disease and she explained it to us, and then she pricked her finger to show us how it worked. Then she asked us if we wanted to try it! Of course we did. (Dont you worry it was all sanitary). It was so legit, but my heart broke for her and the millions of other people who have this disease. The things you learn on the mission. 

I am so excited to hit the ground running this transfer. I am no longer the "trainee" I am no longer the "newbie" albeit I still feel like I have ZERO clue what I am doing. But everyone tells me that this time is where you grow the most and Im so excited to just be molded and guilded by my heavenly father. He is such a loving dad! I love the mission, I love getting to know all these AMAZING people!

One cool thing of serving in Alcobendas is this is the central of the mission so every transfer we get some of the sisters who are about to come home stay with us one night before they leave. Last night we had Hermana Money stay with us, and she actually served in Alcobedas not that long ago. It was so fun to stay up all night and just talk to her, and pick her brain. Everyone tells me the mission goes by so fast, some days I believe it and others I dont. But seeing the beginning (me), the middle (my trainer), and the end (hermana Money). I know that missions are life changing!!! I love this gospel. I know it is so true!!! 

I LOVE you all SOOOO Much.

Con Amor,

Hermana Shurtz

Last District meeting all together

We teach english class to a cute boy in our ward!

Im a Survivor, Im Goin Make It!

HOOOOOLLLLAAA!!!

I SURVIVED the dreaded WEEK 11!!!!! Unfortunatly my streak of NOT crying did come to a halting end on Wednesday, but hey 11 weeks in the field and not breaking down? Id say Im a champ. It was so funny I went into the bathroom in our capilla (church building) and just cried. Then I literally talked myself, told myself to put on my big girl pants and get back to work. Which I did. 

This week was hard. I didnt know what I was doing, what I was suppose to say, where I was suppose to go. But you wanna know what I learned? Im not suppose to know. Im suppose to just rely 1000% on the Lord. Which if you know me, learning to rely on people isnt exactly my forte. However luckily God is patient with us and will help us learn. I remember thinking alot this week "What am I doing here?" However, we have a very wise and loving God and he knew that this week would be hard for me so he gave me multiple times to strengthen my soul.

On Wednesday we WENT TO THE TEMPLE! We had to be there at 730 and we were waiting for the elders to show up to pick us up, and closer and closer 730 approached and we were so scared we would miss our session. When they arrived we had little over 10 minutes to make it, it takes 20 minutes to drive to the temple. I shouted commands to the sisters running with me when we spotted their car. "Go! Go! Go!!!" Elder Anderson, the drivier, I dont know how he did it but we made it in time! The session was in spanish and a sweet tender mercy from God is that I understood it completly. Hallelujah. There is nothing so beautiful and edifying as the temple, I dont care if you are sitting outside on the grounds or sitting in the celestial room there is just a spirit that just feeds you. A buffett of goodness if you will.

On Thursday the office elders gave me a blessing. I swore I would never be the sister who asked for blessings, and it really was so humbling to ask. I dont know why I was so hesitant to do it but, I was. How grateful I am to have asked for one! I needed that more then I think I knew. I was promised that I am exactly where I need to be. God loves me and he is really only a prayer away. How grateful I am for the priesthood power and to know such great young men that are able to give me a blessing! 

Yesterday was fast sunday. I love fast sundays on the mission. The people in spain to a very unique thing where couples come up together to bare their testimonies. Could you imagine if we did that in the states? Especially in the Singles Wards!!! Ha, the question would be every month who they going to chose? That would be a great DTR. Ha! Sorry weird tangent. Anyway, after chuch we went to a menos activos (less actives) home and had our own testimony meeting. It was SO powerful. Everyone bore their testimony and the spirit was tangible. I felt so previledged to be there. 

Ive been reading in Alma this past week in my personal studies, in it the wars are starting and Moroni builds forts up around the cities that are weakest. I´ve been thinking alot about that especially this week. God definatly helps build us up when He knows we are at our weakest. He has built me up in a time Satan could have easily gotten to me. We are never alone. He is always there for us to prepare us for when the storms come. God is so good! 

Please know I love you all with all my heart. I miss you all and cant wait to give you all a big bear hug. I miss hugs..... Please hug yourselves for me. (If that sounds odd Im sorry.) Know someone loves you in Heaven and in Spain. (God, and me) Alright im pretty sure this email made 0 sense. Los siento. MUCHO AMOR!

Con Amor,

Hermana Shurtz

Perfect pic to explain my week

I MADE FRY SAUCE

Being Pushed Out of the Nest

Hola! 

Primero huge shout out to my Epic Adventurer I got your letter this week! Highlight!!!!! (Dont you worry I wont spill to much on the interwebs)

This week was a week of miracles. Mostly because my companion is an amazing missionary. She went back and checked her old agenda and called a bunch of people and we went and had a few lessons with some of them. One was a women named Beatrice, she brought along with her, her pregnant daughter. Im not kidding you this girl was PERFECT! She didnt believe in infant baptism (check), nor in memorized prayers (check), that there should be only one true church (check). I loved teaching her because she just asked questions, she just had this thirst to know! It was amazing to see in her. Unfortunatly she couldnt come to church this past sunday but I know once she comes in she will feel the spirt. I love seeing Gods hand preparing people to hear His message. 

Our menos activo (less active) and I mean LESS active. He hasnt been to church in years CAME TO CHURCH ON SUNDAY. I can not explain the joy. It was raining when we found out he was coming and I literally danced with my para agua (my umbrella) it was the best feeling I dont even know how to explain it! I just feel like things are looking up. Our investigadors are progressing, our menos activos testimonies are stronger. Things are just coming along, and I love it. 

Which is good, because this week is going to be alittle rough..... In the mission we have what is called 12 weeks. Its a program to help missionaries become missionaries and this week... is pretty much letter loose week. So my trainer is enjoying taking the back seat while I take the reins. Im learning to rely on my Savior for EVERYTHING! Independence isnt even a real thing. Its good, you either sink or swim, and Im a swimmer. Life is good here. I feel so blessed. I miss everyone so much but it amazes me how quickly time passes and I honestly love my mission.

Con Amor,

Hermana Shurtz

went to Sol today just to eat Subway!!

Fixed our light all on my own

Pulled our WINTER CLOTHES!

its been raining non stop

P.S.  I(kara's mom) just had to share the story she told me in my letter today. It is so Kara

 Quick funny story that I know will make you laugh, make sure to tell daddy! One night my companion and I had like 5 minutes to get home so we walked passed this somewhat sketchy ally and out of the corner of my eye I saw a man running towards us. I felt him grab my bag and without thinking I turned around and socked him right in the chest. As I was going in for a second swing I saw the face and it was Andres! Our member friend who comes with us all the times for lessons. Luckily I didnt swing. Haha but I socked him really hard in the chest. I felt so bad but he laughed and said he was so proud of me. He bragged about me to everyone in the ward... so now everyone knows not to sneak up on me. I learned that it is fine to defend yourself. So just so you know that your baby girl is fine (and no I havent had any other experiences like that) my area is super safe. I havent felt worried once. I miss you like crazy mom and I knew this story would make you laugh/be proud. LOVE YOu!

Selective Obedience Brings Selective Blessings

Hola! 

Did anyone else just die during General Conference this weekend? I remember last conference all snuggled up in my pj´s watching it with my family, enjoying the sweet smell and taste of sticky buns. Now, six months later the scene was very much different. First off, it was NOT in english (PS shout out to the seventy who spoke in spanish!) Next I was on a very hard church plastic chair, and thirdly and mostly sadly there was NO sticky buns. But the spirit was the same. I needed that, to be fed by the living waters was exactly what I needed. 

I remember the Sunday Morning conference (8 at night for us) the prophet got up to speak. I remember getting chills and thinking "This is a prophet. Like Lehi, Moses, Noah, Adam. He is telling us what God wants to share with us. Why is this chapel not filled with  people?" The spirit was so strong and I got such a strong witness that we have a living prophet called of God to lead and guide this church. How blessed are we? I loved conference, especially the talk given the Elder Holland. What a beast. That man could make the Grinch cry. All this week my companion and I looked SO forward to Conference, on Saturday morning we woke up like it was christmas! It did not disapoint. What a joy it was, how healing it was to my soul. 

This week was a little rough. We have this family, this beautiful family that I love with ALL my heart. They are from Ecuador, and they were SO prepared. We met with just the mom this week and we left with her and her family the Gospel of Jesus Christ pamphlet to read so we could talk about baptism the next lesson. Before we started she said to us "before we begin there is something I need to tell you, my family and I have been praying long and have discussed alot and we´ve decided NOT to be baptized." Neither my companion or I were expecting that. At. All. My heart broke, I started praying SOOOO hard. My companion was a pro and handled it perfectly. She saved the meeting, and although we dont see a baptism date anywhere in sight they havent completely turned us away for ever. Poco a poco. Little by little. Pero esta bien. 

God is with us. I know that he is working right beside us. I know we are not alone is this work. I love my Savior I have felt His love for me every minute of every day, even when he chastizes me. I could not be more grateful to be here. This church is so true! Satan can bring all of his forces but the Savior has already won. We are on the winning side!!! Be good, cherish the words of the prophet and the apostles. 

Con Amor,

Hermana Shurtz

Dreams Come True

Hola!!

Since I received my mission call I have been dreaming of seeing Toledo, Spain. That wish was granted this very day. We woke up at 540 to hit a train to get to another train to be there at 9. It was so fabulous. It was so FOGGY, and cold and just FABULOUS. I felt like I was in some backwoods Middle Ages time and knights would pop out at any corner. Unfortunatly all the museams are closed on mondays but we walked around the narrow streets and just enjoyed the view. I love toledo. I cant wait to go back someday!

My lovely day in Toledo

Fog rolling in

Toledo was just an end to a fabulous week, on Monday night we find out one of our hardest investigadors wants to be BAPTIZED! We got to work on a few things first, but its a step, a huge one at that. On Thursday I was able to go on intercombios with Hermana Sneilson in Torrejon which is just gorgous! I learned so much from her and had such a great time. On Saturday we had ¨Actividades Naciones¨ Or Activities of Nations... my english is gone. Anyway the missionaries all did the Cotton eye joe dance! It was so great! We watched so many dances from people from all over the world, from Chilie, to Venuzela, to El Salvador the ¨States¨ and Spain. It was such a good time! Sunday was fabulous, we went to Pavones where the temple is and watched a musical concert with all the missionaries in Madrid and their investigadors. One of the married missionaries the Sullivans, are leaving and they wanted to share their musical talent one last time before they left (they were in MOTAB) for 8 or so years! It was amazing... and then today. I cant not begin to say how blessed I feel. Sure there were hard moments, but overall I feel so blessed! So so so blessed. I know God is looking out for my family, my investigadors, my friends, and me. What else could I ask for? I love this gospel. I know its true with all my soul. I love you all.

Con Amor,

Hermana Shurtz

Isn't it amazing?

What a view