Our 2 Responsibilities

Hola!

This past week we´ve been hanging out alot with members and its been a great feeling. When I first got here there wasnt much love between the missionaries and the ward members, and that just didnt fly in my book so I used my good ol shurtz charm and sweetened them up.

I´ve loved seeing the change in this ward in the past 3 months there is so much more love and unity it blows my mind! The members now are trying to take us out to eat every day (it was great the first few days but now... my waistline isnt to happy with me.) I dont know I feel like the work for investigadors are important! But I could be iniquo but I just feel like this ward needed some special love and attention from my companion and I. We´ve done alot of work with less activos and not so less actives in the ward. We´ve seen a lot of fruits from our labors. Ive really enjoyed being here in Los Cristianos, the work is different then it was in Alcobendas but its making me use other talents that I didnt think I had. 

It was interesting in Church the other day we talked about Family History and the responsibility we have to our ancestors. It has really hit me in my mission that really as members of this church we only have one responsibility and that is to share the gospel, whether to the living or the dead it does not matter. But our task is to share the knowledge that we have to those who do not know it. Its a great responsibility, one that takes a lot of effort, but is so worth the effot! 

Oh quick funny story! Today we were out and about with Carolina and Cristian our new converts. We ate at this restaurant and the waiter kept trying to give us alcohol, Carolina said to the waiter "Im sorry we are mormons we dont drink! Then she turned to us and said, "preach to this man!" It was hilarious but amazing to see this pride she has in the gospel.

I hope you are all well. I miss you all so much. Have a great week!

Con Amor,

Hermana Shurtz

Cumpleaños Columbiana

Hola!

Well my teenage years are behind me. Im officially an old women. But what a great way to start of my 20´s. I got a personal visit from President Jackson, and Hermana Jackson the day before and they sang their famous song for me in person! Then the day of my birthday I made my favorite breakfast, planned with my cute companion. Later the bishop invited us over so that we could get some gifts that he had picked out for us.

Afterwards we went over to Cristian´s mothers house (our recent convert) his mothers birthday was the same as mine. And seeing how she is columbian, my companion is columbian, and my converts are columbian. They wanted to show me how they do in there neck of the woods. I didnt know that meant throwing flour, and smashing eggs on my head! Ha! One of the crazier birthday´s I´ve had. Next week a memeber is going to be taking us to Teide for my birthday. Its the highest mountain in Spain. We are pretty excited.

This week we´ve done a lot of service, my favorite was helping out a less active named Segrario. She can´t come to church due to her husband is really sick and has to take care of him. She´s been really depressed lately so one morning we went to her house, and while my companion was painting her nails and doing her make up, I cleaned up the whole house. The smile on Segrario´s face after the whole make over was priceless. Our favorite part was Manolo her husband after told her "Wow, look how gorgous my wife is" (Im cleaning this up a bit) The grin on Segrario´s face! Oh! Service is good. I hope you all had a great week. I miss you so much, and I hope you all enjoyed your Valentines day I sure know one of my greatest friends in the world (HESSON!) did. Man by the time I get home all my friends will be hitched. Have a great week.

Con Amor,

Hermana Shurtz

BIRTHDAY PHOTOS

For some reason we didn't get a letter this week BUT we did get these fun photo's

Bishop and his family 

Birthday Girls

Birthday Tacos

Columbian Fiesta 

Columbian Fiesta

I can't wait to hear the stories behind this birthday celebration.  Happy 20th Birthday my baby girl!!

Not a Bad Anniversary Present

Hola!

This week was insane, but really the only thing I want to talk about was Saturday. On Saturday we had the baptism of Carolina and Cristian. I cant even explain the joy that I felt that day, sometimes my companion and I would just jump around and start singing and dancing. It was a very long day, the baptism started at 7 at night, and the wait was killer. When Carolina and Cristian showed up I had to hold back the tears they both showed up in white (they are the cutest columbian couple in the world.) Its been a long time coming with them, they´ve been investigating the church for over a year and a half. We never thought we would get them in the water but wow. IT HAPPENED! 

For behold the field is white ready to harvest!

My favorite part was after the baptism Carolina and Cristian bore their testimony. Carolina with all the confidence in the world said "I am proud to be a member of this church!" Wow. Tears. Tears galore. It was such a special day, and it happened 1 year and 1 day that I received my mission call. Who would have thought a year ago I would be in Los Cristianos teaching some of the most amazing people the most important message we have to share. This year has gone by fast but its been oh so sweet. I hope you all have a great week! I miss you all.

Con Amor,

Hermana Shurtz

Flashback Monday!  What a difference a year can make.

Fastest Week in History

Hola!

Did I not just write you all yesterday? I swear this week was the fastest week on my mission. I´ve been told that it only gets faster. SCARY!

Over this past week we´ve been meeting a lot with one of our investigators, Carolina. She´s a 20 year old from Columbia, and she has a baptismal date for THIS SATURDAY! We are so excited. She´s been meeting with us since I´ve been here and to see the change that has occurred in her is beautiful. She is so excited to be baptized and my companion and I just bust out laughing sometimes from joy for how excited we are to help her make this covenant with her Father in Heaven. We know that the week before the baptism is the hardest because satan works as hard as he can. BUT we aren't worried because we have angels on our side and we have divided and we are going to conquer! 

My companion and I had a very interesting lesson this past week. We´ve been meeting with a young girl named Maria Jose, she´s evangelist, but she tells us every time that if she receives and answer from God that this is His church she is willing to drop everything and join. She has this fear of God that is amazing. I love this girl she is the Venezuelan me! Anyway we gave her homework the past week to watch the Joseph Smith movie and then we would talk about it the next lesson.... Well we showed up and we walked into what we did not expect to happen. She informed us that she watched the movie, prayed, and right after she found some preacher on youtube give a talk on how mormons are a sect. She wrote down EVERY single one of his points for why the BOM was false. I have never prayed so hard in my life. That lesson changed me as a missionary. It could have been so easy to have fought with her, explain why all those "facts" were false. But something inside me taught me that wasn't the way God intended it to go. So instead we just listened and in the end, I bore my testimony. The spirit was so strong and in that moment the lesson changed. She listened to us, we invited her to read the book. She said she would. That lesson was inspiring it helped my testimony as well as my companion. 

I know that the Book of Mormon is true. I know that it is the word of God. 1 Million "facts" could come out about the book and it wouldn't change my mind. I´ve received a witness for myself that it is true, and I know that anyone can receive one for themselves as well. All we do is complete the promise that is given in Moroni 10: 3-5. I know that God lives. He loves us. We are His children. I hope you are all well. I miss you all SO much. Have a great week.

Con Amor,

Hermana Shurtz