This Is a Church of Miracles

Hola!

Wow how do I begin. Can I just say God is so GOOD! He is just amazing at what He does. Last week (exactly) we got a call from a member that lives in Gran Canaria (a different island) to tell us she has a friend living in our area who WANTS TO BE BAPTIZED! What?! So we call her the next day, meet with her on wednesday and she has a date and time to be baptized this saturday! Within not even 2 weeks of knowing this investigador she will be in the waters!?! The elderes have called her our "miracle child" and she is. Her name is Carmen, she´s a 69 year old cutie from Venuzuela. She´s had 34 years of knowing the church, but last week when she visited her friends in Gran Canaria she decided to go to church with them and felt the impression to be baptized... and now she is! God has just prepared her, she is so humble, quirky, and adorable! I just love this women! I feel so honored to be a part of her story. I mean is this not Liahonna worthy? This women is incredible. A few members at church yesterday tried talking her out of being baptized and she stood up and said "I know what I felt, I know God knows how I feel and I cant go back on that!" That women is a spunky little fighter and I love her!

Our "Miracle Child" Carmen.  We were so blessed to find her!

OH MY AND THE FLAMANCO SHOW! I may or may not have cried. My companion and I were SO PUMPED! And we were not disapointed, we got great seats too right in the middle. Ironically we were the only youth in the house but we did not complain. The storyline of the show was super depressing! But the DANCING! I am blown away, the dancers were incredible! The singing UNBELIEVABLE! If you type in "Sevillan music" on youtube and listen to it, and you´ll understand me. After, I just felt such pride for serving here in Spain. Man they are so talented at what they do. On my bucket list is to come back here and just watch flamanco dancing 24/7 because it is incredible, the feet work, hand work, your whole body! WOW! I loved it! There was this male dancer that was incredible, and you could just see the joy on his face for what he did! It was amazing! 

Our Night of culture.  The Flamenco dancing was awesome!

Not a bad way to start the second half! I always was told the second half has the most action! 

God is so good. He really does hear our prayers, and when we are worthy He pours His blessings onto us. There are so many good people in this world! I feel so grateful to be here knowing them. We really are just brothers and sisters and just reconnecting after a seperation. I know that this is His church and that we have the glad tidings. Christ is our Savior, and during this "Semana Santa" I am so grateful to be thinking more of Him. He lives!

I love and miss you all so much!

Con Amor,

Hermana Shurtz

Sticky Bunn makin on PDAY!

Woowoo Half Way There, OHHH OH! Livin´ On a Prayer!

Hola!

I personally believe that Bon Jovi wrote that song just for missionaries. Yup, Hump Day tomorrow. Freaky huh? I thought this day would never come, but its here. I´ve been walking around the house doing that Progressive commercial (made 9 months ago) where the camel just walks around "HUMPP DAYYY!" Mostly to annoy my cute companion. Rumor has it you have to burn a skirt on your half way mark, but I dont know if I´m going to complete that ritual.

This week was really good! Yes I DID get to complete my goal of Columbian Cumpleaños 2.0, and she loved it. It was so cool because we ALL started on it and got in a huge flour fight. 

Colombian Cumpleanos

On Thursday we had a Young Single Adult Activity and it was SO much fun! We did the egg drop activity (where you build a case around the egg and drop it off a tall building). We were worried they would think it was lame, but everyone participated and we had such a blast! It was weird hanging out with a big group of kids my age. Overall though it was alot of fun, and helped unify the JAS (YSA). We really want to help the JAS here because we know they are the future leaders of this ward. So we got to make them super fuerte (strong)! 

Today was pretty fun because a member in our ward paid to have my companion and I get pedicures! WAT!? I felt bad for the cute columbian girl that had to clean my stanky feet. But I was so grateful that she did! It was so nice, the members here just take such good care of us! I LOVE THEM!

One cool thing that will happen this week is we are going to a FLAMANCO SHOW! Every missionary gets to have one "cultural activity" i.e. Go to a football game, see a bullfight, etc. My companion and I both havent use our "activity card" and we found out that here in Las Americas there is a pretty famous flamanco show in Hard Rock Cafe! So my companion and I got permission to head out Wednesday night and see it. I AM SO PUMPED! 

This week has been really helpful for me. I feel like I´ve received a lot of personal revelation to help me when I get home. I´ve just really learned the importance of making TIME for things. Life isnt always going to be like how it is on the mission. I wont have personal scripture study all nice and pretty laid out for me, I really need to work to keep that when I get home. 

One awesome milagro (miracle) that I was able to witness was Segrario this 72 year old less active took the sacrament for the first time in years yesterday! She isnt able to come to church due to her husbands health. But the elders came over to her house and brought it to her! It was so awesome to see how excited she was to take it again! She always says that the church used to be her life, and she misses it alot. I´m so grateful that we are able to make it a part of her life again. 

The gospel is so true! I love it, the gospel really gives us everything we have. I am so grateful to my Savior who knows us, and listens to our heartfelt prayers.

Con Amor,

Hermana Shurtz

Good times, Halfway there people!!

We Have Left Babylon, and We Can´t Go Back!

Hola! 

One of my favorite members, Sister Chelo.

So this lovely past week was Carnival here in Los Cristianos. I cant really explain what Carnival is, because the states don't really have it, but its really famous here in the islands and in Brasil. The best way to explain what it is, is three factors. Drinking, Costumes, and Dancing. It was so wild. There was children, youth, old people EVERYWHERE! It made for contacting on the streets a very interesting game. But all in all we just avoided Los Cristianos like the plague and just continued elsewhere. 

Hanging with the Hermanas at the Monkey park.

Today we went to Monkey Park with all the other missionaries of Tenerife! That was so much fun, I got to hold an exotic bird, sit next to a (insert scientific name that I don't know) monkey, and watch a gorilla outsmart one of the smartest people I know and spit on 2 elders! 

Tomorrow is my companions birthday, and I think I´m going to do Colombian Cumpleanos 2.0 with her and get revenge. 

We watched 17 Miracles the other day, and that movie just blows my mind every time! We have such a great heritage in this church! The pioneers were just bosses! I cant believe the faith and hope they had to reach the Salt Lake Valley. I hope that I can be worthy of the effort that they put in so that I could have the gospel in my life. I am so grateful to my ancestors and all they went through. 

I love you all! I hope you have a great week!

Con Amor,

Hermana Shurtz

Help From Antepasados

Hola!!! Besitos y Abrazos for all!!

So my transition period from english to spanish was hilarious I will say so myself. I had to read outloud a paragraph in english the other day and I sounded like a kindergartener. Heaven help me in 9 months. No but I love being with Hermana Carroll she is so cute! She just has this wise spirit about her that I have just loved! I can tell she is going to do amazing things for this area and I am so excited to be her companion! 

First off, I just want to say that I lost a fight. I was cleaning a glass cup the other day and it broke on me, and cut my hand nice and good. I thought I was fine so I kept cleaning until I starting seeing stars and getting dizzy. But dont worry I didnt not pass out, but I do have a nice cut on my hand. I´ll just tell my future kids and students that I lost a fight in my mission instead of a glass cup. 

One of my favorite things that happened to me this week was my companion and I were able to help this menos activo Ani do her family history. We´ve been trying to meet with Ani for months and we finally got a visit with her and before we say a prayer she is showing us photos, telling us stories, of her ancestories and all that good jazz. We got pumped so we started teaching her that the church has a program to help her do that. So we teach her Family Search and she just looses it. To the point she grabbed my face and planted a huge wet one on my cheek. It was so awesome to see this desire that she has to get to know her family on the other side. It was just a testament to me that really everyone in one way or another is attracted to the gospel we just got to be sensitive to WHAT they need to hear. 

I know that this church is true and that families can be together forever. I want to wish a huge CONGRATULATIONS Melissa and Zachary! I hope you have a beautiful wedding day! I will be thinking about you both. I love you so much. Have a great week! 

Love you all so much!

Con Amor,

Hermana Shurtz

Facials with Hermana Rojas

It was so nice to be around other missionaries again.

Who says the mission isnt fun?

The New Crew!

New comp!!

Flight Away

Hola!

This week was full of traveling. We were blessed to have two trainings this week, one up in La Laguna the upper part of Tenerife, and one on a complete other island in Gran Canaria! It was a great way to end this transfer, and it was timed just perfectly as the Lord always works. 

On Friday night all the missionaries that are serving on Gran Canaria flew out (FLEW OUT!) to the island, it was only 30 minutes long but hey that was pretty cool. We stayed at the old mission home when the islands were a mission, Elder and Sister Larson the matrimony couple thats there made us homemade chicken noodle soup, homemade rolls, and BYU mint brownies. To say I may have teared up is a bit of an understatement. Then all day saturday Elder Dykes and Sister Dykes from the Area Presidency came and taught us. Oh the spirit was so sweet. I loved talking a moment to refresh and feel the drive again for the mission work. It was also nice to be around other missionaries for a change. There is just something amazing with being around other missionaries theres a power that is undeniable. 

Transfer calls were also on Saturday night, so while we were on the Guagua we learned our fate. I am staying, but my companion Hermana Rojas will be leaving. She will be heading up to the Temple area while I stay here with Hermana Carroll! She is flying down here right now! I love/hate transfers, its always good for a change even if its hard. Ive loved serving with Hermana Rojas, it will be weird not to have to speak spanish all the time but hey! I need to practice my english once again. 

I miss you all and hope you are doing well!

Besitos y Abrazos (Well not for men at least)

Con amor,

Hermana Shurtz