Going Batty

My cute compies and I

Reunion with my mommy! 

Hola!

This week is a pretty boring one to tell. Unfortunatly, Hermana Whiting was way sick!! So from Wednesday to yesterday we were pretty much on house lockdown! My comp and I made a BUNCH of phone calls, and cleaned, cleaned, and cleaned some more. I also baked some grandma shurtz´s rolls cause why not? My comp wrote in her journal to try to catch up. All the while our compi slept. Lets just say when it came to church and we had some OTHER people to talk to it was well needed! 

We just found out that our mission is going to become an Ipad mission! We shall receive our ipads and training the 7th of May. To be honest.... I´m not really excited for them. But there will be much good for them! So I´m excited! Vamos a ver! 

I´m really sorry this week has been boring to share. I have become more "housewife" ready.... 

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

Con Amor,

Hermana Shurtz

That's a piece of the Berlin wall

I jump in puddles!!! 

To Much Fun in a Trio

Hola!

It´s always so weird to get used to being in a new area, and trying to understand how to work here. I´ve also been trying to figure out WHAT exactly God would have me do here. It´s weird because here, there doesnt seem to be ANY problems. The members are amazing, they understand the importance of the Obra Misional, and there aren´t a ton of less actives. Looking from the outside in, its just PERFECT. The church building, everything. It´s just... Zion. So I´ve been praying alot trying to figure out what God would have me do.. and honestly I think its baptize. Find more people to just build Zion more here. 

Being in a trio has been so much fun. Hermana Davis is precious, she reminds me so much of my sister! She has the exact sense of humor as my sis. I haven´t laughed this hard in a long time. It gets us in trouble though, because even though the work is fun we got to focus. Hermana Whiting helps us with that one. It´s good combination. The three of us really complement each other so it works out great. 

This week we were teaching a recent convert, Michelle, and his cousin Alvaro. When Michelle´s little brother Luis came in. Luis has down syndromes and is the cutest person in the world. He grabbed my hand and demanded that we play. So we played while Whiting and Davis taught the lesson. I loved playing toys with Luis because he is just so pure. When I laughed, he laughed. He laughed harder when I started laughing. I just could feel the sweet spirit that radiated from him. It was just a neat experience to have. 

Overall it´s been such a great week. God really is just amazing. I love being here and knowing that one day all of Spain will look like how it does here in Azuqueca. There is so much hope for Spain. There is so many good people here! I love my area! I miss you all and hope you are ok. I love you and pray for you always.

Con Amor,

Hermana Shurtz

Península Bound

HOLA!

To be honest I am exhausted so I dont know how well this email is going to be. I´ve gotten little sleep these last few days PACKING FOR MY NEW AREA! I´m in AZUQUECA BABY! As some of the members in Los Cristianos called it "Zion." I was so shocked when I received the call! I had actually served in Azuqueca for a day on intercambios, and I LOVED IT! The church here is beautiful, the most gorgeous church building I have ever seen in my life. I was so pumped. But obviously saying goodbyes was the worst thing ever! I hate saying goodbyes, and having experienced it before I was not up to the dreaded farewells at church.

My two favorite boys ever! They aren´t suppose to hug me... but they attacked me and I couldnt do anything. 

Sunday was an amazing day for me. Bishop got a call from the elders after we found out transfers that I was leaving, and so he informed everyone in the ward. So when I showed up to church all the members were just running over to me. In Relief Society we had some extra time after the class, and so they left it open to share their testimony. Chelo, a member that I have really grown to love, went up and just bawled thanking me for all I had done for her. Later she just hugged me thanking me for everything. Then during Sacrament, Claudio the first counselor took like 5 minutes just to talk about how great of an example I was of love and service. I dont say all this to be like "oh LOOK HOW great and Loved I am!" No, when I heard all these things I was shocked! I didnt realize the impact I had on these people. To be honest I sometimes felt like I hadnt done much. I loved these people, and I really am glad that my actions have showed the love I felt for them.

So I´m now here back in the Madrid area. It´s so weird being back. Cool thing is when I was in the airport I ran into some members from ALCOBENDAS! OH i almost bawled seeing them. It´s amazing the love that you build for these people. 

I´m in a trio for this transfer! I´m with Hermana Whiting who actually came in with me in the MTC so that´s pretty cool! I´m also with Hermana Davis who will be going home at the end of this transfer. Their cuties and I´m excited to serve here.

I´m really pumped to be here! I can´t wait to see how the Lord will allow me to work here. I know that we really never say goodbyes in the gospel! The mission is so awesome. 

I LOVE YOU ALL! 

Con Amor,

Hermana Shurtz

Saying goodbye to Carolina was so hard! 

Saying goodbye to Hermana Carroll

Semana Santa

Hola!

Happy Pascua! There wasn´t really any big celebrations here like there is in Sevilla, which was fine. I enjoyed a tranquila Pascua. To prep myself I decided to study about the atonement all week long. I brought on my mission with me a book of talks given to me in an institute class I had taken before my mission that taught about the atonement. It was amazing. The atonement really is EVERYTHING. Every doctrine, every principle, everything revolves around the atonement in one way or another. Its amazing to try to comprehend. I´m just so grateful for the knowledget that I have a Savior and that He lives, but not only does He live but He still talks to us, through our modern day Prophets! 

This whole past week we were focused on bringing to pass Carmens baptism. She was so prepared, I am so honored to know this amazing Women of God. On Saturday we were more then pumped for her baptism. What was amazing was at 5 as a ward we watched the Saturday Morning Conference, and then 30 minutes after it ended we had a baptism! It was just powerful to hear the words of the Savior before she accepted Him. Her baptism went beautifully. It was so amazing to see the love and support that the ward did to this new sister. They just embraced this spunky old women. I just love her. 

It was interesting to me how there seemed to be a theme in Conference (as there always is) but this time they focused alot on Marriage, and defending the family. This morning I was reading in the Book of Mormon when Moroni brings out his Standard of Liberty and everyone covenants to protect each others liberty, and their religion. It hit me, that today our "Standard of Liberty" is the Proclamation to the World. We´ve been called to defend the Family. It hit me, that the family is under attack just like the nephites liberty was under attack. We are under covenant to defend The Family. The way the Lord designed it. How, that I cant answer that. I believe though that if we ask, we shall receive. That if we knock it will be opened unto us. That we will know how God wants us individually to defend the family. For me, I believe my answer came in the remembrance of my mother. My mother defended my family by raising my siblings and I. I believe that God desires me to be a stay at home mother. I have felt that so strongly this past week. I´m not saying I wont be getting an education (because if anyone knows me, they know that education to me is the most important thing!) But, I just can´t help but feel that God wants me to do something different with my life then I originally intended. Which has been hard to swallow, but I know that He has a beautiful plan for me. I just have to have faith in that. 

This week might be my last week in Los Cristianos. Its been a bit of a mix of emotions about that. I will miss these people dearly. I have learned so so SO much from them. But, I honestly feel content. I feel like I did what God wanted me to do while I was here. But we shall see. I just know that He will lead me where I need to be. 

I miss you all. I hope prayers were answered during this Conference. I hope you found peace. I hope you felt the immense love that the Resurected Lord and Savior feels for you individually, and for your family. I know I have. The leaders of the church are so inspired. How could you not look to these men and not feel the light that radiates off their words? These are God fearing men that will never be led astray, nor lead us astray. God speaks to us today and forever. God bless!

Con Amor,

Hermana Shurtz

We went and got Chocolate y Churros (my favorite thing ever)