I Met the Next Area President of Nigeria

Hola!

What a week it's been! It's still been hot, and with not a break in
sight but God hasn't left our side.

We've been blessed to be teaching a cute old Spanish women. Her name
is Ana, she's over 80 years old. She is so innocent she has never gone
to school, and while we were with her once she made me laugh so hard
that I was in tears. She turned to my comp and i, and said "oh you
both speak Spanish so well." I said "thank you, I hope my comp can
speak Spanish!" My comp said "I was raised speaking Spanish." Ana
looked confused "so your Spanish?" My comp responded "no I'm from
Ecuador." Ana completely serious "well look at that I didn't know they
spoke Spanish." I was holding back tears. I love that women.

On Wednesday we normally have this meeting with these other
missionaries from Guadalajara but this week it got canceled for
president interviews, and since we had Wednesday morning free we
decided to use this time for our advantage so we went to the local
flee market!! What a scene that was! There's was piles of cloths for
only 1 euro. What up! It was such a blast!

Richard our Nigerian investigator is amazing! We are just waiting for
him to get married then he can get baptized but in his heart he has a
stronger testimony then some members. We had a lesson with him on
Friday and I think I got emotional 4 times in that lesson. He bore a
strong testimony of the Book of Mormon and said "if people would just
read this book the world would be a better place." Then he talked
about how he dreams of his son going on a mission someday sharing the
gospel to someone like him in the future. He is just so amazing, he
just GETS the gospel. I've never met anyone with so much faith, and
when he prays! It's like he is communicating with God right then and
there. It's so beautiful. I feel so honored to learn from HIM.

On Sunday we had 2 farewells for 2 girls in our ward. One was going to
serve in the Salt Lake City visitors center, the other in Argentina.
It was so weird seeing something that I had already passed through. I
could see the parents nervous, sad, and excited. I could see on their
face the nerves. It was weird, it made me think a lot about my
farewell and how it feels like that was yesterday. But I'm grateful
I'm on this side of the door instead of the other one.

Today we went and hung out with my friend Toni from Alcobendas. We
went and explored downtown Madrid together. We ate the famous fried
octopus sandwiches! We went into the cathedral, looked at the castle,
etc. all the while getting a full on (free) tour guide! I realized how
little I know about Spain which makes me really sad! I love this place
and want to know as much as I can about this wonderful place!

I'm really grateful to be here in Spain and to get to know all these
amazing people and have all these wonderful life changing experiences.
God has been so good to me and to those I love. I hope you guys have a
great week. Love and miss you!

Con amor,
Hermana Shurtz

Castilla de La Mancha

Hola! Greetings from La Mancha. 

I'm still in Azuqueca but I just realized that Azuqueca is part of La Mancha or the area where the famous Spanish book Don Quijote de La Mancha is based off of. Ha you learn new and fascinating facts everyday. 

Here in La Mancha it is very hot. Extremely hot. I will be extremely grateful when this summer season passes. Don't get me wrong I am in love with my tan body but, these sweaty armpits are keeping prospective investigators away. Shout out to Gma who sent me deodorant! Spain thanks you! But we did get a nice summer storm a few days ago. There was thunder and lighting covering the sky. I was a little kid on Christmas. But I'm trying to learn to enjoy every day, even when it is hot. Because as many people are liking to remind me now, there isn't much time I have left to enjoy the Spanish sky. 

In the mission there is 2 groups of people. 1. Where they ask you how much time you have in the mission. 2. When they ask you when your going home. I don't know how or when I became a member of the second group, but I am on official "when you going home" groupie. I don't know how time has flown by so fast, I still feel like a newbie! Menos mal, that members are also missionaries, so I have my whole life to get this right. 

This week we had a pretty neat experience. Wednesday was spiritually packed! We went to the temple in the morning to do a session. The entire time I was there I was thinking this could be my last time in the Madrid temple (if I get transferred away from the Madrid area) and so I really tried to enjoy every moment. I ended up being alone with my comp in the celestial room for a few minutes and that was very special for me. I was filled with a sense of gratitude and love for ,my Father in Heaven and all the blessings he has poured out to me and my loved ones. 

After the temple session we went straight to the Stake Center next door to have a Zone Meeting with our very brand new Mission President! President Pack and his family. I was so pumped to meet my new papa in the mission. They showed up late due to a car accident on the freeway and you could tell all the missionaries were getting antsy to meet them. When they showed up we were all holding our breaths. I kept thinking "be on your best behavior Shurtz." Don't wanna be on the presidents black list on the first day. 

Well after a few moments President Pack spoke, then his wife, and then their two kids, JJ and Caroline. I fell in love with them immediately, maybe it was their thick southern accent, or the way Hermana Pack was attempting to speak Spanish. Either way they got me hooked! I just felt this overwhelming feeling of love for them, and I could tell they felt it too. President Pack told us of this experience he had talking to President Irying on the phone, Irying said 

"Missionaries focus to much on where they are called to serve, when in reality that doesn't matter it's who they are called to. Missionaries are called to their mission presidents." I feel deeply that is true. I'm here to learn from the Packs! I haven't had my first interview with President pack yet so I haven't blown it by my sarcastic witty remarks yet. I'll fill you in by next week. 

This week I've really been studying Elder Holland. Ha, since he is my favorite apostle I've been reading all his talks from General conference (thank you gospel library app) and I have learned so much! Holland has such an incredible way to just pierce you to the soul. Either way I have felt such comfort from him and his testimony about the savior. I wanted to insert a paragraph from one of his talks that really helped me feel the love of my savior this past week:

"Brothers and sisters, one of the great consolations of this Easter season is that because Jesus walked such a long, lonely path utterly alone, we do not have to do so. His solitary journey brought great company for our little version of that path--the merciful care of our Father in Heaven, the unfailing companionship of this Beloved Son, the consummate gift of the Holy Ghost, angels in heaven, family members on both sides of the veil, prophets and apostles, teachers, leaders, friends. All of these and more have been given as companions for our mortal journey because of the Atonement of Jesus Christ and the Restoration of His gospel. Trumpeted from the summit of Calvary is the truth that we will never be left alone nor unaided, even if sometimes we may feel that we are. Truly the Redeemer of us all said: “I will not leave you comfortless: [My Father and] I will come to you [and abide with you].” (None Were With Him, Holland April 2009)

Amen, Holland. The Atonement isn't just for sins, it's to help us is in our moments of despair, and confusion. I'm forever grateful for this eternal gift my Savior has given me and all humankind. I'm grateful I have this short time to continue to preach to the world this amazing gift of His. 

I love you all and I miss you and can't wait to tell you that in person! Have a great week.

Con amor, 

Hermana Shurtz 

Tender Mercies

Hola!

I really don't have much to write about this week, things have been
about the same. Contacting, teaching, and heat. But I will say that I
had a huge blessing happen to me this week. I was feeling alittle down
and then I got a message from a less active from my last area saying
how much he appreciated all I did for him. That's really just one
example of the many tender mercies I've had this week. God really does
love us and is on our side all the time.

I'm sorry I don't have more to say this week, I love and miss you all.

Con amor,
Hermana Shurtz

Land of the Brave

Hola!

What a week it has been! Did everyone go bare their testimonies about
how great Murica is yesterday? We were joking around that we should go
bare our testimonies of how proud we are of America and it being the
beat country ever... But we decided we better not. However everyone
had just gotten back from girls camp on Saturday so it was a 15 year
old bawl fest talking about how much they loved girls camp, and how
much they loved the girls. Made for an interesting sacrament meeting.

Also today was transfers and guess what! I stayed! However
surprisingly hermana edmunds was transferred out to another area. She
was moved to Alcala to be in a trio. Alcala is literally 15 minutes
away by train so ill see her all the time it was just weird that she
was leaving after such a short time here. We were both really
surprised, but God has His reasonings and a plan. So i got assigned to
Hermana Rojas! Not the cute columbian girl i trained back in the
islands, this one is from Ecuador. Shes so sweet! Im so excited to be
with a spanish speaker again! I have missed speaking spanish 24/7. So
im super pumped to be with her. She has just alittle more time then me
on the mission so itll be good to work together.

This week I had a very sweet tender mercy. We were invited last sunday
to go eat at a less actives house on the 4th of July. We went to her
house and it was a full on BBQ. NO joke there was meat of every kind
lined up. Ribs, jamon serrano, chorizo, chicherones, so much food. I
was in 7th heaven. We werent able to use fireworks but still it was a
great experience. We also had a very powerful spiritual lesson
afterwards.   It was such a nice blessing to me to feel at home even
though im in fact very far from home.

Things are going good here. Im happy for this new transfer. Im no
longer Sister Training Leader which is fine by me, im grateful for the
opportunity i had to serve the girls in my zone. God is so good to us.

Con amor,
Hermana Shurtz

 Freaking out bout transfers (transfer guesses on what may happen)

Rojas and i