January 27, 2014

My broken umbrella and 3 layers of jackets!

Kaixo!! (Hola in Bask)

I have been here for just about two months in Las Arenas and I still am amazed at how beutiful it is here. If any of you are ever planning on coming to Spain Las arenas might just be a must. This little bask part of Spain is gorgeous, even in the rain and spontaneous wind storms! It has been raining a lot more this week and both mine and my compañeras umbrellas broke in the wind. It was actually very funny . Good thing there are lots of  chinos around (chinese owned little random stores- kinda like a dollar store.. but they literally have everything you could ever imagine that you might randomly need) because the word around is that buying an expensive umbrella does no good in this wind, so might as well buy cheaper ones. either way you know its going to break so.... chinos here we come :) 

Portugalete (a part of our area)

The miracle of this week started when we decided to go visit a member's chucheria (a candy store) we were there talking to him and then without us even asking for references he started telling us about a member he sees and talks to that stopped coming to church almost five years ago. He said that he wanted to see if we could go visit here, he gave us here name and phone number and that was that. we called the elders, because she lives in their area , and asked if they had met with her already but they didnt even know her. We asked the senior couple if they knew anyhing about her and they didnt either so we went ahead called her up and set up a visit. - as hermanas we are kinda free to go out of area and visit single ladies because the elders cant go in without another man with them so its easier for us to visit inactive ladies even in their area- We get there and Imara is the sweetest  33 year old lady from Honduras. She tells us her story and how elders a long time ago came and tried to visit her but she wanted nothing with the church but she was very surprised to see that we called her becuase she has been having the strongest feeling to go back to church but she didnt know where to start. She said we had came at the perfect time and it was just what she needed. this all happened on tuesday AND THEN on Sunday she came to church, just as she said she was going to do. The first sunday back to church is HUGE for Less actives but she was there with a smile and all, she was loved by all the members who knew here and she said that she felt like she was coming back to her family. She gave us a big hug before leaving church and said ill be expecting you this tuesday as well. Milagro?? creo que si. :) I know it was nothing WE as missionaries did that made her come to church, it is always the Lord, he knows his children and he knows exacly what they need. I know that the member who gave us the reference was inspired to think of her and to have enough love for her to want to send us to her. I thanked the member on sunday for listening to the promptings of the spirit and giving us her information, He seemed a bit surprised but though about it and smiled. Not all of our actions have to have a huge spiritual prompting but just a small thought that comes to our mind, if its good, is always from God. My dear loved ones, follow every prompting you have, even if its just a small phone call that you feel you need to make to a neighbor, family member, or friend, Believe me, they probably need it, The lord uses us as his tools but if we dont place ourselves in his toolbox we will loose the opportunity to make a difference. Live worthy to be able to hear the whispers and promptings of the spirit then do it. That member did it, and I am so grateful he did. 

The rest of the week was great as well. We are struggling a little because we had to drop some of our investigators so we are working on finding, finding, finding. I love all the very interesting people we have the oportunity to talk to on the street. Hermana Gillette has the wonderful habit of praying for the ones who are very rude after they leave, so we just stop and pray. She apologizes to God and asks him to forgive them for rejecting Him. She is a wonderful example and missionary. 

I LOVE YOU ALL SO SO SO SO MUCH!!! Always remember that! 

Un abrazo grande, 

Hermana Hair

Making empanadas at a members home! (h. rackam from bilbao is also with us in this picture, we were in a trio for this day)

January 20, 2014‏

Hello everyone! We had a pretty good week here in Las Arenas. We have had a lot more lessons, almost doubled our average number of lessons, because we have been talking to more people on the streets and teaching and testifying at every moment possible and praying with them right there on the streets. I know that its not the most effect way of doing missionary work. the best way is through member references.. but its a bit hard to get this little branch rolling on that boat but poco a poco (little by little). However i do know that by opening our mouths and testifying to everyone that we are being obedient and that maybe we wont see the miracles through the people we contact but that soon enought the miracles will come. God always keeps his promises if we are obedient and do our part. 

A miracle we had this week was that we found ortilia through a reference from the elders (someone they contacted )  of almost 3 months ago. She had left to her country, Peru, and the hermanas that were here before were never able to get in contact with her. we found the number called her up and she let us over and has been reading and praying AND CAME TO CHURCH!! it was even her birthday on sunday but she still came to church! on the first visit she told us she would never be baptized and if our purpose was to baptize her that we wouldnt be able to . but i told her that we are here to teach the people this message but what i know is that when people KNOW that this is true that they have the DESIRE to be baptized and that it is their choice. She thought about that and has still let us visit. The ladies in the ward were SO nice to her and I know she had a great time. I know the gospel can touch anyones heart and that the holy ghost can testify to them that this is the true church. I hope we can get her progressing towards baptism but more importantly i hope she can feel our love and Gods love through what we teach her. I will keep you updated. 

Its been getting colder up here. yesterday and today have been super rainy and windy. i am currently typing with gloves on because my fingers are so cold ha. Ive been told february is the coldest up here. I guess i will find out. There are definetly less people outside when the weather is like this. But i love this work!! rain, sun, wind, cold, hot, it doesnt matter. I love this and I would do it anywhere and anytime. I couldnt be having a better experience than being here on my mission helping the Lord and being an instrument in his hands. I love Him SO much with all my heart! and i love all of you! take care and keep warm! 

love, Hermana Hair

January 13, 2014

Okay not our best picture. but here we are!!

SO much to talk about. Well this week has by far been better than the past few weeks. I had no idea how much the holidays would really affect missionary work here. and to be honest it really puts you in a slump mood. But this week we are finally getting out of the holidays and its been wonderful! Hermana Gillette is amazing!! i absolutely love her! She is from utah, currently from Park City . She is blonde and beautiful and has a super testimony and spirit. She has been out for about 5 months and is a contacting machine and has gotten my spirits back up about this area and after the holidays slump. We are pretty much almost the same person... We have a similiar past and can really relate in a lot of different ways. We have just clicked from day one. We have laughed just as hard as we have been working (which is hard). We have seen SO many miracles in the six days we have been together, its incredible. I dont even know where to start or how to explain it all. They have been small miracles but a lot of them. Weve had full days of visits and we found 7 new people to teach last week!  Every step we take is basically a miracle. The lord really knows exactly where we need to be, he leads us there and then places the people in our path. There is a wonderful lady from Colombia that we talked to and her name is GLORIA! just like you mom! and she wants to hear our message and we have a visit with her this week. 

The funny thing is that the first thing i told Hermana Gillete as she got off the train and i took one of her bags was "Hermana we are going to make a GOOD team". I could feel it from the moment we said Hi, I know we are going to do great together because... we already are! 

Well I hope everyone is doing great as well! keep warm! 

love you all!! 

Hermana Hair

Here are some pictures of our little piso! its basically like ikea, its so pretty:)

So its a bit late but here is my 8 month picture. This was super early monday morning (6 am ) at the train station when we dropped of hermana Swenson. 

January 7, 2014

HAPPY 2014 EVERYONE!!! I hope everyone had a great new years! the tradition here in Spain is to eat 12 grapes at midnight  (1 grape a second).so the elders here and h. swenson and I after eating at a brazilian members home ate the twelve grapes outside our piso at like 10:50 pm because we had to be in psio by 11 pm that night. We are so spaniard now ;) But this family from Brazil is amazing! they seriously went all out and made a huge FEAST for us, i will send picutres next time because right now I am in Bilbao with the bilbao hermanas because my companion left yesterday morning!!! We had transfers this week and h. swenson is now in barcelona and my new companion is H. Gillete! I havent met her yet because her train gets in tonight at like 10. (its a six hour train ride from barcelona to up here) but i hear she is super sweet, blonde, super skinny and that she has the heaviest suitcases in the mission! She has been out for the same time as my last two comps but i am super excited to meet her. a bit nervous becuase well... its always a bit weird when you change comps becuause you get so used to your old one but I am hoping to see many miracles this next transfer with her. 

Oh so yesterday was el dia de los reyes magos, Three kings day! and its huge here. almost bigger than christmas day. everyone in the family gets three presents, one from each king. they had a big parade in every city sunday night where the kings throw candies. So yesterday I was half the day in las arenas and half the day in Bilbao, Most of the day yesterday i was with the elders and the herreros (the senior couple) because hna swenson left at six in the morning my compa for the day was hna herrero. and really all that we did yesterday was eat! We went from member to member and they feed us all so much food. i really did not want to eat anything all day today. They have this specail cake thing called a roscon and every house gave it to us (a super spaniard desert for this holiday) and i feel really gross now. ha. but it was nice to spend the day with the missionaries and members.

We did see small miracles this past week, we found some great potential investigators.. but for some reason they are all busy till the end of january... ummm. yeah. but we are going to keep finding , keep working and I know that if we are obey with exactness and love that the lord blesses us and really uses us as instruments in his hands. Love you all so much! make this year wonderful! I will send my 8 months picture next time. 

a small challange we have been given members is to find a scripture as a family and make it your theme for 2014. write it out and hang it somewhere you see it everyday. memorize it and live it and you will see that throughout this year it will help you in ways you never imagined. . I invite you all to try it as well. and i would love to hear about your scripture that you choose for your family. 

Take care!! muchos besitos y abrazos de España

love, Hermana Hair