This transfer is just flying!

¡Buenos días queridos míos!

What a week! This transfer is just flying! Anyway, last week I talked about the activity we had and how it was a huge success... that is until the after effects. One of the sauces wasn't prepared properly and the whole ward got sick who ate it. Luckily I declined the kind offer to smother my potatoes in it, but there were many others who unfortunately didn't, including many new friends and my companion. (When I say "friends" I am usually referring to people we have plans to meet with teach them about Christ and His church) So the start of the week was a little rough in that aspect. But Hermana Snyder has been strong and the members have allowed her to choose her portion of food #blessings 

On Monday we bid farewell to our cute friend Cecilia, she no longer lives in our area and has plans to move back to her country if she doesn't find a job in the next week. The lesson was centered completely in Christ and His Atonement. I'm so grateful for the blessing it is to have a testimony that I know Christ knows exactly what I'm going through. He knows how to help me and make me stronger than I am. He has lead me and guided me through His perfect example, revelation and through His faithful servants. I'm grateful for His Grace, patience and love for each and every one of us

.

In my last email I talked about our friend Evelyn, well we were able to meet with her again this week and she is incredible. When we met with her last week we were on intercambios with the Barrio 3 Hermanas, I was with Hermana Leong and Christensen. I feel like I learned so much from that intercambio about faith, patience, diligence and just using common sense. So I said we found her in the street again and set up an appointment for Friday. Hermana Snyder and I were kind of running around because we had a lunch appointment and then needed to pick up the B3 Hermanas we had the lesson written down for 4:30 but because of all the craziness, we got there a little late. We rang her doorbell (the little box outside the gate of the apartment building) no answer. We rang it again 2 more times and I started to feel a little discouraged. I then tried calling her and her cousin who wanted to meet with us as well. Neither of them answer. I began to think, "Are they even interested? Why do they never answer us?" The three of us (Hermana Leong, Christensen and I) sat down to make a plan. We figured we should probably just leave when Hermana Leong offered to say a prayer. In her cute broken Spanish plea, she helped Heavenly Father understand our situation. She also explained how important it was for us to teach Evelyn so that she too could have the truth and happiness that the gospel brings, we also wanted to give her a little jar of goodies we made for her birthday. As she closed, we decided not to give up and at least drop off the goodies on her doorstep.(not as easy as it sounds) 

Someone went to the gate and we were able to get in with them to wait outside the actual apartment building. We went to the entrance and to our happy surprise someone was exiting and allowed us to enter. We then hiked up the 4 flights of stairs to her door we were placing the jar of goodies on her place-mat when the phone starts to ring. I answer and it's Evelyn! She explained that she was taking a nap and asked if we were close I told her we were at her door mat an she opened the door. 

We were able to teach her in unity about he importance of prayer, reading the Book of Mormon and coming to church. It was perfect and I felt pretty good, we taught her the lesson, all is well. But instead of closing Hermana Christensen decided to teach me a lesson. She turned to Evelyn, looked her straight in the eyes and asked her, "Evelyn, why did you decide to meet with us?" Evelyn really opened up as Hermana Christensen continued to ask her questions and truly listen to her response.

At times I get so caught up with the to-do lists that I forget even why we have them. I wasn't there to teach a lesson I was there to teach Evelyn. Hermana Christensen recognized that and helped me to recognize that as well. I'm so grateful for her example and for the opportunity I have to work with her, Hermana Leong and so many other incredible, faithful individuals.

This week we went on two other intercambios back to back. I worked with Hermana Storheim from Grand Junction and Hermana Webster again from Houston. They are both just fantastic sisters and it was such a blessing to work with the two of them. 

I'm learning so much everyday. I am so grateful for the mission. It's nothing I ever imagined it to be but it's more amazing than I could have ever hoped for it to be. I'm so grateful for Hermana Snyder, her example to me and her 100% dedication to serving the Lord. Every week we have our ups and downs but the ups always out shine the downs. I wouldn't trade the time I have here for the world. 

Thank you all for all the support, love and prayers! I am truly just so grateful. I hope you all have a wonderful week full of tender mercies and smiles!

All the awkward besos!

Hermana Warner

Hermana Leong, me, Hermana Tang, Hermana Snyder, Hermana Christensen😍

Muumuu sleep over with Hermana Storheim and Kletzli👌😴

Hermana Jarman and Hermana Webster 😘

Oh yeah, heads up, transfers are next week.

3rd time's a charm

Happy May!

WOW. All I can say is that time is FLYING! Can you believe it's already May 2017!? I can't. But hey all is well! Like I mentioned in my last email transfers are today, Hermana Snyder and I are staying together another 6 weeks then I get to toss her on the plane to the US of A. I'm so grateful that we get to be together, she is such a blessing.

This week was a lot more tranquilo than last week. We met with our cute friend Sandra a few times and she is well on track to being baptized in the next few weeks. We are all very excited :) the other day after teaching her some of the commandments she even commented, "So does our church have dress standards?" She has so much faith and truly wants to repent. She is grateful to learn the commandments and strives to obey them. She is incredible.

We also got to meet with our friend Cecilia. She goes home next month so we won't be baptizing her here, but she is doing well and has desires to take that step. We will do all that we can to help her progress and to help her family back at home have the Gospel. We teach her in the home of an adorable older Spanish lady named Pepita. Pepita grew up not knowing the truth of the gospel and is too old to grasp it right now. Every time we go we start and end the lesson with a hymn. It's beautiful how the hymns truly invite the spirit. It's interesting how the spirit changes everything in their home. With it, Pepita turns into a completely different person, so much happier and with so much more energy. I'm so grateful for the blessings of the gospel, it really does make a difference.

This week we were also blessed to meet and get to know a lot of the members here. We were invited to eat with a family from Utah and let me just say, BBQ pulled pork sandwiches never tasted so good. We got to share a message with them in english. It was really different but really good! They are doing all they can to help Zion grow here as well. The other day they made cookies for their neighbors and were invited to their home. Although it's simple and is often over looked it's so important that we friendship those around us. As we do so we can give them an opportunity to see how the gospel truly can bless us. 

I don't really have much more to say, but I love being a missionary! The church is true! I'm so grateful to be a part of it. I hope you are all having a great week! Good luck to all of you who are in finals! Also, another huge shout out to Brooklyn who comes to Madrid TODAY! She is going to be a fantastic missionary. Grateful to be her sister. 

Prayers and love!

Hermana Warner

Today we went to Casa de Campo with Sandra and Florinda <3

This week was CRAZY!!

Hello all! 

This week was CRAZY!! Monday was good, we were in a trio for the day and taught our friend Cecilia after Pday. It was really cool to teach her, she has told us before that she didn't know why she came here to Spain (she moved here from Columbia) but when we taught her the restoration she came to the conclusion that the Lord had sent her to Spain (of all places) to meet the missionaries and accept the restored gospel. Sometimes I get discouraged because we haven't found a lot of people who take the lessons seriously, but in this moment I remembered that God truly is preparing people, we just need to find them.

     Tuesday was interesting, we started off by dropping off our third comp in the metro to her new comp and continued with the day until we had another appointment with Sandra la Brasileña :) our member friend Thaina was able to teach with us (she speaks Spanish, English and is from BrAzil. Solid) Well, we started teaching so I pulled out my iPad. A guy came up to us when we started and asked for directions in French (we had the lesson in Burger King) He then left and we continued with the lesson. A few minutes later he came back, sat down at the table behind us, picked up his things and left. We didn't think much of it until I turned to get my scriptures out. "Uh, where's my back pack?" We all started frantically looking and remembered the guy who asked for directions. The workers said that they did see a man walking out with a blue back pack and we knew it was mine. The first thing we did was go to a locutorio to call Mom (hi mom) my mom answered. Miracle. Luckily Thaina spoke english, miracle, so she was able to get my mom to cancel my debit card from home. My mind raced to remember what else might have been of worth in my bag. The only things he was able to take was the card, some keys and my personal BOM. Earlier that day I was carrying another bag because we were in the trio, I accidentally forgot to put my normal wallet (with my transportation card, Mission card, Residency card and temple recommend) back in my backpack and I left that other bag at home. Miracle. 

After we got the card figured out we were able to go back to Burger King and have a fantastic lesson. We met with Sandra again later last week and she chose a day to be baptized.

Although we have trials and inconveniences pass in our lives, if we trust in God we will be happy. We were locked out of our Piso for a day and a half but after sending over a handyman from Barrio 4 we were able to get in and grab our spare key. Many other miracles happened last week, miracles we would only have been able to see with our trial. I know that God has a plan for each and every one of us. No matter how often we forget Him, he will never forget us.  I know the Church of Jesus Christ of LDS is the true church on the Lord today. As I read the Book of Mormon and share my testimony I feel the same spirit of peace and joy that I feel when I receive answers to my prayers. 

Thank you all for your prayers! I hope you all have a great week full of miracles!
Hermana Warner

Today we went to the Zoo!

Also intercambios with Hermana Kletzli! (On Thursday/Friday, yeah it's been a CRAZY week) I love her! She is wonderful!

P.S. Heads up! Transfers are next week! Shout out to my cute sis Brooklyn who will be leaving to the Spain Madrid MTC and the Malaga mission! Whoot whoot!! ✌️