Mission tour and Intercambios

Did January and February just fly or what? I can't believe we are already in March this week. CRAZY!

This week was super loco.... we had a mission tour from Elder Soares of the 70. Wow. He and his wife are spiritual beacons. They are absolutely incredible and I learned so much from their words and their example. They focused the importance of planning, serious goal setting, Companionship study, and what it means to be a representative of Christ. I wrote all about it in my journal but if you want to know more about it just ask me (: 

With them coming down we had TWO intercambios (I guess they're called exchanges in english...) anyway its when other sister missionaries in our zone come and stay with us for 24 hours. We then split up the two companionships and learn, study, plan, practice and teach with the other sister. The first intercambio I had was with Hermana Hinton from Colorado! She is my favorite. We were in Galicia (north western Spain) together for 6 months and are now again serving pretty close to each other. She finishes her mission here in Spain in 3 weeks so I honestly learned so much more from her than I'm sure she learned from me. While on the intercambio we go to take some reactivated members to the temple to do baptisms. We didn't get to go in but we waited outside the temple with Camila and worked on Personal Progress together. (I love personal progress! I'm so excited to work on it with you and Lindsey when I get home Libby! You're getting so old! I love you!!!XOXOX)

It was kinda of crazy but Hermana Hinton already knows my area so we didn't get lost (: they left around 2ish on Thursday and around 4 our friends (sister missionary friends) form VIGO came and stayed with us! I got to spend the evening with Hermana Jimenez (from Ecuador) and Hermana Snyder (my actual comp) got to serve with Hermana Duffin!! (Hermana Duffin and I are pals from the MTC, she's my hero and has been a huge support to me on the mish) It was awesome. Hermana Jimenez also finishes the mission in 3 weeks and knows the area better than I do so it was also really successful I learned a lot from her as well (:

The Vigo hermanas stayed with us because we had a meeting with Elder Soares for the mission leaders in presidents home on Friday. It was so great to see all the missionaries I'd served with before working together to know how to lead the mission. We made lots of great goals and we are going to keep them. Hermana Snyder and I felt kind of out of place at first because we are both brand new sister training leaders. Hermana Snyder would just turn and look at me and say that she didn't know why she was there. But she is incredible and contributed a lot. A lot of her input was really helpful for the discussions we had. I have the best companion. She's such a great example to me and I am grateful to be working so closely with her so i can learn even more from her example. #blessed

The more I spend on the mission the more I am so grateful for the restored gospel. We are teaching a girl who has been meeting with the Jehovah's Witnesses. I have a lot of respect for them they work really hard to follow the Bible and live high eternal standards. There are a lot of other people here in Spain that live their lives to the best of their abilities to find eternal happiness. And many people have asked me, "Why does it matter what religion I live if I just follow Christ the best I can?" It's a good question. What really are they missing out on? 

I'm so grateful for the knowledge we have that God is our father. He loves us and cares for us. He wants us to learn and progress in this life. For this reason He has given us His Gospel through living prophets. To give us exact instruction in our lives to know how to follow Christ with exactness. Of course we are not perfect but I promise that as we follow the guidance the prophets give us we will be able to achieve the greatest level of happiness this life has to offer. God has given men His power and authority to lead us and guide us in this world of confusion that is only worsening. We don't have to walk in darkness. We don't need to play guessing games. Through His prophets God has shown us the path that leads to happiness. All we need to do is follow it.

I'm so grateful to be a missionary here in Spain Madrid. (I'm sure Malaga is incredible too Brook) I know it's exactly where I need to be to do what I need to do and learn how to become the person I need to become. 

I hope you all have a fantastic week and that you take advantage of every moment!

Much love and awkward besos,

Hermana Warner 

At the temple with Camila and Hermana Hinton <3

Carabanchel. It's a good place to find people who need the gospel.

We are going to a Forrest park today! 

More pictures than Words

Hmm. Well this week has by far been the fastest week of the mish. But
it was also one of the best!
   On Monday we wanted to go to an art museum but they were all
closed. Stink. Hmm what do you do when there's nothing to do? You go
get yourself the most delicious ice cream of your life. So yep, that's
what we did. I got Kinder and Oreo. The best. Then to end the
beautiful day we met with Wendy! I LOVE WENDY! She is so so good, we
taught her more about Christ and having faith in Him. You all should
read Alma 32.
   On Wednesday we had a meeting for all the trainers and trainees in
Galicia (Northern Spain) so we stayed the night with the Hermanas de A
Coruña and Lugo! Hermana Esmiol was there with us as well. We had a
cute fun sleep over and bonded over pancakes for breakfast. Needless
to say it was wonderful.
   The reason we just stayed the night was because we had Zone
Training the next morning. It was really good! I love my Sister
Training leaders, they are so sweet and I just remember feeling a lot
more motivated after the meeting. I realize I'm not being as faithful
as I should be, I started blaming others for our "unsuccess" and was
just a little blue. But life is good again and I know the Lord has
people prepared for us to teach.
   After Zone training in A Coruña we went to Santiago to do
intercambios with our cute Sister Training Leaders Hermanas Vasas y
Fig-burrito (I don't know how to spell it but that's kinda how it
sounds) jk found it. Hermana Figueiredo. Anyway I stuck with her
during the intercambio because I was with Hermana Vasas last time.
        Hermana Figueiredo is from Portugal but grew up near London. She is
my favorite. We started by teaching a menos activo we'll call her B.
As we were walking to the church Hermana Figueiredo told me about her
situation and that we were going to teach her the message of the
restoration again, but I just felt really strongly that she needed to
learn how to forgive. B has had a really hard life and to me at least
it seemed she was blaming others for it. Yeah the people in her life
could treat her better and love her more but I am here to help people
make the best of their lives through the Gospel of Jesus Christ. When
we got there we knew right off that we wouldn't be teaching the
restoration. We hadn't planned anything else so just before starting I
opened to Moroni 7 and slid it over to Sister Fig (her name is really
long) So instead we focused the lesson on Charity and about love. It
was by far the strongest I've ever felt the Spirit in a lesson.
        It doesn't matter where you are in your life, the gospel of Jesus
Christ will make it better. One thing B needs to learn, and maybe
something we all can learn is that we need to apply what we learn to
our lives. If your life isn't where you want it, I invite you to pray
with real intent to know what you can do personally to make it better.
This is your life. You can't point fingers, if you want it to be
better you need to make it better. Apply the Scriptures, apply the
Gospel. God will help you. Just keep going and be happy. (Read: It
works Wonderfully, President Uchtdorff)
        I'm really grateful for the opportunity to go on intercambios, I
learn so much each time I go and I am always re-motivated to do more
to be better. But after being away for two nights it felt good to be
home. I was able to apply a little bit of what I learned in the
following lessons. This week we worked more with menos activos than
with investigators but they are just as important. There are too many
people who cut themselves short of the blessings they could be
enjoying. Too many people who haven't gone to the temple. I wish I
could shout from the rooftops all the blessings that could be theirs.
But, with President Eyring, "I have learned that the only exhortation
that changes hearts comes from the Holy Ghost." All I can do if pray
and teach and invite the spirit and pray some more that they can
understand their full potential. (3 Nephi 9:13-14 even the righteous
need to be healed)
        Don't give up on anybody. It is never too late to come back and it is
never too late to move forward. God's given us the tools to be happy
and move forward. Use them. Apply them. “Don’t give up. … Don’t you
quit. You keep walking. You keep trying. There is help and happiness
ahead. … It will be all right in the end. Trust God and believe in
good things to come.”
        I love you all! I hope this week is fantastic and that you all get to
enjoy this last burst of summery sweetness!
        Appropriate besos and handshakes.
La Hermana Warner

1. The best ice cream in the world

2. Sleep over! Hermana Kletzly, me, Davis, Pitcher, Hinton and Madugno

up front (: oh yeah, sis Pitcher graduated with me from Bingham. Small

world.

3. Zone lunch at Dominos. Elder Wagner, Thomas ( who also graduated

with me...), Kemptz, Romney, Me, Davis, Vasas y Fig-burrito

4. Intercambios!

5. Donuts on the train ride

6. Another delicious pastry I shouldn't have eaten. Don't worry, we shared.

Anyway, I hope you all are having the best summer ever!!! Loves!

Pancakes for breakfast.