Semana 50!!!

Wow I am HOT! 

PONCE... the hottest area on this tiny island.... and still not as hot as AZ....!!! 

This week was crazy, with transfers, saying goodbye to everyone and getting used to a new area! 

Leaving Aibonito was really sad but I was so excited to come here to Ponce!! My new companion is Hermana Cantu!! She is the coolest person ever and we have a lot of fun! We have been working HARD since the second I stepped foot into the area!! 

We went to go teach this lady named Magdalena and we taught her the plan of salvation! Shes a smoker and has been trying to quit and is getting closer!!! I extended a date to get baptized and she looks over at Hermana Cantu and pauses.... and says "pues, CLARO" which means OF COURSE!!! So that was a miracle!! She also came to church on sunday and it was so wonderful she was listening so contently and was SO eager to learn!!!

We also got to put Jose and Lucy on date to be baptized! (a couple other people we are teaching!!) 

We have seen so many miracles and changes are hard but SO GREAT!! 

I know this is where I need to be and that I will see many miracles as I work hard!!

Pics:  Saying goodbye in Aibonito

Semana 49!!!

WELL Thali got BAPTIZED and it was the sweetest baptism I have ever experienced, her face as she came out of the water was priceless.  She was beyond prepared and ready to make this covenant!! I have been so lucky to have had the opportunity to help Thali and her family, I love them so much and after the baptism of Thali her mom (who isn't a member) came up and gave me a hug and said "thank you for EVERYTHING".  That was a really spiritual moment and something I will never forget.  Then in church Thali got up and bore her testimony during fast and testimony and made everyone cry, seriously there wasn't a dry eye in the house.  Then I got up and bore my testimony and cried because I knew we were getting transfer news that night and I knew I'd be leaving. 

And last night we got the call from president and he told me that I would be going to Ponce with Hermana Cantu to be a STL! (sister training leader).

6 months in Aibonito was not enough! Im super sad to leave but I am so grateful for the time I had here and to see this little branch grow! Never had i felt so much love for such a small group of people. there are no words.  

I cant believe that I'll be leaving tomorrow but I know its where the Lord needs me to be!!! 

hope you all have a great week!!! love you!

here are a bunch of pictures of me and my families I have made here in Aibonito

Branch Presidents Family

Companions - Hermana Shaerrer

Love them

They are the Best!!

Thali

Baptism

Aibonito Branch Pres and YW Pres

LOVE

Pineapple drink

Semana 48!!!

Another week!! and let me tell you a GREAT week!!!

We were at Thalis house a lot this week re teaching her all the lessons and man she is so excited. Everyday she counts down önly 8 more days, only 7 more days!!" its the cutest thing! She's got her baptism all planned out and I have NEVER seen someone so ready to be baptized. She knows this is going to change her life and we sure do too.

We also threw Olmarilis a surprise birthday party after one of Thalis lessons!! Olma is the Young Womens President and she was SO surprised!!! 

The jovenes and us went to a school for a service project and we painted a library!! it was alot of work and was a huge library but it was super fun do have the youth from the church involved!! 

Also there is a HUGE festival going on here in Aibonito called the Festical of the Flowers!! So we have had so so so many people here in our little town and we aren't use to it!! Its really fun though!! Puerto Ricans ALWAYS want to know why the two little blonde girls are on the island! So usually, the vendors will call us over to their booths, we talk to them for a bit, and usually they give us something from their booth to eat! Its so fun and we have been able to meet SO many people!!!

Love you all and i hope you have a GREAT 4th of JULY!!!! 

Limes

Festival of flowers

Life of the party 

Tan line keep getting better

Olma Surprise 

Cake

Painting the library

Puerto Rico

Painting the library with the youth

Semana 47!!!

HOLY COW THIS WEEK WAS CRAZY AND FULL OF MIRACLES!

Monday night we met up with thali, and she asked us about baptism! It was such a cool experience that we could testify to her about baptism and we told her to pray about a date and she came to mutual on Wednesday and told us that the 7th of July she will be getting baptized!!! So we will be over there alot this week re going over all the lessons with her cause its been a minute!!!! We are so excited for her!!!

Tuesday we went to our appointment with Anangeli and told her we were going to start from the beginning! So we taught her L1 and it was super awesome! The spirit was so strong! She promised to read and pray about the book of Mormon! We left and I got into the car and Hermana Schaerrer was backing me from outside the car (missionary rule) and she comes to get in the car and has a weird look on her face... and says... "Hermana i think we killed Anangelis daughters bunny..." and i was like WHAT!!! and turns out it was sleeping under the tire when we backed up and no one saw it... so we ran it over with the car by accident. We parked the car and ran back up and anageli heard us and came out and we hermana schaerrer yells " "WE KILLED YOUR BUNNY" she looked at the poor little thing smashed on the drive way and stared laughing uncontrollably. Apparently she hated that bunny and it was sick and needed to die. But, she didn't want her daughter to know so we put it in a garbage bag, put it in the back of our car and took it home to bury it behind our house. But don't worry, we have another appointment with Anangeli tomorrow and he daughter thinks that her bunny ran away!

So that was the crazy story for the week, we felt so bad the whole week but it was an accident and everyone knows that!! 

but yeah the work here is picking up and I love every single minute aibonito has the most special place in my heart!!! 

love you all have a great week!!

Dead bunny :(

District

Courtney and Shaerrer

Mutual

Semana 46!!!

Well this week was a crazy one!! 

On tuesday we went on a wild goose chase trying to find this ladys (named Dayanara) house to give her the book of mormon that she requested!!! It was way way way in the boonies and all we had was a MAILBOX number.... but we didnt give up! We knew we were in the right area, we just could NOT find the house... so we got out and walked.  We tried to call her but didnt have any signal so we continued to walk up a huge hill, and we got service!1 and called her! We started to explain where we were and she was like... "why can  hear you so well??"and all of a sudden we heard "HOLA!!!"we had literally walked right up to the back of her house! it was a miracle!! We gave her the book of mormon and shared the restoration with her, she listened so intently and it was a really big miracle.  She commited to read it and we will be going back this week to follow up! It was really cool because she's a single mom of 3 kids, one has autism, and we were able to promise that she wouldn't feel so alone all the time!! 

On wednesday we had mutual and it was super fun! Thali, the daughter of the part member family that just got married came up to me and said she wants to meet with us and talk about baptism and what she should do to prepare!!! she initally was waiting to get babtized with her mom but she now is going to do it and set the example!! Shes so excited and so are we!!!! We have an appointment with her tonight! 

On Thursday we were on exchanges, I was with Hermana Cantu and we went to visit Anangeli to ask her straight up is these lessons and gospel is something she wants!! So we bore out testimonies and told her how this would bless her life and she was like Ïve been separated from God for the past few months and im done, i know i need to do my part!!! so yes, lets do this!" So we will be working with anangeli alot more too!!! 

On friday we visited a less active couple and invited them to come to church! We have done this a million times with them and they always say theyll come but never do.... BUT on sunday they showed up!!! it was the cherry on top of a great week!!! We also had a big fathers day lunch after and it was awesome!!

Hope you all had a great fathers day and week! and have a great week this week!

heres pictures of the father day lunch, us and the special man that llives by us, and a bunch of puertorican food:)

Our Household

Food

More Food

And more Food!!!

Semana 45!!!

Another great week!!! This week we had an Hermanas Conference with all the Hermanas on the island!! it was so so so fun to see everyone!! the topic was GRACE and holy cow I did not understand grace before!! There were so many wonderful talks about how we need to use the grace of christ more fully! Yes we need to do our best, but what we cant do HE will make up the rest! Also he has already paid for our sins and sadness and everything!!! we just have to LET HIM!!!! His grace is sufficient to help us through everything, he doesnt just help us at the end when we have already done everything we can but he HELPS US THROUGH! 

A quote i really loved from Brad Wilcox about grace is:

The miracle of the Atonement is not just that we can live after we die but that we can live more abundantly (see John 10:10). The miracle of the Atonement is not just that we can be cleansed and consoled but that we can be transformed (see Romans 8). Scriptures make it clear that no unclean thing can dwell with God (see Alma 40:26), but no unchanged thing will even want to.

I invite you all to use the Atonement of jesus christ and his grace more fully this week and LET him help you!!!  

if anyone is interested in the talk by brad wilcox, his grace is sufficient, here is the link!! :

https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/ensign/2013/09/his-grace-is-sufficient?lang=eng

Sister Smart with Hermana's at Confernce

Courtney and Hermana's

Cake, Cake,Cake :)

Painting :)

Semana 44!!!

Wow another week!! Well good news my head is healing super super well! This week was full of contacting and trying to find people to teach! Carlos is still progressing really well and is on track to be baptized the 29th of june! We are excited for him and are hoping he continues to progress!!

I don't have alot of time but I love you all and thanks for the support!! have a great week!

Remember you always have at least ONE person on your side and thats the savior!!:)

My Head

Food

Hermana Shaerrer