The Last One

Dear family and friends,

ere we go, the letter I NEVER wanted to come. President, there are so many things that have been buzzing around my mind for the last few days but I have found there are two motifs. Love and gratitude. Still trying to do the whole pretend this isn't real type thing (not a big fan of change), my mind can't believe this is happening but it seems like my heart does because I pretty much always have a knot in my throat no matter what I am doing or thinking about but thus far I have been doing a pretty good job at just letting a few tears slip out anymore than that I think I would just lose it. I get frustrated that it's so hard but deep down I know that I wouldn't want it any other way. To be honest, I guess I'm glad this is so difficult because it means that I really have been able to give a part of my heart to these people. Just like my dad said on our ride to the airport, there would be people that at that point I didn't even know existed that I would end up loving like family. Those words couldn't be truer. I have felt the love of God for the people in Valencia, Barcelona, and Sabadell tan fuerte que nunca jamás podré negar que tengo un Padre Celestial. But I'll leave the sentimental stuff until a little later on, I can't make this whole last email like an obituary.

First off: to those of you that have seen my Zumba video on facebook I can explain. So I think I have told you that one of the ways we have been able to get a lot of investigators and less actives fellowshipped by the members and into the capilla is a weekly activity that we do on Saturdays, Zumba. It's not really zumba because obviously we keep it clean, it's more like aerobics with music. It's been a great thing and we have seen baptisms and re activations by breaking the ice with this activity. Not to mention the bishop's wife and a couple of recently reactivated members teach the dances so it's been super great. Anyway, there are a few dances that the instructors have taught in the past but have a hard time remembering so they asked me to do them so they could record and review them, and Dubi (a YSA in my ward) loves Clap Your Hands so she hopped in, had someone record it, and put in on facebook (which I JUST found out about, SO EMBARRASSING)

Second off:....actually that's the only non sentimental thing I really had to say. Nothing is really on my mind lately except for how much I have loved my mission, how much I love these people, and how sad I am to leave. I know it's time and I'm sure as soon as I get on (or maybe off) the plane the excitement will hit on but right now it's a little hard. I feel SOOO blessed to have been able to live a year and a half of my life here in Spain. Everyone here and at home knows how badly I don't want to leave my mission, I have been praying a lot to have peace of mind about it. The other day I was reading a talk by Elder Edward Dube and he said we are to look forward and not back, he then quoted an apostle and said "the past is to be learned from but not lived in" I have learned so much from this past year and a half and I have finally decided that this anxious feeling about ending this great journey is God's way of telling me that He still needs me as a missionary, maybe not with a chapa but as a member. I've come to realize that the mission isn't this great thing that we prepare our whole lives to do and then once the sacrifice is over we just sit back and reap the benefits, but rather it is a preparation. It is so that  we, as the youth and future of the church, can receive and strengthen our testimonies, deepen our conversation, and learn how to share the gospel and teach others so that we, for the rest of our lives and in the spirit world can help our brothers and sisters feel the love and peace we feel.

Nos vemos! Os quiero!

Hermana Tuttle

P.S. I'd send pictures but Dubi puts pretty much everything on facebook so I'm not worried about you forgetting what I look like :)

... freaking out ... nbd

...I'm freaking out....moving on....

Dear everyone,

So this week has been great. As I told you I got a new companion and she is the greatest. The three of us are having an absolute blast! The other day we made peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, ravioli, and chocolate milk it was our "going back to elementary school days." On Saturday after zumba we had just mopped the church and were waiting for it to dry so we could put down the chairs and in our attempt to make it dry faster (and to have a little fun) we had a sliding war. We are working so hard and seeing more miracles than we can say but we are also having a blast. I've learned that if you aren't having fun as a missionary (obviously within the limits of obedience) you aren't serving to your greatest potential. I look back on this time (and forward to the time I still have, I'm not dead) and this really is the greatest year and a half. I've had the best companions and the streak continues with Hermana Masters.

A couple of miracles: This week an Elder called telling me that a woman had called them asking for me, he gave me her number but didn't know her name. When I called the number it was Yuli!!!! My recent convert/ MIRACLE baptism from december. She called saying that she was in Sabadell Nord and that she didn't know how to get to the church (I think she thinks I live at the church) luckily our visit had just fired so we went to pick her up. It was AMAZING to see her again. She said she thought I was ending in July so 20 days ago she came down from France and all she knew was that I was in Sabadell so she walked from the Sabadell South station to the Sabadell Center station asking everyone if they knew where the mormon chapel was. (we live in Sabadell Nord and the chapel is even further north). She walked around from 8 am to 2 pm and never found out anything so she headed back to France absolutely heartbroken she said. Then she somehow got the elders phone number and we found each other. She just bawled. It was a beautiful moment. I got to share a message with her and she said the prayer she cried and just thanked God that she finally found me before I left. She came all the way down from France to see me and wow was that a humbling experience. I'm so grateful I got to be a part of her life for that short time, an instrument in His hands.

Another miracle but I'm going to try to keep these last two short because I'm out of time

Harold and Jon Carlos: two investigators (14 and 17): we went over to visit them the other night and they had two friends over. Between the four of these teenagers there were 2 testigos, 1 atheist, and 1 muslim. In the back of my mind I thought, these teenagers are going to be so bugged we are here when they are obviously just counting down the minutes until we leave so they can watch the fútbol game so we said we would just share a quick message. We were wrapping it up but then I felt to ask if they had any questions they said no but then I felt to push it a little more and so I said that it could be about anything. They began to ask a bunch of questions about the Plan of Salvation so we taught it to them and they were so captivated. They had some questions about Joseph Smith so we told them we will come by another day and teach the Restoration to all 4 of them. Woot Woot!

Lastly: Saturday night we only had 7 member present lessons and 3 news. Our goals were 12 and 6 (respectively). All of our visits fired on us and all of the people who normally come with us were going to be busy Sunday but we knew we needed to splits if we wanted to get 5 lessons and 3 news in one day. Anyway, long story short we saw miracle after miracle. Joan Pau went with my companions and Karen came with me. Karen and I saw miracle after miracle as we talked with EVERYONE and passed by people. We had 5 lessons, found 3 news and found a member who was baptized in Chile about 20 years ago but left the church shortly after, we found another investigator who desperately needed our help and we sang Nearer My God to Thee to a blind woman and people all over the big park just stopped and looked at us. It was beautiful. The others had 3 lessons which means we not only met but exceeded our goals. It was beautiful.

I am happy, I'm finally getting over being sick, and the pinky toe I jammed in a door has finally stopped bleeding...soo....basically life rocks. I love you all!!!

Hermana Tuttle

Time's a Flyin

Dear friends and family,

AHHHHHHHHHH!!!! Jolin (pronounced Holeen) I can't believe how fast time is flying. As always I'm doing absolutely amazing! We are seeing miracle after miracle here, people are being prepared left and right and it just breaks my heart a little bit to think that I won't be able to see a lot of these people on their special day but so relieved to know that I am leaving this area so strong to two absolutely amazing missionaries. Which leads to me to the first bit of news:

Hermana Masters- For my final two weeks I will be in a trio with Hermana Ward and Hermana Masters. She is as sweet as they come. I probably sound like a broken record or that I need to expand my vocabulary because I use the same adjective with every companion but it's so true all of my companions are so sweet. She's from California, she's been in the mission 6 months, she is just leaving her first area Castellón (near Valencia) with none other than Herman Durham! Oh how I love all of my companions. You get so close to them and then it's so hard to say goodbye and to go so long without seeing them...new goal: go a whole email without saying "so," I am so American.

Okay so basically we are just teaching a bunch of amazing people! Harold who is the cutest little 8 year old gypsy, he has had a really rough life, he's never met his mom because she is a drug addict and just abandoned him when he was born three months premature and his dad has been in prison his whole life so he lives with his grandparents who are so sweet and so humble. We met him through another family we are teaching and then a few days later when we saw him and his mom on the street he introduced us to his mom and said "these are my new friends I was telling you about" the mom could not stop thanking us and told us that Harold loved the lesson and has told her he would like to be baptized.

Then there's Mireya who I talked about a few weeks ago, well we had another amazing lesson with her and she now has a baptismal date for the end of this month. When we started talking about life after death she began to cry, she has so many people dear to her that have passed away and I'm so grateful that we get to help her realize that the seperation is only temporary.

Another person: Rosi, I felt like I needed to contact her the other day, she was sitting on a bench and then last night we had a lesson with her (Joan Pau came with us) and it was perfect she wants to come to all of the activities and we have another visit with her today, she had all of the right questions and concerns and it was just perfect.

That leads me into my last thing I want to talk about that is: the miracle of Joan Pau. He coming on some visits with us and is absolutely amazing, he has such a a great perspective!!! He is even finding creative ways to introduce us to his friends like the other day he and his friend Noelia made us an authentic Catalán dinner. It was AMAZING! We then had a really good talk about family history work and that families can be together forever something really helpful for Joan Pau because his mom passed away from cancer several years ago. Then on Sunday, we sustained him in sacrament meeting to receive the Aaronic priesthood. I don't know what came over me but I turned around, saw him standing there with a white shirt and tie for the first time, faced forward again, and then his whole journey flashed through my mind and I just bawled!!!! I couldn't believe it! I never cry and I just bawled right there in sacrament meeting. I am turning into such a baby. President Pace was just looking at me with tears streaming down his face from the stand. It's been a beautiful journey with Joan Pau, if I have to end I'm glad I'm ending here.

I'm as sad and as happy as can be all at the same time.

Lo que el Señor me ha enseñado

Queridos Familia y amigos,

Here we go again, another email...weird. Does it seem like time is literally speeding up lately, crazy, but enough about that, onto more important things:

Joan Pau, he is great!!!! Everything is going really well, he is coming to all of the activities, he has had a meeting with the bishop about getting the Aaronic priesthood, he came to the baptism on Saturday just because he wanted to (it wasn't even for our ward), he goes out on visits with us and the elders and he's just basically amazing. The other day we went to his house and he invited one of his friends and we + a member who is just about to leave to his mission in Tampa Florida did kind of a family home evening, I taught them how to make pancakes, hermana ward made the syrup and then we had a spiritual thought, after that we headed out to the weekly activity the missionaries host at the church and Joan Pau's friend couldn't come but he invited his little sister Ana. He's a missionary already.

Anyone who knows me well knows I'm not one for "this is my last ____" I handle change just fine after I don't have a choice and the damage is done but the anticipation is the hardest for me so I try not to think about it...as my mom, who basically did all of my packing and preparation for the mission, can testify better than anyone. But there are a few "lasts" that I will allow myself to mention only because they are things that have truly changed my life and are things that I will forever cherish. Yesterday was my last leadership council meeting "concilio". It's been almost a year since I got called last August to be a sister training leader and I can't believe. I remember my first concilio, one hermana was going home and President asked her to share what the Lord had taught her. I remember wondering what I would say if at the end of my mission I was in that place. Since that day it has become a tradition so yesterday I, and several of my heroes in the mission who are going home this month, got to share Lo que El Señor me ha enseñado. Maybe in the future, in person, I'll go into more detail but to keep this from getting horrifically long I'll just share the key points of what I said yesterday: 1) To never underestimate today. You never know when one experience you have or one person you talk to today will change the rest of your mission/life, 2) To trust in the Lord because He trusts in us, he sends us to the people who does and to the places we are for a reason. Esther 4:14 3) Prayer, that God really does answer our prayers. That miracles happen everyday if we just have the faith and diligence to do our part. Everything works when we're working. and 4) the power of a testimony. Before my mission I was never able to say "I know," I believed of course but I wanted to be able to say like Brother Reed Beus and so many other heroes of mine: I know. That was one of my main reasons for coming out here. There are still things I'm learning and things that I don't quite understand but they'll come in time but I am grateful for the fact that thank you to my mission there are 4 things specifically that I can say I know. (I'll leave that to another week). I did pretty well at not crying until at the very end when President shared his testimony he said "I got a bunch of emails recently saying that a lot of you had hit your year mark (the huge group of 42 missionaries that came in last year)" he then stopped and looked down at the ground and then back up and with tears in his eyes he said "there are a missionaries who are well beyond a year"....and then the tears started coming. It took me the first two verses before I could finally sing the final hymn.

This mission thing is beautiful.

Hermana Tuttle

1) All of the new sister training leaders, I wish I had a picture of the group when I got called last year all of which are long gone. So many new faces, this mission has a very bright future. I am kneeling next to my first companion in the MTC. Hermana Bracken and the really tall blonde in the back is Hermana Benson who I will be coming home with. I love them both DEARLY!

2) Saying goodbye to "Elder Thorpe"

Joan Pau, Pilar, Vilafranca

Querido Mundo,

I'd love to give a nice little intro then tell you about a few of the miracles we had this week and then save the best for last but let's be real I am just WAY TOO EXCITED!!!! Yesterday I got to see my best friend be confirmed as a member of the church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Joan Pau, one of the sweetest people I have ever met who I have been working with since the day I got to Sabadell got baptized and confirmed this weekend. It was hard not to get emotional when he entered into the water all dressed in white as I got to witness so many prayers and fasts get answered. He had three siblings there and his dad came and then one of his sisters, his two kid brothers, and his dad came to the confirmation yesterday. Joan Pau asked me to bear my testimony and to say the closing prayer and afterwards his dad, who I had only met once before, came up to me, grabbed my hand and with such sincerity looked me in the eye and said "thank you for being such a good friend to my son." Coming from someone who before had no interest in his son taking our lessons it was a beautiful compliment and one I will remember for the rest of my life. Joan Pau came on his first lesson with an investigator last night and said he'd love to come with us to any lessons we have this whole week. He's going to be an amazing member!

Another miracle is a family of a less active member, Pilar, who we have taught several times but her children have always been at school. Now that the kids are on summer vacation she lets us teach them and as crazy as they are (they come from a VERY unstable family situation) they are so sweet when we are there. We have passed by them three times this week and yesterday as we sang I am a Child of God, they not only stopped yelling and listened but on the third verse they started to sing along and then they just kept begging to sing more. It was adorable. They all now have baptismal dates for the 9th of August (except for Rocio who is only 7). Another adorable moment was when Samuel (11) and Juan (9) started explained to Harold (8) their cousin who we met for the first time yesterday how to pray.

Last main highlight of the week: For my intercambio this week I went to Vilafranca. It was beautiful and I absolutely loved it. Our schedule was jam packed and I about died though from all of the running. I have never ran up and down hills so much in my life! That's what happens when you are in a town that has very infrequent train schedules. But it was great we had a wonderful lesson with a girl who also ended up getting baptized this weekend. She had to make so many sacrifices when she decided to be baptized but she just knew. Her testimony is so strong and it just gave me chills to hear how the Lord prepared her for this step.

As always, I am happy, I am loving my mission and just feel beyond blessed for all of the miracles I am seeing everyday. We had a really successful week this past week and we are pumped for another.

Lots of love and prayers,

Hermana Tuttle

Back to the long ones: Joan Pau, Intercambio, Mireya, and Tania's Mother

I am one happy missionary. I am in one of the most beautiful places in the world, I'm feeling good about the language, I feel like I know the ward pretty well, I know the area, and the greatest, I am hearing and seeing answers to my prayers every single day. I can truly say that I am a witness of miracles.

This Saturday is the baptism of Joan Pau! Can you believe it???? I am so excited and happy and grateful and everything! This area hasn't had a baptism for about 8 months and now someone who we have been working really hard with for several months and who I grown to love so much and who said he didn't think he would ever be baptized is not only getting baptized this Saturday but is excited and is inviting everyone!

This last week my intercambio was in Zaragoza which means guess who I got to see!!!! Hermana Noakes! She is doing great and is really working hard. My companion for the day was Hermana Dorgia from Italy. She is amazing and we had an absolute blast. She taught me how to say a few things in Italian, how to pronounce the letters as I was trying to read the Book of Mormon, and we made two different types of pasta: one for lunch and the other for a cultural activity. It was the greatest! She is such a hard worker and it made me so excited for the direction this mission is going (she is still in her training).

Yesterday we had a visit set up with a women who has canceled on us three times. During church she called us again to tell us that she had to move the visit but she moved it to later that night so "menos mal" but we knew that if she cancelled again we had to stop trying for a little while. We invited Nair (the less active woman who is coming back to church that I have mentioned before as an absolute miracle) and the visit was AMAZING!!! Nair teared up as she testified of the spirit she could feel when she walked in and then Mireya said that she felt the same way that she had someone begging her to come over and when she said no that she had a visit with us and that she wasn't going to cancel it again her friend kind of teased her about it and said you're not really going to meet with them are you but she said she felt something tell her so clearly that she needed to open the door. She said in the past she has always bailed out on the missionaries but she said, I think God is telling me that now is my time. At the end she asked if we believe in life after death and when we said yes she said do you believe we can be with the people we love forever and when we said yes she began to tear up and said that's exactly what I want.

Speaking of families being forever this last week we went to visit a woman in the hospital who is older and was just in that waiting period. All of her organs were shutting down, she could only move her eyes but her eyelids were almost entirely closed. When we visited, her daughter who is a less active asked us to sing her favorite hymns, How Great Thou Art and I Know That My Redeemer Lives, when we did that the daughter, she, her mother in law (non member, Spaniard), her father (non member, brazilian), and even her mother began to cry. It was such a powerful moment. I wish I could tell you all of the spiritual experiences that we had with her and that the elders had with her but I'll have to tell you when I have more time and space one great thing was that she was given a little strength at the end and despite everything she was able to remember what church she belonged to, who her savior is, and told her husband to listen to the missionaries, to be baptized, and to return to the temple in a year so that they could be sealed together and he said yes. It was beautiful. She passed away last night, we showed up to the hospital to visit very shortly after which we were grateful for because we were able to comfort a little then this morning we went with the elders to the ambulatory (??? I don't know in english...the funeral place... ish?) help them get everything ready for the viewing. Tomorrow we will go to the funeral. It has really helped me to appreciate my family and my life and time and the plan of God and everything.

Well I have to go but I love you all so much!

Hermana Tuttle

P.S. I don't have any pictures from this week so I will just send this one from when we went to the Barç stadium. This is me and Messi being mad about the world cup finals. (I didn't really care who won but I didn't have any pictures with german players)

Intercambio, Fabiola, Amable

Dear everyone,

Okay so three things for this week:

Intercambio to Martorell: This week I went to Martorell, a town outside of Barcelona about an hour and a half away from Sabadell. It was beautiful but wildly hot! I got to work with Hermana Gillette and Hermana Stott (who is brand new). They pointed out that apart from one hermana I am the next one to go home (along with Hermana Benson) so I am now what we in Spain call...OLD. It was so weird to think about that because I still feel so new and I feel like everyday I am still learning so much especially on intercambios. Here I was working with two relatively young missionaries and learning so much from them. It made me realize what a bright future this mission has, we are seeing miracles everyday and I'm sure that is happening in every part of the world. I feel so blessed to be a missionary and I sometimes just wish I could stay here forever, I don't want to miss out on all of this growth but I am so glad I am getting this opportunity and I know that I have still have a lot of miracles left despite being "old."

Amable: I'm going to go a little out of order. This story is to be continued, so just a heads up I'm going to keep it short. We always see this homeless man named Amable on the streets. I don't remember if I have already mentioned it but he has stopped by to listen when we have street lessons with other people so the other day we started talking to him. He doesn't ask for help from anyone which really sparked my attention anyway long story short we have found him a place to shower, found him clothes, an elder is going to cut his air and he has agreed to come to church this week. I'll keep you posted.

Okay now for the miracle: So remember how I told you about Fabiola. She and her husband have been less active for 15 years. We started helping her to read a couple of months ago and her testimony of the Book of Mormon has become so strong and I think I told wrote earlier about how she said even if she only gets one vacation day all of next year she wants it to be a Sunday. Well last thursday she and her husband Cesar came to the activity we have every week and they ran into so many old friends that they said they would for sure come on Sunday even if they could only come for a little bit because of Fabiola's job. On Sunday when we saw them on the bus Fabiola told me she had a miracle to tell me. Someone called the other day offering her another job, a better job and where she doesn't work Sundays. I don't know what the unemployment rate for Spain is right now but this "crisis" has rocked the country and no one can find work so to have someone just call you up when you weren't even in the market offering a job is nothing short of MIRACULOUS. She called her boss and her boss respected her decision because it was for her religious beliefs. I started tearing up and was speechless. I still am. What a blessing from God.

I love you all so much. I am still seeing miracles every single day. I hope you are too.

Hermana Tuttle

Hma. Ward, Concilio, and News

Dear everyone,

Another week...are you serious? Time is just flying. So many miracles to see here in Spain, so little time! Alright three main topics here: News, Hma. Ward, Concilio....not in that order.

Hermana Ward- My new companion. She is as sweet as can be (all of my companions have been the sweetest girls ever...I think President is trying to tell me something), she is from Virginia, is several inches taller than me and we get along great. I have been so spoiled with companions, I have gotten along so well with all of them.

Concilio- Yesterday we had leadership council (hence the picture with Elder Thorpe who is now a Zone Leader). It was super powerful. We had some really good discussions going. I always learn so much from these meetings not just from President and Hermana Pace but from the other missionaries. There's something absolutely priceless about being in a room of 30 kids around 20 years old from all around the world who have given up everything for two years and dedicated themselves to the Lord. Something that we talked a lot about is "hastening the work." President Pace asked us for examples of when people in the scriptures despite opposition acted with purpose....that might not make a ton of sense to you but I don't know how else to describe it in english. It was cool to see how many times in the scriptures we could find instances that someone was hurrying or moving swiftly to do the work of the Lord. I talked about Paul in Acts a little bit but some of my favorite examples that other missionaries shared were Abish and how she ran from house to house to gather people in Alma, and Ammon who after saving the king's sheep (which had to have been exhausting) went directly out to feed the horses and despite exhaustion and all that he had already done that morning he kept serving. I also like President's example of Joseph Smith and how the night Moroni appeared to him 3 times he collapsed he was so exhausted and yet with Moroni's command he ran to tell his father and then as his father directed he followed Moroni's instruction and climbed a hill to un-bury the plates.

News- okay this was the miracle of the week. This week, in part due to transfers and a few other things that limited our time we struggled at finding new investigators. We usually shoot for 6 but by friday night we hadn't found a single one and with the goal of the mission each companionship had to find 6. I prayed so much! I know that other areas have a really hard time even finding one new but in our area it's not as hard and I just prayed so much that we would be able to find the six that the mission was praying each companionship could find and by an absolute miracle we found 4 on Saturday and 4 on Sunday to end the week with 8! It was incredible. Our zone had an average of 6.21 per companionship which, considering we usually have 4 or lower as an average it was beautiful. I know the Lord is putting in our paths that are ready to hear this message and I am so grateful to be a part of His wonderful work.

Lots of love,

Hermana Tuttle

Instruments in His Hands

Mis seres queridos,

Well...we all knew this day had to come... The Hermana Tuttle-Noakes companionship has come to an end. She is off to Zaragoza to bless that part of the world and I am getting to work with the wonderful Hermana Ward who will probably be my last companion. I love it here in Sabadell. Saying goodbye to people these last few days has really helped me see why I felt I needed to come on a mission. I feel so humbled, I have so much left to learn but God has blessed me to be the part of so many people´s lives. Isn't it amazing! As not only missionaries but as anyone God puts his trust in us to be an example to people to help those around us, members or not. I wish I had time and space so that I could tell you all of the little miracles I see every week but I'll have to wait to expand them all in detail until then I have a couple of quick bullet points of people God has let me and Hermana Noakes to be a part of:

1) Joan Pau, he is still preparing for the 12th of July, we have been having daily contact with him (which is super easy because he's basically our best friend) but he just left to Italy for a two week long study thing. We didn't want him to lose his animo (excitement/fire) for the church so I thought of what my mom used to do whenever I left home for a couple of weeks to dance and the night before he left we gave him 14 envelopes, 1 for every day he would be gone with questions about the chapters he will be reading from the book of mormon. It was so fun. Hermana Noakes (being the creative one) colored the envelopes and I studied the chapters he would be reading and came up with questions and little things for him to do so that he could apply his reading. He was so excited. He talks about his baptism as a fact and is already asking us about who is going to give talks. I am so excited!

2) Orlando and Nair, a family who was less active because of some problems with other members of the church who I just couldn't love more. They invited us over to eat and Nair (who has been a member her whole life and who introduced Orlando to the church 3 years ago and has tried to keep him active but has been struggling these last 2 years) told us that she has lost her energy due to gossiping and other things and that she doesn't want to attend the church either. We shared 2 nephi 9:18 and told them that they need to be the examples that if there is any sort of contention in the church it doesn't mean they should leave it means that we need them more than ever. We were all crying by the end. They drove us all of the way to Barcelona station just to drove Hermana Noakes off. They are so sweet.

3) Andres is still coming to church and he says he really likes it and that he would love to be baptized one day. We are still working on a date with him but he and Kevin (his older brother) are both signed up for EFY this fall and we are so excited for them!

Wow, I still have so much left I want to tell you but I have a few members that I would like to write to before I get off. Just know that I feel very blessed over here in Spain and I am seeing miracles.

Con cariño,

Hermana Tuttle

P.S. oh and family I forgot to tell you how cool I thought it was that you watched the Madrid v. Madrid game. Made me feel a little bit closer to you :)

Father's Day

Dear everyone,

I just want to start out by wishing my dad a happy father's day yesterday, I hope you got my letter on time and I hope you can feel my love from the "other side of the pond." I love you so much and I owe every miracle I am seeing here to you. Thank you for supporting me and my decision to serve and for always being my hero and example. HAPPY LATE FATHER'S DAY!

The weeks just keep being more and more amazing but are flying by!!!! This week we had zone conference which was perfect. I got to spend the night in Hermana Walker (my old trainee's piso which was fun because it was her year mark, can you believe that it was almost year ago that I picked her up from Barcelona...WEIRD!!!! and we made real brownies (American mix and everything) to celebrate and it was delicious!) but anyway, the meeting was amazing! President and Hermana Pace continue to absolutely inspire me. Before and after each of the conferences they go around and shake hands/hug all of the missionaries. It was really bittersweet when a lot of us realized this is our last zone conference... can you believe it? I got to teach about whatever topic I wanted. I couldn't think of what to do so the zone leaders suggested I teach about my strongest point unity. It was so fun to study and teach about it because it really is something I feel passionate about.

I'm almost out of time (sorry I wanted to get some writing done to some members that I haven't seen for a while and email time just flies) but I do want to say that Joan Pau is still doing really well. He is staying strong and his testimony is growing more and more everyday. In church we continue to have 10-14 less actives every week and slowly they are coming back to activity. Some of them are even going out with us and the elders on visits and their testimonies are SO STRONG! I feel blessed to be a part of their lives I truly do.On Saturday we did a "rescue" activity where all of the ward council members and the missionaries went out to visit a bunch of less active families for a couple of hours. We all split up and the member I went with, Mary, and I had 3 visits! It went really well and then we had a little barbecue at the church with the six of us missionaries and 2 or 3 investigators/recent converts for each companionship, it was great.

Sorry this email is all over the place but just know that I am so grateful to be here, I truly feel that Hermana Noakes and I are getting to be instruments in the Lord's hands here in Sabadell. I have never felt so in tune to the spirit in my life. This week I went on an intercambio to Zaragoza and they had set up all of the hardest people for us to visit (and rightly so because intercambios are a great way to get another missionary's opinion) and I found myself praying so hard at all times just hoping I could help these people that I had never met before and I can testify with all of my heart I felt the Spirit speaking through me more than any other day in my mission, in my life. Every visit we left and I couldn't even remember what I had told them, the things I said to those people we were blessed to visit that day weren't my words at all. It was a very humbling experience.

I love you all so much and hope everything is wonderful.

Hermana Tuttle

Chef Tuttle .... NBD

Hola!

You guys are never going to believe this...I like cooking....WHAT!?!?! It's true. This week we did a lot of cooking and I'm starting to catch the fever. For example in one day we went over to a part member family's house and made pique macho with them. It's a super fattening but absolutely DELICIOUS dish from Bolivia. It's basically just french fries, pieces of meat (chunks of beef), onions, tomatoes, hard boiled eggs, and sliced up hot dogs with ketchup, mayonnaise, and mustard on top. It's amazing! Anyway, so I learned how to do that on Friday and then we had to go to the church to help set up for the activity we were hosting that night. The idea was pancakes (not common here and one of the elders came up with a really good recipe from scratch. No bisquick here) so I got put in charge of making those and I made about 150 pancakes throughout the night as people were eating and playing. It was super fun. 

Andres- He is the little brother of a reference named Kevin. We have taught Kevin a few times and then finally last week we got Andres to sit in on a lesson. He said the closing prayer and even though he was nervous it was beautiful. We then gave them both a little bit to read and Kevin unfortunately didn't do the reading but Andres, 14, read what we gave him and then 2 more chapters from 1 Nephi. He and Kevin have both been super stressed with exams and everything so we haven't been able to visit with them much but then guess who was at church yesterday! Andres! He seems to really be curious about why we are so happy and I am so excited to see how things go! He has a baptismal date right now for the 21st.

Today we went to the zoo which was super fun and the other day I donated blood. Woot woot! Oh and we hit pautas again. It's been a REALLY good week :)

Lots of love,

Hermana Tuttle

Prayer Works

I am just LOVING LIFE! Really though, Hermana Noakes and I don't even feel worthy of all the miracles we are seeing each day! I wrote to you just a few days ago so you know most of what's happened this week but I have two great things that happened.

One: we were blessed to hit pautas!!!! We got 12 members present, 3 fechas (baptismal dates), and 7 new investigators. Such a blessing, this area is growing and we are working with some absolutely amazing people. Speaking of amazing people:

Two: the highlight of the week...one of the highlights of my mission. So you know how I have told you about Joan Pau? he's reading and coming to church, loves the activities, loves all of the members. Great but he just hasn't felt like he's received an answer that this is God's church and that the Book of Mormon is His book yet. We have been trying to think of how to help him recognize the spirit when he mentioned how stressed he is with school and everything. We told him if he needed, the elders could give him a blessing of comfort. Well Thursday night he came early to the noche de hermanamiento and got in a good conversation with the elders about how God often asks us to take a leap of faith and then confirms it to us. After the activity we went into the bishops office and the elders gave him a blessing, the spirit was more powerful than I have ever felt it! The blessing was beautiful, he was blessed with the gift of discernment and clarity. Afterwards we stayed silent for a minute or two and then Joan Pau said that he felt different, that he felt a spirit more powerful than he had ever felt before. We talked to him about how that's the answer that he has been waiting for. The spirit was so strong that after we talked about how he was feeling and how he needs to record and always remember how he feels we invited him to be baptized again and for what I hope will be the last time we need to and he said YES! but not just "we'll set it as a goal and we'll see" but an actual yes! He gave the closing prayer and thanked God for the clarity he had found and after we again stayed in silence for a little and then Joan Pau said "you guys NEED to keep doing this. You NEED to keep working so people can feel what I am feeling right now. They need to know that there is more." We were all bawling. It was beautiful!

This week 11 less actives in church! Woot woot! They are starting to turn into active members now!

Well I'm a little resfriada (congested) and wet from a water fight today but I'm basically as happy as can be! Hope all of you are too (happy not congested and wet)!

Hermana Tuttle

P.S. I can't tell you enough about the power I have seen from prayer and fasting this week. EVERYTHING we have seen this week is an answer to our prayers and EVERYTHING we have asked with faith and with obedience and hard work behind it we have received. Down to a lost flashdrive and up to the change of heart to a friend we have grown to love so much over the months.

When it rains it pours

Hola a tots!

I'm sorry I'm emailing so late! This week has been crazy and I haven't been able to find time to email. Monday we had concilio (leadership council more about that later) and then right after that I went up to Girona for an intercambio and then I got home late at night, yesterday was zone enfoque and then we had visits and helped a lady move for the rest of the night and basically it's just been a little tricky but here I am :)

So as I said, Monday was leadership council, as always it was amazing! And, as always, I'm going to say it's the best one yet. It was sweet because President Pace's parents were there and it made me miss my Grandma Tuttle like crazy and it was super inspirational because we were setting our mission goal for June. Now in case you don't know, June in Europe is called the Month of Invitation where they press really hard to invite people to church and that every member should invite either an investigator or a menos activo (less active) to church this month. Last year we set the goal to find 1,000 new investigators as a mission. This was CRAZY at the time because up to that point we were averaging about 500 and something and the highest we had had was 600 and something. I remember so clearly when we reached that goal. It was the most motivating and faith building experience of my mission. I remember coming off of that knowing that with the Lord ANYTHING is possible. Since then we have never dipped below 1,000 new investigators. At that point in time we had about 60 companionships, now we have about 100. In concilio we knew we had to set another goal that would do for the newer missionaries what last year did for those of us who were there. After a lot of discussion and getting on our knees we set the goal of 2,000 new investigators with an emphasis on finding these news through the members (because we have been told time and time again that that is the way the Lord wants his work to be done now). I am so excited. It felt so good when we set the goal and it felt even better when the zone leaders and I told our zone about it yesterday. I know we can hit it but it will take a lot of "work as if everything depended on you, pray as if everything depended on God."

The intercambio to Girona was great. Having just set this new goal in concilio and knowing that they were having a hard time finding new investigators I really was hoping to help them see that they can help the mission reach this goal even in an area that has only been getting about 1 new investigator a week. We worked really hard and we were blessed to find 3 new investigators in a matter of two hours! It was such a blessing. These hermanas are working so hard and I'm so grateful to have been there to help them see some of the blessings that are coming from their obedience, their faith, and their hard work.

Last night we had a whole run of tender mercies from the Lord, we were asked kind of last minute to help a woman move. She wanted us to get all of the missionaries (there are 4 elders and us 2 in our ward), 2 of the elders already had visits but luckily the other two didn't and were more than willing to help. When we got there we realized just how much work had to be done we worked as hard and as fast as we could and were able to get everything out of the apartment and into the van in an hour but Hna. Noakes and I realized we wouldn't be able to make a visit that we had planned. We were worried about canceling but right as I picked up the phone to call her she called us and told us that she was so sorry but she would prefer if we came over on Friday instead which was PERFECT so we were able to help unload the van but then it started to rain...hard. The new apartment was on the 3 floor (4th by how we number things in the States) without an elevator. It was 9pm and the elders had to leave, Hma. Noakes and I had no idea how we were going to be able to get home on time (at 10 or 10:30 if we're in a visit) and we knew we couldn't leave the mother and her husband to do it all by themselves. Then by a miracle the bishop and two members were able and willing to come help, then a cousin who doesn't know anything about the church came and helped to. We were able to finish getting everything into the apartment by 10 and the cousin offered to drive us home so that we didn't have to wait out in the rain which was also a miracle because at that time the busses come very infrequently and we wouldn't have been able to get home on time. So we were able to share a little message with all of them and even set up a return appointment with Jorge (the cousin) and we got home at about 10:15. We have been trying so hard to be exactly obedient lately and what I learned last night was that if we are trying to do God's will, if we are trying to serve others and we are trying to follow the rules which He has set for us, we will help us. This is His work, the people we are helping are His children, as long as we are fully invested in His work, He will provide us with what we need to go about it His way.

I see the Lord's hand in my life EVERY. SINGLE. DAY.

If you aren't seeing it in yours, look a little harder. It's like my favorite quote from Willie Wonka and the Chocolate Factory: If you want to view paradise, simply look around and view it.

I love you all!!!

Hermana Tuttle

P.S. I have pictures to send but this computer doesn't have a USB so you'll have to wait for next week, let me just say that if the "rain in Spain falls mainly in the plains" the people in the plains must be swimming because it sure pours in the cities.

Més que una misión

Dear Family,

I can't stop smiling! This week we saw one of the biggest miracles I have seen in my mission. 14 less active members that we have been working with came to church. 14! That's not including 3 small children of those adults that will also be effected as their parents continue to make their way back to activity. We have been really trying to work with members more, to have a visit with a member, active or inactive, everyday and we have seen miracles from it. I really feel like I am helping these people change their lives. I have been so blessed throughout my mission to see people let go of their old selves and follow the Lord but yesterday I had this overwhelming feeling come over me that the Lord LOVES His missionaries. We are His servants. We have been called here to change lives. I didn't see that miracle coming at all. We had been working really hard with several menos activos this week and so many of them said that they wouldn't be able to come for one reason or another. All day Saturday and Sunday morning we prayed harder as a companionship than we ever have. We were short of our goals in a lot of things and there was a little nagging voice in the back of my head that since we were only sure that two of those menos activos we had been spending so much time on these last couple of week would come to church maybe we could have used our time better. But we knew we had worked hard and we knew we had been inspired to use our time this week the way we did and focus on who we focused on and teach who we taught so with that we felt we could ask God for a miracle and we saw it. I learned this week to NEVER doubt in inspiration. We are His missionaries and we have been set apart so that we can be more receptive to the Spirit's whispering, as long as we are constantly planning with the spirit of prayer and acting on revelation we receive, we will see miracles. 

So real quick because I am almost out of time: guess who went to the Barcelona stadium! Woot woot! Finally! I have been wanting to do it since last October when I got transferred from Valencia to here. It was awesome and massive. I can't believe how into Futbol I'm getting! Kind of starting to freak me out a little (don't worry it doesn't even come close to the NBA, let's not get crazy, I've lived in Spain for over a year now but I'm still the Shannon we know and love). Oh and this morning because H. Noakes and I haven't had time to go grocery shopping for the last couple of weeks we had blueberry muffins for breakfast with the little food that we have. No stress we are buying food today, no stress parents it's not a money problem, and yes it is preparing me for the newlywed diet I will have one day I'm sure when you're basically living off of staples and rice (the rice thing is more Spanish but whatever). Anyway I love you all.

Hermana Tuttle

A week of working with members

Hello family and friends,

Transfers, I would give a drum roll and tell you about the exciting news that I am.... staying in Sabadell!!!!...but I won't because my family finally broke the news that you guys actually don't get as anxious about transfer calls as we do out here...something every missionary has to come to terms with ;) but yes I am staying in Sabadell (no surprise) but the exciting thing is that Hermana Noakes is staying too!!! We are rocking out one more together boo ya! Which pretty much puts the nail in the coffin that I am going to end my mission here since after she leaves in June I will only have a transfer and a half left which will really just leave me with enough time to show someone else the area. We'll see though. I'm stoked though if that's the case. I love it here!

So this week we had a great lesson with a member. It was her birthday and she didn't want to be alone so we came to help her with some stuff in her house. She then fed us and as she fed us she told us about her conversion story. It was so powerful! She talked about how she had been baptized in the catholic and evangelist church but that when she heard that we have the Book of Moses and Abraham she believed what the missionaries and her brother were saying and when she read the book of mormon she got only to the third page when she started crying because the spirit was so strong. The next day after zumba we asked if she could help us in a visit with Jean Pau who is catholic and still wondering why he needs to be baptized again. She shared her experience and it was INCREDIBLE!!!!

We also received an amazing referral from a recently returned missionary. His name is Kevin and he is 17. He is the most genuine kid I have ever met. As we taught him he just told us how much he wanted to know if God existed. He is so sincere and he started reading from the Book of Mormon that night. We met and taught him on Wednesday,Thursday he went to our spiritual activity we have each week, Friday we taught him and he went to mutual, Sunday he wasn't able to come to church because he already had things planned for school that he wasn't able to get out of but we are going to meet with him a couple of times this week and he told us he can for sure come to church this week so we are very excited.

Lastly, we have been working with the less active man I mentioned in my last email and his wife. We visited them a few times this last week and each time was so powerful he basically was teaching us. On Sunday he got called into work last minute (he was in his sunday clothes and everything) so he didn't come to church but he said he will this week. It's amazing how many obstacles come up when someone is on the right path.

It's been a beautiful week, Satan's been working on people and we're just trying to work harder. Definition of missionary work.

Love you guys a lot!!!!!

Hermana Tuttle

Preparation Days & Miracles

Hi Everyone,

Okay I just realized that I have neglected to talk about our preparation day activities here in Sabadell so I have to mention that now because they have been amazing!

Two of the mondays we were in concilio but for my birthday after the elders "surprised" me with water balloons we went to Barcelona to play lasertag, it was awesome!! We looked like the randomest group of people with some speaking spanish, others catalá, and others english but we went against a group of all Spaniards. We won, duh, we had the language barrier to work in our favor and we're awesome. (also duh)

Then the next week the circus came to Sabadell. I have never laughed so hard in my life. There weren't a ton of people that came to the day shows so we got front row seats and one of the Elders even gotten chosen to participate in a sketch and it was HILARIOUS!!! We were literally crying because it was so funny.

Okay now onto the miracles of the week. So last Tuesday on our way to our area. Hermana Noakes got in a conversation with an older women and I felt prompted to contact a girl about my age so I went but she wasn't all that interested so I mentioned english class and that sparked her attention and I was able to get her number but still didn't feel super confident that she was all that interested. But then a man behind me asked if he could have the same card. I figured it was because he heard me mention english class so I explained to him about the classes, got his number and then he had to go too. On Saturday he showed up an hour early to English class. I asked him if that's what he had come for and he said yes but he came early because he wanted us to explain more about the church. We took him on a tour of the chapel during which we found out that he has never stepped foot in a chapel like ours, he has been muslim his whole life but by tradition and has never really felt he agreed with it and now he is searching for something more. He said its forbidden to learn more about Jesus and that he knows it could really cause problems but that it is worth it to finally find where he will fill he belongs. When we took him into the chapel we explained the sacrament a little only to realize he knew little to nothing about Jesus Christ. We brought out the bible and he asked if he could hold it. He then apologized because he left a little sweat fingerprint because he had never held a bible before. He came to all the meetings on Sunday and he loved it. We have taught him twice (starting very basic) and he is taking everything in. He is incredible. He is so prepared.

I'm out of time but I just wanted to mention we had the most powerful lesson with an inactive man who was baptized 3 years ago and has become as he said "cold" to the gospel but as we taught his testimony showed through. We taught the difference between having a testimony and truly becoming converted and that conversion takes time, reading the scriptures, praying, and truly searching for that answer. We are going to start visiting a few times each week to read the scriptures and warm him up a little bit.

Anyway I have to go but I love all of you lots!

Hermana Tuttle