Christmas

Hermana Bracha is taking this week off from her email for me to blog. We had a great skype visit with her and she is doing well. She was thrilled to report 2 upcoming baptisms. She looks and sounds fabulous and continues to love the people of Guatemala.

She did send along a few pictures and a note that for Preparation Day yesterday they played volleyball and basketball for 2 hours so she was in heaven.

Afterwards they had a water fight because it is a least "10,000 degrees"! (her words:)

Is it Christmas yet?

At our Multi-zone Conference

Tuesday: We found two amazing investigators that are progressing a ton! I think I already mentioned Adan, HE ACCEPTED FECHA! he's going to get baptized the 7th of January!!! Both he and Karina came to church yesterday! Such an amazing blessing! Long story short, we had really good lessons with them this past week and then they came to church and we have scheduled lessons for the upcoming week. So YAYYY!

I must learn Spanish!

Wednesday: I went on exchanges with the Hermana leaders and was with Hermana Moore which was super fun and we played basketball at the church with one of her investigators and I totally creamed them! It was hilarious, they were so confused because I was in a dress and everything! so fun!

Friday: we had the Christmas multi-Zone get together which was SO FUN, and so spiritual! President made me go up and bear my testimony, well really share my thoughts on the video that we had just watched and I was seriously so nervous because my Spanish is .... well you know. But I guess it turned out okay, but man was I nervous!! We had a fancy lunch and did skits within our zones, and all was fun! And then President gave a really amazing spiritual thought and we watched Christmas videos about the church. After the zona we had a Noche de Hogar which is where 20 members from the ward pack in a bus and drive to a family's house to do a FHE! and this family seriously lives soooo far away, like 20 minutes in car, and then another 15 minutes of walking through pure mud. The amazing thing about this family is that they are converts of about maybe three months. Yet they have always, since the first Sunday that they came to church, have never been late. Church starts at 10:00 this year, and then in the new year it's going to start at 8. Still this family is always, ALWAYS on time and sitting on the front row. There's 10 of them and they're so amazing. When we got to their house, it was seriously four pieces of lamina bolted together, with a single flashlight hanging in the middle of the ceiling. That's the only light they have after about 6:30 everyday. Can we just take a moment to think about this family? They have really, not very much, yet they are some of the happiest people I have ever met and they love the church so much. They are such an inspiration to me. Being there made me rethink a lot of things in my life, and just how blessed we are as Americans, and all the little simple everyday things that we take for granted.

Early Christmas Presents!!

THANKS FOR THE PACKAGE, I LOVE everything and sorry but I already opened it because I wanted the music. Thanks Bron!!! 

Lately I have been studying a lot about the atonement and studying how everything is intertwined. We have to fully understand that every concept works together in order to have the full atonement. God is so loving he created this whole plan for us and it has been organized since before we can even remember. We already chose to follow him once, we must choose again! Now is the time to follow Christ, which is also following God and preparing ourselves to live with them again!

ILUMINAelMUNDO! is literally the easiest and most amazing way to do it! God knows all, and if we trust in him He will help us. There's a song my comp always listens to and there's a phrase that I love so much that says, you know better than I, to the one that sees all the pieces put together. It's true because He literally knows all. I don't know why but that hit me so hard this week. I need to have complete trust in Him in order to do the work, find the people, and learn the language.  A scripture that I have come to love so much is in Moroni 10:32 and its says, "come unto Christ and be perfected in him" so simple, so clear, and so direct. Come unto Christ, believe in Him, and trust Him. Remember Christ in all times of our lives, not only Christmas! We need to not have fear with the gospel and the amazing gift that we have! The gospel is a gift! I love this work.

I am so grateful to be here. I love Guatemala, but above all I love my Savior and the scriptures! I know that this is the true gospel, and church, and way of life. If we follow Christ, read, pray, and try our very best we can do all things. I know this to be true. I love everything about this. I LOVE TO BE A MISSIONARY! Merry Christmas to everyone!

Enjoy the snow, I sure do miss that!

Love,

Hermana Bracha

OKAY FAM!!!

My new area is called Malacatan and we are in the centralish area so it's really nice and there's a bunch of markets and stores nearby. We have the stake center as our church and it's two stories! It's so beautiful!!! I like it a lot here; however, there is a ton of hills. I'm always so tired and IT'S SO HOTTT!! Like straight up dripping sweat always and the bugs are eating me alive!

BUT IT'S SO FUN! My new companion is awesome!!! Her name is Hermana Zamudio and she is from the Mexican colonies and SPEAKS PERFECT ENGLISH!! Blesssss my soul:) Presidente even told me that he felt really good about that because he knew that I needed an outlet haha. But so everything with her and the area is great, other than the fact that we are opening the area... so hahah we're always lost, and don't know anything! But it's fun starting everything together!

Me and Hermana Zamudio

The other day we were walking and I said hey should we contact him? So we went up to this man and starting talking and he was saying that he has been looking for Jesus in his life and a church! So we gave him a Book of Mormon and committed him to read and taught the first lesson. We have a follow up appointment with him tomorrow! So pray for Adan please!!! I feel really good about him and hope that everything works out with him. And the other lady we met named Anna, has a son of three years and he is adorable and we hope that things are going to continue on with her!

I came across a scripture today that said ... Choose ye this day whom ye will serve..... SO for all of you, in this amazing wonderful time of Christmas when we're all focused on presents and fun, choose. Choose who are you going to serve, today, tomorrow, and the rest of your life. Who do you want to be like and who are you going to love. Christ! I hope everyday that I will be able to continue to be like my savior Jesus Christ, and follow His example. I am so grateful for the sacrifice that He made for me and everything that I am able to do in this life because of Him. To have the knowledge that my faults and mistakes, I can overcome. I don't have to always carry the burden of the hardness, or sins. I can be forgiven. I will be forgiven. and I will live with Father in Heaven again. So for me, I loved that scripture so much.

The new area is awesome, the comp is awesome, and we're trying to work really hard and I hope that this week we will we have a lot of people in church and progressing! Everyday spanish is a little bit better and life is so fun. I LOVE TO BE A MISSIONARY! And I love to be in this work.

Lunch with my new District

I love you all and love this church and my savior with all my heart.
Merry almost Christmas!!!!

HERMANA BRACHA

HOLA... Brillando

Thanksgiving Dinner last week!

Meeting with President and Sister Goodman

Tuesday: we had our last practice with the Primary for the program and they surprised us with a pinata and some gifts because it was Hermana Barnum's last day! So cute, it's adorable how much the children love us. They always are hugging us and yelling Hermanas! It's so precious!

Wednesday: we were contacting and this guy came up to talk to us and started speaking in English, so we were kind of thrown-off and were like what in the world? AND THEN, I was thinking why is your English so weird? and he says, ya, I lived in South Carolina for 25 years! He had the thickest accent and called us mam and everything. It was so funny and oh my goodness, made my whole day!

Thursday: we went to another area near by us and did service for the ILUMINAelMUNDO which EVERYONE SHOULD BE DOING! And picked up trash. That explains these pictures of me and Barnum in hats with gloves.... beautiful I know:) But it was so fun and we contacted so much for them in the area. Oh my goodness it was so hot, I don't think I have ever sweated so much in my life!

Nothing like chopping wood in a dress!

Friday: we found a really cool family that vendes tortillas, so we'll see what happens with them!

Sunday: We had Stake Conference practice for the coro and despues and we had the Christmas devotional!!! Which was sooooo good, I really hope you all listened to that! It was seriously so good, and it was so cool to see all the missionaries there with their investigators! 

Monday: we had our last pday with the missionaries that are leaving! We have three missionaries in our zone leaving so it was kind of sad, but it was also cool because we did a big activity and it was fun.

AND! I'm being transferred! I still don't know where, but somewhere way far away from my area bc they're bringing someone else to play the piano for the Stake Conference which means I wont be in Mazate anymore. President called me and said that he felt really good about my new companion and area, so we'll see what happens and how things go! Wednesday we'll have transfers, so well see where I am next week! sooo... pray that my companion is nice, and my area isn't toooooo hot! jokes on the heat.

Honestly I love to be a missionary. Often I catch myself thinking about what an amazing opportunity I have been given. I literally get to say everyday that I am a representative of Jesus Christ. Wow, I get to represent him in my actions, words, and everything that I do. Everyday I have the chance, privilege, and duty to invite people to follow him. I could not imagine doing anything better with my time than what I am doing. We found out that the two little girls who we baptized, their mom who had been inactive for quite sometime, is now going to church every week and is being more involved with the church. What a blessing!

I love everything about this gospel and know that its true. I know that it is the only thing in this world that will bring us true true happiness. I love you all and hope everyone is safe and well!!!!

I pray for everyone and keep up the service!!!!

Love you,

Hermana Bracha

For Nicki