BUENAS DIAS!!!!!!

I'm sure everyone has heard about the changes in the mission, THEY ARE SO NICE HERE!! It's so awesome because now we are able to do companion study and language study from 12 to 1:30 when the sun is the strongest and hottest. Plus in those hours people are never receptive to us because they are trying to make lunch and lunch is very big here and everyone is in the house. I actually really like that tradition about the Guatemalans, they always eat lunch together everyday. Also we have more time on pdays so we're not so rushed which is awesome. 

I found a pan place that makes banana bread and it's the best thing in the whole wide world and it's so cheap! So basically life is amazing here in Malacatan and my comp is so fun! Today we bought a volleyball and she's really good so it was finally nice to have someone to play with! Next pday we're going to go to the field and play! I want to go to the beach and that would be awesome.

KARINA! Is so pilas!! That woman is amazing and they just called her to be the Relief Society secretary and she was so pumped and excited to do it. Honestly I look up to her so much. She's still doing all her temple stuff and so is Adan! It's so fun to see how the people grow, progress, and change. Also, Guatemalans are super trusting! We went to a tienda the other day and Hermana Castro didn't have 10 quetz and the guy said that when she had it she could just come back and pay it. Where in the world would someone say that? No where and never haha.

OUR WARD IS SO GREAT! They play soccer every Thursday night and a solid 50 or 60 people come and play and it's awesome because the young men and women invite their friends so we're able to contact like crazy there! This past Thursday we got 7 new people from this activity! One of the kids is 17 and he was talking about how he wants to serve a mission, and come to church, and meet with us again!! It was so cool and I really have faith in Brian that he is going to get baptized! It was a little frustrating this week though because we had 12 people committed to come to church and only 2 came. I think it's because our ward starts at 8 in the morning, but still it was super disappointing! So hopefully the next week! We also have one family that is progressing with us and they are super adorable. They have 7, 9, and 13 year old little girls and then the parents. The mom is super nice and the little girls were so interested in the lesson! Here's hoping that our lesson with them tomorrow will be as positive! It's always so discouraging and frustrating when we go back to people's houses and they pretend to not be there or are just mean to us! But other than that life is so good here!

Sunday we watched this video and Bishop Dickson, Sandi Hamm, the Rogers family and some other people from the ward were in it!!! It was the weirdest Deja vu moment in my life! In like the middle of the video there is Bishop Dickson! I think I told just about every single person that was around me haha. 

This morning I was reading 3 Nephi 11 about when Christ came to the Americas, and I love that chapter so much. Everything that Christ did, and does, is according to the will of God. If we are trying to follow the example of Christ and be more like Him, we also need to submit ourselves to the will of God. If you don't know what to do, say, or go in your life.. pray. Literally prayer is always the solution to your question! I encourage everyone to read that chapter, its one of my favorites. I love that God testifies of Christ, and that then Christ testifies of God too, and the holy ghost testifies of them both. This gospel is such a gift and a blessing in our lives and everyone needs to know about it!!!!!!!

Happy week and love you ALL!!!

Love, Hermana Bracha 

LIFE IS SO GOOD BACK IN MALACATAN!

My new companion's name is Hermana Castro and she is from Chile! She can speak random words in English, but doesn't understand or really speak anything! So it's great, hahaha. I was actually surprised by how well I could communicate, I guess I just hadn't realized yet how much Spanish I had learned! So all in all, Spanish is coming in and it's amazing how much I have learned already! Blessings people!

But seriously, my zone is so cool. For pday today we played MASTERCHEF! Only my favorite TV show! So that was very fun. KARINA GOT BAPTIZED!!! It was so awesome, we only started 30 minutes late and 25 members came and also a couple of investigators. Afterwards Karina was talking about just how good she felt, tranquil and happy! On Sunday she received the gift of the Holy Ghost and WORE A SKIRT! She always wears dark jeans or black pants and a nice shirt. But this Sunday she wore a skirt and said that from now on, since she is a member, she is always going to dress like that! And she is doing her family history work so she can go to the temple the following trip with the ward! This woman is amazing and has the strongest testimony.

Karina's Baptism

Adan is also doing his family history work to go to the temple and HE WORE A TIE! His first Sunday he came in jeans and a soccer jersey. Yesterday he was wearing a tie and a white shirt. It is so amazing to she the change in these people in such a short time! I LOVE THIS GOSPEL SO MUCH!!!!!!

It was kind of hard this week because we were basically starting over since I hadn't been here in so long, but we found 3 families! The one family Lopez, the mother has a sister who is a member and she has gone to the church 3 times and likes it! So we're hoping that they will progress because they are super cool, so please pray for them! Also we found another woman and her son, that right now are having a lot of problems that happened with the dad, and the woman said that we were an answer to her prayers! The sad thing is that they didn't come to church because they had to go to Quetzaltenango, but the next week they are going to come! Pray for them too! The saddest part was that we didn't have any investigators in church, but 3 less actives that we had visited came, so that was awesome!!

ELDER RASBAND IS COMING! On the 18th of February we get to go to hear Elder Rasband speak and I'm so excited! It's in Quetzaltenango, where the temple is so I'm hoping that I might get to at least see the temple! I don't know more details yet but will find out! All in all, I don't think I have had a more happy time in my mission than right now. My companion is so awesome, I finally am understanding Spanish and can speak my mind, more or less, haha. God is so good and He answers our prayers.

This week I was reading in Enos and the fact that he not only prayed for his friends, but his enemies as well. For that I was thinking that I have to pray for everyone, even the people that were mean to us that day or yelled at us, always I have to pray for everyone.  I love this gospel with all my heart, and I LOVE TO BE A MISSIONARY. I can't imagine being anywhere else right now than sharing this gift with the amazing people here in  Guatemala.

I love you all and have a happy week!!!

The coolest missionary around the block,

Hermana Bracha

FINALLY GOING TO MY AREA!

So this Wednesday I will finally get to go back to my area with my new companion! wahoooo. I don't know who yet, but Wednesday I will!

This past week I was in Catarina with the Hermana leaders, Gunderson and Moore and they are so freaking fun! We have had so much fun and it was really honestly cool to see the different ways that everyone teaches and so that was really helpful and I think actually benefitted me a lot! It's just been weird because I've been studying on the floor, but it's been a crazy fun adventure! But I'm definitely excited to go back to my area and WORK!!!!

We watched her butcher the fish and everything!

We got to play soccer in a cancha field!

There are so many changes in the mission this transfer, like 50 changes! Which is crazy and they're white washing so many areas. I'm excited to see what's going to happen.

It's crazy how sometimes you just find a person who is so open and willing to receive the gospel, and you just know that you found them becuase they were prepared. I love this work so much and I LOVE TO BE A MISSIONARY.

We were teaching this one lady in Catarina and she was talking about how we don't clap when we sing our hymns and she liked it so much better because we actually are able to listen and feel the message that we are singing, so that was so cool. She really liked church last sunday and has been reading the  Book of Mormon and had a bunch of really good questions. I really think that she is going to get baptized. She is so stinking cute and has the cutest little son!

This past week I have been studying a lot about the plan of happiness or the plan of salvation. It's amazing when we consider that this life, this time is a time of preparation. Literally everything that we do is an experience that is either going to help us in some way for the life to come or not. Everything we do wether good or bad, we will remember it... so we better be doing the GOOD! There is no reason to be sad with the knowledge that we have a loving heavenly father who is watching and listening to everything we say and do. We know that we are going to be resurrected and we will be saved according to our works and we will get to live with our families forever. Who wouldn't want that? This gospel is pure joy and the obra misional is the best thing I could be doing with my time. A quote that I love a ton says, Don't judge each day by the harvest you reap, but by the seeds you plant! I may not be baptizing ten zillion people, or will do that in my mission. But even is I am just inviting people to pray, read the scriptures, to have faith, and try to be better, I'm planting a seed in each person here so that ONE day, they might be willing and ready to recieve this wonderful gospel of Christ.

Sorry nothing else to report since I've been out of my area. But I just want to leave with all of you knowing that this gospel of Jesus Christ is the way to happiness. Christ is the answer. With faith in Him and through repentance, baptism, and the gift of the holy ghost we are able to do all things. We just have to try our best every day. And not just say it, but to act as well. I know that the Book of Mormon literally is the book of answers. It's my favorite book on this earth and I love sharing it's message everyday. I love my Savior and I can't wait until the day that I get to see His face and tell Him thank you. What a wonderful day that will be.

I love you all!
Much love from Guatemala!!!! 

Hermana Bracha

Adan was baptized!

This week was crazy, but still really good!  HERMANO ADAN GOT BAPTIZED!! It was the coolest baptism ever and it was so sweet because when I went up to him afterwards I could tell he had been crying. When I asked him how he was feeling and everything, he started to cry again and told me that it was because he knew that he had started a change in his life and was so happy with the way he felt and how life was going for him. HOW COOL IS THAT!!! It was so amazing and I felt the spirit so strong. He then he went on to thank me for finding him in the street and changing his life. And then our other investigator Karina told me that she wants to get baptized the next time that we have a baptism service!!! ayayayayyaya!! Life is going so good for them, and I hope that we can continue finding new people to teach and serve!!!

So this week was actually so crazy because we had emergency transfers Thursday morning and we had 30 minutes to pack all our things. ALL of our things and take a bus to get to Reu. I was DEVASTATED because I didn't want to leave the area with Karina, Adan, and then all of our other investigators too!! So needless to say I was a wreck! So we got to Reu and had all that stuff taken care of and then my companion and I have been living with the Hermana assistants helping them out in their area for the past couple days and it was just crazy. I told president that I had a baptism Saturday and he was like don't worry you'll get to go! So he let me go Saturday and that's why I'm in the pictures with Hermana Jessop! She's the coolest. but anyways, when we were trying to get back to Reu that night from my area and there wasn't any buses at that hour so Hermana Jessop and I had to sleep at the house of other sisters in Coatepeque on the hard floor. It was so fun, hahah. We didn't have anything but it was okay! We just woke up at 6:30 the next morning and then took the bus ride about an hour and a half back to Reu. We smelled so bad hahahah. 

Today I will to go back to my area, at least close, because I'm actually going to be living with the Hermana leaders in the area that's right next to mine and we're going to be working in both of our areas. It has been so crazy and so hectic and honestly I still don't know what's going on! But thankfully transfers are next week so I'm hoping that I'll finally have a companion and I can go back to working with my investigators.

Please pray for Karina that she'll go through with her baptism!

I love all of you so so  much!!! I LOVE TO BE A MISSIONARY!!!!! I love my Savior, I love this gospel, I love to be in the blazing hot sun everyday, I love to talk to people all day everyday about the wonderful and divine plan that our Heavenly Father has created and given us. Thank you to everyone who is supporting me and helping me through this time! Just know that I may not always respond but I always read your emails! 45 minutes just goes by so fast!!

I love you all!! 

Love Hermana Bracha

Cake, puke, birthday and COKE!!

I can honestly promise that I don't think that I will ever like Coke! No matter how much I drink it I will never like it, especially after last night. So my birthday was awesome! Thank you for all the happy wishes! But it was also terrible because Karina didn't come to church so now she can't get baptized this week! I was so bummed and I don't know what happened, she was doing so good and was so positive. We have a lesson with her tonight to see what's going on! I think it's her parents because they are always weird when we go over. SO PLEASE PRAY FOR HER! That she will have the desire to continue learning! Adan did come to church, so he's still on track for this Saturday! WAHOOO!!

Me and my Piñata twin Elsa!

For my birthday, a really adorable woman in the ward made us lunch and then my companion said Hermana Marlini wants us to come grab keys really fast! So we stopped by their house and when we got there they blindfolded me and had a piñata for me. It was funny because the piñata is Elsa, and they were like look!! It's a gringa just like you, it's perfect! So we did the piñata and then they had a cake for me. Apparently its a tradition here that you smash your face... more like they push your face in the cake! They sang and then started chanting for me to take a bite, and so when I took a bite the woman shoved like my whole face in! there was so much cake in my nostrils! and RED frosting! haha, but it was so fun! Gracias to all of them!

The best part of my birthday was that we went to a members house around 7 to do a quick visit with them and share a spiritual thought. When we sat down I started to feel super sick. At about 7:30 I was like oh no!! I'm going to puke, but this member really loves to talk, and so finally at like 8 she finished and then she went and got some cookies and coke. You have to eat and drink what they give you or else it's just rude, so I had to drink the coke and man I felt so terrible! Long story short, at like 8:15 when we finally left the house and we were saying goodbye I like ran away as fast as I could so I could puke in the bushes!! hahah it was so funny and disgusting, but definitely a birthday I will never forget!!!

But this week was really good other than the fact that Karina didn't come to church!  The great news is that we found TWO FAMILIES! a family of 7 too!! They are super humble and adorable. The dad, Pedro is SO SMART! and he is really interested and had such good answers to all the questions, but he works on Sundays, and only Sundays, so please pray that he will realize the importance of going to church on Sundays!! I really hope that he and his wife will continue progressing!

The other family we found when we were just walking on this back path and they were washing their clothes in the river. We helped the mom wash some of the clothes, sang a hymn, and taught a little of lesson one! They are super cool, so please pray for them too!! It's just weird that when we start teaching people I instantly feel love for them and I want them so badly to accept what I'm trying to teach and say, no matter how bad I am saying it in Spanish!

Also this week we did a service project for a family and painted a house. I honestly don't know how to describe it other than it's this powder stuff you mix with salt and water and that's how they paint the houses. It was fun to be with the district and the family was so grateful for our help! They're such a cool family and the little ones are so adorable.

House painting service project

All in all, I'm so happy here in Guatemala. Life is crazy and different.  Sometimes I think that I'm dreaming and that I'm not actually living in Guatemala and serving as a missionary, but then I wake up and put on my name tag which is the best of the day and remember, "heck ya, I live in Guatemala and I love it!" I love that the main part of the day I'm talking to different people and telling, well really reminding them, that they have a Heavenly Father who loves them. A Savior and redeemer who lives and loves us and is always there to help us. He is waiting for us to ask. That is what is so incredible and amazing is that God will never take away our agency, we just need to take the first step and ask in faith.

I love this gospel, I love my Savior, I love this church, I love the Book of Mormon, and I know that all of these things are true. If you don't know or have wondered if these things are true, I encourage you to study the scriptures and pray. Pray honestly, with the faith that you will receive an answer. All we have to do is ASK!

I love all of you so much!!!

Love your missionary,

Hermana Bracha