MALACATAN AUN!!!

I'm so excited because I don't have to be transferred out of my area so that is a real blessing! There is still so much work to do here!! It's sad because Hermana Castro is leaving, but she is still really excited for this area and everything that is happening! She is headed to the mountains.

Transfers

Carlos got baptized and confirmed this weekend and it was amazing, but he was so nervous! Afterwards he was so happy and you could just see the smile in his eyes and face! Karina is also doing so great. She and Adan went to the temple and when Karina came back she told me that it was the most amazing experience she has ever had in her life and she can't wait until March when she gets to go back and until she hits the one year mark so she can receive other covenants! She also told me that she was really nervous about her talk this past Sunday and she didn't know how she was going to talk in front of everybody, so she prayed and had the most spiritual experience. I'm not going to say what happened because it was her experience and not mine to tell, but it was so amazing! She and I were both practically crying and I don't think I have ever been so sure in my life that this church is true. I LOVE TO BE A MISSIONARY AND SEE THE FRUITS OF THE WORK!!!

Carlos' Baptism

Sweet Karina

This week we found a family named Paola and Joshua. Joshua is a less active member and they have a little girl that is the cutest!!! They had been living in Mexico meeting with the missionaries, but moved back here to be with his family!!! Anyways, we have been teaching the wife and they are going to get married and baptized in 3 weeks! We are so excited for them and to see their spiritual growth! 

We also are working with Sharon and Armundo to get baptized the last week in March! They are so ready and we just love to have lessons with them because you can just tell they love the gospel!! We also are teaching the family of a member in the other ward, so pray for the NAVAS family! They are a little rough around the edges, but are so cool we love them!

Banana Tree

I LOVE mangoes!!

A Cow!

Having lunch with my new companion

Sorry I don't have a lot of time this week with transfers and everything, but something that I have been studying a lot is how every principle in the church is connected. Everything that we learn, read, and hear is connected. Without one step in the plan of salvation nothing would work. That in itself is a testimony that we have a Heavenly Father that LOVES US. He didn't send us here just to do whatever and suffer and be confused. He has given us guidance and direction since day one. That is why the Book of Mormon is so wonderful and amazing to us. I am SO grateful for the Book of Mormon and the words and guidance that it gives us.

I could never deny the fact that we have a loving Heavenly Father and we are His children. We have a Savior Jesus Christ that lives. I love to testify that He lives and loves us and through Him we can be saved. There is no other name in which we can be saved. I love you all and hope everyone is good!! Much love from the good old Guatemala!!! 

ELDER RASBAND!

This week was amazing because we had the multi-mission meeting with Elder Rasband! I got to shake his hand so now I've met two apostles, so cool. It was crazy because I didn't realize how small our mission was until we were all in one chapel with the other mission! But it was cool because I got to see a couple hermanas from the MTC. The opening hymn was Called to Serve and it was SO POWERFUL and it was so loud because there were so many people and I could just feel the spirit so strongly. It made me think about when we had transfers in the mission in Oklahoma, and it was a little throw back moment that was very special. That song means a lot more when you are actually a missionary wearing the plaque. I honestly don't even have words to describe how spiritual and amazing it was.

Multi-mission conference with Elder Rasband

A couple things that he mentioned were that every calling we have in the church comes from the Lord and that my calling to be here in Guatemala is a divine and inspired calling. They all prayed for me to assign me where I am, how special! I am so grateful to know that every thing has a purpose. He then later thanked us for choosing to serve a mission because something like that isn't an easy decision and said that the reason that we chose was because we loved the Lord. I thought to myself, it's true. I am here because I love the Lord and I want other people to love him and feel his love as well. This gospel has so many blessings and joy to bring to people, that everyone needs to experience and live it!

He talked a lot about the fact that we are gathering the lost sheep and edifying and establishing the church here in Guatemala. I started thinking a lot about that, about when I come back home, will I continue to do my part to edify and establish the church in my hometown, with my neighbors, and with random people I don't even know? Are you guys doing your part too? Are you trying to establish the church and share the gospel with your friends? The goal is for every person to get to go to the temple and experience the joy and receive exaltation. That is why this week is so SPECIAL! Karina and Adan are both going to the temple on Friday to do baptisms and Carlos is going too!! Just to see the temple, because his baptism is on Saturday!!!

Things are going so happy here and we're starting to work a ton in the area. Amanda, Marlin, and Joshua are hopefully all going to get baptized in March! One of the members went to go visit Amanda and she was outside of her house reading he Book of Mormon and looked really happy. When the member asked her why she looked so happy she said, "I don't know if you have read this book, but its amazing and I know that its true. There must be some kind of magic or something because I can't put it down......... WHAT! When the member told us that, Hermana Castro and I wanted to faint or something! Things are going so good.

I'm nervous though because we are going to have tranfers next week and I don't want to leave the area! I love it so much here and the members. Also another exciting thing is that I was talking with Karina and we put her date to go through the temple as next February, so I will get to go through with her!!!! WAHOOO!

I love this gospel and love to be a missionary. I love that God knows all and is always with us rooting us along the way and helping. It's so wonderful that the plan and the gospel are so perfectly connected. I love everything that it has to offer and I know that it is true. I can't believe that I'm already heading for 6 months in the mission. I almost only have a year left! That's so sad. I love my Savior and I know that he lives. I encourage every person that is feeling sad to pick up their Book of Mormon or to say a prayer. These are basic principles, but if we do them then we will be showing our faith and desire to learn and we can move forward in the direction of happiness. How wonderful that we have to the gift of repentance.

I love you all and happy Presidents Day!
Hermana Bracha

Sorry that i havent written in forever fans!

On Monday we were going to go to the waterfalls in San Pablo and we were literally in the bus about to drive away when they called us and told us that I had to go to Guatemala City to sign my visa papers. The bus ride is 7 hours in a bus.. Yay, I guess. But it was so fun because I got to see Hermanas Ralph, Taylor, and Tree!! So it was worth it. We got to Guate monday night and stayed the night and then the next morning signed the papers and then left back for Reu Tuesday morning for another 7 hours in bus!  I finally got back to my area last night at like 7:30! It was the longest two days but it was so fun to see the girls and to know that I wont have to do that bus ride again until the end of my mission! 

Sad news about Brian. He really just doesn't have time for us and every time we go over there his family lies to us and tells us he isn't home. It's so frustrating because we know that he is there because we can hear him. BUT, we had 5 people in church this week!! One woman's name is Amanda and she has already gone to church like 5 times in another ward. On Monday a family in our ward had a FHE with her and taught her all about the Book of Mormon and she told them that she was going to read and pray about it. It's great because she was already praying about which church was the right church because she was tired of wondering!! So we are so pumped for her and we have a lesson with her this Friday! She could get baptized next weekend!! 

And our other MIRACLE is Carlos. He's 17 and we found him about a week ago. He is the perfect example of someone that was prepared when we found him. He is getting baptized next Saturday and he is so excited and wants to have lessons with us basically everyday. He just loves learning about the church. He started going to seminary, well he can't go in the mornings because he wakes up at 5 am to walk his mom to the market and that's when seminary is. He has the book and is doing it on his own. He goes to mutual, comes to all the activities, and is just amazing! We went the other night to meet his family and his mom asked us what we were doing to him because now he is very respectful to her, doesn't say bad words, and is being helpful around the house. We were like uhhhh nothing? haha, HERMANA! It's his love for Christ! It was such a cool experience to see and hear about how other people are able to acknowledge and see that they are changing and we have seen so many changes in him too. He is awesome! Goodness, I just love to be a missionary! 

I was reading in Preach My Gospel this morning and something I found that I loved was, obedience to Jesus Christ is a commitment for our entire life. We can't just commit and then decide it's too hard because we have already chosen once to follow Christ and that is why we are here in this life. Look for Christ again and you will be happy!! 

Matthew 5:14 is a great scripture!!!

I love this gospel, I love my Savior, I love my Heavenly Father. I love all of you!! There's nothing more I can really say other than this gospel that I'm sharing with the people here in Guatemala is real! If you don't know it or believe in it, do something about it. Make a change so you too can have the opportunity to feel the love of your Savior and the everlasting gospel. I'm so grateful that we have a prophet today that leads us and guides us and gives us direction from our Heavenly Father and we should always follow his counsel.

I'm so excited for this Saturday because Elder Rasband is coming and we get to hear from him!! So exciting! 

Happy Valentines Day!  I love you all!

Love your favorite missionary,
Hermana Bracha