I can hear the bells!!!!

This week we're going to have the baptism and wedding of Mirian and Henry and I'm so pumped because they're so pumped and doing everything that they need to do. They're keeping all their commitments, coming to church, praying, reading -- literally doing everything! I love this family SO MUCCCHHH!!! Next week Edbin is getting baptized!

Our Zone!!

This past week was really awesome and we found quite a few new people! We found a family while contacting -- the REAL family. That's their last name, its so awesome I love it. We were just walking and this woman was seated outside her house so I said hi to her and she invited us in and her husband was home and we had ALL of lesson one with them and also taught them about the Book of Mormon. They had never really heard much about the church, only from the internet, so they had quite a few questions and it was such a cool lesson. It was sad though because they didn't come to church. But we're going to keep trying and teaching them because they were really awesome and I know that if they read the Book of Mormon then they're going to know that the church is true.

There's 4 things that I learned this week, or had refocused in my life:

1. I LOVE TO BE A MISSIONARY

2. Apparently I walk fast -- who would've ever guessed that?

3. I love my savior Jesus Christ

4. The church is true! 

We had an activity from the mission, the Principe de Paz and it was legit! We did a presentation about the life of Christ and it was so beautiful. We had a 16 year old girl with us and after the presentation we asked her how she felt and she said "indescribable...Christ is so good to us!" We gave her a Book of Mormon and we're going to go teach her this week. Her name is Merci and she is so awesome! I pray with all my heart that she reads the book. My Sharon that got baptized about a month ago is so pilas! I love that girl to pieces and she is so cute. She comes to mutual every week, to church, reads her scriptures and now is trying to share the gospel with her friends! She is 13!!! She is the cutest ever, and she's already preparing to serve a mission!

I love this gospel so much! I know with all my heart that as we look with an eye forward in Christ we will always be okay, there is no feeling, no sin or heartache that we cant overcome through Christ and the process of repentance. I love my savior and forever will be grateful for Him and the sacrifice that He gave us.

I love you all and hope that everyone has a good and happy week!!

Love, Hermana Bracha

WAHOOO 7 months!!!! .... NOOOOO 7 MONTHS!

I can't believe how fast the time is going by, it's insane! The life here in Malacatan is still awesome and the ward is better every week! Hermana Jimenez is my new companion and she is from the DF in Mexico! I love her TO DEATH! She is so cute and I couldn't be happier to have the opportunity to train her. She just turned 19 a month ago and is just so wholesome and excited to be in the mission, I love her spirit! She also is obedient.. so that's always a blessing!

My new companion Hermana Jimenez

Right now, well her first day in the mission, MIRIAN AND HENRY TOLD US THEY WANT TO GET MARRIED AND BAPTIZED! This is the family that Hermana Tercero and I were teaching the WHOLE transfer and they finally decided that they were going to do it. I couldn't be happier, and they couldn't be either really. The dad has changed so much and is really putting in the efforts to change. He told us that he was mad at his wife the other day and he went to his room and started to read the Book of Mormon so that he could calm down.. how cool is that!!!!!!

Also our other family Alida and Edbin -- Edbin is getting baptized in May. His wife is already a member and he has had lessons for two years from a million missionaries (he says) and he told us the other day I don't know what you guys did, but you finally convinced me that this is the truth". I literally had no words to say to him other than "seriously? I AM SO HAPPY FOR YOU!" and then told him all the amazing blessings that he was going to receive. The spirit was SO strong in this moment, it was a day that I probably will never forget in my life. Then after the lesson, Alidas's dad told us that he wants us to go to (an area of elders) to teach his daughter and her husband. He wants us to go and not the elders! haha, it was funny because the day before, another member in the other ward gave us a referral to teach someone in the other ward too. People are just helping us like crazy here! I love it! the missionary work works so much easier when members help!!

We are so blessed here and I love everything that we do. I LOVE TO BE A MISSIONARY! It was sad because two of my favorite sister missionaries went home, but it was also cool to see how they had finished their journey here in Guatemala and it made me realize that I still have so much to do here and how I so don't want to go home yet, and for that I am so grateful that I still have another year! well...a little less than a year, but still!

This gospel is so wonderful and I to see the blessings and experiences that other people receive. God wants to help us and is always waiting to help us. The trick is that we ask. He already knows everything, He is just waiting for us to ASK Him! I love the scripture in Ether 2:23 that God says, "Qué quieres que yo haga?" what do you want me to do for you? When we make a decision and have the plan, then we ask God to see if it is what He wants for us, because if not, obviously He knows better and has something better planned for us!

I know with ALL my heart, that this gospel and church is the road to happiness. With Christ we can overcome every obstacle and problem that we will face in this world. I have felt the comfort and peace of Christ in these past weeks and I definitely know that He has carried me in moments in my mission and still is. Every day He is helping me, and I love Him for it. I love you all and hope everyone is happy! Happy Easter!!

love, Hermana Bracha

SO...this week was crazy!!

Transfers are tomorrow and I'm going to train! I'm a little nervous but super excited! I'm not going to know who my companion is until tomorrow when I go to pick her up from REU! So tomorrow I'll go to the office and everything and we will see what happens! Also, I'm staying in my area and I'm pumped because we have so much going for us right now and a ton of positive people!

We met a woman the other day that is a member, but her husband is not and he came to church yesterday and promised to read the Book of Mormon with his wife!!!! So we are so happy!! And I'm just so happy I'm staying because I love the area, my house, the ward, and everything that Guatemala has!!!! I LOVE TO BE A MISSIONARY!!! This transfer is going to be good I can feel it!!

Diego got baptized and it was a wreck because Friday we had to go to Reu because I had a training meeting. BUT there was a blockade in the way so the normally 3 hour bus ride was 4 and a half hours. We had to get off the bus and walk about a mile and half until we found another bus that could take us the whole way to the office in Reu! So that was so fun:) We got to Reu an hour late for my meeting and then when we were trying to head back to Malacatan (my area) the blockade was still there and we were stuck in traffic for like an hour BAKING in the sun, it was 43 degrees Celsius! so so so hot hahah, but it was fun!

Diego's Baptism

But the baptism started at 5 and we got there at 5:45 and they still hadn't started because the guy that was going to baptize Diego still hadn't shown up! But everything turned out good, Diego was so happy and told us, "Hermanas! I feel full of the Holy Ghost!!! I know that I can make good choices now! I feel so clean!!! THIS IS AWESOME!" It was the cutest, I love that kid so much.

Today was so fun, Hermana Tercero and I went to the market and I bought like 50 mangos and that's literally all I've eaten today, there's mangos everywhere! I love my life:) and then we played basketball so also in heaven haha.

I've been reading a lot about the life of Jesus Christ with this week being the Semana Santa and I honestly know that THIS is how we come to know Him. If we want to truly understand everything that He did for us, and still does, we need to study His life and his teachings! I know with all my heart that Christ lives, that He is the Savior of this world and I love Him. I invite and encourage every one of you to read in the Book of Mormon for 20 minutes everyday and then for another 20 about the life of Christ. We had our stake conference and that is just about what every single person talked about, the importance of reading the Book of Mormon. I love it so much. This morning when I was reading my scriptures I kept laughing and so finally my companion asked me why I was laughing, and I was laughing because of the way the Christ sometimes is so blunt. When He asks a question, it's so direct and to the point. They are always questions that require us to reflect and think for just a second about our lives and I love that, and I'm trying to apply that into my teaching -- asking good thought provoking questions.


I'm so excited to have my new companion and to have the opportunity to help her learn what we do in the field!! I love you ALL!!!! Also....when it rains here.... it RAINS! We stepped outside for three seconds and I was completely soaked, I LOVE IT!

Hermana Bracha

Hello family and friends!

I hope that EVERYONE watched conference and if you didn't.... you really missed out. BUT thanks to LDS.org you can watch it and read the talks! SO DO IT!!!! This conference was awesome!!!!! I learned so many amazing things and I loved it! One of our investigators, Hermana Miriam came and she brought a notebook and was taking notes, it was so great because she came in the morning session when they talked all about families and I know that really helped her a ton! So here's hoping that she'll keep reading the Book of Mormon and her husband will come to church!!!!!

I also loved the emphasis that they were putting on the need to do our family history work! We focus so much on the fact that we need to help the people that are alive right now and help them, YES! SHARE THE GOSPEL! But we also really need to do our family history work because they need and want the gospel just as much as the people in this earth! I was so sad when President Monson stopped talking because he only talked for about 3 minutes, but his message was so direct and clear. READ THE BOOK OF MORMON. We have to read it everyday if we want to have a testimony of this church. If the Book of Mormon is true, Joseph Smith was a prophet and he helped restore the gospel of Jesus Christ to the earth, and the church is the only true church. Jesus is our savior and is the only way in which we can return to the presence of God. It's so simple, but yet we make it so hard for ourselves. IT is never too late to look up to Christ. I loved the example that Elder Yoon Chai gave when they were in their mission in Seattle. Every time that it rained they looked up at the sky and opened their mouths. We must always focus on the blessing that we have and that we want to receive! Christ always has is arms open waiting to receive us! Something else I found really cool is just about every person that talked tied their talk into the words of a hymn. Hymns are so powerful. We ALWAYS start our lessons with a hymn no matter where we are. Even if we are standing outside the gate of some house we ask them if we can sing a hymn in order to bring the spirit and the hymns always do! I love hymns!!!

I LOVE TO BE A MISSIONARY! We should always read the conference talks over and over again! This morning I was reading in third Nephi and woah I love these chapters because it is when Christ in is the Americas with the Nephites and is teaching them. He asked a question super direct and clear that I love. All he said was, "What do you desire of me...?" God is always waiting for us to ask our questions with desire, and if it is according to His will, He will give it to us! I loved that question and hope to always put it in practice in my life, that I am looking to do the things of the Lord.

Transfers are the coming up next week and I honestly have no idea what's going to happen, so pray for me! I think I might leave, but I REALLY really don't want to, but I know the Lord knows better!

I love you all and hope that everyone enjoyed conference!

All my love,

Hermana Bracha