Bitter sweet!

This week I got transferred to a new area in Reu called Pedregal. I'm going to be serving in the office in a trio with...... HERMANA RALPH! that's right, the party is back together!! And with her sweet trainer, Hermana de los Santos!! We're so happy and I couldn't be more excited! But at the same time SOOOO stinking sad because Hermana Carlile and Hermana Taylor are still in San Pancho. As i said before, so bitter sweet!

Hermana Assistants plus one:)

President and Sister Goodman

We had a couple happys this week because Joseph (a man I taught a few times with Hermana Taylor got baptized!!) and the wife of Edgar accepted her baptism date and is getting baptized this Saturday!!! Also Valeri, Carlos, and hopefully another boy named Anthony.....or in other words a Noche Blanca in San Pancho!! So sad because I won't be there:( but so happy for these people that are choosing to change their lives and follow the example of our Savior Jesus Christ. There isn't a better gift that they could be giving Him.

Joseph's baptism

I'm so grateful for the time that I had there, but now I'm excited for the journeys in Pedregal!!! I hope that everyone is doing well in their Book of Mormon reading and are doing the light the world challenge from the church. I know with all my heart that this is the Lord's work and that He loves us! Christ is the light of the world and through him sadness can't prevail. We can always be happy and have hope in this life if we are focused on Him.

I love my savior and I'm so grateful for all that He has done for me. I couldn't imagine my life without my knowledge of Him. I love to be a missionary and can't believe how fast the time is going. We have such a privilege to be members of the church and we need to share it with everyone. I love Christmas and Guatemala!!!

I love you all and wish a merry merry Christmas to all!! That we may remember the REAL spirit of Christmas and focus ourselves in our Savior Jesus Christ and do all the things that we should.

Love you all!!! 

Hermana Bracha

A quick little update on good old San Pancho!!!

VALERI accepted fecha!!! She is the cutest girl ever and we were so happy because when she got there she said that a friend had given her a Book of Mormon and she had already been reading it for like a week! So happy and she was so excited to get baptized and is progressing so well.

Mario also accepted fecha for the 23rrd!!! We're going to have lots of little Christmas miracles around here:)

Ayleen--she is amazing! Even though she is super far away, we talk to her every night on the phone and she's reading the Book of Mormon and progressing. We're hoping that she can get baptized on the 30th of December. 

This week we had the CLM of the mission and I got to see all my faves and finally got to take a picture with my mission presidents!!! (only 15 months afterwards) that's right friends! We're about to hit the last 3 months of the mission. Still cant believe how fast the time is going by and how my mission is almost coming to a close. SCARY! I'm praying that I don't get transferred from San Pancho. I don't want to leave, we have too many amazing people here progressing and it would be so hard to leave, but I know that the Lord knows what's best for me. So whatever happens, I'm excited!:)

I hope that everyone is staying active on the Light the World campaign through the church, it is changing lives here in Guatemala!! I love my savior with all my heart. He is the light, hope, and way in this life to happiness!!

I love you all and hope everyone is well!!! More next week. 

Love, Hermana Bracha

Hiiiii!!!

S

All of us from the CCM

Sorry that I have literally been the worst in writing the blog recently .. but today I'm going to give an update on EVERYTHING that has happened!! Bueno, so I was in the hospital here in Mazate and then they transferred me to xela because the medicine and everything is better there and it was cool to see another part of Guatemala! I was there from Saturday to Thursday receiving treatments because I had parasites (Clarence) a stomach bacterial infection, intestinal infection, and a colon infection.. WAHOO! But now everything is gone and I'm feeling totally better! Only on a couple medications and we're almost done with those so I'm happy and healthy. REALLY, because I know that no one believes me:)

Nothing like a nice Guatemalan ambulance ride!

My welcome home from the hospital!

So we got back from the hospital and Camila (the bishop's daughter-in-law that we had been teaching for the past two months) GOT BAPTIZED!!! WAHOOO! So much joy there and so happy that I still was here to be able to see her:) she is so cute and one of the few people that have told me that she was 100% sure that she was ready to get baptized and couldn't wait to do it.

Camilla's baptism

Hermana Carlile and I are still together and happy here in San Pancho! We had the coolest experience the other day in an activity. We got like 8 references in one night and they are ALL progressing now! We had a woman that straight up told us that she has been to just about every single church and feels that she is still missing something in her life. She doesn't know what it is, but she is excited for this new path she is on. Yesterday she went to the Christmas devotional with us and she loved it!! She said that she felt so much peace and comfort in her life and she knows that this church is different and she is going to learn many new things here. Her name is Ayleen and she is the coolest!! I love her so much and am so excited for her to receive her testimony of the Book of Mormon. She's already in Mosiah and we met her on Friday!! She's the best!! 

A huge Guatemalan Christmas tree

The Christmas devotional was AMAZING!!! I hope everyone listened to it! if not, listen to it or read the talks!! Elder Duncan and Presidents Uchtdorfs were amazing! So spiritual and inspirational! In this Christmas season we need to give three things!!

1. love

2. service

3. forgiveness

Kindness is powerful and isn't hard. There are so many things that we can do to iluminar el mundo and there are so many opportunities each day we just need to take them. I love my savior and everything that he has done for me. I encourage everyone to take up the challenge of iluminar el mundo and do an act of service everyday!! But not only in December, make it a way of LIVING so that we can all be more like Jesus Christ. He is the ultimate example and without him we aren't anything. If we strive to be more like him the world will be a better place. God doesn't ask us to be rich! he just asks us to love and serve his children. I love that so much. I love to be a missionary and help my brothers and sisters know more about our savior Jesus Christ and our Heavenly Father.

I love you all and hope everyone has a great week!!

Hermana Bracha

Beautiful Country!