Don't Be Fubeca!

Hello Everyone! Well, the first month has been a success! All my skirts and dresses still fit, I haven't missed a day of writing in my journal, and Hermana Cabral and I still get along great! Whenever we start to get off task we look at each other and say 'Don't be fubeca!' which is portugese for a slacker! It definitely works :) haha For the last 2 weeks in the CCM, my district decided that we were only going to speak spanish from 9-5.. it'll be so helpful and I'm glad we're doing it, but classes will be a lot more quiet! We get a new batch of Latino missionaries on Wednesday, when they come in hermana Cabral and another hermana from my district are going to join one of their districts because they're really advanced in Spanish. I'll be companions with Hermana To'a, she's from Laie Hawaii, she's super fun so I'm excited. We're on the same level as far as the language is concerned so I think it'll be beneficial for all of us. We won't be able to depend on our companions spanish during lessons, we'll have to do all the talking! Oh, the funniest thing happened the other day! I was in need of a hug.. it was just one of those days.. so I told Hermana Cabral and she didn't think I was serious! We went upstairs to brush our teeth and I just kinda hugged my pillow for like 10 seconds and I felt a little better! haha Then yesterday she was like, wait, when you said you needed a hug, were you serious? I was like, YEAH! That's why I grabbed my pillow! She felt so bad.. esta bien though! Tomorrow for Pday we get to go to Wal Mart, we're all stoked to be able to get out of the gates of the CCM! Don't get me wrong the CCM is great and I am living it up and enjoying hot showers and good food, but it is kind of confining. We were talking to some native girls, about the different missions in Guatemala, they said that Coban is like a ranger mission. So basically only the tough survive.. they started laughing so hard because I guess my face looked as scared as I felt! haha! I'll come back loving camping, or I'll be really good at it, it's a win win in both situations! We watched a devotional by Elder Bednar again, at the end of his talk he was saying that he wishes he could shake all of our hands, look us in the eye and tell us that We Can Do This! Yeah, I started crying, that was exactly what I needed to hear! Again, it's just been one of those weeks.. but hearing that from one of the apostles of the Lord was like music to my ears! I love the gospel and I am so grateful for the opportuninty I have to bring it to other people's lives. In honor of Thanksgiving, I'll close this letter with 3 things that I'm thankful for, I can't not follow family traditions! 1. I am so thankful for my amazing family and knowing that families can be together forever. That is one of the greatest blessings in my life to know that I can always be with my amazing family. 2. I am so thankful for the gospel and the truth and happiness it has brought to my life. 3. I am so thankful for the opportunity I have to serve the Lord for 17 more months of my life. No matter how hard things get, I know He is always by my side, holding my hand and cheering me on. I love you all and I'm so thankful for you! Have a wonderful Thanksgiving! Love, Hermana Brems

Happy Halfway!

Why hello friends and family! Again, the 'enter' key isn't working so I apologize! It's hump week in the CCM, woohoo! 3 weeks down, 3 to go. Last week literally flew by, I feel like it was Preparation day 2 days ago. Last week we went to the market, it was so much fun! They had stuff piled from the floor to the ceiling, lots and lots of colors, leather, cloth, ahh it was nuts! I love Guatemala, if I could only get the language down :) haha! Everyday we have 'investigators' to teach, they're just our teachers that pretend to be someone they taught on their mission. I was teaching Lucia Lopez, we were talking about families and what not. Oh my gosh I just started bawling!! I was a little frustrated because I wanted to be able to say what was in my heart in Spanish, but I didn't know how.. oh well.. but I sure do love my family and I love knowing that we can be together forever. We got a new batch of Hispanos last Wednesday. They are all really nice and super friendly. Our roommates are way sweet, I told one of them that everyday in the CCM gets better so don't worry! On Sunday her companion was not having a good day and just broke down crying after church, she said that she told her comp. what I had said and it brought comfort to her, I'm glad I could help a sista out! haha! Oh and the first few nights that they got here were awful, one of them has an infection in her throat and she snores SO loud! I swear the windows shake.. I pray everynight that I'll be able to sleep and the Lord really does bless me! When we got a new batch of missionaries our schedule changed so we have sports at 8 pm.. I didn't really like it at first because you're in a classroom all day and all of the North Americans work out then too, so it's super crowded. It's been nice to get to know the other hermanas better though and we have more time at night to write in our journals and shower, so it's not all bad! I realized I hadn't told you about my companera Hermana Cabral! She is from Brazil, and has 3 older sisters and a younger brother. She learned English and like 3 other languages in school then went to BYUI for 2 years, yes she definitely has the gift of tongues! She is 23 and is going to serve in Panama, she's the first Brazilian sister to ever serve in Panama which I think is way cool! Her dad is a mission president in Santus Brazil (I'm sure I spelt that wrong..) and all of her siblings have served a mission. We get along really really well and are already planning on meeting up sometime in Idaho when we get back! I got my scripture case today, ahhh it looks so sick!! I can't wait to send a picture of it :) Last P-day we got to take our cameras to the market, so I have gotten to document a few things, just 3 more weeks :) haha! Well I am doing really well, I love my job being a missionary! I miss all of you so much, not a day goes by that I don't think about each one of you! Take care! Love, your favorite hermana, Hermana Brems

I hope this works.. they took a picture of all the girls in the CCM, they do it every 2 weeks because we get new Latinos every 2 weeks.. anyway, I'm the first standing row, behind the lady wearing blue. She's the nurse, I'm so glad her and her husband are here, I tear up everytime they speak beecause they have the sweetest testimony and they understand! 

the second picture is of our district.. if I would have known we were taking a picture I would have actually done my hair, and worn a cuter outfit.. but what can you do..? haha!

No good or Si good

Hola Family and Friends!

I'm writing today because we get to go to the market tomorrow! I'm so stoked, every 2 weeks we get to do an activity outside of the CCM. We get our cameras back for the day too! It's been a great week here in Guatemala! I've learned so much and I'm always so happy and energetic! I think it drives Hermana Cabral a little crazy, but I'm just always way happy! I think it helped that one of my teachers said that 'With the Spirit you can speak Spanish' holy smokes, I was like dude you're totally right! I've been trying to study as much as I can and I know with work, patience, and help from the Lord I will be able to speak. I have been focusing mostly on getting the doctrine down and making sure everyone is happy haha!

I am learning pretty quickly that it's the little things in life that are the best. The other day we had Ghiardelli brownies for dessert... oh my gosh, I was like YES!! I can do this, life is good, just everything seemed possible in life because of that dang brownie! haha And we had cereal for breakfast yesterday... those good good Frosted Flakes were so bomb. haha! Since I'm talking about food, I'll explain my subject title. The Hispanas always ask if we like the food and we've been trying to help them with their spanish. One of them was like, Hermana Brems, su comida, no good or si good? Ahhhh I died laughing! Maybe it way a 'you had to be there moment' but I've been laughing about it all week!

Yesterday we had 'transfers' so we switched companions for a few hours. My temporary companion was from Mexico! We talked about that for a few minutes because I can only hold a very sad conversation for that long. She kinda got annoyed with trying to figure out what I was saying so she didn't really talk to me anymore.. esta bien.. haha! After we were done with transfers the Norteamericanos went to a different room and we watched 2 movies, the Legacy and The Testaments. There wasn't a dry eye in the room after we finished The Testaments movie. A little later we watched a broadcast that was held a few years ago in the Provo MTC by Elder Bednar, man he's the best. But we stood up and sang Called To Serve. Gosh, I get chills everytime we sing that, Theres probably 50 Nortes, so 50 young adults singing their hearts out about being called to serve a mission for the Lord. I feel very blessed every single day! I have the best job in the world.

Life in the CCM is great, well it gets better everyday! The first week was rough, but now it's pretty awesome. We wake up at 6:30 and are busy until 10:30 so it's a long day, but I always feel very very accomplished after, and very very tired! I sleep like a rock. The weather is so nice, but it's winter here so all of the locals are wearing jackets and scarves and what not, it's kinda funny. I'm surprised I don't notice the humidity as much, but then again I'm in a classroom all day and not trekking around outside! haha!

I hope you all have a wonderful week! Thank you so much for all of you support, even though I'm so far away, I feel very close and connected to you! I love you and miss you all :) Talk to you next Tuesday!

Love,

Hermana Brems

The Few, The Proud, The Missionaries

Why hello everyone! It was so good to hear from all of you, the first week in the CCM has been pretty good, it definitely gets better everyday! Guatemala is so beautiful, so green and flowers everywhere, I wish I could take pictures and send home, but they have a really strict rule about no pictures inside the building.. a little weird, it´s nice and all, but not anything fantastic haha! So there are Latinos up the yin yang here!! Like 3/4 of the missionaries here are Latino, they´re all really nice and love helping us out (mostly making fun of us) with our Spanish. We have a deal with them, we teach them one English word a day and they teach us one Spanish word a day. The first few days I was getting SO frustrated with myself because Spanish is not coming easily to me, but I figure I´ve only been here a week and I still have 18 months to learn, no rush! haha Hermana Cabral and I share a room with 4 other Latina´s, they wanted to be in charge of the alarm so I said, by all means go for it! Well, Friday they turned on the lights and I looked at my watch and it was 7:30!! I panicked!! We missed Sports, which is one of my favorite times of the day, and we were so tired all day long. We learned early to ALWAYS wake up at 6:30, the Lord really does bless those who are obedient! I guess the Hermanas felt bad for waking up at 7:30 so on Sunday they decided to wake up at 5:45... oyy Hermana Cabral and I just stayed in bed even though they were talking and had the lights on. They are really sweet though, and always are laughing and trying to help us with Espanish. Our whole district is teaching a guy named Jose, he is a cook in the kitchen so he´s like a legit investigator. The lessons have been going pretty well, it´s hard to teach as a district because sometimes he hears things like 5 times in one evening.. poor guy. I miss all of you so much and think about you all everyday! I feel so blessed to have a family that I miss so much, I know there are missionaries that aren´t so fortunate. Oh, they totally throw you into the fire in the CCM, we´re praying and testifying in Spanish and they have us write a minute talk every Sunday and you get called randomly.. how nerve wracking right? Sorry there are no paragraphs, that key on my keyboard isn´t working apparently.. Today we got to go to the temple, it was so lovely, I absolutely love the temple! After we were done with that I ordered my some custom made leather scriputure covers! I think they´ll be pretty good looking! Well, I love you all and I´m so thankful for this opportunity I have to serve the Lord, it is definitely the best decision I have made so far. At times it´s hard and frustrating but that´s life and it will only prepare me for the rest of my life! Have a wonderful week and I´ll talk to you next Tuesday! Adios :)      Love, Hermana Brems