Somos Extraños

Hey everyone!

We had such a good week here in Santa Elena, we worked hard and definitely experienced some miracles :) To start the week off we taught this couple that we had contacted like 2 months ago and had never taught, but we literally saw them all the time in the street selling bread. We always tried to put a date and time that we could teach them, but they were always busy. We saw them walking in the street and we were like, okay we're teaching you right now, it's only going to take 10 minutes. We usually don't like teaching in the street, but I guess we had no other option.. We taught them and put another date that we could visit them, when we got to their house they were making all of their bread!! Oh man.. it smelt just like home.. We taught them the Plan of Salvation and then they gave us some pan to take home... definitely one of the best lessons ever haha. We also had zone conference this week!! Ahh, that just got me even more pumped for General Conference, I was on like a spiritual high after that so I can't even wait to hear from the prophet!! Ahhh I just can't stop smiling when I think about it! But our mission president was like.. ya know many people may say you're weird, and you know, their right! Everyone was like.. uhh? Excuse me?! And he's like, if you think about what you're doing, if you think about it, how many people do you know in that study their scriptures for hours everyday, pray more than 3 times a day? And not only that, how many people do you know that walk for hours everyday, rain or shine for 18-24 months preaching the gospel? Yeah, we're weird! But I am so happy to be such a weirdo, we're preaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ and I love knowing that I represent my Savior and Redeemer! He also pointed out how Jesus is our example in our life, he didn't need to be baptized, he created the water that he was baptized in. I had never thought of that.. how cool right?! Ahh I just love this gospel, it really is the best and truly the easiest path. When you think of the life of those many people on the street, or that are addicted to alcohol or drugs, and that can't get along with their family or anybody.. is that really the easiest life? that's what Satan wants us to think, but living in peace and harmony with our brothers and knowing that we are children of God is definitely the better path. Okay, so the miracle of the week.. we went to church yesterday and were introduced to an investigator, he lives in our area and he came to church on his own. He has read the Book of Mormon 7 times, has a really strong testimony of the gospel and we were like.. why aren't you baptized? He said he just needs animo and then he would be. Oh I got animo for you hermano, we're going to do everything we can for him because he HAS to be baptized! 

Well, that's it for this week folks! Have a fantastic first week of April, don't do anything too mean for April Fools tomorrow. I know my mom will put toothpaste in oreo's.. it's a classic :)

Love, Hermana Brems 

                                                 Juliana and her grandma at Conference!
                                                   Juliana gave me the flower….haha!

                                                        PAN!!!!!

                          From Zone Conference..all of the Jan. Feb. and March birthdays!

When the dog bites, When the bee stings

Don't worry, I didn't get bit by a dog, or stung by a bee.. but I did get stung by a scorpion!! 

How is everyone doing?! How was your week? This week was so good, we noticed lots of little miracles that happen in our lives everyday. We went to a few members houses to ask for references for people that we could teach and none of them were home, we had one last idea to visit a menos activo family and we were both like.. uhh I hope we don't waste our time here haha. The mom has been a member for a while and her husband got baptized, went to church for 2 sundays after and then said he never wanted to go back. We knocked on the door and the mom welcomed us in and was SO happy to see us. We had never talked to this lady before in our lives and she was hugging us and was so happy to see us and have us in her home. We sang a song, had a prayer, shared a scripture, then asked if she knew anyone that would benefit from the gospel. She burst in to tears. She said that today she and her husband were having the most problems they've ever had and then we knocked on the door and filled her home with the spirit. She asked us if we could visit her family like once a week, just to bring more joy and happiness. She studies on the weekends and can't go, but reads the scriptrures everyday and has family home evening. It's amazing how soft and still the spirit works, we didn't even have a plan to visit her and we felt prompted to knock on the door and we absolutely made her day! 

On Thursday we went to Libertad for divistions, it's like 45 minutes away from Santa Elena. We got there and had studies then went our seperate ways. I always learn so much from divisions, I really like the style that hermana De Leon and I teach, but it's always good to learn different methods. Anyway, when we were teaching it started pouring and the power throughout the city went out so we were completely in the dark.. 2 gringas in the middle of nowhere, my companion had only been in that area for 3 weeks so she didn't know where we were at either. We finished the lesson then went to look for our companions, we met them at the church, bought candles, and got back to work. It was way fun teaching in candle light actually, it felt like Joseph Smith time, especially when I said the first vision.. that was sweet!! haha We finished up, went to bed, then the next morning Hermana De Leon went to the bathroom and was like, we have a huge problem!! We all went in to see a huge black scorpion on the wall eating a cockaroach.. I've killed a bunch of scorpions in my lifetime so it was no big deal for me! I hit it with a broom and then stepphed on it.. and it stung me... but I was it's last victim so no worries! About 5 minutes after that happened my foot, lips and tounge went numb.. I wasn't too worried until we called the nurse and she freaked out and told us we had to go to the clinic right away, well after a 45 minute bus ride we got to the clinic. It was a joke really, they washed my foot and gave me a shot, I still have a battle wound from that haha :) But I'm back to normal, water doesn't fall out of my mouth when I drink anymore due to the numbness! After the clinic we got home to an army of ants eating a cockaroach and lizard trying to join the party.. animals and Hermana Brems didn't get along this week! haha

I hope you have a great week!! Love you all :)

Love, hermana Brems

                                              Lesson in candle light!

                                        Tan line/swollen foot!

                                               The Clinic!

                                                            The Clinic!

                                                Juliana did my hair! How cool right?!

    P-day today! We had a guerra de angelicas and capture the flag..we're Coban's Angels :)

Pensamientos Delgaditos!

Hello again!

How is everyone?! Another great week in Guate, as always, the weather has been nice to us, but everyone says it's just a tease, the real heat is gonna come in a few weeks! I'm ready, I think..? We had Zone Meeting this week, we have them every month and usually they are great, but kinda boring and we end up just thinking about how hungry we are than anything. This one was way different, we had a practice where we taught a lesson and shared the gospel to one of our best friends who isn't a member. We always do practices of lessons in our house, but never have I felt the spirit so strong in a practice, I was in tears! After we taught the lesson they asked us how we felt and if we feel like that during all of our lessons. Everyone was just kind of quiet because we realized what was going  on, why can't we teach every lesson with that kind of spirit and love? Everyone is our brothers and sisters and should be our best friend, it was way neat. I have been changing my teaching habits a lot this change. Another thing that was way cool that they had us do in the meeting was they had us all go to separate rooms and pray as a companionship about an investigator that we can baptize in the month of March. It was my turn to say the prayer and I was way nervous because it was kind of a big deal.. haha but after the prayer we just knelt for like 2 minutes then said the same name at the same time, prayers really do work! haha We had a really cool lesson yesterday. We're good friends with a recent convert, she's 19 and got baptized in September last year. Her mom has come to church a few times, but the missionaries before us didn't teach her. We've been trying forever to try to get ahold of her and we finally did like 2 weeks ago and taught a lesson and invited her to baptism, she said she would be baptized, but needs lots of time and needs to get married, so yesterday she came to church and then we visited her last night. We brought one of the members who lost her husband 5 years ago and has 3 kids under the age of 12. We taught my favorite lesson, the family :) The sister shared her testimony about how families are forever and she misses her husband, but feels very calm about it because she was married in the temple and has nothing to worry about, she just needs to live the best she can. Then I shared something, I really don't remember what I said, I think  I just talked about my family and how I want to live with them forever and then when I have my husband I can be married in the temple for eternity and teach my kids the same.. Really I don't remember what I said, but after the spirit was so strong. We just kinda sat in silence for about a minute, we invited her to baptism, she was in tears and said she is going to talk to her husband tonight about getting married and if all goes well she wants to be baptized in April! We're crossing our fingers :) Today we went to caves near our area as a district, I have an new found appreciation for Nephi, holy smokes, we had a lot of complainers in our group... we were a little lost, but I wasn't worried, we're servants of the Lord right?! haha When we found our way back they rejoiced, then we kinda got lost again, and they complained, then when we made it to the promised land, or the mouth of the cave, they rejoiced.. ugh, poor Nephi, how annoying! I hope you all have a wonderful week! I sure love you all :)

Love, Hermana Brems

                                                            Love you!!

 

Don't mind my sweaty face haha! One of the members gave us coconuts…and yes I drank all of the milk! Blah...

 Then I hit it with a machete :)

Success :)

Cave, before when everyone was happy!

Skinny thoughts!

Si Febrero es loco

'Si Febrero es loco, Marzo es otro poco'

Hola from the HOT HOT HOT Guatemala!

That is a little saying they have here, the weather in February was way weird, and that means March will be the same! I love it though, my skin is finally looking Guatemalan ;) But holy smokes, it's so humid.. I didn't think I could sweat so much in my life or drink so much water and not have to go to the bathroom every 5 minutes! 

How was your week?! How are all of you?! I sure miss you and I'm so thankful I have such a wonderful support system :) I am loving life and always have a smile on my face! How can I not, I'm doing the work of the Lord!

We had such a bomb lesson the other day with one of our investigators, her name is Lorena and she has a son that is a member, and she's had missionary lessons before, but just wasn't ready to take the plunge! We had a lesson on Faith and it wasn't going anywhere.. I ususally don't like to share with people my personal feelings and frustrations because I don't want them to have pitty haha! But I felt prompted to share 1 Nephi 3:7 with her and told her that life is full of challenges, but we just need to say I will go and do because the Lord has prepared us for every trial we are going to face. I just told her that I have so much faith and I always feel Heavenly Father's love for me when I pray and just plead with Him that I will be able to do what He would have me do. She teared up and said she wasn't going to worry about work, she would be at church on Sunday! Wooohooo! 

Juliana is doing so great, she is so excited to be baptized, we asked her how she felt about it and she said very blessed! We have been looking for a friend for her that lives near her and is her age because she needs a little buddy to hold her hand when we leave. We prayed and fasted and would you look at that, we found her one! We visited a semi in active family the other day and invited them to church and told the 10 year old about Juliana. They came and her and Juliana were skipping down the hallway and have plans for a little play date... ahhh I love this work!

We had THE craziest lesson. So we had contacted this family on Saturday and told them we would visit them the next day (Sunday) so we knocked on their door and they were so surprised! After the song and prayer and introducing ourselves, she was like, why did you choose us? Out of all the people on the street, why us? We didn't really know how to respond! She told us that she has family that are members of our church and they had invited them to an activity, but they didn't know anything about the gospel so they didn't want to go. I really hope that we were answers to their family members prayers because we see a lot of potential in them. But here's the weird part, they have a 5 year old and he is NUTS!! He was yelling in our faces and jumping up and down and running around and they said 'Vayanse feas!' which is go away uglies.. how nice right?! haha Have a wonderful week! I sure love you all and I love this work :)

Love your favorite Hermana,

Hermana Brems

                                                     Our cute investigators

                                                               Puppy!!!!!

                                                                Skirt from Mexico!!

                                                 A little turtle made from bread!

                                                                       Pino!

'Dice que no esta'

Hey there everyone!

This week I kissed my teen years goodbye! Can you believe it, I'm like old now.. That's okay, with age comes wisdom right :) It was such a good week, we worked hard as always and had lots of investigators come to church, best birthday gift ever!! haha We had changes, but Hermana De Leon and I are still companions for 6 more weeks, we were both shocked to say the least, we had a moment of silence for about 15 minutes, but we're happy about it! We have some great plans and now we get to see Julinana get baptized in April!! Yeah, that's right, we have a Fecha :) One of the little girls that came to church last sunday now is preparing, with lots of support, to follow the example of her Savior Jesus Christ. She is the sweetest little girl and has the best support from her grandma. Her grandma was sick so on Saturday we went over to her house and helped with chores, sweeped and mopped and what not. While we were there we asked her grandma for permission if Juliana could get baptized and before she said yes, she started planning on what little white dress Juliana was going to wear. How cute is that?! 

To explain my subject.. I love the people of Guatemala, really I have been blessed with the gift of love on my mish, but man they lie about everything!! And they teach them young.. we always yell 'Buenos' instead of knocking, and the kids always run to the door and we ask them for their parents. So they run back talk to their parents and we always get 'they said they aren't here' or 'they're sleeping' when we can see them.. or my favorite is when we ask if we can share a message and they say not now because they're busy, but they're sitting in a hammock.. that's the best! haha

Have a wonderful week everyone :) I'm so thankful for this gospel and the opportunity I have to share my testimony of my Redeemer everyday! Love you :)

Love,

Hermana Brems 

                Some of the girls made me a birthday note! 3 of our investigators are on my left

                                                    My cake !

                                                      Birthday goodies from Mom

                                                             Thanks Momma!

                                                                 Surprise party!

                                                            Another one of my cake:)