Tres Tristes Tigres

Hola Family and Friends!

How are ya!? I hope you are all ready for Christmas, I know all of you are on Santa's nice list this year so if should be a good one for all of you :) We celebrated Christmas for our zone conference on Tuesday. It was way fun, President Curtiss and his wife gave a talk and we went over some business. They 'asked' me from the pulpit to say the prayer, so I didn't have a choice haha, that's alright, I don't mind practicing that good good spanish! They made us a delicious meal and then we watched Monsters University. Hermana De Leon and I had the most contacts that week so we got a box of cookies, way sweet of them haha!

This week when we were having language study, Hermana De Leon was having me say tongue twisters, hence tres tristes tigres, I have a hard time saying them in English, let alone spanish! It was a good laugh for her though so that's alright! Spanish is coming along, I'm understanding more and more and I'm talking more in the lessons. I need more confidence though, that's what everyone says! I just don't want to say anything wrong, but I have to learn some how and practice is the best way right?!

This week we contacted a ton and had several lessons. The people here are kinda funny, they seem so interested in our message when we give them a pamphlet and talk to them in the street. When we go back to give a lesson that we've prepared they tell us that they go to a different church, or they're busy, or we saw one guy run around to the back of his house and grab his bike.. he took off! Hermana De Leon was like, alright alright, we won't come back! Silly Pablo.. oh well! Oh and the other day I had a zit on my face.. it happens right? Well, I guy that didn't have teeth asked me what it was.. I was like, dude, you don't even have teeth, why point out my flaws?! That's okay, he has a sweet spirit I'm sure.. Yesterday was such a good day though! One of the ladies we taught, stopped cleaning to listen to us, we invited her to be baptized and she told us she was baptized in a different church, so we asked her to pray, I have hope! Anyway, after we were done teaching, we helped her clean her house because she kinda needed it.. I know she was very thankful and if felt SO good to serve her. Before we begin any lesson we always start with a Hymn. I thought it was a little strange the first 3 times and I felt awkward because I don't necessarily have the best singing voice, but after that, I absolutely love it! Music just brings the spirit into any home and the people usually enjoy it too! 

I hope you all have a wonderful week and have a very Merry Christmas :) I'll be thinking about you like always! Thank you for all of your prayers and your examples :) Talk to you next week!

Love always, Hermana Brems

Group pictures from 11/13 and 11/27

Ayi Aya, Aqui, Aqua

Hello hello hello!

All I can say about my first week in the field is.. WOW! Haha! I have seen things that I never thought were possible, in a spiritual sense and in a living condition sense.. hahah! My companion, Hermana De Leon is the best! She has trained 3 other hermanas so she knows what she's doing! She is very patient with me and always tell me that I'm doing so good with my spanish and with teaching. I'm getting used to our house, it's a little bit more cozy and we're adding our personal touches to it. We bought curtains the other day and I went to take old ones down and guess what scurried out of them??? A LIZARD!!! I jumped off the table and ran to the other side of the room. Holy smokes.. I haven't touched them since haha! We don't have a kitchen in our house, just a sink and a portable stove top, but even with that it is so nice to finally cook!! The CCM food was good, but I know those eggs were fake.. and I can finally have yogurt and food that I want! I'm living the dream :)

We have such a good branch here in Santa Elena, the people are so willing to help us out, give referrals, and go tractcing with us! We've had a member with us everyday, and the mission leader is awesome! We were walking down a street with a member and we were totally lost so we called him and he came to our rescue with a bottle of Gatorade for all of us! He's great! Our area is huge, I swear we walked 8 miles yesterday and it was raining most of the day too! Living the true missionary experience. When they people give directions, they just say, Ayi or aya or aqui or aqua. I'm already awful with directions and still get lost with a GPS, so I am so grateful Hermana De Leon knows what she's doing! haha! We had a lesson with some new Investigators the other day, Gerardo and Carolina, they were a referral from a member. We met with them and they had heard a little about the church, mostly about the Word of Wisdom so we talked about that. We went back the next day to give a real lesson and at the end he told us that he had had a dream the night before, that I was giving him a basket of fruit. He said he knew the fruit was the word of God. Ummm chilerro verdad?! They went to church yesterday and I have great hope for them :) In another lesson we were talking about families and the importance of them. I opened up my photo album and shared some pics of my awesome family and just told them how grateful I am for you guys and how much you mean to me! Yesterday we went tracting with a member, while we were waiting for her, her daughter was rolling out tortillas so we helped out. I'm basically a native, I can get those things in a perfect circle haha :)

I received a different address for you to send mail and packages, I guess this one is better! It is:

Mision Guatemala Coban

3ra Calle 2-20 Zona 3

Coban AV 16001

Guatemala CA

Mision Coban

Thank you for all of your love, support, and prayers! I really do feel them and I hope you all feel my love for you! I love you all and I love this work :)

Love, your hard working Guatemalan

Hermana Brems

Where in the world is Hermana Brems?????

With very limited information, this is where we believe Jenna is calling home now.

Santa Elena!

Hola de Santa Elena!!

I made it safe and sound to my area, it's in Peten Santa Elena, where all the ruins are! Needless to say I'm super excited, pdays will be awesome! It's been so long since I've been able to write, lo siento! I got a new companion, her name is Hermana De Leon, she is from Guatemala, but she speaks pretty good English. I'm her first Norte to train so hopefully I represent the US well :)

The trip up here was interesting! So we had a 4 hour bus ride to Coban where we met the President and his wife, they are the BEST! I might have cried with Hermana Curtiss when she bore her testimony and I talked about my fam :) I miss you guys so much! Then she fed us tortilla soup with lots of rice, ahhh it was delicious! Then we stayed with some hermanas overnight because my area is abotu 7 hours away from Coban and we left yesterday morning. That trip was very interesting. We crossed a river on a 'ferry` had some luggage fall out of the van, but we recovered it and yeah.. it was just a long day! When we got to the house we were pretty disgusted.. the Elders that lived in it previously obviously didn't know houw to clean, Hermana De Leon said that that's the worst place she's lived in, so at least it can only get better from here, right?! After seeing some of the houses of members today I can't even begin to complain about the cold shower, bugs, or anything else because at least we have a floor and we don't have pigs and chickens pooping at our feet! Last night the mission leader took us around to some of the members houses, it was so fun! I couldn't understand everything, but they were very excited to have us in their home! One lady fed us, we were starving so it tasted really really good!
Today we went shopping for food because we had nothing and then went contacting. Ahh it's kinda surreal, but it's way fun! I wish I knew more spanish, but I keep telling  myself to be patient! The president told me he sent me to this area because he thinks that my energy is needed up here! Haha I'll bring all the energy and positivity I have! They only have a branch here, but the members seem to be very helpful!

I love you all so much and I will talk to you more on my P-day which is Monday. I got a call today and they told me that I had a very worried momma and I needed to write home :) Love you all, thank you for all of your support and prayers!

Love, Hermana Brems

Down in the Paint!

Why hello everyone! This week was literally one of the best weeks of
my life!! I absolutely love my companion, Hermana To'a, we get along
so great and we teach so well together! Our spanish has imporved so
much because we talk more and we aren't afraid of messing up because
we realized we're both still learning and we've only been learning for
a few weeks! Since 4 of the 11 people in my district left, we've all
gotten super close. We do sports together so it's really fun! The
other day we were playing hand ball and I was getting ready to catch
the ball when all of a sudden one of the Elders tackled me to the
ground.. Needless to say I went down in the paint and he had to sit
out for a little bit. I felt bad because it was an accident, but I was
mostly just super embarrassed! I didn't get hurt, don't worry, I'm a
tough little Hermana! Thanksgiving here was so fun! They brought out
the table cloths and we got to use real plates instead of plastic
ones! We had the traditional Turkey day meal complete with my very
first piece of pecan pie (sorry dad, it was delicious!!) I ate for
this Thanksgiving and the next one.. :) heehee! After dinner we
watched a devo by Elder Nelson and his wife, it was so good! They told
us to find those people who's ancestors are praying for us to find
their posterity so they can get their temple work done. I had never
looked at it like that! So great! I was asked to be the music
coordinator for my branch so I get to pick the music for Sacrament
Meeting, devotionals and Relief Society! It's been so fun, I love
being able to serve and help out in any way I can! Last week they made
us put a little piece of paper on our plaquas that say 'No Hablo
Ingles' they Latinos have fun messing with all of us.. punks! They're
way nice though, they love to help us out. I can't believe I leave the
CCM in a week from today! I am so excited to get out to the field, I'm
a little nervous though! We watched Errand of Angels on Sunday, haha
that definitely didn't calm my nerves at all, but I know the Lord will
help me through all things if I am exactly obedient. I love this work
and I love being a missionary :) I'm not sure when I'll be able to
write you next, I'm hoping next Wednesday I'll be able to shoot out a
quick email, but I'm not 100% sure! lo siento! I love you all and I am
so thankful that I have this opportunity to serve a mission,
especially here in Guatemala! thank you for all of your prayers and
support! I am one happy gal! :) Love, your favorite hermana, Hermana
Brems

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