28 June 2015

Missionary Moment - 22 JUN 2015


22 JUN 2015

Hey Mom!

My goodness, what is happening to my family back home! haha I can't believe all that news... crazy haha. Don't you guys know that time is supposed to stop while I'm on the mission haha. Anyway this week has been good, We have had a few good lessons but we are still struggling to get them to go to church! (which is kind of important :P) We did have one really cool experience though.

There is one member named Hmna Carrasco and she has been a member for a long time, her son went on a mission and she knows the church is true but she has had a lot of doubts lately. So the other day we went to visit her and she started talking to us about tithing.. She said it wasn't right to "shut the doors of the temple" on the people who can't pay tithing. (She did pay but now doesn't because "she can't afford it") so we were trying to tell her that the reason its that way isn't because they aren't paying the church, but its because they are not obeying a commandment. She was just not getting it and my comp was getting frustrated because she basically wasn't listening and we were talking in circles (her son was also helping us out, but getting frustrated too) and so I just waited for an opening and I said, "Can I share something?" and I opened to 3 Nephi 13:31-33. We read it and she started to cry, I explained that the temple is for the people who keep all of the commandments and we go to church so we can be prepared to go to the temple. She told us that she undersands now and she said that what she felt in that moment washed away all the doubts she had and she wants to start doing everything. She said that we are special people, and she went to church yesterday.

That was the highlight of the week, we are going to keep working with her and Elder Lopez and I both thought that she would be active again when we left her house.

Not all success is in the font.

I love you Mom thanks for keeping me filled in on everything, my brothers are a little slower to tell me stuff haha. Happy late birthday, have a good week! I'll talk to you next week.


Hey Dad!

HAPPY FATHERS DAY! One thing I have noticed while on the mission is what prepares you to be a father. A lot of the lessons you learn while serving (temporal and spiritual) seem to fit in to fatherhood a little too perfectly haha. It is interesting to think about...

I dont know if I will believe it about Curtis going on a mission until he gets his call haha. That is just too weird. You guys are just doing so much stuff now its crazy. Mom has been keeping me posted too haha. It sounds like the Bramell's are as busy as usual haha.

I have my camera but no new investigators, the success of this week has been helping out one less active member, I told mom about it, its kind of a long story but its good. I understand that not all success is in the baptisms, but it helps when you actually have another type of success haha. We are working hard though.

By the end of this transfer I will have 8 1/2 months, its strange how that works haha, The mission is getting a lot smaller though, so it may be a while until I train someone. Like you guys saw, only 3 new missionaries arrived this last transfer and I think its going to be the same this transfer (with more than 20 other missionaries LEAVING). So we will definitely see some change haha. I'm excited for what the future holds though, as always I'm being positive but I'm serious too. haha

I love you Dad, I hope you guys have an awesome time in Trek, I know you'll be awesome parents (because you already are) I'll write you next week!

Fun Times in the Pension and a few Fotos - 7 JUN 2015

7 JUN 2015

Hey Mom!

I'll explain some of the pictures haha. Those pictures with the matress, we were in the OTHER Elder's pension haha OUR pension is A LOT cleaner haha. But at night their pension is cold so we had to wear whatever to stay warm (Their heater doesnt work) haha the one standing up in both pictures is E' De la Serna and the other in PJs is E' Loayza. Thats the kind of stuff we do, we will all four go to an asado or something in the others area and sleep over there or with the french toast (Which i made pretty bomb btw haha) we did the same.

Right now we have... 9 or 10 investigaters. obviously others are progressing a little better than others but I think it will just take a little more time with a few. With interviews I got them mixed up with zone conference which is just the missionaries, the interviews will be tomorrow and Sister Lovell already texted us saying she was going to bring my camera with her, so don't worry :P We always go to one cyber a street down from the church which is 5 minutes away from the pension. I found it on google maps but there isn't a street view, but our pension is across the street from the canal. Our area though is huge.. There is one area we haven't gone into yet because its so far, and we walk EVERYWHERE :P but we are having good success!

That is SUPER weird though haha, I can't believe he is actually done with high school!!!!!!! and I can't believe Jaxson had to go to the ER again hahah poor guy. Sounds like normal back home haha. My week has been about the same I can't really remember much like usual :/ umm... honestly I don't remember doing too much that I haven't already told you guys about..the work has been a little slow this week so its really just been the other stuff.... dang it.. for my & months we bought ice cream and ate it in the pension haha but other than that I've told you everything. Its been kind of a lazy week I guess.. sorry I don't have more.

Well, I love you mom, I hope you guys are all doing well, I'll try to make sure I have a good story for you next week, I love you mom and I hope you have a good week!




Hey Dad!

With your letter I'll explain more detail in the pictures, because other than that stuff this week has been a little slow :P

So the first few pictures with a bunch of Elders is at the pension of a couple of other Elders cooking an asado! After that we went with a member family to a place called "Valle de la Luna" which was super fun! The other gringo is Elder Sulzen from San Diego.


The mess of a dessert was banana cake haha we made that at the other Elders pension to bring to a menos activo family for a birthday and we put a little too much batter haha.


The OTHER desert we made with a member, Fabiana Gutierrez who sent more photos to my facebook! that is called Chocotorta.. so I can make that now.
Chocotorta - Sister Gutierrez, Elder Lopez, y Elder Bramell


After that the pictures with all of our district is at the house of the Familia Caram where we had lunch after church. The Elders ended up being there until about 9:30 haha.


The photos of the 4 of us in the pension was a night where we slept in the other Elder's pension and their heater doesn't work so it gets cold at night, thus the mixed up clothing.


The last ones are just Elder Lopez and I cooking lunch in the pension, he cooked the noodles and I cooked the milanesa (which is basically thin country fried chicken haha)


Hna Lovell is bringing my camera tomorrow so I will be able to send more soon. Thinking back to the week we did a lot of stuff like that which was fun but not as much working as before and thus less success. Don't get me wrong I love this district but sometimes we slack a little. Its made me think more about how I'm ok with slacking every now and then, we ARE human but at the same time I'm not trying to waste my time here doing stuff I could've been doing at home. In the mission some Elders get "trunky" and I completely understand but we came out for a reason and like you said I know where I stand and why I'm here. So that's what I got for the week haha.

I love you dad and I hope everything keeps going good back home! Tell everyone I say hi and to have a good week, i'll talk to you soon!

"I came out to serve" - 25 May 2015


25 May 2015


Hey Dad!

My first week has been really good! We've been busy finding new people and we are very excited about a few particulars. As far as the Spanish, I can understand everything and can talk fine. When I speak its a bit broken but my vocabulary is definitely expanding. Geographically it is definitely a lot nicer here, that canal you saw is across the street from the pension, so if you find the capilla we are literally three minutes away but we work in a part northeast of the church. It is good! There are still a lot of dogs but these ones are more domesticated and don't try to bite you as much haha. I can't believe another year of school has ended, that means I've already been out of high school for a year, with 6 months in the field!.. weird.

Yeah, the dedication was super cool though and one of the members of the bishops family in San Lorenzo, Rosmari Vilche made and embroidered my name and the temple dedication on a handkerchief that I have now. Really cool recuerdo haha.

(I told Darren to keep working hard and stay busy with the work...) That's what I realized too, because a lot of missionaries make themselves miserable thinking of home. Of course I doze back into stuff like that, but I also didn't come out on a mission to feel sorry for myself and what I'm missing out on; I came out to serve. Of course there are bad days and of course there are times you want to go home, but the more you focus on your purpose in the mission instead of your purpose in your daily life, the better off you will feel and the more rewarding your experience will be. So yeah, I'm just going to put "mi hombro a la lid" because I didn't leave such an awesome family just so I could miss them, haha.

Anyway, I love you Dad, tell everyone I love them too. Keep working hard and focus on the important things! I'll write you next week!



Catching Up in Roca - 15 JUN 2015

15 JUN 2015

Hey Dad!

Yeah Stake Conference was this week and the Lovells were there too! It was super good, we had a general authority there from the 70, Elder Salez. He gave really good talks. This week was also the end of the short transfer so I'm staying here with Elder Lopez for one more transfer. I feel like that will be good for a few of the investigators we have, we have good chemistry when we teach and I'm sure we will have some more success this transfer! Its weird to think about, but my comp mentioned that after this transfer we will be getting close to General Conference again!!! I will be working on 9 months too, I don't understand how fast the mission goes.. haha. Its funny though you don't realize exactly what a mission is like until your doing one haha. It sounds like the Hermanas in the ward are great, tell them I say hi haha.

We have been singing in choir too! The choir director Hno Jose Martinez asked us if we could help (Because they dont have any bases) so I've been singing the other end of the spectrum for now haha. We sang yesterday in conference too so I'm sure its going to be that way for a while.

I cant believe that Curtis just needs the interviews (before getting his mission call)... well AND turn 18...but I seriously CAN'T believe it! I remember being at home doing the same thing like it was only a couple months ago... So weird.

I bet you are an awesome Mission leader! Especially if your always so busy studying all that stuff! I'm sure that is just a part of the blessings we will get. Last night we were watching a church movie with a member called "The Mountain of the Lord" and it was AWESOME! It's about the construction of the Salt Lake Temple. They also explain why temples are important and toward the end it showed the rooms inside the temple and the spirit hit me super hard and I just felt grateful for our opportunity we had to get sealed. If you guys can find it, watch it for a Family Home Evening or something because its seriously worth it.  I feel like you guys are getting a lot more spiritual too haha. I'm sure mom would love it.

It is getting colder here but mainly due to the wind nothing more.  It has rained a few times but its nothing unbearable haha. Neither is the work.  We have been struggling to find some of our investigators but I feel like we are still doing good, so hopefully Ican let you know soon.

Well dad, I love you and I hope everyone is doing good! I'll talk to you soon!


Hey Mom!

I've actually been on the computer for an hour already but I have been figuring out my pendrive, (it is somewhat messed up) but I'm doing good. Um as far as our newest investigators, we have two that we think are our best hopes right now. The first is an older lady named Mari. We started contacting in the morning and the third house we knocked at was hers. We ended up being late for lunch that day haha. She believes in Christ and everything and is really open to our lessons. We taught her some about the Plan of Salvation and left her a Libro de Mormon. She has started reading it and wants to go to church this week! She was even talking about tea with us and she told us she wasn't sure which you should or shouldn't drink haha so she is really prepared. The other investigator is named Lucio. He is actually the brother of Soledad (an older investigator). We ended up talking forever to him too and when he was telling us what he believed, it was all the plan of salvation haha The only thing he was missing were the degrees of glory! He is also excited to attend church this week and the next lesson will be on the restauracion, so we are feeling good! Hopefully I can tell you all about them next week when they attend haha. Oh and Stake conference was good too, we had Elder Salez from the 70 come and talk both days and it was super good!

For your name (Brandee is working on ideas for Trek) I like "Forward in Faith" and to be creative with it the Fs could be pioneers pushing the cart and the rest of the letters would be in the cart! Like the 2 lines going sideways would be their arms for instance, just an idea haha. One thing you really learn to appreciate on the mission a lot more is the pioneers. (Mostly because the majority of the movies we can watch in the mission are about them :P) This Trek will be something you guys will always remember because really all the stuff they went through and the faith they had is really incredible. I for sure am greatfull for them now, I'm not sure I could endure all that..

Anyway I almost forgot transfers are today! I'm still with Elder Lopez but Elder Lyman is going to train a newbie! Plus Elder Alonzo from my first transfer is the next Assistant to the President! That was super crazy to hear haha, it makes me wonder whats in store for me here in the mission.. anyway, Elder De la Serna went to Neuquen yesterday with all of the missionaries going home. They leave for home Wednesday.  I'm not sure if that is when The Lovells are going to leave but it will be soon. This new transfer will be 2 months long now.  So ya! Im sure this transfer we will have success.

I'm super glad to hear all your stories from back home, I could totally imagine that story with the cousins hahaha. I love you mom and I'll keep you updated! Talk to you soon!