Transfers and a New Companion - 28 SEP 2015

28 SEP 2015

Hey Guys!

So this week has been pretty crazy! We had the Meet the Mormons activity but all of the new greenies were missing, they got here Thursday. Three of us are training, so we were in trios until then. On Thursday we had to wake up at 4:30, we got there 2 hours later and then waited until 10 to go to the mission home, but it was fun! We contacted for a while with the newbies then we had a meeting and lunch and we got our new companions. My new hijo (as they say in the mission for a new missionary you are training for his first assignment) is named...Elder Bush from Pleasant Grove Utah! Grandpa actually mentioned him once telling me to keep an eye out for him! What a coincidence right?

So these past few days we've been visiting members and investigadores and its been sweet! I now realize how much I really have learned since the MTC haha, but my comp is a capo still! haha

As far as investigators go, we found "L's" house! He is the one who is "A's" friend, and she is reading the Book of Mormon!  We had lesson 2 with her ayer and we are going to invite her to be baptized today! We also visited "W"after and he was feeling sick so my comp and I gave him a blessing and I am sure he is getting baptized!

Anyway, as far as this week I am super excited, we are going to have a lot of success and my new comp is a stud, he just doesn't know it yet, haha, I love you guys, I hope you have a great week!

Elder Bramell and his new companion...Elder Bush

Introducing Elder Bush to the cuisine...chorizo

21 SEP 2015

Hey guys!

The truth is, we didn't do too much this week other than visit people and prepare stuff for the activities we have, plus transfers are today, and my companion Elder Lopez went to Cipoleti this morning :/ But it was a good week still!

At the talent show we ended up doing a skit and a dance and it turned out great! A bunch of people came and a lot of them who we've started to teach really opened up to us! Not too many from our ward went but it was so cool! Afterwards, everyone was telling me they were surprised by my moves haha, fun stuff! Oh and one of the members sang the song Zombie by the Cranberries and I TOTALLY thought of you two Mom and Dad because you would always sing it, haha.

So I don't have much else to talk about but transfers... my new companion will be a brand new missionary! I'm going to be training someone this transfer! (Or in missionary lingo, I'm going to have a son haha) I'm not sure what to expect.. Until Thursday I'll be here with another Elder that is training and when we get back we are going to go to our areas. Its so weird though! It would be like if Curtis came to be my comp! I'll have to let you guys know all about it next week because I don't know who it will be until then!

So sorry this letter is a little short this week, we barely had time to write today, Ill make up for it next week, I promise! I love you guys and I hope you have a great week!

Fellow Missionaries at the Talent Show

Early morning transfers

Excited to find some candy from America!

A Note to the Primary Kids Back Home

7 SEP 2015

The kids from the Primary Program in the Union Ward, Manteca, California Stake wrote letters and drew pictures for Darren, this was his response:

Hey Primary Kids!

Its me Elder Bramell! I just wanted to thank you all for the wonderful pictures!
I hope you guys are having a good time learning about missionary work! Its a lot of
hard work, but its what Heavenly Father needs us to do! Keep up your prayers because it helps me a ton!

Whenever I have a hard day I look at your drawings and I know you guys are praying hard for me!
Keep it up! I know the church is true and that everyone of us is a child of our father in heaven, he loves each and every one of you! Thanks again for the pictures!

Old Friends and New Investigators - 7 SEP 2015

7 SEP 2015

Hey Everyone!

This has been a really great week!

Basically, it started with this past Wednesday, when we had the meeting in Neuquen with Elder Teixeira of the 70! He did a super awesome job and I was feeling motivated, he said a few things that I know I needed to hear. We also ran into a bunch of people I knew! I finally talked to Hna Jones from my district! haha. Its super crazy because her and Hermana Webb are now officially COUNTING DOWN their mission haha. That's still crazy to me! I also ran into Elder McCutcheon! We were talking for a while and guess who showed up... Cintia and Silvina Vilche from San Lorenzo! It was Sweet! Cintia is supposed to report to the MTC THIS Wednesday! She's going to Columbia on her mission! The funny thing is that I will only be home 2 transfer before she goes home haha. That was super fun though and we definitely learned a lot! 

After we got back, we arrive just in time for futbol in the capilla and the guy we met, "F", was there. This past Saturday we taught him lesson 1 and he already believes it all! He told us "You know, I always thought that there should be more than just the Old and New Testament. (LDS consider both the Bible and Book of Mormon to be scripture) God wouldn't change suddenly" and he said the same thing about prophets! He just wants to start reading the Book of Mormon so we are pumped!

This Thursday, turned out SUPER good! (coincidentally on my 9 months haha) we ended up finding 7 more people to teach, and by that I mean really teach! Not just some people that might be investigators! Some were references, and some we found but we have a lot to do now :D

Friday we went to the Chinese food restaurant because our wards went to the temple and no one had lunch. It was a little trucho haha but it was nice to not have to cook something, and it was a buffet! I did end up eating that prawn though haha it was only meh, but it was all pretty decent, plus we got a few more references out of it (from people who worked there).

Saturday was when we visited "F" and a little later we played basketball with a few future investigators, including "F", the cook from the Chinese restaurant and his friend! It was fun to play a sport OTHER than futbol and I was getting on a roll! I had a few 3 pointers going haha. Anyway we ended up visiting "X" that night and he was SOOOOO much better! He is a lot calmer he isn't mad anymore, he stopped smoking and has been reading the Book of Mormon! He moved some of his stuff into the pension too so he is feeling a lot better. He also might have a job soon. He told us that he is just accepting God's will now..FINALLY :P  He wants to make lunch for us and future missionaries to repay how much we've helped him... he really has changed his life for the better.

Well that's about it this week, I'm feeling a lot happier now. Thanks for always writing and I hope you have a great week and an awesome time in the temple! I love you all, talk to you soon!

Now THAT is a prawn!

Hermana Webb, Hermana Jones & Elder Bramell

Elder Bramell, Elder McCutcheon & Elder Coyle

Reunited with friends from his first area in Neuquen

Elder Sanchez and Elder Bramell