Happy belated Valentine's Day to all you people that I love VAIR much.

Given my inability to speak English, I think I'm just going to try to communicate through pictures. Esta bien? 

 

1. This is my little boy Marvin. He just kind of wandered up during the Talent Show and wandered back to his (other mother) at the end. I'm nearly positive he's the cutest 6 year old on the planet. 

 

2. The two thugs on the right are my homeboys Derwin and Dario. We've been reactivating them and was the best thing in the world to watch em kill it at the ward Talent Show!

 

3. OH JUVENTUD DE ISRAEL. I love all my little thugs.

 

4. Reunited and it feeeels so good!

 

5. "And IIIII will always loooove youuuuuu". #tributetotitanic

(Pretty sure this falls under the mature conduct the missionary manual tells us to have.)

 

 

6. It's getting pretty beautiful up in here, up in here!

 

7. Represent.

 

 

 

ALMA 41:6, The Book of Mormon:

 

"Now, the decrees of God are unalterable; therefore the way is prepared (The Atonement) that whosoever will may walk therein and be saved."

 

I love you cool cats a lot, a lot. Have a very groovy week and please eat lots of Reese's (a very rare commodity here) and think of me.

All my amor,

 

Hermana Brower

Hey you beautiful creatures.

It's been a fantastic week here in the land of the very wealthy and very Catholic! One of our investigators, who is incredibly pilas, finally came to church this Sunday and it was the best thing ever. She just looked so at home; I don't know quite how to explain it. It was really lovely and I think my favorite Sunday ever in the history of Mission Sundays. And it was kind of a huge miracle because the day before she was literally vomiting all day; her gran gave her some herb tea and de repente she was fine. #hemovesinmysteriousways (Coldplay, is that you?)

I'm approximately six inches taller than all the bathrooms here. There are not words for the awkwardness when your head is always sticking out from the stall.

One of the sisters in our area ran into this guy the other day whose only commentary about the church was this: "Your religion plays a lot of board games, don't you?" She was telling us later and was like, "I just wanted to be like, 'Where'd you pull that piece of doctrine from, 5th Nephi?'". #doctrinafalsa

We have a water heater in our house here, but these last couple of weeks it's been out on strike. Consequently, showering had become a little bit like doing the Hokey Pokey. You put your right foot in, you put your right foot out, you put your right foot in and you shake it all about. 

And to end before the pictures, I love this quote from Preach My Gospel paraphrased because I don't have it on hand in English: "When the Spirit comes to the heart, the heart changes." 

That is what we do: we invite people to change and become more like Christ. #duhwinning

FOTOS!

1. ALL MY NERDY DREAMS COME TRUE. I finally got to make a timeline of the Restoration. It just makes so much SENSE. #ITSKINDOFABIGDEAL 

 

2. It'll take more than a mission in a third-world country to separate me from Moleskine notebooks.

3. We climbed to the Cross! And it was a beautiful day in the neighborhood.

4. I'm now in a trio - Hermana Navarro, Hermana Brower, and Elder Murray. #dontworryaboutit #murraychristmas

5. La Antigua.

6. Good morning ALL the mornings!

 

7. "The fog comes in on little cat feet." 

8. More beauty.

9. And s'more.

 

10. But wait, there's more!



Today, we all follow the wise advice of Hermana Kjersten Johnson in 'Bama: "Lengthen your stride, but don't split your crotch."

Love you cool cats more than I love the things in picture number 11! (Almost.)

Hey you cool cats, love you bastante!

We had an incredible Zone Training this morning and talked all about how we have to love God above ALL the things. And one of our Zone Leaders shared Ether 12 verse 32, that talks about hope and the mansions that are prepared for each one of us. Christ knows all things - He knows not all of us will return to Him and the Father, but He has still prepared a mansion for each. and. every. one. of. us. He suffered for people who are going to deny Him, for people who aren't going to be willing to do their part to accept His sacrifice - and He did it anyways. There's a scripture in 1 John that says "We love Him because He loved us first" - we love Him for His perfect hope. We love Him because even though He knows we're not all going to make it, even though He knows we're not all going to take advantage of the "days of our probation" to repent, He's still waiting for us. In the Book of Mormon, in 2 Nephi 9, verse 41, it says (and I'm paraphrasing, because I only have the verse right now in Spanish) "Therefore, my beloved brothers, come to the Holy Lord. Remember that his ways are just. And behold, the way for man is narrow, and the line straight before Him, and the guardian of the door is the Holy One of Israel, and there he employs no servant, and there is no other entrance."  He's waiting for people who aren't even going to show - we can't let Him down. We've got to do our best to make sure not one mansion that He, through His sacrifice, has prepared lies empty for the eternities. He has employed no servant at the door - He himself is waiting. Will we prepare ourselves, as the scriptures say, to meet the Bridegroom?

If we really love Him, what will we do? He said to Peter, "Feed my sheep." 

And "If ye love me, keep my commandments." 

Will we do it? Si or si?

Also you should all come to Guatemala - land of gospel music karaoke. Which I didn't even know was a thing.

And even the primmest abuelitas here rock lilac hair.  Get Urban Outfitters on the phone; I sense a stellar photoshoot.

Also would you like to know how to say hola in an indigenous language here, aka Ketchikel? (Alright, so maybe I got a little creative with the spelling there.) Utsawatcha. Accent on the U. And to say ocho, you say oches. That is courtesy of our investigators who barely speak Spanish (now that's a good time, teachin'), but are really sweet and love to sing I Am a Child of God. And then repeat it while we're praying. But the husband, who we just met last night, sobbed in his prayer. So that was really sweet. We don't usually have people crying in their prayers unless they're drunk. But the point is that now you speak Ketchikel, you beautiful creatures, you!

Love you lots and love you always.

Hermana Brower