I stand all amazed at the love Jesus offers me

Confused at the grace that so fully He proffers me

I tremble to know that for me He was crucified
For me as a sinner He suffered He bled and died
Oh it is wonderful

that He should care for me

enough to die for me.
Oh it is wonderful
wonderful to me.

I like it even better in Spanish:

Asombro me da el amor que me da Jesus

Confuso estoy por Su gracia y por Su luz
Y tiemblo al ver que por mi El Su vida dio
por mi tan indigno Su sangre El derramo

Cuan asombroso es

que por amarme asi
muriera El por me.

Cuan asombroso es
lo que dio
por mi.

I am a representative of Jesus Christ. I testify that He lives. Our Heavenly Father loves you, and He wants you to fulfill with "the measure of your creation" and return to live with Him. Life is not a lucky fluke. It's divinely ordained and will help us to achieve an eternal potential. "Men are that they might have joy." (2 Nephi 2:25 The Book of Mormon) I know that Joseph Smith was a prophet of God, and I know it through prayer and the Holy Ghost. I know that by and through him, the power of God and Christ's true Church were brought back to the earth.

I love you. And I love my Savior.
I want to know Him better, and I want you to know Him better, too.
Will you do it?

All my love and gratitude,

Hermana Brower

P.S. We may not wear the cross in Christ's Church, celebrating that He is a living God, but it does amaze me what He did for me. And for you.

 

And that smile is how I feel when I think of Him.

September 30^th

Greetings from Planet Changes,

After 6 months, Santa Lucia and I are breaking up. It was a good time, but even good things have to end sometimes. I looked like a farmer, trekking through the streets in my rainboots, and Santa didn’t like that, and the heat of Santa made me break out, which I didn’t like, so it’s really for the best that we’re breaking up.

BUT there’s lots of pictures AND I will miss Santa A LOT.

Because everywhere I go, I leave a bit of my heart there.

Ya’ll know that I don’t speak English anymore, so photos away.

Imma copy Kjerst and stick em in a document. INSPIRATION NATION(S).

LOVE YOU LONG TIME.

Hasta la proxima baby.

Hermana Broadway (y Hermana Celine Dion)

 

 

 We are real creeps when we get the raincoats on. 

 

Pretty sure this is how they took the picture of the monster in Loch Ness.

 

 

 

This is how we carry our lunch to the house: In Style.

 

 Thou shalt not judge: Popcorn Avocado Tacos (Desperate times call for desperate measures)

 

 

 

Sister Brower tries to wear all her thrift shop finds at once.

 

 

 

Fried platanos as life

 

 

This is love.

 

 

 

October 7th,

 

I am in this beautiful little village just outside of the Capital, called Santa Elena Barillas.

My companion is Hermana Garcia, she's from Zona 1 in the Capital, speaks English like a Gringa, is reeeeal sweet, a total machine, and loves Harry Potter.

I LOVE MY AREA. It makes me so happy, and it's NOT HOT. It's actually cold. So tender mercies exist.

LOVE YALLLLLLL.

Pictures...como siempre...weird, right?

 

 

 

Meet Oscar. He's a small business owner, has an Atheist Boxer named Roco, collects everything, HAS THE SAME INDIAN METAL FIGURE THAT WE HAVE AT HOME, and is a Mormon.

 

 

Meet Roco. He's an Atheist, but is starting to listen to the Mormon chicks.

 

 

 

CUBBLE PUBBLES WITH ANIMALS REMAINS THE BEST.

 

 

 

Meet Terry. He still hasn't come to church, but we're working on it.

I LOVE THEM.

 

 



 

Let the Harry Potter jokes began.

1. Can I just tell ya'll how much I love having this girl in the house? A lot.

2. She even takes modely pictures for me on P-Day because we're both sick of being ugly all the time. #bienvenidaalamision

3. And in return, I do this to her: 

4. And this: 

But that's love, right?

5. Anwyays, she gets her revenge.

6. Twice. #vernondursley

7. But it's true love, anyways.

(Even when I'm accidentally wearing my companion's nametag.)

 

8. And sometimes people throw their thongs up on our rooftop and write "hola" on them. #stayclassyguatemala

9. This is from a few weeks ago. But sometimes my beloved housemates steal their converts' soccer trophies. And sometimes I just couldn't resist.

I LOVE YOU COOL CATS!

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 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

Hey beauts!

 

Well, got to be a little crafty this P-Day, which was nice. I don't know if I've been able to do anything remotely creative for the last six months. So that's why the pictures.

Not sure what to say - we're just chuggin along here in Antigua! Beautiful as always. The work's slowing down a little bit - aka we had a whole zero investigators come to church this Sunday, which was fun, but in other ways we've got some really incredible investigators that I just love, who are gonna take the leap of faith and get on that whole showing their faith by their works thing. So we're comin' along. 

AY, THIS. There's four sisters in the Antigua house, and on Sunday the other companionship had emergency transfers. And guess who my new housemate is??? Hermana Brewster! As in my CCM companion. It's such a blessing, honestly. Also a little strange, because out of the four of us in the house, three of us - Hermana Brewster, Hermana Johnson, and I - entered together, and my companion, Hermana Navarro, only two weeks before us. Hermana Navarro only has 6 months, and the rest of us 5 and a half - we're such babies in the mission. It's like living in Primary. #juventuddeisrael

Have really given cuenta this week of how important it is to remember Christ in everything we do...and how little we actually do it. Therefore, my new motto is: "Oh remember, remember." (But then I just get thinking about Guy Fawkes' Day and V for Vendetta: "Oh remember, remember the fifth of November.")

Am trying to be a more effective teacher, filled with more love and more understanding, because I feel like these last couple of months I have been less than my best - trying my best, still, but not being the teacher I need to be to truly represent Christ. Because was He the best teacher ever or was He the best teacher ever? Maybe just the best teacher ever.

Y por eso I love these quotes:

"The Savior knew who they were and what they could become. He loved them. He repaired Himself. He asked questions. He invited them to testify. He taught with stories and parables. He trusted them. He invited them to act in faith. He was their example and mentor."  

I am really trying to apply this, because as another quote goes: "You are not called to serve in a place. You are called to serve in place of the Savior." (#NOPRESSURE)

And I love me some Alma from the Book of Mormon - helpin me ouuuut, that prophet is. "As many as would hear his word he did teach. He did preach unto them repentance, and redemption, and faith on the Lord. And it came to pass that he said unto them: What have you against being baptized in the name of the Lord as a witness before him that you will serve him?" Makes himself pretty clear, doesn't he? Love.

This year, I am really trying to get to know my Savior so well that when I talk of Him, think of Him, take the emblems of His sacrifice (hellooo sacrament), I weep for Him, am grateful for Him, am filled with love for Him just as I would if I were talking about, thinking about, or remembering my earthly brother. 

Love you all. The church is true and I am so grateful the people I love can have this relationship with the Savior and are receiving all the blessings He has to give. Thank you all for your support and love and know that I love you love you love you all!

I just want to close with this: First of all, read President Uchtdorf's talk: "Come, Join With Us!" #justdoit

Second of all, remember when he quoted The Great Gatsby in Priesthood session of General Conference? #FITZGERALDFORTHEWIN

Love,

Hermana Brower

 

 

 



 

 

I'll Mission Your Blog

This is my mission blog
It isn't very long
I thought I might write a haiku but I don't know how.

New blog for the mission, lovers. I won't be keeping it myself, but I will be writing a post nearly every week and having a friend/family member update it for me. This way those of you who aren't on my super-cool exclusive V.I.P. mailing list can still hear about my mission. If you want.
I can't promise free food (which is what draws you Utah-Valley-ers to all church things, don't lie to me, guys) but I can promise a good time.
I can promise a decent time.
Okay. I can promise an okay time with some good anecdotes.
But wait, there's more!
I can promise you the Spirit, I think. I will try.

Deets: I leave in 15 days for the Guatemala City MTC. I will be serving a full-time mission (18 months) for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, which I love very much and think is pretty awesome and you should check it out if you like eternal joy and stuff. I will be proselyting (going door to door like a salesman, but with something AMAZING to share. Not a vacuum. Or bug-bombs),  teaching, doing community service, and helping out with the ward or branch (local church group) in the area. In addition to these things, I will be falling in love with the people (who I've heard are incredible), the food, and the country. I will be missing my dog and praying my knees off.

Heck, this blog could be called Eat, Pray, Love.

It was too easy, I'm sorry, I'm sorry. I'll show myself out.
Just kidding, this is my blog, so YOU show YOURSELF out.

I mean, I love you! Come back!
If you want to see exactly what I, Tabitha Lynn Brower, believe, you can read about Me + Happiness = 4EVER here.  I know people are wary of the church, and institutionalized religion in general, and things they don't understand, and I get it. But come check it out! The best way to understand something is...to try...to understand it. Get to know my religion and its people and see for yourself how life-changing it can be.  It may just be worth your while.

And if not, you should still totally stop by because I plan to have some amazing stories for you guys: stories of redemption, stories of courage, stories that will make your heart grow three sizes and restore your faith in humanity. I also plan to have funny stories and HEY UTAH VALLEY, I will try to get you guys some free food. I know how you like it.

I'll probably post again before I leave on my mission, but if I don't, I want you guys to know one thing, two things, okay, a few things.
1.      I love you.
2.      God loves you.
3.      I can promise you that. Even if I am a 19-year-old smart-aleck.
4.      It's worth it. All of it.
5.      Just kidding, I can totally write haiku.

My bones saw that joy
is an endless condition
That we are sublime.

Love,
Hermana Brower

P.S. If you do want to be on my super-cool exclusive V.I.P. mailing list, just e-mail me at tabitha.brower@gmail.com before August 5, or at tabitha.brower@myldsmail.net after August 5.