I have about zero of none of any of the times, BUT.

A) We made pizza in the Cuc Family's bakery yesterday for District P-Day. I love the Cucs, I love my district, I love P-Day, and I love pizza - ya just can't go wrong. 

 

 

 

 

B) Priscila got confirmed and it was so lovely. Also it turns out she speaks better English than I do. We're probably going to move to England together and just live happily ever after, sisters from different misters. (Turns out both KJ and I were sent on our missions to a) find Guatemalan people and b) find our soul sisters.)

 

 

 

And C) I should never have told Hermana Brewster she could have the last of my Hershey's chocolate syrup. I looked over from my scriptures to find her doing this.

 

 

The church is true! If you don't believe it, or know it, ask God and he'll tell you.

And if you do believe it or know it, CTR!

Actually, CTR in all cases.

WWJD?

HLJ (for ya Spaniards.)

Love you more than I love Cuc Family pizza. Possibly.

TODO mi amor,

Hermana Brower

 

 

 

Hey dears,

 

Do you want to hear the best news ever? I bet you do.

First of all, I got an email from one of my sisters - to be used in the most literal sense - in Amatitlan. And she got baptized. And I cried. Best thing ever, I think. And about a month ago, her boyfriend, also one of my old investigators, got baptized and wants to go on a mission. First comes misison, then comes...ETERNAL FAMILY? Yespleasethankyou. I love them and am so seriously happy for them.

Second: My sister Priscila got baptized this Sunday. 

You're about to hear the whole story, because it was my favorite baptism of all time, tied with Mauricio's. And I think I cried more in her hourlong baptismal service than I have in my whole mission. #truestorybro.

I love her, I love her, I love her. This girl is my sister.  She has had to leave so much behind, has changed so much, her faith has grown from almost nonexistent to POWERFUL, and she's basically a superhero in my eyes.

The whole service went beautifully, she cried from the start, and then she got baptized. 

I don't think I've ever cried during the actual baptism - I'm usually just grinning like a loon. But in Priscila's, I was literally holding my breath and crying as her friend Emanuel pronunced the words "Habiendo sido comisionado por Jesucristo, yo te bautizo en el nombre del Padre, del Hijo, y del Espiritu Santo. Amen" and she went under the water and back up.  And we ran around the corner to give her her towel and clothes, and as she and Emanuel came out of the water, they hugged and he stood back and grinned, "Estas limpia!" and she just lost it and hugged us all, sopping wet. But did I care? Not a bit. Estaba limpia.

She went to change, crying in the stall, and I was crying by the sink (Bless Hna. Navarro for keeping her cool), and as Priscila was heading out of the stall, both of us, now under control, looked a the other and hugged and lost it. Again. 

And then she bore her testimony and we both lost it. Again. 

She said, all the while biting her lip, her eyebrows furrowed, fighting tears, "I'm thankful to all of you - I'm thankful to God - to have the opportunity to be here.  I was looking for a path but didn't know what it was. I think I found it." And she paused, looked at her hands, breathed deeply, and said, "No. I found it." 

Then we sang her favorite hymn, "I'm a Child of God", through which she miraculously (spelled right? not sure. speakin spanish baby.) stayed dry-eyed, through which I, not so shockingly, lost it again.

She hugged me and laughed, "Estas llorando mas que yo!" 

And then we had cake from the Familia Cuc.

Does life get better? I submit that IT DOES NOT.

The first picture is of my sisters - my two Priscilas. 

The second is of all the people that love her and helped her - and are my Antiguan familia.

This church is true, ladies and gents. It makes us happy. 

Love you all very much.

 

 

 

 

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 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

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