bravery to teach...

So this week was good. It passed by really fast because I was really busy. So things are going good. I had brownies yesterday and those were heavenly...except for the fact that the milk that we drank which I bought was expired even though it didn't say so. That was weird but no one is sick..yet. 

Ummm..we had our first interview with the new president and he is really cool :) Just his wife knows zero spanish but I feel that she will catch on soon. soooo...also yesterday everybody was telling me I have yellow eyes and that is something really cool as well I think...we don't have a mirror so I can't tell haha but I hope it is true.

Ummmm...so I weighed 130 the day I left on my mission...and I weighed myself for the first time since I've left (last july) and now I weigh a little bit over 150....so that explains why I can't touch the rim in basketball anymore...haha.

There was something my leader said too..."If you baptize people and come back home the same...you have failed your mission". That is something that has stuck with me. Also I have really learned about training. We call the people we train our "kids" and I have realized...everybody wants perfect kids...but no kids are perfect and we get upset because they aren't perfect, but only my mom is lucky to have her oldest son perfect (:P) but we really have to have patience. And I thought my brothers taught me patience before my mission but I had no idea...anyways...haha things are going good.

I feel like I am leaving my area soon on August, so I am trying to leave a good mark here. Also last week we had a ton of people come play basketball and I had the bravery to teach them all a lesson right before, and then some kid spoke up and said "Thank you, I'm really glad you do that and hope you will every Wednesday" So basketball is something amazing that has helped me connect to the youth here. Anyways...I love you guys and hope all is well! Take care!!

Faith

Well this week was good. I had the sweet tender mercy to baptize another 8 year old girl and that was such a sweet!

So these two changes haven't been the easiest...but I will miss this and I have learned a lot! Especially about faith. Faith is more than a belief or a hope, faith is an actual power, and it's real, and strong, but we have to be willing to do what James says in chapter two in verse 17. ("17 Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone. 18 Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works." New Testament James 2:17-18)
Like I was walking on this cliff area and there were two goats tied together but far apart. One goat fell off the cliff was hanging by his neck choking. I wanted to use my faith to save him, but faith without works is dead. I ran over and pulled it up and there was a huge strength that came over me and it wasn't from pupusas haha. Cool stuff out here that I will never forget.

But there is something sad I have noticed..when I teach someone over and over again and they don't listen, and I stop teaching them, a HUGE challenge comes over them and it makes me feel sad, but I know God is helping them in his own way.

So this week we might have a baptism. Please pray for Johanna and we have a baptism set and a marriage for September..but I doubt I will still be here. That is the sad part.

This Wednesday also, we had over 15 teenagers come play basketball with us, and that is more than we could of with soccer which is weird here...haha but we have gained so many investigators from basketball. That really makes me love the mission hahaha :P So that´s about it.

We also had a meeting with one of the people in our ward...and we were talking about how we can't enter certain areas because of the gangs here won't let us...and he said "you guys don't worry, Their boss respects me, I'm going to go talk to him and get you guys in to get the seed planted in this area" I love how all the missions are different. I'm so glad to have this mission, it is really cool and I am learning a lot. But take care everyone!

Happy one year! 

(Many missionaries burn a shirt at their one year mark)

 I baptized an 8 year old girl in the ward:)

So many blessings come from the mission...

So things are going good here in this area, just I am getting really comfortable here and ready for a change...haha. But I really love this area and am going to miss it. Everybody in the house has had Diarrhea for the longest time, but I am the first one out of it in case you guys wanted to know. 

Basketball was so fun!!! Wow I miss basketball. Also I found my nametag, well the office found it and they gave it to me and they were about to order me a new nametag but didn't so I still only have one :/ But that is okay haha. We all met the new President this week and he seems amazing! This will hopefully be good and he didn't take away Coke yet so keep praying that I can keep drinking coke because it is a lifesaver haha.

So my convert here got the priesthood this Sunday so that made me feel really good and really happy for him. So many blessings come from the mission and you get to see so many miracles. Speaking of miracles I had a crazy miracle happen to me that lets me know that God watches over us and loves us so much. ANDDDD.....that's about it haha.

All my group almost except about 5 of us are in Belize...haha so I think I will most likely finish my mission there which is sad because I will miss the pupusas. But...there is nothing else really to say but HAPPY FOURTH OF JULY!!!!! ENJOY!!!!

We asked Brandon what the miracle was that he referred to and this was his response:
So I was walking in this crazy cool area and I stopped to take a picture. And it was really beautiful, and then my comp started screaming and running. Then I started seeing black dots everywhere! Then I realized that they were attacking me and there were bees everywhere! It was scary and I dropped my backpack and ran. I felt the bees stinging me I think, and we ran for a while and stopped, but when we stopped we smacked the rest of the bees that were attached to us stinging us, and then I sat there waiting for the pain to start. And it never started...And I asked my comp if he got stung and he said I think so...and we sat there without marks or pain... and we went the whole rest of the day without pain or anything. And it really made me think of the garments and the promise it makes in the Bible about the missionaries and animals.  https://www.lds.org/general-conference/1992/10/bible-stories-and-personal-protection?lang=eng

 we had a cool family home evening in the ward (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Family_Home_Evening)

keep choosing the right

So this was a kind of normal week. It was a normal week but the normal weeks aren't that normal on the mission. Sooo....I lost one of my name-tags in San Salvador so I have to get a new one but luckily I have the sports one. I am staying here this change in Armenia again so that is nice! I will have a year in the mission and 2 areas...haha which I kind of like to be honest.

So things are going good...andddd this Wednesday I am playing basketball with the other 3 Latino missionaries against a team...but...not to be prideful but we are going to win haha. The other missionaries all thought that I was really weak because they are all huge (not muscular) and said that I couldn't even do 5 push-ups. So I challenged them. My comp got 20 something fake ones and I got 52.... so that was nice. :) And my comp was happy because Chile won the soccer cup for the Americas.  And....that's about it this week. Sorry it was fast I almost got off without writing the weekly. Take care you guys and keep choosing the right :)

my area...I keep forgetting to take pictures

opportunity to teach about families

So this was a pretty normal week. We actually didn't get to meet the president (mission president - new one every 3 years) because he is coming in July...but we still had a really good multizone (missionaries from different areas) meeting. But things are going good.

I heard my Basketball team lost :( But my companion is happy because in soccer Chile beat Mexico 7-0...which in soccer...wow. I am forgetting a lot of English living with 3 Latinos but we have changes which I know some people are leaving the house so we will see how things go. I am not going to Belize though so I believe I am going to stay again here haha but we will see. I will know tomorrow.

It has started to rain here lately and my comp loves it...haha we area always walking in the rain with water up to our knees...it is crazy ahha but I have learned to enjoy it. ummm....besides that things are really chill right now... one of our investigators found out that she is pregnant so it is the perfect opportunity to teach about families. So...wish me luck this week in everything haha

Sorry I am not saying much it was just a super normal week. OH! no there is something. Yesterday we had stake conference and they asked me to improvise a song by ear on the piano without any planning and in front of everyone even the mission president....and if someone says that God didn't help me on that one be careful...haha. That was a crazy miracle.

And "machetees" from that conference are:
President "if you don't have a temple recommend then the temple is more than 5,000 miles away"
Random lady "When you give your temple recommend to the person who receives it, imagine you are giving it to Jesus Christ himself"
Cool crazy stuff...haha but the temple is an amazing place :) Have a great week!!!

things are going great

So this was a good week, it was a lot better than last week haha. But things are going great. First things first...We had a baptism Saturday where we baptized a father of a family of a wife, him, and a little girl and they are doing great! That was so nice and they want to get sealed (Faithful Latter Day Saints believe civil marriages are dissolved at death, but that a couple who has been sealed in a temple will be married beyond physical death and the resurrection if they remain righteous. This means that in the afterlife they and their family will be together forever.) in a year so I am so excited for that!

This week was full of interchanges too and I did 4 interchanges (going with different missionaries)...all in my area so my comp has been changing areas a lot but finally he is stuck here with me again haha. I kind of got bit by a dog...but not really...just a little bite on the finger but I am fine. I also cooked Macaroni and Cheese!!!! That was fun!!! andddd....that was about my week.

Tomorrow we get to meet the new mission president so I am excited! But I will miss this president a ton. Also those of you who haven't seen the mormon message Reflections...do that because that is an amazing video!!
https://www.mormonchannel.org/watch/series/mormon-messages/reflections

Also....HAPPY EARLY FATHER'S DAY!!!!! Congratulations to all the Fathers out there, and thank you so much dad for all that you have done in my life, continue to do, and will do. You have been an amazing example to me and the mission has helped me to see that! I love you so much dad and I hope you have a great day!!! I wouldn't be out here without you so thank you so much!!!! Take care everybody!!!! Sorry this was short haha

Thank you for the macaroni!

 Another surprise Birthday party with Daneri before his baptism.

 Probably will be my favorite baptism of the mission

 that looked like a crazy storm

this is right by our house:)

seeing better miracles

This week was alright. If I am going to be honest, one of the hardest in my mission and there isn't really a specific reason why, but I know this next week will be a lot better and the weeks fly by. We missed the baptism...lack of working on my part, and I am using that as an example to my companion. It is really hard for lots of Latino missionaries because they love to talk and talk and talk and talk, but they are really good too. But so the baptism will be this Saturday for sure and I am really excited for this baptism!! He is really amazing and the dad of a small family. Just he does have problems with drugs alcohol and coffee, but he is stopping fast! If you guys could pray for him (Daneri) that would be amazing!!

I had a couple cool birthday surprises, just I have been a little sick this week too, but things are going good. If you guys could pray for my ear too, it is okay just a loud noise went off in my left ear, and I can hear good it's just when there is lots of noise it rings easy, but I'm hoping it will go away soon.

I prayed for my comp to understand how we need to be in the house at 9, not 10, and I definitely got that answer haha. We won't be in the house late again :P So things are going good. This change has FLOWN by so fast I can't even explain. And also...GO GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS!!!! Woohoo!! Wish I could see the game but I am seeing better miracles haha :) Hope you guys have a great week!!

Questions to Brandon:
I doubt you are not working - is it because you've been sick?
What happened when you got home late?

haha no I have been working all week...haha. Nothing just a drunk guy asked us what we were doing and kissed my companions neck hahaha :P

 Other Surprise Party