Half way to El Salvador

email written and received December 21, 2009


This last Friday my district celebrated our one month anniversary and our half way mark all in one day. That was also the day that our teachers told us to say goodbye to English and that from now on they're only going to speak to us in Spanish. It was also the day that we taught the first lesson for the first time in Spanish.

In only a few short weeks we get our flight plans!!! This week has been pretty mild, nothing crazy and no more fire alarms at midnight. Yesterday Brother Stephen B Allen came to speak to us at the fireside, and he's a really good speaker. We're hoping that we get super cool people this week seeing as it is the holidays. Speaking of holidays, Hanukkah was wonderful! I love love loved it and thought it was so funny. At the beginning of each class we have a spiritual thought so I would give that day's Hanukkah message as the spiritual thought. I think every really liked the plan of salvation cut outs, and I think they will help us a lot as we teach the second lesson, its a really hard one to teach, mostly because there is just so much information in it.

Photo by Keith Johnson/Deseret News
Elder Richard G. Hinckley, right, and Stephen B. Allen, rear right, of the Church's Missionary Department are part of a formal presentation by Mack Wilberg, left, Sheri Dew and Mac Christensen of the Tabernacle Choir's latest release.

This last Saturday my district played a game called Native. Its where there are a bunch of cards and they each say a different name, but one says Juan/Maria and whoever gets that card is the native for the day and can only speak Spanish. But everyone is trying to trick everyone else into thinking that they are the native so we all try to speak as much Spanish a possible. So its a really fun "let’s try and speak and learn Spanish" kind of game.

For the next two weeks the Provo Temple is closed for the holiday, but our branch had the opportunity this morning to go and help clean it! It was amazing. Not the most exciting stuff, we scrubbed locker room lockers with toothbrushes and q-tips for the whole time, but it was just great to be in the temple.

Family, I love you so much, and I want you all to have a super happy merry Christmas. I'm writing you a letter today so look for that in the mail sometime soon. Mel, remember that you have my present to mom, and sorry everyone else, but I didn't buy you anything. Sorry. I LOVE YOU SO MUCH! and miss you too.

Love,
Brea

P.S. from Dad- As one of the Hanukkah gifts, the missionaries received Christmas cards to write their testimonies in and send to their parents. I hope we get one from Hermana Breanna.