Mi premero semana in El Salvador- January 25, 2010

K, you all write a lot! So, I´m here and I´m safe. My companion´s name is Hna. Torres and she is a native. Let me start from the beginning though. We flew all night and got to e El Salvador at about 7 in the a.m. We got to drive by and see the temple and it’s amazing. We then became legal in the country and that took forever. Did you know that when you´re set apart as a missionary that makes it so you can nap in the chapel? Apparently it does because they told us to find a bench and take a nap in there. Haha, then we had one of the mission doctors come and give us all a little check-up and that was alright. We went to the mission home and had some great food. Then the Hermanas went to one of the local Hnas.´ houses and stayed there for the night. The next day we got our companions, all of the gringos got a Latino companion and that’s how it is all of the time here. I´m serving in Atuxtepequi....that might be how it’s spelled. (It's spelled Ayutuxtepeque. The name is directly above the label for San Salvador in the map.)

We live with one of the members and it’s the best place to live in the mission. We have hot water, a washer and dryer...it’s amazing! And a really big deal. We´ve been knocking doors because we were white-washed into this area and I don´t think it’s too bad. Maybe that’s because I have no clue what anyone says to me. I had papusas the other day and they´re sooo good. Um, the food here is alright but it´d be better if I didn´t gag every time I tried to eat raw tomatoes. (Yea, my biggest problem is with tomatoes and onions, fancy that.) Sacrament meeting was good, still didn't understand much, but that’s getting to be normal. I had to give my testimony, but I’m used to that. One of our investigators came to church! It was super cool.

I learned this morning that irons down here are a lot hotter than irons in the US, meaning that I melted a hole in one of my skirts this morning. How fun, but that will never happen again. Yep, sorry mom, I didn´t mean to, but just so you know it was not the awesome black one, but the super cool tan one. Um, my address is the one that I you have. That is the one you mail letters and packages to (if one happens to come my way, then peds would be greatly appreciated), because I guess we get transferred a lot, so this way we always get our mail no matter where we´re transferred to.

Just for the record, I have not yet felt any earthquakes. Hmm, I’m trying to think of if I’ve had any adventures. Nope, not really. But I do want to give a shout out thanks to Stephanie Rhodes for prepping me for down here. I love that girl to death! I’ve ridden on the busses (they´re more like vans), and they´re not too bad. My Mission Pres. is super cool and really nice. He´s actually in my ward that I’m serving in. His wife is so nice, too. Yep, that’s pretty much all I’ve been up to, knocking doors, teaching some people when my companion says key words which mean it’s my turn to talk in the little Spanish I know. But I’m super safe, trying to learn the language, and not letting my feet touch the ground at all. (See, Mom, I do listen to you.) I love you all lots and lots and can´t wait to hear more from you.
Love,
Brea

Leaving, on a midnight plane to El Salvador- January 18, 2010

So, my plane doesn't actually leave at midnight, but I'm guessing the one from LAX to EL Sal at 11:55 is close enough. I'm soooo excited that I'll be getting to talk to you today! Pero, I'm still going to write to you seeing as I love you so much. Hm. Today has been hectic seeing as I cannot finish packing until I wash my clothes, so I’m waiting on that. Yesterday we had to say goodbye to our Elders because they left this morning at 8, so we'll not see them again until they get back from their missions...if even then. Oh, random question could you let me know what my blog address is? Mama J was wanting to keep in touch and that is a good way for her to know what I’m up to. Nothing super eventful has happened other than saying goodbye to all of the wonderful people that I have met here at the MTC. I'm sad to be going because there is such a wonderful feeling and spirit here. When else can you be completely cut off from the world and feel the Holy Ghost so much. While here my testimony has grown so much. I know that my Savior lives and that he has done everything for me. That through the Atonement all of my sins can be forgiven and that the Savior knows exactly what I am going through all the time. When I feel inadequate and like giving up, I know that the if I turn to the Lord that he will help me through whatever I'm going through. That is why I'm out here, is to help other people gain that faith in Christ and to help them come closer to him. I know that these things are true.

I'm so nervous to be leaving the country for the first time (well, I guess I did go to Canada once, but it’s not really that different from the US) So I guess it’s the first time I’m going to a far away, majorly different country. But all will be well. I've met some of the Elders who are going to be in my travel group and they seem to be super cool and nice, and all of the Elders here look out for the Hermanas, so I'll be safe. Oh, update me one the news every once in a while. I hear that there was an attempted plane crash/bomb over Christmas in Detroit, what’s up with that? And why didn't anyone tell me about it? I LOVE YOU ALL SO VERY, VERY MUCH AND CAN'T WAIT TO TALK TO YOU TODAY!
Love, Brea

Wahaha! One week! January 11, 2010

Ok, I'm so very, very excited to present to you my travel plans for El Salvador! So, I have to leave the MTC at 4:30, in the PM and my plane leaves SLC at 6:47 pm. SO there might be some time between being dropped off at the airport and leaving where I can call. We get into LAX 8:53pm and have a layover until 11:55p, so definitely time to call then. Sorry it’s so late, but I didn't make the travel plans. We fly all night long and arrive in El Salvador San Salvador at 6:45am. When we first got our travel plans everyone in my district got theirs except my two companions Hna Stout y Hna Karl, so the next day we went down to the travel office and they found out that the system had dropped them, but they did have travel plans. My companionship is all on the same flights but we're not in the same travel groups. Hna Karl y Hna Stout are in the same group but I’m in a group with who I think are all people going to El Sal San Sal East.

Sister Dalton the YW pres came and spoke to us in RS yesterday and it was awesome! She spoke about virtue again but this time focused on being sexually pure. Then we had a really great sacrament meeting and a fantastic walk around the temple.
Hmm, what else did we do this week? I'm not really sure, other than the whole travel plans thing this week has been pretty mellow and not very much has happened. Well if it has then I can't remember. You'll find out, I'm going to send you a sweet packageish thing before I leave with some pictures in it.

So, I can mail the stuff I can't take with me (such as Melanie's coat) to jess for super cheep, so I’ll be doing that. Her meeting me at the temple/airport is against the rules. Pero, I will send her a box sometime soon so, most likely I’ll send it on Monday so that I don't freeze so much.

Another thing, PLEASE send my Amy's new address, I really really want to write Willy a letter but can't bc I don't have his address. Plus, you’ve never let me know what Great Grandma's address is either, so if you could dear elder that to me, that'd be awesome.

Pretty much my whole district is stoked to be leaving the MTC. We love it and all pero we want to be in the mission field more. Tell Elder Kim thanks for the advice, even though you couldn't remember it, I’m sure it was good. K, I LOVE YOU SOO MUCH and I’m so super excited to call you next week! You may also receive an email but I’m not really sure about timing and all that jazz. I always love to hear about your life and OHHHH YEAH! I need Jessica and Melanie's phone numbers, seeing as I don't have them memorized. Yea, send those also in that sweet dear elder that has addresses. Hmm, I’m not sure if I need anything else but if I have time I’ll email more. I love you; tell me what you've been up to.

LOVE, B to the Wells

Fast Sunday- January 4, 2010

This week has been a major roller coaster. After our Tuesday devotional we were in our class room doing the typical district devotional review when Brother Trapneil came in and told us that our Branch President’s wife died this past Monday. We're all really sad because the Branch Presidency’s wives are like moms to us. They normally come to check on us once a week and we all get really close to them, so that’s been hard.

Random switch, but on to what else we've been up to. Last week, Monday, my district got to clean the temple again and it was so good! Hna. Karl and I were the altar crew, meaning we cleaned all of the altars in the sealing rooms and that was fantastic. We enjoyed it more than cleaning lockers.

I heard rumor that it was New Year’s this past week. HAPPY NEW YEAR! The Sisters next door (in our residence hall) invited us over to their room and we counted down to ten o'clock. We shot off a popper, drank some Martinellies and just pretended it was New Year’s. Other than that, it’s just weird to think that it's 2010 already and I won't see any of you at all this year! Crazy weird!

One of my teachers, Hno. Goodman, has been out of town for the past two weeks due to the holidays, so we've been having lots of subs for him. One of them is Hno. Stocking and he is amazing. He taught us a lot about pronunciation in the Spanish language and is so funny (he looks like Bobby Lee from MadTV, and I’m not just saying that because he's Korean) and really spiritual. He's a fantastic pianist and while on his mish (mission) he made a music program that was all about the Restoration and he performed it for my district this week. It was amazing and we all felt the Spirit really strong.

We had fast Sunday, and it just flew by. My companionship fasted to know what to teach Mary (she's this woman that Hna Stout calls every week and talks to about the gospel while we're in the RC). It was pretty much just a good Sunday, and we got to see Mama J and that always lifts our spirits. I'll take a picture of Mama J and us and send it to you before I leave.

Alright family, I haven't really heard much from you this week. How was your raging New Year’s party?! How have the first 4 days of the New Year been? Random fact for you, but in 3 days I get my travel plans! I’m freaking out over here with excitement, so next email I tell you all about when to expect a call from me! and where I’ll be flying from and all about crazy long layovers. Tell me all about all of your lives.
Love,
Brea

Christmas Card

One of the Hanukkah gifts that we sent to Hermana Breanna and her district was a box of Christmas cards. They were instructed to write their testimonies in the cards and mail them to their parents. Of course, this was intended to be a Christmas present to the parents.

My dearest, darling family,
I know you all gave these cards to me, but I’m
sending this one back to you with a little part of my testimony in it. I know that this gospel is true. Why else would I be out here when I could be doing so many other things? This is the truth, the word that everyone needs to hear about. I know that the Book of Mormon is true, that prophets of old from the America’s wrote it and that it is for our time. That God has a plan for us and that we should do all that we can to do what God wants us to do. I know that God has a perfect plan for all of mankind and that we have lived with our Heavenly Father before and that we will again and that we will be an eternal family. I love you all so much. I know that these things are true.
(heart) Breanna