Another week and another baptism

Hello People I love,
This week has been completely crazy! Last week Hna. Torres and I went with Hna Rivas (she´s the wife of Elder Rivas who is in the Seventy) to her hair dresser to get a haircut because hair dressers here are kind of ridiculous and he was supposed to be really good. He was alright, but cut way more of my hair than I wanted, because I just wanted an inch or two off since I’ve been growing my hair out. It’s now impossible for me to put my hair in a pony tail just because the back is too short to reach. Also, it’s a bit longer in the front than in the back, kinda like Victoria Beckham´s hair, which I’d normally be alright with if it didn´t make it so I had to do my hair every morning.

On Tuesday our whole district went to a bunch of our various investigator´s houses and taught them. I´m not really sure why we all went together, but it made for a really busy and tiring day. That day we committed a man to be baptized on Saturday. Wednesday we had a multi-zone conference and Doc. McArthor, the doctor over all of Central America, was there and talked to us about being safe with food. Papi Pérez talked to us about keeping the rules and making sure we fill out our baptism forms correctly, someone hadn´t done their math right and had baptized a 7 year old.

Friday was hectic and on Saturday we were supposed to have a baptism but he got into an accident, so we had to postpone until Sunday morning. Sunday Morning we had the baptism and then we worked crazy hard that afternoon and then had some awesome dinner at a member´s house.

Today we played volleyball and then most of the Elders played soccer. We then went to our normal cyber café, but they didn´t have any power, so we had to come to central for one. That’s pretty much all that I´ve been up to this week. How has life been since mom got home? How have you all been? I love you all very very much!
Love, Brea

Gringa in El Salvador

My darling family, how I love you!! Last week after I wrote to you we ate Mexican food and everyone got a burrito, except me. I got a gringa and everyone thought that was hilarious seeing as I’m the only gringa in our zone. It’s all good and was amazing tasting! It was pretty much what we call a quesadilla, but like 10 times better.

OHhh also, I got your package last week about 10 or 20 mins after I finished writing you. The socks work great, and the sweethearts tasted ridiculous like always. Also, yes I did get a letter from Lauren, the only problem is we don´t have a post office in our area and we´re not sure where the closest one is, so I’m working on finding that.

This week was more of knocking doors and the members here are fantastic! They´re really willing to go to lessons with us and give us references and feed us. They´re awesome, so hint hint that's what missionaries need. Members who are willing to go with them to appointments with investigators and food.
On Thursday Papi Perez came to our zone meeting and talked to us about...something, I can´t really remember. The importence of lecciones para encontrar I think. Then on Saturday we had a random emergency zone meeting where the zone leaders talked to us about how we don't have any baptisms yet for this month (at the end of the day the zone had 2 for the month) and how that is not acceptable and how we need to be doing better. We talked about all of our investigator and what we should do to help them and all that jazz. Most of this zone is new to the area and that's because, I think, there haven´t been as many baptisms as they want for here.

Sunday was good and one of our investigators came and he seems really great. Today, Hermana Torres had to go to immigration and make sure she still legal for this country, which she is. That took up the morning and now here writing to you! I love you all so very much, and Andra, thanks for the letter! I absolutely loved it! You all need to know that I love this gospel and this why I’m here. Because I know that this is the only true church on the earth and that through Jesus Christ we are able to live with our families forever if we´re willing to follow his example and live the commandments he has given us. I love you all so much, I’m praying super hard for all of you!
Love, Brea

Mi premero semana aqui en Atlacatl!

¡¡¡My most amazing Family!!!

So my area is aqui (here) in Atlacatl, Layco which is a suburb of San Salvador. It’s a pretty good sized city, about the size of Ypsilanti. We have a few investigators that the other sisters left for us, but they left cryptic messages on how to get to their houses, like approximately the 5th house on the left or the 2nd or 3rd pasaje after the market. It’s hard to find people who have started to hear about the gospel and want to hear more when we don´t have the address. Our apartment is pretty nice for El Sal. We do not have hot water, and the shower doesn´t have a shower head so it’s just a stream of cold water. We live on the fourth floor and the bishop´s house (that's where we go for lunch because his wife makes it for us) is also on the fourth floor of a different building, so we have a lot of stair climbing to do every day. We´ve been knocking doors quite a bit and the district leaders came over one afternoon and knocked with us. Everyone comments on how I don´t talk very much, but what´s a girl to do when she doesn´t understand what the people are talking about.

I have not eaten any armadillo yet, or even heard of the option of doing so, but I try it the first chance I get. Mostly we eat a lot of beans, rice and they LOVE papusas down here. They´re pretty much the food of El Sal. They´re like tortillas that have cheese or beans or meat inside. They´re actually really good. (pupusas recipe)


Nothing much else has happened in our new area. A lot of getting to know the members and finding out where people live and trying to find new investigators. Hey, question. Did you guys ever get the letter that I sent you? I sent one to the other Hna´s in my zone in the MTC and I know that they got theirs because one of them is here now and I got to see her on Wednesday which was nice for the both of us. Just wondering. How are the missionaries in Chili doing? Specifically the ones in Antofagasta because that is where all of the Elders from my district in the MTC went. Wow, that's crazy sauce about the earthquake, but I know that God watches over us no matter what. How are things at home? Has Andra gotten an email like I’ve requested, or at least thought about writing me a letter of any sort, snail mail, email, smoke signal....I miss her!!!! How’s it like in the great state of Washington? I love you all and love hearing from you. I send my love, and maybe someday I’ll send another snail mail letter. Hugs and kisses all around!

Brea....your favorite sister missionary

¡Cambios! ("Transfers!", literally "Changes!")

Sister Wells and her missionary companion, Sister Torres

So today we had changes (transfers) and I´ve been in my new area with my companion for maybe an hour now. Let me tell you more. This morning we finished packing and we took all of our belongings to the Stake Center, and then around 2:30 the bus full of missionaries that were getting transferred today pulled up and we got on and had to say goodbye to Hna. Nidia, that was really sad. There was Hna Torres, myself and one other sister on the bus. We drove around and then pulled up to the church that has the Distribution Center in it and Elder Brotherson called off the names of the people who needed to get off of the bus, and Hna Torres and I were two of them. We are staying companions but we´re opening a new area here in Lyico....that spelling is for sure up for dispute and I have no clue how its spelled yet, or the name of our specific area. So, that’s what’s been happening today, but I’ll find out more and tell you more about my area next week, you know, once I’ve actually visited it.

So this last Tuesday we went and did service in the morning and that was completely fun! We went with our whole zone and we walked there from the chapel, and that took 40 minutes. Once there we helped demolish part of the house even though there was still a bunch of stuff inside but the man told us to tear it down. Then on Thursday we had interviews with Presidente Pérez and that took a really long time, but was good. He talked to me about the 2000 stripling warriors and how their mothers taught them a lot of really good things and even though I’m not a mother now...something about that, I didn’t really understand. Ha-ha, but then he talked to me about how life is one day at a time and so is this mission; that I have to take it one day at a time. Saturday was completely fantastic!! We went to the church and helped the YW YM with their service activity which was picking up the trash on the street where their church is, and it really needed it. From that I got a sweet sunburn but it was gone by Sunday. Also, the most important part of Saturday, one of our investigators got baptized! It was a mass baptism because we had Stake Conference and right before there was the priesthood session and right after was the adult session, so there were five baptisms in all. On Sunday we had Stake Conference, and it was broadcast from Salt Lake, and we heard from Elder Costa from the Seventy, Sister Cook from the YW Presidency, Elder Christopherson from the Quorum of the Twelve, and President Eyring from the First Presidency. The talks were pretty good...from what I could understand. Then everyone who had been baptized on Saturday was confirmed members.

A note about packages. This is what I’ve learned from talking to some of the Elders. Unless you put stickers of the Virgin Mary and or Jesus Christ on the package, it takes it about a month or two to get here. IF stickers are used then it takes about 2-3 weeks. This is just what I’ve been told. Mail on the other hand doesn´t take that long, about two weeks. PLUS dearelder.com has it so that you can mail me a letter through pouchmail for FREE. ITs true, and it doesn´t take very long to get here, I’ve already gotten two letters that way. So, just so you know.

Anyway, not much else has happened this week..but it’s been pretty eventful. I love you all soo much and love love love hearing all about your lives. How are the snow and the cold? Sometimes I wish I had some coolness, but I’m getting used to it being 90 outside and think its chilly when its 70. How is Washington and Utah? How is school and work? And what in the world is Andra up to?!? I never hear from her or about her!
I love you,
Brea