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

An uneventful week- February 22, 2010

Yeah family! I love you all SO much!

So this week has been pretty much chill chill chill and not much has happened. I still haven´t gotten any packages, even though I have been told that I might have one in the office (at least that's what one of the AP´s said, but he doesn´t remember saying that) but it hasn´t gotten to me yet. Hna Torres said they might be waiting until this Thursday to give out packages since this Thursday is the day we have interviews with the Mission President. This has been a super uneventful week. We knocked a lot of doors, and talked to people but nothing exciting. It has been a really normal week, and the most uneventful one so far. One of our investigators is going to be baptized this Saturday but we´ve known that for the past week, so not really a “this week” event. I got some crazy cat calls this week, but I’m starting to get used to that seeing as the fellas here like to use the little English they know to say things to me like, ´hey sweetheart’ and ´hello, how are you´, that's pretty much all they know how to say. I know, being a white girl here is rare, and they´re all what is this white girl doing here? I’m the only north American girl in my zone, but there are 4 other north American elders here, so at least I have someone I can actually understand and talk to sometimes.

Sorry this letter is so short, but this week has been uneventful. Next time I write I´ll have more to say, seeing as I’m getting transferred next week....as the rumor goes, but it’s a pretty plausible rumor. I´m not sure if we get to write next week or what, but I will write you soonish and I love you lots and lots. I hope all is going super well in the many places that you all are, and I keep you all in my prayers.

Con todo el amor en mi corizon,
Brea

From Padre Wells- FYI, We received a letter from the Mission President informing us that Hermana Wells had arrived safely in El Salvador. Since it took so long for the letter to get here, I have realized what a blessing email is.