Week 70 (09/24/2012) - Saludos de Gotera!!!

Hey everyone!

All is good here in sunny Gotera! It is really really hot haha...How is everyone up there in Utah?? All going well?? I got some letters today!! Woo!!! I've been waiting a while for letters! I don't know why they took so long to get here, but they are finally here! haha I got 3 from Lizzie and 1 from grandma! Thanks!!!

So this has been a great week! We have been working hard here in Gotera! It is a really fun branch and we have a lot of people that we are working with! It is definitely very different being the Branch President but it is good!! I have to give interviews and give advice to people that are way older then me! haha it's great! It is different because I am used to doing interviews with people that are non-members and ask me questions like, "Can I wear sleevless shirts in the church?" or "Now that I am going to be baptized, do I have to wear a skirt all the time? The bible says that I shouldn't wear men's clothing??" haha but now I am answering questions like, "How can I be closer to my husband/wife?" "Can I still take the sacrament?" and things like that! haha very different! But it is very good to work with all them!! I really do love it! It requires a lot of planning and stuff to be able to do the things with the branch and missionary work at the same time! I am still getting used to everything but it is going really well!

As far as investigators here, we have a family that they have been teaching here for a few months! They are the Familia Abrego! They are really cool, but they need to be married and they are waiting for some papers from Honduras! But it is good! They are just waiting for that! So pray that the papers come quick! We are also teaching a family that, as of a few weeks ago, were inactive! It's the Familia Munguia they are awesome and their daughter that is 9 is going to get baptized this next weekend! Yay!! Her name is Stefani and she is so cool! Her and her sister (who is 7) look so alike! haha I always confuse them!! I'm getting their names down! haha but its good! I will get you a picture this next week! We are also teaching a new guy named Miguel Angel! He is really cool! He is very receptive and reads what we leave! He will be going to church this next Sunday so pray for him!!

Also, yesterday, Josue Mendez from Los Alpes got baptized! Wooo!!! :) He is so cool! And the Familia Cañas will get baptized next week! I hope to get pictures soon to send them to you!!!

So this week we had an activity in the temple! All the investigators from the mission came to the temple to go to different stations and learn about the temple! It was really cool! It was really spiritual and as always I LOVE TO SEE THE TEMPLE!!! Really, there is such a spirit there! After being here for so long, I don't really notice the discomfort as I am walking around on the streets, but as I walk onto the temple grounds, I just feel safe and peacful! I love to go to the temple and I love feeling the Spirit there!! Take advantage of the temple!! Go every week!! I love you all!!!

I love you all so much!! Keep praying for me and I feel each of your prayers! I love you so much!!! Stay close!!

Love,
Braden

Week 69 (09/17/2012) - Hola from hot Morazan!

An investigator, Hermano Marcos - Braden really likes his socks

New zone! Go San Miguel!! He will miss being a Zone Leader, but it's all good!

Mosquito nets to protect them from the mosquitos - woo!

This is where he lives in Morazan, it is hot and the streets look like St. George 

New comp walking through the streets to an investigators house!

Hey family!

How is it going up there in Utah?! haha Kortnee and Dylan got back this week, yeah?? Fun! I bet Mexico was way fun! But just so you kno, guards and police with machine guns and shotguns and rifles is a very, very normal thing! haha but don't worry! haha I was also pretty freaked out the first time I saw someone with one! haha I thought I was going to die! But no, totally normal! Now the funny thing is, when there are guys that have shot guns and their guns are so rusted over that I highly doubt they shoot! haha I hope that you enjoyed Mexico!!

But guess what?! I had cambios (changes)! I told you all last week that I was going to change and well, I changed! haha my new area is called San Francisco Gotera in the department (state) Morazan! But the cool part? The place I am serving at is a Branch instead of a ward! And this Branch doesn't have very many priesthood holders so, I am the Branch President! Now I realize that it probably doesn't make any sense... haha. Well anyway, here in the mission, there are 3 areas that the missionaries serve as the Branch President! A Branch President is basically a Bishop, but just over a smaller amount of people! So I am here serving as the "Bishop," so to speak, of about 60+ people! I am still serving as a missionary, working with investigators, knocking doors and all that, but now it is also my responsibility to interview the members for temple recommends, work with the budget of the branch, plan branch activities, call and release people into callings, and just do a whole bunch of other stuff! It's crazy! It is so fun though! The people in our branch are just amazing! They are all so loving and are really good! I am going through and organizing the Ward Council (Elders Quorum, Relief Society, Primary and YM and YW) and just getting to know everyone and the new area!! Also, I am no longer a zone leader (too much responsibility in the branch) so I'm not going to be working as much with missionaries now, but thats okay because I have so many other people to worry about! haha I love it!

The cool part about it all is, I have a really cool companion!! He is also serving in the ward as the Second Counselor to me and the President. His name is Elder Castillo (Castillo means castle haha) He is from Mexico! He lives in Puebla (a state in Mexico) and he is just awesome! He is really humble and just ready to work! He is amazing and helps me a lot in my duties! (like finances haha I have no clue how to deal with finances! Especially tithing haha) but it is really cool! We are doing great! We work hard and are ready to work even harder!

So, here in Morazan, we are close to a place called San Miguel, which is the hottest place in the entire country! We are in a place that is lower than sea level, and so there is always low/high pressure (I can't remember which one) so it is really, really hot! I feel like I am walking around in Saint George on a really, really hot summer day, and then you add humidity! haha I sweat so much! It's great! But on the bright side, my office in the church has air conditioning! haha so that's definitely a great break! :) But it's great! I love it here and just feel so excited to get to work! It is definitely a really great change! :) My area is HUGE! Like 4 hours from one end to the other! Apparently, I have a part of Honduras in my area as well! haha so that's awesome!

Anyway, all is well here! I am loving life and I love you all!! Keep working hard and doing all that you do! I love you all! Stay close!!

Love,
Braden

(Presidente Woodfield hehe just kidding)

Week 68 (09/10/2012) - Upcoming changes and lots of success and baptisms!

The whole Zone after last week's Multizone 

Elder Mehr and Elder Woodfield making tamales with Hermana Rosa Guadaloupe

Familia Mendez

Braden and Elder Mehr with a member family that makes them really good food! He is going to miss everyone!

Hey everyone!

How are you all doing??

So, crazy news! I have changes this week! This time I did find out a few days before, thank goodness! haha I will be changing areas this Wednesday but I don't know where I will be! It makes me kind of nervous but at the same time it is really good! I'm excited!

It sounds like everyone there is doing great! I hope that you are all happy and enjoying the fall weather! I miss trees that change colors! But at the same time I love how green the mountains are here!!

So this week has been a good one! I won't be around to see all the baptisms this month but I will be able to see pictures! This month, the Familia Cañas, Josue and maybe Rene will be baptized here in Los Alpes! And then all the other people we have been teaching will be for October! I am so excited about all the baptisms! There will be a lot of really good people going to church! This week, we had 12 people come to church! I am so excited about that!

So I want to tell you all a really funny story! So there is this guy in our area that works really close to our house. He is slightly crazy and speaks a little bit of English! Just to let you know a little bit about him, to say "hi" he yells "yes sir!!" haha he just does a lot of strange things! So anyway, yesterday we were walking up to the church and it was raining, and there was this drunk guy passed out laying in the rain, and this crazy guy was standing there with his hands in the air yelling (in Spanish) "Lazarus, rise! Come with me! Rise!" (lLzarus, like the New Testamant story) and the drunk guy was just mumbling and all mad because he was being bothered haha...Anyway... as I wrote that, I realized that it might not be very understandable! Anyway, just know that it was a really funny scene! Something that you would never see in Utah! Some drunk guy with a slightly crazy guy yelling at him haha it was great!

Haha anyway! So this week has been good! We had a lot of really good lessons! We taught Rene yesterday and he has really been progressing! He hasn't drank since last week and he is doing really good! He seemed REALLY happy! The ward members are really stepping in and helping him to feel welcome! It is awesome! He just looks so happy!!

Also, we have the Familia Mendez that is progressing really well!! Josue will be baptized in 2 weeks and his mom is going back to church! (She is already a member) but I just absolutely love missionary work! It is just awesome!!!

Anyway, apart from that, this week we've just been working hard! We have Elder Alameda from our zone with us again (we're in a trio again with him) because his companion went home to get a surgery! So we have been working with three missionaries again! Wow this last change has been crazy!! haha I love it!

I hope all is going well! I love you all and miss you all lots!! Stay happy! Stay strong! And keep reading your scriptures and going to church!!

Love,
Braden

Week 67 (09/03/2012) - Drunk guys and Chicas reunion

In front of a national landmark, the Salvador Del Mundo (Savior of the World) 

Elder Mehr and Braden

New shoes! Woo!!

Hey everyone!!

How are you all???

How is everyone?? I love you all! I am so jealous that the fall weather is heading in! That is so cool! I love fall! I only have to miss one more!! As for here, there have been some CRAZY lightening storms lately! They always come at night at like 930 10 oclock but it is crazy! They just strike all over the place! haha it's pretty cool!

It sounds like everyone has had a good week up there in Utah! All is going well!! For us here, it has been a good week as well!!! This last monday after writing, we went and got my shoes! I sent a picture, they are hushpuppies! I like them a lot! Also something really cool! On Monday, I was walking down the street to go get some food at KFC when I saw Raul Chicas walking toward me! He is the dad of the family that got baptized in March! I LOVED SEEING HIM!!! He is so happy! He called up his wife and I got to talk to her as well!! Apparently he has received the Melchizedek priesthood and is serving as the Second Counselor in the Sunday School Presidency! His wife is the Second Counselor in the Primary Presidency and the son is the Teachers Quorum President! Woo!!! He told me that they are preparing to be sealed in the temple this March! WOOOOOO!!! I am so excited!!

So that was a cool thing this week! Also, this last Tuesday, we had a cool multizone! We learned how to plan better and make goals! They taught how it isn't just a mission skill, but a life skill! I learned a lot and am changing a lot of things to be better at planning! Lizzie should be happy about that haha...

Other than that, we have been working hard this week! Oh! I had to go to immigration to become legal again! I am a legal Salvadoranion resident again! haha But as for our investigators this week, we have been teaching a new family! They aren't married haha but they are great! It is cool how we found them! There was a drunk guy that walked up to us on the street and said "I want to stop drinking!" (Elder Mehr afterward said "If I had a quarter for every time I heard that, I would be rich!" haha drunk guys tell us that all the time but they never change!) But anyway, we gave him a pamphlet about the WOW and we left him at that! Well, this saturday he finds us again, and said that he hasn't drunk in a week and that he wanted to come to church! Him and his wife came to church yesterday! It is cool! So we are teaching them now as well! Josue is progressing really well and will get baptized this month! Familia Canas (Candalaria, Rafael, and Denis) will also get baptized this month! But Rafael has problems with going to church and work - pray for him so he can overcome it and come to church! Thanks! As for Rene, he has been drinking lately.... keep praying for him to be able to stop drinking and to go to church! Thanks family!!!

Anyway, life is really good here!! I love it! Stay happy, everyone! Keep up the emails and the love! I love it!

Thanks everyone!!!!

I love you all!!

Braden

Week 66 (08/27/12) - lots and lots of investigators...and cool meetings

This is Familia Canas. They will be baptized in September!

Eating frozen yogurt...you don't find it very often there so Elder Woodfield had to take a picture!

This is a husky found in a member's home the other day. Her name is Loba. Braden lovessss huskies!

These next two pictures are from Braden's companion's (Elder Mehr's) girlfriend...too fun!

Braden and Elder Mehr eating Elotas!

Braden fell asleep after a long day..."spooning" his journal haha

Hola Familia!!!

How is everyone?? I love you all!! I hope that the fall weather is treating you all well!! Guess what??!!! The weather here is EXACTLY the same!! haha gotta love it! So, that seemed like a pretty cool fence there down the driveway! My first thought was "doesn't that make it too skinny for the boat?" But then I realized that we don't have the boat anymore! haha so all is good, right?? Looks good!!

All is well here! Just normal mission life!! Sounds like everyone is doing really well up there! I hope that everyone is happy and doing lots!

So this week has been really good! We found a cool family! We were hiking up this mountain, contacting a colonia when we found them! We knocked on the door and the Mom came to the door, she is an inactive member and has been inactive for about 8 years! Her husband and her son aren't members! She started crying when she told us that she had been praying for someone to come and help her family go to church! They are so awesome!! We started teaching the son (Josue) this last week and we met the dad, Gilberto, on Sunday! (He works all week long) but it was really cool! It definitely helped me know that the Lord's hand is in everything!! He really and truly is preparing his children to accept us! I loved it! The son will be baptized the 15th of September! We are still waiting on the Dad because he didn't go to church yesterday though. Pray for them!!

Also with Familia Canas, they are doing really well!! They are having a few problems coming to church, but they are progressing really well!! They have changed a lot and have really have recieved an answer to their prayers!!! I love to see changes like this!! It is awesome to be a missionary!!

Familia Lino still hasn't been able to go back to church because of his work!! We say that the Lord is blessing him with a lot of work so he will make money to pay for their wedding haha keep praying for them!

We are also teaching a guy named Rene! He is a golden investigator! This last Sunday, we told him we would be at his house at about 9:15 to pick him up for church, and as we were leaving the church building he showed up there asking us why we hadn't stopped by earlier haha he loves church and comes on his own! It is awesome when they come on their own, it doesn't happen often, normally they need outside help! haha it is great!!!

So I forgot to tell you all, but about 2 weeks ago, there was a 5.8 earthquake here! It didn't cause any damage or anything but it was really cool to be in one! I have never been in an earthquake before and it was so weird!! It felt like you are on one of those magic carpet sidewalk things at the airport but instead of going in one direction, you were going in all directions! haha it was cool though that's all I have to say!

Also yesterday, we had a meeting with all the Bishops in our stake and the Mission President! We presented a few parts of the church handbook on how to work better in missionary work at a ward level and stuff - it was fun! I kind of like meetings haha is that weird??

Anyway! I love you all!! Thank you all so much for all your emails and love!! I love getting them every week!! Keep them coming!! All  is good here!!

Love,
Braden