my official release date is -March 9th-

FAMILY TIME!
Hey guys another week goes by here in Santa Elena, and as I just emailed my official release date is -March 9th- and it seems so close and yet so far away. Some days I feel homesick and other days I don’t want to go home. sometimes I don’t want it to end and others I just want to get home so my head has felt like a dryer this week as its been tumbling between the two worlds but it’s not really that difficult to push baggy thoughts out of my mind, plus, God helps me out a bit. This week A. Garcia got baptized by Elder Mendiz who came up from Lomas Del Norte with Elder McPhee to perform the baptism. The service was shaky basically nobody showed up from the ward but we had an investigator come and there was delicious cake. I’m pretty sure the devil did NOT want that kid to get baptized because he did EVERYTHING in his power to stop the thing. Everything we planned something or every time we had something special for him or his family something abnormal would come up and it would flop. More than a coincidence.

Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmm wow one paragraph and I’m empty I’m sure I have gone through more than that this week. This week we found a new family to teach and they now have a baptismal date that we are going to have to move back because they she needs to divorce and they need to marry to comply with the law of chastity. They came to church and they are super awesome investigators, in fact, I knew them before. When I was here with good ol Elder Velasquez we found them and they had a baptismal date and the same situation but it all fell apart as Alex, the husband moved back to Honduras. Now they are back together and stronger. Whoo!

Que mas que mas?!?! My companion tried to rob me of my capn crunch telling me that he had ate it but actually just hid it from me. Then today the sisters in my district hid the box that I bought this week saying they had left it on the bus. ENOUGH TORMENT I JUST WANT MY CAPN CRUNCH. That stuff is really hard to find down here.

So if I come back on the 9th will I still make it to the lacrosse game? Or will it be chill at the house time? 25 months! Oo-eey lots of time. I’m sorry guys but I honestly don’t know what else to write this week, lots of people came to church and that was great, today we played soccer and I took a really really cold shower.  Wow my email is lame this week I’m so sorry, but I truly do love you all and I hope everything is going well back in the world, I’ll be joining you guys sooner than you know it. Take care and read you scriptures please.
AMOR
ELDER BRONSON

Patience is a celestial virtue

Mama I would tell you but I don’t know, the date of my departure is unknown to me and will not be revealed to human ears until Wednesday during Zone Conference, sorry...
Patience is a celestial virtue.

HAHA! Another week has flown by like a blur, the work is great here with Elder Moran I can’t wait to keep working with him. I have been trying my best to not think too much about home, and honestly it’s easier when I focus more on the work. I have noticed that my mind wanders on home a lot more easily now than before, but I’m strong, no worries. Once again sorry for not being able to tell you guys the exact date of departure.

Sounds like a fun club that Wes is in, something that I would like to participate in haha, the art club in BHS was great when I was there but I wish I had done more. Scott you just take care and don’t worry that I won’t be there for the Bday party, we will party it up afterwards. Last Tuesday was Brandyn's birthday that old fart is turning 21 haha. Looks like his Natalie bought him a Zelda game.

Ugh...hmmmm why don’t I ever have anything to write? Everything is so normal now. Hmmm we have a baptism this weekend; Elder Mendiz is going to come up from Lomas del Norte to do the baptism. It sounds to me that he has changed a lot, but that is pretty usual here in the mission. Last night he called and talked to my companion for a little bit but really spiritually, afterward Elder Moran came to me telling me about what he had said about how we need to express our testimonies to the people. He says that he feels his testimony growing every day haha sweet! I also saw Elder Umana today in Wal-Mart and he seems really relaxed and focused also. Maybe my two wayward mission-children won’t turn out so silly after all. I certainly do hope so.

Last night was pretty special, after talking about Elder Mendiz we started talking about our families, how our real parents are our heroes, no joke! He said that he feels bad that he wasted his youth being really rebellious and acting out against his parents, and this made me think of how glad I am for you guys, and for you boys too, I’m honestly so proud of our family. This week I have thought a couple times about the concept of Eternal Families and I do have to say, that has to be the doctrine that most impacts me of all. Can you guys even imagine not seeing each other after death? What would we be if it weren’t for the gospel?? I’m so glad I came on a mission because of just how much it has changed me personally, I can’t imagine learning all these things without the experiences I have had here. All those who can go out on a mission, do so! Cooking, cleaning, living, working responsibility, health, service, selflessness, patience, kindness, charity, faith, hope, and so much more.

Pues chicos, ya se acerca mi tiempo. I love you all so much and can’t wait to see you all. Take care, cuidense
ElDeR AnDrEw JaMeS BrOnSoN

honestly things like that just bounce off me now

SsOOOO things are going so great with Elder Moran it’s definitely been a blessing to be with him as a companion. Times are fun and successful, this weekend we are going to have a baptism, that of Angel G. (Remember the kid whose parents didn’t let him go to church because he was acting badly? yup, that’s him) WE have been working a ton with that family and they have calmed down a bit, but still a ways to go to really help the father realize that his being way to harsh on his kid. Poco a poco...little by little. The area in large is going great, we are putting some good goals and working hard to achieve them., please always pray to help us achieve our goals, sometimes it’s a bit tough.

Haha contacting this week was pretty fun. We started trying to invite people to baptism in the doorway and it honestly helps haha, it makes the contact more focused and spiritual and you can really discern who’s ready and who is definitely not. Haha in our area there is a neighborhood called Caracol (Snail) called that way for the shape of the roads one being strait and the other one a long bend like a snail shell. That and the people there are a bit slow spiritually. Oyyy we found a woman who hardly wanted to open a tiny window to look at us saying ¨sorry but my gospel is better than yours¨. Alright small woman, wait until you hear what we do in a temple and then you can say if your gospel is better than ours. Hahaha truly honestly things like that just bounce off me now. I’ve been through the most ridiculous and have done so for 2 years. It makes so little effect on me now that I was honestly surprised to see that my companion was getting frustrated. In the street we did a quick prayer asking God that he would help us find someone to teach, 2 doors later we found someone named Virginia who seemed pretty sincere, but we have yet to visit her a second time, she wasn't home when we passed by on Friday.

Today we went shopping for some ties in pacas, little street corner clothes shops like permanent garage sales and we found a ton!! We were looking for like an hour until we finally found a paca that had an entire bag full of like 40 ties. We bought I think around 25 ties for only 20 quetzales, like $2.50 in dollars haha. Only about 5 of those I bought myself the rest were for my companion Elder Moran.

What do say what to say... well crew its harder and harder every week to think of things to write, life continues normally here in the mission field. Constantly feeling the Spirit, constantly helping people receive answers to their prayers, constantly working hard and trying to focus on the Fathers work and not on home, there will be plenty of time for that later! I love you all so much and hope you are all reading your scriptures EVERY DAY and saying your prayers. Take care I love you so much!
Elder Bronson

Fyi- I told President Watts that it’s a go

Hmmm super-diet sounds like fun to try, I might try that one with you mom.
CHANGES
I’m still in blue-house Santa Elena zone 18 Capital Guatemala, New companion: Elder Moran, my 12th Latino companion and prior companion of Elder Whited who just left the mission....I will see you soon Elder Whited! And all of you of course. Today we went to the Guatemala City Central Mission Office to see the doctor, Elder Moran has been coughing up some green and red so we went in for a checkup, along with a ton of other missionaries haha. Elder Opazo and Elder Turcios were both there, and they are both training. I don’t even have enough time to do that anymore...BAGGY.

Fyi- I told President Watts that it’s a go; I know you guys are going to have to wait an extra month or so but it’s for the better. There are days that I don’t want to do it and than I remember how I felt when I prayed and I know that somebody´s soul is on the line, so I get animated again. A little. I really do miss you guys, and last night God gave me a mean dream where I returned home and was in the basement but hadn’t seen you guys yet and you all came down to find me there. I miss you guys a ton and can’t wait for March! Sorry Scooter that I’m going to miss your B-day again but we will party it up when I get back don’t you worry. I don’t know when the exact return date will be so I’ll let you guys know when I receive news.

This week has been a good week with my new companion. Apparently he was a bit wild earlier on in the mission but this last change conference he felt a great desire to change his attitude and work really hard. Surely the Lord has answered my prayers, and I hope he continues to do so because he has been looking kinda bummed lately from being sick. We didn’t sleep very well last night due to our coughing. We have seen some great things happen in just this week and I hope to keep planning with the Spirit and working with the Spirit also. Missionary life just SUCKS when there is no help and no spirit, and I definitely do NOT want to end my mission sad, baggy or frustratedly spirit-less. I pray a ton that God will help Elder Moran to be the answer to my prayers- a companion that will help me have fun and end my mission with happiness and success-

This week I saw my very first dead person, in a bag being carried away by the police surrounded by a whole bunch of nosey people wanting to know what’s going on. The entire neighborhood was affected. A woman who had gotten herself in a bunch of trouble supposedly. Holy Cow I honestly just want this change to be a happy one, I need to act up and be a friend, I try but sometimes when companions want to do something that regularly we shouldn’t do its hard for me not to act up and say Hey, Elder, let’s not do this. Many times ended with a ¨Que Flechón!¨ which wants to say someone who is robotically strict to the rules without having a heart for the people, but that’s not me. I just want to do the right thing the right way; there is no need to break rules for things that don’t matter. Hopefully that won’t happen with this companion, I’m praying so.

Hey guys I love you a ton, there’s not much more that comes to mind, the work continues to grow and shrink and grow and everything is so normal to me now that it’s hard to think of cool things that happen. This week a couple of times we have seen the Spirit working in us and in people, the things that we say and do to make a difference in their lives. It’s incredible just how true all this is. Take care guys I’ll see you before you know it, don’t worry too much I’ll be home soon.
Love you guys a ton
Andrew Bronson

I talked to President Watts and he responded

Wow Dad´s a stud teaching those sunbeams. Sounds like so much fun, maybe I’ll accompany you a Sunday when I get back, if that’s alright.

This week has gone by pretty anxiously for me as well. Elder M. has had a cold for a while, coughing a ton and I am starting to catch it too but it’s something small, nothing serious. Alright I’m not going to leave you guys waiting for changes, here they are:
Elder M. has a change, I´ll be staying in Santa Elena with a new companion, and who will it be? In my district Sister Portillo has a change and Sister Ramos (who is in the same group as Elder M. and is just as new as him) will be training a new missionary. She told me that she had a dream that this happened and then it come true. I wonder what would happen if my dreams came true...I always dream about dinosaurs...

I talked to President Watts and he responded
¨I would be fine with the extension as it seems like the Spirit might be telling us something. If you want to wait a couple of weeks into your next change to see how you feel and then let me know that would be fine.¨
So I’m going to follow that direction. My answer is pretty much a firm yes but I guess I’ll give it at least a week to see how things go, even though I’m not sure the time will change the answer.  I know you guys miss me and I miss you all so much too, but I hope you will be proud of me for what I’m doing, also I hope everything works out when I get back. Studies, work, girls, money ugh. More things to think about. As for collage I haven’t thought about where I want to go, maybe BYU if they have a good art program, but the only thing that has ever interested me is either design, architecture, or maybe even story writing. Hmmmm...

I’m writing you guys a letter that will describe New Year’s night a bit better but just to say it was spectacular. The entire city lit up with fireworks at midnight and we could see them all! Imagine every house shooting up fireworks at the same time all over the city, it was so cool! I was thinking of sleeping but I woke me up and I needed to go to the bathroom at the same time so I just decided to stay up and watch the fireworks. There weren’t as many drunk guys this holiday but at the same time there weren’t that many people home in their families either. We did find a new family, Lusbin and Alma who are very young and even though they have a 2 year old little boy they aren’t married. He is only 21 and she is only 18 but Lusbin has accepted to be baptized by the authority of the Priesthood, and said he is going to talk to Alma about getting married.

Any news from my friends back at home? Have any of them left for a mission or gotten married or something? I hardly hear from more than just Brandyn and a couple times Kensie and Trent. It sure would be cool to hear what they are all up to.

These darn computers don’t let me upload pictures from my camera, maybe we will have to look for some other computer place so I can send you some of the photos I’ve taken over the past two weeks. Well, I’m trying to think of something more to write, I guess just excited to see who my next companion might me, I really hope to finish my mission joyfully, not constantly complaining or fighting over stupid things. I want my last month or two to be happy! We will see what the Lord wants me to do to end my time.

Love you all take care, remember to pray with all the energy of your hearts, and if you believe that you will receive, and that thing is just, you WILL receive it. Believe it guys. Love you so much more than I can say,
Elder Andrew Bronson