baptism might just be a bit more of a heavenly miracle than I possibly had thought

Dang that’s a bit of a baggy email, I can imagine me crying out from the joy of seeing everyone again when I get back haha. To see everyone again...hmmm I’m going to keep working and we will have baggy times when I’m done. It’s honestly kinda strange that I see missionaries that have come to their last change and they are all saying that they are ¨baggy¨. I can hardly even imagine what that feels like, when things should put me baggy, they animate me to work harder! Even so, I do feel like the wimpiest member of my group, they are all so strong and I still feel like a little kid sometimes heheh...ooy

MOM! FORGIVE ME!  We went to central market today to buy a ton of stuff, (p.s. the money that came out of my account was me, the machine only lets you take out a certain amount and the other amount I thought was going to be too small) and I bought you a skirt...but I didn’t know you wanted a Corte skirt!  Those things are a lot more expensive, and a ton more flashy and I wasn’t sure if that’s the thing you wanted so I bought you a different type of tipica skirt, a native looking Guatemalan skirt but it isn’t Corte, nor did I buy you wipil, (the top part of the Corte) because I didn’t buy the bottom part, but oh well, sorry mum, the skirt still looks good.  Oh and Sorry to Elder Winkle also, I wish will all my heart that I could have been on the plane sitting right next to you, but there must be SOMETHING here for me to do, and I have absolutely no idea what it is. We´ll make up for it when I get back.

Well a crazy week, a lot of investigators are now facing a lot of difficulties, accusations of murder, lesbianism, 2000 Quetzal visas to pay for..Ayy baptism might just be a bit more of a heavenly miracle than I possibly had thought. Things go incredibly with Elder Moran, I’m so glad I can end my mission with him still. Plus, he has good music. Family, my camera is suffering the 2-years-in-guatemala syndrome and is trying to die, at the same time Elder Mendiz is offering to buy it because he doesn’t have one; I think I’m going to sell it to him, just to let you know. I don’t know how much longer it’s going to last anyway, poor thing.

Crazy happening, my companion stole the little bit of Capn Crunch that I had left and so I was chasing him around the house for it. At one point he ran into our bedroom and tried to slam the door behind him. Our door has little glass panels on it, and when I reached out to keep the door open my hand crashed through the glass panel! Miraculously nearly no more damage than a couple of light scrapes and a little cut in my left arm. Nothing big. I retrieved my Capn Crunch.

Last Wednesday was a very trying day, I was happy to see my friends again, but so sad to see them go without me. The worst was when I greeted Elder Hatch; he started talking about where we need to put our bags and what we were going to do that day. I had to tell him that I wasn’t going with them all, that I still was going to stay. I got kinda teary upon saying it so I fled haha my companion came and cheered me up. Next, the LAST TESITMONY. I cried, I admit it. Mom, your darn genes got me good. My testimony was pretty short, maybe 30 or 40 seconds long before I got too emotional and just said in the name of Jesus Christ amen. I love my group so much, we are so united! Thanks Elder Lusty for making sure that I wasn’t the only missionary to cry giving his testimony that day, but you were better about holding it together haha.

Mondays are now the most exiting day, I don’t know why but I’m always SO EXITED for email time! I get to talk with my family and friends; soon I will be able to do that whenever I want! COOL! something good that I’ve noticed is that since me and Elder Moran have been keeping ourselves healthier and eating so, instead of being in the mood for a snack and looking for something naughty, I just have cravings for fruit! Mango, especially green mango covered in lemon juice, banana, apple, pineapple (I absolutely LOVE pineapple now) papaya or whatever other kind that we have in the house. Eating healthy rocks!

Hey I would send you pictures but this darn computer doesn’t even have an usb port, maybe I’ll snag my comps computer, we will see. I love you all so much and hope not to cry when I step off the plane and see you all; it’s going to be crazy! I can’t wait! TIME TO PREACH THE GOSPEL
So much flippin amour
Bronson

Friday the 10th, my 24 month mark my district threw me a surprise party!

WELL WELL WELL
another week in GUATEMALA CITY NORTH MISSION.
News on changes - no changes! President couldn’t find a good place to put me in a trio of missionaries so I’m stickin it out here until I ¨die¨ mission-wise. We were originally thinking of going to central market today but plans fell through and I’m glad they did because now I know what to get you guys. Elder Moran will be staying with me in Santa Elena until having to bring in a new guy march 8th. Oh Feliz dia de cariño everyone, Happy Valentine’s Day.

An eventful week, Lusbin and Alma did not get married, in fact they have been having difficulties but we are planning big for them and putting our trust in the Lord. Turns out that Alma doesn’t really want to get baptized, Lusbin does but he’s the weaker link of the chain so we are going to try to bring them both into the fold at the same time if possible. We have many other baptism dates here and we are feeling sumamente bendecido highly blessed as we go about the work. as for baptisms in my mission they are few but numbers never counted.

This week has been quite eventful. With Max R., a giant police officer investigator we watched a Christian movie about some police who made an oath to be better fathers and husbands, the main police officers kid looked JUST LIKE BRANDYN I could hardly focus on the plot just thinking dang he looks JUST like Brandyn! Dang! Just like him!  We had been fasting with him so that he can receive an answer, we believe he has already received one but doesn’t believe it himself.

Oh here’s a good one- Friday the 10th, my 24 month mark my district threw me a surprise party! It was incredible haha they totally got me. Lasagna, desert, a piñata of Minnie Mouse as my ¨girlfriend¨ now that I have 2 years here in the mission and they made me propose.  Ughh I can't believe they got me to do that but the party was GREAT. The day before my companion had cooked me an incredible lunch as well. I have felt really blessed this week.

Last night we visited a member who gave us dinner and she told us about when she was sick. She has two kids on missions right now, one in Quetzaltenango Guate and the other in Peru. When the first left and the other was preparing she had gotten deathly sick.  She told us that when she was in the hospital she saw the spirit of a small child that told her to come with him, he followed her around all the time until she got better. She said that it didn’t scare her, but she felt happy, only telling him that her boys here need her still. She has recovered a great deal, much much more than the doctors thought possible. What blessings she must be receiving having 2 missionaries out in the field at the same time, wow.

Hey I have been thinking about my return day dinner and I think that I do want to go to Litzas Pizza, renting out the big ol party room just like what we did when Dad had his birthday. I have a lot of friends that are telling me that they can’t wait to see me again, I’m so exited for the 8th of March, it’s going to be an incredible day! Until then I have to keep working so hard! I’m going to open my mouth to talk to more people; I’m going to be praying and fasting a lot in these next 3 or so weeks, looking for my purpose in extending haha! It’s nearly time! LOVE YOU ALL SO MUCH I CAN’T WAIT TO SEE YOU!!
Elder Andrew James Bronson

I AM going to find this lost soul

My goodness mom can you try to make me baggier please?

Just kidding, but it doesn’t help seeing PARKER in an airport DANG.
Ok, no honestly I don’t know why but today I have felt a little bit more baggyish maybe for constantly thinking of how I would feel if I hadn’t extended the mission haha not a smart thing to think about right? Hehehe SO really you just helped me a TON mom, thanks so much. I was feeling a little low on animo until you wrote about that lost soul who is waiting for me and BAM!! SPIRIT!!! Mom, guys, somebody is waiting for me and I need to find him or her, my spirit sibling that needs my help! Wow seriously I just got some serious excitement going whooo! I AM going to find this lost soul. I’m also exited for the package, hope it comes before I leave...

Alrighty then about the clothes, I was honestly thinking about getting rid of all the old smelly church clothes and only bring one or two pairs, but as for p-day clothes I have a tiny bit. Let’s see, I have I think around 9 shirts (one of them my pajama shirt) and  one pair of long pants, one pair of shorts, one pair of gym shorts and one pair of pajama pants. Maybe 3 pairs of white socks, my original work-out running shoes that you guys bought me the day I entered into the MTC in Provo still in really good condition. My foot size has not changed, still a 10 1/2. Pant size, waist 30 length I don’t know, maybe 32-33ish...shirts a little bit smaller, tighter. I hope I'm going to be able to buy garments before coming home; they are a ton cheaper here. As for ties ooooie, maybe around 40 or more, if somebody wants a cool tie... today we went to the Megapaca a giant imported clothes store and I didn’t buy anything, I couldn’t find any other pants that fit me but oh well.  Hey I’m going to let you guys know that I’m selling my iPod to another elder who needs one pretty bad, it’s really old and sometimes a bit slow but it should work alright for him so I feel alright selling it. I will have to consegir uno cuando vengo...

Soooo another week FLYS by with Elder Moran and life is great working like crazy and laughing our heads off always. Last night we felt the spirit so strong!! We have a family who has plans to get married this Saturday the 11th of February but Saturday night Lusbin, the  prospective husband disappeared for the whole night and left his wife worried like CRAZY they had even committed to come to church but didn’t  because he didn’t show up until  Sunday afternoon. We asked him why and he gave us some sort of story about doing something with friends and not having time to come back to the house so he stayed the night, but we weren’t very sure haha. We taught him about agency, 2 Nephi 2:27 and wow it hit home.  Elder Moran bore his testimony of how  wickedness never is happiness explaining a bit about what he has had to go through repenting and the spirit was SOOO STRONG I cried, and so did they. They said that they are going to pray a lot from now on and work better to choose the right.

This week I did some baptismal interviews for the investigators of the Zone Leaders and the spirit was also strong, the spirit of discernment is something real, I testify. Right now we have 7 investigators with baptismal dates planed and for here that’s a pretty good number, not to boast or brag but just to prove that we are working. Can you guys believe that in 4 days I will have 2 full years as a full time missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints? I have thought a couple times if it was truly what I needed to do ask for an extension and what it would be like if I didn’t but in the moment that I think that I have a strange almost fearful feeling knowing that there is something SO IMPORTANT that I need to do here even though I don’t completely understand what it is that God wants from me. I don’t know if they are going to change me to another area this last change or if I will stay here to see all these people get baptized or what. I will definitely be praying a ton these weeks before coming home.

I do honestly love you all so much I ask that you would all take care of yourselves and choose the right, read your scriptures, pray. You will all be blessed beyond your wildest dreams if you just put into practice the little commandments of Heavenly Father. I love you so much more than I can say.

Until next week

Please don’t freak
You will get a peek
Of  BRONSON

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