Chasing Dogs and Going to Costco

Hey Family!

Let me just say right now that you are all awesome. I got several birthday packages this week that reaffirmed your love for me, so I thank you for that :). Really, packages make a missionary´s day, so thank you all for your kindness and generosity. I´ll remember that come Christmas time :).

This week was AWESOME. We had a 3-day leadership conference in Panama with all of the ZL´s, DL´s and hermanas (because president always includes us) where we got to receive some specific training on how to improve our lessons and just be better missionaries over all. (This came straight from the First Presidency, so we know it was inspired.) It was great--we really focused on teaching PEOPLE, not lessons and I know that our lessons this week have been a lot better and more meaningful because of that. I always find that the lessons go better when I´m just myself and I talk normally and openly with people instead of going into missionary/presentation mode. The Spanish comes easier, too.

All right...the subject of the day refers to some fun things that happened this week. I discovered a new way to get lessons with people: offer to chase their dog for them when they run out in the street. The thing about being in the city is that people are a lot harder to talk to and rejection is more frequent. We have to look for any opportunity we can to have people let us into their homes. Well, while we were tracting in an area right here in the city and a lady´s dog ran out of the gate when we walked up to greet her. I told my companion that I was sure we could get a lesson with her if I got her dog. So I took off running down the street after this pup yelling ¨Come here, puppy! C´mon!¨ Then it occured to me that the dog probably didn´t understand. So I started to yell ¨¡Venga aca, perro!¨ Funnily enough, that worked. When her dog was safely secured in the gate, the lady said she´d listen to us. That was fun.

The other thing was that we got to go shopping with President and Hna. Ward last week. They were going to accompany us on one of our lessons but because of scheduling conflicts, somehow we ended up just going grocery shopping with them in a place called Pricesmart (I guess it´s like another Costco...). Don´t ask me how that happened, but I´m not complaining! It was fun. Kind of felt like I was shopping with Mom and Dad in Costco...
Shoot. I´m out of time.

Enjoy Conference! Take good notes. It´s revelation.

love you all,
Hna. Brewster