Happy President's Day!

(all right, all right, I am a bit behind...but my laptop broke--so what can I do?)

Happy President's Day!

I want to let you all know how truly spoiled I am. Last week was probably one of the hardest weeks I've had in the mission and I was struggling to see the "glass half full." I guess the Lord must have been sick of my whining or otherwise I'm just a spoiled daughter because President Ward gave permission to Hna. Brenes and I to travel to Panama at 3 am in the morning on Friday to attend the sealing of a young couple in our ward. We'd been preparing Karen, the young bride, for the temple and it was going to be the first sealing the Santiago branch has seen in YEARS, so it was quite a deal. Karen's mom told us she was going to call President to get permission for us to come because she said we deserved to be there after all the help we gave her. Personally, I didn't think it was worth wasting her time in asking because I figured there was absolutely no way we'd receive permission to go. Missionaries usually only get to go to the temple if a family they taught is getting sealed, not if ward members are getting sealed. Well, I guess this was something we really needed because President Ward told Karen's mom that we had permission to go. I couldn't believe it. All day Friday I felt like I was just in a dream. We traveled 4 hours to get there, spent all day at the temple and came home the same day. It was tiring, but I have never hade a more beautiful day in the mission. It was such a privilege to be there to see Karen take out her endowments and be sealed to Edwin, her husband. Apart from the parents, the bride and groom and one other couple from the ward, we were the only ones there. It was the first real live sealing I've been to and it was just beautiful. I think I can see myself doing it someday :)

I have about 500 pictures that I'll be putting on a disk to send you all soon, I hope. That's one thing HB's taught me--take pictures! Speaking of, transfers are this Wednesday and President's told me I'll be getting a new companion but that I'll be staying here in Santiago. This also means that Hna. Kennedy is leaving as well, which just about breaks my heart. Yesterday the sacrament was pretty much all about the missionaries. HB and HK gave their good bye talks and then HK and I sang "I know that my redeemer lives" (in ENGLISH) together, with the last line in Spanish. It was pretty nice, if I do say so myself.

So changes are around the corner and the opportunity to start a new slate is coming. Should be good.
l
ove you all very much,
Hna. Brew/"Hannah Montana" (the young women have started calling me this after seeing a picture of me with my hair down and curled. Plus it's a lot easier than "Brewster.")

And the sky is graaay...

Hi family,

I don't know if you all got the email I sent last week or not because I seem to have had some technical difficulties, but if not I apologize and would like to reassure you that all is well. And that I normally write on Mondays but these past two weeks have been exceptions.

Okay! Moving on...Things here are going well for the most part. We've seem to hit a few walls with some investigators who aren't wanting to come to church, get married or keep other such important commandments, but we're plugging along doing what we can to at least make people's lives a little better here in Sunny Santiago. One good thing that's come out of this is that I've reinstated morning running to help us keep in shape and shed off a bit of stress. thank goodness we live close to a soccer stadium :).

My new role in the branch has become official translator for Elder Robison. In case you don't remember, the Robisons are the senior couple here from the states that live right next door to us and don't speak much Spanish yet...which really just makes things all the more fun :). I feel like another member of the branch presidency after having to sit in on and translate the goings on in meetings. I may have found my job for when I get home :).

Sorry for the brevity of this letter but the week went by so quickly that I can't even remember what happened...more to come next week.

love you all,
Hna. Brewster

Lo bueno lo malo y lo feo

Buenas TARDES familia!

Lo siento por no haberles escrito ayer.

We had a change in our district meeting for this week, so this is while you're all hearing from me late. Sorry to those of you whom I know are anxiously waiting at your computers round about midday to hear the recent haps in the Panama Mission.
First off, CONGRATULATIONS to Ben and Hilary (and Ella and Ethan) for the little boy that will be joining them this summer!!! I had a feeling it was going to be a boy. Don't know why. But I am very excited to come home and meet the two newest members of the family this summer and assure them that I AM the favorite aunt, though they don't know me :). What happy news.

So...remember how everything was bright and shiny and happy here in Santiago? Well the Lord has reminded me why there needs to be opposition in all things this past week. It was a toughy. My companion's been sick and I did divisions with the other sisters here (which meant I got to fulfill a mission-long dream of being Hna. Kennedy's companion for 2 days :)) but much of the time was spent at home. I don't like getting thrown off the groove but this is what I get for thinking that I'd mastered the virtue of patience...turns out I'm still lacking in that one. There have been other little curveballs from Satan thrown this week but I'd prefer to focus on the good stuff. It was really a neat experience teaching with Hna. Kennedy just shortly after both of us had completed a year of being in the mission. When we walked out of a particularly good lesson about the Restoration, I turned to her and said, "Would you have believed a year ago while we were in the MTC thinking that we'd never learn Spanish that we'd be here side by side right now teaching like we just did?" It really was neat to note the difference. Clearly, the neatest part was witnessing the changes that are taking place in the lives of the people we're teaching because nothing's more gratifying than to teach simple truths and watch the dawning comprehension that comes into people's faces as we explain things they once knew a long time ago. Next week I'll have to tell you all more about a few of our investigators specifically--particularly Hna. Kenia and Hna. Mixi. They're incredible. The only roadblock we have is that neither one of them is married...kind of a biggie but we're working on it.

Anywho, happy February and thank you for your prayers and love.

Love you all,
Hna. Brewster

Ayala Vido un ano ya

Hi family,
What a week! We had zone conference, interviews, district conference in my area and a whole lot of traveling back and forth to do. I feel like I was just sitting here writing to you all and I here I am again. The weeks pass quickly here and they are not dull.

One notable thing in particular, on Thursday I completed ONE YEAR in the mission! It was neat because since I live with Hna. Kennedy, she and I were able to celebrate together. She used the Robisons oven next door to make brownies and we celebrated with Hna. Ponce and Hna. Brenes, sharing with them our nuggets of grand wisdom we have acquired in a year...not really, but we did eat brownies.

It's so weird to think about everything that's happened in just 12 months. I remember everything so well that it seems like a joke when I look at my calendar and it tells me I'm 2/3 done here. On Friday we had our large zone conference and we had to travel 3 hours to get to Chorrera, my second zone. That was one of the weirdest deja'vousie experiences ever, and seeing as my second transfer wasn't the happiest event to ever occur in my life, there was a part of me that felt a little haunted as we walked down the same streets, past the old ¨Chichemito¨ stand and the chapel. It made me laugh, though, to think of how things have changed. My Spanish is so much better, I know my way around, I have many more friends in the mission and I just feel altogether more confident with everything. But that being said, I still oftentimes feel like I'm new at this just because I'm ALWAYS learning. There's always something I didn't know before, some new flaw to fix or another lesson to learn. Just when I think I've mastered one thing, I get served a slice of humble pie and realize I'm very far from that "perfect missionary" I always wanted to be and it makes me grateful for the time I've got left to learn and do all that I can to make other people's lives better here in Panama--including my own.

But I want you all to know that my testimony has grown tremendously in this last year and I absolutely love what I get to do every day. It is, as one of my companions described it, a dream job. What a comfort it is to know that we have the truth--that thanks to Joseph Smith and the restoration of the gospel, we don't have to worry about what we're doing or why we're here. Prophets are still alive to help us and guide us along today and we just need to listen and do what they say to be a happier, better people. Pretty simple, huh?

I love you all so very much. Thank you for your letters, your prayers and above all your love that you've shown me in this last year. I do miss you but I know we'll see each other pretty darn soon.

les quiero mucho,
Hna. Brewster

A little less explication...a little more action

(Yeah...hope you all got a good laugh at my grammatical error in the package I sent home. My English is no so good...)

¡Buuuuuuuuueeenos Dias, familia!

Today I am writing to you all from a beautiful place called Santiago, my new area, which rests peacefully in the middle of Panama where the deer and the antelope play. Okay, I've never seen a deer or antelope, but we are in farm town here and I am absolutely LOVING it! Santiago is like a dream--in some ways it actually reminds me of the cabin. I'm surrounded by beautiful trees, rolling hills, happy farm folk and slightly--ever so slightly--cooler weather. My new companion is Hna. Brenes from Costa Rica and she's fantastic. She loves to talk (like the Latina version of Natalie--and I mean that in a good way) and she's still fairly new in the mission so she's so enthusiastic and optimistic about everthying we do and already I've seen some amazing things happen in my short time here. I think I've done more service in 5 days here than in my whole mission before! We're always finding people to help because they're much poorer here. Did I mention that I love it? Also, another thing to add to the "pro" list, we are living in a gorgeous rat-free apartment with a pair of other sisters, one of which happens to be Hna. Kennedy, one of my best buddies from the MTC! And living right next door to us is a senior couple, the Robisons, whom I have also fallen in love with. Yesterday Sister Robison made FUNERAL POTATOES. You can't possibly understand the immensity of my joy upon eating that little plateful of food. Needless to say, life is good. We're already working with a family that wants to be baptized by the end of this month and there are several other positive investigators who are expressing some true interest. I keep waiting for the catch...

I do miss parts of my last area, of course. Sister Bloomfield ran into our Colombian family at the Super Market the other day and they say they want her to come by and visit. I think it's only out of friendship, though. The girl we had been teaching, Jenny, now has a date set for baptism, which of course is excellent news.

By now you've all heard that I decided to extend until August, so I'm hoping everyone is getting work off and such so that we can all hit up the cabin together that next week (I get home on the 11th and the week after we leave, Dad says.) If I sound trunky, I blame the music that was playing on the 2 hour ride into Chitre this morning: Abba's "Chiquitita"--but all in Spanish. Hna. Brenes told me her parents aboslutely loved ABBA and I said, "What a coincidence..."

Glad to hear that things are going well for all of you. Still don't know what Hilary's having, right? Boy or Girl? ("Gosh, I hope so.") My congrats to Jessica on the news of her twins and to Amy on their baby girl who's on her way. The fam's flourishing.

I feel so lucky to be here teaching the gospel right now in Panama and I thank you all for your constant prayers, letters, encouragement and support. I wouldn't waste my time preaching something I didn't know with certainty to be true if I had to be away from all of you for this long (p.s. one year on Thursday). I love the gospel.

les quiero mucho,
Hna. Brewster

Happy New Year!

¡Feliz año nuevo a todos! Espero que hayan fijado metas buenas :)

This was a busy, good week here in what I'm sure was one of my final weeks in Marcasa. Changes are next week and President tells me I'm out of here. Kind of sad...but ready at the same time. Especially after what happened on Wednesday night. I was in the back room putting away clothes when I heard scuttling in my suitcase. Hna. Bloomfield and I both grabbed brooms and took a good whack at it and out jumped the biggest, fattest ROUS I've ever seen. It ran over HB's foot and I can tell you that much screaming/wild broom whacking ensued. I didn't think I was the type of woman that screamed at rats but there's just something about having it jump out at you that takes you off guard. HB told methat to check and make sure there weren't any more in my suitcase, so I reluctantly whackedit a couple of more times. Out jumped slightly smaller those equally fat MRS. Rat, who scurried about the room for a minute before our piercing screams forced her to flee. (Really, I'm quite surprised the neighbors didn't stop' by to see if someone had been trying to kill us--they might have been consoled by the hysterical laughter that followed the piercing screams, I guess). We decided we couldn't sleep until we'd poked and prodded every little nook and cranny with our brooms that night. We didn't find anymore, thank goodness. However last night I found an oldpiece of ham on my suitcase and HB assures me she was NOT eating in the back room...perhaps it was a peace offering. Anyway, I'm looking forward to a new apartment!

We spent New Years at home ofcourse but not before one of our members loaded us up with delicious ham, pineapple, apples, grapes, bread and sparkling cider. We couldn´thave slept at midnight even if we wanted to because the fireworks outdid the ones from Christmas. Panamanians just love noise.

So it's now 2011 and I'll be seeing you all pretty soon---maybe too soon. (Don't get mewrong--I love you.)

Happy New Year!
love,
HnaBrewster

Another Merry Christmas to you!

Hi family!

I know about half of you just saw me like 40 hours ago, but for those who didn´t, Merry late Christmas! I wish I could've talked to all of you but I was only allowed to use Skype to call home. But I can't really complain about that, can I?
To Ben and Hilary--Thank you so much for the package!!! Hilary, you know me too well. Everything you put in there was exactly what I had on my wish list. And I absolutely adore Ella's works of art that you included :). If you do end up having twins, I'm totally down for being a live-in nanny. That would be awesome. Hope you guys enjoyed Christmas with the Knightons!

To Natalie and Ryan--Thanks again for the Christmas wreath and lights! Made me feel at home on Christmas Eve. How did the first Christmas at home go?
To Angie and Caden--I'm sorry I only got to talk to you via Skype through a cell phone..kind of lame. But I love you and miss you both very much. Hopefully you'll be around on Mother`s Day!

To Dave and Katie--SEND ME SOME OF THAT BACKER'S CAKE! No...kidding...but seriously. Also, I loved the Cate Blanchett impression, Katie. That made my Christmas.
So Merry Christmas to one and all and a Happy New Year! Can't believe we're starting 2011...yikes.

You haven't missed much in the last day. Sister Bloomfield and I spoke in our ward yesterday and President and Sister Ward came to listen. Not intimidating or anything...but it went well. I used Ebeneezer Scrooge to talk about loving one another. Not sure if everyone got it, but to me it was brilliant.

The weather here is still uncharacteristically cold, so Sis. Bloomfield and I may be heading back to the apartment and making cocoa. I love that she loves doing these things with me. I'm really going to miss her in 2 weeks when we have transfers. It's not looking like we'll be baptizing a family before I go, but it doesn`t matter'--we're working hard anyway.

All right, well, that's all I've got for you right now.
love you all and Happy 2011!

See ya next year!
Hna. Brewster

Through the years...

¡¡Feliz Navidad, mi querida familia!!

Today I don't have much time to write but it doesn't matter because I'll be TALKING to you all this weekend--or at least to those of you who will be home for Christmas. The exciting news is that I will most likely be using SKYPE, so you'll all get to see me and make comments about my Latin appearance and lack of femininity due to the hot, humid climate in which I live. It will be exciting :).

I'll try to call those of you who aren't present if I can, but in case I don't get the chance to tell you this myself, MERRY CHRISTMAS!!! I am so grateful for my amazing family and for everything you all do for me.

I love you all!

love,
Al

Catching up - again!

Hello my family!

Today I'm writing from "La Oficina de la Misión Panamá." We (sister bloomfield, the assistants and the office elders) have been busy sorting through packages for our Christmas party we're having next week with ALL of the missionaries. We're trying to make sure that everyone gets at least one package for Christmas time, so there's been a little "Robin-Hooding" going on (i.e. the gringos are sharing the goodies with the Latinos, whether they like it or not). I did notice a nice package from home for me in the pile, but I resisted the urge to open it (thank you :)). (p.s. Thanks, Mom, for the thanksgiving/christmas decorations that I just got in the mail. Sister Bloomfield loves you for including an advent calendar for her :))

We have had some pretty crazy weather here lately, actually. You won't believe this but we actually had to wear SWEATERS outside last week. i think that's the first time in Panama history that we've been cold. Sis. Bloomfield and I bought cocoa and decorated our lovely little hovel with extra Christmas lights from the mission home and the decorations that you sent, Mom. Of course we{ll be taking them home soon because we are very soon moving in with Elder Altamirano, a member of our ward who happens to be an area seventy. That's right--I'm spending Christmas with a general authority :). Cool, huh? This comes after about 3 months of living in a literal hole in the wall. Last week we woke up to a river in our study room (leak in the roof) and yesterday I found that a giant rat had taken a giant bite out of my newly purchased loaf of bread (unless Sister Bloomfield was feeling particularly hungry and just went to town). plus we have quite the crowd of...let{s call them "fans" outisde of our apartment building. So a relocation is very necessary! It does rob me of my Dickens Christmas I envisioned...but oh well. This Christmas will be a memorable one!

We're still doing our best to work with the Familia Aguirre and get them to accept a baptismal date...we had stopped going to them for a couple of days because they weren't coming to church and Monica got soooooo mad at us. Well, that's fine. Come to church, be baptized and we'll see you for eternity. Seems a simple solution to me!

Well, I have to run, but only one more email before I talk to you all next week!

Love you!
Hna. Brewster