Last week at the CCM

It has been a crazy couple of weeks for me and I haven't had a lot of time to write! It is my last week at the CCM, I can't hardly believe it. I was able to attend the Lima temple. They let all us missionaries go before sending us to our mission area. It was an awesome experience to do it all in Spanish. They give you cards to help you out, but they ran out and I had to repeat everything that this temple worker was saying and she was speaking so fast I could hardly understand her, so that made it a little scary. I was able to sit and ponder and pray in the Celestial room of the temple and what an awesome experience it was for me. As I sat there I felt a heaviness on my shoulder, like someone resting there hand there. I looked up and saw no one but had the distinct impression that Colton was there.....I am so thankful for this wonderful blessing and miracle. I know he watches over me. We also had the opportunity to teach English to some of the missionaries there. It was so much fun, and to be able to help others the way they have helped me felt great! In one of my classes this week I had to randomly pick somebody that I knew and loved and that was struggling with different things in there life and had to be them as I was being taught the gospel for a training. It was one of the most spiritual experiences I have had here. I cried the whole time, and the love I felt for this person was overwhelming! I am thankful to be taught by the Spirit and able to have these experiences. I have had a feeling that things will not be easy in the mission field at first, but I know that as I am obedient and listen to the Spirit and do all I can that the Lord will make up the rest. I am thankful for this opportunity to serve the Lord and the people of Peru!

Week 4......It's been a long week!

This week was super long because we got to go out proselyting and it was sooooo humbling! We went to North Lima and the city literally looks like the aftermath of an atomic bomb, the people are so pooor. The first house that we went to their door was just a piece of plywood and inside their house they only had dirt floors and it was only a one room, it was sooo sad! It loooked like they lived in a shed. We also got to go teach a 17 year old girl who is a member but less active. It was a neat experience. My Spanish is better, I am trying my hardest to learn as much as I can. We get to go to the temple next week, I am excited for that. So I have a challenge for everyone!!!! Try to talk to somebody every week about the gospel....It can be hard, but the blessings are worth it. I am sorry I didn't get to really write a whole lot this week, we were so busy. I will write more next week. I am excited to leave the CCM, only 2 more weeks! I miss good food, like Chic-fil-A! Love you all and miss you. I hope you take my challenge!

Love,
Hermana Bronson

Lima, Peru, Temple

My District

CCM....week 3!

So this week was Crazy!!! I love all my teachers, they are amazing and like older siblings to me. Hermano Onompa plays futbol with us and is super funny. They are the best teachers to have. It's like I'm in a room full of comedians, I am always laughing and smiling which keeps me sane while I'm in class most of the day! So I tried a new fruit this week. Its called Granadia. It is like peeling an orange but the inside looks like a brain and is slimy but so gooooood! I can eat so many, but it also ends me up in the bathroom. :) During our practice lessons we were with an Hermana. We talked about baptism and she kept asking why her baptism wasn't valid..........how do you tell someone that!!!!! We literally were not talking during that lesson, the Spirit was and took over. When we walked out we asked her to be baptized, Holy Smokes, the Spirit was so powerful, probably the most powerful experience yet here. We also got to hear from a member of the quorum of the 70. He spoke in Portuguese so we had to wear headsets that translated everything for us. He answered questions us missionaries had about the doctrine. It's weird writing in English, my brain is trying to translate it all to Spanish. I don't know lots of words, but I know that with the information I have I can use it to share the Gospel. I have been able to teach 10-15 minute lessons in Spanish.....it's really incredible the gift of tongues and the help from our Heavenly Father. There is an Elder in my district who always gets to be a fake investigator. He is always so goofy and loud, until it comes to this moment......His whole personage changes instantly. The investigator is his dad who is inactive and drinks. His parents are divorced. I can tell by the way he looks, it's a look of sadness. To play your dad like that would be a very spiritual experience. He has a desire for his dad to change. It brought tears to my eyes thinking about this. He is still out here on a mission and striving to do good. I'm grateful to have been born into a family with the gospel. I want families to be together forever and that is one of my reasons of serving a mission. The gospel blesses families. I love this gospel..... from it I strive to come unto Christ as well as inviting others to do so as well. Look at the little things, the beautiful things that you are blessed with...your family, the laughter, smiles, triumphs, even the trials given to us to strengthen our faith and testimonies. Know this day that Heavenly Father is there watching, and waiting for you to come unto Him. With and open heart and mind you may receive the truth testified by the Holy Ghost. For all that is good comes from our Savior Jesus Christ and our Father in Heaven. I miss you all and love you!
      Love,
Hermana Bronson

CCM....Week 2!

Hey Guys! Well this week was great! We are teaching the lessons already, but in Spanish. Man it's a struggle. The language is really hard. I can't understand when people say stuff to me, but I can say stuff really well, and when you don't know what to do....you just go "BAM" testimony time hahaha. I've only been gone 2 weeks.....It feels like forever. I'm not sick with the dragon anymore, I think my body has adjusted. :) General conference was really good here, besides sitting on hard chairs for the whole thing....My favorite talk was by Wilford W. Anderson because it talked about music and dancing...lol. So we have been playing gringo soccer. I really stink at it, but we play everyday, so I should get pretty good. It's kinda cool that I'm playing soccer in South America. We get newbies this week and I'm so excited to get to know them all. We got to go to the temple store  which is like somebody's little apartment, and I bought a scripture bag with a Llama on it! I also got to go to a 3 level store like Walmart...Uhhhhh YaY! There is Nutella here but no Dr. Pepper, makes me sad! So it's pretty much like high school here at the CCM, but I'm in class all day from 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.. By the end of the day I can't even think straight. My brain feels like its on overload. My companion is from Utah, her name is Sister Ragsdale, and she is pretty much like me. That is a blessing. All the people here are so nice. We taught one of the Latino Elders here how to say "See ya later alligator, In awhile crocodile. He was confused about the whole phrase, but he understands now. Oh by the way dad, all the Elders here have pocket knives...lol. We aren't allowed to listen to any music here at all. I catch myself singing and have to start singing I am a child of God! So Dylon I haven't seen one airplane in the sky while I have been here, and there are seriously only like 4 stars in the sky. I found out there is like 10 different kinds of mangos here and more than 100 types of potatoes!!! :) Makes me so happy!!!! So we were teaching this guy about Joseph Smith this week, and he asked " Why Joseph Smith?" As we were trying to explain to him about Joseph Smith I heard "Testimony" pop into my head, so I opened my mouth and bore my testimony to him on Joseph Smith and the Book of Mormon. You could feel the thickness of the spirit in the room. This has happened many times during lessons and on other occasions. Sometimes I feel like I am so out of it and feel like I can't think, speak, or understand anything. It's good though because we learn so much from our triumphs and mistakes. We can preach, but it is the spirit that teaches through us, without Him there is no conversion.  Keep the prayers coming. Sometimes when I just want to sit back, something keeps me going, and I know it's your prayers. We watched Meet the Mormons this week and it made me really homesick, but I have great Hermanas that act like a mom to me :) so I will be ok. The spirit is always with us here as long as we are in exact obedience (I miss being loud)....I can hear the spirit so much more now though. Even though I feel uber stressed, and my brain hurts and the language is slow, it is all worth it, to teach the gospel of Jesus Christ! The Holy Ghost bears witness of this to me whenever I start to doubt. Don't ever brush off the prompting of the Spirit, you will regret it....Thank you mom and dad for everything you taught me! Be super duper loud for me to keep it chaotic there, that's my specialty! Write me letters, I really need them. I love you all and hope you are doing good. Love.....Hermana Bronson

First week down!

I can't believe how fast this week went by! So much has happened. I don't have a lot of time. The electricity has been out because we had an earthquake this morning,.......it was terrifyingly  awesome!!!!! I am having loads of fun, everything is so fast paced here. I have made so many friends already, including the cute little latino sisters...(legit as small as Kari!) My Spanish is sooo bad....it's ok, it's coming though. I 've learned as much here in 6 days than all the years of Spanish I took. My companion is awesome, her name is Hermana Ragsdale....she is exactly like me! It's really hot here, but seriously not that bad. I'm getting a tan on my lower legs...woohoo. Now these legs won't reflect the sun like mirrors. The food is good. You guessed it, I have potatoes every meal, muy fantastica.... it makes me cry :) I've had awesome churros, rice, weird fruit, delicious bread, and meat. I STILL DON'T EAT THE BEANS! All us missionaries are sick with puking and  "The dragon who breathes Fire!" hence, we are slaying the dragon,(ask my mom if you want to know). I can bear my testimony is Spanish now. The language is definitely the hardest part. One Elder here reminds me of you dad with lots of Jim Carey! He is hilarious. It makes me miss you even more. Dad I love you sooo sooo much. I get to wear pants tomorrow...Halleluiah! It's P day and we are going outside the walls without leaders. I get to ride a sketchy bus with muchas personas. People are psycho path drivers here. There are no speed limits and everyone always honks their horns and gets as close as possible to everyone else. There are a lot of rules, but it's ok, I keep them all :) I get so tired at the end of the day, I can't even think straight. My brain is done. We play sports everyday. Ok, when playing sports, garments and clothes are miserable! I can wring out my clothes and sweat will drip.....props to me! We are teaching our first lessons today....lol train wreck! but good learning experience. I bore my testimony is sacrament meeting in Spanish. Dang the spirit here is strong!! Hermana Sinks is so funny, she is exactly like Jackie, so it makes me happy! This truly is a great experience. I love it here and can't wait to get out and teach. I'm here to learn Spanish, Yo habla espanol muy mal. Oh, I'm senior companion which is way cool. Our district consists of 2 sets of Elders and 2 sets of Hermana's. So I got into trouble already! Can you guess what for?????? Ha, for laughing too loud. There's so much stuff, I can't get it all in, but I will write everything down. This Gospel is truly real. I can feel it all around me. I can see it in these missionaries eyes. I know I'm supposed to be here. The Holy Ghost bears witness to me everyday! I know my Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ love me. I love you Mom, Dad, Paige, Dylon, Macie, Ellie, and Coy. I miss you so much and love you guys sooo soo much. Hasta Luego my familia!!!!!! Te quiero mi familia. Open your eyes.....See angels......and look for miracles. Yo se que Jesus Cristo es mi Salvador.

                                            Love Hermana Bronson

P.S. Tell everyone to write me letters, I need them!