Week 48 in Spain! (18 in Madrid)

10/20/14

How is everyone? Our week was pretty good, we did a lot and have seen a lot of good things happen with investigators. I decided to write down a couple of things that I wanted to tell you this week so I didn't forget, because that happens a lot:) First, we were in the church waiting for Melisa to come (who fired on us...) and this woman came in who was super nice wanting to know about English classes. She gave us gum:) and then not even 5 minutes later we were still waiting and these two old woman opened the door and peeked in...who said "Hola! Podemos ayudarles?" (Hi! Can we help?) They shut the door when they saw us and then one of them opened it again and asked "Have you seen Jesus here? Has he passed by?" and then she shut the door and was laughing about what she said with her friend! HOW RUDE! I was so mad that an old woman could be such a bully!

On Wednesday we had our district meeting. Elder Ballard decided it would be fun to have a scavanger hunt about scriptures that answer questions of the soul. Hermana Kuhn and I won:) It was fun but after we were talking with the Hermana's from B5 and they said that during their district meeting the Zone leaders were talking to them about how they waste too much time and how they aren't going to get baptisms that way......We felt kind of bad after...
They past two p-days have been filled with traveling to Aluche to do Hermana Kuhn's residency card. The first time we went we couldn't get it because she wasn't empatronized...so we had to go back. Then we went to Pavones to get her empatronized. It takes an hour to get to Povones and she ended up just needing a copy of her empatronizement from the MTC...which took two seconds....and now today we have to travel back to Aluche to do her residency card stuff. It just brings back bad memories of my residency card problems...ugh.
We had a Law of Chastity lesson with Maria and her family. I was so nervous for it. We had decided that we wanted to focus more on why we have the Law of Chastity. So we read a family proclamation to the world and we talked about eternal Marriage and Temples. She was so sweet and really understood everything. During the lesson she asked us "Pienses que soy mala?"(You think I'm bad?) We giggled and said no! Of course not! We talked to her and expressed our love for her. I bore my testimony about you and mom and Mal and Sam and how much eternal marriage means to me, and how we can only have an eternal marriage if we keep the law of chastity. We committed her to talk to her "husband" Everytime I talk with them I can feel that this is their time. I have never felt so impressed in my life to help and teach someone. I have also never felt teh need and rush to get them to baptism. I hope it isn't just me wanting a baptism, but I have so much love for them. They are so special to me.
We had a Noche De Hogar "Family Home Evening" on Friday with the ward and all the investigators. Hermana Kuhn and I taught it. We read in Efesios (I think thats Ephesians in English) about the Armor of God. We had Alvaro (Maria's little boy) Stand in the front of the room and everyone threw paper balls at him. It was so funny he was so excited and just stood and covered his face. Then we dressed him in the armor of God. We made it out of cereal boxes and tinfoil. he had a sword and a sheild everything but a helmet (his head was too big, it fit all the elders...just not Alvaro...) It was a lot of fun and there were a lot of members there talking to Maria and her family. What a blessing.
Saturday there was a baptism of a little boy in our ward. We invited Maria and her family. They loved it, that was so good for them. Then afterward the family had a birthday party for him in the church. Everyone was there having fun. The family had a lot of fun. It was a great night. There was a lot of dancing. Alvaro stole the show with his smooth moves:)
I had a great week. We are seeing the members try to be more involved with the family. It is really touching and I'm so excited for this upcoming transfer.
The transfer calls are this Saturday. I'm terrified! I hope I don't get transferred. It would break my heart! But I know if I do, its because I'm needed somewhere else. I'm just having a hard time with thinking I won't be there to make sure myself that the family gets to baptism, but I need to trust more in other missionaries and Heavenly Father.....that doesn't change my prayers though:)
Change is a struggle for me, but it is so true, especially when it comes to contacting. I have no trouble with changing lessons according to what I feel, but while I'm contacting and I see some success in what I'm doing I stick with it instead of changing it up. Then I get STUCK and we don't recieve anything! The spirit can't work through you in you are in a routine. I need to take a step back and evaluate the things I do and how I do them. When we trust in Heavenly Father and give everything to him and say "I'm in your hands, I'm your instrument" That's when the blessings come.
The Halloween party looked soooo much fun! I miss halloween, they celebrate it here, but as a missionary you can't really do anything. I miss doing stuff with you guys for Halloween. The ward is having a special Pais party the 25, the American family, Hermana Kuhn, Elder Ballard and I are incharge of the United States. We are going to decorate it like Halloween, I'm so excited:) we also might do thriller.....not confirmed:) Since when do you dress up for Halloween!!!
I love you guys! You're in my prayers! Have a great week!

Hermana Brumble

Week 47 in Spain! (17 in Madrid)

10/13/14

It is a lot colder now!

Our week was a ton better than last week! This week we had a lot of blessings. A while ago Elder Giforos called me to ask if I was teaching piano because there was a mom and two kids at English class that night who were interested. So we started teaching them piano this week. Hermana Kuhn talked to Ani, the mom, while I taught the kids. She's from the Dominican Republic and while talking to her she said she had been listening to missionaries in her Paìs(can't remember the English word) (country)and that she knew the Church is true. We were in awe, we didn’t know what to say, and then she said " the problem is I work internally and can't come to church"....NOOO always! We are praying to try to see how we can work things out. She wants her kids to go to church though, which will be good.

We were also walking down the street and a guy stopped us and said (translated) "Hermanas how are you! I took lessons not very long ago, here's my number, call me and you can come over and teach my family some time." We'll see where that goes. :)

There have been a lot of ups and downs lately which is usual. You just need to make sure the downs don't overshadow the ups.

Hermana Kuhn and I are great! She is such a good example and she works so hard. She has also improved so much during our time together. That has been so fun to see. I've always had older (mission wise) companions, but being able to see someone start out and to still have that fire in them has been such an interesting experience. It has helped me get that MTC excitement back in my teaching. I love Hermana Kuhn, she is really good and helping me feel successful. I love her. We have a lot of plans for when she gets back.

The family is such a blessing for me. They are so special to me and I can feel the love God has for them every time I teach them. I love them so much. Even if they don't get baptized while I'm here, they are special to me. Every time we are in a lesson together I can feel the spirit. Especially with Daniela. She is the 14 year old daughter. I see a light in her and I know she feels the spirit. Every time I bear my testimony to them something lights up in her and you can see in in her face. She is special. But, last week we had a lesson with them and the Law of Chastity was a question that Maria brought up. Maria told us after we explained it to her that her and her husband are not married!!! NOOO! My heart was aching! I just couldn't stop thinking about Gema and Ricardo in Gijon. This can't happen again. I wanted to cry. But after that I felt the Spirit tell me that everything was going to work out if we kept moving forward with them, if we kept being bold with them and if I kept showing them that I loved them and that God loved them. That night I talked to Hermana Kuhn and we realized something really interesting, I have been having HUGE desires to get married lately! I have never wanted to get married so bad in my life... which is so weird. But I thought about it and I think it is because I have so many examples of good and righteous couples in my life. That’s the biggest blessing we could receive from our Heavenly Father. It breaks my heart, but I feel like I have been having these feelings because I need to help them know why marriage is so important. After that night we have been seeing the family and their DAD everywhere! He hasn't been interested at all to meet with us, but I really feel like it's his time. We just need to keep moving forward and get the dad in the lessons with us. With hard work and pray it's possible and I know everything will work out.

Exchanges were this Thursday and it was great! I was so nervous because I really wanted to be a good example to Hermana Whiting. She is being trained right now, it was really interesting because I did twelve weeks with her during our companionship study. I tried so hard that day to help her and really try to feel her needs and look for ways to serve her and Hermana Shill. It was a lot of fun and I learned a lot from that opportunity.

This week I also got invited to a sealing. Our Menos Activos (not less active anymore:) are getting sealed and they invited us! I am so touched that they thought of us and wanted us to be there. I am so proud of their progress and now they get to be an eternal family! What a miracle! Unfortunately, as a missionary I can't go...but I will definitely be praying especially for them that day. They are getting sealed November 1.

The miracle of repentance has been on my mind lately. I have been having feelings of inadequacy lately and I've really had to apply repentance. And at the beginning of my mission I really only thought repentance was only something we needed when we make mistakes, but as I've progressed I've learned that repentance is something that has been given to us to help us be better every day regardless of whether or not we've made a serious sin. Repentance is a daily process that helps us feel closer to God. And right now, it is the things that has been critical. When I don't kneel down and night to talk to Heavenly Father about my day, my challenges, my worries and the things that make me happy, I can feel a difference in my life the next day. That to me is the miracle of repentance and the atonement.

I love you and have been thinking about you. Thanks for your example to me and your constant love and support. Thank you for always teaching me who I really am so I can teach others who they are.

Hermana Brumble

Week 46 in Spain! (16 in Madrid)

10/6/14

Thank you so much for all of your birthday wishes! My Birthday was wonderful and I feel so blessed. I could feel everyone's love with me and I feel so blessed to have all of you in my life. I waited to open the package till my birthday, so Hermana Kuhn hid it. We decorated for my Birthday and I made a birthday breakfast. Hermana Kuhn wrote a lot of nice things in our bathroom. Then we got ready and got to conference. We watched the first session (Saturday afternoon) amazing. And then my zone threw me a surprise birthday party! They made a cake, and a piñata. They made me a card and sang to me! It was amazing and so special I am so blessed to have so many good influences and loving people in my life who care about me. Hermana Kuhn put everything together. She is wonderful and so special. I love her so much. She really wanted to make sure I had a good birthday. I definitely did! But apparently it is a tradition in Spain that you have to take a bite out of your birthday cake....queverguenza (what a shame)! We took videos and pictures that I'm going to try to send. I was also surprised to get beautiful flowers from Sammie and Ben! That was such a wonderful surprise:) President Jackson and Hermana Jackson called me to wish me a happy birthday and they sang to me! So Cute. I had a WONDERFUL Birthday! Also the zoo today was a lot of fun. Elder Ballard and Elder Molina came. Elder Gentry and Elder Giforos came (My Zone Leaders) And Hermana Coburn and her companion (can't remember her name) came. We had a lot of fun and I LOVE the zoo!

Things are going great here! We are working so hard this week, we only got 4 lessons which was really bad, but sometimes that happens and we are working hard so that's all that matters. We are finding some really good people and staying busy with that family. They are so cute I love them so much and know they are going to get baptized. I am so excited, they just love everything we teach them and are growing so much. As far as my calling goes I have to do intercambios (exchanges) with the sisters this week and then report to president with things that are happening. That’s really it, and then nothing until next transfer and the next leadership meeting, if I'm still STL. That could change. It is weird that I'm STL and haven't trained, but one of the most important positions you have on the mission is being a trainer. We'll see if that happens. I'm not sure if I could do that. :)

Conference was so great! We went to Pavones and there were so many people, definitely a lot different from Gijon. Our stake was there and I think there was another stake there. It was really cool. We got to watch Women’s Conference, Saturday Morning and Afternoon and Sunday Morning sessions. I really enjoyed the Women’s Conference a lot and the talk from the Seventy that spoke in Spanish was really good as well. I thought it was interesting how many people spoke about the sacrament. I also liked what Elder Oaks said about accepting others no matter what religion they are from. I thought a lot of people talk about acceptance and being more Christ-like. Elder Holland’s talk was very touching. He gets so passionate about what he talks about and what he believes in. I wish I could speak with as much conviction as he does.

I love taking rides in the mountains during the fall. I miss that so much. We'll have to do that before I go to college. I'm going to have to start thinking about that soon... also work...scary.

My mission has really helped me go back to the basics. Teaching simple gospel principles everyday like Heavenly Father loves us has probably strengthened my testimony more than anything. The gospel is so simple and sometimes I think we get caught up in deep doctrine too much. We need to think about how investigators learn and gain their testimony. Through simple gospel principles, sincere prayer, study and attending our church meetings, we can all be converted. I am so thankful for this gospel and love sharing it more than anything in the world. I have never felt so much love and strength in my life. I have the beautiful opportunity every day to share this good news. I have had the opportunity to help bring our brothers and sisters back to our loving Heavenly Father. I wish I knew before that you don't have to have a tag to help show our brothers and sisters that God loves them. I have felt the love of God for his children which has changed my life. I hope I will be able to apply what I have learned here to my future life.

I love all of you. I miss you every day. I'm not quite ready to go home. Time is moving way too fast and I'm not leaving till I can say I have done all I can to help my Savior in this work. Thank you for your prayers and words of love on my birthday. I have such a special family and am blessed with so much love and support. Thank you!

Hermana Brumble (20 YEARS OLD AND NO LONGER A TEENAGER!)

Week 45 in Spain! (15 in Madrid)

9/29/14

My week has been so slow!!!! It has been a hard, busy week. I've had so many meetings and it seems like I've been traveling nonstop which effected our lessons negatively, but it has been a good week as well. I'm glad it's over though.

My meetings were really good. Elder Giforos, Elder Gentry, Hermana Sanchez and I went to the mission home on Tuesday where we had our meeting with the other Zone leaders and Sister Training leaders. It was really good and we mainly focused on our purpose as missionaries which is to INVITE. We talked about how right now our baptisms for the mission are a lot lower. We talked about why and we think it is fear. It was a really good meeting and I got to see a lot of missionaries whom I've worked with before like Elder Nielson and Hermana Endicott in Gijon and I also met a lot of new missionaries. It was also fun to get to know the zone leaders in our area Elder Giforosand Elder Gentry. They are really good elders and good examples. Hermana Sanchez and I are such a good team!!! She is Spanish and so nice I really enjoyed being with her and learning with her. That night when we got back we found out that we were going to the temple that next morning, so Hermana Sanchez and Hermana Frost stayed with us that night because they're in Sagovia. So we did splits the rest of that night and I learned sooo much! That morning we went to the temple which is always a good experience and then had zone meeting right after that in Pavones. Hermana Sanchez and I only had 15 minutes to prepare, but we did such a good job! The Elders wanted us to talk about inviting our investigators and street contacts. We talked about fear and how we can overcome that fear. We shared the story about David and Goliath and how sometimes we have a huge trial of our courage. Sometimes we have people telling us that this work is too big for us and that we are only a muchacho :) but we have so many things that will help us. We had every companionship pick their 5 rocks that they were going to use against Goliath. It was really an uplifting meeting and I love my new calling. I feel really privileged to have this calling and it has helped me so much. It has really helped me look at what I need to improve on in order to be a good example and has helped me be more bold as a missionary. At our meeting with president he showed us a video of President Monson talking to the new mission presidents and their wives in April of this year. It was fantastic! It has changed my mission! You should look it up. I'm going to send it to Joseph. I just go on exchanges once or twice a transfer with the sisters in our area. Hermana Sanchez is going with the Villalba sisters and I am going with the B5 sisters. Hermana Kuhn is fine with that. She'll probably go to B5 with a Hermana with more experience and her trainee will come to B1 with me.

I definitely wish I prepared a little more for my mission. I've learned so many things that maybe I wouldn't have learned if I did prepare a little more. Our missions are specific to our needs and everything that happens to us here is for our benefit and good.

I am so excited for conference this year and it's on my birthday! What a wonderful opportunity and experience. On Saturday at 4 we are going to see the Women’s Conference and at 6 the Saturday morning session. Then Sunday we are going to see Saturday afternoon at 2 and Sunday morning at 6. We'll miss Sunday afternoon, but I know we are so blessed to be able to see any of it. I'm so excited. One more conference after this and I'll be home! Time is flying by so fast. I'm kind of torn about it. It's bitter sweet. but I'm eternally thankful for this time. I have been changed and molded for my heavenly father and I know I've been blessed.

It sounds like Sammie and Ben are taking great care of Scout. That was such a nice thing. She said they took her to the vet and they said she was soo healthy! What a blessing. :)

I did get the package, I'm not opening it till my birthday! I'm so excited. We are all going to the zoo on the sixth for p-day. I can't believe I'll be 20! I'm sad you won’t be here with me, but I can feel all of your prayers and love. Thank you so much for everything! I love you all so much. I am truly blessed to have so many examples of love and faith in my life. Not many missionaries can say that. Thank you for everything!

Hermana Brumble

Week 44 in Spain! (14 in Madrid)

9/22/14

My week has been pretty great! My first week with my new companion and I Love it! Hermana Kuhn is great! She is so much fun and a really hard worker. I have never had a companion before with less time on the mission. It has been interesting being on the other side of things and remembering what it was like. I have learned so much this week. Having to take on more responsibility has been really good for me and my confidence. Our leadership meeting with president is on Tuesday. I'm really excited and nervous at the same time. We'll get there, talk, have lunch, then get back and the Zone leaders are supposed to call sometime that night to tell me what I need to talk about the next day. Then the next morning before the Zone meeting, Hermana Sanchez (the other STL) and I will have some time to put it together. The AP's called me this morning and I also have to direct the music for the meeting. I'm excited really, I know I am going to learn a lot.

I have heard about that movie (Meet the Mormons). I hope we will have the opportunity to see it, but I'm not sure if it will be a movie in the theatres.

I am so excited to see General Conference soon. All the missionaries in the Madrid area will go to Povones to watch it together and I'm sooo excited. It will be a really neat experience and I know there are going to be some neat things said. Hermana Endicott is back in Madrid so maybe I'll see her:)

Hermana Kuhn and I are trying really hard to find more people. We have been teaching English class and we have started teaching this family that comes. They are adorable and they love me! They are from Bolivia. The mom, Maria, and her 13 year old daughter Daniella come to church with us and she has two more boys that are 9 and 5. The 5 year old is the CUTEST little boy I have ever seen. They always ask us so much about being a missionary. I know they are so prepared and I am excited for the opportunity to help their family be an eternal one!

We met with Ana and Pascual again this week. They are so cute! I called Pascualand he wouldn't stop talking about telepathy and how he was just wishing that I would call and then I did:) and then that night he told me that Ana was going to take a picture of his face and give it to me so I would never forget him and that he would marry me! He is so funny. I really love Ana and Pascual so much.

Well I will talk to you guys soon! I can't wait to share more experiences with you! I love you so much!

Love Hermana Brumble

Week 43 in Spain! (13 in Madrid)

9/15/14

I'm GREAT and sooooo excited for this transfer! WHY?? BECAUSE::::::::: Well, I'm staying in Madrid, but I'm getting a new companion. Her name is Hermana Kuhn. She is so sweet. She has 3 transfers in the mission, so I'm definitely the senior companion now. She is 20 years old. I still have yet to be older than my companion....that's a little frustrating. She is from Maryland. She is such a good singer and is going to be famous one day, for sure! Also, my name is no longer Hermana Brumble.....meet Hermana Sister Training Leader Brumble! President called me today while I was making lunch. I'm so nervous! I have to go to the mission home in a week for the meeting he has with all the Zone Leaders. And during Zone Meeting I have to speak. I am also in charge of all the intercambios (exchanges) for the transfer. I'm not sure how prepared I am for that, I'm area training again, I know more Spanish than my companion, and I'm Sister Training Leader. I'm so scared, and I know I'll make mistakes, but I'm going to learn a lot. I'm ready for the challenge and am excited for the new experiences I'm going to have. I can't wait to share them with you.

It is hard when you don't see outward results from your work. But we receive blessings from what we do. Our work NEVER goes unrecognized. I get sad when missionaries are so focused in numbers, they don't realize what they have accomplished or the blessings they have received. Grandma Brumble sent me a picture with this saying, "To the world you may be one person, but to one person you may mean the world." We are serving and affecting lives every day, whether we can see it or not. Also, we are preparing fruits for other missionaries. Every fruit from your labor is going to be harvested, by you or other missionaries. There have been two baptisms in Gijon that were people I found and taught, and even though I wasn't there for the end, I was the one who started it. I feel and see results from my efforts through the love I feel from my Heavenly Father. I can tell a difference in how I feel when I know I've worked my hardest and when I haven't. I know heavenly Father is proud of what I've done and that I am progressing, when I can feel his love and spirit around me. When I feel good about my work and when I feel WHOLE. We may not be progressing in the way we expect because what we want isn't apart of God’s plan for us. He knows what we need and in his time, we will receive it. We just need to be patient and faithful, continuing forward with a perfect brightness of hope. Hope has been really important to me on the mission. Hope is having a knowledge that we will receive the blessings the Lord has promised us if we are obedient (PMG). I know this is true

We haven't had any experiences quite as bad as that one. Madrid is a safe place. I know if it wasn’t I wouldn't be here. Even though that was a scary experience, I feel perfectly fine. I know I'm worthy of the companionship of the Holy Ghost and that If I'm focused I will receive promptings of where I need to be at what time. Whether is it a warning or a spiritual prompting. I know I'm guided by the spirit.

Being kind to others is so important and something I need to work on. Being kind to one another isn't just how you act when you’re around them, it is also your thoughts and actions when they are gone.

Oh, I forgot to tell you where Hermana Reyes went, TENERIFE! One of the most beautiful Islands on the Canaries. She is probably going to finish her mission there! QueSuerte! Maybe I will replace her when she goes home in January, it's possible:)

I love you and miss you guys! Thanks for everything!

Love Hermana Brumble

Week 42 in Spain! (12th in Madrid)

9/8/14

This week has been pretty challenging, not very many lessons. But I'm feeling good regardless. :) Our investigator came to church this week! Finally! I was so happy. We had a pretty serious lesson with her.  Summer is a hard time in Madrid because everyone is on vacations, and now they're getting ready for school so everything is really busy. I think it will be better soon.

We had a pretty crazy experience this week. Hermana Reyes and I were walking back to our piso at night. It is getting really dark pretty early now. And this man stops us right in front of our piso and starts talking to us and asking us if we were Mormons. I think he had some experiences that were not very good, so he has a problem with religion. He was acting crazy though and kept on asking if we were scared. He was getting pretty angry. I was prepared to do anything I had to. I had the worst feeling. I heard this grunt and I looked up and a man in our building was looking down at us. The man talking to us heard him and immediately stopped and walked away. I looked back up at the man and he waved at us. Right in that moment I felt so much peace and gratitude that he was there. I don't know what would have happened. The next day we saw him in the hallway. We thanked him and he said that he always thinks about us and our safety. He said that he knew the Elders that were living in our piso before. He said that if we needed anything that we can come and get him. He is a super nice older man. We are going to make him cookies this week. That night he was our guardian angel! I know Heavenly Father is watching over us and knows what we need when we need it.

Thanks for e mailing me Josephs letter. He sent me one too. He is so funny. It sounds like he's doing just fine. :) He is going to have a great time in the MTC. You are surrounded by the Spirit there. His experiences have already strengthened my testimony. I hope mine will do the same for him.

I had similar experiences in the MTC. My District really tried to be unified. My district leader tried to get to know everyone, he tried to make it so everyone was comfortable and happy. Having a close district makes a huge difference. I have really tried to apply that in all my districts. It helps a lot. I've made some really good friends through my districts. People I know I will probably stay in contact with for a long time. In the MTC the elders and sisters there would call me Humble Brumble. :) I had to learn a lot about humility there. Before I left I had this attitude about how I was going to help other people with everything and how they were all going to look up to me. I had to learn that before I could try to tell others what they needed, I needed to work on what I could improve myself, what I could learn from others, and being able to accept the fact that I needed help. It made a big difference for me. Now whenever I meet someone new or have a new companion, if I have a humble attitude and look for things I can learn from them, we have a lot more unity and love for each other which makes it so we can work more with the Spirit. I think that's why I haven't had companion troubles at all.

It is getting hard not to count down how much time I have left. I'm soo excited to see all of you, but at the same time I wish I was at the beginning again. I think I have reached a hard time in my mission. Realizing how much time you have left and feeling like you could have done more with the time you've had. It makes you feel terrible, but at the same time, it is helping me cherish the remaining time more and I'm working harder than I was before. The key is not to get discouraged because those feelings aren't from our Heavenly Father. I've worked so hard and I'm proud of what I've done so far. I can't wait for the experiences that I have ahead of me.

Thank you for everything! For your constant love and support. A lot of missionaries don't have the kind of support from families like I do. I am truly blessed and grateful for the wonderful family I have been given. You truly fill my life with love and strength to keep going. I love you and pray for you! Have a great week!

Hermana Brumble

Week 41 in Spain! (11th in Madrid)

9/1/14

How is everything? What’s going on? How is it with one less child to take care of? It sounds like everything went really well, I'm glad. I have been worried all week long about Joseph leaving. I just want him to have the best experience. I got an e mail from him and it sounds like all is well. I's so relieved. Also thank you for sending me pictures, I appreciate that. It is nice to get e mails, but it is different when I can see everyone.

I've had a great week. Nothing unusual, but Hermana Reyes and I have been getting some really good lessons. Everyone right now is having a hard time getting to "Lesson 2" But I know that we talk to people for a reason and even though they don't accept the gospel now, they have a higher chance in the future. Jose and Isabel came back from Ecuador this week and brought Hermana Reyes and I little coin bags. They are so cute, I love them.

There was a huge riot/protest in front of our Piso this week about racism. Hermana Reyes and I had to go back to our piso for a while and do work there. It was pretty intense, but I don't think there was really any danger, our district leader just thought it would be better to be inside. Sometimes when people get really excited, they do stupid things.

I wish I could have been there for Joseph's setting apart. I wanted to so bad. I remember being so nervous. My emotions were going crazy! I'm glad I don't have to do that again. It is funny hearing about Joseph's experience and remembering mine. It sounds a lot different. I think I was the only missionary in the airport for a while. I didn’t want to look back at you and mom in the airport because I knew if I did I probably wouldn’t be here right now. :)

I can't wait to hear all about his mission. Hermano Sanchez, my MTC teacher in my ward went to Uruguay on his mission, he was telling me how much he loved it. Joseph is going to have a great time and I'm so proud of him.

I'm great! I don't need anything. Time is going by so fast. I can't believe I have already hit the half way mark! I'll be home before you know it! Every day I feel like I have so much left to do. I hope when I'm finished I'll have a complete feeling. Everyone says they don't feel ready to go home when they're finished, but I feel like if I know that I did what the Lord has called me to do, I will feel ready, complete and ready to take on my next calling. I am really truly thankful for this experience. I know I talk to people every day who are being prepared, and maybe I am helping prepare them for the next missionary who will cross their path. I know I am here for a reason. I know I have been called to be an instrument in the Lords hands.

As a mission we are reading the Book of Mormon together and we are going to end on Joseph Smith’s birthday. I think it is so cool and every day I feel my testimony of the restoration strengthen. You guys should do it too if you want!

I love you! I'll talk to you soon!

Hermana Brumble

Week 40 in Spain! (10th in Madrid)

8/25/14

This week has been great, things are really starting to pick up. We have some good investigators right now who have a lot of interest in the church. One is a cook at the MTC, COOL! I'm doing great! I was a little emotional this week with Joseph leaving, but I think I'll be fine. Sunday it finally hit me that I wasn't going to see him, I got a little emotional during sacrament, que vergûenza (what a shame) because President decided to come to our Sacrament meeting and he sat right by me, Ha but it was fine.

(Speaking about Pasqual) I love them both a lot and can't wait for you to meet them. They did something really neat for Hermana Reyes and I yesterday. We got there and they said they had a surprise for us. They took us into their study room and they had an American flag hanging up. Then Pascual wobbled over to his desk where he pulled out a tape and played the Star-spangled banner. He had all of us stand and put our hands on our hearts. Then he told us all about flying the B-29 and how much he loved America and how he considers himself an American. He told us that they want their home to be a home away from home for us. They are two very special people. We shared a scripture in Alma 11 with them about Zeezrom trying to tempt Aaron to deny the christ by giving him money and how Aaron refused. Grandpa Golightly sent me a 2 dollar bill for the fourth of July and I thought it would be special to give it to them. We wrote our names on it and gave it to them. They were so excited. I can't wait for them to meet you.

Today I received a miracle. I knew it was my last time I would receive an email from Joseph while he was home, I was so nervous. I opened my email and there was no email. My heart dropped. I wanted to hear from him before he left. I decided to take a break from family e-mails and email president. I said a prayer in my heart asking if it was possible that I receive an email from Joseph. I finished emailing president and went back to my email account and there was an email from Joseph. What a tender mercy! I love him so much and can't believe this week is finally here. I am so proud of him, he is a very special person and I know he is going to bless so many lives. Heavenly Father has a special work for him to do.

I love you guys so much, thanks for looking out for me and doing so much for me. I feel your love and support here which is something a lot of missionaries don't have. I am so blessed and privileged to be given a family as special and important as you. It is so important to me that I try my best to share this wonderful blessing with others so that they can have that same joy.

Hermana Brumble

P.S. Tomorrow is my half way mark! Now you can say it:) Feliz Cumplemes(happy ?something) to me!!! :) See you in Nine months!

Week 39 in Spain! (9th in Madrid)

8/18/14

We had a great week! We have been working so hard and My attitude has really changed a lot. I feel good about what we are doing. I know that the best way to cope with those feelings is more work. Heavenly Father blesses us for our work and our labors, sometimes I just need to have more gratitude and recognize those blessings more. When we have a bad attitude I think sometimes he is slower with giving us blessings. I know I would be. We are receiving some really good things here. I am excited.

Pascual was so excited to talk to you. He was begging me for your number. He really wanted you to know how much the love us. He said he was going to try again, he really wants to talk to you. We are going to see him tonight, he'll probably ask for your number again. I told him I couldn't talk to you though, so he knows I'm not breaking the rules.

I really appreciated your message about courage. Sometimes I get too comfortable where I am and what I have. I need to be more bold with people. Taking chances and trusting in Heavenly Father (having humility) is what brings miracles. He can only give miracles according to our faith, and faith is an action word. We need to ACT! We have been really trying to find more people. Yesterday we purposely didn’t schedule any lessons from 6 to 10! We contacted the whole time! That was hard, but Heavenly Father blessed us with some really good people. We are also going to parks more. I fell a lot more comfortable with contacting someone walking by on the street than someone sitting down with their boyfriend/girlfriend or when they are doing something with their family. But there is so much potential there and we need to work harder with talking to everyone. I need more courage and humility. Thanks for always being an example of both.

I'm so glad you got the box! I was so worried about that. Everything is from Toledo, a really old little town in Spain. The swords are some classic Spanish swords and yours is a replica of the ones from the crusades. The fans are a Spanish tradition. Everyone uses fans here. The actual Spanish fans are a lot more elaborate and made out of fabric, but super expensive. They are hand painted though. And mom's shawl was made by this really super old Spanish woman, it is very traditional as well. The necklaces are from this really famous brand only made in Toledo. I'm glad everyone liked everything.

We always think that we want these really hard experiences in our missions to prove that we can handle them or to receive the blessings from them. I have noticed a difference in attitude and feeling when we are thinking about the trial and when we are actually in one. It is easy to say, but not so easy to do. How we act during our trials are a true reflection of our character. I'm grateful for the trials that I have. I know I am being shaped by them and that through them, I am moving forward on this path. Without trials we just stand still. My testimony of my Savior is so much stronger. I have truly learned to rely on Him and the Atonement.

We had Zone Meeting this Wednesday and President has decided that as a mission we are going to read the Book of Mormon and finish on December 23. We are going to have a special devotional with everyone to finish. We are also going to memorize D&C 4 in Spanish for the 28th of August which is our Zone Conference. I'm super excited!

Thanks for everything, I love you.

Hermana Brumble

Week 38 in Spain! (8th in Madrid)

8/11/14

My week was AMAZING! WE had such a great week! We had a lot of lessons and worked so hard. It feels good when you don't have a lot of down time. A lot of people are gone on vacations right now so it's been pretty slow, but this week was a good change. We received a lot of good people that have some potential, so I’m great! I'm not sure if we'll have a baptism anytime soon, but I feel good about what we're doing.

We have been having some weird things happen in our piso, and some bad feelings, so we had it blessed. I feel a lot better in it now and we haven't had anything happen in it since, so it think we're good. The Elders who lived in it weren't being obedient and we found some things that they weren't supposed to have, so I think that's why the spirit wasn't there, but we cleaned it out and blessed it, so things should be better.

I wish we would have a storm here, ITS HOT! That's one thing I miss about the North, It was always cool and usually always raining. Here there is no wind and no rain, just sun! So the heat just sits.

I miss gardening. I miss plants in general. The city is a lot different. I don't think I could be a city girl. I'd go crazy after a while. I think I am going to buy a cactus. :)

I would love to go to the Castle Valley Pageant! That sounds like a lot of fun! I’ve been reading Our Heritage lately, I love church history, it’s really interesting. We'll have to plan a trip.

I have learned a lot about the importance of follow up. If we don't follow up there is no way to know if people are progressing, if there are problems you don’t know about, or questions that haven’t been answered. It shows that you aren't serious about what you are teaching and that the investigators don’t have to take the commitments seriously. A commitment without a follow up is nothing and you're really just wasting time. Also following up in our prayers. Every night it has been so important to me to go over the things that has been happening that week and that day. Like a daily report of the things we are doing. So He knows what we are doing, what we need, what our investigators need, and then He can help us feel and know what we need to improve on. I've really felt my testimony and relationship with my Heavenly Father change just because of that one basic principle of follow up.

I like that story too (story of Abe and Neva from the Castle Valley Pageant). It is so important that we have goals and know what is important in our lives and then to align our lives so that we can achieve those goals. We can’t have a goal and tell Heavenly Father that's what we want and hope it works out. It is us who needs to exercise our agency and work for what we want, but to also be aware and sensitive to spiritual promptings he gives us just in case we are a little off of the path, so we can change, repent, and move forward. Sometimes we will even have to turn around.

One thing that happened to me that I have avoided until a couple days ago is that I got BESOS (kissed)!!!!! We contacted this crazy in the street who was just going on and on about his weird philosophies, he didn't look crazy, but he was, then he started getting super creepy and gave me besos, so gross! At least we got a street lesson out of it and his number......we gave the number to the elders though. :) yuck!!

We met with Pascual and Ana again. He is the one that is blind and served in the US Airforce for 25 years and speaks perfect English! He's met a bunch of super important ambassadors and is super cool! He showed us a bunch of pictures and his certificate. He showed us the American flag the US gave him. He is so cool. He even flew in the B-28? I can't remember, but it is a famous one! He wants to call you to tell you that we are lifelong friends and to tell you that I'm safe and that I have a home with them. He and his wife are so cute. I'm not too worried about their salvation. :) I sing for them and he sings Frank Sinatra for us, he's cute.

I sure love you guys! you are in my prayers every night! Thank you for everything, for you love and examples to me! Have a great week!

Hermana Brumble

Week 37 in Spain! (7th in Madrid)

8/4/14

This week has been BUSY! It was the week of transfers, I’m still in Barrio 1 with Hermana Reyes:) SO EXCITED! It has been a week full of miracles! We have 4 new investigators who have a TON of potential. This new transfer is going to be full of baptisms, I can feel it! One thing that we are doing today that I am kind of nervous about is blessing our piso....we have been having some weird things happening, so we are going to dedicate our piso tonight, kind of scary. More than anything, you just never feel right in our piso, it has been open for a while and this mission used to have a lot of missionaries that were disobedient, we think it could be because of that. But we haven't been sleeping well and you just feel spiritually "unsettled" We've cleaned it out and found a lot of things that missionaries shouldn't have, and now we are going to bless it, hopefully it works:)

Thanks for answering my question about your mission. I feel like I don't know anything about it, I would like to know more:) I think it could help me a lot.

We should definitely go to Moab again. The last time I was there was when we met up with everyone after Philmont. Were the Nagy's there? Let’s plan a trip for when I get back. After the vacation to Hawaii with the girls of course;) I want to go jeeping? Did Joseph drive the jeep? Scary! I think I'd be fine it the passenger seat:) I like what you said about the sand. It is like experiences we have in life. When we are in a trial that's deep and we don't really see a way out, we need to try our best, pray and have hope that "the trail in front of us was easier than what we’d just gone through." That has helped me a lot on the mission I think. A lot of things I have gone through have been hard, but I know if I do my best Heavenly Father will help me and that I will have the strength and knowledge from that trial to get me through whatever else comes my way.

Joseph Told me about his temple experience. That is great! It reminds me of my first time. Not knowing exactly everything but trusting and having faith that It was for the best. I felt so comfortable and so right. It has blessed me here and given me strength and power to do things I didn’t think were possible. The temple is such a blessing, I can’t wait to one day be sealed and have an eternal family.

I sure love you guys and am thinking of you!

Love Hermana Brumble.