Week 30 in Spain!

6/16/14

I am great! My cough is gone (I think I had bronchitis:/) and I am seeing so many miracles every day. I feel great! I had a turning point in my mission this transfer. I really know my purpose here now and can see how blessed I have been being here. Every day is better.

Hermana Brumble

Week 29 in Spain! (22 in Gijon!)

6/9/14

Everything is great! These past couple of weeks have been so busy, but really good.
I can’t believe Joseph is graduated! This year has gone by so fast! It looks like he had a lot of rewards. I’m glad, he definitely worked really hard. I’m sure he is so happy. It is funny, that someone who hated school so much accomplished so much. Now he can relax for a couple months. What institute classes is he taking? Do you know who the teachers are?

I’m great and feeling better. I still have a little cough, but it is getting better slowly. I don’t think it is a huge problem. Last week was our Zone Conference. It is a little different than Zone meeting. President and Hermana Jackson came and the AP’s came. They all talked to us and our Zone leaders spoke to us. They all had some really good messages and it was fun to hear from them and see them all. The Zone Conference was on Tuesday and on Monday we had a Zone P-day. That was fun. We went to Oviedo and did a hike to this huge statue of Christ. It was really hot and a lot harder that we thought. But it was fun. We got some really good pictures and it was fun to be able to hang out with everyone.

Hermana Endicott and I are doing great! We have a new investigator named Nelly!(not the same Nelly) She is older and a member reference from Nancy. She is from Argentina so she has the coolest accent. She is so sweet and Golden! Yesterday we had the greatest experience with her at church. She got there and sat by Nancy and everyone in the branch was so kind to her. She made so many new friends and participated in all the lessons. She loved it. Afterwards President spoke with her and his wife invited her over for medio dia. We all came over and ate with them. I love it when the Branch helps out. It makes all the difference. When we don’t have to worry about our investigators and the Branch just takes care of them, it is so nice! Yesterday was a miracle!

Well transfers are in two weeks. I’m getting nervous about it. I’ve been in Gijón for four now, and that is a pretty long time. I am pretty sure I am leaving. Probably to Madrid. I am excited though. I don’t think I could handle staying for five. I love Gijón, but at the same time I feel ready to move on.
I hope everything is going good! Give my love to the fam! What’s everyone up to?
Love you!
Hermana Brumble

Week 28 in Spain! (21st week in Gijon!)

6/2/14

I don´t have any time to e mail today. I just got off the bus from Oviedo from a big Zone P-Day we had with President Jackson and Hermana Jackson. There is now 15 minutes left of our P-Day and we haven´t gone shopping yet:/! Oh well, I had a really good day. We went on a hike to a huge statue of Christ and ate lunch with everyone. I will send pictures and tell you more about it next week. Please give my love to everyone. Please tell mom I got her letter and that I will send her a letter ASAP! I also have a letter for Joseph that I am going to send.
I love you! Everything is great!!! I haven´t gone to the doctor yet, tengo un poco miedo (I’m a little scared), but I need to. My cough is getting a little better, but I still have it. I am going to talk to president about it tomorrow in Zone Conference. I love you all!!! BESOS!!!

Hermana Brumble

Week 27 in Spain! (20th week in Gijon!)

5/27/14

This week has been really good! We haven’t done anything too exciting, but we are having fun! Today is my six month mark! I am officially 1/3 into the mission! Time is going by so fast! It is only three months until I am half way done! Today Hermana Endicott and I are going to celebrate, we are going to Burger King for lunch :) that’s is about as crazy as you can get as a missionary. :)

Joseph and Grandpa told me about the Chicago trip! It sounds fun! Joseph said he was sad that the Yankees lost but that he wanted the Cubs to win for Grandpa. I miss doing fun things like that with you guys. I was thinking about it and I totally want to take a trip with the girls when I get back, and Disneyland with everyone! :) We teach this little family English and this week they went to Disneyland in France. Diego and Alba were telling us all about it, I was so jealous!

I love the trip to Idaho for Memorial Day! I sure missed it this time. That is so cute that Grandpa taped that rock to Grandma’s headstone. I sure miss him! It is kind of like I am there now. My spirit is in that rock! I was talking about pioneers today with Hermana Endicott. That is so cool that we have pioneer ancestors! I didn’t think we had any!

That scripture really helped me (Helaman 10:2-6). This week has been hard. And on top of that we have investigators that aren’t answering, or can’t meet with us! We haven’t seen any success through street contacting for a while and it has just been really frustrating. Hermana Endicott and I fasted yesterday and we saw a lot of miracles happen. Not anything huge, but we realized how much we have been blessed and little by little the branch is improving. We had a long conversation with President Florín. We have been talking to President a lot about the branch and how we can help.  I feel really good though and I know that just because we aren’t having baptisms or a lot of success investigator wise, it doesn’t mean we aren’t being blessed or that we aren’t working hard. I feel so tired all the time because we are constantly contacting, walking, or something, but I also feel really blessed and strong for our obedience and hard work.

I love hearing about Joseph and everything he’s doing to get prepared! I like feeling like I am helping in little ways. If you have any other questions about anything, I would love to help! I hope he feels good still. Don’t let him be afraid! I am so excited for him and know he will be so blessed!

How are things at home and in the Stake?

I love you!
Hermana Brumble

Week 26 in Spain! (19 in Gijon!)

5/19/14- 1st Area, week 19

About the scriptures, tell Joseph to bring his English ones, and if he can, to not bring his little quad because it will fall apart. Tell him to get a separate Triple and a separate Bible in English. I had to re-glue the binding on my quad because it is so big and it isn´t as strong, and is still having a hard time staying together. As for Spanish, In the MTC for me, they give you the paper back versions but I bought nicer versions in the distribution center. I don´t know if it will be the same for him, but that is how it was at the MTC here. They also give you a spanish preach my gospel. But anything you don´t have or want a nicer version of, you can but at the distribution center in the MTC. It isn´t as big as the one in Provo, but they have one. I bought a small hymn book there too, He will want a hymn book. Any other questions?
I miss our garden, I miss having land in general. No one here knows what it feels like to have you "own land" It is silly, but it is interesting what a difference it makes. Everyone here squishes into these tiny piso´s. The first thing I am going to do when I get back is LAY ON MY LAND! I think I am going to buy a small plant, I need something to take care of, but we can´t have pets. I figured a small cactus would be ok:)
I had no idea all these people were leaving on missions! That´s great! who else is leaving? or has mission calls?
I loved hearing about the pocket watch! I love thinking about our potential and all that we are capable of, but at the same time it is sad when we know we can do more and live up to our potential more but chose not to. That is where repentance comes in. I love that even though I may have a hard day where I walk into the piso at ten feeling like I could have done more, but then realizing I can repent and learn from that day so I can do better the next. The atonement is such an amazing thing that sometimes I don't fully understand and wish I took more advantage of before the mission. Hermana Zitting and I would always compare ourselves to pieces of coal. How during the mission we are all just ugly pieces of coal, but through the heat and pressure placed on us, by the time we get release we are DIAMONDS! You just have to realize that although you may just be an ugly piece of coal right now, you have the potential to be a diamond.
Please tell Dan how much I love them and how thankful I am for their love and support in my life. They have always supported me and I love them so much. Tell Dan he is in my thoughts and prayers. They have done so much for our family. I really look up to them.
I have a strong testimony about obedience. And how even though some of the rules on the mission seem really stupid, if we are exactly obedient, Heavenly Father protects us. There have been so many times where Hermana Endicott decided to be obedient, even though it was hard or seemed stupid, I know we where protected because of it. I am also really thankful for the Elders and how they are worth to hold the priesthood and worthy to have the companionship of the Holy Ghost. Please keep the branch in your prayers.
I love you! Have a good week! Hermana Brumble

Week 18 in Gijon!

5/12/14

I loved seeing you and talking to you guys. I was so nervous about it and worried about it. It is weird, I feel like I have been here for so long, but for such a short time at the same time. I didn’t want to Skype and find out that everyone has changed and is different. But right when I saw you guys it felt so normal, like I saw you yesterday. I felt so much peace after and could relax and just talk to you like normal. I think missionaries who are going home have the same problem, they get worried about all the changes that have happened and how they are going to catch up with everything. But I think when I see you it will feel right and it will be just like normal. I think that’s how we will feel when we see Heavenly Father as well. We will see him and remember everything, and it will be just normal!

I was so stressed about transfers, everyone thought for sure I was leaving! But nothing changed in our whole district! Elder Abplanalp went home, which is sad, I am going to miss him a lot, he was a really good district leader and a really funny guy. So Elder Nielson will be Elder Lee’s companion. Elder Lee and Elder Nielson are both the Zone leaders! That is so weird having both the Zone leaders in one area, usually they aren’t companions. It will be interesting, but cool, Hermana Endicott and I will get all the cool Zone Leader inside scoop:) Other than that everything is the same.

I told you last night we had been contacting all the time! Literally all we had been doing was contacting and at first it was so frustrating because we were going nowhere, we couldn’t see how Heavenly Father was blessing us for all the hard work, but I think he was, I improved in a lot of things and have become a better missionary because of all the contacting we have done. Sometimes I think we have specific blessings in mind that we think we need, but Heavenly Father know best and knows what we really need. We have been blessed with two really good investigators. Alexander walked in with his family one day and said that two sister missionaries contacted him on the bus a couple of months ago and gave him the address to the church but he could never find it! He was at his brother’s soccer game when he saw the church and said "Hmmm I think that might be the church of those two girls." So he and his mom and little brother walked in and here we are! He is so golden and is a really good person. I really hope he continues to progress. Nelly is the woman from Honduras that we contacted on the street! She is so cute and so sweet and really loves the teachings from the church. She wants to go to church so bad. All we can do is pray right now, but she is such a sweet person and does everything we ask her to do.

I do remember Brother Ferrin. That is really sad, him and his wife were really good examples of missionary work. They were really cute. I hope the Turley’s are doing ok.

I love you!

Hermana Brumble

Week 17 in Gijon!

5/5/14

I miss you so much! This has been a hard but productive week! Sometimes I think Heavenly Father does things so you can learn a lesson. This week was also our activity with the branch when we all went contacting! It was so funny! We did splits and went with different members. I went with these two ladies. They were giggling the whole time and we hardly left the street, but it was really good. We didn’t get a lot of references from it, but it really got the members excited about missionary work. I felt the spirit really strong. It really was a good experience. We had a lunch appointment almost every day this week! I felt so fat this week, I really need to watch what I eat, I was doing really good at that and now I am falling a little. I walk everywhere so it isn’t a huge problem, but I can do better.

I did not get the flu and Hermana Endicott is doing great! That’s cool that that Mom messaged Hermana Zitting, she is probably really busy with school! Her brother is in Honduras right now and Hermana Endicott’s brother just got his mission call two weeks before Joseph to Peru. He is going to the Argentina MTC and might be there with Joseph! He is also leaving in August.

That is so cool about the stake changes. Mom said we gained some new people and I would be coming home to a totally different ward.
I love you guys and can’t wait to talk to you! I went to Covadonga today and it was amazing! It is a church in a cave. I couldn’t get the pictures to send but I will try to figure it out! Talk to you next week!

¡Te Quiero mucho!

Hermana Brumble