Who needs water when you have baby wipes?

Friends and family,

Okay, so I find as we continue contacting, other numbers just naturally go up. So we had a lesson with a member today which was exactly how a lesson with member should be. We had a lesson with our investigator Clara and the member, Sidila, shared about her conversion experience using Alma 32. It was the best testimony I have ever heard from a member in a lesson. Clara said she had 'ganas' to read the Book of Mormon. I really hope to see her progress even more!

We found an investigator Amelia this week, who is having a hard time with her 14 year old son. A friend (nonmember) told her to talk to the elders. Then we appeared at her door a couple days later. So cool! But aside from immediately having us come in, I think it may actually take her a bit to progress. But I have hopes if she acts on her commitments.

We have a ton of cool people we're working with, including a lady who's husband is a member (and currently in Lima), and she was at church yesterday and told us to come visit her. So we'll start with her this week. And she made comments in Sunday school about knowing how even though she likes coffee, she knows it's a commandment, and needs to work on it. So basically she already has a testimony, and we'll try to set a baptismal date with her in the first visit if we can. (And see where she is really at with her testimony and all.)

So our area is growing a TON. I absolutely LOVE my area and being in Jaen. It's amazing seeing the Lord's hand here.

So now for talking about Lucía. So in our mission, we usually don't teach investigators under 18 (too many go inactive), but we just found this girl, Lucía, who is freakishly smart (especially for here in Jaen). And she is so cool! She wants to be a nun, but her dad won't let her. But she's also really confused about what she really believes. So we taught her the plan of salvation yesterday, and she completely understood it. But understanding doesn't necessarily equal testimony. We invited her to baptism (and are now talking to president about her), and she said yes when she knows it's true. Her dad was there, and sat and talked to us for a few minutes but when we started the lesson, he left the room. But he was TOTALLY listening around the corner. When we left he said that what we said was beautiful. He had told us we would have a hard time changing his beliefs. We'll see about that. And por lo menos, if we can't get Lucía baptized, she can just be an active investigator until she's 18.
So por fin, the funny stuff! One. It's time to let the world know. I absolutely love High School Musical way way too much. (Completely my guilty pleasure of all movies). So we talked about it like three times this week, and then we were at our pension's for lunch. Our pension's daughter, Lucía is always watching movies in the other room, and sometimes when it's Disney, we figure it out just from the background music, but we really are good and don't intentionally listen in. Well, despite all the Spanish talking, there was a scene from high school musical playing, and it made me crack up SO hard because I had brought it up so much this week. (I get trunky in really weird ways you guys.) But I just thought it was hilarious.

Now for the funnier story, So Hermana Favero told me something Hermana Escobedo told her last intercambios. Back when I was having a rough time for a couple weeks, our district was worried about me because I wasn't being super social with them, and I just looked kinda sad a lot. Well, the sister leaders figured out I really love food. And so the hermana lideres spoke with the elderes and told them to start bringing treats to district meeting because they thought that would help. And the elders really liked that idea too. So I got better because Hermana Williams talked to me on the phone for like 45 minutes and gave me tons of scriptures and hymns and advice. But I also got the wonderful blessing of getting chocolate chip cookies, or galletas de MILO (SO GOOD!), or whatever sweets they bring to every district meeting and correlation. Win win! So I didn't know that's why they brought treats until this week. When Hermana Favero told me that I cracked up for 5 minutes. My district really cares about me. So then, the elders always tell us when we have to go into their area to teach single women that we have to bring them chocolate as a tax or something. Which we almost never do. Then they tell us we need to be obedient to our leaders. But on Saturday, Elder Miranda called to let us know we had correlation. He told me to bring dulces twice, and I didn't understand him, so he finally said ¡chocolates! I said está bien and hung up. So we brought everyone chocolate. Then when I pulled them out of my bag, Hermana Escobedo disapprovingly asked the elders who told us to bring food, and got food out of her bag. Apparently they aren't supposed to ask us to bring food or something. I don't know, but the whole situation just makes me smile. I'll be sad when cambios come this next Tuesday. Hermana Escobedo is going home after a YEAR just in Jaen (two areas here, but still). Elder Miranda has another transfer until he goes home. And who knows who else will get transfers.

I'm really sorry to hear about Christine. I hope everyone's doing alright.

We still have very little running water here. It isn't fun to not have a reliable shower. Just saying.
So we went three days without running water.

 (note to the left our drinking water. No problem with being alive. Don't worry.) But man was I excited to fill up our storage buckets again! We have two buckets, and go through about one each day. So we had run out the middle of this day. And to tell you all the lovely details, my wet hair hides it, but it is also extremely oily from uh, baby wipe showers. It really isn't bad now that we're used to it though. And that's the longest we've had to go so far without water. So we're doing pretty well. Lesson learned: Emergency storage is important world!


Love you all!
Stay cool up there in the states (spring is hitting or has hit right?)

Write me please!

Hermana Brogan