45th B-Day.... See you all soon! (ummmm SOON?) She's lost her mind... December 29th is NOT soon...

45th B-Day

See you all soon! (ummmm SOON?) She's lost her mind..

Hey family!!!

I think my favorite picture of the entire mission.. bahaha

So this week... I have no idea what happened this week. It's always a challenge to go back and think about it because we did so much and worked so hard... I can't even tell you without thinking for a while of what we ate yesterday... And that's just not me... I always know what I have eaten and want to eat 24 hours in advance! =) 

Hermana Filomena because this past week she completed one year of being a member of the church!!!

I got a call from Hermana Wright this past week with a story which I found to be absolutely astounding. I had sent an Elder to the dentist a few weeks ago as he complained of severe dental pain. Well, Hermana Wright told me that in her interview with him she asked him about how his teeth were. And he said "ya you know, I bought this paste stuff that you use for your teeth and my companion showed me how to use it". I almost died. He had never seen nor bought nor used toothpaste in his entire life. Truly, we are a blessed people!!!


I got a letter this week from The Rand Family!!!! I have sent them back a letter. It was a great surprise! =) Thankyou!! Brother Rand, I expect a hand written letter from you the next time being you didn't write at all. hahaha.


Hermana Tax had a dream this past week. Well she dreams a lot, but this one I had to laugh. So she doesn't really like learning English. Pronunciation is hard for her (I know how that goes... and they say Spanish is harder to learn than English)... anyway, her dream was to open in Preach My Gospel to page 141 and to read it and then act on what it was telling her to do. So the next morning she opens up the book.... lo and behold... it's about language study... she told me and I almost peed my pants. CRAZY GIRL. 

Victoria is Hermana Filomena's granddaughter

It snowed here in the mountains. It's getting cold! Hermana Tax has never seen snow before. We will be going to the mountains one day for her to touch snow... I might get her with a snowball before she realizes that you can do that with the white, fluffy stuff.... =)

Brooklyn in her Canaduh touque...

We ran into Maria(de) and Alicia (members) this past week as we were walking rapidly to our house... it was about 10:20 at night and our curfew is 10:30 max... anyway, so we were running to our house and we came across these 2 hermanas sitting outside in a park. I could tell something just wasn't right, so we stopped to talk to them. They have been having familial problems and I am not sure 100% of what happened that day, but Alicia was saying that she was afraid she would never talk to her family again. I could see the pain in her eyes and remembered my dear family, ya you guys.... Oh how we suffered for so long, but you know what... if nothing but one thing, President Wright taught me something precious here in the mission.... THERE IS ALWAYS HOPE! Sometimes, we blame God or we think that He does't hear us or what to help us... that He makes us suffer... but that's not true. He gives us hope in order to go through the trials that we face. And when we lose hope, it's not His fault... it's ours. Remember, there is ALWAYS hope.


I talked with Hermana Tax today about how we have changed in the mission. (she will be completing 1 year this week.) I told her that I dont think I have "grown up" or matured as many do due to responsibilities, rules, the gospel, being away from home, etc... I was always mature and had people's lives in my hands at age 20...... but what I can say is this. I have found a love for my scriptures that never existed before. I am coming to know the gospel like never before and the importance of living it, not just preaching it. I am coming to know my Savior more and more and am trying to develop His attributes of obedience, diligence, patience, charity, virtue, etc... In this... I think I have grown and I cannot wait to see who I will become in the next 7 months.


I studied this past week "Beware of Pride" by President Benson in May of 1989. I wanted to share it with you all. I learned so much about myself, society, and what I need to do to change this cycle of pride that we are living in. Read it. Study it. Ponder it. Then change. Let's be a better people and forget ourselves.


I love you all. Take care of yourselves and each other. Time is flying. I will be talking to Mom this week for Mother's Day and then we have Christmas 2014 for another skype call home.... then I'll be home December 29, 2014. Hahaha a few days after we all talk. See you all soon!


Enfermera/Hermana Brooklyn Talbot