12/2/13



Hola Mom and Pops,

Big news this week! I'm not sure how to start this so I will just jump

right into explaining: usually when people are transfered in this

mission, they get a phone call during the day before so they can have

time to pack, but not enough time to fill their whole day with saying

goodbye to everyone. This transfer there were a lot of emergency swaps

last minute, so a lot of people weren't fully informed. We got called

the night before transfer meeting, and were told that Hermana I.

would be leaving and that Hermana C. and I would stay. Of course

we were all sad, and spent the whole night helping her pack up and

write little notes to everyone, but by the time we got to transfer

meeting the next morning, we were all ready for whatever was coming.

Or so we thought. When Las Arboledas came up on the slideshow, it

showed Hermana C.'s picture, and her new trainer, and NOT MINE. I

was very confused--why wasn't I in the area that I was supposed to be?

It wasn't until a couple slides later that my picture showed up with

Hermana W. for the area of Monte Cristo (still in the stake

Ilopango!). Surprise! I was being transfered! It was pretty crazy--we

had to run home to my house and pack everything up (y'all should be

proud that I only took 45 minutes to pack) before we could start our

day. I loved it, I'm not gonna lie. It was an adventure, and I love

excitement.

Now, I'm sure you all want to know a little bit about Monte Cristo.

I'll be sending some photos in another email today, but we've already

had a baptism since I got here! It was so exciting! The sister is a

member of a family of recent converts who have been getting baptized

one by one over the past few months (and will be getting baptized in

the coming months).

This family is incredible. We spend a lot of time at their house,

teaching members of their family and other investigators, so I have

already gotten to know them really well (and the 11 year old

stepdaughter calls me her "hermanita" so that is pretty hilarious).

They are so generous and loving. I stepped into their house the first

day I got to Monte Cristo and they were all hugging me pretty much the

instant I got there. I am going to have a great transfer here--the

other hermanas left our area in really good shape (a lot of really

positive investigators, involvement of members, and references), and

Hermana W. and I are planning to work really hard to keep it that

way!

Speaking of Hermana W., she is great! The first things she said

to me when we started planning for our first day together is that she

is a stickler for obedience, punctuality, and listening--all of which

are things I felt like I was lacking (not much, just a little

bit...don't worry!) in my other companionship! I love that she is so

direct and so firm in her testimony. I have loved all my companions so

far, but what I love most of all is that they all have different

strengths that I can learn from and that I always have something I can

be applying a little more in my life.

My wisdom from this week is the importance of how you view things/what

your vision is. I was sitting in a Relief Society meeting on Sunday,

listening to the importance of Visiting Teaching, when all of a

sudden, it just clicked in my head how truly important Relief Society

can be, when done right. I never really took the idea of bringing

people food when they are sick or going through hard times seriously,

but in that moment, I could see how powerful the impact of a

fresh-cooked, hearty meal could be when someone really was struggling

to make it through the day. When it seems like the world is falling

apart, the little things really do make a difference. I know that this

church has the power to change lives, and that service has power more

than anything else to change people's hearts. Christ when he was on

the earth "went about doing good", and as members of his church we

should do the same.

Love you ALL,

Hermana Romero

PS. Please inform Christy Haynie that I have gotten her Christmas

letter and that, even though it is going to be a challenge, I will

wait until Christmas to open it.

11/25/13

Hey folks,

I don't know how this happened, but it's already the week of my first

cambio (change) here in El Salvador. We are all praying that the three

of us get to stay in Las Arboledas the next change (because that

includes Christmas, as well as the baptisms of some of our favorite

investigators), but I have been praying a lot for the strength to

accept the Lord's will, whatever that may be. Next week, you all get

to find out if anything is changing or if I get the privilege of

staying here for another 6 weeks. Seriously though, it's crazy how

fast time flies on the mission!

Let me first start with the miracle of the week. We had an

investigator who we taught first or second day I was here, and his

cousin was visiting for the day and sat in on the lesson. She (the

cousin) was so positive, and accepted everything so easily, but we

didn't get her exact address so this whole change we have been looking

for her! This past week, we finally found her house and she was home,

and we were able to teach her another lesson. We found out that she

has been reading the pamphlets we left with her and even sharing them

with a coworker who also felt like he was learning so much. I felt

incredible because I had, on the way out of the first lesson, left a

Book of Mormon with her, and she has been reading that too. She said

it answers so many of her questions. It was incredible to see that a

little seed I had sowed a few weeks ago has already had such

incredible fruits. Hopefully I will have more to tell you all about

Paola next week!

This week, I have been reading the Book of Mormon like a fiend. The

rule in this mission is that you can¨t read for your personal benefit

during personal study time, since this is time dedicated to studying

on behalf of investigators. So you have to sneak 5 minutes in during

lunch, or while your companions are getting ready, or while brushing

your teeth, etc. I have a goal to finish by the end of the year, which

is acheivable only if I can read 10 pages a day, which miraculously I

have been achieving! Plus it is helping me so much with learning my

Spanish. I am going to be fluent in no time! My favorite of the week

is Alma 17:2 which talks about how Alma sees that his friends are

still "his brethren in the Lord". This is really my greatest desire in

life--to see the people I love stay firm in the Gospel that I love.

To Mom and Dad, thank you for your emails!!! I am so glad I looked at

them before I sent this letter, because I get to send my love to dear

Abby White! That is, if she is still visiting. She is a sweetie, and

you all are so lucky to spend this time with her. I love hearing about

Joeys Park, and all that is going on.

Much Love,

Hermana Romero

11/18/13

Hey folks back home!

This week/this Pday is one of my best weeks in the mission to date. I

will start by sharing the funny story that prompted the subject of

this email...Hermana C., Hermana I. and I were sitting on

our beds, practicing/preparing for a lesson. All of a sudden, Hermana

C. said to us, "Tengo hambre!" (I'm hungry), and pulled a giant

pack of cookies from her skirt pocket. Hermana I. and I looked

at each other and started laughing.

In terms of the great news, I didn't want to jinx it, but we had our

first baptism this weekend! She is a sweet sweet girl, who has an

incredible desire to follow Christ and be an example to her (less

active) boyfriend, and to her family. The ward has been so supportive

of her, which I love!

I have also been growing so much personally. One of the things that

has been my goal my whole mission is learning to be more charitable.

Perhaps I am pretty good at being nice to others (or, for the least,

not being mean), but I feel like I lack the true charity, which is

having the pure love of God for all people always in your heart. This

week the method of how to do this (in my case, always be asking myself

if I am a blessing or a burden to my companions) became very clear to

me, and at the same time, I learned to forgive and love myself as I

am. Which is another flaw of mine, that I tend to be quite self

critical.

An object lesson from a FHE here in Las Arboledas: A brother from the

ward drew a black dot on a white piece of paper and asked us what we

saw. Answers varied from a hole, an oreo, a point, a dot, etc. After

everyone in the room had answered, he explained that, when looking at

others, so often we focus on the point, on their flaws (the black

point). We ignore everything else about them (the white paper) and

focus on these small flaws. I feel like the same applies to

ourselves--that we need to be forgiving and loving to ourselves. I am

not a perfect missionary. I often feel like Moses in Exodus 4:10, that

I am slow and stuttering of tongue in Spanish. But I am not called to

be perfect, only to give all I can.

As far as my food, I just want to reassure you that I am in great

hands! The wife of our bishop has basically adopted us, and she makes

us lunch (complete with vegetables and meat!) almost every day. In

this mission, we have funds provided for having a cook, so we pay her

for this incredible service (just so you don't worry about us imposing

on her). I think this is one of the changes that I have seen in this

ward since I got here--that they are really starting to love and

appreciate us missionaries, and that likewise, we are trying to serve

them in return. In Latin culture, food is a sign of love, so seeing

that people want to feed us really is progress!

Another cool thing about this week, is the multizone conference in

which we were spiritually fed. I learned a lot, and (as is custom of

the Glaziers), walked away with a new pithy question to ask myself: Is

this helping me baptize and retain? Everything in the mission

ultimately comes down to these two words: baptize and retain. As I

strive to emulate the example of Christ, I need to keep in mind his

purposes in life: help others live a more virtuous life that

ultimately leads to the presence of God. The way we can measure if we

are working towards this goals is thinking about these two things

(baptize new people, and help retain everyone that is already on the

path).

I too, have been praying as you, Mom for Aunt Linda, and that the will

of the Lord may be accomplished in her situation. I admire your love

and your service so much.

Loving you all so much,

Hermana Romero

Hermana Romero

El Salvador San Salvador East Mission

Apartado Postal 3362

CP San Salvador, San Salvador

El Salvador