4-28-14 I am officially a mouse killer!

My dear family,

Soo we have a little mouse that has been leaving little surprises all around our apartment these past few weeks. Today, I was sitting at my desk, nice and tranquil, writing in my journal when I heard a rustling sound not too far away. There was a plastic bag laying on the ground, so I thought, perhaps it's the mouse under the bag. I took my shoe and sort of tapped the bag a little bit to scare it away because I was too terrified to actually kill the mouse.

Five minutes later, the same sound. This time I knew it was the mouse. I don't know what came over me, but I took my shoe and whacked the bag a bunch of times! Then I started freaking out a little bit. "AHH!" I said to my companion. "I think I killed the mouse. What do I do????"

Well, she's even more scared of the mouse than me, so I had to throw it away! But I am officially a mouse killer. I don't even know how I did it! (Photo evidence attached)

In missionary news...well we've been getting members involved in the lessons we're having and they've been having great experiences sharing their testimonies! We still are having trouble helping our investigators progress, but there are several new investigators that have lots of potential so we're just going to keep on working and trying new things.

This week I'm sending photos, so sorry that the letter's short! Send me questions in the next half hour if you have them!

Love you all (and excited for the Mother's day skype)
Hermana Romero



She sent us these five photos:



For General Conference, I straightened my hair.
First picture of the two of us together this transfer.

[With Hermana de la T ]



We made little snowmen with ice from the freezer

A couple weeks ago, we decided to eat healthier. Then Hermana de la T got sick, so we had to stay in the house the whole day. I got so bored that I made fried tortillas! Caption: "Fried tortillas? A great way to kickstart your diet :)"


"Fried tortillas? A great way to kickstart your diet :)"



Me and Hermana de la T in a ciber

 

 

Me with Hermana G'z - because I love her

4/21/14 que Dios les bendiga

My dear family,

Here I am, once again in a Salvadoranean ciber listening to loud regaton (spelling?). Just so you can picture a little bit of what my life is like. The exciting news of this week is that we have our P day with the missionaries from Ilopango (my old area), so I will be seeing several former companions and friends and playing soccer (my favorite P day activity, tied with writing letters)...pictures next week.

I feel like Hermana de la T and I are really starting to hit a groove here: working with and animating the members, finding new and really positive investigators. We are trying to try new things, as we've been realizing that new ideas are the lifeblood of mission work and allow us to receive revelation for our area. This week we have plans to visit neighbors of members and share videos of Christ and fix dates to return and watch them/share more. We're also trying to organize an activity with the less active nephews of our cook for the following week. I am excited beyond words.

We've also found that we are really finding prepared people. For reasons of vacation, few of our investigators were able to make it to church this Sunday, but one did that we had taught the first lesson the day before! We passed by his house at 7:45 and he was ready, waiting in a white shirt and tie. He said after the meeting, "It's true, hermanas. If it's true you know it." I feel confident that he, as well as many of our other investigators has been prepared by the Lord to be baptized in this time, and to make this sacred covenant. We need to keep working hard (with the members, with the investigators, and ALWAYS talking to everyone and inviting everyone to come unto Christ) this week, and I know even more miracles will happen.

We also got the chance to have exchanges with the sister training leaders which was awesome! I love Hermana G and Hermana P a lot (and as we said to each other at the end of the exchange, I hope to one day be companions with one or both of them!) and it was great to learn from their teaching style and their faith. The three of us went to visit an area where the members are a little bit discouraged about missionary work. But when we went to visit an investigator family, they were so receptive. Afterward, the sister told me, "You can explode this colonia!" I love their attitude of faith, of seeing the potential of this area and I, too, believe it has SO much potential.

I had interviews with [Mission] President G this week, and we talked about faith, power, obedience, and extensive thematical study of the scriptures. (He asked me what questions I had, and these are the themes that came up haha). Hermana G also practiced a new and more effective way to present the Book of Mormon--focusing on the fact that it is a testament of Jesus Christ. She then invited us to, as she had done as a youth, make a covenant with Heavenly Father to read it every day of our lives. I gladly did so that very same day.

I know this book is true, and that through it, we can gain the spiritual strength we need to confront, overcome, and arise triumphant from whatever trial we have. Heavenly Father loves us so much and he wants us to succeed in this life. He wants us to be happy and he wants us to be confident. The Book of Mormon is another demonstration of this great love he has for us. If we turn to the Lord in adversity, he will give us guidance and will carry us through. This is the most important and powerful testimony I can give. That Jesus lives, and he is by our side.

I hope you all have excellent weeks. I love you so very much. As we say here in El Salvador, que Dios les bendiga. [May God bless you.]

Hermana Romero

4/14/14 We have been working a lot

Hola mi querida familia,

If I were to sum up this week in a single sentence, I would say that we have been working a lot, to find investigators that are going to progress (in the process of preparing to be baptized, to be lifelong members of the church, and in being disciples of Christ). Many of our investigators have sort of stalled out...they're willing to listen to us, but not to act. If they don't act, the Gospel doesn't have the power to change their lives, and I know that it has so much power to make our lives better.

But we've had some incredible experiences...a new investigator that we got to know last night that told us her two greatest desires in life were that her daughter could return to live with her and that her whole family could attend church together--which church? Any! as long as it was together. In her prayer at the end of the lesson, she called us little angels. I have a lot of faith that this sweet sister will be an excellent member of our ward soon. :)

In other news, as a mission, we have all started from the beginning of the Book of Mormon, with the hopes of finishing it before President and Sister Glazier finish their time serving as mission president. This requires reading 6 pages during personal study and 3 during the day AND reading in our native language. I'm a little sad to lose this constant Spanish study, but on the plus side, reading in English is delightful. 

We're focusing our study on the fact that the Book of Mormon is another testament of Jesus Christ...And focusing on Christ has been helping me realize how much he is necessary in our lives. He is necessary for our salvation, and also for our happiness and strength in our every day lives. I hope that we can all work a little more in our prayers and in our personal study and in the choices we make in every day life to build upon Christ and to follow his perfect example.

Love you all lots!
Happy Easter!
Hermana Romero

PS. I have a bit of extra time so I'm writing about cultural traditions of Central America for Easter. They don't have the Easter bunny (que sad!) BUT they soak just about everything in honey/syrup and serve it as a snack. For instance, mangos, a tropical fruit called jocote, bread...there's a lot of different options and I like them all! Everyone has vacation during the week before Easter, and since Catholicism is so big here, on Sunday, I saw people selling bundles of palm leaves on every corner. Had it not been the Sabbath, I would have been sorely tempted to buy one and tape it into my journal as a memento!

PPS. Sorry about the lack of photos this week! Somehow I always manage to be using the one computer in the ciber that doesn't read USBs.

I am NOT transferred!

My dear family,

What an inspiring and wonderful week! I loved hearing the talks of General Conference and feel so spiritually renewed. I have learned so much about what it means to be a disciple of Christ: that we must be willing to defend our faith, and to do so with love and respect. I know that we have a living prophet once again and that through him and modern apostles, God really does direct his church, as well as faithful individuals that want to follow him. I have recieved so much personal direction this weekend as I listened to the conference talks, and I invite everyone to think of a question for which they want direction from God. Then, with a spirit of prayer, visit conference.lds.org, pick a talk, and listen. The Holy Spirit testifies to those who have hearts and ears to hear.

"Whoever you are and wherever you may be, you hold in your hands the happiness of more people than you can imagine" (President Henry B. Eyring, Saturday morning session). We have, at the tips of our fingers, the keys to happiness in this life and salvation in the life to come. It is the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and we have so many ways to gain access to it. Pray, ask, and listen.

Now for what I'm sure everyone has been dying to hear. YES... I am finally going to, for the first time in my mission, stay in an area for more than six weeks and I have to say, I like it! I finally have the chance to get to know the local members of the church better, gain their confidence, and work with them. I also get to stay to see a few of the investigators I have grown to love get baptized. I am so happy, my friends!

I also have a new companion...Hermana de la T! If that name sounds familiar it's because I already lived with her in Monte Cristo! She is one of the sweetest sisters ever and we are already working really well together in this area. It's just the two of us...Hermana G’i finished her mission and Hermana G’a is in Monte Cristo as the companion of the nurse of the mission. But I know it's going to be a great transfer and that this area is going to keep getting better and better.

Echoing a sentiment expressed in Elder Ronald A. Rasband's talk this past conference:
I love you
I'm praying for you
and thanks for everything you do!
Hermana Romero

PS. My other favorite quote from conference: "Pure Christlike love, flowing from righteousness, can change the world." (Jeffrey R. Holland, Saturday morning).

3/31/14 Un cambio excelente

Hola familia!

It has been a great six weeks here in Americas II. Hermana G’i is about to go home (to Massachusetts, no less! I hope you coordinate your days in the temple so that you meet her in these next few months...) and we have no idea about transfers. There's only 7 or 8 sister areas in the mission, so chances are I won't be in a new one! We'll see next week...But I am so grateful for the time I have had here in this companionship. I was thinking about it last night, and I've decided the biggest things I've learned this transfer are: first, charity (from the sincere love my companions have for the people we serve & visit) and second, the power of prayer. We have prayed specifically for several investigators and have seen miracles!

For the which I would like to start with this photo (3282) of our recent convert Eva.  

Eva's Baptism March 2014

We have been praying for weeks that she would be able to have the faith to be baptized (she has been going through some difficult family/economic problems recently) and this past Friday, she was! When we went to visit her the following day, she said, "Last night, for the first time in weeks, I slept peacefully." I admire so much the faith of our investigators and watching them change their lives gives me a renewed testimony that the Gospel blesses and changes our lives so much. People like Eva are an inspiration to me. Being a missionary really is the best.



Our investigator Felipe’s birthday

This other photo is of our investigator Felipe who had his birthday this week. I think I had a photo of all of us together but I'm not sure what happened to it. We got there a little bit late, but he (and his caregiver...since he's a little bit special) were so excited! They had been waiting for a long time but gave up hope that we were going to come, and had already divvied up the cake...but it was so big there was still some left for us! We also talked to his sister in the States via phone and she gushed to us, thanking us for visiting her brother.


I love you all!
Hermana Romero 

3/24/14 A week of miracles and much reflection.

Dear family,

I'm not going to lie, having an extra half an hour on the computer is throwing me off...I started an email, decided it wasn't what I wanted, threw it out, and now I'm starting again.

In my mission, I have become so much more conscious of miracles and how much the Lord blesses us with our righteous desires when we set our goals high and trust in Him (rather than ourselves). I often used to think that success was something I earned, or that when things went well, it was because of my efforts. Obviously, if I don't believe that I can achieve great things, or work as hard as I can, the Lord can't bless me, but miracles happen according to the Lord's time and his mercy. So I'm just going to keep giving it my everything and appreciating those little daily blessings.

Looking back on this week, I would describe it as a week of miracles. Nothing huge--just little things that just fell into place at the right moment... A member bringing her non-member husband to church, less active members who were ready for church when we stopped by their house Sunday morning, finding people to teach in spite of the huge soccer match that everyone was watching...and I'm sure many other blessings I didn't even notice.

It wasn't as if we were working differently than we usually do. The only difference I noticed was that we set our minds to achieve more, with the faith that the Lord would help us to do so. When evaluating what we had achieved during the week, I was surprised to discover that we had, indeed, improved in almost every single way! I have felt so grateful this past week as everything in this area that I love so much are finally starting to click.

One of my favorite experiences was last night, when the president of Young Women's in the ward called to ask us about the mom of one of our investigators, Fatima (she is 12 years old and has been waiting for months for her mom's permission to get baptized). Apparently the presidency of the Young Women's went to go visit her. Not only did this woman agree for her daughter to be baptized, but she said that she, too, would like to be a member and be able to enter the temple!! The YW President told us, "I almost put the fecha [baptismal date] right then and there, but then I told myself, you don't have the plaque..."

Speaking as a missionary, I would just like to say that members are the best. If they have faith and believe that something can happen, it will happen. That's why I want to work so hard, so that the members of this ward will begin to believe in our area and see the potential there that the Lord does. Always remember Moroni 7:37...God is a God of miracles.

Love you all. Do good things,

Love, Hermana Romero

3/20/14 The correct address

Dear Parents,

We have had a lot of confusion with the mission address. Ever since the division of the mission, the address in the packet was the address of the other mission, so much of the mail of our missionaries goes there, especially the letters sent from "Dear Elder". If you would please make a note of the correct address, that would be very helpful to us. They have finally corrected it in the packet, but for those of you with missionaries in the field, you will want to make this change. We are the El Salvador San Salvador East Mission, and this is the best address to use (even for packages).

Hermana Rosemary Julia Baratta Romero
Mision El Salvador San Salvador Este
Apartado Postal #3362
San Salvador, El Salvador
Centro America

Thank you so very much. How very grateful we are to you for the faithful service of your young sons and daughters. We feel very privileged to work with them. May God continue to bless you and your family.

With love,
President and Sister G