I've moved!

My dearest family, I guess I can't put it off any longer, here at last is an update with how I am getting along. I am trudging along, I guess that's the best way I can put it. I don't know what more I could say. I am doing my best to live every day, to be as usable as I can, but I don't know if it's the summer heat, or lack of people, but I am getting dry again. But these past two weeks have been well enough. Its been cooling off a lot, I think that fall is fast approaching, which I am not looking forward to. Either way it's going to kill, I am just glad that I am here. The biggest thing that has transpired in these past few days is that we moved. After the house flooded for the 3rd time with the rain we got, we were finally given permission to leave. We are now living with the other 4 elders who are in our same ward. We did the move today, so we will see how this week goes with them. I have not slept in 3 days, we have been cleaning so very much, well I won't give him credit, I have been cleaning so much. I still have bleach smell in my nose and on my hands. I emptied the house this morning while he was off at a meeting, so we moved from where we were to where we are now. In the past 5 months I believe I have handled more business like matters than teaching. I have set up rent contracts, I have looked for new houses, I have realtors on speed dial, and the best part is it's all in Spanish, so that's cool to handle. We are now living in a mansion, and I use that word very strongly, it is huge! Also very, very nice, so I am happy. We have farther to go to get to our area now, but it's all good. Our house has a body guard, 3 doors before you get to our house, surrounded by a 15 foot cement wall with barbed wire on top. It's a fortress, and that's where we are at, verses the last place that we had that was held shut by a padlock. ;) So that's fun ;) I am doing well enough, don't you worry about me, I am hanging in there just dandy. We are going to the temple this Friday morning. I don't know what hora, but that will be a nice escape to get to go. We also get to go inside, not just go, but participate, so that's what I am excited about. It's been just about a year since I have been, so I am content. I have received your letters, and they mean the world to me. I love the family picture of everyone making funny faces. I share that one with everyone now, so just think, your face is being shared with people from all the way down here, that's what happens when you send letters with pictures!!!!! Thank you for all that you are doing for me, and for the work of salvation, it's not our work, ni la obra de la Iglesia, sino que la obra del Señor. esta es que es importante al fin de día.  

Vayas Con Dios, 

Elder Brewer

P Day at the Beach

Santa Catalina with Me, Juarez, Contreras and Elder Davis 

Me at the Beach

No transfer this time

Oh how I love my Family.

God is good and he answers prayers. I cannot doubt that in the least. I thank you from the bottom of my heart for all that you have sent me, I needed every word. I needed that hope to keep going forward. I hit rock bottom this whole change, I have never struggled so much as I have this past change. It took all I had to get to this, the end of this change. Sunday was to be my goodbye Sunday, but on the way to the church, we got a text message for our changes, and you can imagine the surprise that comes to me when I read that  we stay together for another change. I was first mad, then infuriated, then I just gave up. But God is merciful. In Elders Quarom, which is the first hour down here, the opening song was Come Come ye Saints. I just started bawling during the second verse. I don't care what you call me Rudger, I was not in the mode in that moment. ;) Then during gospel principles, which is the second hour, we watched Jesus the Christ, which only added to the tears. Then the Mexican came, yes he is Mexican. It's amazing what a mission can do. But Elder Ignacio Juarez came to my aid. I have been with him since he started the mission here in this same area 18 weeks ago. He was my confidant when Draper left, he is still my everything while I am here, so I was glad that I had him. Then came sacrament meeting, I could not play to save my life. I even picked easy songs. The song for the sacrament I was ahead a whole verse, I stopped playing, and they kept singing, and I was like what! That just made me more tired. Then Juarez came and gave me a note, because he thought he was leaving, so he wrote me a note, which only added to my tears. But long story short, I was done, I could not keep going on. I came home, I began to pack to go home, I had reached a low that I did not feel I could get out. I tried several times to get a hold of president but he would not answer, so I was like fine. I woke Sunday, then Monday. Monday night I was in a lesson with one of our investigators, she was so very happy that I was still here, we had such a good lesson with her. I was overcome with such a peace, Mosiah 24:15. God did not remove the challenges, but he did remove the weight, and that is what God has done for me as of now. "Why should we morn or think our lot is hard, tis not so, ALL IS RIGHT." Why should we think to earn a great reward if we now shun the fight? We cannot. So now it's Tuesday, we have another change together. Juarez is still here, he is not going either. Since the day I left, there has always been someone, if not my Comp with whom I am very good friends with, what a blessing that is Elder Nelson, then Clark, then  Draper, and now a Mexican. ;)  I will have a place to vacation when I get home. ;) 

I fasted for rain for you guys, but maybe I asked for it wrong in Spanish.  ;) These past two weeks we have been swimming. We have received so much flooding. Our house is practically under water, our nighborhood was stopped. Cars were pushed off the side of the road into ditches because of the current. We left Friday and did tons of service. We have one less active memeber, who just..... I can't even write it, I cry, but her sewer broke, then flooded, then with the rain it flooded her back yard, then entered her house. I just began to cry, just thkinking about it, ....... entonces I hope you get some of this rain before too long. Others got it way worst than us, but we take what we are given. It's stroming again, I have  not been dry for days! Oh well such is the life. ;) We had to hang our laudry in our house. I will send you pictures, and a video if i can. ;) 

 

I love you all so very much. I beg of you, don't hesitate in any prompting of the spirit. It kills to hear people say ( not just you, but in general ) oh I have been thinking about you for so long, but I never find time to say anything. That feeling is God saying, hey! I need an Angel, who will be willing to listen to me, and be a instrument in my hands to help me. 

I love you all so very much,. Thank you for everything, 

Vayan Con Dios Siempre ;) 

Con todo mi Corazón,

Elder Brewer

 Some flooding

 Elder Juarez, from Mexico

Hospital Stay and Musical Miracle

Wow, has this week been a roller-coaster. Never have I been so up, and so down, so all over the place. I have been better, I have been worse. I am keeping myself hydrated as best I can, sometimes it just gets ahead of you a bit- but now I am as good as new.

With all the experience I now have with the hospitals I am doing tours for the other missionaries. Today I came into Central because one of the missionaries did not know how the whole system worked, so I was more than willing to lend a helping hand to those suffering. ;) 

I am learning more and more about myself, some of the things I like what I am finding, but most of them no, so maybe I will be unrecognizable by the time I get home- who knows?  I am totally bummed that I can't go to the Gilbert Temple. I know that it will be just beautiful. It's the biggest one that the church has built in 15 years! That's pretty cool. While I was a bit under the weather this past week I got to watch some church news and one of them was channel 12 news and they had a bit on it. 

Speaking of fasts, this fast Sunday we are doing a special fast as well. It's for the reactivation in the stake. We have 1500 menos activos, entoces. We can use a little help getting them back on our side. More than nothing that is who we have been working with, just tons of menos activos. I love being a missionary. A hard part about it is listening to everything, the good and the bad. And with 1500 menos activos we listen to our fair share of bad stories. It's hard to go from house to house with animo, ready to share good news, when all they have is bad news to share. Drugs are still a problem here, we had few issues the other day on that topic, but we are making it. 

The work is going  well. I am immersing  myself in the culture, so that's nice. I love Spanish music, I love speaking it, (when i can) it's not given to me everyday. ;) I love writing in it, I love signing to it. I play every Sunday in the capilla, and here is a cute little milagro from the other day. On Sunday they come up to me so that I can pick the songs for Sunday. Well this Sunday we were late in our other classes so they picked them for me, and well I could not play one of them,. I did not know it. The others yes, but this one, the closing hymn I did not know. While I was sitting in sacrament meeting, I was thinking I have to work at and on my talents, not just be content with what I have. I prayed the whole sacrament meeting that I would be able to do it. Then when the closing hymn was announced, I got up, walked to the piano, and played the intro. I read the music, and I counted, and I prayed that it was what it was supposed to sound like. At the end of the intro, the music lady looked at me, smiled and nodded her head to begin. And so I played it, and they sang, and it was the same song! I was like ! yay!!! So that was super fun. It's now marked in my book of songs that I can play. It's awesome to developed our talents for the blessings of others. So all of you who are reading this, who have the talent of writing, who have yet to write me a letter, consider this a story you can use to give you courage to do the impossible, and be a bit daring, and write me. ;) 

I pray all is well with you and yours and the moisture comes soon. It's been cold and cloudy these past few days, so we are getting at least a break from the heat, that I am ok with. ;) 

I love you all so very much! I have completed 9 months. 3/8s of the way! Wow, that's pretty cool! 

Vayan Con Dios. 

Elder Brewer

Christmas & New Year's Celebrations

Ok, so this will be my overview from the holidays. wow! I have never had such a roller-coaster then these past 2 weeks. I guess I will start form Christmas. So we skyped and that was so sweet and awesome to see you all. Christmas here sure is not like back home. It is a day off of work, it is not a holiday to celebrate for its true meaning. So that was super sad, but something Vonda said, that it's better to be in a place were you're not thinking of home. I could not believe it was Christmas, because it was to hot, I could not believe that it was Christ's birth because of all the drunks. That night at midnight, I have never seen so many fireworks. They are very very legal here, and at midnight, the whole city just blew up. It was totally cool to see, our neighbor was blowing them off, and they were like legit 4th of July fireworks. All over the city, it was seriously like daylight it was so bright. So that was all really very nice, they tried cooking a type of cut from the pig, but it was the nastiest I have ever tasted. I could not believe it, so we did not eat Christmas dinner. I took tons of pictures with Draper. Friday we got the call for changes and I did not like them. Draper was to leave for Artigas, the highest place north in Uruguay. I really do love Draper, we were together for two changes, 3 months or 12 weeks. Sunday we had a good day in church, he gave his testimony, and it was super sad, he left at midnight Sunday night, last week. I was crying so hard like the baby I am. It was so hard to let him go but it has to be. My new Comp is Elder Contreas, he is from Chile. He is definitely Latino, and I don't know how I feel about that. ;) He is cool enough but he is not Draper, so that's sad. But I will be ok. We had a good week, we did a lot of showing around, where everything is, who everyone is, so that was fun. We are in week two of this change, only have 4 more to go, I can make it.  We speak only Spanish, so that's super fun. I speak it just to have fun. All my stories are in Spanish, and all my jokes and everything. My vocabulary is spreading rapidly from things just not of the church, but how to have conversations with people, when I am shopping, what every little thing is, that is what I am learning now. I can service pretty nicely down here, but I will not stop learning Spanish, it's a beautiful language. For New Years we did the same thing as Christmas. It was more like Christmas part 2 and again at midnight, it was the biggest firework scene I have seen the whole county lit up. I am sure all of South America had a festival to celebrate.

  Iam doing well. Thank you for all the strength you are giving me, and for all the good that you're doing. I need it and feel it, keep sending me cards, letters and photos. I love you all and they mean so very much. Thanks for everything. 

Vayan Con Dios

 

Merry Christmas from the other side of the world!

Oh my goodness the time is going by so very fast! What is going on? What can I say for this last week? Nothing comes to mind my Wow! It's a good thing that I write in my Journal every day because if not I would forget everything. Right now I am doing good. My birthday was quiet and uneventful. As per usual, ;) so that was that. We had a stake Christmas party thing so that was fun. An Elder from Columbia made me a smoothie from his homeland for my birthday so that was fun. What else, I have a video of fireworks, not ours so don't worry, but our neighbors. Here you can have whatever you want, yes everything is legal here, but I am at least ok with the fireworks. If you have luck, it will be sent to you. It's super hot, so that's not new. I love Elder Draper. Yes it is sad the state of the world, politics plays a huge roll down here. And the people only know what is important to them, the more I talk to the poeple about what is going on, the more I am disgusted with the state of the world. Uruguay I love, but boy oh boy is it in a state of iniquity. I can't spell that word so use your imagination.

Merry Christmas to all, here from the other side of the world. I have revieved the packages and the letters, so thank you a million for them. I will wait till Christmas to read them, so I will have Draper take pictures of me opening them, and I will send them to you next with my new comp. Wow the time is just flying. I love you all so very much. Enjoy every moment of "A Christmas Story: and eggnog, a pumpkin pie, and lasagne and every other delicouseness that is on this God Given Green Earth that does not exist down here. ;) God Bless all and don't forget me down here. If you say you read this, but you sit at home saying to yourselves, oh we need to write him, but I'll do that tomorrow, that is Satan, he is working on all of you to not write me, so be better than Satan!!!! Write

 WRITE ME!!! WITH PICTURES.

I love you,

Basos and brasos

xxooxxooxxooxxo to everyone!

Elder Brewer

Vaya Con Dios

It's called the Rosedal. This man loved his Wife so much or something, that he made this plaza for her. I think they are dead now, but look it up, its a cool story.

HOT, HOT, HOT

Oh what can I say for these past few days. HOT HOT HOT- oh my good goodness. I have never been so hot before. It's so cool to be here. Last week we got to see Presidente Gonzaloz from the Seventy. We got to meet him, talk with him, 5 zones came down, so I got to see all my friends from Rivera. So I was very happy. We have been working a lot with the menos activos to just get them to go to chuch for Christmas but no one wants to do anything down here. They would rather just stay home. So its been very frustrating these past few weeks. This Friday, my Birthday Cough Cough, we are doing an activity as a stake, we are doing a food from around the world. So we are making food from our home country. We are just going to make brownies, with peanut butter on top, it will be excellent. It's just so hard to get ingredients, but it will be fun. 

I believe it speaks for its self 

It's just a PARROT!! it's whatevs. ;)

Our little Christmas Tree

 

He's Watching Over Me

Last Friday we were in our weekly actividad that we do in the church. This night, for some reason, was particularly antsy. Something did not feel right in the air but we went anyways. The church is not in our area. We have to cross the ruta 1 to get there. We walked there just fine. During the actividad we were watching a movie "The Mountain of the Lord". We had two investigators there and a member. Then during the movie, we heard a sound that still gives me chills, that whisle that comes before bombs, like in the movies, it was the same sound. We all heard it. We turn our heads to the front of the church, and at that moment the bombito went off, lit up the window and shook the building. We all jumped pretty bad. Then we heard another one, then another one. One right after the next, getting closer and closer, lighting up the tinted windows outside the church. But nothing ever happened to the building. At the end of the movie, the investigator began to cry and said that she felt the spirit so strong, and now this weekend she is getting baptized. Not even the bombs of the haters can stop the work that is being done, because it's God's work. It's a cool story, no? We left the church later that night, we locked the doors, and locked the outside gate, and walked away, nothing touched us, we crossed the worst neighborhood we have at night, being two white boys and we were not touched. So that was cool as well. We went to church that Sunday, and we still had a church standing, it sure is being protected, and so are we.

 Montevideo says hi. ;)

I feel like its a lot like the street to the capital building, so we walked like 20 blocks to get to it. 

 Me at the Congress Building, the Palace of Laws Uruguay Montevideo

light and darkness

Christmas in Montevideo Uruguay 

There's no Thanksgiving in Uruguay?

It's been a while, I am sorry for that, but here is a few basic updates. First, wow!! Yes, our wards split and that has been really good. And something even more awesome that happened that I had no idea at the time, I was asked to play the piano for the conference, so that was fun, yes? Yes- it was. There are only certain songs that I can play, only if I know them or whatever right. So I was asked without warning, I turned to the page, and every song that they had chosen for the sacrament meeting, I knew. I played the songs almost perfectly all of them, the rest hymn we stood and all that jazz, so that was awesome. The man presiding is our area Seventy, Marcelo Chappe. So that was really cool. I am so glad I got that opportunity to play for him. I thought he was part of the stake presidency, but no. ;) So that was that.

The days have been getting nice and toasty, so if you're in your homes freezing, just remember that there are people on the other side of the world that are boiling their brains out. ;) 

Tomorrow should be my last dr. visit, so keep that in your prayers. I would like that very much so ;) I am getting used to my glasses, I like them well enough, until it rains, then it's just a pain in the butt. Oh well. ;)

I can't believe that everyone is growing up so fast. I can't wait till I get to hold you all. 

TWO LEXIES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I can't wait. JASMINE!!! I LOVE YOU FROM THE OTHER SIDE OF THE WORLD!!!

So long as grandma's house gets built before I get back, lets not have one of these eternal projects that we are known for. 

I pray that thanksgiving went well, and yep, it's not celebrated here, and these people have a holiday for everything, but not Thanksgiving ;( It was good enough, I did not even remember that it was here till it had passed, so I survived, but Christmas is a bit of a different story. So we`ll see what that brings. I'll see if I can't get you all caught up on the whole picture thing. ;) 

I love you all, and I am so very grateful to be serving here, to be a helping hand to my Savior. I am grateful to have you all apart of my family, to have your support through all of this, to know that you love me, and want the very best for me. I am so very grateful for this opportunity that I have to learn so much more about what the Lord would have me learn while I am out here serving. 

God Be with you all till we meet again, 

Vaya Con Dios, 

Elder Brewer

Tourist, Jesus Loves You‏

Me at the Uruguay Montevideo Temple‏

A military Base,‏ If you see in the corner, a guard is coming to tell me stop talking pictures ;)

sometimes I get sleepy‏

Lessons Learned

Oh, wow that is a medically fielded year. I pray that it gets better for you all. Cynthia looks so big!!
I can't wait to see all the new family that is waiting for me to get there.

This is Changes week and me and Elder Draper are staying together for another change. I am ok with that I guess. It just means that most likely I won't be leaving this area until Febuary and that is a long stretch. Oh well it will be ok. This change we get to call home!!! So I am counting the days for that. Las Torres is still Las Torres- we got the news yesterday that they are going to combine our ward with Cerro 1 who we share a building with. The two wards hate each other, on Sunday in ward counsel it was made quite clear where everyone stood on the subject. We have 4 missionaries in our ward, and 1 set in cerro 1 so now there will be 6 and our area is huge!! But it's all good- more places to know and become familiar with. Last week we went to Cuidad Viaja, and on the way back I was kind of leading the people, cause I knew (or thought I knew where to go) the busses to take and the streets that would lead us back to central to take a bus back to our area. The whole day was awesome. We had California Burrito and Buger King. Boy howdie is it expensive and now I understand the blessing that we have of free refills. 

I am trying to keep myself safe- it's hard when everyone around you tries to tare down your confidence, or sense of self security. You have to constantly be judging people, who is sketchy or who is ok. The saddest thing I have ever seen is the issue with the trash cans. Trashcans are like public markets. It's a free for all. I have seen everyone is the trashcans, from old old old people, to babies just learning to walk. There is always something in the trash that they can use to better their life a little. A senior couple told us that if we are throuwing away food, put it in a bag and hang it on the edge of the trash can so that they don't have to dig for it. The sad part is when you do that, not 2 minutes go by and the bag is gone. The things this mission teaches us, wow. We went to the fortalcia today. It's the famous light house here in Uruguay. It's nothing too grand, it was closed today so we could not go in, but we took pictures. 

I pray that all is well with everyone, in cualquier lugar. sé que estoy orando para ustedes, espero que ustedes son orando para mi. puedo sentir la amar que tu tenes para mi, y por esto, muchísimo gracias! Estoy muy agradecidos para tener la compañero que tengo ahora. El es un hermano para mi. gracies por todo.

Vaya Con Dios. y Quédense

Elder Brewer 

 Me and Draper in Ciudad Viaja

They are guards like in London, that can't move or say anything. This is at the Grave of Artigas. He is like George Washington here.

Halloween and Playing the Piano

Oh what a time its been here in Deo. I am learning to love my area, to love the people. I live barro las torras which  sounds awesome until you find out what kind of torras.  They are electrical torras so yeah, but it's fun I am getting used to it. I know the city buses now, so that's awesome. Because of all the dr's that I have been to, i know a lot of down town. We were supposed to go today to cuidad viajia again but we have zone conference tomorrow so we were practicing in the church for our musical number. I have to play "There is a Green Hill Far Away" and "Abide With Me Tis Even Tide". I have to play as they sing the first song, then I have to play the second song as a solo. Because I can't read music they want me to play it however I want to, a remix of sorts. It sounded really good today. I have been playing for the wards I have been in since I have been here. I have got much better at the hymns so grandma should be happy about that. ;)

Halloween was pretty scary here, our area is already pretty bad, now give the whole country a reason to go crazy, drugs,  devil worship, and whatnot make it a bit scary to go on the streets. Besides stupid people thinking they are cool with the Smart A comments nothing too bad happened. I count my many blessings.;) 

Yes I can now say as well that I have tried more parts of the animal that should not be eaten. the stomach, intestines, brain, and now the blood. Blood sausages are totally gross!!!!! Well, no it tasted fine, really kind of good, I just could not down the fact that it was blood so yeah, but I did try. So far there is nothing that i have rejected since being here, so that's a miracle! ;) 

I am doing really well, letters have been lacking, so have pictures from everyone. Don't you people be forgetting about me. ;) 

I miss you all, I hope you miss me, if you do show it ;) 

I love you, and thank you for all that you are doing, I feel your prayers and they are really needed, so thank you for them.

Vaya con Dios

Élder Brewer

 I love Facundo!

 The "Star" the Sun for Nelson Mandela

Alfajores Grandes!!

Elder Draper and I, Having an Asado

New Glasses

My new glasses and I ;) 

me, and Facundo (the Turtle)

me and the great Atlantic Ocean in Montevideo

Uruguayian living

 my bed net. ;)

yes that is a spider, and yes he was in our house!!!!!!!! Arachnophobia

My New Area

Right now I am in Cerro; it is so very different then Rivera- picture the Ghetto part of down town Phoenix. Then picture little old me, right in the middle, all day with nothing.. ;) Well I got all the host of heaven protecting me, so i guess that is something. ;) I can see the skyline from my area, and that is awesome. I can see the ocean, and I am about a 20 minute taxi ride outside down town Deo, which is good. It's getting warm, just like it's getting cold back home; that is weird. It's all good, I love the heat a million times over the cold, so I will be just fine for now. My new comp - elder Draper, is the greatest missionary that is in the field. I love him very much. He has helped me so much with my Spanish, I have come so far with him, and it's only been a week so I can't wait to see what will happen at the end of this change. Which it's by they way, my 6 month birthday, so I am totally excited about that. So if you all feel so inclined to write me  a special letter i would be very grateful for that.:) Everyone who is reading this, even if you just happened upon this blog on google, write me a letter!!!! I AM DIEING OUT HERE!!!!! With lots of love that is. ;) Change will need to be my new best friend, it has been hard and we don't get along all the time, but I am doing my best, I pray for my enamies, and it seems to help me at least. Maybe change will be good to me, maybe we can become the best of friends ;) ......yeah, or maybe not. ;)

I am still doing the whole doctor thing. Now that I am in Montevideo, I can do a lot more. With the doctors that is, my headaches still have not gone away and some nights are worse then others. But my love for this people goes all the way to the top, menos the doctors. 8/8/13 is when this whole thing started, and I am still dealing with it. I don't mean to point fingers, but HELLO PEOPLE; you can't tell me that is a tad ridiculous!!!!! Oh well, onwards and upwards. I will see if I can't send a pic or two real quick, if not, chow chow for this week, 

Basos 

basos 

Vaya Con Dios, 

Que pasen Bien 

Èlder Brewer

La Iglesia De Jesucristo De Los Santos De Los Últimos Días

Uruguay

A Classic pose ;) me and Elder Clark 

 A Classic pose ;) me and Elder Clark

Transfered!

I pray all is well with the big old happy family. I am hanging in there, these past few weeks have been such a roller coaster, from interviews to conference, to changes, to saying goodbyes. Onwards and upwards, vamos arriba!!!! I said goodbye to the city I grew to love this last Friday, it was the hardest thing I have had to do. I grew to love them, and to say goodbye took all I had. I know that the relationships that I created with ellos, will be with me for my life and for the vida que is coming. I got my change to Montevideo, Zona Cerro and the area Los Torres. I don't know what that all means, Cerro is the most dangerous zone in the mission, and it makes perfect sense to send this big brolly white boy to the city. ;) Oh well it is going to be fine. ;) I have fe- I leave tonight at midnight, and begin a new adventure tomorrow. ;) Tomorrow we'll discover what our God in heaven has in store! Besides that I am doing pretty good, I can feel your prayers, and I thank you eternally for them. I need them, and am thankful for them, I can't send pictures today but next week I will. See, I am going from a country bumpkin to a high rolling city boy. Wish me luck! ;)

Vaya Con Dios!

Elder Brewer

Searching for the lost

I am doing well, and awesome! Here is a bit of the work that we have been doing out in the vineyard of the Lord. Due to recent changes we have changed our focus from investigators to Menos Activos (less active). We need to double the attendance in the sacrament meeting. With our numbers out in Tranqueras being 15 in the sacrament meeting we need only to get it to 30, but that is a task a mile high. We have done our best looking for Priesthood holders, but all that we have are surly diamonds in the rough, and I mean rough but there is one, and he is who I am really working for. He is a menos activo, he has the Melchizedek Priesthood, he works in Brazil as a crane operator. With a lot of time away he quickly fell away, bringing with him a mistress and a child. After meeting with us a few times he has done all that he can do to come back. He has done all that he needs to be fellowshiped once more. He is now a strong member. He still has not received the Melchizedek, but he is on the way. There are those that have gone far, there are those who have just let go. We need to find all of them. Sometimes going out to find them is difficult, some are hiding under rocks, and won't come out to save there lives. Some have tasted of wonderful fruit and have been ashamed and want no part of anything but we work with them all. I feel like a firefighter, I don't want anyone in the great and spacious building when it falls. I want them all on firm ground by the tree where everyone else will be. My Spanish is now perfect, much much better. I was thinking about this, if I could go back to the CCM with the Spanish I have now, I feel like I could really learn something from the teachers, (sorry I am Uruguayan ) ( a person from Uruguay?) very distracted, and always going off topic. ;) I still  point a lot, and describe things in whatever way I can. At the baptism we had, I could not describe the Holy Ghost really well, so I just said something along the lines of when you do what you are told, when you follow the promptings of the Holy Ghost, the Holy Ghost is very happy with you and he does a little dance.  Then I preceded to do a little dance so that everyone could see. 1, yes it was fun and cute, but that the Holy Ghost really is happy when we follow his whisperings 2. it showed that it is important to be happy. Even when the holy ghost comforts us when we are sad. we can all do a little dance to be a bit happier- since then, the members come up to me and say, "have you been listening to the holy ghost?" and start dancing. It's really cute and I always say SI!! and do my little dance. ;) It's super cute.

More Pictures

 Two places at once, the markers of Brazil and Uruguay.

 some views are worth it ;)

Me at the Temple Uruguay Montevideo.

S'mores

I love hearing all the new news. I loved the pictures, well I would have if they would have came through. The first one did but the other two did not. So if you would not mind sending those again I would be grateful. I am so excited to hear he is here!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! BRECKEN BREWER BLAKE!!!!!!!! I approve, you can tell him he has my approval, even more so if he looks like me. ;) I sent you a picture of me at a family home evening where we were making, yep you guessed it, S'MORES!!!!! Mom sent me the stuff, and man were they good! We are a few weeks late from Labor Day, but it was better than nothing. No one has ever had one, they see it on the movies, but never ate them before. So we are changing lives down here, one s'more at a time. ;) I don't have much time today, but just for an update, I am in Brazil again today. ( yep we are cool Vonda) The branch is struggling, but we are pulling the weeds. I will be sure to add more next week.

Love you tons, give Brecken a big kiss for me.

Elder Brewer

P.S I am going to Montevideo this Thursday for a dr. I will be fine, so don't worry about me. ;)

Tanqueras' First Baptism

So, a little update. ;) I have my new comp, I love him. He is Brazilian and is helping me a ton in both my Spanish and my Portuguese. He speaks English, but I don't talk to him. This past week has been totally hard trying to adjust, showing him where everyone is at, and being senior comp and all that. I am in Rivera right now. We went to Brazil early today, and played a game a futball, which is really just a game to kill the Gringos. We go to Masoller still, I love that. We are meeting totally awesome people and I don't want to leave. My Spanish is coming along, and I have found myself laughing so much more. I understand jokes, and now I am feeling a part of things. I am doing well with the whole new calling.  It is hard, now I feel even more responsible for the people in the rama now. We have been moved from just the president of the Elders Quorum, to counselor in the Branch Presidency, to the president as well. He is having a meeting with the stake president this Wednesday and then he will let us now exactly what we will be over. I am looking forward to it.

I hear that you are all getting big and fat, with babies that is, I am so excited. I  can't wait to see pictures. I still don't know what Kelsie is having , and that is super fun for me. I can't wait till November. I have talked about him/her to all of Tranqueras, so I better get pictures to show. ;)

That's  about all I can think of for now. Thank you for all that you do, and the prayers in my behalf. I hate to be selfish, but I needed them. Don't worry, you are getting your fair share of prayers from my end as well. ;)

Vaya Con Dios,

Elder Brewer

The first picture is the ghetto. We had to leave the church, but it took 6 hours to fill the font and the hot water heater would not stay on by it's self so we used the propane tank, and two primary chairs to keep the button pushed in.;)

Me and Camila and Elder Lamb and Gricelda 

Me posing as usual on the roof in Rivera Uruguay ;)
 

The Refiner's Fire

I am so excited to meet/see my new primo. That is a hard thing about being so far away but there is nothing greater than helping others have an eternal family, and enjoy the blessing we have already. ;) I love hearing all the things that are going on in your lives. Thank you so much for always emailing me. I am not super great at replying all the time but I just want you to know that I truly appreciate all that you do.

As for updates:  I have passed through a refiner's fire of sorts. A little miracle happened. I was talking with the president and he asked me what I wanted to do. He asked if I wanted to leave, I said no. I want to stay. The next day we got a call for changes. I was told I was staying here in Tranqueras, and that I would be the new Elders Quorum president. Had I left I would have missed out on this great blessing in my life. No I am still not perfect. There are certain things that I can't look at without getting a splitting migraine: tvs, headlights, computer screens for an extended period of time. I am on some medication now to try and calm it all down. I am waiting to know the dates for these tests. Two in Rivera, and one big one in Deo (Montevideo).  I am getting a new comp. I can't spell his name yet, so that will be in next weeks email but he is a Brazilian, which I am totally happy for. He will help me with my Spanish and Portuguese. I want to learn as much Portuguese as I can before I leave Rivera. I have come along way in my studying. I can read it almost perfectly but speaking and listening, and writing ain't happening. So we will see what more I can learn. My Spanish is coming along great. I know I speak better than I let myself believe. I am writing better in Spanish and my pronouncing of the words when I read out loud is getting better. It was hard. Very, very hard. I thought that it would be easy to learn the language when you are forced to. But it does not make it easier. It's so very hard but it is faster and for that I can endure a few months of hardship for the awesome end result of being fluent. ;) And for that I am happy. ;) We are still going to Masoller the town on the border of Brazil. We are teaching some people who live on the other side of the line so that is just totally awesome!;) The baptism was a miracle and was the greatest weekend on my mission thus far. I will send the picture. You have to see it to believe it but our church is really no more than a house. The font is ......indescribable. .....the whole thing is, it's a lot like home. Very ghetto. Very half put together, but if it works, that's all that matters . So for that I don't complain. ;)

I love you all so very much. Thank you for your thoughts and prayers in my behalf. I will try to get better so that I am not a bother. ;)

Vaya Con Dios.

Elder Brewer