30 July 2012
Hey family,
yall should write me por favor.
Everything is fine here.
How is Paul doing?
Are doug and dani living in Gillette?
What's new in Gillette?
Is Romney the un official nominee?
How did the trip to the tetons go?
Dad, how are you doing?
Kevin and Cheryl, how are you all doing?  What are Tanner and Nani like now?  How is work and church and school?

I love you all!
love, hna tew

Here are some photos.  I´m just going to send four at a time and hopefully they all make it there.

On my birthday with hna silva and Gabby.  Shes the grand daughter of the family that we eat dinner with.
Cooking one morning with Enrique´s family.  Tami and Angel
Rafael working with the tomatoes when we gave service.
Me in my area. 

 Yesterday our recent convert got married.  Her husband has a baptismal date and he went to church this sunday.

The first picture is at their wedding. She is Roberta and he is Noel.
The second picture is my companion, hna. Martinez with a girl from the branch.
I don´t have a picture of the two of us together.
The third picture is Hno Enrique.  It was hna Silva´s last day in La Borgoña so I was taking pictures for her.  Everyone is there except for Enrique chiquito (the oldest son).  They are unbelievably happy.
The fourth picture is our old district.  Elder Brough, Elder Tencio, Carlos (he`s from the branch this is right after he got set apart, hna Silva and me)  and the little girl is gabby again.
The fifth picture is me and my nacatamal that our neighbor gave us.

Well, there isn´t a lot to tell.  I´m fine.  My companion is fine.  We have two families progressing!  yay!  I would like to hear how everyone is doing. I hope everyone is happy.  Thanks for the note Kyle.

I feel the Spirit a lot more now.  I think mostly I recognize it a lot better.
This week sister Payne (from The District 1 those missionary movies that you ve seen that were produced by the missionary dept.) came to our mission and we got to listen to her this past thursday.  It was great. She and Pres. MOnestel taught us a lot.  She taught us about teaching with the spirit. and how every missionary can be a pmg missionary.  She talked about self analizing. not just saying yeah that was a terrible lesson, or yeah that went fine.  We should read the standards in pmg and ask ourselves... did I do that?  did I do that?  We should see what the Lord`s standards are and see if we fulfilled them.
It was great!
Well, write me next week folks.
love, mb

23 July 2012
Hey mom and dad and other loved ones,
  can you look up Mary Katherine Drasbek's email address and also Regan Bakers and send it to me?  I can email people. 
How is Paul doing
is kyle going to BYU?
Doug and Dani have a job?
love you all.  Everything's going good here.
Love, Mb

hello family.
   Happy birthday to Doug and Paul and Dani's Grandma!  I hope they are good days.
Well, its actually pretty fun to train.  Hna Martinez is great.  Shes really funny and is always happy.  Were working harder and focusing more on inviting people to get baptized.
    Enrique has a fecha, the fourth of August.  He said he wants to get baptized so he can serve God and keep on learning.  Finally!  That's the right attitude.  Hes great and his family is incredibly happy.  Now I just need to find more families like them here in the Borgoña.  I want to have more faith.  Sometimes I don't feel like I have very much faith and I don't know how I can change that.
   This Friday we went to Managua for zone meeting and they had told us to get there early and we left the house late. I was standing up on the bus and I saw a book that someone was reading and a little paragraph caught my eye.  It said something like Miracles aren't wrought by holiness.  Miracles require faith, not perfection.   And I just starting thinking, I know I'm not very holy but I have faith that we can get to the chapel in one hour.  And... we were the first people to get to the chapel, and we got there on time!  Ive been thinking that if we think God requires perfection in order to perform a miracle that's opposed to the principle of faith.
   I finally feel like I have more confidence as a missionary.  Everything that we do seems more real to me.  I also feel more love for people.  Before my mission I think I only loved 5 people outside of my family, and now its a lot easier to love people.
   Please pray for me to be able to develop more faith and to be able to find and baptize all the families that the Lord has prepared for  me.
  Mom, I got the picture letter with the pictures of Doug and Dani and Scotty and Adam and David and the plants. I really like Dani's hair. And the boys look really cute.  Its fun to hear about Scotty and Adam's personalities.
I hope everyone is doing well.... Kevin, Cher, Tanner, Nani, Kyle, Doug, Dani, Scotty, Adam, David, Pablito, Mom and Dad.  Happy bday to Grandma Tew! and hi to G Campbell and G Tew
Well, talk to you all later... :)
Love, love, love,
hna tew 

16 July 2012

Hey family,

  thanks for the letters Mom, Dad, and Kevin. 

Write me a quick letter! 

How is paul doing?

Is Kyle going to BYU?

love, hna tew 

Hey family,

    Kevin, sounds like you are having fun!  Enjoy your summer and good luck with the potato guns.  That sounds like a fun project.  I hope school and church and family is going well!  I miss Tanner and Nani.  and you guys too! :) I can´t believe that Tanner is able to spell some words!  Wow!

    Mother dear, thanks for the letter.  Philmont sounds like it went really well.  If you end up going to the Tetons with Kyle that would be fun.  Congrats on finishing the watering system in the garden.  That will be fun to see it.  I got your package last week.  It came super fast.  I like the puzzle letter and the bracelet you made me.  The chocolate covered raisins melted into a one big chocolatey raisin mass.  Mmmm... yum.  Thanks!  I told Hna Silva that you sent her a package.

    Dad, thanks for the letter. I love to hear from you.  Philmont sounds great!  I´m glad to hear that the Capron Tew water fight lives on. 

    Well, I have a new companion.  Her name is Hna. Martínez.  She´s from El Salvador.  She´s great!  I was so nervous.  Wednesday we got to the chapel in Managua really early because we caught a ride with someone (not hitch hiking).  Only one new hermana was coming so when we saw her we knew she was going to be my companion.  She´s really fun and I enjoy being with her.  One of my favorite moments of the week was when she almost invited our recent convert to get baptized.  She was about to do it and then I started talking about the day of his baptism and she realized that he was a member.  She told me afterwards and we laughed and laughed.  He probably would have accepted.   haha

    Enrique!  I really believe that he´s going to be baptized this month.  He tells us that this month isn´t going to pass without him getting baptized.  Last night he shared some verses with the BoM with us and he was so happy and I was so happy because he was happy.  I feel really blessed to be able to see all the changes that he has made.  Everything has changed.  We went to help him prepare a message for FHE last night, because his son always does the FHE and we thought that el papá should start directing the FHE. Turns out that he had the same idea and was already studying in his Book of Mormon to give a lesson on repentence and baptism.  So tonight, he´s going to teach his wife and five kids (all of whom are baptized except for the five year old) about repentance and baptism.  Isn´t that great!?  He´s going to be a great member. 

    The mission has a goal to baptize 60 families in one month.  At the transfer meeting hna Monestel talked about the little engine that could and how we need to believe that we can.  The thought of people waiting for us should get us moving.  We´re never too old or too young or too weak or too tired to get going on the mission.  I liked that because I really don´t have a lot of confidence in what I do.  Sometimes I think that I just can´t.  But of course I can.  No one was sent to earth or on a mission to be a failure.   I´m glad that I get to be in the Borgoña for probably 6 months.   The Monestel family is so good.  They really love us, all of them.  For the transfer meeting they had vacations so they all spoke to us.  Their oldest daughter gave her presentation in ENGLISH!!  she was nervous but it was great!

     I feel like I have made a lot of progress on my mission.  I love people a lot more now.  It really makes me sad when I see people who aren´t progressing.  Yesterday in the gospel principles class I felt happy because everyone participated and talked to each other.  They are each other´s support.  Rafael was talking with Enrique and Enrique was talking with Roberta and Alba.  I feel like I actually care about people now.  That´s a good change.  I´ve been thinking about what Christ did when he was here and how I can be more like him.  I want to have charity and faith and hope and an eye single to the glory of God. 

Well, my time is about up. 

I love you all.  I´m praying for you and I know that you all will be blessed as you live the gospel because the gospel blesses families.  I love you, family!

Love, hna tew

9 July 2012
Hello Family,

  It sounds like everyone is busy doing stuff. 

Paul, I hope you get to feeling a lot better.  I am praying for you! 

Dani, thanks for mailing the pictures.  I´ll probably get them in about 1 or 2 weeks. 

Doug, it sounds like you are headed for the big city! I hope everything works out really well. 

Kyle, It sounds like you are taking care of Paul.  Good luck with everything you are doing.  Write me a pen and paper letter someday. 

Kevin, How´s school going?  I hope your paper is going well and that you keep going strong.  Congrats on all the papers and projects that you´ve completed.  

Cheryl, How are you doing? . I hope the kids and work and RS are all going well for you. 

Mother dear.  I love you so. Phillmont sounds fabulous!  I liked hearing about the choir.  Thanks for being a great mom. 

Dad, I love you too.  Thanks for the letter and the philmont wisdom.  That sounds like boy scout stuff. I hope your temple firesides go well.  

  Today we had a pday with the zone.  We hung out in the chapel in San Juan.. Managua.  We played futbol.  Futbol gets a little intense on the mission.  That´s why we can only play twice every transfer.  It was fun.  There were 6 hermanas and six elders. There are people that play really well.  We ate pizza!  That´s a BIG deal.  Only the rich eat pizza.  And it was delicious.  Then we had a water balloon fight.  It was really fun.  I like our zone.  I have really good leaders right now.  They are all really good people. 

   Noticias... I´m going to train!  I don´t remember if that´s how you spell that word.  Elder Caggiano called me last Tuesday to tell me.  So, I went to a training on Wednesday and right now my hija is probably on the plane.  I´m trying not to be scared.  I don´t want to be scared.  So that means that I´ll probably be in La Borgoña for three more months. The training program takes 12 weeks (two transfers) and we study until 12:00 almost everyday.  So that will be great.  I hope I can be a good entrenadora. 

    I´ve felt stressed out about fulfilling everything that´s expected of me.  But I´m going to try to just do what Preach my Gospel says and do my best.  Because God knows what my best is and he will never ask more than that of me.  That´s pretty easy to say.  Enrique told us yesterday that some day this week he will tell us when he´s going to get baptized. He´s saying sometime this month.  If he doesn´t give us a date this week we´re going to ask the zone leaders to come and talk to him because I feel necia.  We talk about Christ´s doctrine so much that I just feel annoying.  He understands everything.  He knows that if Christ comes right now that he won´t be saved. But he wants more time. So, that´s okay.  He´s going to church, reading the scriptures, and praying with his family.  Yesterday he talked on the phone with one of the elders that taught him before and that encouraged him a lot.  He was really happy and talked about how much he has changed. 

    There are new people in church and this Sunday all the meetings were great!  Relief Society was good!  And in Gospel Principles we feel like a family.  It´s a great feeling.  The people really enjoy the class and they ask questions and answer the questions for each other.  We talk to the elders´ investigators and conversos and they talk to ours and everyone feels a little more fellowshipped, I think. 

   Roberta and Martin got baptized!  It was a nice service.  Martin has a big smile now and I am happy for that. This Saturday in the morning the elders quorum went to Rafael´s house to tie up his tomato plants and he was really happy too.  He said my own family doesn´t help me but my brothers from the church do. They are my real brothers.  He came to church this Sunday (he had missed three Sundays!) and he was happy.  

   Our addiction recovery class... We´ve only had it twice.  But it was excellent both times.  the teacher is great!!!!! he really reads the topic and talks kindly but directly.  and he used to have lots of problems.  His wife comes with him and she is great too.  WE are really blessed to have them.  If one person is happier because of the class, it´s worth it.  But it´s never just one person.  

Well, I love you all.  Pray for me por favor.  

Love, hna Tew

2 July 2012
Hey family,
 I was just wondering if Doug and Dani have figured our where they are going to live and work.
 Also, what Kyle is planning on doing
 Is Paul okay?
Love, Mb

Dear Family,
   Well, It sounds like a great family reunion except for Paul getting sick and Adam being sick. I hope everyone had a good time.  I kind of forgot that you were having the family reunion so I wasn´t trunky.  haha. 
   Wow, the mission has passed really quickly. Let´s pretend like it´s not going to end.  Mom and everyone else, I hope you don´t send me letters about what we´re going to do when I get back.  I already think way too much about going home and I want to get beter about that.  Ya.
   Alrighty folks.  Well, lets take a look up there at our good friend Orion, I mean, Enrique.  (I hope someone caught that... it´s a Mr Williams joke).  He wants to get baptized but not right now.  He says that he´s going to call us when he´s ready.  haha.  I like being with him.  He´s a good guy.  After being drunk for 15 years it´s probably pretty hard to believe that you can change and that you can be forgiven even after making a promise with God. I think the zone leaders are going to visit him this week. 
   Roberta and Martin are getting baptized this Saturday!  yay!  They are awesome.  Yesterday we talked with Martin and he told us that he isn´t prepared.  His grandma discouraged him.  He is worried about what will happen if he does something bad after getting baptized.  We read a few scriptures and asked some questions and explained some stuff and then his mom told some stuff and then he said me voy a bautizar.  He´s eleven and he´s really with it. He kind of a serious kid.  When we practice what we are going to teach him we mimic him and talk in a slow, low voice. 
   Hna Silva is great. 
   Today we went to La Colonia!!!!!!!  It´s a grocery store.  It was weird.  There was air conditioning and a lot of food.  I felt so weird.  It just weirded me out.  I saw juice!  I almost bought grape juice but then I saw it was from concentrate and also 180 cordobas. 
    Nani, thanks for the letter.  I forgot to thank you last week.  I liked your letter.  I think I´m going to go visit you next year.  But we can talk at Christmas time again.  
I still listen to the recordings from Christmas time.  It makes me laugh every time Nani sings Old Macdonald had some pants.  And when tanner says his favorite letter is T, A, N, E and R.  Also when Scotty says Marybeth and Nicaragua. 
   That´s great that you could clean out Grandma and Grandpa´s house a little.  I hope you all had fun with Glade and Donnette.  That´s great that Gaudy could go with you all.  I hope she enjoyed herself.
    Paul I hope you get to feeling better. Thanks to everyone for praying for me! I love you all!
    Dani thanks for the letter.  I liked your thoughts about love and support.  I like reading your letters.
   Kyle thanks for responding.  I hope you enjoy what you´re doing and that BYU is a good thing for you!
    Mom, I love you!  Thanks for writing and telling me about the reunion. 
I´ll be praying for you all.
Love love love hna tew