Cali Babyyy

July 22, 2019


¡Hola y'all!

So my first official week in California is down and holy cow it's so cool here! The weather is perfect, my mission president and his wife are so sweet, and my new companion is the coolest! All the other missionaries I've met here have been so nice too, but there are hardly any that speak Spanish. Also, just in the past month or so, my mission has doubled in size! The Long Beach California mission merged into mine, so now there are about 200 missionaries and a ton of new people. I found out this week though that there are 8 different languages that missionaries are speaking here: English, Spanish, ASL, Cambodian, Korean, Tongan, Samoan, and Vietnamese! Isn't that so cool?? I'm so glad I'm speaking Spanish though bc it's definitely a challenge. I feel like Cambodian or something would be impossible hahah but hey it's all good. Right now I'm in the most northern area of the mission called Bonita Park (so cute I know). My p-days (where I can email and stuff) are on Mondays now so that's sweet. 

This week I've already taught a few lessons, well really my companion (Hermana Hinton!) has taught a few lessons and I just try to see if I can understand any of the Spanish and add things in when I can. They have been so cool! I met two of the sweetest little abuelitas. Seriously, all of the Latino people here are so kind and warm! One of my favorite things to do so far is to go to some of the gorgeous parks around here and just talk to all the people we see. It's so fun meeting all these new people and hearing their stories and seeing how everyone recognizes God's hand in their lives differently (bc he's for sure in everyone's life).

I think for my spiritual thought this week, I just want to share that I know 100% that we are all children of our Heavenly Father, and that he is totally aware of all of us and is always, always, always helping us along even when it's hard to realize it! There's a scripture in the Book of Mormon in 2 Nephi 22:2 that says, "Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and be not afraid; for the Lord, JEHOVAH is my strength and my song; he also has become my salvation." I love that! The same verse is actually in Isaiah 12, so I guess if anyone has any free time, both chapters are super short and so powerful, and only good things come from reading the scriptures;) 

But on a funnier note, apparently, Pokemon Go is back?? Hermana Hinton and I were walking around a park yesterday and there were a TON of people walking around with their eyes glued to their phones. Like no one would even look at us when we were talking to them, so finally we asked these people what was going on (bc you know we're kind of out of the ~pop culture~ loop) and he said it was Pokemon Go, so that's interesante, pero esta bien. So yeah I hope everyone has an amazing week! Sorry, this email was so long hahah I guess I'm just excited to not have the same schedule every day now, but I miss my MTC amigos anyways (love y'all). But I love you all so much! Thanks for everything y'all do!

Con todo mi amor,

Hermana Brayton:)

My amazing new companion Hermana Hinton!

 Downtown Brea, so Cali

 Mi amors from the CCM