First off, let me just say a big thank you to dads familia for that AWESOME
package. Everyone was so jealous, but don't worry I shared... it was the
missionary thing to do. Mom, I haven't received yours yet, but hopefully today.
I also have yet to get any physical letters so the mail system must take forever
and a day to get here.
Conferencia General was absolutely amazing and never before have I received
so much inspiration and answers to questions I have been pondering. I know that
Heavenly Father is aware of each and everyone of us and is aware of our needs. I
hope you guys were able to watch it and if not I challenge you guys to
do so this week. One of the highlights for me was Sunday PM session
when the intermediate hymn was "Called to Serve", it was the first time
the CCM was actually able to sing it in English. Chills. While
the Elderes watched Priesthood, the Hermanas were able to watch Relief
Society and I saw 4 friends singing in the sister missionary choir. I about had
a heart attack when I saw Sister Fitts and Hermana Foutz.
This past week I was really sick with some sort of stomach bug and couldn't
keep food in me for more than an hour. You could say that I lost some weight
that day. The doctor said my stomach was inflamed and hence why it felt like I
was being stabbed. Later that night I decided that I should probably get a
blessing so me and mi companera were sitting outside of our casa waiting for
some of our Elderes to walk by and two of my favorites walk by and agreed to
give me one. Since Elderes are not allowed in the Hermanas casas we got a chair
from in inside and were trying to find a place for a few minutes and then
decided it would be the coolest blessing ever if they did it inside one of the
earthquake safety circle with the arrows pointing directly at me. The blessing
was truly inspired and the next day I was perfectly fine and able to go to
class. I AM SO INCREDIBLY GRATEFUL FOR THE PRIESTHOOD IN MY LIFE. I have seen
miracles occur by it many times throughout my life.
The Spanish is hard. And frustrating. And sometimes grammatically stupid
with the many many many ways of conjugating verbs, but I am loving it and count
my blessings everyday that it's not Russian or Mandarin. Also, I am so excited
to go back home and be able to order my food at Los Tacos. That will be the best
day of my life. Coming back from listening to English for 2 days straight
because of Conferencia really messed us all up, but we are getting back in the
swing of things. Hopefully by Christmas I will be able to talk to you guys in
Espanol, well Cameron at least.
I HAVE 2 WEEKS LEFT HERE! AH! I can't even begin to describe how excited
and nervous I am at the same time. I have been praying for the Orlando people
even before I got my call and now I get to finally find them and teach them. I
think the hardest part has been missing you guys, but other than that I am so in
love with the work and every second of studying and teaching and eating and lack
of sleep and being with someone for 24/7 (Hna. Gruber and I are such great
friends so it's easy to be with her every second of my life).
Let me fill you in on my investigators. José- he is the sweetest man ever
and has completely found the joy in life, or is trying to.
His wife passed a few months ago and he is really looking for peace
and hope in his life for him and his children... well we have a
solution for you. It's the gospel of Jesucristo. We asked him to
watch Conferencia General and he did so. He said it was very touching when
Thomas S. Monson was talking about his dear wife, Frances. During the lesson
yesterday everything just seemed to click for him and while he was bearing his
tiny testimony of la Expiacion and how he can see his wife again I was bawling
my eyes out. *Note: this is the second time this has happened to me during a
lesson with him* He's a golden investigator. Nancy on the other hand is more
difficult. She just doesn't want to change and it's hard because we go from a
great lesson on Faith to the next lesson talking about prophets and she's
telling us that our prophet is a joke since us misioneras are from the United
States and so is he. Slowly but surely the gospel is making way in her life and
I know that once she feels and wants the desire to change everything will fall
into place and her and her two kids will be blessed beyond belief.
Everyone take a few minutes and go listen to "Come Thou Fount of
Every Blessing" by the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. RIGHT NOW. I am listening to it
at this very moment. "Prone to wander Lord I feel it, prone to leave the God I
love, Here's my heart, O take and seal it, seal it for thy courts above". This
gospel will forever have my heart and I have never felt as happy as I do each
and everyday. I wake up at 5:45 AM with a smile on my face because I already
love this work so much and I have only been in the CCM for four
weeks.
While studying this week I was reading Hebrews 1:9 and I think that makes
my top 10 favorite verses of all time. The chapter is talking about why Christ
is the Only Begotten and he is so because of the fact he "has loved
righteousness, and hated iniquity". If only it was that simple and we were
perfect, except we aren't. If we were able to put off the natural man
and become perfect then we would be "anointed with the oil of
gladness above thy fellows". I may be set apart as a full time missionary, but I
still have to plead for the spirit as much as anyone else. And I do because I
have seen the difference it makes in my life, I am in no way your "typical
sister missionary", but I am trying everyday to be a little better than I was
the day before.
I am so grateful for all the support and love I receive each and every
week. You all are awesome!
Xoxo, Hermana Brooks
package. Everyone was so jealous, but don't worry I shared... it was the
missionary thing to do. Mom, I haven't received yours yet, but hopefully today.
I also have yet to get any physical letters so the mail system must take forever
and a day to get here.
Conferencia General was absolutely amazing and never before have I received
so much inspiration and answers to questions I have been pondering. I know that
Heavenly Father is aware of each and everyone of us and is aware of our needs. I
hope you guys were able to watch it and if not I challenge you guys to
do so this week. One of the highlights for me was Sunday PM session
when the intermediate hymn was "Called to Serve", it was the first time
the CCM was actually able to sing it in English. Chills. While
the Elderes watched Priesthood, the Hermanas were able to watch Relief
Society and I saw 4 friends singing in the sister missionary choir. I about had
a heart attack when I saw Sister Fitts and Hermana Foutz.
This past week I was really sick with some sort of stomach bug and couldn't
keep food in me for more than an hour. You could say that I lost some weight
that day. The doctor said my stomach was inflamed and hence why it felt like I
was being stabbed. Later that night I decided that I should probably get a
blessing so me and mi companera were sitting outside of our casa waiting for
some of our Elderes to walk by and two of my favorites walk by and agreed to
give me one. Since Elderes are not allowed in the Hermanas casas we got a chair
from in inside and were trying to find a place for a few minutes and then
decided it would be the coolest blessing ever if they did it inside one of the
earthquake safety circle with the arrows pointing directly at me. The blessing
was truly inspired and the next day I was perfectly fine and able to go to
class. I AM SO INCREDIBLY GRATEFUL FOR THE PRIESTHOOD IN MY LIFE. I have seen
miracles occur by it many times throughout my life.
The Spanish is hard. And frustrating. And sometimes grammatically stupid
with the many many many ways of conjugating verbs, but I am loving it and count
my blessings everyday that it's not Russian or Mandarin. Also, I am so excited
to go back home and be able to order my food at Los Tacos. That will be the best
day of my life. Coming back from listening to English for 2 days straight
because of Conferencia really messed us all up, but we are getting back in the
swing of things. Hopefully by Christmas I will be able to talk to you guys in
Espanol, well Cameron at least.
I HAVE 2 WEEKS LEFT HERE! AH! I can't even begin to describe how excited
and nervous I am at the same time. I have been praying for the Orlando people
even before I got my call and now I get to finally find them and teach them. I
think the hardest part has been missing you guys, but other than that I am so in
love with the work and every second of studying and teaching and eating and lack
of sleep and being with someone for 24/7 (Hna. Gruber and I are such great
friends so it's easy to be with her every second of my life).
Let me fill you in on my investigators. José- he is the sweetest man ever
and has completely found the joy in life, or is trying to.
His wife passed a few months ago and he is really looking for peace
and hope in his life for him and his children... well we have a
solution for you. It's the gospel of Jesucristo. We asked him to
watch Conferencia General and he did so. He said it was very touching when
Thomas S. Monson was talking about his dear wife, Frances. During the lesson
yesterday everything just seemed to click for him and while he was bearing his
tiny testimony of la Expiacion and how he can see his wife again I was bawling
my eyes out. *Note: this is the second time this has happened to me during a
lesson with him* He's a golden investigator. Nancy on the other hand is more
difficult. She just doesn't want to change and it's hard because we go from a
great lesson on Faith to the next lesson talking about prophets and she's
telling us that our prophet is a joke since us misioneras are from the United
States and so is he. Slowly but surely the gospel is making way in her life and
I know that once she feels and wants the desire to change everything will fall
into place and her and her two kids will be blessed beyond belief.
Everyone take a few minutes and go listen to "Come Thou Fount of
Every Blessing" by the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. RIGHT NOW. I am listening to it
at this very moment. "Prone to wander Lord I feel it, prone to leave the God I
love, Here's my heart, O take and seal it, seal it for thy courts above". This
gospel will forever have my heart and I have never felt as happy as I do each
and everyday. I wake up at 5:45 AM with a smile on my face because I already
love this work so much and I have only been in the CCM for four
weeks.
While studying this week I was reading Hebrews 1:9 and I think that makes
my top 10 favorite verses of all time. The chapter is talking about why Christ
is the Only Begotten and he is so because of the fact he "has loved
righteousness, and hated iniquity". If only it was that simple and we were
perfect, except we aren't. If we were able to put off the natural man
and become perfect then we would be "anointed with the oil of
gladness above thy fellows". I may be set apart as a full time missionary, but I
still have to plead for the spirit as much as anyone else. And I do because I
have seen the difference it makes in my life, I am in no way your "typical
sister missionary", but I am trying everyday to be a little better than I was
the day before.
I am so grateful for all the support and love I receive each and every
week. You all are awesome!
Xoxo, Hermana Brooks