So yeah. BEST WEEK EVER.
Let me just update you all on Mariel. She's the greatest person I have ever met, one wouldn't even know she isn't a member, that's how great she is. This week we went on a temple tour with her and she says she has never felt the spirit so strongly. *tender mercy* she has had a serious sinus problem her whole life and said the second she stepped on the temple grounds she was completely fine and didn't come back until she returned home. I am not sure if I have mentioned this, but her dad passed away when she was only 15... her whole life she has been looking for a gospel that she can do work for her dad... and she's found it! Granted I had to translate the whole temple tour, so I wanted to die, but all for the great cause of Zion. Thankfully, I kinda sorta really know Spanish. Other reasons she is the most perfect investigator from heaven: she loves church, has a picture of the temple on her coffee maker and said pointing to the pic "that's the goal" when we told her to give up coffee, she is also MARRIED, which like never happens in Spanish work here. We are defying gravity with her.
I had an encounter with the meanest contact of my life this week. We were on exchangies and we go up to this lady who is gardening outside and ask how her day is going to if we can help... "I'm fine..." *awkward silence* "well great, we're missionaries from....." mean lady: "look why do you Mormons attack people? can't you read my body language? why don't you spend your time worrying about Christians and focus on those who aren't." I mustered as much kindness as I could and explained that we talk to everyone no importa their religion or who they are. We asked if she had anyone around who could benefit from us and that completely changed her attitude and pointed out all her neighbors we could talk to. It was weird and one for the books. Times like those when I miss the west coast... people there a whole lot nicer.
Dad, I am the worst. Last weekend I looked on the calendar and remembered it was birthday, but then totally spaced on Monday to say anything.... Happy late birthday. Sorry I am the worst!
This week Hermana Gruber and I have learned so much about ourselves. As we are coming up on our year mark together we are reflecting on the past few months and if we are where we want to be. With short time left and lots of room to improve we have been helping each other out and setting goals. It is so great when you have a companion that helps you progress. On exchangies this week we met a way cool investigator, Luis. He's from Colombia.... shocker there.... and he has met with missionaries in the past and has decided he wants to try again. He realized that the path he is on is far from the one he needs to be on... hey bud we will help ya back. He also gave us some legit Colombian hats, partially the reason why this was the best week ever.
As of recent I have had this weird obsession with C.S. Lewis, I actually have started of a list of books I am dying to read in the future, but I want to share one with you... “Christ says, ‘Give me All. I don’t want so much of your time and so much of your money and so much of your work: I want You. I have not come to torment your natural self, but to kill it. No half-measures are any good. I don’t want to cut off a branch here and a branch there, I want to have the whole tree down. … Hand over the whole natural self, all the desires which you think innocent as well as the ones you think wicked--the whole outfit. I will give you a new self instead. In fact, I will give you Myself: my own will shall become yours.’" Who wouldn't want to read every book written by this man?
Wellllllll, les quiero mucho. Adios.
Con amor,
Hermana Brooks
ps... we found narnia this week
Let me just update you all on Mariel. She's the greatest person I have ever met, one wouldn't even know she isn't a member, that's how great she is. This week we went on a temple tour with her and she says she has never felt the spirit so strongly. *tender mercy* she has had a serious sinus problem her whole life and said the second she stepped on the temple grounds she was completely fine and didn't come back until she returned home. I am not sure if I have mentioned this, but her dad passed away when she was only 15... her whole life she has been looking for a gospel that she can do work for her dad... and she's found it! Granted I had to translate the whole temple tour, so I wanted to die, but all for the great cause of Zion. Thankfully, I kinda sorta really know Spanish. Other reasons she is the most perfect investigator from heaven: she loves church, has a picture of the temple on her coffee maker and said pointing to the pic "that's the goal" when we told her to give up coffee, she is also MARRIED, which like never happens in Spanish work here. We are defying gravity with her.
I had an encounter with the meanest contact of my life this week. We were on exchangies and we go up to this lady who is gardening outside and ask how her day is going to if we can help... "I'm fine..." *awkward silence* "well great, we're missionaries from....." mean lady: "look why do you Mormons attack people? can't you read my body language? why don't you spend your time worrying about Christians and focus on those who aren't." I mustered as much kindness as I could and explained that we talk to everyone no importa their religion or who they are. We asked if she had anyone around who could benefit from us and that completely changed her attitude and pointed out all her neighbors we could talk to. It was weird and one for the books. Times like those when I miss the west coast... people there a whole lot nicer.
Dad, I am the worst. Last weekend I looked on the calendar and remembered it was birthday, but then totally spaced on Monday to say anything.... Happy late birthday. Sorry I am the worst!
This week Hermana Gruber and I have learned so much about ourselves. As we are coming up on our year mark together we are reflecting on the past few months and if we are where we want to be. With short time left and lots of room to improve we have been helping each other out and setting goals. It is so great when you have a companion that helps you progress. On exchangies this week we met a way cool investigator, Luis. He's from Colombia.... shocker there.... and he has met with missionaries in the past and has decided he wants to try again. He realized that the path he is on is far from the one he needs to be on... hey bud we will help ya back. He also gave us some legit Colombian hats, partially the reason why this was the best week ever.
As of recent I have had this weird obsession with C.S. Lewis, I actually have started of a list of books I am dying to read in the future, but I want to share one with you... “Christ says, ‘Give me All. I don’t want so much of your time and so much of your money and so much of your work: I want You. I have not come to torment your natural self, but to kill it. No half-measures are any good. I don’t want to cut off a branch here and a branch there, I want to have the whole tree down. … Hand over the whole natural self, all the desires which you think innocent as well as the ones you think wicked--the whole outfit. I will give you a new self instead. In fact, I will give you Myself: my own will shall become yours.’" Who wouldn't want to read every book written by this man?
Wellllllll, les quiero mucho. Adios.
Con amor,
Hermana Brooks
ps... we found narnia this week