Mission Presidents Week

Hola Familia,

It's been another exciting week and yet again I can't really remember what happened (dang short-term memory). I know we learned a lot, spent a lot of time in class, in the cafeteria, and outside playing on the mission field.

I just have to say that I don't know if the MTC could be anywhere is. While I'm sitting in class I get to look out the window and admire the mountains and the pink sunset, and that just wouldn't happen if I were in Texas. I love being in Provo right now--not really missing the people I could be seeing around here, although I admit that I do look for certain cars as I'm crossing 900 East to walk to the field. I played frisbee yesterday with the sisters in my district and two elders. I tell them I learned it all from playing with my brothers. :) And I think of Miller every time I play--haven't quite mastered his wicked throw.

This week is mission presidents week, meaning that all the new mission presidents who start their service on July 1 will be here--and so will the prophet, the First Presidency, and the apostles--NEAT! I'll have to let you know how it goes next week. As for now, all I know is that we're having a special devotional on Friday and the new mission presidents will be there and I believe I'll have the opportunity to meet my president. Two elders in my district are also going to Sacramento, so that should be a neat experience. We're going to sing in the choir so that we have extra-good seats. Bad reason to join the choir? Perhaps. But good thinking, right? They said last night that there will be about 400 presidents and wives here so it's going to be a packed house, and we're also getting 23 new elders in our branch (2 new districts, and right now we're down to 2). Is Elder Hutchinson coming this week? I'll keep an eye out for him.

The sisters and I (4 of us) sang for our branch in Sacrament Meeting this week. We sang A Child's Prayer and this elder who doesn't read music played for us. I'm not kidding--if he hears something, he can play it and change up the key and add frills whiz bangs. It's amazing. We practiced with him three or four times and it was different every time and awesome. That was the first time I've really gotten the chills singing that song. But also because we've been teaching our investigators about the importance of prayer and how their prayers start off like children--it just had a lot of meaning for me on Sunday. We sang in the devotional choir last night (sang Come Thou Fount) and supposedly we were on the big screen. Everyone thought an apostle was going to speak so we knew it was going to be super packed really fast so we were in the choir. Elder Sybrowsky of the Seventy spoke about missionary work. I wish I could tell you what he said. It was absolutely amazing. We have a devo review afterward in our districts and the hardest missionary in our district was softened by the talk--he cried when he gave his report of what he learned--basically he was really touched by Moses 6:26, 31-34 I believe if you want to look it up.

Mission scripture--let's go with 2 Nephi 31:20. I just love that one. "Wherefore ye must press forward..."

I can buy DownEast shirts from the bookstore here so I'm good to go on buying white undershirts, just FYI. Mom, I love the earrings you sent--thank you times one million! Can't go long without diamond earrings. And I LOVED LOVED LOVED the Mavs Championship shirt!!! I wore it during gym this last week and this big black elder was like, sister are you from Texas? Yes, are you from Florida? Yes. I'm sorry about that. And about 30 elders were like ohhhh. Ha I got a lot of attention wearing that t-shirt. It's my fav. I saw the elder again yesterday and said "Hey Florida." What'd you call me? FL. So we talked for a little bit. He's going to Madagascar.

I met an Elder Calvert from Parker who said he used to play ball with Brady. and I met an Elder Rothlisberger who was from Denton so I asked about Sarah Passey--Chad's fiancee and he said he lived with the Passeys and the girl sitting next to us said she was in nursing school with Sarah. Small world.

Guess what--I've been here exactly 4 weeks. That means I have only 17 months to go. I can understand why they say time flies. It doesn't seem like that long.

In the devo last night Elder Sybrowsky said, "Don't hold back. Please. Don't you dare hold back." I thought it was so important to hear that and how he plead with us to open our mouths. It's not by our knowledge that we impress investigators to learn about the church but by the power of the Holy Ghost--open your mouths and they shall be filled. His wife lived in Ireland as a little girl when she was converted and now they have 91 members of the church just from their family (9 children) and 31 missionaries. Amazing.

Love you all,

Hermana Brinkerhoff