Hi Pretty People,
That's right--I'm being transferred tomorrow and am so so so excited about it! I'll be companions with the coordinating sister, Sister Fernandez, like I thought. She had FIFTEEN investigators to church on Sunday--count it up. 15. We had 0. That was really disappointing for us! But I know the Stockton sisters will see miracles during December so they can have their own White Christmas. It's going to take a lot of hard work with Sister Fernandez; she doesn't mess around--I love it. I'm preparing myself to be overly exhausted and stressed but am really looking forward to it! I'm ready to work. I've been working, of course. You know what I mean. Mom, I am going to Manteca! Manteca means lard in Spanish--yummy. Sister Fernandez says "jummy." :) I've heard the ward is solid in Manteca, so we'll see how this goes! Is it bad that I had sighed with relief about not having to play the piano? Especially with Christmas songs?
I spent a long time writing to President Lewis today in my President's letter (probably my longest and best letter) so I don't have a lot of time to write. And then my letter was lost--system error. Rawr--I'm still a little frustrated about that, but I'll live and he'll live with my 5-line letter.
Umm I went to a wedding this week and then she was baptized the next day (elders' baptism). We went to three baptisms for the elders in the district, had a movie night for investigators (The Testaments--but we skipped out early to visit people). Dinner with the Shields was great--we've been keeping it on the down low--President didn't want us to tell anyone because he hasn't given anyone else permission to see family. We had dinner in a mansion with a lot of white people and American food and football was playing in the background--weird.
Sorry I can't write more.
Things are great! Thanks for your letter, Mom. I love the "fly the flag---no more storage unit payment." :)
Love you,
Hermana Brinka
Tuesday, November 29, 2011
Thursday, November 24, 2011
Happy Thanksgiving!
Mi hermosa familia,
Happy Turkey Day! Here, we call Thanksgiving "el dia de pavo," or "turkey day." :) I'm still not sure how to say Thanksgiving... I think I have an idea, though. This morning we played "frasketball," or football in the gym and shoot the ball into the basket. We then played soccer--after 7 weeks of not playing soccer because of my ankle, I'm back in the game. Right now I'm at the Hixson's home where we had Thanksgiving breakfast as a district! They feed us every Sunday night (9 of us) and are so gracious. We had waffles and crepes, which took me back to BYU with Berkeley! Crepes will always remind me of the Kershisnik family.
Mom, I received your scripture package yesterday! I had to pay a little fee because they don't forward boxes if they're not sent with Priority mail (just FYI). We took the scriptures in the scripture case (thank you!!!) over to her last night and she looked like a 5-year-old kid in a candy store. She was so thrilled! I loved seeing her reaction. She opened the Bible and said, ooohh La Santa Biblia. And then she opened the Book of Mormon--La Perla de Gran Precio?! Ahh la Doctrina y Convenios! El Libro de Mormon! She was so grateful for them. She told me to tell you and Dad muchiiisimas gracias. It's funny that A feels like my really good friend but also a mother figure because she was born in '53. She is so great, and I know the scriptures will go to GREAT use. She was so excited that her name was on them, too. She pointed it out and told us how her brother had scriptures with his name and just kept talking--I think she was overwhelmed with joy. :) I wrapped them in the zebra tissue paper you sent in one of my packages. And thank you for the Liahonas! Now I can read the Conference talks during my language study. Oh, and give them to investigators and recent converts, I guess... :)
Well, the mission experience is very taxing on the body and the mind, of course. I'm not going to cover that up. Here it seems like all my flaws are magnified times 100. But I'm trying to be exactly obedient to everything, have faith, say faithful prayers, get over myself and things that take my mind away from the work, and just get to work. I've been amazed by each new companion that I've had who have taught me new things--I've noticed that each new companion has prepared me for the next and am eager to see what the Lord has in store to teach me next. I think I'm going to be transferred on Tuesday to a place called Manteca, but I could be totally wrong! It would be a great change because I'd be with Hermana Fernandez who's the coordinating sister and from the Dominican Republic. She is the best missionary--she's a convert of 3 years. I think she was born to be a missionary. I think my time is up in Stockton, but we'll see! It's been great with Sister Christensen and Sister Mason. I feel ready to take a huge leap to progress--I've been running through sand a little bit during this transfer--it's been a challenge, but I've seen a lot of miracles, one of which is the confidence I've gained in teaching in Spanish (although I still have a lot to work on. :) I was going to say I don't think I'll ever be fluent in Spanish, but I probably would have been chastised for saying that! At this point I'm just glad I can get along and add to the lessons and feel the Spirit while teaching.) If I do go to Manteca, I'll miss Elder Bednar coming to our Stake Conference in Stockton--bummer! Of course, right?!
I suppose now's a good time to tell you that I'm going to the Shields' for Thanksgiving! I wrote to President last week in my weekly President's letter and told him I knew he'd already considered it and told me I couldn't go but that now I really wanted to go and thought it'd be a good mission memory and that I knew it wouldn't distract me from the work and that Aunt Heidi and Uncle Eric were really looking forward to us coming... so he called me on Sunday and said that he woke up in the middle of the night thinking about my situation and felt like we're mature and responsible enough to go. I was so happy!! So Uncle Eric will be coming to our apartment to pick us up in a few hours and I'll get to see the family and their house--I'm really excited! I just love President Lewis. :) He's so wonderful--you can tell that he really does care about each and every one of us. I'm glad I was one of the first four missionaries who got to meet him in the MTC.
We went to visit a part member family last week (I'd never met them before--some elders in our district gave us their information a few weeks back) and ended up adding four of them as investigators. They are amazing!! L was baptized about eight years ago and has been to church here just once since he moved from Mexico. His wife (girlfriend) M is so great--she gives us persimmons and sugar cookies and coke and donuts (the charity never ends)--and we added her daughter Ja and M's sister Pa and her husband Re. They basically tell us what to teach them every time we go over which is really handy. They said, "We have all these Church videos. Can we watch one together?" So we watched the Restoration and taught about what happened leading up to the Restoration and a little about the Book of Mormon. Next time they requested that we talk more about the Book of Mormon--luckily everything they suggest is already in our lesson plans. It's funny because they all (5 of them) talk at once and Ja (20) translates for us even though we understand everything that's going on and the lessons are very interactive and slightly overwhelming with all the talking and perfect at the same time. I love the Sa family! Pa and M came to church at 1 last week (and we were still there--our ward starts at 9--only because we were having a pot luck after church). They're planning on coming to a baptism this weekend and hopefully will be able to make it Sunday!
We also met a girl named Z this week who seems like a miracle. We've been dropping a lot of investigators that we just don't feel are progressing--it's hard to drop them because you want to hold on to each person--I can see their potential and what they can become. But with these drops I know Heavenly Father will bless us with people who will accept the message of the Restoration. It's also been a challenge getting all of our investigators to church, which is so necessary, but I know that with all our fasting and prayers and efforts that we'll be able to have a White Christmas in December. I'm hoping that my companionship can contribute to the 101 baptisms!
Well I love you all. Hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving wherever you are. I'll call you from the Shields' house. I'm kidding--I won't.
Love,
Hermana Brinkenfor
(I don't know why, but they all read my tag and say that. It's a mystery to me.)
Happy Turkey Day! Here, we call Thanksgiving "el dia de pavo," or "turkey day." :) I'm still not sure how to say Thanksgiving... I think I have an idea, though. This morning we played "frasketball," or football in the gym and shoot the ball into the basket. We then played soccer--after 7 weeks of not playing soccer because of my ankle, I'm back in the game. Right now I'm at the Hixson's home where we had Thanksgiving breakfast as a district! They feed us every Sunday night (9 of us) and are so gracious. We had waffles and crepes, which took me back to BYU with Berkeley! Crepes will always remind me of the Kershisnik family.
Mom, I received your scripture package yesterday! I had to pay a little fee because they don't forward boxes if they're not sent with Priority mail (just FYI). We took the scriptures in the scripture case (thank you!!!) over to her last night and she looked like a 5-year-old kid in a candy store. She was so thrilled! I loved seeing her reaction. She opened the Bible and said, ooohh La Santa Biblia. And then she opened the Book of Mormon--La Perla de Gran Precio?! Ahh la Doctrina y Convenios! El Libro de Mormon! She was so grateful for them. She told me to tell you and Dad muchiiisimas gracias. It's funny that A feels like my really good friend but also a mother figure because she was born in '53. She is so great, and I know the scriptures will go to GREAT use. She was so excited that her name was on them, too. She pointed it out and told us how her brother had scriptures with his name and just kept talking--I think she was overwhelmed with joy. :) I wrapped them in the zebra tissue paper you sent in one of my packages. And thank you for the Liahonas! Now I can read the Conference talks during my language study. Oh, and give them to investigators and recent converts, I guess... :)
Well, the mission experience is very taxing on the body and the mind, of course. I'm not going to cover that up. Here it seems like all my flaws are magnified times 100. But I'm trying to be exactly obedient to everything, have faith, say faithful prayers, get over myself and things that take my mind away from the work, and just get to work. I've been amazed by each new companion that I've had who have taught me new things--I've noticed that each new companion has prepared me for the next and am eager to see what the Lord has in store to teach me next. I think I'm going to be transferred on Tuesday to a place called Manteca, but I could be totally wrong! It would be a great change because I'd be with Hermana Fernandez who's the coordinating sister and from the Dominican Republic. She is the best missionary--she's a convert of 3 years. I think she was born to be a missionary. I think my time is up in Stockton, but we'll see! It's been great with Sister Christensen and Sister Mason. I feel ready to take a huge leap to progress--I've been running through sand a little bit during this transfer--it's been a challenge, but I've seen a lot of miracles, one of which is the confidence I've gained in teaching in Spanish (although I still have a lot to work on. :) I was going to say I don't think I'll ever be fluent in Spanish, but I probably would have been chastised for saying that! At this point I'm just glad I can get along and add to the lessons and feel the Spirit while teaching.) If I do go to Manteca, I'll miss Elder Bednar coming to our Stake Conference in Stockton--bummer! Of course, right?!
I suppose now's a good time to tell you that I'm going to the Shields' for Thanksgiving! I wrote to President last week in my weekly President's letter and told him I knew he'd already considered it and told me I couldn't go but that now I really wanted to go and thought it'd be a good mission memory and that I knew it wouldn't distract me from the work and that Aunt Heidi and Uncle Eric were really looking forward to us coming... so he called me on Sunday and said that he woke up in the middle of the night thinking about my situation and felt like we're mature and responsible enough to go. I was so happy!! So Uncle Eric will be coming to our apartment to pick us up in a few hours and I'll get to see the family and their house--I'm really excited! I just love President Lewis. :) He's so wonderful--you can tell that he really does care about each and every one of us. I'm glad I was one of the first four missionaries who got to meet him in the MTC.
We went to visit a part member family last week (I'd never met them before--some elders in our district gave us their information a few weeks back) and ended up adding four of them as investigators. They are amazing!! L was baptized about eight years ago and has been to church here just once since he moved from Mexico. His wife (girlfriend) M is so great--she gives us persimmons and sugar cookies and coke and donuts (the charity never ends)--and we added her daughter Ja and M's sister Pa and her husband Re. They basically tell us what to teach them every time we go over which is really handy. They said, "We have all these Church videos. Can we watch one together?" So we watched the Restoration and taught about what happened leading up to the Restoration and a little about the Book of Mormon. Next time they requested that we talk more about the Book of Mormon--luckily everything they suggest is already in our lesson plans. It's funny because they all (5 of them) talk at once and Ja (20) translates for us even though we understand everything that's going on and the lessons are very interactive and slightly overwhelming with all the talking and perfect at the same time. I love the Sa family! Pa and M came to church at 1 last week (and we were still there--our ward starts at 9--only because we were having a pot luck after church). They're planning on coming to a baptism this weekend and hopefully will be able to make it Sunday!
We also met a girl named Z this week who seems like a miracle. We've been dropping a lot of investigators that we just don't feel are progressing--it's hard to drop them because you want to hold on to each person--I can see their potential and what they can become. But with these drops I know Heavenly Father will bless us with people who will accept the message of the Restoration. It's also been a challenge getting all of our investigators to church, which is so necessary, but I know that with all our fasting and prayers and efforts that we'll be able to have a White Christmas in December. I'm hoping that my companionship can contribute to the 101 baptisms!
Well I love you all. Hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving wherever you are. I'll call you from the Shields' house. I'm kidding--I won't.
Love,
Hermana Brinkenfor
(I don't know why, but they all read my tag and say that. It's a mystery to me.)
Monday, November 14, 2011
Every day's an adventure
Familia,
Every day is definitely an adventure. I'm sorry I don't have time to tell you about all the amazing missionary experiences we have, but I have to tell you the story of driving home on Thursday night. We were coming home from trying to contact a potential family. Sister Christensen turned to me while she was driving and said, "Oh my gosh. My nose is bleeding." What? And I looked over and she was covering her nose. She was wearing my favorite outfit of hers and I couldn't bear seeing it ruined with blood (not to mention we're driving a new car, so I didn't want blood all over the seat). So what did I do? I put my hands under her chin and started to catch the blood. I'm sorry--I should have warned you that this story includes blood and if you get queezy, don't read. Yes, there we were--Sister Christensen driving and covering her nose, but her nose was just not drying up. She started laughing and all I could do was laugh, which made it worse. I ended up catching most of it but a lot still got on her clothes (which I washed out with water and then we threw it in the washer and saved her cute outfit). After we pulled over, I ordered our other companion Sister Mason to hand me some future investigator sheets because we didn't have napkins or kleenex or anything. I told her to open our car doors because we were just covered in red--of course it was locked so I shimmied over to open it with my foot. Sister Christensen said, "My blood is literally on your hands!" We'd just heard someone talking about having someone else's blood on your hands. Maybe Sister Christensen will let me send you a picture of the aftermath. It was ridiculous! Mission memories mmm.
We had a Sister's Training on Saturday morning--learned a lot and need to step it up a notch. Something that stood out to me that Sister Lewis talked about was how we can only develop Christlike attributes through Christ's help. We need to pray for His help in acquiring things like charity and love, patience, diligence, humility, obedience. We don't need to develop them all at once, but developing Christlike attributes comes one decision, one action at a time.
We then had a training from President Martinez (counselor in the mission presidency who is over the Spanish missionaries) after church yesterday. Learned a LOT more and now we need to contact 100 people this week. We contacted about 60 this week and have contacted like 76 on our best week, so we have a lot to work on but he gave a wonderful promise that we'll have our White Christmas (mission goal of 101 baptisms in December) if we contact 100 people this week. We have to do it! I'm grateful for his promise and I know that the Lord has prepared people to receive the gospel--we just need to be better, more prepared servants to find and deliver that message with power and authority from God. We can't fear man and what they can do--no matter how badly they treat us--but we need to do our Father's will. I love thinking about things from an eternal perspective. This life makes so much more sense and I have a lot more confidence and love for my Heavenly Father as I think about the things I'm doing each day from an eternal perspective.
I'm in love with the Book of Mormon. I'm hoping and praying that we can bring souls unto Christ as a gift for Him this Christmas. Maybe we could all give a Book of Mormon to a friend as a gift this year--just a thought. But they'll receive salvation! I'm grateful for this gospel and for the hope and happiness and joy it brings into my life.
I love you all.
Love, kates
Every day is definitely an adventure. I'm sorry I don't have time to tell you about all the amazing missionary experiences we have, but I have to tell you the story of driving home on Thursday night. We were coming home from trying to contact a potential family. Sister Christensen turned to me while she was driving and said, "Oh my gosh. My nose is bleeding." What? And I looked over and she was covering her nose. She was wearing my favorite outfit of hers and I couldn't bear seeing it ruined with blood (not to mention we're driving a new car, so I didn't want blood all over the seat). So what did I do? I put my hands under her chin and started to catch the blood. I'm sorry--I should have warned you that this story includes blood and if you get queezy, don't read. Yes, there we were--Sister Christensen driving and covering her nose, but her nose was just not drying up. She started laughing and all I could do was laugh, which made it worse. I ended up catching most of it but a lot still got on her clothes (which I washed out with water and then we threw it in the washer and saved her cute outfit). After we pulled over, I ordered our other companion Sister Mason to hand me some future investigator sheets because we didn't have napkins or kleenex or anything. I told her to open our car doors because we were just covered in red--of course it was locked so I shimmied over to open it with my foot. Sister Christensen said, "My blood is literally on your hands!" We'd just heard someone talking about having someone else's blood on your hands. Maybe Sister Christensen will let me send you a picture of the aftermath. It was ridiculous! Mission memories mmm.
We had a Sister's Training on Saturday morning--learned a lot and need to step it up a notch. Something that stood out to me that Sister Lewis talked about was how we can only develop Christlike attributes through Christ's help. We need to pray for His help in acquiring things like charity and love, patience, diligence, humility, obedience. We don't need to develop them all at once, but developing Christlike attributes comes one decision, one action at a time.
We then had a training from President Martinez (counselor in the mission presidency who is over the Spanish missionaries) after church yesterday. Learned a LOT more and now we need to contact 100 people this week. We contacted about 60 this week and have contacted like 76 on our best week, so we have a lot to work on but he gave a wonderful promise that we'll have our White Christmas (mission goal of 101 baptisms in December) if we contact 100 people this week. We have to do it! I'm grateful for his promise and I know that the Lord has prepared people to receive the gospel--we just need to be better, more prepared servants to find and deliver that message with power and authority from God. We can't fear man and what they can do--no matter how badly they treat us--but we need to do our Father's will. I love thinking about things from an eternal perspective. This life makes so much more sense and I have a lot more confidence and love for my Heavenly Father as I think about the things I'm doing each day from an eternal perspective.
I'm in love with the Book of Mormon. I'm hoping and praying that we can bring souls unto Christ as a gift for Him this Christmas. Maybe we could all give a Book of Mormon to a friend as a gift this year--just a thought. But they'll receive salvation! I'm grateful for this gospel and for the hope and happiness and joy it brings into my life.
I love you all.
Love, kates
 |
| Southern Zones - Sacramento Mission - November 2011 Katy is on the bottom row, on the right |
Monday, November 7, 2011
A Week of Miracles
Querida familia,
Well this week has been going great. A lot of the elders in our zone and district and sisters in our apartment were sick. We've been fighting it, and we ended up adding 8 investigators last week. That's right--count it up. That was a miracle! We actually had five in one day, which was amazing. Our goal for a typical week is usually to add three new investigators, so we're really excited to get our investigator pool moving a little bit more. We have a few investigators who are turning into what seems like "eternals," but President Lewis reminded us in his weekly email to "be bold because you love." Each of our investigators' situations is so unique, but ultimately it comes down to keeping the commandments and following Christ. I have been really bold with them, but I'm going to try to be more bold because I love them. I want to see a few more miracles before I leave Stockton. (She thinks she'll be transferred on November 28th).
Something neat that we get to do here is go on Mormon.org for two hours a month, so we're getting on for 30 minutes per week at the Family History Center in our Stake Center. We invite everyone to visit our website every day, so as missionaries we get to scope out what they're going to see. It's very well made with great videos. Y'all should make Mormon.org profiles--I actually got to see Stacy's profile the other day; that made me really happy--especially because she talked about her reactive arthritis and how the gospel of Jesus Christ has helped her cope with the challenges of this and everything else in her life. I know that this is the way--that what we teach every day is true. The gospel of Jesus Christ really does help physically, emotionally, and spiritually. I'm grateful to be engaged in so great a cause. I'm grateful for my testimony of such simple things--of faith in Jesus Christ and His Atonement, the power of prayer, keeping the commandments, the Book of Mormon. This is so missionary of me, but I'm sad in the morning at the end of my personal study when I have to stop reading the Book of Mormon. I wish I could read that book for hours and hours. It means so much more to me on my mission--I'm grateful for the application it has for me in my life and that I can teach others how it applies and can bless their lives.
So... Jo. We went to church with him last Friday. Yes, we got permission from President to drive to Lodi to go to church with him and his family because he invited us. It was great--different from our church. It was like a great Bible study. We got there and people were praying all over the room and crying and singing--that lasted for about an hour and then we all got in a circle and read from John 12. The person in charge had Jo introduce and Jo was so excited to introduce his friends--I am Hermana Brinkenfort or something. :) So typical. I really have resorted to introducing myself as Hermana Brinca. And then they always to tell me to jump ('brinca'). We then went to Jo's mother's restaurant the next day as a district and he said that 9 angelitos (angels) were in the restaurant that day. :) Half of the congregation of his other church works at his mother's restaurant. Yikes! But they're all so nice. I pray we'll see a miracle with him!
Let's see--right now we're working with a lot of people, but I'll name a few. Na and El are sisters whose mother is a member in Arizona--they want to be baptized. Ma has had the Book of Mormon for over 20 years--we need a miracle with him! Pe has an adorable family and we have an appt to teach them Wednesday night. Then there's Au who we taught the Plan of Salvation and sang 'Familes Can Be Together Forever' the first time we met her--yeah... sisters do that. Ya has been an investigator for over a year but we just picked her up again to start teaching her. La just needs to get married and then we can baptize her! She wants to get baptized! We're working on the marriage part. Jo--you know him. And I have a pic of him I can send home this week! Ma and Ca--we haven't been able to teach her because she got about five spider bites... And Ve whose husband is a member--a little less active, but he's going to return. And then there's Je who's on vacation in Mexico right now, but we'll get him when he returns.
We're so excited for all these people and are praying to find those who are truly prepared and ready to accept the gospel. We still have a goal as a mission to baptize 101 truly converted people in December to finish out the year with 800 baptisms. Thank you for your prayers for me and for all the missionaries. I love you! I hope you are well. Que le vaya bien. :)
Love,
kates
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)