Brinne's Letter 4.28.14

Well, this week has been such a great week!!!!

It kills my heart to think that this transfer is nearly over and I am on week 4! I love my companion so much and the thought of being moved kills me!!! So let’s all join in prayer that Sis Crist and I stay 4 more transfers together!!!! :) Thanks for you support!!!

Monday started with just a heart warming, "Hey Sister Dawes, remember when you were a missionary and you have blessed lives." Monday, Candice Seivert told me about how much she appreciates me and how much I have changed her life. She was a less active 8 weeks ago, but since I got here she has come to church every week and brings her kids :) And her husband’s heart is softening :) Tonight we have a lesson with him about the temple because Candice is preparing to go :) And she wants to do it in Utah :) in a year so I CAN BE THERE!!!!! :) EKKK I LOVE MISSIONARY WORK!!!!  

Tuesday we had a great/ difficult lesson with Miss Beverly- more to come with that, but eekk that one was hard! She is the great lady that wants to know the truth.. but remember when there was an apostasy and how people took Jesus’ perfect gospel and changed it and how meanings of things got changed... well... she can "speak in tongues... and it is awk!

WEDNESDAY, WEDNESDAY YAY FOR A GREAT DAY!!!

I WENT TO THE TEMPLE!!!!!!!!!! Oh my goodness! Oh my goodness!!!! Isn't the new movie wonderful!!! Wow, it just blew my mind!!!!! It was amazing!!! While in the temple I was praying for each of our investigators. And in my mind I just kept thinking of Miss Beverly and don't give up on her, don't give up on her. So we are not going to be giving up on Miss Beverly anytime soon. :) It was such a great experience. AHHH I LOVE THE TEMPLE!!! I CAN'T WAIT TILL I GET TO GO WEEKLY!!! AND DO MY OWN FAMILY HISTORY!!! SO GREAT!!!!

Thursday we had a very awkward hard lesson with Jeff. It is true that Satan never sleeps and he can take over lives :( Jeff went through a hard patch and I have never been more grateful for members ever. Luckily, he has some great fellowship who really care about him and they were able to help him get out of the rut he was in.. so good new so come :)

Friday... was on of those days where NOTHING goes through. It was a difficult day. So on a funny note...

We were at a less actives house (only lesson that went through) and we were teaching outside. This less actives sister, COCO, drives up and gets out of the car holding a box. Willie (a friend) asks, "OHH OHH OHH WHATS THE BOX FILLED WITH." Coco responds, "Your accomplishments in life.. so it's empty." HA HA HA HA HA HA HA BEST REPONCE I HAVE EVER HEARD IN MY LIFE!!!! I LAUGHED FOR QUITE A FEW MOMENTS!

Saturday: We had dinner at a member home- let’s set the scene for you with a little background first: Sis Crist HATES VEGGIES LIKE HATES HATES HATES. Second: WE BOTH DO NOT LIKE SEA FOOD!!!!!! So we get to the members home. We are talking then this sister goes into the kitchen and brings out this casserole dish full of SHRIMP AND VEGGIE STIR FRY!!!! I am happy to report I ate all of the shrimp and all the veggies. And Sis Crist ate all of her veggies and ate 3 shrimps... PROUD SR. COMPANION RIGHT HERE!! When we left the house and got in the car we just started to die of laughter! It was great! And the only way to be able to redeem and sooth our bellies was to go to Bahamma Bucks and got us snow cones... I GOT MT. DEW FLAVOR-- NO CAFFEINE -- SO IT WAS TOTES NOT APOSTATE!!!!!!!!!! BAM YES!!!!!!

Sunday: Oh Sunday. From our lesson with Jeff previously in the week we didn't think he would be ready to do the sacrament, but when we got there he was sooo chipper and so happy and he blessed the sacrament and let’s just say Sister Dawes cried and cried and cried!!! It was the best thing to hear all the words-- and he did it perfectly!!!!!!  

This morning we got word that our bathroom is going to be taken apart and a new floor will be put in, so we are out of the bathroom. We live in the same complex as the elders so the land lady told us y’all are just going to have to go shower and get ready down in the boys house............................................. yea that isn't going over well............ Luckily we have a great senior couple in charge of housing units and he is taking that matter into his own hands... :)

Anyway, Love y’all so much!!!!!

Now you have such a great week!!!!!!

Can you believe I am almost 1/2 way done with my mission??? This is an awkward thing to think about!!!

CTR ALWAYS

ETTE

#ilovebeingamissionary!

A letter to Brinne's Mission President 4.21.14

Letter to President Augustin,

The Cost- And Blessings- of Discipleship… Elder Holland April 2014

“You will one day find yourself called upon to defend four faith or perhaps even endure some personal abuse simply because you are a member of the church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.”

I can’t be more happy with being a representative of Christ. The Lord really did call me because I wouldn’t have come if it were up to me. But, I do get  the blessings of truly being able to defend my savior and his church.

“Sometimes it’s hard being a missionary because right then I wanted to go back and grab that little man and say, “EXCUSE ME! But I didn’t.”

Here is a moment of truth- let us be honest, I didn’t appreciate my things being stolen. And I would often find myself plotting what I would have done if I had walked down to my car the moment I saw the thieves…. Pretty sure I would have chased them down and hit them with my car! (NOT a Christ- like thing!) I also don’t appreciate that I was able to give the cop EVERYTHING that he needed to find the thieves and HE DIDN’T EVEN CARE ENOUGH TO SUBMIT A REPORT… I know if I wasn’t on a mission I would have handled that situation completely different, but I didn’t. I went on.  I took a couple of days to get over the feelings of violation and inconvenience, but I learned an important lesson. FORGIVENESS…. The things that were taken are temporary and replaceable. The Savior lost friendships and went through humiliation. My trial wasn’t nearly as bad and his. And yet he said, “Father, forgive them for they know not what they do.” That phrase went through my mind many times. They didn’t know how hard it would be for me to get a new I.D. or the hoops I would have to jump through because I couldn’t just call my mom (Something I wanted to do so baldy.) They just didn’t know. One day they might but that doesn’t matter. Everything is being made right. My GPS has been replaced; I bought a new purse and wallet so I can hold the GPS wherever I go. I got a new home debit card and church card.  Apparently, a new I.D. is in the mail! I know I learned a valuable lesson that I had to learn out here because I KNOW if I wasn’t out here I would have been a wreck!!

“From time to time these same messengers are called to Worry, to warn, and sometimes to weep.”

Last transfer when I got to Clovis our teaching pool was at a complete mess!!! Nobody on it was progressing. There was a lady, her name was Sheila, (her daughter is a member in Utah.) Sheila had a bunch of church materials so great. The sister found her and had been teaching her for weeks, she would come to church but for some reason wasn’t progressing. On the first meeting I had with her I asked her to pray. She refused. I tried to figure out why and she said, “In 5 minutes you girls will be leaving (I look at my watch… she was right). She continues, “Not because your time is up but because I am going to ask you to leave…” I quickly changed the topic….   2 lessons later we had no idea what to teach her so Sister Scott and I prayed and we felt IF SHE PRAYS WITH YOU THERE SHE WILL GET HER ANSWER. So I knew I couldn’t invite her to pray. And Sister Scott wasn’t super bold so we role-played all morning long about how we would approach this lesson! So we get into the lesson and Sister Scott just lays the law. She said, “At the end of this lesson, I am not going to pray, Sister Dawes is not going to pray, and Sister Fulton is not going to pray. Either you are going to pray or we will leave without a prayer.” Right away she refused. We shrugged it off and started teaching. At the end we asked her to pray. She said, “No.”

Warn: As soon as she said that the spirit took over me and said, “If you don’t pray right now with us here it will be YEARS until you get an answer.” She didn’t take too that well… “Because I have told you the truth ye are angry with me. Because I have spoken the word of God ye have Judged me that I am mad.” We can conclude we left without a prayer and were absolutely devastated because we KNEW if she would have exercised a particle of faith to pray she would have gotten her answer. I testify that the painful part of discipleship is to WORRY, WARN AND WEEP. But how great is your calling when they listen… sadly we left Sheila’s house Weeping L.

“ If people want any gods at all they want them to be Gods that don’t demand much, comfortable Gods. Smooth Gods who not only don’t rock the boat but that don’t even row it. Gods who pat them on the head, makes us giggle, then tell us to run along and pick Marigolds.”

 I see this in effect often. The other day we were going over to see a family. One of them was saying, “We are going to Faith Christian Family Church tonight.” We asked them to tell us what goes on at the church. This is how it was explained to us by a 14 year old. “We just go and chill for a while, then go hear a sermon then go and chill some more.” A few days later we drove past that church and it had a light up sign on the church that seriously looked like a carnival!!! If that is not a god that doesn’t ask us to do much then I don’t know what is. There is a church in Lubbock a member went to with a friend and he came back and reported… “It was like a BON JOVIE CONCERT!”

One of my favorite parts of the talk said, “And what of those who just want to look at sin or touch from a distance.” That is pretty darn BOLD! SIN IS NOT ACCPETABLE! STAY AWAY! Particularly at home, I could see friends who just wanted to watch sin. Then it just escalated from there. Oh, how much pain could have been avoided had they simply KEPT THE COMMANDMENTS!

This leads me to 1 Nephi 8 :24-28

It talks about people clinging to the iron rod… finding spiritual joy… but then just looked on sin from a distance and found the temporary joy laughter and partying more desirable. WE CAN’T LOOK AT SIN AND TOUCH FROM A DISTANCE BECAUSE THAT THOUCH TURNS INTO A HOLD… THEN ENGULFS YOU IN AGONY!

“If your eye offends you, pluck it out. If your hand offends you, cut it off. Let go and leave those sins. Partake of the fruit and ENDURE THE END. THERE IS NO OTHER JOY!

I WILL ALWAYS STRIVE TO HOLD FAST THE ROAD AND BUILD UNSHAKABLE FAITH- So when the devil shall send for his mighty winds. Yea, his shafts in the whirlwind, yea when all his hail and mighty storm shall beat upon me it shall have no power over me.

I love the scriptures and I know they are the word of God.

I loved when Elder Holland so boldly stated his certainty of the priesthood keys. I remember that overwhelming love I felt as he said, “ I am more certain that the priesthood keys have been restored to the earth today than I am that I stand before you today!!!

I am so grateful to be a missionary in the Texas Lubbock Mission.

Here are my thoughts! J Have such a great week!!!

Brinne Letter 4.14.14

Well, we will start off to just saying- I am so grateful to my Heavenly Father for keeping my family safe. And for allowing my dream to come true..... I HAVE A SPARDETTE SISTER!!!

This week has been one of greatness! It started out with Monday Sister Scott packing to head to Lubbock and goodbyes (transfers are so much nicer when it's not you moving).

Tuesday at 8:00 am we started our trip to Lubbock to drop off Sister Scott and pick up Sister Christofferson--- (we call her Sis.Crist). Saying goodbye was not easy, but I got a new ball of sunshine as a companion... Let’s just say Sis. Crist and I are like the same person!!! She reminds me so much of my friends at home!!! We laugh all day, all night, and all day some more!!!! After Elder Barns got to talk to Sis. Crist for the first the first thing he asked was... "Was this revelation or a mistake???!!!!!" We can truly say THE LORD LOVES US AND APPERENTLY SOMEONE IS GOING TO NEED OUR OUTGOING PERSONALITIES!!!!! I hope I am with her for many a transfer!!

Well, let’s get to the good stuff!!!

James McDonald entered the waters of baptism an April 12 at 6 P.M. When he got out of the water he told us his chest was just so warm and so full and just so big! He had a great service. On Sunday morning he had a meeting with the Bishop where he was found worthy to be ordained to have the Aaronic priesthood. So during sacrament he was given the gift of the Holy Ghost, and during priesthood he was given the Aaronic priesthood!!! He then volunteered to go with the boy scouts on a campout this week!!! And yesterday we went and started "The New Member Lessons." So we role-played with him how to be a good member present and he was about to go out with the elders last night!!! THEY SAID HE WAS THE BEST MEMBER and that he bore the most short, powerful testimonies!!!!! It is so amazing to see people come unto Christ!!! I can't even explain how much joy it brings me to see a happy man become even more happy!!! To see a blessed man be even more blessed!!! And next week I will get to witness him prepare the sacrament!!!! I love my mission and I can't imagine how the Lord feels when a soul comes back to Him!!!!

Next week Jeff Blaylock will be baptized a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints!!! He is a part member family! And was very, very anti 4 years ago. But the Lord softened his heart and now he is ready!!! THE GOSPEL BLESSES LIVES AND THE LORD CHANGES HEARTS!!!!!

Anyway, I just want everyone to know this Easter season, I love my Savior Jesus Christ, and I love being a representative of Him. I am so grateful my name gets to be next to His every day and that I get to testify of him and of his love. I know this gospel is true. These things I know...

Have such a wonderful week!!!

Love, Sister Dawes

Letter from 4.7.14

4.7.14

Well, here we are! Got transfer calls yesterday... I am staying here in Clovis, and I am soo happy I get to have Sister Christopherson… a great friend I made in Lubbock as a companion! Sister Scott is going to my old area in Lubbock! She is going to just love, love, love it!!! I am more excited for her than she is!!!!! Last night when I heard, I screamed for her!!!

This week has been lovely! We truly were spiritually fed at conference! My prayers were certainly answered. This conference I went with only one question, and I wanted an answer to it... I don't know if it was really a question, but this is what I wanted...

So, if you didn't know, when ya get robbed angry feelings tend to sprout... I wasn't ever angry at the people, more just the situation and how inconvenient everything is for me right now... felt a little violated. (Things like that) So my question was, or maybe my objective was,

~~~~~ Learn how to use the Enabling Power to Forgive~~~~~~

 Before conference I took time to look up a few definitions.

Enable: to make able, to make possible, practical or easy- enable implies provision or the means or opportunity for doing.

Forgive: to cease to feel Resentment against (an offender)

Resentment: Feeling of indignant displeasure at something regarded as wrong, insult, or injury

Well, to apply that to my life.... The Savior has made possible for me the opportunity to forgive because I did resent what was going on. I just had to learn how to do it. A few talks that I loved was—well, Elder Holland... Let’s be honest, if I were home right now and not on a mission I would be coping with this a completely different way..... The whole WWJD thing... I don't know how Christ-like I would be. However, being out here I don't have time to think about all of the inconvenient things... When I sit and dwell on the injustice it is allowing Satan to win... That is a lesson I think I had to learn on mission. :)

I loved how, more than once, Helaman 5: 12 was quoted… one of my favorite scriptures!

Henry B. Eyring...

"Every moment of every day you have a choice to make or keep covenants." Let’s just say throwing down my laundry detergent in anger most likely was not a moment where I chose to keep my covenant. However, from that experience, I don't want to see myself act so foolish again! So I will do everything in my power to keep my baptismal covenant.

I am sorry. I haven't got any more time to share more about what I learned, but I love the Lord. And even through hard times I still love being a missionary!!!!

Have such a great week!

I love ya,

Sister Dawes