Okay well thank you for that reminder that I need to have more gratitude in my life. I am grateful for my AWESOME and supportive family!!! I'm grateful to be able to spend a year and a half of my life not worrying about the things of the world. I am grateful that God has been so good to me everyday of my life. I am grateful that George wants to come back on the path to God. I am grateful that Sister Lichfield and I are going to get DQ blizzards today :)
This week was pretty good! Sister Lichfield is AWESOME! She is basically training ME. She is so on top of everything and is very excited and focused on the work. I'm learning a lot from her about how to really focus studies on the investigators. It has been really fun to have her with me this past week. I think the more you are on a mission the more you start to take things for granted... like finding someone who is interested and wants to learn more... she was so cutely excited! And it is just something that I do everyday - its still exciting of course - but I have just been taking it for granted.
No one came to church this week :( Hijole! No se que paso. We talked to one of our investigators afterward and he said his phone got wet and the alarm didn't go off... we are working on getting him an alarm clock hahaha. He has a great heart and wants to change, it is just a slow and patient process. He told us that he hasn't prayed on his own for many years because he feels unworthy. It was so sad for me to hear that... that is when we need to pray the most!!!! Just like the story of the prodigal son... God is waiting for each one of His children to come back. He is just waiting to run and meet us and give us a big hug. God's hand is always extended out towards us.
It is a tender mercy to be a part of this work. I'm so very grateful. It is hard but I'm learning so much. I can't believe next week I'll be out 8 months! AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH..
So funny story... in Spanish ward, the ward chorister (I don't know how to spell that and don't have time to look it up sorry haha) was out of town this Sunday. The bishop looks out in the congregation and asks one of us sister missionaries to get up and lead...because I'm sure he just assumes that we know what we are doing haha. We are all singing without piano... and I had NO IDEA what this song was, ESPECIALLY in Spanish. So I was thinking to myself "okay we'll just go with it and hopefully everyone knows that song because I don't." So we started singing..... HAHAHAHAHA it was sooooooooo bad! I was like trying to read the notes and sing the tune but had no idea what it was and niether did anybody else... so after about 10 seconds of trying to make it work the Bishop just puts up his hands and says "VAMOS A CAMBIAR EL HIMNO" and we changed to a hymn that we actually all knew and it went much better. It was just a funny experience. I'm pretty sure my face was bright red.
WELL I LOVE YOU ALLLLLLLL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! AND I LOVE BROWNSVILLE
TELL SISTER SMITH AT HOME THAT I LOVED THE TALK AND SCRIPTURE MARKERS
TELL GRANDMA THAT I LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOVED HER LETTER AND SCOTCHEROOS!
Monday, February 28, 2011
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
Even though people may think that their efforts go no where - THEY DO! We are working with two people right now who had seeds planted many years ago
So good to hear from you!!!!!!!!!!! GUESS WHAT???? I FINALLY GET TO STAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I'M STAYING IN BROWNSVILLE... and... training a brand new missionary that came from the MTC! I'm super excited. Her name is Brittany Lichfield... which is funny because I know Brittany Lichfield from back home :) Maybe they are related or something? She is awesome and I'm really excited to work with her. She is coming at a good time because the area is really picking up here. We have a lot of things we need to work through with people but good things are going to happen here. It is really fun to have her around because she is just so darn excited to get out there and work and talk with people. I LOVE IT! I just hope I can be good trainer for her.
I'm trying to think of what happened this week.... my mind has seriously been a blur. This week has been crazy. I guess I'll just say that I know that it is by small and simple things that great things come to pass. We are teaching someone right now whose friend introduced him to the gospel looooooooooong ago and he just brushed him off.. but now that we are teaching him, he still remembers what his friend had shared with him. He still remembered the life that his friend lived and the example he was. It is the same with one of my other investigators who had a LDS friend in the military. He said everyone used to make fun of him all the time for not drinking/swearing or whatever... but remembered what he stood for... and remembered basically the whole restoration and scriptures his friend shared. Even though people may think that their efforts go no where - THEY DO! We are working with two people right now who had seeds planted many years ago by members. Small and simple things...
LOVE YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!
THANKS FOR ALL YOUR SUPPORT IN MY LIFE!!!!!!!!
I'm trying to think of what happened this week.... my mind has seriously been a blur. This week has been crazy. I guess I'll just say that I know that it is by small and simple things that great things come to pass. We are teaching someone right now whose friend introduced him to the gospel looooooooooong ago and he just brushed him off.. but now that we are teaching him, he still remembers what his friend had shared with him. He still remembered the life that his friend lived and the example he was. It is the same with one of my other investigators who had a LDS friend in the military. He said everyone used to make fun of him all the time for not drinking/swearing or whatever... but remembered what he stood for... and remembered basically the whole restoration and scriptures his friend shared. Even though people may think that their efforts go no where - THEY DO! We are working with two people right now who had seeds planted many years ago by members. Small and simple things...
LOVE YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!
THANKS FOR ALL YOUR SUPPORT IN MY LIFE!!!!!!!!
Monday, February 14, 2011
I HAD ONE OF THE MOST SPECIAL EXPERIENCES IN MY MISSION THIS WEEK . . .
MAMA!
Tu espanol es perfecto! Gracias por escribiendome en espanol! Te doy gracias por su carta. Siempre me da alegria oir de ti. Espero que tu examen fuera bien.
I can relate to Dad a little bit... because I had the first accident on my mission this week hahaha. Can you believe I made it 7 months without crashing on my bike or having some kind of bruise inflicting activity? ITS A RECORD! The Lord has blessed me :) haha. So we went for an appointment... and the person wasn't there. We were walking to go contact and all of a sudden, slowly but surely I tripped and went straight to the ground. My companions looked back and were like "Sister Bricker what happened?!" I told them I have no idea!!!!! I looked back to see what it was that I tripped on... and there was nothing! haha of course. The ground was up maybe a half an inch... I'm just clumsy... I got a cool bruise on my knee though YAY!
I had one of the most special experiences in my mission this week in a lesson with one of our investigators. We were in the church for our lesson and we invited him to pray for the first time. It was so sincere and beautiful. He really wants to know if God exists. We then went on with the lesson. Then he inturupts in the middle and asks us "I don't know what you think about this but I would like to say another prayer." And we were like OF COURSE! So we all knelt down together and he said the prayer - this time in his native language which is Italian. Even though I didn't know what he was saying, I could feel him pouring his whole heart out to God. The spirit was very strong. He is still searching for his "pista" or clue... but at our last visit in his prayer he said "Thank you for the pistas I am beginning to see more and more each day... I don't know what your angels are like but I imagine them to be like the Sisters you sent me." It was really special. Step by step!
Another investigator who came to church many times with us told us this week that she doesn't want us to read from the Book of Mormon anymore... and that it makes her uncomfortable. She talked to her padrino (Godfather) and he was counseling her not to read it... so that is a bummer :(
We met another AWESOME investigator this week. (I've never taught so many men before on my mission - this is a different experience). He is SUPER stoked for all the things we are teaching. When we came for our first appointment... he had to throw a birthday party last minute and so we offered to help him cook. I learned how to make some AWESOME guacamole and these really yummy appetizers which Dad and Jeff would love. What you do is clear out a green chili pepper and stuff it with cream cheese... then wrap it in bacon... and grill it! IT WAS DELICIOUS! I'll make it when I get back. After all his family came and gathered them up so we could tell them about the restoration!!!!!!!!!!!!! Hahaha cool huh?! It is a different experience to have a crowd. But they all kind of left after they got food and he was the only one listening/participating... but he came to church the next day and LOVED IT! He was raising his hand and making all sorts of good comments. Tomorrow we'll talk to him about why he needs to be baptized again and set a date!
GOD IS GOOD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! He has blessed us with lots of success in this area. Things are really blooming. We get calls about transfers on Saturday *crossing fingers I'll stay* haha
I LOVE YOU ALL AND PRAY FOR YOU!
HAPPY DAY OF LOVE!
JOHN 15:13
Tu espanol es perfecto! Gracias por escribiendome en espanol! Te doy gracias por su carta. Siempre me da alegria oir de ti. Espero que tu examen fuera bien.
I can relate to Dad a little bit... because I had the first accident on my mission this week hahaha. Can you believe I made it 7 months without crashing on my bike or having some kind of bruise inflicting activity? ITS A RECORD! The Lord has blessed me :) haha. So we went for an appointment... and the person wasn't there. We were walking to go contact and all of a sudden, slowly but surely I tripped and went straight to the ground. My companions looked back and were like "Sister Bricker what happened?!" I told them I have no idea!!!!! I looked back to see what it was that I tripped on... and there was nothing! haha of course. The ground was up maybe a half an inch... I'm just clumsy... I got a cool bruise on my knee though YAY!
I had one of the most special experiences in my mission this week in a lesson with one of our investigators. We were in the church for our lesson and we invited him to pray for the first time. It was so sincere and beautiful. He really wants to know if God exists. We then went on with the lesson. Then he inturupts in the middle and asks us "I don't know what you think about this but I would like to say another prayer." And we were like OF COURSE! So we all knelt down together and he said the prayer - this time in his native language which is Italian. Even though I didn't know what he was saying, I could feel him pouring his whole heart out to God. The spirit was very strong. He is still searching for his "pista" or clue... but at our last visit in his prayer he said "Thank you for the pistas I am beginning to see more and more each day... I don't know what your angels are like but I imagine them to be like the Sisters you sent me." It was really special. Step by step!
Another investigator who came to church many times with us told us this week that she doesn't want us to read from the Book of Mormon anymore... and that it makes her uncomfortable. She talked to her padrino (Godfather) and he was counseling her not to read it... so that is a bummer :(
We met another AWESOME investigator this week. (I've never taught so many men before on my mission - this is a different experience). He is SUPER stoked for all the things we are teaching. When we came for our first appointment... he had to throw a birthday party last minute and so we offered to help him cook. I learned how to make some AWESOME guacamole and these really yummy appetizers which Dad and Jeff would love. What you do is clear out a green chili pepper and stuff it with cream cheese... then wrap it in bacon... and grill it! IT WAS DELICIOUS! I'll make it when I get back. After all his family came and gathered them up so we could tell them about the restoration!!!!!!!!!!!!! Hahaha cool huh?! It is a different experience to have a crowd. But they all kind of left after they got food and he was the only one listening/participating... but he came to church the next day and LOVED IT! He was raising his hand and making all sorts of good comments. Tomorrow we'll talk to him about why he needs to be baptized again and set a date!
GOD IS GOOD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! He has blessed us with lots of success in this area. Things are really blooming. We get calls about transfers on Saturday *crossing fingers I'll stay* haha
I LOVE YOU ALL AND PRAY FOR YOU!
HAPPY DAY OF LOVE!
JOHN 15:13
Monday, February 7, 2011
We Are Just Getting Lost in the Work
That is super exciting about Zach!!!!!!!!!!!! Tell him congrats for me. Is Phil going too?
I'm excited to try and speak Spanish with the exchange students when I get back :) :) :) Thanks to Heavenly Father's help, Spanish is getting a little bit easier to understand and speak. I'm not PRO by any means, but I survive and can communicate the Lord's message. Oh my goodness... for some reason we have been going in wrong directions lately and have almost gone to Mexico like three times haha.
OH MY IT WAS FREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEZING HERE!!!!!!!!!! It is never supposed to get like below 50 here in the winter but last week it was 28!!!!!!!!! I was NOT prepared for this weather haha! EVERYONE WAS FREAKING OUT! A couple days before, while we were contacting, we saw everyone covering their trees and plants with plastic... and we were thinking "hmm that is kind of weird," then sure enough it got FREEZING. We literally had nothing for the cold. I gave away all my thick skirts because I was sure I'd never need them. We made an emergency Walmart trip to get clothes... but all they had were swimsuits! haha no gloves/scarves/nothing... well we were at least able to buy tights which made all the difference. We just basically wore all the clothes we had - we wore our sweatpants under our skirts and rolled them up so you couldn't see :) They closed school for 2 days here... just because it was 32 degrees... funny huh?! We took pictures because there were little icicles next to our TEXAS license plate. I'm going to send it to Jon because they are cooler then his New York icicles. While contacting everyone was like "what are you doing?!?! go home!!!!" haha.
We are teaching a lot of awesome people right now. One of them is athiest. He LOVES learning. He said "time with you always goes by way too fast!" He told us that since he has been to the US, Christians have been trying to get him to come to church and keep telling him "you have a dark spirit, come to church!" and that really turned him off to religion... but then he saw the Elder's from the church and how happy they were all the time. He was like "they do the same thing day in and day out and say the same things over and over... but the difference with them is that they are HAPPY when they do it... and so I thought there must be something different about that church." And now we are teaching him and he loves it all! He asks lots of good questions and wants to learn.
We had Stake Conference up in Harlingen. It was awesome! I got to see my Raymondville family :) Sister Carlso and Nelson were there so it was fun to catch up with them. They told me that Crystal got baptized!!!!!! (we were teaching her last transfer). They are having lots of success up there which is exciting. It is always fun to hear from old companions... did I tell you that I found out that the Perez kids got baptized after I left???????! SO COOL!
The package was awesome! Thanks so much. We are just getting lost in the work here.
Love,
Hermana Bricker
I'm excited to try and speak Spanish with the exchange students when I get back :) :) :) Thanks to Heavenly Father's help, Spanish is getting a little bit easier to understand and speak. I'm not PRO by any means, but I survive and can communicate the Lord's message. Oh my goodness... for some reason we have been going in wrong directions lately and have almost gone to Mexico like three times haha.
OH MY IT WAS FREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEZING HERE!!!!!!!!!! It is never supposed to get like below 50 here in the winter but last week it was 28!!!!!!!!! I was NOT prepared for this weather haha! EVERYONE WAS FREAKING OUT! A couple days before, while we were contacting, we saw everyone covering their trees and plants with plastic... and we were thinking "hmm that is kind of weird," then sure enough it got FREEZING. We literally had nothing for the cold. I gave away all my thick skirts because I was sure I'd never need them. We made an emergency Walmart trip to get clothes... but all they had were swimsuits! haha no gloves/scarves/nothing... well we were at least able to buy tights which made all the difference. We just basically wore all the clothes we had - we wore our sweatpants under our skirts and rolled them up so you couldn't see :) They closed school for 2 days here... just because it was 32 degrees... funny huh?! We took pictures because there were little icicles next to our TEXAS license plate. I'm going to send it to Jon because they are cooler then his New York icicles. While contacting everyone was like "what are you doing?!?! go home!!!!" haha.
We are teaching a lot of awesome people right now. One of them is athiest. He LOVES learning. He said "time with you always goes by way too fast!" He told us that since he has been to the US, Christians have been trying to get him to come to church and keep telling him "you have a dark spirit, come to church!" and that really turned him off to religion... but then he saw the Elder's from the church and how happy they were all the time. He was like "they do the same thing day in and day out and say the same things over and over... but the difference with them is that they are HAPPY when they do it... and so I thought there must be something different about that church." And now we are teaching him and he loves it all! He asks lots of good questions and wants to learn.
We had Stake Conference up in Harlingen. It was awesome! I got to see my Raymondville family :) Sister Carlso and Nelson were there so it was fun to catch up with them. They told me that Crystal got baptized!!!!!! (we were teaching her last transfer). They are having lots of success up there which is exciting. It is always fun to hear from old companions... did I tell you that I found out that the Perez kids got baptized after I left???????! SO COOL!
The package was awesome! Thanks so much. We are just getting lost in the work here.
Love,
Hermana Bricker
Thursday, February 3, 2011
THERE ARE RECORD BAPTISMS HERE IN THE TMM MISSION!
Yay for chimichanga feast! That is awesome! I do looooooooooooooooooooove chimigchangas! :) I have yet to try one here in Tejas but SOON hopefully! I still don't think I'd like them as much as yours though! That is a really neat story about the man who lived in Bulgaria. The Lord works in mysterious but awesome ways :)
This week I got worse with my cold. The blessing was that the Lord was able to sustain me through it so that I could work each day. I didn't have to stay in at all but I was a little out of it haha... but luckily I have two companions :) I FEEL GREAT TODAY!!!!!!!!!!!! I'M HEALTHY AGAIN YAY!!!!!!!!!!! GRACIAS A DIOS! As we say down here :)
So this week has been one of ups and downs. I'm finally beginning to feel the "rollarcoaster of emotions" that my friends always said they had on their missions. As I have been out longer on the mission... I'm really starting to understand and feel the weight and importance of THIS MESSAGE. You know my personality... before it was like "whatever makes you happy go with it... but I know this will make you happiest." but now the Lord has helped me be more bold and tell the people "THIS is the way." I really feel like the past couple of weeks have been a test of my attributes. I think Heavenly Father just went straight down the list "Okay let's test her on Charity... okay check... how about patience... okay check.... Knowledge... okay check." It has been hard. I always thought I was a pretty patient person... but not anymore haha. It is really true that the Lord will show us our weaknesses. My patience was tested by many of our investigators this week. They were awesome and wanted to get baptized and I was SO EXCITED FOR THEM... but then a few days later they don't want anything to do with us. It was rough. I don't get it... but someday they will be ready... I just need patience.
The Lord blessed us BASTANTE yesterday. I feel like He just opened the gates of Heaven and just started pouring awesome and ready people into our paths. We have been trying to get one investigator to come to church for WEEKS now... we went yesterday to tell him that we can't come by anymore to visit him if he wouldn't come to church... but then he opened the door with his nice shirt and slacks on ready for church. Haha we were SUPER surprised and happy about that. He told me "it was hard to get here but now that I'm here I really like it... I have a lot to do to get ready for baptism" AWWW!
Then this week we were walking out of our apartment to start the day... some people started talking to Sis. Zamora while I was going to get in the car... but then I FORGOT THE KEYS IN THE APARTMENT AND IT WAS LOCKED (of course :) you know me). So I go to join the conversation with these two older women who were speaking Spanish... it turns out that they had been praying to God for help with their situation and looking for missionaries and then saw us :) One of them came to church THAT Sunday which was fast and testimony Sunday... and she got up to bear her testimony... her FIRST Sunday there! How cool huh! We had to turn her over to the Elders because she doesn't live in our area, but it was cool to see the Lord working in our lives and putting people in our path... and making me lock us out so we had time to talk to them :)
YES I BELIEVE IT ABOUT THE BAPTISMS!!!!!!! THERE ARE RECORD BAPTISMS HERE IN THE TMM MISSION! This month of January there were 114 people who were baptized here in south Texas!
LET US ALL PRESS ON!
LOVE YOU!!!!!!!!
I LOVE LIFE AND I'M EXCITED FOR YOUR PACKAGE!!!!!!!!!
la vida es buena
This week I got worse with my cold. The blessing was that the Lord was able to sustain me through it so that I could work each day. I didn't have to stay in at all but I was a little out of it haha... but luckily I have two companions :) I FEEL GREAT TODAY!!!!!!!!!!!! I'M HEALTHY AGAIN YAY!!!!!!!!!!! GRACIAS A DIOS! As we say down here :)
So this week has been one of ups and downs. I'm finally beginning to feel the "rollarcoaster of emotions" that my friends always said they had on their missions. As I have been out longer on the mission... I'm really starting to understand and feel the weight and importance of THIS MESSAGE. You know my personality... before it was like "whatever makes you happy go with it... but I know this will make you happiest." but now the Lord has helped me be more bold and tell the people "THIS is the way." I really feel like the past couple of weeks have been a test of my attributes. I think Heavenly Father just went straight down the list "Okay let's test her on Charity... okay check... how about patience... okay check.... Knowledge... okay check." It has been hard. I always thought I was a pretty patient person... but not anymore haha. It is really true that the Lord will show us our weaknesses. My patience was tested by many of our investigators this week. They were awesome and wanted to get baptized and I was SO EXCITED FOR THEM... but then a few days later they don't want anything to do with us. It was rough. I don't get it... but someday they will be ready... I just need patience.
The Lord blessed us BASTANTE yesterday. I feel like He just opened the gates of Heaven and just started pouring awesome and ready people into our paths. We have been trying to get one investigator to come to church for WEEKS now... we went yesterday to tell him that we can't come by anymore to visit him if he wouldn't come to church... but then he opened the door with his nice shirt and slacks on ready for church. Haha we were SUPER surprised and happy about that. He told me "it was hard to get here but now that I'm here I really like it... I have a lot to do to get ready for baptism" AWWW!
Then this week we were walking out of our apartment to start the day... some people started talking to Sis. Zamora while I was going to get in the car... but then I FORGOT THE KEYS IN THE APARTMENT AND IT WAS LOCKED (of course :) you know me). So I go to join the conversation with these two older women who were speaking Spanish... it turns out that they had been praying to God for help with their situation and looking for missionaries and then saw us :) One of them came to church THAT Sunday which was fast and testimony Sunday... and she got up to bear her testimony... her FIRST Sunday there! How cool huh! We had to turn her over to the Elders because she doesn't live in our area, but it was cool to see the Lord working in our lives and putting people in our path... and making me lock us out so we had time to talk to them :)
YES I BELIEVE IT ABOUT THE BAPTISMS!!!!!!! THERE ARE RECORD BAPTISMS HERE IN THE TMM MISSION! This month of January there were 114 people who were baptized here in south Texas!
LET US ALL PRESS ON!
LOVE YOU!!!!!!!!
I LOVE LIFE AND I'M EXCITED FOR YOUR PACKAGE!!!!!!!!!
la vida es buena
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