Week 29 - Sleep in the Promised Land? Ain't Nobody Got Time For Dat!

June 2, 2015

Well... This past week has been SUPER crazy! Who am I kidding...the past 2 weeks have been crazy!

So, since I talked to you last I have had President interviews, exchanges with the STL's, Stake Conference, AND.... A second mission conference where Elder D. Todd Christofferson came and talked to us! Not to mention all the awesome lessons and people we have talked to this week. I can't believe it's Monday again and that it has only been that short of time... just crazy!
Aanyway... I will talk about the highlights :)

President Interviews:

So we drove 2 hrs to Columbia and showed up early to eat lunch :) and Sister Morgan decided to join us and talked and ate with us for a good 20 mins :) She is such an amazing woman. She is trying to become the best mission president's wife she can and to become dignified. She is such a sweetheart! Anyway, we got done and went to the room for district meeting, but the Elders were 30 mins late so we started without them... just us and the Zone Leaders and they went through announcements and then the Elders showed up and we went through them again :) lol. It is so nice to be able to have a few minutes to talk with president one on one. He really is an inspired man but it was really funny, when I first sat down he looked at me and said that it felt like I should still be in Centralia... I agreed and said that I love Marceline too, but it was weird not being in Centralia.

EXCHANGES:

​So right after interviews we spilt off with the STL's and ran off to our areas. I went to Columbia with Sister Montgomery. She is SO funny! ​We went and had dinner with some members who were such a cute family! And the dad made a point of having to play his guitar to us (apparently he does this every time) and played a song that he made up about loving the children because Jesus  loved them. Then we ran to a lesson but they weren't home :/ so we went and met a potential investigator and shared with her what the Book of Mormon is all about. Then we went back to the apartment and I got to play the guitar that Sister Montgomery has :) I haven't played for awhile so it hurt my fingers but I don't care :) Then we talked until it was time to go to bed. In the morning we got up and went to a lesson with a man that came from Iraq to America to be free and he is loving the gospel and the church!
Stake Conference:

We got to go to the Sunday session and Julie (one of our investigators) CAME! She is in a wheelchair and deals with so much pain it's not even funny! She has developed a great understanding and relationship with God of what the Bible teaches and sacrifices so much to follow. And she has been trying to come to church for the past 3 weeks and everything goes wrong the day or night before and makes it impossible for her to come :) But she CAME! The talks were really great and focused on change and keeping the Sabbath day holy. One of the talks reminded me of [my baby brother] Adam and took me right back to saying goodbye to him for the last time and when I realized I won't see him in this life anymore. That hurt a LOT! like tearing off a bandaid that I didn't know was there. But God really does step in to comfort us when we really need it and ask for it. [Mom note: Sister Brimley was 7-years-old when her infant brother passed away.]

After conference we went back to our area and then had to proceed to drive all the way BACK to Columbia.

​MISSION CONFERENCE!:​

​

Oh man! we are so blessed! We got to listen to another Apostle?!​ We had Elder D. Todd Christofferson come! He is actually super funny! He was cracking jokes and yet was able to invite the spirit with the humor; and his wife is so sweet and also is able to invite the spirit just as powerfully! From Sister Christofferson I learned that God will bless us only as much as we have prepared/have room for. She shared a scripture in the old testament 2 Kings 4:1-7. Then Elder Christofferson talked about the "mission" that the general authorities have and their responsibilities. And then he proceeded to put us on the same level as them and we all felt so floored and astounded. Then he talked about the atonement and how we are all in debt to the Savior and should NEVER feel like He owes us anything! Then he opened it up to answering questions. And talked a little bit more about the atonement.

President Morgan then shared an awesome story that I will share next week but I have run out of time!

​I love you all and have really appreciated the letters, pictures and email everyone has sent! You are all so great!​

 

Love,

Sister Brimley

Week 28 - Sickness In The Promised Land

May 25, 2015

Well... I got sick this week....thankfully for the first time (that has stopped me from working) 

But we were STUCK IN THE APARTMENT FOR 3 AND 1/2 DAYS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! WE WENT CRAZY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! and for the week we lost about 5 days of work :/ because Sister Rapp was a day behind me in the sickness and it was just bad news. Fever and nausea :(

 

Not a whole lot to talk about... We spent 2 days watching all 4 of the movies we have and watched them over and over... And we built a fort :) That was fun! 

 

Sister Rapp in our "fort"

But beside that! WE HAVE PRESIDENT INTERVIEWS AND! EXCHANGES TODAY!!!!!!!!! We are so excited! :) I get to spend the rest of the day and part of tomorrow in Columbia with Sister Montgomery!  I GET TO BE IN THE CITY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Even if it is for a super small time :)

 

Oh so last week didn't end up cutting my hair. But I got the tips frosted :) My hair LOOKS LIKE FIRE! :) so much fun

My frosted hair :)

 

I love you all and I know that God is on our side and that he is perfectly aware of what we need and when we need it.

 

Week 27 - T-Rex In The Promised Land

May 18, 2015

Walking to the library on P-day with Sister Rapp

Soooo... here's something that will make you laugh....

Here in the heart of America they have this thing about trains... I am not very fond of trains and I haven't understood until just the other day when I realized why...

For some reason when I hear a train it makes the hair on the back of my neck stand on end and I start to feel super uncomfortable... Like when in Jurassic Park the T-Rex shows up.... So trains remind me of T-Rex... And of course there is always a train that comes by right when we pull up to our apartment... of course! lol

But other than that this week has been AWESOME and went by WAY TOO FAST! Didn't I just email you yesterday!?!?

 

 

 

Left: The double-wide our branch meets in.

 

Right: The purple port-a-potty!!!

 

 

 

 

We had an amazing Zone Conference where EVERYONE from the Columbia zone came to the building in Columbia and had our Zone Leaders and Sister Training Leaders give us short trainings :) and Sister Rapp and I sang a musical number! We sang Ye Elders of Israel. Then the STL's talked to us and taught how we need to not return to our nets after the day is done. We all have "fish" (or weaknesses or sins) that we hold onto that inhibit us from truly being converted and walking with Christ. They had little fish cut out and had us write our fish down and then go rip them up and throw them in a trash can that was under a picture of Christ.

 

Our Zone had a Zone-wide half hour of planking.... I planked for a good 20 mins....
that wasn't super fun.... BUT I DID IT!

 

Then it was the ZL's turn. And now I am just PUMPED to do missionary work! There are so many awesome changes that are going to happen this summer! Oh man! So a little while after I came in they lowered the cap on how many missionaries would be called to this area. We went from 250 to 200. It doesn't seem like a lot but it IS! We went from 80 sisters to about 50. So for the last 3 transfers we have sent home missionaries and gotten none... And then we started getting some Elders and last transfer we got 1 SISTER! It was so great! But now that more and more people are going home by the end of the summer we will have 51 missionaries being trained! That means that 102 missionaries going over the training material and having that enthusiasm and excitement that a new missionary has... or THE FIRE OF A GREENIE! Sister Rapp and I are so stinkin' excited we just can't contain our joy!

Sister Rapp's Shirt-Burning

 

There is a tradition that when you hit certain landmark months you burn something. Since I hit my 6 month mark at the beginning of my transfer and Sister Rapp hit her half way mark we both got to burn something :) 6 months is tights and half way is a shirt :) So we went to a member's house and did so :) It was so FUN!

 

 

 

 

We are having to take 3 car drives to Columbia this month (90 miles one way, about 2 hours away!) And are having to be SUPER thrifty with miles... So we walked all over Marceline Saturday.... And got some blisters, had a great conversation with a wonderful lady, got sunburned and dumped rain on... Good day!

 

In Centralia I had gotten blisters and so I didn't get any but my arches were not super happy with me... And poor Sister Rapp got some good ones... We were walking to a less active member's house and got stopped by a cute little dog and ended up talking to a very sweet older woman for about an hour and a half and her daughter popped in and out. Her daughter went inside to do laundry and decided to look up Mormonism online... She didn't share what it said but read some scriptures about false prophets and cursing them... We asked her what she got out of these scriptures and she said that she needs to pray about things and find out from God. We whole heartedly agreed and bore our testimony of prayer. Then she turned around and walked back inside... and told her mom that she needed help. Not a minute later the older lady came out and said that we needed to be done because they had to leave. We asked her to pray before we left and she said several times in the prayer that she doesn't believe in the same way as us...

 

I really don't know what they read on the internet but from their reactions it must have been really bad... It makes me sad that people don't try to find things out for themselves but trust the opinions of others on the internet.

 

                 On our way home it just started to dump buckets of rain...

 

...and to say the least...

 

 

                                                ...we got wet!

 

 

 

 

 

We are getting our hair cut today. :) There is a lady in the ward that loves to cut the missionary's hair! :)

"I looked out the window and what did I see?" The St. Louis, Missouri,
 Temple!!

This transfer I am focusing on light and faith so my scripture is 3 Nephi 19:25 and Romans 12:13 Our light and faith are our shield against the adversary and we receive our light and faith from and in our Savior Jesus Christ and our Heavenly Father.

Headed to Columbia

Transfer Meeting

"Bye Sister Petrie! I love you!!"

Week 26 - There are HILLS in the Promised Land!

May 11, 2015

Oh man! I love this area! This is going to be so great! I feel like I was definitely called here for a reason, and that I have been so prepared for the things I am working with :) 

 

Well the branch president's wife just walked into the library and invited us to lunch, so I have to be quick :) (MOM NOTE: Normally I would feel cheated, but we had a fabulous hour-long Skype with her yesterday and my Megan-o-meter is still mostly full!)

 

First off, I LOVE YOU! It was so fun to see you guys yesterday! :) Ya'll are pretty great! 

 

Ok... so I am serving in Marceline, Missouri, now :) YAY!!! (MOM NOTE: Marceline is in the NE corner of the mission.)

 

FUN FACT! Marceline is where Walt Disney grew up! and Disneyland main street is designed just like the main street here :) kinda cool! And I am going to go sign the Disney barn later today! So fun! (MOM NOTE: She said the family barn is still there and it's open for people to visit and "sign the barn". Pretty fun!)

 

The people here are so awesome and are so open to the spirit and to learning more! I can't wait to tell you about them next week! Another fun fact... for church we meet in a double wide trailer :) and have a purple port-a-potty outside... we are pushing for them to build a actual build for us to meet in! :)

 

I am doing fabulous and love being here but it would be great if I could get email or letters from home (family and friends). I have heard that satan works really hard on the missionaries here and I know I have all of you supporting me but I really feel like I might need an extra boost this transfer. 

 

I have to run but I love you! And I will send pics next week!

 

Love,

Sister Brimley