Monday, December 12, 2011

Dear Family,

It's been a busy week and it's getting busier - things are getting up to speed in our area!! My companion and I are working hard and our schedule has been filling up quickly. It's been so wonderful to see it happen.

My time has been cut short today because we have a lot to do, but I am absolutely loving being here and love the people we get to teach and serve. There have been little miracles everywhere - a family we are trying to help get active and to the temple is from Mexico; even though I fall short with Spanish, Heavenly Father is mindful and has been helping me so that we can better help this family.

I know that this is a busy time of year and I also know that all of you are greatly involved with missionary work, but I ask you to consider making a family mission plan if you haven't already. Who do you know that needs to feel Christ's love? How can you help them feel His love, and when will you do that (whatever it may be) by? Pray for strength to share the message of the Gospel with those you love.

I love you all. Thank you for your support and prayers, and for your great examples. Thanks for all the encouragement - I feel like the last part of Helaman 3:10 has been "coming to pass" lately. :) You are the best!!

I know I am where I am supposed to be, and I know I am doing what I am supposed to do. I know this Gospel is true!

Love,

Sister Brinton

(P.S. The rhyme was unintentional!) :)

Monday, December 5, 2011

Dear Family,

How are you all doing? Did you love the Christmas devotional as much as we did?? The music in that program just moved me. I love that the Christmas hymns we sing remind us of our Savior, and why he has that title. He is the way we get back to Heavenly Father and how we have eternal families. He is the way we have hope and happiness. "Glad tidings of great joy" - that is what the Gospel message brings to everyone.

Something I have noticed lately is just how purely the Book of Mormon testifies of Christ. "And then shall they know their Redeemer, who is Jesus Christ, the Son of God." (3 Nephi 5:26). I feel that I cannot get enough of this book - nowhere else have I read things that state so simply and so frequently of our Savior and His purpose. I have heard that the more we come to know Christ and His Atonement, the more our desire to share it with others increases. I've seen it - the more I study the doctrine teachings of Christ found in the Book of Mormon, the more I want to share it with others. Everything about the Savior and His Atonement gives us peace and comfort, and hope for the future. It gives us strength and reassurance, a sense of purpose and belonging, and helps us realize was really matters most. I love the Book of Mormon. I love my Savior. He lives! I know He does - and my faith in Him strengthens me daily and makes me so happy. Maybe I sound like a broken record in always talking about the Book of Mormon, but there's a reason I keep bringing it up - it will bring us closer to God more than any other book. Read the introduction, read the book - and find out for yourself. It won't necessarily take away our problems, but I promise you that you will find comfort and strength that you didn't think was possible before.

I love this Gospel and I love the work we are doing. I said I would talk about who we have been teaching but things are starting over again - my last companion went home this week, and I now have a new companion and trainer. I am seeing the Lord's hand in all of this and I really have been so blessed and am so grateful for how things have been and are now working out. The Lord loves us so dearly and cares about us more than we realize - He wants to hear from us, and He really does answer our prayers. He has done that for me - He will do it for you. I am so grateful for His help and strength in my life.

I love you all so much. Thank you again and again for all your support and prayers. I have felt extra love and blessings lately and I am just overwhelmed by it all. Mom, thank you for the Christmas packages for my companion and me (they are under our little Christmas tree!), you are SO thoughtful and generous - we feel like gold!! :) And Dad, thank you again for sending those notes to me and for making such a good impression on the mission office staff! (Even though I didn't see you, of course!) They all said how impressed they were with the great spirit you had about you (wasn't surprised!). Also, I hope you have a great birthday tomorrow - Feliz Cumpleanos a ti!! :) Speaking of Spanish, thank you Mom (and the rest of the Brinton women in Utah) for the darling Feliz Navidad card - I had the opportunity to study Spanish during my last companion's language study time, so it was fun to get that in the mail and brush up some more on my Spanish. :)

Thank you thank you for all you do for me. I love being here and I love this Gospel!! :)

Love,

Sister Brinton

P.S. Here's a little taste of Wisconsin hahaha :) I love the people here!!

Monday, November 28, 2011

Dear Family,

I am HERE! And I am loving it SO much. I am in a quaint little area that covers two towns - the one we live in has darling Christmas lights and decorations on their main street, and the houses in the neighborhoods are small and so charming. And the people - the people are the best part. I love how they are all die-hard Packers fans :) and really big into their religions and families. I love the people and I love this area. Just like we thought it would be, it is overcast and gets dark quickly :) but it doesn't even matter because there are people here that need the Gospel, and I am just so ready to get out and share it. At first I would get frustrated because we have so much work to do and not enough time to do it - I wanted to do everything at once; but I am learning that we have to do things in the Lord's way and timing, and that includes being patient and doing things little by little, step by step.

They have a new training program they have implemented called "The First 12 Weeks", which includes a special manual that my trainer and I read and study out of every day, as well as watching video clips together of teaching examples to help learn how we can better teach certain topics. This new program is very helpful and I do learn a lot from it, but because we take extra time for it - and still have to do an hour each of personal study, companionship study, and language study (English is not my companion's first language!) - we don't get out of the house until after lunch! We also have an hour of exercise in the mornings because we do not get a lot of sunlight here, so our Mission President has added that to our morning schedule which has been very helpful. I love that man and know that any counsel he gives us is inspired.

I have learned that when we rely on and show our faith in the Lord, He blesses us so much and gives us an increase of the Spirit to help make this work possible. Moroni 10:7 and Alma 18:34-35 both talk about the power that comes from having the Spirit - I know that the Lord is working through us with the Spirit to help our efforts go forward. We would not be able to do anything we are doing without Him; I have felt the Spirit work through me and through my companion. This past week we have been praying for help and He has been giving it to us! I can't tell you how much my faith has grown; the Lord really has blessed us so much, I am humbled by how much He has been helping us along. I wish I could write to you about all of our experiences, people we are teaching and the people the Lord helped us find but I don't have enough time (hopefully next time). I love you all and hope you are doing well. I really do appreciate your prayers, love and support. This Gospel is true and it can bless our lives more than we realize - we just need to come closer to Christ.

I am so grateful for all of you! Hope you had a great Thanksgiving!

Love,

Sister Brinton

Tuesday, November 15

Dear Family,

The next time you hear from me, I'll be in WISCONSIN!!!! :) :) :) I am so excited I can hardly stand it. The time here has flown by, and I'll be flying by you shortly (you know you're a Brinton when...). :) Every day I am here I get more excited to just get out and go; I want to meet the people there so badly. I cannot WAIT!

I have had such powerful experiences here; I wish I could share them with you but some feel too sacred to do so openly. I have felt the Spirit so strongly. I am so grateful to have this opportunity and have been very humbled. I cannot do any of this without the Lord's help but He is so loving and so generous - He has been helping me every step of the way, and I know He will continue to do so.

I know that the Book of Mormon is the word of God. No matter if you've read it a hundred times or never before, please read it - I have found answers there that I cannot find anywhere else to questions I have, and a power and comfort that is so different from any other book I've ever read.

I love you all so much. I love this Gospel. I cannot wait to go out and serve.

Love,

Sister Brinton

Tuesday, November 8

Family!!

I can't BELIEVE that I have been in the MTC for almost a week now - it's flown by!! I am loving it here - I can see the Lord's hand in everything that has been happening. I feel so blessed to have such a great district - we are ALL going to Wisconsin (how awesome is that?!) except for one of our Elders who is heading to New York, but we've adopted him. :) I love every one of them; we are getting so close and it's been wonderful. My teachers are great - they are so patient and kind, and have taught me so much already. I love my companion - I really look up to her; she has been such a great example to me and together we are a power duo, in studying and teaching. I love getting to teach lessons to our investigators together because of the Spirit she brings into the lessons. I've been very, very blessed.

Dad, at the temple today I the worker at the front desk asked me if I had a father that served in Southern California - I wasn't sure if you knew him, Lynn Thomsen? He said that he was the first counselor in a branch presidency down there. Small world if you do!! Ben, I will e-mail you back next week - I ran out of time today I am sorry. Family, thank you for your notes and packages - your love and support has meant so much to me!

I can't believe I am finally a missionary. I have been waiting for this for so long, and it is finally here and I am SO happy to get to do what I do every day. I love wearing a badge that tells others I'm a representative of Christ. I have learned from the get-go how I cannot do anything without the Lord's help - He's my partner in this work; I need His counsel, Spirit and strength in everything I do, and it's wonderful. I'm growing and I'm learning, and I am working hard to prepare for the mission field.

I know that I've been called where I need to go - I can feel it. I have a passion and a love for this work - the church is true, I know it. I know that this is the restored Gospel of Jesus Christ. I am trying to take advantage of every minute I have here. Thank you for all your love and support!! I love you all.

Much love,

Sister Brinton