Wednesday, April 29, 2015

Hello everyone!! I hope you are all having an amazing week.Can you believe it is already May??? I am having a hard time wrapping my mind around it.
Well everyone, the past two weeks have been the craziest weeks of my mission! I don't even know where to start...

So last week, my beloved companion, trainer, and fellow sister-training leader Hermana Hales went home :( It was really great and really sad. It made me realize that I still have so much to learn before I am ready to go home. SO MUCH! And the fact that in two weeks is my 9 MONTH MARK is making me have daily breakdowns. So that is fine. MOVING ON. So she went home and it was really sad. I cried a lot (typical) and then I settled into panic mode. The next day I was called to be a trainer for the second time, as well as remaining a STL however this transfer, I would be by myself. YIKES!! On top of that, we are now covering the Crossroads Branch AND an English Ward!! It is a huge responsibililty, especially because the missionary work in the ward has been really slow lately, and their are just low on hope right now. But we have faith that miracles can and will happen this transfer! So we have been running around like crazy trying to get the work moving on both sides, planning a baptism for next week, and also teaching my new companion, Hermana Christiansen from Cedar City, UT Spanish and all about missionary life. I don't think I have really taken a moment to breathe yet.... inhale... exhale... okay. 

BREAK! I need to tell you all about my amazing new companion Hermana Christiansen. She is INCREDIBLE!! Really, the new missionaries are so prepared and just amazing. Sorry, I am going to use the word 'amazing' a lot in here. Bear with me. So the first few days in the mission field, she was super tired and pretty much lost. As much as anyone can expect. And then all of a sudden, BAM! She just become dedicated to being a full-time missionary. Spanish is really hard for her,like she couldn't even say a full prayer in Spanish yet. But all within the first week, she has participated in every single lesson, prayed with people on the street in spanish, and given her testimony in church. THE GIFT OF TONGUES IS REAL! AND she is has so much faith. Like it is incredible. We were talking about it yesterday, after some really amazing experiences while knocking on door, and she shared something I thought was really profound. She said that while she was in the MTC she learned that we have to rely COMPLETELY on the Lord. Not just holding his arm for support, or leaning on Him when we are tired, but ENTIRELY. Putting all of our weight on him, and letting Him carry us. That hit me really hard, and I am now working on doing that more effectively. Basically, I just love my companion SO MUCH and I know that we are going to see so many miracles this transfer! 

So missionary work update: Eliseo is getting baptized next Monday!! Really, I have never met a more prepared person. From day one, he has had faith in everything we taught him, and has grown in his testimony SO MUCH! He has a true heart, and real intent, and is making leaps and bounds in his spiritual progress. It has humbled me so much to be able to work with him. We are also working really hard to teach his nephew, Oseas, and niece, Paola, who live with him and are so excited to become members of the church. We are having a meeting with them tonight and with the kids mom to ask permission to help them be baptized! PLEASE PRAY FOR THEM!

Other than that, everything is going really well. Still very stressful, but I am learning to rely entirely on the Lord. I am so grateful for the trials He has given me because I know that they are what I need to become the person He knows I can be. I am so grateful to be a missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, this experience has, is, and will continue to change my life forever. I know that this church is true. I know that God is our Loving Heavenly Father. I know that my Savior, Jesus Christ lives and loves us. I hope all of you know that as well. I love you all so much as well. 

con amor, 
La Hermana Brooks  


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