Happy Monday to Everyone!! Also! Happy Birthday to my little sister, Morgan this week! She is getting way too old. Also, Happy Birthday to Mexico, Mi patria! haha thank goodness I am serving in a Spanish ward for this glorious celebration :) 

Anyways! So this week was very interesting. Actually it was pretty hard. But it was also amazing. We started the week off really strong, feeling like we were doing what we knew how to do, and making progress in our area. THEN we had a big zone conference that focused all on Becoming Consecrated Missionaries. We talked about the what it really means to serve God with all of your heart, might, mind and strength, and how we as a mission can come closer to that. It was all based off of a talk from Elder Tad R. Callister, which is amazing! If you can find it, read it. It applies to so much more than just missionay work. Anyways, so we were all super inspired and I really felt so much love from my Heavenly Father. I felt that I was given the exact help that I needed to become the missionary I am supposed to be. So my companion and I set some goals, and really committed ourselves to being more consecrated missionaries, ready to get to work and see thousands of miracles.... and then Heavenly Father reminded us whose work it is. We saw hardly any success the rest of the week. No one came to church, our only serious investigator stopped progressing, and we could not find ANYONE at home. We had no idea what had happened! And so we were talking about it last night, and it really hit me the importance of enduring with humility. We got so caught up in how successful we would be with our new goals, that we had lost our focus. Everything we do as missionaries is to help point ourselves and others to Christ. Numbers don't do that, the praise of others doesn't do that, only pure honest hearts trying to become more like the Savior can do that. So anyways, it was a really good lesson to learn, and I am very grateful that we don't have to be perfect. We just have to allow Christ to help us through our weaknesses and imperfections to help us become BETTER. Life is all about progression :) 

ALSO!!! JOHN GOT BAPTIZED ON SATURDAY!!! When I found out, I was practically crying tears of joy and sorrow at the same time. Joy because he was able to finally become clean and come closer to the Savior through baptism. Sorrow because I couldn't be there :( But! Some of the sisters that we are over were able to go, and so they said they got a program for me and that it all went beautifully :) hopefully I will get to see him at the missionary fireside next weekend!! 

Anyways, I am pretty much out of time, but I want you all to know that I know that Jesus Christ is real. He lives. He did what He said He did. He understands us so perfectly, and completely, and He loves us wholly. Life is not about micromanaging ourselves so that we don't ever mess up. It is about acknowledging that we are imperfect, that we do need help, and then going to the only person who can help us. He wants us to be happy, soooo happy. And He is willing to do anything for us to help us achieve that. We just need to have faith in Him and try our very best. I love yo all, and I hope you can remember the Savior in your thoughts as you may come across trials and hard things that we can't really explain. I know that He will help you.

Les Quiero!! 

-Hermana Brooks