Hollller from LA!

What a crazy couple of days. LA is a fastttttt moving city, as I'm sure you all know. I Love it already.

Couple items of business:

1) my address is different than the address that is on my blog. It is

*1591 E. Temple Way Los, Angeles CA 90024*.

Send mail there please! I will get anything that was sent to the other address. It's a mistake that they are working on...

2) I can only e-mail family. SO anyone can e-mail ME, but I can only e-mail my family. Keep e-mails and letters coming though and I will write back!

3) My hair is a problem here in LA. I think it's gonna be curly for the next 17 months. that doesn't really affect you, but it an item of business.

We got off the plane, met our mission president-- President Baker-- and his wife and the AP's and then we drove to a church, met our companions and then it was off to proselyte! They don't mess around. My companion is Sister Browning and she is rad. The second we started tracting together, knocking on doors, and talking to people on the street, I knew I was going to learn a LOT from her. She's quite the missionary. AND on top of that, we have a lot of fun together. She's hilarious. We laugh a lot. That first day tracting we ran into some interesting people. It's crazy how many different types of people there are in LA. I mean we all know that, but when you are finding people to share the Gospel with, you realize how diverse it really is.

It was this first day tracting that I decided something: I'm going to learn Spanish. My companion is a Spanish-Speaking missionary, and a lot of the other Sisters at the VC (Visitors Center) habla espanol tambien, so I am learning from everyone. I've actually learned quite a bit all ready and I can almost lead a tour en espanol. Proud? My goal is to be fluent by the time I leave. Don't follow up on that though...ha.

The VC is pretty amazing. Most high-tech one in the world! Everyone should come see it. It really is pretty awesome. I have all ready had amazing experiences with people that I have taken on tours and such. Russel M. Nelson came and dedicated the building on Friday. I got here Wednesday and 2 days later, I got to shake the hand of an apostle of the Lord! He gave us missionaries a fireside and it was amazing. He walks in the room, and you KNOW he is an apostle of the Lord, the spirit is that strong. Pretty amazing. A lot of well-known ministers from the area were here at the dedication. I became really good friends with one of them and she was so interested in the teachings of the church.

The VC is such a great resource. Any question can be answered by a video, presentation, or missionary. It's such a cool thing to be a part of. Sis. Browning and I were saying a prayer to leave the apartment to head to the Dedication and I was praying and I was all ready laughing at something I had said in spanish before the prayer so I was ready to burst at any given moment. And then I said "Please bless that we will receive elder nelson gracefully". I meant "graciously" and when I said gracefully" I had this image of Elder Nelson floating in a lyrical dance to us missionaries, and us receiving his movement likewise. Needless to say, I lost it. I couldn't regain my composure, so Sister Browning finished my prayer. Hilarious.

My ward is amazing. We are serving in the Santa Monica area and our ward is the most diverse ward I have ever seen. From the richest to the poorest. Morgan From "Laguna Beach" and her husband are in our ward, and then we have people who barely get food on the table. It is such a strong ward though. True story...A woman named Zekaia is a recent convert and she gave the lesson in Primary and it was a really amazing thing. The kids were all being rowdy and such and then when Ze Ze started to speak, so humbly and nervous, the kids just paid full attention to her. I got a little teary eyed during her lessons, realizing how blessed I am to have had this gift of the gospel my whole life. There are so many people who need the gospel...I watched her teach and I knew that Jesus Christ died for each and every one of us. Tender mercies.

I've all ready seen 2 friends that were in LA come in to the center. Court came, and OH what a treat that was. Really, such a wonderful hour or so that we walked around the center. Rob Moffat lives here in LA so he stopped by. I'm sure I will see him a lot. Its weird, it's only been 5 weeks since I have seen everyone, feels like years.

Hope this finds everyone happy and well. I miss you all. I show pictures of all the grand kids and the familia to everyone a lot and I brag probably too much about how cool everyone is who I have picture with in my album. I really do love you all. The church is true! The Atonement is soooo real and I can see it working on people all the time. It's amazing. Keep the letters and emails coming. I am loved, and it is gooooood. Thank you so much.

Love,

Sista Brink