Yes, it has been a week of gold... We had a lot of miracles this week in Santa Monica!
I want to start by talking about last monday, after I sent this e-mail home, when the Young Ambassadors came to the VC! It was so much fun. I loved seeing everyone and I LOVED hearing their fireside. Randy surprisingly invited me to sing with them for "Come Thou Fount" which was really special. I looked out and saw so many people who have become so special to me... Robert Webster Light Jr, a bunch of Elders, my Sisters who I just love so much (a few I couldn't look at cause they were crying and I knew I would too if I looked at them), our Directors of the VC, a lot of the Senior couples... Just so many people who I love. And THEN to be singing with a group that really had a huge impact on my life. It was really neat. And THEN Randy asked me to bear my testimony. Well if you know me at all you know I am a spaz. Especially when I am feeling the spirit. I just get REALLY excited about what I am saying and I basically shout "I KNOW ITS TRUE!!!!" And of course say a lot of really dumb things... Sometimes I wonder if I need to become more subdued with my testimony... Ha. But anyways, it was just such a treat and I am so grateful that they came, that I was able to share this new piece of my life with them and also be able to listen to them sing. Wonderful! And to be able to tell Randy, who was my stand-in Dad for 2 years while I was on the group, about my mission and have him meet THE Robert Webster Light Jr... I am blessed.
SO. I learned a lot this week. About a LOT of different things.... But I am not sure how much of it I will be able to remember and write down so I'm just gonna have to do my best.
The biggest highlight is our lesson with Lois. She came to the VC on Saturday which was really such a miracle because I honestly was doubting a little bit that she would show up (there I go with my faith issues... working on it...) but IN she walked and I seriously threw my hands in the air and said " LOIS! You're here!". We had an amazing lesson with her and the Spirit was really strong. She has amazing questions, questions that only the Gospel can answer. Halfway through our teaching her and answering her questions she said "Goodness, I should just join your church! With two lovely YOUNG ladies who are answering my questions better than anyone else ever has!" Ummmm OK?! Right?! I know. So then by the end, we of course invited her to prepare for baptism and I couldn't even finish the invitation before she said "Well ya! Ya!" Needless to say, I could barely contain myself. It's always funny when something like that happens cause you never want to act TOO excited and start screaming and hugging so you try to just be calm and act like that happens every day... and I struggle with pretending like it does. Ha. It's a good thing I'm SUCH a good actress :) (sarcasm involved). So we have a lesson with her this week, and she is really excited to read the Book of Mormon. She left saying "So now I have the old and new testaments, AND the Bible!" Wow.
We had quite a situation with our Jewish friend, Sid. So Sid owns a hotel in Santa Monica and he LOVES us. He wanted either sis Browning or I to marry his son (he's gonna be a doctor... so I'm still thinking about it... keeping my options open... Just kidding :) and now he thinks sister cass is pretty cool too. So we went to see him (He's totally gonna get baptized someday, ps) and we were having a great conversation and one of his tenants at the hotel came in to talk to him... Long story short... It was totally a "What about Bob" situation because the guy was waiting for his ride so that he could leave for the night and come back the next day (santa monica has a law about only being able to stay at a hotel for 28 days at a time) and then finally his ride comes. His ride is his therapist for anger management and took him on as a Prob-Ono case 3 years ago and he is still needing his help. The therapist was SO cool but very frustrated by his client. Anyway, probably more funny in real life... but still pretty funny. If you've seen "What about Bob" it's exactly that story.
Also a highlight: I met "Bad Brad". If you don't know who that is, neither do I... but apparently hes a big deal becasue he's the best surfer in Malibu. But he didn't look very "Bad" to me. Anyways. We taught him a lesson on the street and I sang him a song. Haha. Kinda fun.
We have a new investigator named Sandy. She is a friend of our Less active family the Hursts (the one we've been working with to quit smoking... she hasn't smoked yet! Hooray! And I LOVE being off Sugar still.) and she has breast cancer and has just had a really hard life. We met her last night and she seems so humble and just wants to do what is right. She has 2 kids, both boys and one is autistic and she has nothing basically. So sad. We are so excited to help her understand how to follow Jesus Christ more. She is really sweet.
I'm addicted to H&M.
I'm also addicted to Pink Berry. Much better than yogurtland... just saying.
My hair touches my shoulders now and is probably almost it's natural color... (who knows what their natural color is anymore?)
Sister Bolton gave me a pair of purple shoes in return for my darling red ones that I gave her. Picture next week (I forgot my camera today). Wait til you see them. I have to wear them to church at least once so that she knows how much I appreciate them :) I'll be getting turned heads for sure! I always do have to make a statement I guess. Ha.
Ok I'm gonna talk about the Book of Mormon just for a sec. So in 3 Nephi 3 we have a great story. Maybe my new favorite. So the Nephites are really nervous about the Gadianton Robbers coming to destroy them. So they tell Gidgidoni to pray to the father to TELL the father what THEY want to do. Vs 20: "Now the people said unto Gidgidonni: Pray unto the Lord and let us go up upon the mountains and into the wilderness, that we may fall upon the robbers and destroy them in their own lands." I think I sometimes do that. I pray, semi-asking the Lord to give me what I need, and then I TELL him how I WANT it to be done and exactly WHAT I need... But oh how wrong that is! Who am I to be telling GOD what to do? I should probably chill out and let HIM decide what is best. Anyways... going on. So then Gid (I don't want to type it anymore) goes and prays but then tells them what the LORD wants them to do "The Lord forbid; for if we should go u[p against them the Lord would deliver us into their hands; therefore we will prepare ourselves in the center of our lands, and we will gather all our armies together and we will ot go against them, but we will wait till they shall come against us; therefore as the Lord liveth, if we do this he will deliever them into our hands." So they do this! They follow Gid and guess what happens?! WELL let me tell you. When the Nephites see the armies approaching do they run towards them with their OWN strength to defend them? Nay. When they see this huge, scary army approaching the Nephites "had fallen to the earth, and did lift their cries to the Lord their God that he would spare them and deliver them out of the hands of their enemies." Now, I don't know about you. But when the scary army is approaching me, I just clench on, and probably try to figure out how I, MYSELF can handle the army. Singlehandedly. But I need to follow the example of the Nephites and really rely on the Lord to deliver me. Do you think the Nephites won the battle? Of course they did! The Lord always delivers us when we rely on Him. That's the thought for the day.
Well I believe that is all I have for you this week. It always seems like I leave out a TON, but alas, one hour is just not very long. Ha. Allrighty, thank you all so much for your support, prayers, love, letters, friendship, memories... Gosh, I am really blessed and really lucky to have the best friends and family in the world.
The Gospel IS TRUE.
Love
Sister Brinkerhoff
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