Week 20 - Christmas!

December 28, 2015

Familia!!!!!

Singing in the Plaza with our zone.

 As for the patience thing, I think that is something I am learning to work on with my companion. We don't always see eye to eye and I have gotten frustrated with her more than a few times, but the one amazing thing I have learned is communication. I have always been awful at communicating and never liked talking through things, usually just avoiding about talking through them. But I have learned that when you talk through things, your relationship grows! Because you actually understand the other person and their perspective! Who knew!!??!? Ya, so every day seems to be just trying to understand her perspective, but it has been so good for me even though it has been hard. And I absolutely LOVE her and am so excited to be her companion!

Also she told me that she is always going to remember your voice (mom) talking to her. She could feel of your love for her. She really is the only member in her family besides her mom and really just wants to have a forever family. She said you guys were that example for her of what she wants to create for her own family in the future. Thanks for that mom!

As for this week, we have been trying to find the Less Actives in the ward because there were only a few in our area book when we got here. And we found SO many!!! And even better 5 of them came to church on Sunday!!!!!! I think this is the first week in the mission that we have had investigators, recent converts and menos activos (less actives) come to church!!! We are trying to work with the members more in our lessons and in finding people and it really has been working. I think I talk about this every week but its true! The members and the missionaries aren't of different religions...we are the same trying to do the same thing....Bring others Unto Christ!

Quick story...we have really been able to feel the spirit a lot in our lessons lately and as a companionship and one effect from this was that we were walking in the street one day, our other appointment had fallen through and we were going to another potential, but we decided to take a different route. 2 girls called out "Hermanas!" and we went over to talk to them. Turns out their older cousin is inactive and we had a super powerful lesson with her. She came to church on Sunday and told us she has been feeling so much better lately. I love the spirit!!!!

Christmas morning!

As for Christmas....it was AMAZING!!!!!!! We sang Christmas songs in the motokars and made all the motokar drivers laugh. We went and sang in the plaza as a zone and contacted people! So incredible to see the power of music! And oh man it was so good to see all your glowing faces through skype!!!! It just seemed like a casual conversation in the moment, but after it just seemed like a dream. But its not :)

That was about my week :) I have been so tired but I'm learning how to be a happy tired. Missionary work takes a lot out of you :) 

I love you all so incredibly much!!!  My scripture I've been focusing on lately is 2 Nephi 28:30. It is a great reminder that we all learn a little bit at a time and that we need to be patient in the things we learn. And that it's okay not to be perfect all at once :)

Love you!!

Hna Briggs

And thanks SO MUCH for the Christmas presents by the way :) I adore them!

Week 19 - First Transfer & Big Spiders

December 21, 2015

Familia!!!!!

Primero.....FELIZ NAVIDAD!!!!!!!!!

With my new comanion, Hermana Mucha
at Zone Conference!

I am hurrying to email back!!!! It sounds like you all have had so much fun during this Christmas season! Christmas isn't really as big of a deal here, and people really just love it because they get to eat Paneton (fruit cake). It is a joke in the US that people eat fruit cake during Christmas, but here it is actually a real thing! And they love it; so good for them! :) 

This week has been absolutely crazy!!! We had transfers on Monday night and my companion got sent to Iquitos!!! And I got sent to the area right next to mine, so I am still in the same ward, just a different area. So, I already know most of the people, but we have already gotten lost so many times in this new area! Oh ya!! I have a new companion!! Her name is Hna Mucha and she is amazing!!! She actually lived in the apartment right next to me before, so, we already know each other!! She is from Lima and has been a member for 6 years. She reallly understands what it means to teach by the spirit 

We moved houses and there are so many spiders
 that keep appearing in this house so this is me with
 the broom valiantly killing the giant spiders! 

We had Zone Conference only for Navidad!!! (Christmas). It was super cool to get to know our new Zone and, man, President and Sister Gomez are just incredible!!! They always know exactly what to say and how to help us. 

We have had some really cool teaching experiences this week, too. We don't know our area really well so we have been relying on the members and the spirit to help us. Last night we were walking and I had the impression to contact two people sitting outside their house. They didn't seem like the type that would listen but we went anyways. We learned that their grandma was a member and so we went in to visit her. Turns out that she is super menos activo (less active) and no one has visited her in years!! She told us she wants to change and she was praying that God would send her someone to help her!!!!! Incredible!!!!!!

Also, we had a super powerful lesson that wouldn't have been powerful if we hadn't messed up a few lessons before. We had some problems with our lessons previously in that day because we weren't used to teaching together, but we talked through them and figured out how to fix it, which prepared us to teach by the spirit that night. It's cool to see how God will use our weaknesses to help his work, to help us grow. 

I really am so excited for Navidad and I hope all of you really remember why we celebrate it! I have been able to see more of the true reason durante (during) this time here. 

Mosiah 3:7-8,17 Remember the reason he came for you! 

I love you all so much and am so excited to talk to you on Friday!!!!!!!! 

Love,

Hermana Briggs

Week 18 - Personal study is awesome!

December 14, 2015

 A pic of us contacting by asking to take pics with Christmas
 trees :) so much fun and so much more effective!

Familia!!!

Thanks so much for your uplifting emails always...I think it's just because of the way you live life.

I think every week I'm probably just going to say was full of miracles, but I think all of our lives can be that way if we are looking for the miracles.

So we were in a lesson one night and we had started late, so we were little bit crunched for time; but were still trying to follow the spirit. We got an impression to invite them to be baptized even though we were super tight on time. I was hesitant, but we did anyways...and I'm not here to say that they just jumped up and accepted, but we knew it was what they needed. We ended and ran to find a motokar! We found one within a minute and he was the happiest motokar guy I've ever met! I felt like God was sending one of His angels to us and we miraculously got home almost exactly on time! God provides a way if we follow Him!

Also another day, I think literally everyone fed us!!!! But I didn't feel sick at all!!! Another little blessing :) 

I've had some really cool experiences this week during personal study. I have been focusing on studing more directly to the needs of the investigators, and so much of it has strengthened me and my testimony more than I think it has strengthened theirs. You can't light another candle if yours isn't already lit! I can feel so much more power as I testify, too, as I know more for myself of the power it more in my life!

I also hit 4 months this week!!! Crazy how time flies!!!

Ponderizing this week!!! Romanos 5:3-5 Learn to be patient with yourself because God is patient with you!

Love you all!

Love

Hermana Briggs

Week 17 - "A Savior is Born" & Godly Sorrow

December 7, 2015

Familia,

I can't believe how much can happen in just one of your days there! Haha, I've actually been thinking about those homemade peanut butter bars you ate lately, so I'm glad you enjoyed them for me too! Also, did you get my letter I sent?  I'm so glad you are all enjoying life! It is so fun to see what you are doing and how you are growing!

This week was quite the adventure! Like every week :) We started Tuesday with having to drop our family that had a date to be baptized, but when we went the father was drunk. We still walked in and taught a lesson about the Savior and the message that Christmas brings...and when we started testifying of Jesus Christ both my companion and I just started sobbing. We were testifying of how He can change lives, and we had started to see it change theirs, and then they decided that they didn't want to continue to follow the commandments. I don't think I have felt so much godly sorrow before. But we both knew that it was what we needed to do, so we went back later this week to really let them go, and cried some more, but the spirit was there. We know it is what we need to do to find families that are really ready to hear the gospel and accept it in their lives.

Cool thing that happened, though, is that the non member father of the member family we are teaching has changed. There is a different light in his countenance and he now tries to find reasons to let us in and teach him instead of reasons to change the cita (appointment). And he came to church without his wife for all 3 hours!!! He ususally comes to church but it's because his wife drags him along. I am so excited to be part of his progression! We had a lesson with him last night and he had such honest questions and I could feel the spirit put into my mouth exactly what I needed to say and the way to do it. SO COOL!!! 

Another miracle this week is that we went to visit a new family we have but they weren't home and we felt the impression to go visit a less active, so we started our walk there, and on the way the first family we went to visit drove by!!!! We talked to them for a little and set a new appointment with them! The spirit is real!

Click HERE to view "A Savior is Born"

So the initiativa (initiative) for this Christmas for the church is "Ha Nacido Un Salvador" or "A Savior is Born." We decided one night when our meeting with the bishop and ward mission leader was canceled that we would go try to take pics with people with their Christmas trees! Well this opened people up super quick because people love their Christmas trees here, and I feel like every person we went to ended up telling us their whole life story while we were sitting in their house! A really cool and much more effective way to contact...and really fun too :) And I would send pics but the computer I'm using today is being a pain, so I'll try next week!! 

Sometimes Satan just tries to get you down, but I've been learned more how to combat him this week. It is SO hard but nothing in life with eternal significance or really anything that really matters is meant to be easy. There were so many cute little kids who called  out, "Hermanitas," (sisters) and waved to us this week that really just helped me get through. So many tender mercies! Thank you for your prayers as well! I can definitely feel them; especially when it's hard. 

This week Ponderize scripture is 1 Nefi (Nephi) 15:7-11 And think about humility when you read it. 

One of my favorite quotes I put on my desk says "If you are the same person you were yesterday, then what was yesterday for? Don't be afraid to change!" 

I love you all so much!! You are constantly in my thoughts and prayers!

Love,

Hermana Briggs

Week 16 - Earthquakes & Dreams

November 30, 2015

Familia!!!!

This pic is one of a recent convert that is leaving to Lima
 and her mom!!! I absolutely love her and am going to
 miss her so much!!!

I look forward to reading your letters every week!!

You asked about how to teach girls modesty...well that's something we deal with every day, but not really something we teach yet cause women just nurse openly in front of you and people hardly wear any clothes because its so hot! But I would ask them what kind of man they want to marry...because the only ones worth having are ones that want you to be modest. It is a sign of respect not only for you but others around you and your heavenly father. 

I'm also glad you had fun with thanksgiving and putting up the Christmas decorations.

Well this week I feel like a million and one things happened!

We started off Tuesday with an earthquake and everyone was super scared...we were the closest city to this 7.3 earthquake!! And I understand why they would be so scared cause there would be nothing left if there was actually a big one. 

We taught a father of a super active strong family yesterday, but the dad isn't a member. The missionaries have been trying to teach him for years but he wouldnt' have anything to do with the elders :) He has started to warm up to us and last night really showed a lot of interest! He actually committed to reading the book of mormon and he willingly said the prayer at the end!!!! He only lets us come on Sundays but were going to try to slowly sneak other lessons in there because we are teaching his convert son right now. It is amazing to see how with the help of God we can do exactly his will for us and his children because it has been SO hard to teach him.

So i learned how to cut hair this week...my companions and one of the other sisters...and it actually looks good! So gable dont be scared to let me cut your hair okay???

Also. I interpreted a recent converts dream the other day...EVERYONE has dreams here or wants an answer through a dream..she was running in a white dress and had to pay to get into a building with other people...and I likened it to an urgency to get to the temple and paying tithing as part of it. It was like a lightbulb went off in her head!!! And now she has a desire to pay tithing! So if dream interpreting gets people to pay their tithing I'll keep doing it like Joseph of Egypt!!!

Also diligencia (dilligence) is what my Ponderize scripture is on this week!! Deuteronomy 4:9 If we are diligent in all things and do our part first the Lord is bound to help us!

I love you all so much!! Send me pics of christmas!!!

Also if you would like to bear a short testimony that i could use about church attendance and the importance of it...that would help so much!!! Thanks!

Love 

Hermana Briggs

Week 15 - French toast & Protection

November 23, 2015

Familia!!!!

So some little tender Mercies this week!

Figured out how to make French toast & syrup!

We figured out we can make french toast...so we did :) and tortillas...those ones didn't quite turn out the same the first time. I used my great college skills to make syrup to go with our french toast! Thanks 211 :) Some times just little things from home make a difference.

We have a new family this week that really has just been a joy to teach so far because they have fulfilled all their commitments besides coming to church...which I guess is a problem but we´re going to work on that. 

Really cool experience, it was small but powerful. We were looking for someone to visit because our Plan A and Plan B fell through and I thought of this guy who seemed cool that lived close that we contacted a few days earlier. We started walking to his house and I got the most distinct impression that we shouldn't go. Actually parts of the movie Saratov Approach that we had watched the pday earlier in the week as a zone came  to my head. What was even cooler was that almost at the same time Hermana Willes and I stopped in our tracks and both said, we can't go there...I don't know why, but I am so glad the Lord watches out for His missionaries!

We had a lesson with a recent convert who is 15 years of age and reminds me a lot of Gable :) Well we could tell he wasn't super excited for our lesson and so Hermana Willes and I decided we were going to make it fun. We were teaching Articles of Faith, so we decided we would sing some of them from the Children's Songbook. Haha! Well, the words don't exactly match up in Spanish and we ended up kind of just making ourselves seem silly...but I don't think he will ever forget the 13 articles of faith!

Also we found the power of working with the members! We visited a member in the ward one night and found out she had a whole family of menos activos (less actives) for us to teach and gave us 3 other references and then offered to have a family home evening with them tonight!!! There are some people who are so prepared for the missionary work, not just investigators! 

I learned the importance of making our own decisions this week too. We choose every day what kind of day we are going to have because we are THE ONLY things we can control in this life! And when we choose to be happy, life really is just so much better! 

My scripture to leave with you this week is Matthew 7:20-21....never forget who your faith is in!

Love 

Hermana Briggs

Week 14 - 1st Zone Conference & following the Spirit

November 16th, 2015

Familia!!!

Hello!!! How is everyone doing??? Still alive and happy, I hope :) You guys keep getting in a lot of accidents and I think I should be more worried about you, than you about me :) 

Our 1st Zone Conference in Pucallpa.

This week we had zone conference for the first time since I have been here and it was SO good! We learned so much about diezmo and ayuno (tithing and fast offering) and the importance of teaching our investigators directly. They have to know at some point or they're just going to be confused :) I also got to talk to President and Sister Gomez during lunch and they remind me of Grandma and Grandpa Briggs on a mission! I love them so much!

I am understanding the frustrating part of missionary work when you commit people to come to church and verify it with them the night before and then they don't show up!!!! Like 5 families!!! But all you can do is your best and leave it to them. One of the gifts we have in this life is agency. A challenge and a blessing all in one.

Our home in Pulcallpa! 

Our cute little family that is getting baptized didn't come yesterday or last week because their house was almost flooded, so I'm worried about them. 

Cool experience this week was that Hermana Willes and I were trying to find a house that we had the address for, and we had contacted the woman once, but not at her house. We passed  by this yellow house and I thought you should go ask them for directions, but we went back and forth and to a bodega (mini mart) and then finally I followed the prompting! Well, what do ya know, it was her house! And we taught her and her husband and they were both super into the lesson and we are going back on Tuesday!! Crazy how following the spirit actually works :) 

Also we found out why Hermana Willes has been sick...she has parasites and an intestinal infection :) But now we have medicine, so, hopefully she will be 100% better soon!

This pic is of us cleaning the flooded apartment!!!! Literally the entire thing!

I hit my 3 month mark this week!! I can't believe how fast time goes!! I'm 1/6 done with my mission!!! That may not seem like a lot to everyone else, but I am shocked! 

Keep counting your tender mercies! They are so abundant and I could go on forever about them here :) And keep smiling and showing the light of the Lord.

Love you all!!!

Love 

Hermana Briggs

Also mom I had a crazy idea that for YW you should do an activity where you have practices saying yes or no to things...like watching a bad movie or things like that. If you practice it, they have so much more confidence!

Week 13 - Rain and Tender Mercies

November 9th, 2015

Familia!

Riding in a "moto."

I am so glad to hear you are all doing well!!! And that Gable shot another one of God's great creatures....props to you :) (Her brother shot a big buck last week).

Thanks for the pictures! I think I am going to go print some out today. You guys are all so cute! 

Ya, it breaks my heart when people decide to go against what the prophets of God have said. They are the reason we have the church of God on the earth...una luz en la obscuridad (a light in the darkness) as I teach to investigators. 

So I wanted to do what I do in my journal: I write Entrañares Misericordias por cada día! (tender mercies for each day)

-First, we went to the muncipalidad to take out birth certificates for our family that is going to be married. Att first they told us because he was born in Lima and his birthday was wrong in the computadora that we were going to have to go through this huge process to get it...I said a prayer hoping it would help. She came back and told us that the computer was actually wrong and that we could get it like normal!!! Huge blessing!!! They can't get married the date we planned because they didn't come to church...because it RAINED SO HARD!!!! And they live over the river...this is a really bad pic of their house.

You can see the water lines from the
flooding that occurs here often.

-Next one day we found this super friendly family that was making cigarettes in their house and we went back and had a lesson with them later this week. They are super awesome and the son was reading my Libro de Mormon almost the whole time we were there so I left him with one. But I have never seen such a huge pile of cigarettes in my life!!!!! I wish I could have taken a pic of it! But I love them so hopefully we can go back!

-We taught the husband of one of our menos activos (less actives) this week and wow it was a cool lesson. The wife has been wanting to get married for forever and we were on track to do it but then if fell through because of money and really I think that the husband couldn't see any reason for doing it. But last night we found him at his house because it was raining (thank you rain) And we taught him!!! He is also super chevere (cool, macho), so I really hope he progresses too.

Also this is what the dogs look
 like here...i finally got a pic!!!

-So we were talking with this lady at the airport the other day who said she hates it when it rains because it brings in the gripe (flu)...I laughed inside because I thought "ya right." Well, I spoke too soon because I got sick. The next morning I got up and we had soup for the second time ever on my mission! Complete tender mercy! And we had a conference that didn't start till 11, so I got to sleep and recuperate. 

I could go on and on about the tender mercies this week but I don't have a ton of time! 

That's my challenge for you, though; to see the hand of God in your life. Because he is everywhere! You just have to look for him.

Well, I love you all!!! Keep smiling and being progressing!

Love 

Hermana Briggs

Week 12 - Cultivando with Machetes!

November 2, 2012

Familia!!!

I cant believe everything that happens in one week there! Incredible :) Well this week was  another great week as a missionary, and a hard one...but i think i could say that every week! 

This is us cultivating with our awesome machetes (actually, they really
hurt your hand)!

We did cultivando for our service activity on Wednesday this week, which basically means you use a machete and shovel to cut the grass down to nothing. I am still amazed I can sweat to the point of being completely drenched! It was a little area but it literally took us 2 hours because we are all pretty inadequate at it :) And the entire time they wanted to give us food and juice and chocolate.  The people are so generous here. They have such pure and humble hearts, willing to turn to God.

So update on the family that lives in the stilts house...they are progressing a ton and really understand the why behind everything. They really don't have very much money but they are determined to go to church every week without us picking them up and paying for them. They are also getting married (most people here are not) and baptized on the 21st!!! I'm so excited! Little tender mercy with them...I called them to remind them about church and they told me they weren't going because the father was sick.  We have been praying for this family in literally every prayer all week!! So, we were super disappointed. They called back 10 min. later and told us they were coming because it was more important!!! I seriously couldn't believe it!!! So incredible!  They are the type of people that actually follow through with their compromisos (promises). They actually come to church and read the scriptures and pray! They ask questions in church and their goal really is to go to the temple in a year because they understand the importannce of eternal families!!! I just love them!!!!

This is a stream that runs through our
 area!! Gorgeous besides the fact that
 there is so much garbage everywhere!!!

Also, Hermana Willes got sick Saturday, so we were in our apartment for half of the day.  We don't know if it's parasites or not, but during that time I read the Book of Mormon out loud in Spanish for a straight hour and I couldn't believe how much it helped the next day! Learning through the spirit is real!

Our companionship has really progressed too. We haven't always seen eye to eye, but the Lord has helped so much with that process.

Every Sunday as a zone we go and visit different menos activos (less actives) with the members in different wards and yesterday I silently prayed we would find someone to teach. Well, we found someone and the entire time the mother was complaining about her daughter and right when I tried to wrap it up and leave her daughter who apparently had been listening to the entire thing came out to defend herself....oh, man, it was crazy. And, so, finally, after an hour and a half of being there and 45 minutes of me trying to wrap it up we got out of there. But it made me so sad that this was happening because the teachings of Jesus Christ weren't in their home. I know that with Jesus Christ we can overcome all our tribulations! It's never easy, but it's always worth it.

I am loving becoming submersed in the work!!! That is seriously the best but it takes the most effort not to think about yourself. I love talking to people and you build this different connection with them because of the spirit. I love teaching people that want to progress...

Thanks for reminding me of the reason I am here every week!! 

Love you with all my heart to the moon and back!

Love 

Hermana Briggs

Week 11 - Visas, Fish and Teaching!

October 26th, 2015

Familia!

So the period button doesn't work well so I might be using lots of exclamation points instead!

In front of the Lima Temple on a trip to get a Visa! Ran into Elder
Connor Pearce, a friend from back home!

This week I got sent to Lima for a day to get my Visa because I was one of the few that didn't get it while I was in the CCM (MTC)! And I was super frustrated about it, but we got there and they took us to this super nice hotel . . . like super nice. I had a hot shower with water pressure and everything was so clean it kind of shocked me! But while I was there I was trying to find myself being more happy than I was in Pucallpa with our constantly dusty floor, with little inchworm bugs all over the wall and dirt bumpy streets, but I wasn't happier! I was content, but I wasn't happy.

Then after we got our visas, we got to go to the TEMPLE!! I walked in and I started bawling because I felt so happy and realized the stark difference of worldly contentedness and true happiness!!!! True happiness comes from our families and from things of God! I know that without a second doubt in my mind! I don't have the nice things of the world in Pucallpa, but I wanted to come back so bad! I wanted to come back to teach the people of the thing that brings so much happiness! The Gospel of Jesus Christ! 

So ya that was my little aha moment this week :)

Also, we have a new family I think I said something about last week. Carlos and Chelith are their names and they have 4 cute little kids!! They came to the Peru Bolivia conference with us this week at the stake center on Sunday and they were so ready to go!! They woke up at 4 in the morning to be ready for us to pick them up at 8:30! Elder Neil L. Anderson spoke in Spanish. If you can try to imagine that, you have imagined right.  IT was in a super gringo accent, but he was so filled with the spirit. Carlos told us last night that Elder Anderson is so humble and he could feel something different. And then we told him it was the spirit! They are so awesome!!! 

This week has been hard.  I don't want to make it sound like missions are only great! They seem to be full of lots of hard experiences and then absolutely beautiful streaks of the good times!! And really it is so easy to find the good in everything if you are looking for it! Like the cute little old Peruvian ladies that remind me of the Native Americans :) Or when we find someone new to teach! Or when you figure out that they have chocolate dipped ice cream cones here!

A menos activo (less active) we were teaching had a live fish that flopped on the floor during the middle of our lesson.  They buy them live because they are fresher!

Cherish the little things in life!! Thank you for being such great examples to me!! I think about you daily and give thanks that I have such great people in my life! I can feel of your prayers and love so strong!! "Doubt not and fear not." "All these things shall give thee experience and shall be for thy good."

Love you all!!!

Love,

Hermana Briggs

Oh and enjoy the "bad weather" for me :) I love snow!!!! 

Answers to questions:

So, October is the rainy month which I am not going to complain about because like every other day is cloudy!!! Otherwise, you literally drip sweat all day!! And when I workout...man I look like dad after a run..it's disgusting :) Love ya, Dad!

My companion's name is Hermana Willes..she is from San Diego, California.

We live in an apartment together and there is another companionship of sisters that lives next door to us in another apartment.

Week 10 - Everything is Breaking!

October 18th, 2015

Familia,

SO GABLE!!! Don't go and die on us!!! But really that is the best way to end up in the hospital because then you can just enjoy the slushies and all the attention on you :) You should tell dad to do it that way instead of falling out of attics and stuff like that :)

(Gable ended up in the hospital this weekend due to an infection in his finger that spread up his arm to his shoulder. Nothing a night of IV antibiotics and unlimited slushies and movies couldn't fix.)

Hermana Willes and me
enjoying our coconut!

Well this week has been another adventure!!! 

I just am going to start by saying I beat A, B and C to the top of a cocconut tree :) Thanks for instilling the dream in me to climb a cocconut tree Grandma Briggs! Because I got to and I got a coconut down too! (This is from a favorite children's book given to her by her grandmother.)

We had a broken fridge, a plugged sink and a broken DVD player this week. We got all of them fixed...but the fridge was sparking everywhere because there was corrosion in the cord, so the elders brought us electrical tape to fix it but didn't realize both sides of the cord were open, so we wrapped the tape around it, plugged it into the wall and all the electricity went out! Immediately after that the zone leaders called and told us they were coming to help us! Tender mercy big time!!! There are so many little moments like that here!

We now have a new family!!! Chelith and Carlos! They actually read the pamphlet we gave them and had tons of questions; which never happens, so we are really excited to teach them. They live on a stilt house over a little river and don't have electricity in their house. They have so very little but they have their family ...4 little kids, and have had their ups and downs, but I know the gospel can help them.

Actually, the gospel can help everyone :) 

Like the other day we went to clean the font before a baptism and the Elders hadn't drained it from the week before, so we had to drain it and it wasn't working right...we had to turn this big crank thing outside of the church house and it just stopped working. All of a sudden, out of literally no where, this guy who looked like he had been cutting grass walked up and helped me figure out how to get everthing to work! And then he just left!! It was such a testament to me that God is watching out for every single one of us to help his work progress! 

We also had a baptism on Saturday of a 21 year old young woman! She is incredible! She stopped drinking the first lesson before the missionaries even taught her about the word of wisdom! She is strong in her testimony and has so much help from the young adults here. And I'm starting to be able to hold conversations with people so that's progression :)

Well, love you all so much!!! You are constantly in my thoughts and prayers!

Love,

Hermana Briggs

Week 9 - Follow the Spirit and Everything Works Out!

October 12, 2015

Familia,

Awww, thank you so much for your letter this week!! I figured out how to print off stuff and it was the best thing that ever happened to me so i can read them throughout the week!

I forgot Miriam was playing soccer!!! Tell her congrats for me! The BYU arts thing (Homecoming Spectacular) sounds so cool!!! and the falling stars...that is one thing I forgot when I came here is that there are different constellations!!! So cool! 

They really don't know how to play the piano here and no one is really musically talented at all so the first Sunday when the pianist was barely making out the notes and literally EVERYONE was off key I thought I was going to cry :) But its the way it is and it's fun to play the piano for people. I wish I would have brought the Marshall McDonald books, but another hermana here has them so for 3 more weeks I get to play them!!! 

Also we live by a park and a bar...2 great things for a fiesta combination and man do they party...and blast the music....luckily I found earplugs from the plane :) And there is more trash in this city than I have ever seen! I don't think people know what a trash can is or actually where to find one! 

We had a baptism this week and felt really bad because not many people showed up...and actually no one showed up until 30 min. after we were  supposed to start.  We didn't actually start until 1 hr. after that....Peruvian time...I thought I was bad. :) But it was of a 15 year old boy whose whole family besides his dad are members....and he is just so cute and their family is so strong and supportive of him! He just started living with their family and is only half siblings with them but they treat him them same as any other hermano. 

Baptism of the 21 yr. old woman and her nephew who had

to be rebaptized because there was confusion about

his birthdate and he was baptized when he was seven,

so he was rebaptized!

Also kind of funny before I got here they baptized a family and the mom gave them the wrong date for the son's birthday so they accidentally baptized a 7 year old! So he has to be baptized again this week :) He is also the same kid who came and took my  bag of melted ice cream out of my hand that I got from a member and just drank it...and he gave me a mango :) He reminds me of Karston Schwendiman :) 

My companion is from San Diego, California, so my Spanish learning has been a little bit slower than I wanted, but we try to speak only Spanish during the day and I am slowly being able to understand more and talk...only with the spirit. We get along okay...she kind of reminds me of Miriam 'cause she is grumpy in the morning and really won't talk and likes talking to the other hermana next door better but we are slowly trying to be more united...especially in the lessons.(ha, ha sorry Miriam :))That is a goal we have and we are working and getting better...Sometimes she just looks at me and then I have to speak and sometimes it takes a little bit to come up with something.... :)

We have really, solely lessons  during our working time and tract along the way...We teach about 4 or 5 lessons a day. The people are receptive and we really don't get rejected ever, but people just have a hard time keeping commitments. We've been working a lot with less actives and recent converts lately.

I have seen the Lord's hand every day!!!! On days or moments where I just want to be done, and I get a prompting to forget about myself has been incredible!!! And when I follow the promptings of the spirit, everything works. Yesterday we had a lesson with a 16 yr old girl and she has been less active for 2 years because her family aren't members. I got a prompting to just listen and not to think about what to say...and every time I needed to say something the words came out and I understood her!!! The electricity went out after that so we went to dinner and I prayed for the lights to come on and they did so we could keep teaching that night!!!

Also, I have never sweat so much in my life!!!!! I am so much tanner already it is ridiculous! 

I have felt the spirit so strong testify when I am teaching. Even when I don't know what to say...it is given in the hour and minute if I are in tune with the spirit.

I have to go, but I love you all so much!!! Keep being the amazing people you are and try to be better!

Love,

Hermana Briggs

Also ponderizing scripture for the week is D&C 20:37

Week 8 - Still Alive and Loving It!!!

October 5, 2015

Familia!!!!

This is a picture from the internet,
 but this was one of the best looking
dogs I could find. The others I couldn't
 handle looking at on this blog!

Wow what a week for all of you! I feel like I'm watching you all grow up from Peru...wait, I guess I am :) But enjoy the bunnies for me!! They are so cute!!! We just have ugly diseased stalker dogs here....man they are ugly! I'll have to send you a picture of one...and there are almost as many of them as there are people!!!

Anyways this week was great! Another good week as a missionary.

Cool experience. So we got to watch conference in English!!!!! I probably was more excited than a little kid on Christmas morning!! But I learned on Saturday that I need to be better at following the spiritual promptings I get. So Sunday morning came around and I felt I needed to sit in the Spanish session....and my first thought was "Ya, right...I really like English" But then I remembered the promise I had made to follow the spirit better and so I went to the Spanish session. Literally 5 minutes before it was supposed to start, the other latina sister I was with got a call that some of her investigators were there to watch it and they couldn't find a seat. So they took our spots and were able to watch it and we were able to find more spots for the other latina sister and another investigator, but I was kicked back to the English room because there wasn't room for me in Spanish. I realized then that I wasn't supposed to be there to watch it in Spanish, I was there to save that spot for the investigator. It was such a small thing, but such a testament to me of what following spiritual promptings can do. 

Watching General Conference Oct. 2015

We have a new baptismal date with Lleraldi this week!!! Oh, she just glows with the spirit and knows it's true and shows it in her actions!! She has completely changed and much of it has come through the help of the members. She has had so much support from the other young adults and they have just loved her. 

Let me say this.

NOTHING HAPPENS WITHOUT THE MEMBERS.

When we joined this church we covenanted to take his name upon us. That means we are all missionaries and must be trying to help others. Every one needs a friend and a calling as Pres. Hinckley said. 

And it is true! 

Also, I am really starting to develop a different love for the people. Once you can kind of understand what they are saying you develop a different connection with them.

Also, I tried ponderizing a scripture this morning! Totally is awesome!!! Alma 7:12 - Jesus Christ knows exactly how we feel and will help us through everything!

I love this work and I know it is work...the gospel doesn't just happen in our lives. We must work for the things that matter most!!!!

I love you all so much and are always in my thoughts and prayers! 

Love,

Hermana Briggs

Answers to your questions!

Living quarters are actually okay! We have 6 rooms total kind of crazy! One room for our clothes, another for our beds, the kitchen area, our desk area, a laundry room (but someone does our own laundry and we just wash our garments) and the bathroom....everything is black tiled and there are always bugs in the house. It is a apartment kind of living quarters. 

The city is interesting :) Some roads are dirt and others are paved and we ride in these little motorkars everywhere. I call them the digesters because when you ride on the dirt bumpy roads you literally feel like all your food has been digested because it is so bumpy! Or the egg cracker...like the trampoline game :) 

Everyone stares at me all the time and we get whistled at probably about 30 times a day...I'm starting to ignore it but sometimes I just want to punch them!...but that's not Christlike.

Enjoy the Elk hunt!!!! (Brandon and Gable) Oh that will be so much fun!!! I'll eat some chicken here for you....we have it literally every day and fried platano...lots of fried or boiled potatoes and platano. And they have so many different juices I can't even count them all...some have peanuts or quinoa in them or maracoya is my personal favorite...anything with maracoya is good :)