Week of March 7, 2016

Hey Y'all!! I hope that everyone had a great week this week!! This week out here on the rock we had a pretty slow week. I've learned that even on the slow weeks that they can still be great weeks. Another thing that I have learned is that days, or weeks are really what you make them. If you want to have a good week then you can make it a good week.

Serving out here on the reservation we learn a lot about the ancient traditions of the native american people. Some of the things are a little bit crazy... Example some of the people think that Jesus Christ came to the people in the form of a white buffalo and they think that Jesus or this white buffalo gave them the chanunpa, which is a sacred pipe that they use, when they smoke on this pipe they see there ancient spirits of there people . So its pretty much some crazy drug that gives them hallucinations.

 On the other hand some of the things that they say is pretty interesting and can really apply to life. We were talking with this guy and he told us that there are two wolves inside of us. There is a bad wolf and there is a good wolf. The one that we feed is what makes us a good person or a bad person. So if we "feed" ourselves with good things such as the characteristics of Christ or the Christ like attributes which are faith, hope, charity, love, virtue, love, patience, humility, diligence, and obedience so if we do these things it will make us a good person. So its important the "feed" ourselves with good things so that we can all be the best people that we can be. We cant feed both wolves so we have to decide who's side we are on. Matthew 6:24 "No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon." I challenge all of you to be a little more Christ like this week and do a little better on one of these Christ like attributes. 

Some other exciting things that happened this week is that our investigator Nehemiah who is on probation, we had to send in papers to the first presidency to get permission to baptize him because of this probation, we got his papers back this week and it was approved so that we will be able to baptize him... On the down side he got locked up in jail again this weekend so that's kind of a bummer, were not sure when he is going to be out of jail. Our other investigator RJ also got locked up in jail again were also not sure when she will be out either. Geez its really hard to teach these people when the keep getting locked up in jail! #rezlife 

Also they are closing this area so I will be getting transferred. Me and my companions are going to the Rosebud, Mission, and Winner area. We are excited to get out there and meet new people.

I hope that ya'll have a great week!! Love you all!! (all of you that respond to my emails anyways) 

Love,

Elder Brinkerhoff 

Week of February 29, 2016 (Leap Year)

Hey Everyone! I hope that you all had the best week ever! Things out here in Fort Yates have been pretty awesome!! We have had some great lessons this week!

This week we had a lesson with this guy named JR. He used to be a gang leader.  He decided that he didn't want to be apart of that life anymore about two years ago. When he decided to leave the gang his fellow gang members weren't to happy about his choice. One day he got jumped and got stabbed 12 times and one of the stabs cut his spine. After they were done stabbing him they dumped gas on him and lit him on fire. He was barley hanging on to life after he got beat up. He ended up living but he is now paralyzed from the waist down. This was all about two years ago that this happened. Since then he has only left his house a couple of times. He has 4 of his kids that live with him. He is living at his moms house, there are 20 people that live there and they only have one bathroom. (I thought sharing with my companions was hard) While we were talking with JR we weren't really sure how we could help him out. Were were thinking how we could help him and we came up with the idea that he should go out side for an hour a day and enjoy the nice weather we have been having, and spend some time with his kids. Even if its just pushing him around the block in his wheel chair. We are hoping that it will bring some happiness to his life and that it will be a good experience too his kids as well. As we were talking with JR the spirit was there so strong as we saw this man who has changed so much in the last 2 years. He really just wanted to do what was right. His faith has been so strong from all the trials that he has faced. He wants to know why all this has happened to him so that he can learn from it and do the best that he can given his circumstances. (Alma 44:4) "Now ye see that this is the true faith of God; yea, ye see that God will support, and keep, and preserve us, so long as we are faithful unto him, and unto our faith, and our religion; and never will the Lord suffer that we shall be destroyed except we should fall into transgression and deny our faith."  It is very important that we always keep our faith strong through everything. Sometimes trials may seem like too much but those are the times when we need to exercise all the faith that we can. 

This week I also had to break into someones car... Cause they locked there keys in their car haha not really sure why they called the missionary's for help breaking into a car but we were able to get it done. 

We saw some people out riding a hover board so we thought we would give it a try...  It was awesome but on the down side I ripped my favorite pair of pants so that was kinda a downer.

I hit my 6 month mark last wed so its customary to burn a tie. Me being the pyro that I am had to include some gas a of course a big fire!

I hope that you all had a great week!! Love you all!

Love 

Elder Brinkerhoff!