Monday, July 25, 2016

Week of July 25, 2016

Hey Yall!! I hope that y'all have had a great week! The last couple of weeks out here have been going really good. Last week was pretty crazy week for us. Last Friday and Saturday we were able to do some volunteer work at the rodeo. We worked in the concession stand I think it was a pretty good thing to get our faces out there because as we were out knocking doors and stuff a few people recognized us and said that it was nice of us to help out. Its been really awesome being in this area for a long time. When I first got to Winner it was really rough everyone was very rejecting towards us. As I have had the opportunity to do service here and help people out people have changed, As I have had the opportunity to do service here and help people out people have changed. People are much more receptive to us although they may not care what we have to say they will listen to us which is great improvement from where it was when I first got here. I also donated blood this week for the fist time that was kinda weird but It hurt way less than I thought it would.

So last Sunday as we were driving to church we got a call from a number we didn't have saved to our phone we answered and the person told us they were not a member but asked if they could come to church of course we said yes. She came to church and after the meeting we were talking to her and she told us that she was being abused locked up by her husband on Sunday he left the keys at there house and she got in her car with her 9 month old baby and she left everything behind. She asked us if we could help get her some clothes and some things and a place to stay for the next few days till she could drive back to Utah. The branch president was more than willing to help her out so we went over to Shopko and got her and her baby some clothes and some of the necessity's. When we were walking out of the store the guy that she was running from was sitting out in the parking lot by her car. So she started freaking out but she got in her car and we had her follow us and we took some back roads to the hotel cause he was trying to follow us. Because of my expertise of driving we were able to lose him and we  were able to get her to her hotel. A few hours later we were driving by the hotel after we had got out of a lesson and they guy had found her car and was going through it. So we called the branch president and he called the cops and they guy had some warrants and was a meth addict so they locked him up for the rest of the week until she was out of town. Shes now back in Utah trying to find a job. It was a crazy Sunday for us. Recently we had a conference talk about rescuing the refugee's some people think that you need to go to third world country's to do this but there are people all over the world that need help. https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2016/04/i-was-a-stranger?lang=eng I challenge you to go out and help someone in need this week! 

This week while my companion was getting his hair cut I was flipping through a Sports Illustrated and I saw a quote that I really liked and want to share it. "Impossible is just a big word thrown around by small men who find it easier to live in the world they've been given that to explore the power they have to change it. Impossible is not a fact. It's an opinion. Impossible is not a declaration. It's a dare. Impossible is potential. Impossible is temporary. Impossible is nothing." 
-Muhammad Ali 
It's no secret that things in life are going to be hard. But we need to remember that nothing is impossible. Through Jesus Christ all thing's are possible. Philippians 4:13 "I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me." Alma 26:12 "Yea, I know that I am nothing; as to my strength I am weak; therefore I will not boast of myself, but I will boast of my God, for in his strength I can do all things; yea, behold, many mighty miracles we have wrought in this land, for which we will praise his name forever." These are 2 of my favorite scriptures, I know that all things are possible. 

I hope y'all have a great week!!  Love you all!!

Love,

Elder Brinkerhoff

Monday, July 11, 2016

Week of July 11, 2016



Hey y'all sorry I haven't wrote a letter the last couple weeks. We have been super busy out here. Lots has happened over the last couple weeks. We had transfers last week! Luckily I will be staying here in Winner! Elder Musacchia was transferred to Mile City, Montana. Elder Mangum is my new companion we have had a good first few days together so I'm excited for the rest of this transfer!  

This week we were able to go to the wedding of Horatio and Jen. They are Jared's (the kid who just got baptized) parents. The wedding was at the church and it went really well.  They want to be able to go to the temple and be sealed within the next year we are excited to be able to help them get there. We are working with Horatio right now trying to help him get the priesthood. 

I am now the district leader of the Winner district. We had our first district meeting where I had to give the training. I wasn't really sure what to give the training on. So I was sitting at my desk flipping through my scriptures and through my Preach my Gospel. I couldn't really find anything so I was kinda stressin. I was looking around my desk and I saw an old ensign and started flipping through that to try and find something. I found something titled "Asking the Right Questions in the Right Way" The meeting went pretty good, but the best part is later that night I got a text from the Sister's in my district and they said what I had taught helped them a ton in a lesson that they had had that day. Receiving inspiration is amazing! And the best part is that is something we can all receive by following the commandments, prayer, and studying your scriptures. God wants to help us but to many people just ask and aren't willing to do there part. "2 Timothy 2:15 Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a work man that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth." If we do our part and do all that we can God will help us. Often people say the God wont give us trials that we cant handle, I disagree with that. God often gives us trials we cant handle but as we turn to Jesus Christ he will help us but only after we do all we can.    

We also went to a couple of baseball games with Molly and watched her kids play. They lost in the championship game which is why they are not to happy in some of the pictures. We also were invited to a baseball bbq.​​

Hope you all have a great week love you all!!

Love,

Elder Brinkerhoff