Week of August 15, 2016

Well I don't have too much to write about this week but we got transfer calls this week and I will be staying in winner for another 6 weeks with Elder Mangum. I was suprised we didnt get a call I have been in Winner for about 6 months, I am excited to have to opportunity to serve another transfer in this area! 

Some pictures are of my District and Zone pics! 

Hope you all have a great week love you all!

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Love,

Elder Brink

Week of August 8, 2016

Hey ya'll I hope that everyone had a great week! We had a really busy week out here in Winner. On a mission busy weeks are the best! Being too busy is way better than being slow. On Monday we had a sweet P-Day we went bowling, had a really good lesson, and got a new investigator, I knew it was going to be a good week after this. Tuesday we got to drive to Rapid City for zone conference which was awesome we were pumped to be able to eat out at Chilies, its funny the things that get you excited on a mission. Wednesday we had our zone conference and got to go up to Mount Rushmore, the best part was just being able to hang out with other missionaries. Were pretty far away from any anyone else so its always a good time to be able to see other missionaries. Friday to Saturday we had exchanges and were able to get a new investigator. Sunday we were able to get another new investigator. We have had a really hard time finding people to teach and haven't really been able to get a solid new investigator so it was awesome to finally find some new people. We have been trying so hard the last few weeks to find someone who will listen to us, it can be very discouraging trying all the time to find someone and just having no success, so this week was just amazing. 

As we have been struggling to find new people to teach, and why the people we do teach have such a hard time overcoming their trial's I have spent a lot of time thinking about why we have to go through trials or hard times. This week while I was studying I came across the scripture Ether 12:6 "And now, I, Moroni, would speak somewhat concerning these things; I would show unto the world that faith is things which are hoped for and not seen; wherefore, dispute not because ye see not, for ye receive no witness until after the trial of your faith." It hit me so hard that we have to go through trials to increase our faith. Or really to increase in anything. We have to go through hard things so that we can learn to put our trust in the lord. In the book of Mormon in Helaman the people are very righteous and have complete peace in all of the land. Helman 6:12 "They did raise grain in abundance, both in the north and in the south; and they did flourish exceedingly, both in the north and in the south. And they did multiply and wax exceedingly strong in the land. And they did raise many flocks and herds, yeah, many fatlings. 13 Behold their women did toil and spin, and did make all manner of cloth, of fine twined linen and cloth of every kind, to clothe their nakedness. And thus the sixty and fourth year did pass away in peace." Everyone was happy and doing good. God gave the power to Nephi to be able to do anything. After just a few years of having peace in all the land they started to become greedy and prideful and started to become wicked again. Helman 6:16 And in the commencement of the sixty and seventh-year the people began to grow exceedingly wicked again." Nephi was given the power to do all things because the God knew that Nephi would do nothing to go against his will. Helman 10:5 "And now, because thou hast done this with such unwearying ness, behold, I will bless thee forever; and I will make thee mighty in word and in deed, in faith and in works; yea even that all things shall be done unto thee according to thy word, for thou shalt not ask that which is contrary to my will." All of the people were being so wicked and Nephi wanted them to turn again to the Lord he knew that they would have to go through a major trial before they would put there faith in God again. So he commanded a famine to be upon the land, so it happened. The people began to turn again the God and they returned to peace. Helman 11:7 "And it came to pass that the people saw that they were about to perish by famine, and they began to remember the Lord their God; and they began to remember the words or Nephi.  Moral of the story is that in order to grow and to progress we have to go through hard things, we have to put our faith in God and endure to the end. Going through trial's can be the biggest blessing in our live's if we go about them the right way.

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

Love,

Elder Brinkerhoff

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

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

Week of June 20, 2016

​​​​​​Hey everyone! Sorry I didn't send an email last week we were out playing baseball and stuff!  The last couple of weeks have been so amazing! last week we spent lots of time teaching Jared and Dwayne getting them ready for the baptisms. We also have still been doing quite a bit of service, we have been teaching lots more than when we first got to Winner though so its been great!

On Saturday we were able to have the baptisms of Dwayne and Jared it went so amazing! We had a great turn out and were able to have all of there families there. Everyone was so happy and excited for them! The spirit was there so strong at the baptism it was so awesome! After the baptism we gave the parents of the two boys to give a little talk they were both pretty nervous but they both did such a did job! It has been so good working with these 2 families and helping them come back to church. Gerard who is Dwaynes dad was mad the young men's president this last week. There is no better feeling in the world than bringing people unto Christ and helping them to increase there faith.

This week we were also able to go to one of Molly's kids baseball games they were able to win the championship game it was a really good time! We also went on exchanges this week I was able to go up to Pierre I was able to learn so much. Going on exchange's is always awesome because it seems like crazy things always happen and we are able to learn so much from the other missionaries.

I hope that everyone is doing great! I hope that you all have a great week!!

Love Elder Brinkerhoff

Week of June 6, 2016

Hey everyone I hope that yall are doing great! Things out here in Winner are going awesome. It was super hot this week! I think everyday it has been over 100 degress this week so it has been super hot this week! We did a whole bunch of service this week. We went out to the Bartlets and helped them out on there ranch we had a huge fire and burned a bunch of stuff we also found some wild Marijuana so that was kinda funny, apparently there's a lot of it that grows out here in all the fields and stuff. This week I also umped a baseball game for one of our investigators it was awesome!

So we have been working really hard the last few months and haven't really been seeing any success. But this week we saw so many blessings it was amazing. We were able to put 3 people on date for baptism this week. 2 Kids named Jared and Dwayne and the third one is Kristina. We are super excited! All of our had work has finally paid off. We are really hoping and praying that everything will go as planned. Its super awesome to help people to increase there faith and it is really cool to see them change as they start to become converted to the gospel. I love being a missionary and to help people to come unto Christ. There is no better feeling in the world than brining people into the gospel.

I hope that everyone has a great week! Love you all!

Love,

Elder Brinkerhoff

Week of May 29, 2016

Hey yall! I  hope everyone had a great week! Thanks everyone for the birthday wishes! This week was a good one! Out here the weather was super nice all this week! Its really weird not being able to wear shorts all the time as most of you know I'm not a big fan of the whole pants thing.  This week had my birthday and I hit my 9 month mark its crazy how fast time fly's when your on a mission at the beginning it feels like 2 years is forever but time is flying on. 

This week was a great one! We have still been doing lots of service with the weather getting good we have been doing lots of yard work for people and working out on the farms and stuff which has been good. It has also allowed us to meet lots of new people service is our main way of finding. It has been working pretty good and has opened up lots of doors for us in the community. 

We have been teaching a less active family and there 9 year old son is wanting to be baptized so we have been teaching them and they have been coming back to church and we are teaching the rest of the lessons to this kid. and he will most likely be baptized by the end of the month which is super exciting!

I hope everyone has a great week! Love you all!

Love Elder Brinkerhoff!