12/12/16
Have I ever told you how much I love Haitian people?? They're the BEST. Eluc is doing well, he even went to Santiago to look for church clothes. He doesn't mess around. Gid (the bishop's son) has been helping us a ton lately. He baptized Eluc last week. Gid will make a good elder one day. I have two more weeks of training Hermana Rodriguez. It's been a really great experience so far. I think I've learned more from her than she's learned from me. One thing for sure is that she is my hija. She uses my hand motions in the lessons and is super expressive. Ah. So proud. I've had what I like to call "post-baptism depression" this week. I'm trying to refocus and see what more there is to do. It's just hard when you spend a good month focusing on someone and then—listo bautismo—find someone new. Elder Tesheira (something like that) came to visit us this week. In 2014 he gave a talk about how life isn't confined to a 4-inch screen (it was a rather memorable talk). We had the best meeting with him and his wife!! I loved it! He talked to us about how we can teach the Lesson 4 better and his wife answered a lot of our questions. After we had lunch and my comp and I were the last to enter...there weren't any more seats so President invited us to sit with him and Elder Teshiera. It was so fun!!! They told me how much they loved Yellowstone and then told my companion that they would pray that her little brother would go on the mission. It was very special. And last but not least.... Yesterday I walked into church and started saying "hi" to everyone...all the sudden I saw two familiar faces in the entry of the chapel. I could not believe me eyes!!! It was Victor and Saury!!!! They drove from Republica to come visit me. I gave Saury a big hug and just started CRYING. No, actually bawling. Saury started talking to me in english and saying not to cry hahaha. It was a good moment. Victor had his usual jokes that I missed so much haha. We chatted a bit and then they told me some GREAT news. Saury is pregnant!!! And she's due right before I go home...so I may get to meet her little baby! It was the best early christmas present ever. Words can't describe how much I love those two. victor told everyone "Hermana Brinkerhoff is our missionary!! She baptized us!!!" and I just cried all during sacrament meeting. What a blessing it is to serve a mission.
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12/5/16 Oh my week!!! First off I just want to thank you for all of your lovely emails! It really brightened my day today! Okay this week...oh my... 1. My companion got gum all over her skirt. Why? Because she was chewing gum in public. We all learned some lessons this week. Live the white bible. 2. We spent, like, four mornings cleaning the weeds in the front of our house. FOUR mornings. It was terrible, but the house is looking good. 3. Have you heard about "Light the World?" The campaign the church is doing? If you haven't, go to mormon.org and get started. 4. I got letters from Gib Condie, Grampa AB, and Cousin Dori this week. Thank you sooooo much!!! The handwritten letter is worth GOLD! Also I finally got the conference magazine...in English to boot. I was preeetty happy. ANDDDDDDD......drum roll.....Eluc got BAPTIZED!!!!! It was so cute, and so simple. I was really happy because it was the most ward support we've seen thus far. Progress, right? Eluc was pumped, he even cut his hair...he said at the end "I think I found that part that was missing in my life." It was a good week. XOXO Hermana Brinkerhoff 11/28/16
Angelina told us that she's taking the picture of us at her baptism to work with her so she can "look at it always." So cute!! We taught Sabrina (a woman we've been working with for a while now) about the word of wisdom. I thought she'd totally reject it, but...she loved it. She has committed not to drink for a month and came to church yesterday. She went FULL TILT. Lipstick, heels, the whole nine yards. It was her first Sunday. She told us she loved it and will keep coming. My Thanksgiving was...a normal day. We had lunch in Santa Monica and then a birthday party with Ignacia, Paola, y Olga. Ah. I love them. This week we found a lot of new people and they all seemed to have the same thing in common: someone in their family died recently. Usually as a missionary we face this topic a lot, but this week was more than usual. As we taught them I thought about my family a lot, and how grateful I am that when someone dies we have the knowledge to move forward and try to be better. A thought that has crossed my mind a lot during my mission is how my parents were able to send five missionaries out on missions and when they returned they all got married in the temple. Maybe it's because in my family we see a bigger picture. If you want the truth I'm grateful that my brother Aaron was a part of our family for those short nine years. He led the way for the rest of us. Speaking for myself, I see no other goal than the temple. I want to be with my own family, forever. Love you all! November FLEW by for me, but it was a good one. XOXO Hermana Brinkerhoff 11/21/16
Hey everyone!!! A few of the week's highlights..... 1. Hermana Morales invited us over to "chat." We ended up eating birthday cake with her. I love old couples...they keep the missionary work exciting. 2. We finally had ward council. For the first time all year. Miracles have not ceased. 3. Hermana Noemi is seriously my idol. She's an hermana in the ward who loves family history, and won't stop until everyone goes to the temple. I love members who magnify their callings with all their hearts. Isn't that what we covenant when we go through the temple? To consecrate our time and talents? 4. Barbara came to church again! We had a lesson this week about the Word of Wisdom and it went so well. She was just like "Yeah, I hate coffee...so..." All the young women have welcomed her with loving arms, which makes me VERY happy. 5. Eluc says he's ready to get baptized anytime anyday. Love my haitians so much. This week I've been thinking about my time here in El Sauce, Penaflor. I was talking to my companion about how there is so much more work to do here and that I just didn't feel like I've done enough. She told me to calm down (in her wise new missionary way), and to feel good about all that's happened here the past few months. Really it's been a blessing to serve here. At first I thought I was going to die, and that all the people would be sick of the missionaries. But, we still find people. Really good people in fact. The Lord has poured His blessings upon me in this sector. One thing that has really struck me is when our ward mission leader told us that before I came, his family was on the road to becoming inactive. He thanked us missionaries for our persistence and love for his wife and son (his wife only speaks english, so we've hit it off). I guess we really don't know how much good we do sometimes. Alright back to work it is...LOVE YOU ALL!!!! Have a fantastic Thanksgiving!!!! XOXO Hermana Brinkerhoff 11/7/2016
This week was crazy busy. We ran all over our sector from cita to cita. I learned this week that we seriously need to talk to everyone. Why? Because you just might discover that the guy who sells super good berlines isn't a member but graduated from seminary and has interests in getting baptized. (His parents were members, but he refused to get baptized as a kid). And then he just might give you free homemade bread. I love you Chile! This week we also played church ball (hermanas only). My skills are rough. There is an elder in my ward that literally has the same personality as Ben Wetzel (if Ben was from Brasil). It's insane. I lived through a 6.4 earthquake, but don't telll my mom. Luckily it was nothing and we were teaching so we just went outside and waited for it to pass. Chile is built for earthquakes, so we were ready. Earthquakes sound like a monster groaning. It was interesting. AND...yesterday we had an activity for the haitanos. We watched the Joseph Smith story in French!!! Today my heart is heaving upon reading an email from my mom informing me that Greg Bennett died. I love that guy! The Bennett family is in my prayers. Stephanie and Myra have been so good to write me during my mission and had a profound influence on me as a young woman. Greg Jr. is always fun to tease too. ;) Greg was a light in our ward and I love joking with that guy. I send all my prayers and love to the Bennett family, and I am so grateful that the family is forever, and that one day we will get to joke again with Greg. ;) I love you all! Have a great week!!! Hermana Brinkerhoff Enjoy these photos. We can't hold babies, but we can hold dogs! Mi hija is actually my twin. |
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