I LOVE October

Happy October! I LOVE October and the weather and the leaves!!!! It rained for the first time today since the day my family dropped me off. I can't believe it's October already. Time FLIES here!
So, I don't even know where to start haha. We got to go to a session in the temple last Friday with our entire district and it was so peaceful and BEAUTIFUL!!!!!! The Spirit was so strong as I was reminded of the covenants I made with our Father in Heaven -- but how awesome that I got to do it as a MISSIONARY!! So powerful. On Saturday we had to miss class all day and ended up going to the ER for Sister Ankeny's asthma. It was a really similar experience with the whole Sister Serr thing last week, where I was frustrated at first because I was thinking about myself the whole time. I wanted to be in class. I wanted to teach our investigator. I wanted to do this or that. It wasn't long until I was overcome (again) with humility!! and patience. and long suffering. I was learning to become more Christlike and was learning SO much more than I would have if I was in my classroom. Sister Ankeny is okay!! On the way home from the ER we had to stop at Walgreens for a prescription. Chick-fil-a was right across the street..... Anyone who has ever met me knows my love/unhealthy obsession/addiction to Chick-fil-a. We had a driver driving us around and I was like, "heeeeeyyyy soo what if we accidentally went through the drive through?" The driver laughed and was like, "no, sorry I can't." I was very disappointed. To our glorious surprise, when he picked us back up from the pharmacy, HE HAD BOUGHT CHICK-FIL-A FOR ALL OF US. I literally squealed. out loud. in real life. I was so happy haha I am such a spaz. Tender Mercy. So Sunday was unreal! We had fast & testimony meeting with our whole zone and it was so powerful!! Sister Ankeny can't fast so that was so fun and enjoyable to go to the cafeteria with her 3 times that day while she ate and I fasted :)))) haha I'm kidding, it's fine because I hate the food and am practically fasting every day anyways :) We watched this AWESOME recorded devotional by Elder Holland called "Open Your Mouth." It was all about the power of actually opening your mouth to speak the truth. He told the story of Joseph, praying in the sacred grove. Satan attacked him, but he couldn't kill him, so he did the next best thing he could do to stop him, he tried to BIND HIS TONGUE so he could not speak.
Joseph Smith recorded, "It seems as though the adversary was aware, at a very early period of my life, that I was destined to prove a disturber and annoyer of his kingdom; else why should the powers of darkness combine against me? Why the opposition and persecution that arose against me, almost in my infancy?"
Sunday night we had to say goodbye to all of our district ,because we stay another week for Visitors' Center training. It was so sad! I know this sounds weird, but they seriously feel like family. You just learn and grow and experience so much with each other in such a short amount of time that it feels like you're with them forever!!!! AND we don't get to hug haha so we all shook hands goodbye and are already planning an MTC reunion :) It was the hardest to say goodbye to Sister Casey because she was the one who made us a trio and we felt so weird when she left. I love her and we are both planning on going back to Utah State together! Then me and Sister Ankeny started Visitors' Center training!!!! It has been the most life-changing experience. It's just me, Sister Ankeny, and the teacher, so we have a ton of one on one which is wonderful! The first day of training was one of the most spiritual days of my life. We talked all about Visitors' Centers and our purpose and the Spirit confirmed to me multiple times that this was perfect for me and I was meant to go to the Oakland Visitors' Center, and from then on it has been WONDERFUL. I would stay at the MTC for months if it meant that I could receive this training. We have awesome young teachers who all served VC and teach by the Spirit!
We have been learning so much. VC sisters are sent from all over the world to receive this special training at the PROVO MTC. We have been applying everything we have learned in our classes to the VC. So instead of having a sit down lesson for 30 minutes or whatever, it is our job to PREPARE, then when they come in, get to know them while asking inspired questions to find out their needs within 5 minutes through the Spirit, then teach accordingly. It was overwhelming at first, but it's not US or our ability to teach. It's the Spirit! I have witnessed multiple times this past week of the power of the Spirit and its promptings and its ability to teach and TESTIFY.
We got to go to Temple Square today!! We got put with a Sister and followed her around, did online chats and calls, gave tours, answered questions, got a glimpse of what I would be doing in Oakland! IT WAS WONDERFUL!
I am so grateful for the advice Adelide gave me in a letter to be CURIOUS -- curious about your companions, curious about your area, curious about your call. I totally applied this today and I learned so much! I also applied my sweet Daddie's advice today and got an investigator from it!! He told me to talk to everyone. He said
"When my comp and I would get on a bus, we would always split up and sit by different people on the bus. I had a goal to never be in a situation like that and not "open my mouth about the gospel (because I knew a butt-load of crap about it). So I got onto the bus this day and sat next to a young man in his late teens. I started to talk to him right away, asking him if he knew anything about the church. We didn't get to talk but a minute or so because the next stop was his stop. As he got off the bus he yelled out his address and said we could stop by. We found his house within a couple of days and ended up baptizing his family of 5. I realized from that experience that had I just sat down next to my companion and taken a second to relax, I never would have brought the gospel to his family."

I was seriously so inspired by this story. My Daddie is my hero and one of my most faithful letter writers :))
Happy birthday sweet Sawyer and Daddie, I love you.
I will be what is called a "solo sister" on Monday and Tuesday because Sister Ankeny is leaving Monday and I leave Wednesday for OAKLAND BABY so if any of you want to come be my companion, I am accepting applications.
I am so excited to watch General Conference in the MTC!!

Read 3 Nephi 17 and imagine if you were there, as a Nephite.
I love all of you. I am so grateful for all of your love & support. Jesus Christ is our Savior. The Book of Mormon is true!!!!! I can not talk about either of those truths without weeping. I am the happiest missionary, I'm convinced.
Next time I email, it will be from CALI! :))
Forever,
Sister Brinton