Sister Fetzer

Hi Hi!

   So my new companion, Sister Fetzer, is a breath of FRESH AIR. I love her. She is so fun and talkative and bold and outgoing and silly. We get along super well & tease each other like crazy. She LOVES the ward and the area and we are happy happy happy. :)

   We had stake conference on Sunday and so I got to see everyone from the San Leandro ward! It was so fun to see Roslyn (who has a baptismal date) and Ann Helen and some of my favorite members! Its like seeing your family. 

   I was borrowing another missionaries GPS because she didnt need it. But she needed it back the other day so we were GPS-less for a night. We literally didnt even know what to do. So we remembered that maps exist and brought this HUGE map in the car with us. When we unfolded it in the car it filled up the whole front hahah we were laughing so hard. Turns out I actually know the area better than I thought and maps work! I am eternally grateful for GPSs and wouldnt have lasted my whole mission without one. Props to you Momma and Daddie & many others who served their missions without a car or GPS. I honestly think it was the first time I have ever used a map in my life. A member is letting us borrow hers so, all is well. What an adventure. :)

   The Visitors Center is officially CLOSED for renovations for 6-8 weeks!! So so sad. I miss it already. So we will be full proselyting in our area! This means we will get so so much done spending all our time there. I will miss the VC & my sisters and senior couples a ton, but it will be a nice break! I am glad I get to have this full pros time with Sister Fetzer because there is never a dull moment. Ever. 

   Our members have a 1 year old son named Isaac and he is the most PRECIOUS thing on the earth. He volunteered to be my valentine. Best valentine ever, besides my sweetheart brothers & Daddie of course. 

We got to go to the temple today! It was the most wonderful, peaceful, renewing, and beautiful experience. I stepped inside and one of the temple workers looked at me and said, "welcome to the temple." Tears. I was so grateful to be there. SO grateful. Its like quenching your thirst. The peace & unconditional love I felt was CLEARLY from up above. Nothing this world could provide.  

  Creepy experience: We were at the VC, normal day, two guys walked in, didn't think anything of it. Welcomed them, introduced myself, and got to know them a little. One of the guys dads used to be a mormon but "studied his way out of it."
Then I invited them to listen to the Christus and they were extremely hesitant. They finally agreed and we watched it and were talking afterwards. The one guy was kind of debating,,, he wasnt rude but he was definitely passive aggressive. He began talking a lot about the Bible. The things that he was saying werent off the wall crazy, they were kind of like twisted slightly, kind of slyly. I could tell they came from anti-mormon stuff. You can definitely tell when someone is sincerely interested and when someone just wants to argue or debate. I started to feel really weird then he CHALLENGED US, which NEVER happens. He said, "I invite you to really think about what you believe, you know you cant always trust your feelings." All of the sudden, I am not kidding, clear as day, I got the sickest feeling and the Spirit told me that he wasn't of this world or something. I looked at him and his eyes got all dark, not dark like brown the color, but like DARK. Hard to explain. And he was handsome and smiling and got super nice and like thanked us for our time and was super nice. It was the creepiest thing EVER I was shaking........

He literally came in to try to make me doubt my beliefs. If I picture Satan or one of his workers, he is what I picture: a normal looking guy, handsome, kind, smiling, looking you right in the eye.

Then one of the sisters heard him say as he was leaving, "I am done trying with that one." Maybe he was one of Satan's workers coming to try to sway me from my beliefs.............. Good thing for Helaman 5:12, which was RINGING through my mind the whole day:

"And now, my sons, remember, remember that it is upon the rock of our Redeemer, who is Christ, the Son of God, that ye must build your foundation; that when the devil shall send forth his mighty winds, yea, his shafts in the whirlwind, yea, when all his hail and his mighty storm shall beat upon you, it shall have no power over you to drag you down to the gulf of misery and endless wo, because of the rock upon which ye are built, which is a sure foundation, a foundation whereon if men build they cannot fall."

   I would like to share something I have been seeing a theme of in my life this past week.

fear not

  I was nervous about getting a new companion, but I trusted in the Lord and prayed my guts out and Sister Fetzer is an answer to my prayers. I didnt need to fear, I knew the Lord would take care of me and that He has a plan for ME. He knows what we need, when we need it. He is perfect. He knows everything. We dont need to fear because our lives are in His hands, and what hallowed hands. Then in stake conference, the last talk was Fear Not. He gave 3 steps of things that will help us to not fear. 

1. Keep your eyes fixed on the Lord

2. Trust in the Lord & the power of His deliverance

3. Stand with the church & its leadership

What beautiful counsel from God's mouthpiece. This is God's advice to us, not from some random person. Literally from GOD. GOD is telling us not to fear. He is telling us to keep our eyes FIXED on him. He is telling us to TRUST Him and His power to deliver us. He is telling us to stand with the church and His chosen apostles and prophets. I pray that we can apply each of these into our lives and FEAR NOT. 

This morning in the temple (I know this sounds so cliche) but I sat down in the waiting room, giddy to be there, just soaking it all in, and I picked up a triple combination and turned right to D&C 98:

1 Verily I say unto you my friends, fear not, let your hearts be comforted; yea, rejoice evermore, and in everything give thanks;
2 Waiting patiently on the Lord, for your prayers have entered into the ears of the Lord of Sabaoth, and are recorded with this seal and testament—the Lord hath sworn and decreed that they shall be granted.
3 Therefore, he giveth this promise unto you, with an immutable covenant that they shall be fulfilled; and all things wherewith you have been afflicted shall work together for your good, and to my name’s glory, saith the Lord.

  I dont think this theme has been coming into my life because I am scared all the time or something, but it has been a good reminder. We have nothing to fear with the Lord on our side. Trust Him. He will never let us down. I know this from experience. We dont need to fear the future, trials, people, Satan, sickness, death, sin, nothing! He overcame all of it. Without Jesus Christ, we would need to fear for sure. He is the Prince of Peace. He is my light and my joy. I love Him. Do not fear! 

I absolutely love you,

Sister Brinton :))

Sister Fetzer

My friend from the MTC sent me an Oregon Ducks shirt.
He is serving there. I guess I'm an Oregon Ducks Fan now! ;0

The night we had to use a map

Happy Birthday Sister Fetzer

Hawaiian BBQ for Sis Fetzers birthday lunch

Happy Valentines Day

District activity

Elder Cruz

My district