Are they Serious?

Time is F L Y I N G. This has been the fastest transfer of my whole mission! We are LOVING every bit of it. I LOVE Oakland, it is beautiful. Every day is happy and fun.

Lots of knocking this week. Its fun! Always an adventure. We found some great potentials! We also did a blitz where everyone in our district goes out to our area and knocks doors for us! So nice! We hit a lot of Chinese spots and Sister Hsiao takes over. We knocked on this one door and a frustrated lady opened it. We introduced ourselves as missionaries from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints and she turns around to someone inside the house and goes, "Are they serious?" and shut the door. hahahaha oh wow. No, we just dress up like this for fun. We got a pretty good laugh (you have to laugh so you don't cry) but after a while I really started thinking about it. I am serious. I am DEAD serious! I share a message that will change your life! Your eternal salvation actually. We have the most beautiful, powerful, life changing message, if only they would listen. Another door we knocked and the skinniest, bearded, 88 year old man I have ever seen swung the door right open and said, "COME IN! Oh sorry I thought you were someone else." He talked to us about family history for a while. Most people are pretty nice, just super busy. Busy busy busy. I tripped at one point and we were laughing so hard we were crying and couldnt knock because we couldnt stop laughing.

We hit 207/400 baptisms!! Whoo hoo!! President Frandsen has asked that we DOUBLE our efforts. In every way. Pray harder, study harder, find faster, teach better. We have to find new investigators now, so we can baptize them before December! He is so inspired and I am so grateful for him.

Our Stake President came to speak to the ward about missionary work so we hope to really motivate the ward to bring their friends to church and find people for us to teach! The best way to find is through members!

I have been studying a lot about Faith recently. I came across this beautiful scripture:

"Yea, and how is it that ye have forgotten that the Lord is able to do all things according to his will, for the children of men, if it so be that they exercise faith in him? Wherefore, let us be faithful to him." 1 Nephi 7:12

Oh. I just fell in love with this. This is Nephi talking to his hard-hearted brothers. How can we forget that the Lord can do ALL things and WANTS to do all things for us, His children, if we just exercise our faith in Him? So, let us be faithful to Him. Let us be faithful to Him. What better Shepherd, Father, Friend to be faithful to. Being faithful is tiring, but

"Wherefore, be not weary in well-doing, for ye are laying the foundation of a great work. And out of small things proceedeth that which is great." D&C 64:33

No matter where we are in our lives, a mom, a sister, a wife, a grandma, a teacher, a missionary, a dad, a doctor, be not weary. Your efforts, your sacrifices matter. It is DAILY kindness, scripture study, prayer, repentance, that miracles are wrought and testimonies are built!! I think of this every day! Be not weary in well doing! I am doing the most important work on earth and I only have 8 more months to do it in. Ether motivates me when he says,

"For he did cry from the morning, even until the going down of the sun, exhorting the people to believe in God unto repentance." Ether 12:3

Wow. I am just so grateful to be a missionary. We have another great week ahead of us!! I cant wait to meet more people and bear more testimony and say lots of prayers. Thank you for all your LOVE! I miss you.

Always,

Sister Brinton!