ONE MONTH

     Hi everybody!! I can't believe I've been out a MONTH!! It has gone by so fast, but after I think about everything that has happened, it seems like forever haha. WOW I didn't know it was possible to learn and grow so much in so little time.
     I love Fall. We decorated our apartment with lights and candles and pumpkins :) It feels a lot more homey now and I LOVE IT. It's also cooling down. It's perfect weather in the day and perfect at night with a chilly breeze.  

 A few random things-Investigator's prayers are seriously my favorite. They are so sincere and say the cutest things, you can tell that it is straight from their heart! One of our eternigators (an investigator who has been investigating for an eternity) said in her prayer this week, "Thank you for helping us rise with the sun." I just love that. -We went to visit a less active family last week and they have a dog. I was admiring it and asked what his name was. The lady was like "Dog." I was like, "yeah the dog, what's his name?" She was like, "Dog..." THE DOG'S NAME was literally Dog. I was crying. -Every person in my ward has tattoos, fake teeth, piercings, and colored hair. I'm kidding haha but our ward is EXTREMELY diverse and is full of converts!!! It's a whole new world here. I love every second of it. I love the ward. Everyone hugs hugs hugs

     There are miracles happening here in San Leandro! MIRACLES. We had an awesome zone training about our focus! President Frandsen changed the mission focus this month from OYM (Open Your Mouth) to RFR (Request For Referrals). So instead of just talking to everybody, we talk to everybody and ask for referrals. About an hour after the training, we got to the VC and had a series of miracles happen as we asked people for referrals. This one man came in, a member, and we talked, showed him around or whatever, then he left. The Spirit told me to ASK HIM FOR A REFERRAL. And I didn't. I was kicking myself over and over after he left. All of the sudden, he came back in and with tears in his eyes told us that he sat down in his truck and the Spirit told him to come back in and ask us if we needed anything. With tears in my eyes I said, "We need a referral." He weeped and thanks us for asking as he had someone in OUR AREA who really needed the gospel and he was wondering how to help them. That is just one example of the many miracles that occurred that day because 1. President Frandsen was inspired 2. Heavenly Father's timing 3. our obedience 4. our faith 5. (and most important) THE SPIRIT. I was overcome and humbled as we followed the counsel of our Mission President and the Savior. We exercised faith and the Lord allowed us to become His instrument to work MIRACLES.  

     We have an awesome GOLDEN investigator named Roslyn (the eternigator.) She has been taking the discussions for about 2 years now. The missionaries have extended the invitation to baptism tons of times and she had always said no. She has a hard time accepting that we have prophets today. We prayed so hard for her as we prepared to teach her about PROPHETS. I was guided by the Spirit as we taught and I bore my testimony of prophets. It was going really well, she was accepting it (YAY). Then all of the sudden my heart started to beat out of my chest and the Spirit told me to ask her to be baptized!!! This was definitely not in the plans. I looked over at Sister Harper then looked right at Roslyn. I could not control it, I asked her with tears in my eyes if she would be baptized. She readily agreed. OH MY HEART. I knew I would experience joy on my mission but I had no idea it would be anything like the joy I felt right then. I was OVERCOME. I didnt even know what to say next I was so happy. She has a baptismal date for next month. So does our investigator named Sarada from Sri Lanka and our investigator from Norway named Ann-Helen. November is going to be amazing.    
     I came across this scripture in my studying and fell in love with it. I would love to share it with you and how much I have learned from it. "And thus we see that by small means the Lord can bring about GREAT things." 1 Nephi 16:29   I am the small means. I am weak, inadequate, prideful, lazy, stubborn, and HUMAN. I am these small and simple means. BUT THROUGH ME, a 19 year old, the LORD can bring about great things. The Lord can work miracles through me. Whom the Lord calls, he qualifies. I am seeing miracles happen daily because of this beautiful concept. All things are possible through the Lord, through the Atonement. He gives me strength beyond my own. He teaches me love and patience and kindness and charity and compassion for these people who have no family, no food, no homes, nothing. How can I love a stranger? Through the Atonement of Jesus Christ.   
     Another thing I learned this week that my Hero (my Daddie) taught me, is to not fear. I am so grateful that he, along with the Savior, taught me through example not to fear. What if I would have been too scared to ask Roslyn to be baptized?? What if I would have been discouraged because of all the failures in the past?? "Having conceived of her purpose a missionary should mark out a STRAIGHT pathway to it's achievement, looking neither to the right, nor the left. Doubts and fears should be rigorously excluded: they are disintegrating elements which break up the straight line of effort, rendering it crooked, ineffectual, useless. Thoughts of doubt and fear never accomplish anything, and never can. They ALWAYS lead to failure. Purpose, energy, power to do, and all strong thoughts CEASE when doubt and fear creep in. The will to do springs from the knowledge that we CAN do. Doubt and fear are the great enemies of knowledge, and she who encourages them, who does not SLAY them, thwarts herself at every step. She who has conquered doubt and fear has conquered failure!! Her every thought is allied with power, and all difficulties are bravely met and wisely overcome." This quote has changed my mission. I am so grateful for my Daddie and the example that he is to me. It is not me working these miracles, it is the LORD! 
     I am so happy. I love being a missionary and I thank my Father in Heaven every single day for the PRIVILEGE and HONOR I have of being His missionary and THANK him for being my companion. I love Him. Choose to be happy.Thank Him for letting us rise with the sun.I LOVE you all more and more every day. every day. Thank you for your love and prayers.
XOXO 
Sister Brinton

We bought a cinnamon pumpkin muffin candle 
and pumpkins and squashes to decorate.

WE LOVE FALL AND HALLOWEEN.

THANKYOU for the halloween socks and lights mom!!

 

Matching watches with Sister Nistler :)

Me teaching chickens on Peach Street about the Book of Mormon.

This cutest kid Mikellle was acting like a dog and biting me, 
surprisingly hard, during our lesson

The SWEETEST boy Midu. He is from Sri Lanka and we teach him English. He is the cutest thing.

We made crockpot chicken with corn and beans. It was DELICIOUS.

This is Linda. She had a stroke and can't speak so she uses a board and points with the one hand she could move. She is the happiest person I know.

Sister Harper braided my hair into an "elsa braid"

Sister Obando also braided my hair....the VC is turning into a beauty salon

I got my VERY OWN Oakland Visitor's Center 
Book of Mormon with my NAME on it :))) I'm in love

A member Sister Filiau gave me these BARBIE pajama pants lol

HI FROM CALIFORNIA

   I cant believe I am really here. I AM FINALLY HERE! AAH I just wish I could write every single thought and feeling, it has been so unreal. I love everything about it
   I had some awesome classes one on one with my VC teachers and learned SO much. I loved it! I had to be at the travel office at 4 am on Wednesday, traveling went well! I GOT TO CALL HOME IN THE AIRPORT! Oh my gosh I was sobbing haha I got to talk to my sweetest angel Momma, my BEST FRIEND Daddie, and my two favorite sisters in the world. It was so happy. We got to talk for about an hour (I think, I really dont know it went by so fast) and I seriously just cried and cried I was so happy. Made me pretty homesick!! 
   I got to California safe and sound! My Mission President, President Frandsen was there to greet us with his wife. I walked right up to him (he is so tall), introduced myself, looked right into his eyes and said, "Hi President. Put me to work! I am ready and I am going to be obedient, you dont have to worry about me." He kind of giggled and smiled and said something like you got it! He is wonderful and his wife is SOOO cool. She is so down to earth and jokes about stuff, so awesome. I love them already!!!! 
   We did a bunch of paper work stuff and whatever. Then we got to go the temple. Oh. my. I'm sorry but there are no words. It is literally the most beautiful grouds/building/view I have ever seen in my life. I was speechless. It is STUNNING!!!! Seriously unreal. 
   We took pictures then got assigned our companions! I was the only sister left so everyone was like hhmm I wonder who your companion will be haha. Her name is Sister Harper from Highland Utah. She is the oldest of 8. She has MERMAID eyes, they are like bright blue/sea foam green. She just finished training herself--so awesome. When my Mission President was giving me a quick interview before I met her, he teared up as he talked about her. He just said how amazing she was. AND SHE IS! She is wonderful. We get along so well and have a hard time finding things that we dont have in common. So we are 1/2 Visitors' Center, 1/2 proselyting. Our VC shifts are 9-3 or 3-9 just depending on the schedule that week. We are in San Leandro when we arent at the VC and thats where we live. It is pretty poor! One thing that has been soo cool about the 1/2 day thing is the difference in the Spirit!! We still have the Spirit as we teach and proselyte and study, but there is something about being on temple grounds and in the VC that is so incredibly peaceful and the Spirit is so strong there. You can see it on people's faces as they walk in. Its almost tangible. 
   We had chili and apple pie for dinner that night, so perfect for a good homey meal and it felt like Fall! LOVE. 
   So the VC is awesome! We give tours and walk the grounds and answer questions and play movies and answers calls/online chats. We have a lot of free time to study and read the scriptures! I just started the Book of Mormon over, so that's wonderful I LOVE IT. The view from the VC...... One side is the temple then the other overlooks THE ENTIRE bay and over to San Francisco. Seriously unreal. I just stare and stare and stare. It doesnt even look real. We get all kinds of people in the VC. This one lady from mexico, could barely speak Engish came up to me after a movie and was like "God is calling me. I can feel it. This feels right. God is calling me." I got to bear my testimony, "Yes. Yes He is and He loves you." She said, "I know I can see it in your eyes." AAAHHHH I know that seems so simple, but its so awesome to see these people wanting to change. And that I get to be His instrument is an HONOR. 
   One thing that we play, which many of you have probably seen, is the movie/interactive tour called God's Plan For His Family. We watched it as a family in the Salt Lake VC the weekend before my fare well as a family and SOBBED our eyes out. It was so hard for me to watch and bear my testimony about families and talk about my family because I would just cry and cry and cry (I'm crying right now haha) because I was homesick and I missed them!! But I turned it around. I started letting this love for my family to motivate me to share the gospel and share the message that WE CAN BE WITH OUR FAMILIES FOREVER to these poor sad broken families. My family is safe and happy. They will be there when I return home. Some of these people dont even know there is a God. So I am okay now haha but wow. I am so lucky. I love all of you so much. 
   We run to the sunrise in the morning. It's killer. The weather COULD NOT BE BETTER. It is perfect. Palm trees EVERYWHERE. Millions of different color/shapes/size of houses. I love it. I love love love it. So as we started planning to teach people that Sister Harper has already been teaching, she kind of updated me about their background/progress. It was SO beautiful to watch how I would learn a little bit about them, then just PRAY my heart out and study study study, then to see the revelation I would receive for them, specific to them, someone I had never met. That is NOT me. That is the Spirit working through me. I dont know these people but GOD DOES. And he loves them. We have had some awesome lessons with people from ALL OVER THE WORLD. Seriously right now we are teaching 7/8 people from SRI LANKA, CHINA, VIETNAM, MEXICO, PERU, NORWAY, and FRANCE. And its not like their parents are from there or something. They are literally from there, accents, culture, and all. It is the coolest, most beautiful thing. One other thing I love to see is how much I can love a stranger. I walk out of a lesson and I am just like I LOVE HIM or her haha its so beautiful!! We have two baptisms planned and we had three investigators come to church!! Sister Harper said that is the most they have ever had. I was so happy. It was so nice to be at church and everyone was so kind and welcoming. It is the most diverse ward I have ever seen haha. Name a race or age and we had it. One thing I LOVE is, The Bishop gets up there and goes "Good Morning Brothers and Sisters!" and no one answered. So he goes, "GOOD MORNING BROTHERS AND SISTERS." And everyone was like "Good morning!!" hahaha then every single person that stood up to bear their testimony did that. Everyone says good morning back, the whole congregation haha I was cracking up. 
   This week I will hit my one month mark, on October 16! CRAZY!
   I am so happy. I love it here. It is so beautiful. I love how much we pray: we pray when we wake up, over our food, before we leave the house, before we leave the car, before we study, during study, after study.. you get the picture haha. 
   One morning I was way sad and homesick and lonely, because I was thinking about myself. I said a prayer to Heavenly Father and I was just like please comfort me. The lyrics automatically came to my head: "I know He lives. I will follow faithfully. My heart I give to Him, I know that my Savior loves me." I was overcome. 
   I know He lives. I know He answers our prayers. He loves us. Everything is possible through Jesus Christ. TURN TO HIM, he is there listening, just DYING for you to talk to Him. He knows how you feel. He knows how to comfort you. I have already seen these people's lives change because of the gospel. I love being a representative of the Savior and I often catch myself thinking, what would the Savior do, what would the Savior say. I love Him. 
   I LOVE ALL OF YOU to the moon & back and MISS YOU!! I can feel your prayers. Thank you. One of my best friends, Sister Higgins, serving in the North Adriatic Mission, said Wake up and realize how many people are praying for you. You guys keep me going! I am happy happy and its when I think of other and serve that I feel the most JOY. 
Love. Love. Love.
Sister Brinton

Calling home in the airport on Wednesday 
was SO BITTERSWEET AHHH

Me and my AMAZING Mission President and his wife
 in the mission home. The Frandsen's. I LOVE THEM

My trainer/mom/companion Sister Harper

All the new missionaries!!

The Oakland Temple is literally breathtaking

Selfie with my new favorite temple!

   

THE BEST MTC visitors' center teacher, Sister Peterson

Sister Donakey - MY other AMAZING VC teacher

The best devotional with Sister Burton

Sister Lewis - I seriously love all of my VC teachers

Devotional/chior

Thanks Dave and Camille for the Halloween socks! I love them!

The most beautiful dog/timberwolf named Phoenix who didnt bark but literally howled like a wolf.
In love. My companion had to drag me away from it. I was covered in dog/wolf hair

Our desks!

My wall...i love.

Sister Harper

Our HUMBLE abode

pray for us

Sunset from the Visitors' Center

OH MY GOSH I CANT BELIEVE I LIVE HERE

Blue hot chocolate...dont ask.

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

We can't hold hands so we hold pinkies. THE ZONE.

Sister Sorenson is from Oakland! 

I love my district!!

ALL the sisters in the district

pray for us...

Elder Dallin Holding!!!!

"O" for OAKTOWN

 

I love my dr. pepper

   

  

The trio!

We love lunch outside!!

Brother Pliler (one of my teachers)

   

One of my VC teachers Anna Lewis (Jane knows her) She is awesome!

On the train to Salt Lake!

Sister Bean was my companion on temple square today!!!

Sister Meek and I love the waiting room of the clinic... 
We might just move our beds in here!

thanks for the shower cap mom :)

  

Sister Ankeny's mom sent us so much candy!!

THANKYOU FOR THE REESE'S GRAM

I LIVE for peach fresca!!