Temple....FINALLY

 HELLO everybody! :)
   I like shake when I type these emails home because I am so happy and I just want to write everything as fast as I can aaahhh!! Hi!!! I am so happy. I love everything. It has been raining here which is such a MIRACLE! I thought it was cold here until I heard it snowed in Idaho so I am grateful for the sunshine :)) SO....
   Last Monday, I went on exchanges for the first time! It was with the Sister Training Leaders and I got paired with Sister Martinez. Usually when it's your first transfer, you go the STL's area and they show you around and you are the junior companion. BUT the Lord wanted Sister Martinez to come to MY area!! I got to be the Senior companion and I had to drive (for the first time in 2 months...in California..so scary) and show her around and lead the lessons and everything!! It was a little intimidating at first, but I prayed and received strength and it went very well! They are there to help you and teach you, so I also prayed very hard for humility and to be teachable because it is hard to hear what you need to work on!!! It is VERY easy to be defensive or offended. But through the Lord, I was able to humble myself and even DESIRE criticism to change and BECOME BETTER! :)
   Every month, they have this AMAZING fireside called "Why I Believe." It takes place in the ISC building up on Temple Hill (where the temple and Visitors' Center, VC, are). It is where about 10-15 recent converts go up and tell their conversion stories and bear their testimonies! You are only allowed to go if you bring an investigator. We brought one of our investigators named Paradize! There are also musical numbers. It was SO beautiful. SO powerful. It is really good for our investigators to see the wide variety ( W I D E variety let me tell you) of people who have joined the church and their SIMPLE yet very powerful testimonies. I cant wait to bring 23948 people next time :) So beautiful. 
   SO about some of the people here in my life in SAN LEANDRO:
   Ann Helen is a beautiful mother with one son and she has a baptismal date for November 29! She is from Norway, speaks english very well and is extremely quiet and just as sweet. She is nervous and timid, but the Lord gives her strength :) 
   Roslyn is a beautiful single 45 year old African American who LOVES the scriptures. She is getting baptized on November 28th! 
   Paradize is the investigator we brought to Why I Believe. He is around 20 African American really chill guy haha. He has come to church every single Sunday since I got here! His grandma is a less active and we are teaching those two and his 9 year old cousin LaReese. They are doing really well and we are going to challenge them to baptism this week!! 
   John and Mary were a referral we received from our VC. He is a less-active and she is the kindest, most open-hearted woman I have ever met. We taught them the Restoration and she committed to baptism. The next day, we ran into them (not by accident, there are NO accidents) and she ran up to me and hugged me and goes, "WE GOT MARRIED!!" MIRACLE. This shows how the Lord is preparing these people's hearts. They knew they needed to get married for her to get baptized, so they went and got married the next day. They are some of the coolest people I have ever met. BUT they moved :(( To Idaho actually, so I am passing them on to my family!! YAY! JK but we are keeping in touch. 
   Lucia is a beautiful single Hispanic mom of two children. She met the missionaries where she worked (in someones home) and had been driving three hours to meet with them once a week. She finally couldn't make the commute and asked if she had missionaries that were closer and IT WAS US!!!! Now we are teaching her and are committing her to baptism this week!!!!!! 
   One thing that is really hard is our SACRED time at the VC cuts our time in our area in half, then on top of meetings and P-days and everything, we dont get to meet with these people or contact our referrals as much as we would like :( But we are doing our best! 
   Thank you for your prayers for us to be able to find the elect who are SO READY for the gospel. So ready, that it's almost like we don't even have to do anything but show them the way. It's like they already know it so we just have to show them the steps. We had a beautiful miracle this week. During one hour of our shift at the VC, we go on what is called outside tour, where we get to walk to the grounds and talk to people/admire the beauty OH MY I LOVE IT. I practically cry when we have to leave. But we felt prompted to talk to this lady, so we offered to take a picture for her (she was trying to take a selfie). This is a very effective tactic because then we are holding their cameras and they kind of have to stay and talk to us hahaha :)) Anyways, we started talking to her about her beliefs and everything. She is Christian. She completely opened up to us about her violent and troubled past. She told us that one night she told Jesus she couldn't do it any more and turned to Him. She said her life hasnt been the same since! We invited her into the Visitors' Center and you should have seen her light up. She just grabbed her chest and cried and kept saying, "oh my goodness, oh my goodness, wow, wow." The Spirit was so strong and she was there for HOURS. She told us that she knew God led her there and the gospel was perfect for her, just what she had been looking for. I had the sacred opportunity to bear my testimony that He had in fact led her here. HOW BEAUTIFUL that we get to be a part of these little miracles every day. One awesome thing about the VC is that we aren't the missionaries in her area, but we get to send the missionaries to her house AND keep in contact with her from the VC phone center. It's the best.
   I got to go to the TEMPLE today!!!!! I have been dreaming of going in the Oakland Temple since the day I got my call, April 28th. Every single day I walk the ground. Every single day I take pictures of this beautiful building. Every single day I bear my testimony to people of the House of the Lord. I seriously just stare and admire it from the Visitors' Center ALL DAY. And I FINALLY got to go inside!!!!!!!!!!!! It was so beautiful. The temple takes on a whole new level of power and the Spirit when you are set apart as a full time missionary. The Spirit was so strong and my heart was very full. The diamonds on the chandelier in the celestial room clink together because the AC blows on them, and it makes magical heavenly music. I love the temple. 
   I came across a beautiful concept that I would LOVE to share with you. I hope it makes sense :) There is a powerful talk called "Willing To Submit" by Elder Maxwell. It is all about us submitting our will to the Lord's. He says,

       "It is only by yielding to God that we can begin to realize His will for us. And if we truly trust God, why NOT yield to His loving omniscience?? After all, He knows us and our possibilities MUCH better than we do."

       Then I came across this statement in the Bible Dictionary about FAITH:

       "The Lord has revealed Himself and His perfect character, possessing in their fullness all the attributes of love, knowledge, justice, mercy, unchangeableness, power,and every other needful thing, so as to enable the mind of man to place confidence in Him without reservation."

   This parallel is SO beautiful. The Lord has revealed all of these qualities so we can EASILY trust in Him, without hesitation, so we can realize His will for us! Why wouldn't you want to give everything you have to a God who is FULL of love and patience and kindness and forgiveness?? He revealed all of these qualities so we can trust in Him, knowing He will take care of us! I want to yield to Him because He knows me SO much better than I know myself. I would not be here on a mission if it weren't for Him. I am so grateful for this beautiful and comforting knowledge that we have a Father in Heaven who LOVES us so much.

      "If we could daily remember and recognize the depth of that love our Heavenly Father and our Savior have for us, we would be willing to do anything to be back in their presence again, surrounded by their love eternally. What will it matter what we suffer here if, in the end, those trials are the VERY THINGS which qualify us for eternal life and exaltation in the kingdom of God with our Father and Savior."            -Sister Reeves

    I am so happy. I just can't get enough of anything. I am learning and growing more than I ever thought possible. My time here is so short and I wish time would just slow down!!!!!! I can't believe it has been a whole transfer....Time FLIES here. Can I just say how frustrating it is when one of your investigators FINALLY comes to Relief Society and you are expecting some INCREDIBLE lesson about the Atonement and changing your life around, and your lesson is literally on food storage. Sorry if that is rude but I mean SERIOUSLY. People are constantly bringing us cookies and treats at the VC, so I have narrowed my diet down to only 10 cookies a day.... The lights are going up on Temple Hill and Christmas is coming!!! I am so happy. I seriously go to sleep and wake up smiling. There is no where I would rather be. I LOVE it here, I love my call, I love the Visitors' Center. I love eating 35 bowls of cereal before bed every night. I love that my trainer Sister Harper is a living and breathing heater so she holds my hands and warms them up. I love being a missionary. I love reading the scriptures. I love bearing my testimony. I am so grateful for the Atonement of Jesus Christ that helps us become better each and every day, at our own pace!!! He will change our hearts. Every single day I realize how far I have to go.. I have SO MUCH to work on and change about myself, sometimes it if overwhelming how far I am from perfect BUT all things are possible through the Lord. I try not to let my weaknesses and faults weigh me down, but motivate me!!!! How beautiful is it when you are working on patience, the Lord places a situation in your life that requires patience, and you succeed!!!!  I am so grateful for the temple and I know that as we STRIVE to keep our covenants, we will be blessed with a multiplicity of blessings. I am so grateful for Prophets who are called of God. I know they are the Lord's mouthpiece here on the earth today. We would be lost without them! Prophets are a manifestation of God's love for us. 
   I am so grateful for all of your love and prayers. I couldn't do it without you. Eat some Chickfila for me someone...I'm dying.
FOREVER and back again,
Sister Brinton
     

after why I believe

Temple Day with my Zone

The cute girls in my zone...TEMPLE DAY

Nation's Burgers!

Me and Sarada with matching coats :))

LOVE OUR NEW COVERTS

Akshana, Sarada's baby...she is PRECIOUS

Akshana and Abby

Lunch with our ward mission leader!

Tanada, Tanaye, and Jasmine. We read bible stories to them!

Me and Sister Neves (Senior couple at VC) have matching necklaces!

Sister Winters! She is a VC sister...LOVE HER!

Exchanges with Sister Martinez

Sister Housley, also a VC sister. Love her too :))

Sarada & Abhikshana's Baptism

   Hello from the happiest sister missionary in all of the world. I love you. My heart is so full. SO full. This was a great week! We have two of the cutest new investigators (Lucia and Mary), three AMAZING progressing investigators (Ann-Helen, Roslyn, and Paradize) and now TWO RECENT CONVERTS (Sarada and Abhikshana)!  We don't really go knocking door to door because the VC cuts out proselyting time in half so when we aren't at the VC, we are usually contacting refferals, which is where all of our investigators have come from!  We had too much fun on Halloween. It rained last night and today, which is an ABSOLUTE miracle. California is in a huge drought, so we needed it! & I LOVE the rain. It reminded me of Virginia. I have zero complaints. We are doing so well here in San Leandro, the members feed us, the temple gets more and more beautiful every single day, I am so happy. I get to testify of Jesus Christ to people from ALL over the world (literally, I had to write it down: this week people came into the VC from Egypt, Sweden, Guatemala, Iceland, Israel, China, China, China, and Mexico!!!!!!) in a beautiful place where the Spirit is SO strong, what could I possibly complain about?

   So we received Sarada and Abhikshana's address the week I got here and have been teaching them ever since. Sarada is from Sri Lanka and is a BEAUTIFUL and strong mother of three precious children. She speaks little to no english, she speaks Tamil. She has the most faith I have ever seen. We just cry and cry together the whole lesson. She is going through a very rough time financially and in her marriage. Her and her daughter Abhikshana's baptismal date was set for November 1st and they made it! We combined their baptisms with two other companionships and there were 9 people baptized total!! The Assistants had two from Sri Lanka and the other Sisters had 5 from Tonga. It was my first baptism here on the mission and one of the most beautiful things I have ever been a part of. When I first saw them in their perfectly white baptismal clothes, glowing smiles and bright eyes, I was absolutely overcome with joy. Watching them enter the waters of baptism was one of the most powerful experiences I have ever had in my life. My heart was so full. I wept watching them giggle as they slowly stepped into the font. I wept watching them come up clean and pure. Then I had the beautiful opportunity to bear my testimony and introduce the Bible Videos which were going to play while we were waiting for all of them to get dressed.  It took me a while to FINALLY get some words out, but with tears I expressed that my heart was so full. I expressed that "this is the goal" and "There is no greater joy." I shared my testimony of the Savior and His perfect example that we should all strive to follow. It was a powerful moment for me and the Spirit was SO strong. The joy that you feel as you watch someone you have come to love so much enter into the waters of baptism is exactly how everyone described it to me -- UNDESCRIBABLE. so pure. The most rewarding, purest joy you can imagine. The joy that comes from bringing others to Christ. 

 I want to share this special experience I had this week. Part of weekly planning as a missionary involves praying for each son or daughter of God that we are involved with (investigators, new converts, and less actives) individually: their problems, concerns, trials, worries, families, jobs, progress, ask for specific blessings, and so forth. These prayers usually last about 35-45 minutes. Sister Harper always did it because I was still learning about everyone and getting to know them. It was finally my turn to pray for them!!  As I began to pray, I could hardly speak. I was absolutely overcome with LOVE for these people. I wept as I prayed for each of them individually and expressed my love and concern for them. It was a very, VERY powerful experience for me. I can't imagine how the Savior felt as He knelt in the garden, praying for each of US: our problems, concerns, trials, worries, sadnesses and sins and MORE. If I experienced so much love for MY people, imagine how much love the Savior had for each of us! This experience of turning outside myself and praying sincerely for these people with love, brought me closer to Christ and helped me become more like Him. I saw them with new eyes. I loved them as my own brothers and sisters. I wept for their trials and desired for their happiness. This kind of love is only possible through the Atonement of Jesus Christ. This kind of love is available to ME as a missionary as I strive with all of my heart, might, mind, and strength to represent the Savior. I am so grateful for this experience that brought me so much JOY and compassion and humility. 

  As I was studying this week, I came across this scripture: 


        "Therefore, blessed are they who humble themselves without being compelled to be humble; or rather, in other words, blessed is he that believeth in the word of God, and is baptized without stubbornness of heart, yea, without being brought to know the word, or even compelled to know, before they will believe." Alma 32:16

   I could not help but think of my sweetest Momma. She has the most believing heart, she is humble and believing and didn't have to be compelled to become such!! I did. I had to be compelled and learn for myself, MULTIPLE times. I am so grateful for my experience and wouldn't trade it for the world, but I look to her as an example of perfect faith. She has always just known in her heart that the gospel was true and that her Father in Heaven loved her and that we can receive answers through prayer. She taught this through example to me all my life. Her PURE and powerful faith in and love for the Savior strengthens me every single day. She just knew, from day one. I see that kind of purity among the people I am teaching. We aren't even teaching on missions, we are REMINDING. Everyone knows this! Everyone knows the gospel. We all chose Heavenly Father's plan, that's why we are here. We are just reminding people what we chose and why. I see it in their eyes when I tell them that they lived with God before they came to earth. It clicks in their mind and they light up BECAUSE ITS TRUE. Just like my Momma, they know its true with all of their believing heart. I love you Momma, you are truly my hero and best friend.

   I am so happy. I love being a missionary. I love the Book of Mormon. I love being able to bear my testimony of the Savior constantly. People literally come TO ME in the VC to find out more. They WANT to know what that big beautiful building is. Everyone calls it the "castle" haha. I get to go inside next week and I could not be more excited. As these DIVERSE and BEAUTIFUL children of God walk into the VC, they kind of pause and look around. They smile. Every time. The Spirit that is there is literally tangible. They feel at home. AHHH It's just the best. Come visit :) I love you. Thank you for all of your LOVE and MAIL and support and prayers especially. Have a WONDERFUL WEEK & Happy November. Write down in your journal one thing you are grateful for every day, then Heavenly Father will bless you with MORE, we can never repay Him :)

LOVE 

Happy Sister Brinton

John and Mary Miner

  

Abhikshana's baptism

She is 9!

Beautiful baptism day!!

Abhikshana and Sarada (mother and daughter)

Abhikshana's little brother, Midu

My momma sent me the recipe for her AMAZING 
peanut butter bars...I ate WAY too many :/

Movie night (AKA watching testaments after planning on a 1 by 1 inch dvd player
with the volume at level 1)

Happy halloween from the VC

Sister Fetzer

Me and Sister Nistler matching

Homemade Broccoli Cheddar Soup on halloween...
It looks so gross, but it was SO good.

Lions

The MARINA...im literally obsessed.

Love them. (Sister Housely, Harper, and Obando)

Happy Halloween :)))

     Happy Halloween this week everyone! We have to be in our apartment at 6. I wanted to dress up as a sister missionary and pass out pass along cards but I guess I'll be obedient 0:)  This week was so amazing. I am in love with everything about being a missionary. I LOVE running in the morning. I LOVE our apartment, it feels like home. I LOVE Sister Harper. I LOVE the Visitors' Center. I LOVE the busy roads and all the palm trees. I LOVE all the people we meet. I LOVE the VC sisters and senior couples I serve with. I LOVE bearing my testimony of the Savior. I LOVE MAIL! I LOVE being so close to the ocean. I LOVE THE BOOK OF MORMON. I LOVE praying, my knees are getting carpet burn from being on my knees praying so much. I LOVE driving with my window down, waving to everyone. I LOVE my ward. I LOVE the people who have zero fear and just walk across the busiest street of your life without even thinking or glancing either way. I LOVE listening to church music in the car (never thought I would say that, I do miss my country music). I'm sorry, but I could go on and on.
     I teach the gospel in my dreams now. So when I say I preach the gospel 24/7, I seriously do because I do it in my sleep too haha. I will seriously have dreams that we get new investigators or a baptismal date. Wow.
     They are putting up the lights for Christmas on OUR temple square. It makes me so happy. 
     I don't remember how much I have told you about Linda but she is the lady who is hospital bound-she had a stroke 7 years ago that left her with only movement in one arm. We go and write letters to her family for her as service. She has a board with the alphabet on it and she points to the letters, because she cant even speak. We always sing with her and she has this new thing where we ask her what hymn she wants us to sing and she points to random numbers on her board and its always the weirdest hymn we have never heard of. We just laugh and she just covers her eyes, which means she is laughing. She thinks its the funniest thing of her life. It is seriously the best. She has so much sunshine in her heart. 
     This week we got FOUR baptismal dates! And THREE new investigators. Two of those baptisms are this weekend. The other two are in November. I love all of them with all my heart. 
     I had two WONDERFUL surprises this week. The first surprise: I was watching a movie and Ben VanTassel (family friend from Virginia) sticks his head in the room. Ben and Betsy came to Oakland! It was SO good to see them, I just cried and cried. They are some of the sweetest people I know. LOVE. Then the other day I was in doing phones and chat and Dave Richards (my uncle) sticks his head in and again, I just stood there with tears streaming as we shook hands. He uplifted me so much, telling me how much of an influence I was having on all of my cousins. It was really something I needed to hear and that really touched my heart. I love him. Tender Mercies. 
     I had my very first district meeting this week! It was really good I like my district a lot! The Elders don't even look at us sisters, it cracks me up. Little babies. 
     So we had stake conference on Sunday in that gorgeous ISC building. The opening prayer was in Spanish and the Musical Number was in Tongan. All the Tongan men wear skirts. I LOVE the diversity that is here!!!! I have seriously think there is one couple in my stake that are both white. Stake Conference was all about happiness. The gospel brings happiness. This was PERFECT for our three investigators who came!! YAY
     I dont know why I even put makeup on anymore. I am seriously crying all day, starting with morning prayer. My heart is just so full of joy and gratitude and the Spirit. Everyone knows how much of a crier I am haha I can barely get through a tour without crying at some point. I think I get it from my Momma (and my Daddie :) ) and I absolutely love it. 
     I have learned so much from studying the scriptures that it is hard to even comprehend. Sometimes I get overwhelmed with all of the revelation and things I want to apply to my life! I just want to be the best missionary I can be and work as hard as I can and be the BEST that I can. But I am learning that I just need to take it step by step. We become like the Savior step by step, one decision at a time, not all at once. Every time I do, I know I am becoming more like Him and getting to know Him. I just wish I could tell you all EVERYTHING I am learning and share all of the amazing scriptures I am reading. Come be my companions :) 
     I want to share one thing I learned this week- probably one of the most beautiful things I have ever learned. It really really touched my heart, as a missionary and as a daughter of God. The Spirit testified to me as I read it and I hope you can feel the Spirit and the DEPTH of this scripture as I share it with you. 

  "And it shall come to pass that whosoever doeth this shall be found at the right hand of God, for he shall know the name by which he is called; for he shall be called by the name of Christ." Mosiah 5:9

 "I say unto you, I would that ye should remember to retain the name written always in your hearts, that ye are not found on the left hand of God, but that ye hear and know the voice by which ye shall be called, and also, the name by which he shall call you." Mosiah 5:12

      We covenant to take upon us the name of Christ at baptism, then we renew that covenant each week as we partake of the sacrament. We covenant to live our lives REPRESENTING Him, following in His footsteps, becoming like Him, learning of Him. We are commanded to be perfect (3 Nephi 12:48) and to be a man even as Christ is (3 Nephi 27:27). The reason any of this is even possible is through the Atonement of Jesus Christ. If we strive to take upon us the name of Christ, we will one day become perfect like He is and we will answer to the name "Christ" because we aligned our lives with His!! We became like Him, until we literally took His name upon us and shall be called, "Christ." We shall be one with Him. Our actions, His actions. Our words, His words. Our thoughts, His thoughts. This is extremely beautiful to ME because I am on a mission, where I wear His name on my chest EVERY DAY. I am called to represent the Lord. He has chosen me to represent Him- to stand in His place, to say and do what He Himself would say and do if He personally were ministering to the very people to whom He has sent me. How great is my calling!!!
     I hope you feel the depth of this promise, that as we strive to live like Him, we will recognize the VOICE by which we shall be called and the NAME by which we shall be called. How will we recognize His voice if we have never heard it??
     I LOVE YOU with all my heart. I am so grateful for this opportunity. Every prayer I say goes like this: "Dear Heavenly Father, I am so grateful for this opportunity I have to be a missionary.." I am so happy. I know I say that every single week haha but I AM!!!! The gospel is what makes us HAPPY! I hope you all have a great week and a HAPPY HALLOWEEN. I couldn't do this without you. I love you.
XOXO
Sister Brinton

Happy Halloween!

Ben & Betsy Van Tassell came to the Visitors' Center!!! Tears!

Dave Richards...TEARS!!

Road in Oakland

This is the ISC building, right across from the Visitors' Center 

and next door to the temple. Gorgeous!

Sister Harper had to borrow Sister Housely's name tag because she forgot hers! 

Literally the cutest puppies in the world. I am holding "Sweetheart."

Sister Obando

Baskin Robins - duh!

THE MARINA - our view at dinner..

So gorgeous! Can't you just smell the ocean 
when you look at this picture?

This is like 5 minutes from our apartment.

Pday at the Oakland Zoo