Monday, April 27, 2009

Heart is Full

Helloooo! I'm so excited to hear everything went well with the delivery of little Maya!! Good job Denee. I'm sorry I missed it but glad to hear I still got to write a message on the window..thanks bai ;) Everything is going so great here! We have transfers on Friday the 1st and I'm so nervous I'm just praying I don't get transferred, we have 6 baptisms lined up for the first 2 weeks of May and I would hate to miss them. My first area has been so wonderful. Of course its Gorgeous because its right on the coast. The people are so kind and hilarious! The other day we got to a house and the woman came runnin out saying Sis Grant Sis Grant I have Dairy Queen for you!!! I ALMOST DIED! We had talked about ice cream the day before in our apartment, hah and I had said something about dairy queen :) I sprinted...literally over to her for the goods haha she was so excited as she handed me a container, the label said DAIRY CREME...it was like full on cow cream...hahahah talk about miscommunication! LOL I had a good laugh and accepted her gift. She was all smiles and so was I but for completely different reasons.

We also attended a funeral for one of the Less Active members we have been visiting for the last 3 weeks or so it was so sad but also one of the sweetest experiences of my life. As I stood there on the Beach where her service was and watched her family (not all members) comfort one another and deal with their grief I offered a prayer of thanks for the knowledge I have of the Plan of Salvation and opportunity I have now to share it with so many people that are in need of it. As I sang Come unto Jesus...( requested by the husband random I know) At first I was terrified of course. I hate singing in front of people plus I had known this woman only a few short weeks, but As I sang standing there alongside the ocean I was overcome with the most peaceful feeling I have ever felt of How much our Heavenly Father loves each and every one of us and He knows us individually. I stood there and prayed that the family of this woman would also be able to feel this same peace I felt at this time so they could find comfort in knowing they would see their mother, wife and grandma again. As I continued to sing I was overcome with emotion, the spirit was so strong, I made eye contact with the Husband ( non-member) and as he looked back at me with Tears streaming down his face I knew he felt it. I knew he felt the Lords love for him and his family. It was incredible and something I will never forget.

I know without a doubt the Plan of Salvation is real. I know that with life's trials and difficulties it can sometimes feel too hard to bear but I know that All our Savior asks us to do is Come unto him. That's it. Follow his example, and he has promised us more happiness than we could ever imagine. I know that there are signs of the renewal of life and the blessings we have been given all around us all we have to do is look. I don't know who reads my blog and I don't know who I will meet each day as I leave my apartment but I do know that the message of the gospel is for everyone! I'm so happy to hear how great everything is going for everyone back home. Know that everything is equally great here! I'm lovin it! ;) and I love you all so much! I'll write next week and let ya know what happened with transfers! My prayers are with you!

Love always,
Brooklyn

Monday, April 20, 2009

The rains came down and the floods cames up!!

Well That AZ heat isn't hittin here, well anymore than it usually is anyway... but the rain sure is! Its been so crazy its a good thing I absolutely love the rain because it hasn't stopped! Because I'm right on the coast the flooding isn't to bad because it just goes back out to sea but all week we've been walkin in shin deep water every where we go ha I definitely gave a prayer of thanks that my toe healed quickly so that I didn't have any open wounds for anything living in those waters to come a swimmin ;) It's definitely exciting. The wind is ridiculous I totally feel like kalipokie haha and it's not even typhoon season yet!!


HAPPY BIRTHDAY DENEE! and BEN and MARISA sorry I'm late on those two ;) But I sent you all real letters so no worries. and If you could reply by email it would be so much better because I get it in time. I've been getting all the dear elders super late like ones written from my first week in the MTC weird but whatever. I think Maya will come on weds. but I think you should hold up for cinco de mayo haha

Things are going great here in the Valladolid transfers are next week on May 1 and I'm just praying I don't get transferred we have 5 baptisms on May 9th alone! I would hate to miss them and leave this area I feel like I'm finally just figuring it all out! We had stake conference on Sunday in Bago City. It was incredible. It was a broadcast specifically to the people inthe southern Philippines. Elder Holland, Pres. Eyring, Elder Madsen who served as an area authority here in 2000 and Sis Matsumori talked to us, man it was good. I felt like I was the only one in the chapel. Even though it was for the Filipinos I felt like they were talking especially to me, it was awesome. We had 6 investigators come to conference so that was way cool!


I got a letter from Ben Ray today haha it made me laugh so hard I love that boy, Our letters travel so far to each other its crazy we are literally on opposite sides of the world but our letters are fun and it sounds like he's doing great, he gives me good advice :)How did all the Doug stuff work out? How's the hoedown coming along mom? We don't really get to go to China I was way bummed they just get us a ticket and keep rescheduling so the country sees we have a way out...what ever that's all about anyways we didn't go to China.


I saw Sterlings name on a list of arrivals for July today in the mission office I just got so excited all over again. I can't wait for him to get here! Today was fun we had Zone activity and we had a huge sports fest it was so fun although Filipino women don't play sports apparently so I was the only girl playing but it was still way fun. We're having FHE with the Bishops family tonight I'm excited I love them! Well sorry to hear about the Computer problems the electricity has been out here for two days it just came back on this afternoon I was so glad I thought I wasn't going to be able to email. Well all is well and everything is going so great! I'm still just loving it, I can't believe I've been in the pines for a month now! Crazy! well I miss you all so much and love you even more!!

Love Always,
Brooklyn

Monday, April 13, 2009

Hang on to your Jody Dress!!!!

Thank you all so much for your Easter letters I loved them! Thanks for your prayers mostly. I truly love those and desperately need them everyday. Well this last week was a great one its so hard to sit down at this computer every week and try to put it into writing all the things that happen here. It seems like every week is something huge and different but always wonderful. It's so good to hear that everyone is doing so well! Colton to be honest I'll miss my husky BFF Brother of mine but proud of you to hear your gettin your mission figure back haha Ok so I had my First baptism on Sat! It was an 8 year old girl in our ward here and she is the cutest thing ever and get this, her name is MIA ahaha so much irony. (maya, Mama Mia) love it. It was a sweet baptism and her little tender testimony afterwards made me cry thinking of my primary kids. Conference was incredible as usual I missed you all so much especially you girls Alexa and Bailey I always love our special time up at conference but I'm sure you all enjoyed it as much as I did. We somehow, with complete help from the Savior got 8 of our investigators to conference in Bago city , this is HUGE! It was truly a miracle and it was wonderful. The spirit is always so strong when the brethren speak to us and of course the Prophet and I was thrilled so many of our investigators got to experience it too. We also set 3 baptismal dates this week! I was so excited! One of the boys from that family of 5 the 19 year old he is so golden! He is so prepared and ready to change his life and he has such a sweet spirit he just radiates when we teach him and he tells us the changes he's experiencing I love it.

Yes dad I am taking my pills EVERY MORNING I promise! and I oxypure everything I'm pretty sure I'm healthier now then I've ever been in my life hah so no worries.

Sunni D I am so excited you lost a tooth!! I wish I could see your toothless little face but its ok there are plenty of people here without teeth so I just imagine your cute face ;) Cindi I am so proud of you, You sound like you are doing so great.

I wrote a lot of you letters so you should be getting them in about 3 weeks.

Deb, I need an emergency package of some serious goodies. I think not a day goes by I don't have a chocolate attack! An elder last week got a package full of snickers twizzlers and nerds...I almost jumped him. haha.

The experiences here just keep getting better and better. Everyday something new and ridiculous happens and everyday I find myself just throwing my head back and laughing out loud. This place is incredible. There's no way to describe or understand it until you have been here. On the way here today I was in a Jeepney with ( from what I could count) approx 40 people crammed in it. Sis Manzon was literally on my lap! going 70 miles down the road with roosters and small children on everyones laps around me haha I love it There's no where I'd rather be. I can feel myself learning and growing so much. I'm grateful for the Easter weekend that I had remembering my Savior even more than normal. I'm so grateful for this experience and for all of you. Nothing, not life, college, or 2 months in the MTC could prepare me for this but everyday I understand more and more why I'm here and what the Lord has planned for me. I Love you all so much and I really am so happy to hear that your all doing so well. I miss you terribly but love hearing from you and what your all up to. Ammie and Papa, Grandma and Grandaddy I love you all too I think about you often. I also think about Brock and Landry and how even though we are all in different parts of the world I know they are experiencing similar things and meeting the same kind of people as me, I love that. The Gospel is for everyone and I'm so proud of our family for always being examples to those around us. I invite all of you to continue, start with our own family, help those that might be having a hard time right now. I think about them often as well. I wish I could be there to help them but you can be. Love and serve one another.


Love Always,

Brooklyn

Monday, April 6, 2009

OK OK, DETAILS!!!

Alright well I just got done planting Mangroves trees in knee deep thick mud along the coast of Pulapandan...Hows that for an opening line huh? haha It was sooo fun. It was our zone (CSP) Community Service Project. I loved it except I was helping all the sisters across this really thick mud, it was up to our knees I kid you not and one almost fell and so I grabbed her and she pushed me down and I sliced my foot real bad but no worries mom I bactined it to death and now its all bandaged and great.

Some quick funnies... Ok so we were praying in our front room when all the sudden this mouse that we've been chasing ran right into the wall and like stunned itself so I ran and got a pot and chased it around and CAUGHT IT!! ahah I was so proud. Then we were teaching this lady and her daughter in a little room the size of our pantry the other night and it was so dark and hot and all the sudden right in the middle of me talking this huge lizard falls from the ceiling right on my shoulder! HA! then the next night we were teaching this family and their house was full of chickens and ducks! EVERYWHERE and as I'm sitting there listening to Sis. Manzon this duck goes under my chair I thought it walked all the way under so I went to stand up and stepped on it and the darn thing bit my ankle! I was bleeding! lol I can say I've been bit by a duck now..so theres that.. ;)

Ok to clear some things up about my MTC experience..Yes, its true I didn't tell ya'll everything and I'm sorry but I didn't want to worry you and I knew I would be fine and look here I am in the pines healthy as a karabaw (google it) I'm sorry I'm not as detailed as I am at home I only have 30 min and there's sooo much ya'll will just have to trust me and read my journal when I get home ;) Last week we had Zone conference and It was absolutely wonderful! I love my Mission Pres and his wife I will be so sad when they go home in June. We found a family I'm so excited about. It was so random how we met them but they have 5 sons and one is a member but got baptized and lives in Manila so his family was so excited to see us!

Send my memory card back to me so I can send you the one I have with all my pictures on it and Denee make sure everyone knows they can email me directly at brooklyng@myldsmail.net Mom My bed is bamboo but i have a mattress, My area is a small coastal city but there's like a million people here its crazy, I've been eating some crazy stuff but mostly peanut butter and bread haha lots and lots of rice...I'll just float home. We walk everywhere 10-12 miles a day or we ride Jeepnies and Trikes. You think you were scared driving with Chris Spils Mom....You have no idea! There are NO, ZERO Traffic laws here and everyone drives like 90 miles an hour its terrifying yet thrilling haha The best part is when the buses race and its a 2 way road and there's oncoming traffic so they swerve and mirrors barely miss each other and then as they pass you read Hows my driving? call ****** on the back of their window hahah what a JOKE! ;)

My health is Perfect and my spirits are high I love this work so much even though I still have to pray constantly for comfort and help. My prayers are being answered and the Lord is helping me an incredible amount. My weakness are made clear everyday but I'm trying my hardest and I feel myself growing so much everyday I'm so grateful for this experience. I love you all so much and I think about you everyday. It's so funny the most random things happen that remind me of home and of our family I love it, I miss it, but there is no where else I'd rather be. Honestly. This is the hardest thing I've ever done.....ever, but I can already see the blessings and how much I'm changing and I wouldn't trade it for anything. I hope all is well I'm so excited for Colton and Jamie!! and for Allie and Rae and Allie and Jeff there's so many wonderful things going on in the lives of people I love..It makes me sooo happy. I love you all.

Always,
Brooklyn