Aug. 9, 2017 ~ "TRUST... AND HE SHALL DIRECT THY PATHS." (Week 4)

Hola!

I'm starting to feel ready to get out into the field. I love the friends I have made here, and the spirit that is constantly felt. And having pretty much every thing planned for me to a "T" makes my day pretty easy... but I'm ready to teach real people!

And I really miss Chinese food.😏




If anyone is wondering what it's like to be with a group of EIGHT 18 year old boys all day every day, here is a sneak peek into my life:

1. One Elder in my district crawled out of the window of our classroom while our teacher wasn't looking. Just for fun.
2. Elder: "Hermana Brooks, if you could become any animal and destroy any city, which would you choose and why?"
3. "Ship names" are now a thing. For example, Elders Robertson and Huber are called HuberTson. And Elders Rasmussen and Murray are called RasMurray. My companionship has the great privilege of be named FerBrooksFarms... So that's fun to sound like a cheese factory 100% of the time.
4. An Elder was getting in trouble for not writing in his planner, and while our teacher was standing at his desk getting mad at him, he typed out the words "kill me" on his tablet. Instead of clicking the enlarge button to show his friend across the room, (sending notes in the 21st century),  he clicked the microphone button. So, as he was getting in trouble by our teacher, his iPad said, "Kill Me" in a very loud, British accent.. He played it off casually by pretending to be exasperated with his iPad as he responded, "Not now! I'm busy." Then he turned back to our teacher and said, "Please continue."
5. Elder: "We hid Elder So&So`s pillowcase last night and he started crying."
6. Our teacher asked me what I thought our district needed to work on regarding Christlike attributes. I meant to say "caridad" which means charity, but I accidentally said "castidad", which means chastity. That one was just too hard for them to let go and I have been teased relentlessly. But I will admit that it was pretty funny.
7. Elder: "My companion won't talk to me because I got him out in four-square."
8. Elder: "So I shouldn't tell girls I started varsity for four years?!" Me: "Girls aren't really going to care how well you played in high school once you have been graduated for over two years." Elder: "All that practice for nothing!"
9. I offered an Elder in my district some hand sanitizer that smelled like Harvest Apple. He said, "Is that gonna make me smell like a girl?" To which his companion said, "Was Johnny Appleseed a woman!? I think not!"
10. Talking like and/or about Batman at every meal.
11. Elder: "These Frosted Flakes are so knock-off. He's more like Tony the LIAR if you ask me."
12. ALL Elders yelling "CODE 33!!" anytime one of us Hermanas talks to an Elder, because page 33 of the Missionary Handbook talks about interactions with the opposite gender.
13. We had to make a district goal to not say demeaning comments.
14. Another Elder went to the enfermería for a bloody nose and received Vitamin C as the medicine. Then he proceeded to tell everyone he legitimately had the plague, and that he had an orange fizzy drink to prove it.
15. Elder: "Let's play this game where if you sit in this chair, you have to honestly answer every question we ask you."
16. Elder: "Let's see how long it takes Elder So&So to realize that I'm wearing his nametag."

Pretty much everyone in my district sleep talks! So I fit right in! Apparently, one Elder woke everyone up the other night by screaming, "THAT'S NO ORDINARY TREE STUMP!!" So that's a common quote that is said among us. Never a dull moment. We laugh so much and have a lot of fun!! 😃👍 

We love to play four-square or 2-ball poison or ping pong!

This week was our teacher, Hermano Hernandez´s birthday. So we threw him a surprise party! We had chips and queso that Hermana Farmer´s dad sent her in a package. An elder even went so far as to borrow a bowl and spoon from the comedor and found the break room for teachers, where he warmed up the queso for all of us! He also happened to find a cardboard Happy Birthday hat in the freezer, so it all worked out perfectly! We had a little fiesta during personal study time and sang for Hermano Hernandez. It was super fun! He´s a super cool guy!

                                                          (With Hermana Diaz)



The past two P-Days we have had the privilege of going to the temple. And our teachers got to come with us! It was so amazing, and I´m so grateful they allow the missionaries to go. The peace and comfort that is felt there can give anyone the strength necessary to move forward in whatever hand life has dealt them.

                                                    (With Hermano Hernandez)

                                                                                            

My favorite part of the week was this Saturday during TRC. TRC is where real people from the city volunteer to be taught here in the CCM. This week, we were able to teach a group of young women who came to be taught as a stake activity. I was super stoked. They were all so beautiful! They wore their young woman medallion with pride. They had confidence in themselves and in their God, and they just glowed with the light of Christ!! They all reminded me of my sisters, whom I love and adore SO, SO, SOOOOO much. I felt the spirit so strong, before we even started teaching!

The second group of girls we taught were two best friends. They were 17 and 13 and spoke really fast. Haha. But the very first thing they said to us was that they wanted to be just like us and serve missions. It was so awesome! 

We had a plan to teach them about how to receive answers to their prayers, but somehow we ended up talking about their divinity as Daughters of God. We talked about how much Heavenly Father loves them and knows them personally. The spirit was super strong!!! Ah, it was just awesome! I love those girls so much. 

"Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct thy paths." (Proverbs 3:5-6)

Almost 2 years ago, I received the calling to be a Ward Missionary in my student ward. I remember at the time wondering if the calling I was receiving was Heavenly Father´s way of telling me that I should serve a mission... but I didn´t really have any desire to. I had other things I wanted to accomplish in life, and while I never thought a mission would be a bad idea, I never really thought it was for me. I concluded that the calling was Heavenly Father´s way of telling me that I DIDN¨T have to serve a mission to be a missionary, and I didn´t think much else about the matter at the time...

I was set apart by the first counselor of our student ward bishopric. In this setting apart, he said something that I thought was a bit odd. He said, "I bless you that you will know with a surety you cannot deny, whether or not you should     serve a mission." It was a special moment, and the spirit was strong, but then I continued on throughout my life. 

Time passed and I worked and went to school, but I reflected often on the blessing I had received. With every step I took in my life, I would hesitantly ask Heavenly Father if I should serve a mission... but I never seemed to receive an answer. So I would push off the thought and continue on wherever I felt like I should go next. But I still wondered HOW I would know of a surety... And I wondered WHEN I would know of a surety. I honestly wondered WHY I needed to know of a surety, because I didn´t really think a mission was in the cards for me. But, I still asked, though I felt like I wasn´t receiving any sort of answer regarding the subject.

This week, I was reminded of the blessing this counselor gave me as a freshly-graduated 18 year old girl. I remember how confused and scared and doubtful I was regarding the words that were said. I assumed my answer would come through my deciding to do other things with my life (meaning I expected the answer to be no)... But I look back now and realize that my surety came through small confirmations over the past two years. I have come to realize how the Lord´s hand has been in every step of my life that has led me exactly where I´m supposed to be. And while I didn´t receive the answer in the time frame I wanted (a little less than two years would have been preferable 😀), I received it in the time frame I needed. Now looking back, I see that the Lord was preparing me to be the servant He has called me to be! And this week while I was sitting there in my desk, studying a talk about the Priesthood, I received another tender confirmation in my heart that California is supposed to be my home for the next 17 months. I can´t wait to figure out why!👀👍

I´m grateful for a loving  Father in Heaven, who´s always got our back. He knows what is best for us... the hard part is trusting in Him and His timing.

Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct thy paths." (Proverbs 3:5-6)

The church is true!
The days are good!
And the sun is always going to rise in the East!


We have so much to be grateful for!! 😃🌄❤

I love you all! Thank you for your prayers and letters and support! I feel so blessed to have such amazing family and friends!


Love,
Hermana Brooks❣

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         


These are the girls we live with in our casa! (Well, most of them. Some of them refused to be in the picture because they had already taken off their makeup. Hahahaha.😄😄)