Sept. 25, 2017 ~ THE PEN IS MIGHTIER THAN THE SWORD (Week 11)

Hi everyone!

We have zero time today because we spent our P-Day sight seeing.
No (official) blog post today... No time. But I'll send lots of pictures.
❤❤❤❤

(Teresa's Note: I will piece a post together from the tidbits Sister Brooks sent this week. 😊)

We went to breakfast at a place called Chubby's (ironic 😉), 

 and then went on a train ride through the Red Woods. 

It was pretty much the coolest thing ever. 

Dad, you would have loved it! 

 

Then we went to the pier and visited the shops 

and saw Sea Lions. 

The member who took us (today) is named Sister E. She is an angel. 

It was such a fun day And a great week!!

We are now a Facebook mission! As a Facebook mission, we pretty much have been called to preach the gospel not just to people solely in our mission, but all over the world! We can message, post and video-chat with a preaching purpose whenever we want. You all can comment whenever, but we can only respond/message members of the family on P-Days. We are allowed to video-chat teaching nonmembers any time. We can also have members Skype into lessons. So… I might have a friend, who served here, Skype in to lessons of people she knew when she was here. There are so many possibilities and ways to further the work. But it's also hard to find a balance and it's distracting sometimes...
I try not to scroll my newsfeed.😊

(Teresa's Note: Here is a link to a Sister Brooks' Facebook page. She and her companion posted a video of her companion singing hallelujah while Sister Brooks accompanies her. Be sure to "friend" her.)

https://www.facebook.com/savanna.brooks.75

Thank you to everyone who has liked and shared our video on Facebook. Please continue to do so! We want to flood social media with positive messages that invite the spirit and share our testimonies! ❤

Elder M. Russell Ballard said, "You have a great opportunity to be a powerful force for good in the Church and in the world. There is truth in the old adage that 'the pen is mightier than the sword' (Edward Bulwer-Lytton, Richelieu (1839), act 2, scene 2). I ask that you join the conversation by participating on the Internet to share the gospel...  Do not be afraid to share with others your experiences as a follower of the Lord Jesus Christ... You could help overcome misperceptions through your own sphere of influence, which ought to include the Internet... the power of words is incredible. Let your voice be heard in this great cause of the gospel of Jesus Christ (Ensign July 2008).

(Teresa's Note: As I was thinking about Elder Ballard's words of expressing our testimonies thru writing and social media,
I thought of an experience I had with Sister Brooks' blog...

Five years ago, Sister Brooks' older brother, Sawyer, prepared to serve a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. From the time he was a child, I had always known that he would serve. However, as the time drew closer,
I worried... I worried if he was ready, but mostly I worried for his safety in a foreign country. 

One day I received comfort as I came across these verses in Mosiah 28 found in the Book of Mormon... 

6 And king Mosiah went and inquired of the Lord if he should let his sons go... to preach the word.

7 And the Lord said unto Mosiah: Let them go up, for many shall believe on their words, and they shall have eternal life; and I will deliver thy sons...

These words calmed my heart and became a lifeline for me to hold on to. I felt comforted and knew that as I sent my son to preach the gospel, Father would watch over him. I knew that He would protect and deliver my son.  

Years later, Sister Brooks decided to serve a mission... and I was excited for her! I had learned that Father protects his missionaries! 

But then she decided to do the unthinkable.... She decided to do a blog for all the world to see and read.... and all kinds of new fears emerged for me... 

I worried about the ridicule and backlash that may be directed toward her.
I worried about logistics and liabilities. 

But mostly I worried for her safety. As manager of the blog, I decided to keep it Private (only those with an invitation could access and read it). Then Sister Brooks found out what I had done and that her blog was NOT Public (anyone, anywhere could access it). She felt that she needed to share her testimony and experiences for ALL to read. 

However, I resisted making her blog public...
And Sister Brooks persisted in making her blog public.

So I went to Father in prayer, expressing my fears, worries and concerns... 

And these familiar verses that I had already grown to love came to my mind (with a few slight changes) ....  

"MANY SHALL BELIEVE on HER WORDS, and they SHALL HAVE ETERNAL LIFE; and I WILL DELIVER THY DAUGHTER." Once again, I found comfort in these words. I know that as Sister Brooks shares her beliefs with the world, Father will keep a watchful eye on her. I know that once again, He will protect and deliver according to His will. 

Hence, Sister Brooks' blog is now public.😏

I'm grateful that I have personally learned that "the pen is mightier than the sword" and that "with God all things are possible" (Mark 10:27). )

(Back to Sister Brooks...)

Yay for General Conference! I got to watch women's conference.
It was awesome. Too short. Haha. I'm soooo excited for (General) Conference, I need it. 

I also get to go to the temple this week and do a session.
It should be a good week!  

Spanish is okay. Some days are better than others. It also depends on the person I'm trying to speak to... But overall, it's alright.

 

I wish I could live in California forever. 😎 

If only it didn't cost millions of dollars to have a 2-bedroom apartment!

We've been working hard and we teach lots, but we don't have any baptismal dates set for our zone this month.
We haven’t had one for a while, so the whole area is struggling. We've extended about 7 baptism invitations and they've all been rejected. We occasionally get a few to church and less than that read and pray every day. But we have large goals!

One guy is pretty awesome. He knows it's necessary and he wants to be baptized, he just doesn't quite feel ready. But when we prayed about it, we felt like October was his month and we told him that… so it's only a matter of time. We tract a lot and have upped our numbers quite a bit. Transfers are this week and I'll be staying in (this area) for sure. It's good and we teach a lot and we get along well. 

(Once again) thank you to everyone who has liked and shared our video on Facebook. Please continue to do so! 

We want to flood social media with positive messages that invite the spirit and share our testimonies! ❤ 

"Do not be afraid to share with others your experiences as a follower of the Lord Jesus Christ"

(Elder Ballard).

Matthew 9:35, "And Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching...and preaching the gospel of the kingdom".

I love you all! 

Love, Hermana Brooks

My district got Chinese food for district meeting. So good...
Definitely worth getting sick. (from gluten) 😄