Week 18 - FELIZ (casi) NAVIDAD!

December 19, 2017

Dearest family and friends,

This week was super crazy! We had cambios and my super amazing comp is leaving me! I'm going to train a new missionary (which I'm super nervous for!) and will pick her up tomorrow! So these last few days we were saying bye to investigators and members, which is why there are so many pictures. The people may all look the same or not mean much to just anyone, but to me they have been my life for the last 3 months, and each one means SO much to me, including my comp. So as you look through them, maybe they are just another face, but they have a life and a story and hardships and faith and love and so much more just like you. Each person is distinct and so very different but isn't it so amazing that we all have the same Father and are all children of God who loves us all no matter our circumstances or who we are?! It's truly amazing. 

Christmas is super close, and don't forget what Christmas is really about: love. Everything Heavenly Father does for us is out of LOVE for us and because he has perfect love for us He wants us to progress and learn. That is why we have trials that test our love for Him or patience or faith, but when we focus on this love and turn out and love others and as He loves us, that is when we find real purpose and joy, not just happiness. There is always someone that needs to be reminded of the love Heavenly Father has for them, so my encouragement for you is to find that someone that God needs you to touch and be His hands for him. They will be blessed and you will be blessed. I can testify that there is no other joy alike that comes than being in the service of others and feeling the love God has for them. I hope you all can find this for yourselves if not already!

Love you all so much and hope you have the Felizest of Navidads! (:

Enviando mucho amor,

Hermana Briggs

We just had cambios (exchanges) and MOM I'm going to TRAIN a new missionary!! AHHH I CANT TRAIN I BARELY KNOW SPANISH!! Anyway I was supposed to pick her up today but president is sick and so we are waiting until tomorrow. AH man I can't believe it, it was a super big shock. If they are gringa we are dead. Not really but yeah it'll be hard. I know I will learn a lot and there are a lot of things I want to instigate and I'm excited but also really nervous and anxious. Any prayers would be appreciated(: but I know I will be able to do it with the help of the Lord.

ps. enjoy the snow for me porfeis!

Week 17 - Following the Spirit!

December 12, 2018

Dearest family and friends,

Our best Haitian friends!!

This week was a good one. We've had quite a few new investigators and have been working with them a lot. We have found that once we start teaching people they have a lot more temptations or get really sick or things like that! It's kind of crazy. But we know that the power of God can help them through it all and is more powerful! There was one specific lesson we had with one of our investigators who has a hard time having faith in God and in the moment I had no idea what to say and literally nothing was coming to my mind. I said a little prayer for help and opened my mouth and it was filled with words that were not mine and that I would not say normally- different vocabulary and phrasing of words. In the moment I still had no idea what to say but words were flowing out of my mouth and things to talk about just came to my mind. It was a truly amazing moment when I knew without a doubt that the gift of tongues is so real and God will help us know exactly what to say for each person in specific time that we need Him, we just have to trust Him and be worthy to receive His help. 

There were a few times Sunday that I felt to talk to certain people and I didn't, and after it's the worst feeling ever. So Monday I decided that I would not let that happen again and made sure to talk to every person the spirit prompted me to talk to, and the results were amazing! I'm trying to work on being more sensitive to the spirit to guide me throughout the day and better determine the needs of my investigators and help them. So very grateful for the help and gift of the Holy Ghost.

Hope you all make this a great week, and don't forget to LIGHT THE WORLD with acts of service this month (and every month:) That is the best gift we can give to the Lord this Christmas season. 

Love you all and never forget how much God loves you!

Amor,

Hermana Briggs

Pictures:

Ilumina el Mundo charla foganera (devotional) that I played at, everyone got a balloon and a card and wrote a note on it and gave it away to someone that night on their camino home. It was really beautiful!

Our best haitian friends!!

Week 16 - Light the World!

December 5, 2018

Dear family and friends,

This week was full of lots of ups and downs! Tuesday was Hermana Silva's birthday and our loving bishop and his wife made a tres leches cake and we celebrated a little! It was super fun, they are really entertaining and are are super fun family to be around. They even bought me a little present too ha ha they're the best! 

Thursday we got a call from one of our members who told us that 3 people from Cuba had just moved into his apartments and wanted us to come visit them. He said that they had asked if he could arrange for Jehovah Witnesses to come teach them, but he told them he didn't know them, but he didn't know missionaries for the Church of Jesus Christ! and he called us and we went and taught them right away. They left everything, literally and traveled here over 10 days. They sold their house in Cuba to have the money and by the time they got here, all of it was gone. They have a lot of faith and are so positive, knowing that although they may have not much in matter of the world, they have the most important thing together- their family. So we're starting to teach them too! And they're are going to visit the temple Saturday! Also their accent is super thick and way different but so cool too. Also really grateful to the member reference and the courage he had to simply talk and stand up for his religion. Because of his good example as well they are a lot more receptive:)

Friday we stopped by one of our investigators house who just had her baby 4 days earlier (the one who named her baby the name I suggested:)  and oh my goodness she is the sweetest thing in the whole world. Entering the room of the baby Nora I could feel the spirit SO strong, it was amazing! Babies really are the closest thing to heaven and are perfect in every way. I really couldn't believe that Heavenly Father would trust us with someone as precious, but he does and it's a grand and glorious responsibility. My testimony grew a lot about the role and importance of mothers and fathers, and the important role they have in teaching and raising children in righteousness!

Saturday one of our investigators committed to be baptized! He is really excited and keeps saying he's been waiting for this and is really ready now. I am really excited for him and the changes he can make in his life for the better! I also read a talk for personal study called 'Stand as true Millennials' by Pres. Nelson and oh my goodness it is amazing, I really encourage everyone to read it and take him up on the promises he makes!

Monday we shared the light the world campaign with one of our menos activos who got super excited about it. Light the world is an amazing way to get people excited about Christmas and the true meaning of it. I read a talk this week that said something like 'can you imagine what the world would be like if everyone gave gifts of service, love, and compassion in place of games and toys?' Every light starts with one person, and we don't have to change the world- start in homes, with friends, and on you way to work or school find ways to help and serve, that is the way we show our love for God.

Today was crazy loco, got up to practice at a a'capella with and elder who is going to play the piano for me in the centro of Santiago my piece I'm going to play for a Christmas devotional. It's this Sunday and I'm super excited! 

This week was hard and really good in a lot of ways. I learned how powerful the adversary is, but also how brilliant and real the power of God is. I know that this is His work, and I am only an instrument. I also know that he will bless those who are willing, ready and choose to answer His call and promptings and choose to to the best they can to fulfill them. When we are obedient, live righteously and do all we can to help others live the gospel that is when we are successful.

Anyway love you all so so much! Try to find meaning of Christmas to you personally and how you can show what Christ means to you through your actions, especially through service. You will have more joy and find direct answers to your prayers, I can promise you that.

Make it a good week!

Amor,

Hermana Briggs

Alma 48:12

pictures: birthday de hermana silva, actividad de distrito hoy dia

Week 15 - Prayers to be guided

November 28, 2018

Dearest family and friends,

Another week! This week we progressed a lot with Carla, one of our newer investigators. We had a lesson with her and went to the temple with her and a member Saturday, which was amazing. The spirit was really strong there and we talked about the importance of the temple and the eternal perspective. We invited her to be baptized if she found these things to be true and she said very quickly yes! We will keep working with her to help grow her faith and testimony for herself, which is just little by little. She also attended church Sunday! She is a very cute girl and mature for her age. Ah she's going to do great things!

We've also been working a lot more with less actives, in particular 2, Roller -pronounced Royer-(17 yo) and Alexander (19 yo). It's been really amazing to see them progress so much in their testimony while I've been here (as we started visiting them when I got here). Roller is going to church by himself now and reading the scriptures and praying almost everyday! And he has a light in his eyes that wasn't there before. The gospel truly changes lives! His little brother (12 yo, not a member) has never joined us for a lesson, but he did this week! He knew so much already about the plan of salvation and is the sweetest kid ever! He talks and talks super fast that I can't understand him super well but I just laugh and smile because he is. Alexander in our first lessons was very closed off and did not express anything, if at all interest, but now he is responding with his heart and truly wants to build his faith and learn, it's really a miracle. He said that now that he knows what is here for him, he can be ignorant to the truth, that now he's kind of obligated to keep learning more ha ha, so practical but so true, I love it. 

A miracle this week happened! We found that when we pray when contacting to be guided to who is ready for the gospel it works a whole lot better than using our own brain and judgement, so we are doing that now, and one day we were walking and I noticed a house, but we could hear at mom yelling at her child so we kept walking thinking the last thing the mother needs is some missionaries to bug her. So we kept walking. But then Hermana Silva turned around and yelled allo and a woman answered very friendly. She asked how us Elders were doing (we get that a lot, people think the sisters are called elders too!) she was super friendly and told us that she had moved to our area 2 months ago and had been searching for the elders but couldn't find them! She was trying to find out what time church was because she wanted to attend because she had been taking lessons before, and her pareja is Mormon too! His name is Jarom Mosiah ha ha, yep pretty Mormon. That was a real miracle and shows that God knows who we need to go to better than we do, we just need to be ready to act and respond! That's the harder part, but oh so worth it, we will  never regret responding to any good prompting. This is just one example of many. 

Another fun fact, we are now besties with the drug dealers in our area, ha ha. Oh, man, that's another fun story;)

Hope you all have an amazing week! Try to focus on following the promptings of the Spirit this week, he's always there to help guide!

Much love,

Hermana Briggs

Week 14 - The Greatest Commandment

November 21, 2017

Dear family and friends,

Eating Almuerzo with a member.

This week went by so fast! Really can't believe I'm writing again. I did a really bad job of writing in my journal too (need to work on this, though it's hard because we have so much to do in the nighttime!) this week so we'll see how this goes! 

Last Tuesday we visited a menos activo, because we are trying to contact a lot of them, and we've found that many have moved or sadly, died. But we found one who stopped going because people stopped visiting her, but she was happy to commit to go to church, even though she didn't end up going. I realized that many people simply need to be asked to attend or need a bit of friendship and love. We went back for another visit and invited a member to accompany us and found out the member was baptized one week before her! And knew each other from years ago. Tender mercies of the Lord, His hand really is in every detail! 

Wednesday we decided to drop one of our investigators. We have taught her for a while but really just isn't progressing or showing much interest. That was really sad but I hope she knows how much we care for her. We have had opportunities to serve her a few times and I hope she can feel of the love God has for her. I have prayed for a while about what I have wanted my purpose of my mission to be- the reason I'm out here. And after lot's of study and prayer I came to feel and decide that my purpose is to show other's God's love through me, and to love others more than myself. I got this from the great commandments- first is to love God with all your heart might mind and strength, and the second is like unto it. To love your neighbor more than thy self. I thought about this for quite a bit, and realized that one of the biggest ways to show our love for God is to love others, because the second great commandment, which is to love others more than ourselves is like unto the first, which is to love God. We are natural men and to not be selfish and to think of others first always is not in our nature. But it is the nature of God and Christ. And they are who I am striving to exemplify, even though I am not even close, I am trying. This is what a lot of my studies were about this week, pure love- or charity, and service and trying to see others how Christ would. I also read in Matthew 25:31-40 which says that inasmuch as ye have done it unto the least of these my brethren ye have done it unto me. I thought about that and realized that if Christ needed help at any point I would drop everything and go to help him. I need to be just as willing to help others no matter their circumstance or education just like I would help Christ and just like Christ would help others. Also learned a lot about faith and hope and charity in Moroni 7, and learned that everything starts with a meek and humble heart- everything. So this is my first step, to be meek and humble. 

Zone conference this Thursday went perfectly along with my purpose! We are here to serve is our new theme, being motivated by love and charity and guided by revelation.  Christ served ALL no matter if they followed him or not. What am I doing here in Chile? I am a representative of Jesus Christ and above all Christ served. And me being a representative of Him (really we all are, everyone who has been baptized promises to take His name upon you) need to show this and be His hands here in Chile, and we all can be His hands in our individual places. I have worked on this a lot and have found many more opportunities to serve and have started to try to see others, the least of my brethren, like Christ would, and it has made a grand difference in my attitude and in my day.

I have seen so many miracles this week. I truly am so blessed to be here in Chile serving the people here. I can’t even start to explain the stories and experiences and things I’ve learned so far, and just being in the mission for 3 months too. But I’m really grateful to be here learning from my companion, the people, and leaders here. I can always do better and will continue trying to do better until perfection (well hopefully one day) but until then, I am grateful for Christ’s never ending example of perfection I have to follow. I want to encourage you all to find an attribute of Christ and strive to work on it, especially for this upcoming Christmas season!! And eat lots of food for me for Thanksgiving, and know I am so grateful for each of you:)

Mucho amor,

Hermana Briggs

Week 13 - "More Fully Enjoy the Sunlight"!

November 14, 2017

Click here to read, "The Spirit of Optimism"

Don't have much time this week so this is going to be short! but this week was super great. This week included a really hard day when God was super merciful and sent an angel (in the form of an investigator) to comfort us.  We watched a motorcycle and car crash happen and were the first ones to call the ambulance, set new goals and progressed a ton as a companionship, a miracle with money- literally there wasn't the money for the taxi in my bag and then I pulled it out.  Lots of the adversary working on our investigators, ugg, but it's okay because God is more powerful. An investigator of 70+ who was super hard hearted at the beginning came to church for the first time!!, Lot's of canceled appointments, a few new investigators, went to the ferria this morning with TONS of super fresh fruit and veggies and everything you  could ever need for super cheap, some super good studies including one about Pres. Hinkley and optimism. He said, (it was in Spanish so I'll try to translate), 'stop looking for the storms and enjoy more fully the light of the sun.' I love that. There is always sun shining in our lives when we stop searching for the bad. That's my challenge for each of you, let the sun shine through in your life because it is always there and always constant, it only depends on you!  

Love you all! Don't forget to pray everyday this week, God wants to hear and answer your prayers!

Much love,

Hermana Briggs

3 Nephi 2:2

2 Nevertheless, Jacob, my first-born in the wilderness, thou knowest the greatness of God; and he shall consecrate thine ^aafflictions for thy gain.

Week 12 - Grateful to worship "How, Where or What they may"

November 7, 2017

Hola familia y amigos,

Halloween in Santiago.

 Tues: Halloween! Yep they celebrate it here, but not everyone dresses up or gives candy either. Honestly I would kinda be afraid to accept candy ha ha! But it was fun to see costumes and we gave out candy too. There's a picture with a couple of girls that stopped by and wanted a picture with us, pretty sure it was because our costume was super realistic;)

Wed: Side story, one of our investigators is pregnant and we were asking her what name she was going to choose, and she said she wasn't sure and to write down some of our favorite names. We did and she chose my name! I don't know why but it made me so happy haha. Baby Nora:) Today was a good day, everyone was home or we showed up exactly when they did, and we found an investigator leaving her house that we hadn't seen in two weeks. We watched a video with a less active about the life of Christ, and it is really really beautiful. It was impossible to not feel the spirit during it. I am so grateful for the example of Christ that we have to follow. It always gives us something to aspire to! During a lesson we had, right outside their house, there were a bunch of rappers rapping with microphones and a gigantic speaker and it was SO loud! It was pretty harsh music and the environment was pretty hard to feel the spirit, but I learned that the spirit can always be present if we invite it, just sometimes it's harder than others.

Fri: We had a lesson with an investigator who has a hard time having faith. He asked so so many questions, and most of them were 'what if this' type of questions and I realized that it didn't matter how many questions we answered he was just going to choose to find something to doubt, and would continue to doubt until he chose to have faith. Faith is a decision that we decide to have, and then act on that faith. Our actions show what our faith is and what we have faith in. When we continually act on our faith that is when it grows. 

Sat: Was a super special day! So this never happens, and I hear this is the first time it's happened in our mission, but we got to leave our mission and go to mission oeste (west) to have a conference with mission norte with the presiding Bishop Davies and President Packer of the Seventy (the son of Elder Packer of the Quorum of the Twelve) and it was amazing!! We were so blessed to hear from them and their wives. Sister Packer talked about obedience, and how important EXACT obedience is. I thought about how important this is and how everyone can always improve on this and how I can apply it to my life as a missionary, but also at home too. It is so important to be obedient. So important. The spirit cannot be with us if we are not and prevent God from blessing us. Also you'll never guess who I saw there..Hermana Hayden!! Charissa Hayden from our stake!! I went to High School with her and she is serving in Santiago North, so crazy! When we got back we attended to baptism of an investigator of the elders in our ward, Wiliana, which was really beautiful, my first baptism I've seen on the mission! 

I got to see Hermana Hayden from back home at  a tri-mission conference!

Sun: I woke up super sick, congested, sore throat, headache, achy. It was pretty bad on top of my allergies. But I tried to keep going on trusting that God would help me, and he did. It was stake conference today and one of our investigators came to church for the first time! She wants to be baptized and seriously has so much faith. Later we had a lesson with a couple who rents from an older women. During our lesson we started hearing her shouting about Mormons and she was clearly super upset. She called for our investigator to come down and she started yelling at him about Mormons and how we are devils and teach lies and that we weren't allowed here etc. It was super sad to hear. He defended us and told her that he pays for his apartment and he can choose who he wants to listen to and that we were teaching the word of God. This was so hard for me, and really the first time I had ever heard someone get so angry and hateful because of my religion. It didn't make me question my testimony one bit, in fact strengthened it, but the saddest part for me was the hardness of her heart, and the adversary she was inviting into her home. But we all have agency, and for this I am grateful I can worship the way I know to be true.

Mon: Miracle, my sickness was gone. God answered my prayers so I could continue working! Today was Cambios, I finished my first transfer! Our zone had breakfast burritos which were super delicious. Hna S. and I stayed the same, which I am grateful for. 

Our zone

This week I want to encourage you all to find some way to increase your faith, and to make sure that your actions align with your faith and your beliefs.Also I know that God will bless you as you try to make changes in your life. Love and pray for you all, 

Mucho amor,

Hermana Briggs

Random side note about my area, there are fireworks all the time that go off in the middle of the day and night,and i found out it means that the drugs arrived haha. they eat so much bread here and yogurt. 

Hermana Fugal - neice of our friend from back home.

I got to see my companero from the CCM! (next to me)

The sisters in our zone.