Week 21!

 February 24, 2014

Family & Friends,

Blessings within the Brugman's!!!! :)
This week was filled with blessings and miracles! This week we found a new investigator and possibly 3 others! It was a great week!! So we decided we should walk for 2 or 3 hours a day twice a week, because we are stuck in a car just driving! So it finally got so nice outside, it was 68 degrees and within 30 minutes one Hispanic lady opened her door and started talking to us, she is the cutest lady and we are going back to teach her! Then a Hispanic was walking her baby so we talked to her! Then another lady was just outside so we are going back to see her! Ahh, the wonders of prayer and fasting! It feels like Heavenly Father is just placing people in our paths because we are struggling!! It is so amazing how Heavenly Father works in his own ways!

This gospel has blessed me and my family so much I literally don't know where I would be without the gospel of Jesus Christ! I know it to be true and I know that Heavenly Father loves and blesses everyone that does what is right!!! :)

One of our investigators, Shelby told us crying this morning she wants to get baptized and she asked what she needs to do! We are going to call our mission president after this and see what we can do! Please pray for her! I love her so much and seeing her turn around completely and her desire to get baptized has made me so happy!!! Words can't even express! I hope that all this will work out good, so please pray for her!! :)

We have this one member Anibal, he is the strongest member I know. He has so many issues in his life and challenges and he acts like he doesn't have any! He is so strong, loving and positive! He has changed me so much! I am teaching him English and he is teaching me Spanish! haha So that is going well! I love this ward and this mission I am in! I love it more than anything! I am so happy where I am in my life right now!!! :)

This week has been such a rewarding week! My Spanish is finally starting to slowly hit. I know that without the Lords help I can do anything! I hope you all have a great week! :)

Hermana Brugman

WEEK 20!

 February 17, 2014

 

Family & Friends,

Well this week was a little better!! Thanks for my family sending a Valentines package. 
The other Elders had a baptism and we went to that and invited Shelby! When the lady was getting baptized Shelby turned around and looked at us and said, "Did you feel that"? and I said yeah! ha That is the spirit and she started crying!! She hugged me and said "I want to be baptized but I know I have to move out and stuff first!!" She is so ready but she is currently living with her fiancé... but I really hope some miracle happens soon with her!! She is so cute and I love her so much!

The members in this ward are amazing! They do a great job on making you feel at home! I love how you can go to any LDS church in different countries, states, and it is the same thing! I love this church so much! There are a lot of less actives in this ward about 300.... and 100 actually come! It is so frustrating! I just want them to feel the Saviors love!! I love all the less actives so much and want them to come to church!! :)  But we visit with 1 or 2 every day! It is so crazy how we have never meet them and how much I love them!! I want them to know that the ward still loves them and Heavenly Fathers plan was for them to be in the church! I am so blessed to have this gospel in my life!! I love it so much!!!

 But nothing other than that really happened! But when I first got out to the mission field I started to read the Book of Mormon, D& C, Pearl of Great Price. So I started on November 18, 2013 finished February 10, 2014! Wow it was fast but so amazing! Seriously how blessed are we to have these books? I love it so much!! I have gained so much more knowledge and more and more every day!!! It is so amazing!! I really challenge everyone to re read the Book of Mormon or Bible. It truly blesses your life!!!

For P-Day 8 Elders and I and my companion played oompa loompa for a while! It was so much fun!!! The missionaries here are the best, they are so much fun!! They are always surprised because I can do cool shots and catches!! hahaha They are so much fun! I am so blessed to be here in Elizabeth City, North Carolina! There is nowhere else I'd rather be!!

I am grateful for all of you that are supporting and loving towards me and my family! I love you all so much! Have a great week!

Con Amor,

Hermana Brugman! 

 -She got her pillow case from her family!-

 -Face masks with Hermana Bennett :)-

 -Eating Healthy!-

WEEK 19!

 February 10, 2014

Family & Friends,

I am sorry that this email is going to be short.
This week was the slowest, most frustrating week of my mission so far. All of our investigators dropped us! We still have Shelby but she is losing interest. Her mom is anti Mormon so it is not helping her... so please pray for her! But this week was not good. Every night we are so frustrated because we have no one to teach. It sucks for me because that is the only way my Spanish is going to get better... I NEED TO TEACH!!! but I am trying to be patient. I am so lucky to have a companion like mine. We try to stay positive and be happy!! Our 3 month anniversary is on Valentine's day... hahaha how funny? But we are getting to the point where we are the same. haha We think and talk and say the same things!! It is so funny! We were planning and we said and did the same things then showed each other and we were like shut up, no way! I did the same thing! haha It is so much fun!!

At this point I just need to have faith and trust in the Lord!! There is a scripture that has helped me so much! It is in the Book of Mormon, 2 Nephi 31:3 "But I, Nephi, have written what I have written, and I esteem it as of great worth, and especially unto my people. For I pray continually for them by day, and mine eyes water my pillow by night, because of them; and I cry unto my God in faith, and I know that He will hear my cry." This scripture is amazing because I know that Heavenly Father listens to everyone's prayers.. And sometimes in life it's hard to see but he will answer in his own time! It is hard to have faith and trust the Lord but you have too! :) I know that soon he will answer mine! I love this gospel so much, it brings the best out in people! It fills me with comfort and joy!! I want everyone to feel the way I do! It is such an amazing feeling!! :) I am so grateful for my family and friends who have made me who I am today! I love all of you guys so much! I hope you all have a very safe week!! Miss you and love you all!! :)

Hermana Brugman

 

WEEK 18!

 February 3, 2014

Friends & Family,

4 MONTHS SINCE MY JOURNEY BEGAN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :)

WELL.. I am staying in Elizabeth city for another transfer :)
Well I just wrote out my whole letter then pushed a button and erased it.. I'm super annoyed!!!! haha but I'll try to write the same thing! But this week was crazy! It snowed about 7 inches! I MADE A REALLY CUTE SNOWMAN... :)  haha and the neighbors helped me! So that was fun! But we were not allowed to drive for 2 days because of the snow... so I didn't really like that part. But we didn't really do much because ALL our appointments cancelled.. or everyone is sick. So this week we were stuck inside for most of one day then walking around in the snow.. and I guess my boots aren't good enough because I had water get in them and it felt like I was at Disneyland and I went on a water ride then had to walk around with water in my shoe. It was bad! But literally everything shuts down here! So everyone was running around going to the store to stock up on food.. I swear everyone was acting like the world was going to end! SCARY.. haha

I am determined that I am officially allergic to milk, cheese, bananas. That's all so far! I have been so sick this week. I threw up twice because I ate cheese! So it is super interesting and frustrating cause I have to eat it when I go to people's houses. So PRAY for me. haha! :) 

But this week was really slow! The other week some member gave us this friend of hers to go visit so we did and we couldn't find the house. It started to snow so we were going to go home but I felt very prompted to go to this house. So we did and they invited us in and we taught them the Plan Of Salvation. The lesson went SOO good! and they all seem so great! But they are English so we have to give them to the Elders! So that's kind of annoying but at least they are doing so well and progressing! 2 of them have a baptismal date! WHICH IS AMAZING! but it is so sad to give them to the Elders!!  but I know they will do an amazing job teaching them! That was such a cool experience!
 Every night we would get home around 6:30 cause of the snow.. and we Sisters can't walk at night in our neighborhood. So we went to bed at like 8 for 3 nights in a row. which was really much needed!! :) So.. I am determined being on a mission has made me a GERM FREAK.... Every little thing is so gross to me.. haha walking around our house with shoes on... little weird things like that! haha!
We visited this less active member. And her husband is very active in the church! But she doesn't come to church! She is very nice but this last time we saw her she had really crazy weird questions and thought.. it was so weird!!! I love her because she is so loving and so nice!! I want her to come back to church so much! but she told us she doesn't even feel the Holy Spirit! When she told us that I almost cried! It broke my heart!!
I love being on am mission because I feel like Heavenly Father gives us a little love that he has for all these people and I can feel it!!! It is so crazy how much a I care and love people and I don't really know them!!! I seriously LOVE being a missionary. It is so hard sometimes but it is the best thing that has ever happened to me. I love you all and miss you guys!! Have a great week! :)

Hermana Brugman 

 -Jaymee & Hermana Bennett