Week 30: First Tornado!

April 28, 2014

Friends  & Family,

Well the scariest thing I have ever been through... We went home one night at 5 pm and it started raining and thundering, we thought it was so cool until all the lights went out. Our house starting shaking then I started crying. I didn't know what to do. I started freaking out, we got a flashlight and pillows and blankets and got in the bathtub!! That was the only place without windows!! I really thought I was gonna die. haha members called us to make sure we were okay. They prayed with us over the phone because I was freaking out!!!! So after it calmed down we got out and went to bed!!! Then the next morning woke up to a disaster. Trees everywhere.... houses crushed.... trailers flipped over.. CRAZY!!!!!!!! Prayer was the one and only thing that calmed me down. I knelt down and prayed to my loving Heavenly Father and I felt so much peace!!! This experience was so humbling!! We were crazy that next day running and helping everyone!!! It was so crazy!! That was the scariest thing I have ever been in!! and they said another one is coming this week....

But guess what???? I'm staying in Elizabeth City, North Carolina!!!! At the end of this transfer I will be here for 7 months.. crazy huh? But I love it here so much!!! I love the people here and I'm super happy!!! I love being a missionary!!! Every moment of it!!

I LOVE TALKING WITH LESS ACTIVE MEMBERS.. It makes me so happy when we meet with less active members! There is the one that is from Mexico, every time we meet with her the spirit is so strong. I feel so comfortable talking in Spanish to her... she helps me.. and I help her to learn English! She has this light to her eyes that is so amazing! I love her so much!!

I love this church so much, I know that Heavenly Father loves all of us and wants us to pray to him daily!!!! I LOVE our Father in Heaven!! He gives us so many blessing everyday!!!! How lucky are we!!? :)

Have a great week!!!

Hermana Brugman

Week 29!

 April 21, 2014

Family & Friends,

How is this week already over? I swear this mission has been the hardest, most rewarding, and fastest 7 months of my life. I really can't express anymore how much I LOVE being a missionary! If anyone has the opportunity... TAKE IT!!!!!! It's amazing!

Well transfers are on Saturday so we will see if I stay in Elizabeth City for another 6 weeks!! I have been here for almost 6 months and I love it!! I don't want to leave!! So we will see!! :)

Happy late Easter!!! Easter is amazing! It is a great time to really recognize what Easter really is! We had 200 people come to church and usually we only have about 115-125ish. It was great!! :) I love going to church!!! Everyone says all their kids love me. They all draw me pictures and stuff and run and jump and hug me!! Everyone says.. you are going to have a lot of kids, they all love you!!!! I seriously love all the kids in the ward!!! They are so so sweet and cute!!

So this week was great we started teaching our investigators daughter! she is so cute! she is 11 years old and LOVES CHURCH! She loves going to achievement days! So we are so excited about starting to teach her!

I LOVE STUDYING!!!! For those who knew me VERY well, Jaymee did not like to study or read or anything. I love it now. I love reading the Book of Mormon and the Bible and everything else we have to study from! I find something I love every time!! We are so blessed to have the scriptures! I love how the Bible and the Book of Mormon go hand in hand! Looking and reading one scripture and then finding it in the Bible it is so amazing! Such a great testimony that it really is "Another Testament Of Jesus Christ."

When I was studying the Book of Mormon the other day, I came across a verse in Mormon where he is calling the Nephites to repentance that I just loved. He says "And [I] had loved them, according to the love of God which was in me, with all my heart; and my soul had been poured out in prayer unto my God all the day long for them".
Do you love others with the love God has for you?

Hermana Jaymee Brugman :)

Week 28

 April 14, 2014

Friends & Family,

This week was full of blessings..

So I just started this new thing where I write down all the blessings that happen that day.  Sometimes in life we get caught up in other stuff and always want what we can't have and we never stop to really truly thank God for all the blessings he gives us!! I know I am guilty of that. I am trying to be more positive and to stop and pause to realize all the blessing I receive in one day!! ITS CRAZY!!! I know that when we do those right things he wants us to do, he will bless us!! He gave us commandments, to pray and to read the scriptures so that he can bless us!!! I just love my Heavenly Father so much!! I love the relationship I have strengthened since I have been gone!!

We found a new investigator in Spanish YAY!!!! but we will see where this takes us... but its good teaching in Spanish once and awhile!! haha :)

So this week was up and down, it started off really well and our investigator right now is amazing! She is teaching me so much! You can just see the spirit work within her! It is such a great testimony builder that I know the spirit testifies of the truth! She has a daughter that is 11 and she loves coming to church activities!! She told us that she feels so comfortable in our church! She always runs up to me and gives me a big hug!! :) We told her how transfers work and she said, "wait what? You can't leave!" I told her the next transfers are may 1st and she said "I'm going to call your President guy and tell him you can't leave until I get baptized!!" haha I love that she said that, she is so cute!! It makes me happy when I know I am helping people! I love that I am an impact in their lives!! Sometimes it's nice to know that they love me!! It is so crazy how much I love all the people I meet here!! :)

I love my life so much! I couldn't be any happier!! I love that I get to study EVERY MORNING!!!!! To learn and grow! I am so very thankful for all of my family and friends and all the support you give me!!

Hope you have a great week!!!

Love you and miss you all!!

Hermana Brugman

Week 27!

 April 7, 2014

Friends & Family

Well this week was very slow but great..
This week we had a lot of people cancel appointments but it's okay! We are staying busy!! I love being a missionary!!!! :) We still have one great investigator right now, she is great. Whenever we are talking to her she is taking notes, writing down scriptures and asking questions. She is wonderful and such a blessing in my life right now. She makes me look at my life and appreciate what i have. She is a happy loving lady!!
So funny story... We teach English to Hispanics, because a lot of them like to learn English so they can talk to their boss or order food.. so we had this Hispanic call us and asked what time so we tell him he said I have a few friends I want to bring too so they can learn English. So we think to our selves. YES!! maybe we can teach them the gospel too. That day comes and they walk into the church.. and ONE Hispanic walks in and his two friends are CHINESE... I about freaked out.. You can only imagine how I was laughing... SO HARD!!!!!!! hahahah I know NOTHING, I say NOTHING in Chinese... So it was crazy... we taught English to them. It was probably the funniest thing ever! haha Can you imagine me.... teaching Chinese people English!!! TOO FUNNY!
How grateful are we to have this knowledge of the gospel! We are so blessed!!! I love this gospel more than anything!! I feel so close to our loving Heavenly Father!!!!!
I hope you all got to watch the amazing General Conference. It was so great and the spirit was so strong! When President Thomas S. Monson was talking I just felt the spirit in my whole body! It is so amazing how we, today have a living prophet. All those talks were so powerful!

Have a great week!!!!

Hermana Brugman :)