Busy Bees

It has been a HOT minute since I have written an email so I have a lot to update on! Sorry I have been MIA. We've been a couple of busy bees. 

Sister Russell and I have had the best 6 weeks of our lives and just found out she's getting transferred :( My new companion will be Sister Matthews, a reassignment from Australia. Super excited to stay in Roanoke - I love it here and the work is too good!! 

I talked about Debby and Brad in my last email but they are both coming to church consistently and progressing really well!! They are the ones that are engaged, and living together but dont have the money to move out of his parents house, so that is what's holding them back from getting baptized. Sticky situation. We know God will work it out in his timing, though. We all fasted together that they would see a miracle and Debby made her dog fast with them and we thought it was hilarious (their dog is their child). But it's actually so cool because the miracle happened to their dog!! He jumped off a porch a long time ago and broke his back and the vet said he would never walk again... but he's WALKING now! That's a pretty dang faithful dog if you ask me. 

We are teaching a cute cute mom named Jessica and she is so prepared and amazing!!! Her baptismal date is coming up but she cant meet very often so we are going to have to push it back a bit, but she is doing so well and is going to be baptized probably the first week of November! Her son is 8 years old so we are going to try working with him too! 

We are not allowed to do service for any members or friends we are teaching anymore - only community service. We are still allowed to teach people outside, in person, but its getting cold! We got to have an in-person zone conference!! I love all of the sisters in my zone! We've been on lots of exchanges and I got to go back to Martinsville with Sister Maughan and it was SO FUN to be there again. Conference was amazing!! 

Something that stood out to me in conference was when President Nelson said that "our spirits long to progress". This is a gospel of growth, change, stretching, improvement, & progression! And it is definately not comfortable at times. But we should always be trying to learn and improve ourselves. We shouldn't be content with our daily routine or our average self. God can make so much more out of us as we put in effort to become a little bit better - a little more like Him - each day. He will magnify your efforts and make you into something unimaginable! Lately on my mission, I have been feeling stagnant in my testimony. Dont get me wrong, it is stronger than it has been ever before. But I am excited to make more of an effort to continuously learn and grow and strengthen my testimony even more! Dont be content with the person you are today. Choose to change! Choose to be better! Ask for help. God will lovingly let you know what YOU can do to be a little better each day. He WANTS us to progress - for that is his whole purpose for us - so why wouldn't he help us along the way? I know that as we make efforts to become better than we are today, we will discover that there is so much more in store for us! Don't settle! 

Words cannot express how grateful I am for the experiences that i am having on my mission. I know that God is merciful. I know that the power of the atonement is real. I know that Jesus Christ is the answer to every struggle. I know that the Book of Mormon is powerful and true. I know that as we stretch beyond anything we have ever done before, God's power will flow into our lives. 

I miss you all :( Thank you for your thoughts and prayers. I am so blessed! 

Love, Sister Brinton!!