We are preparing for Chloe's baptism!!!

Hello human beings! 

So we are preparing for Chloe's baptism!!! This is real life! She is getting baptized July 26th and we are all soooo excited! We took her to why I believe on Sunday. Someone asked us if we were related haha. Gosh I love Chloe! I told her my spirit animal is Beyonce and she stared at me for like 10 minutes and was like oh really? She just can't see the fierceness. 

Interviews went well :) just real short, simple and spiritual like usual haha. I'm senior companion now. He just wants me to be able to take the lead. So it seems like I'll be staying here. But you don't really ever know with president because he likes surprises sometimes. 

So we have met some pretty great people this past week! We are now teaching this guy named Johnny. He told us that he had been in prison for 10 years and that is the place where he first felt the spirit. He also has a pretty crazy survival story. He was in a head on collision with a semi truck and basically his whole body was broken and he was in a coma for a month. He said his mom always told him he should be a Mormon but it would be too difficult. So now he wants to know why. :) He has already been reading and praying. He is like super excited to find his answer. It's funny how nervous we were to talk to him because he is a giant guy haha. But we did it. Super glad we did! He is such a cool guy! 

Everything is going pretty well! I'm like hitting my 6th month mark soon haha. What the?! 

Well I love you guys! 

Sister Brooks

  

On our way to Why I Believe with Chloe and her Grandma. :)

We were working in the rain all day so that is why we look so crappy !

On exchanges :) 

People in Indiana don't understand that we Utahan's don't get the pleasure of seeing squirrels on the daily. 

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 Waiting for the interviews. 

4th of July week craziness...

This past week has felt somewhat jack haha. Having a full day off on Friday was some weird stuff. Because not sure if you knew but p-day only lasts until 6 usually and we got until 10:30 on Friday.

Monday we didn't have a full p-day so we went out and worked, Tuesday I had a stomach bug so I slept like all day but we still got 3 member presents haha, Wednesday we had like 4 hour car stuff, then Thursday we did service like half the day and went to dinner at bdubs with two 20 year old boys... Probably the most jack day ever! But we got a super solid investigator out of it. Then Friday we had the entire day off and we went to the mall with the elder’s haha.

So story behind going to dinner with two 20 year old boys... We had a lesson with one of them in a members home and then afterwards we were going to go home and eat but then we were just like hey let’s just go grab some food. So he had to pick up his friend and we went to dinner. We taught the restoration and then our conversations got split off in to two which made it feel super like a date and really awkward. The kid told me like his entire life story and yeah now we are teaching him. We took him on a church tour and he came to church yesterday! He is super solid! He hooked me up with a bunch of Christian rock music :) I really want to serve on campus one of these days it's so much easier teaching people your own age! He is a super nice kid reminds me a lot of Hayden they are like twins haha.

4th of July was pretty good! It was just super weird not doing missionary work all day. We took a nap, ate McDonald's, played some ball, gamed it up, ate some more and then played some more ball. Then Sister Warner needed a blessing because she wasn't feeling super great so the elders all came to our apartment which was also weird. I felt like I was back home hanging with some of my buddies.

So not sure if I told you but our mission is doing church tours and they are pretty awesome! We basically take a member and their non member friend/ friends around the church and teach them the restoration lesson through showing them paintings. It is super great :) The spirit can really be felt throughout the tour. 

I honestly like didn't even care about fireworks this year haha I think I saw like two. I feel like there aren't really rules here with them though like people are setting them off all night and all the time. So it's kind of hard to sleep sometimes. I'm pretty sure ever since the 4th happened you like can't go outside and not hear fireworks. It sounds like gun shots all day every day. 

The monopoly game is sweet thanks so much Jojo! :) I gave the elders all tie pins since they were missionary ones haha. They were all happy because they already all have matching ties. Thanks so much for all of the stuff you sent! 

Well I love you guys! 

Sister Brooks 

I got to wear one of Lone Eagles chokers haha. That is the day I was sick so that is why I look the way I do haha. 

We had purple day for district meeting haha. They all have matching ties because they are women. 

Austin

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He answered the door and said "come to the dark side we have cookies" Nerdiest and best experience of my life haha. The light saber I'm holding he got for his graduation present.

This is Bessie Brown and she is a member of our ward. I love her! She has us over at the nursing home to eat cafeteria breakfast with her haha. She just speaks her mind and it's hilarious. She is like 87!

Elder Twitchell and Steab. They are my favorite Elders! Elder Steab is like a puppy haha.

This is the sickest mission on the earth!

Dude the weather here just got so real haha. Some of the computers in the library went out so if you get this you should consider yourself lucky. :) Utah storms ain't got nothing on the Midwest. 

So our district is pretty great!  We are all going to lunch today and our DL called last night and was like hey what are you doing for lunch tomorrow? Then he was like wait it totally sounds like I'm asking you on a date haha! Then the other day Elder Twitchell was trying to give me a compliment apparently haha. I was talking about my brothers and he was like "wait you don't have any sisters? Is that why you are so masculine?" I was like uhhh I'm masculine?! then he was like no you just aren't one of those pretty girls your like a tom boy. haha It was super awkward because he kept like digging himself deeper. He said he was trying to say is that I'm so laid back. But now I'll never forget someone called me masculine. Bro for life right there, I had a nightmare I got bro-zoned for life.

So we went to the Elder Steab and Twitchell's investigator's baptism and it was cool to see one of my MTC homies have his first baptism. They were tearing up a little when we were singing it was pretty adorable haha.

I got the guitar book I've looked at it a few times but lunch time I try to use for naps :) That is so exciting you guys are going to a niners game! I wish that I could go! haha. I'm also really jealous you get to see Uncle Shawn I miss that guy!

I'm glad they liked my chicken picture. Thanks Indiana mom's facebook page it means a lot! 

Health wise I'm doing pretty fantastic! I think eating better and exercise really have been helping me out. #Livingthewordofwisdomfordays

So I think for the 4th of July we aren't really supposed to go outside. We have weekly planning in the morning for three hours and then we have the rest of the day 1-9 pm. Which will be super weird! I think I'll definitely take a nap! We have dinner with the Petty's I think. 

So yesterday we were tracting and this lady answered the door and was like I'm the last person you want to talk to. Then she came outside and said she had a PHD in religious studies. At first I was like oh no she is going to anti us haha. Then she just started going off about how much she loves Mormons! It was the craziest tracting experience I've had yet haha. She knew like every part of our church history. But she was a little drunk so she called the handcarts wheel barrels. She was like Joseph Smith had so much faith he did whatever God told him. Then she was talking about the pioneers and how they traveled west and was like you girls are amazing going out her doing this you have no fear, when you are out walking around remember the wheel barrels and how they pushed them all the way to Utah. haha. She then went off about how the Elders always stop by her house when her kids are sick. She was like every time one of my kids are sick I always look at my watch and I'm like hey where are the hot guys? She thinks Mormons are the most attractive people ever haha. She seriously pumped us up though she was like you girls have no fear my neighbor is a racist southern baptist preacher but I'm sure you will stop by him anyways haha. She was like I'm soooo excited you are here on my porch right now I'm going to talk to my class about how great Mormons are tomorrow haha. 

President said this to me this week "Every time I read your letters, it puts a smile on my face. Thank you for coming back and being so diligent." It pumped me up! :) I'm just so happy to be a missionary! This is the sickest mission on the earth! 

I love you guys!

Sister Brooks

It is soooooo hot here I'm dying...

This week has been pretty stellar it went by pretty quickly. So here is to another transfer!!! haha. So we ran into a guy who had missionaries in his home like 20 years ago all the time. He loves missionaries! We talked to him in the parking lot of his apartment complex for like 2 hours. We asked him if he had ever taken the discussions and he said no but the elders would hang out at their house and watch movies all the time. So yeah this guy has never even been taught about the restoration. Imma kill those elders! haha. So that was a little upsetting but we are happy that we will get to teach him. :) He is a little obsessed with Starbucks so that could be a possible problem in the future. But we will get there...

It is soooooo hot here I'm dying. We went tracting the other day and we talked to this lady standing on her porch for an hour and the sun was just straight killing us. We took a taco bell icee break in the mall. That felt really weird to be in a mall haha. We took disgusting pictures in the photo booth because we were bright red and sweaty haha. I'll have to send you some sometime. But dang those

icee's were great!  

I did lose 10 pounds probably from the heat! Actually we have been going hard in the gym every morning. So it has been nice.

We were gardening for 4 hours on Saturday and I thought I was going to die I have never been in weather like that! Soooo hot!!! I drank like 3 bottles of water in 10 minutes haha. I was trying not to look too pathetic so I just kept pulling weeds in the shade whenever I took a break. 

We took Dola a chicken sandwich from Wendy's on Thursday I guess her husband used to buy them for her all the time. She was so happy. Gosh I love that lady! 

Friday we taught Austin, Logan and Tyler. So that was sweet! We were going to give Austin a church tour but like every single vacuum was going so we just taught him instead.

Saturday we took Austin to a baptism of a 9 year old. There were so many missionaries there! Like 6 sets

We have a new DL and he is hilarious! He reminds me of Dallon. 

The other day there was this sweet old lady picking up leaves so we went to talk to her. She told us how her husband had recently passed away and he always did the yard work. Then she just started crying. It was seriously heart breaking to see this lady cry. We talked to her about the plan of salvation and she told us we could come back sometime and she wanted to make us dessert. Widows make me soooo sad. Visit all of them! haha. 

Yeah the elders got my package at transfer meeting so we are good. For some reason Sister Steadman didn't know I was on medicine... I was like well that is the only reason I was able to come back haha. 

The weather hasn't been too crazy just really hot! I'm not used to it. And there were some storms. I saw Elder Anderson at church yesterday because he got transferred into one of the wards that attend our building. So that was cool to see him. 

I miss you too! I've been having really bad dreams and sometimes I just want my momma!

Thanks for sending that stuff! I got the guitar book and CD thanks mom!!!
Maybe put my monster stuffed animal I kind of miss it haha. 

Love you!

Sister Brooks

We now have 5 progressing investigators!

Hello There!

So we will both be staying in Greenwood for another 6 weeks! So that is good news :) We can still baptize someone together haha. We have a lot of people to get prepared! 

This week has been pretty great! Chloe, Logan and Tyler all came to church! We went to the 12 year old class with them haha. So that was a little different than our normal Sunday schedule.

We took a lot of pictures with people this week in case one of us got transferred so I'm sure you will be happy with that :)

So I think our zone got quite a few changes last night! We will have to see today. We really thought one of us was leaving because for some reason the 'your both staying' text didn't get to us. So it was like almost 10 and we still didn't know our zone leaders told one of the assistants and they called to tell us we would both be staying. Sister Warner was crying because she thought she was going to leave.

We now have 5 progressing investigators! That is a lot better than the 0 we started with at the beginning of the transfer. I really think the summer time is flying by the cold winter made transfers go by so slow haha. I can't believe it has been 6 weeks already! I still feel like I just got here sometimes. 

That is really cool about the mission calls :) It's crazy they are already old enough.

Oh I found the Hyundai key!!!! It was in my jacket pocket for some reason. I'll have to send it to you sometime. 

We had a 4 hour lesson with Austin. It was pretty wild! He is a bible major so he kind of knows a lot more than I do haha. I'm just like hey I know that the church is true! 

I'm like all of the sudden really bad at emailing I don't know what to say to you guys haha.  I'm really not sure why I'm like out of things to say haha. But I love you guys! :) 

Love, 

Sister Brooks

This week went by like really quick!

Yeah I have like extremely bad allergies haha. Every morning when I wake up my voice isn't even audible. But I did buy Allegra today, I bought the Wal-Mart brand. I really hope it cures me. So people don't think I'm a smoking missionary.  

Well not sure about transfers but Sister Warner told President last night when we were at Why I Believe that she thinks I should train haha. He was like oh she will get to train. So whatever that means. I don't think it will be this transfer but maybe the next. I feel pretty ready to do it though. It's so crazy transfers are this next week! I think our zone might be getting pretty mixed up because everyone has been here forever. But no one really ever knows with President Cleveland haha. 

So yesterday was Why I Believe...which basically is a testimony meeting where recent converts share their stories. It is super awesome! They have it every month I just didn't get to go in Lafayette because we never had anyone to bring. We brought two people yesterday. It was a great experience and I got to see some of my best friends! :) 

I don't think I told you about Dola she is a less active member because her husband was a member of a baptist church so she never really came to our church. She is the sweetest old lady ever! And super hilarious! Her husband passed away in February and it has been really hard on her. Her daughter who takes care of here isn't a member and we are working with her too. They are the cutest people though! Dola hadn't been to church in years and she came yesterday with her daughter and it was the greatest! Dola has the best stories too she told us about how when she was younger and they couldn't afford rubber so their underwear had buttons instead of elastic. I just love her!

We invited Lone Eagle to be baptized and he said not yet but that is progress to I've already been baptized. We will have to see! I just picture Lone Eagle bearing his testimony and it taking up the entire hour haha. He is quite the story teller. It's so great to picture him being a member :) Someday!

I went to steak and shake for the first time! It was super delicious! I really dig it!

We had a combined District meeting this week... It was a little Jack haha. It was birthday party themed and Elder Sorenson passed out a Dora the Explorer coloring page and told us to draw the first vision. Our District is pretty fun though! 

This week went by like really quick! I can't remember what happened already haha. I just really love being out here though! I could do without the allergies but it's cool. 

I really miss dad. Everyone I talk to about him really wants to meet him haha. I tell people he is a 47 year old man with the personality of a 16 year old. I love that weirdo!  I miss you too mom! I sometimes just really need a diet coke run haha.

I love you guys so much! 

Love ya! 

Sister Brooks

We have been so blessed with people to teach!

 Doctor Ditty :( I love that guy! He seriously is the best. He is in my prayers for sure! Tell him Sister Brooks loves him! He helped me get back out here. That makes me all teary. I just want to hug all of the Ditty's and bring them casseroles. Give them my love! 

I wish we could have gone camping when I was still home. We played sports like literally all day yesterday and I'm very sore haha. We played some basketball, ultimate, some Indiana bag tossing  (obviously I don't know what it's called), some football and soccer. We were so exhausted when we got home last night we both crashed haha. So we had prep day until 6 and went to a ward party until 8. Then still got a lesson in there :) We have been so blessed with people to teach! We taught 24 lessons this week... So that was sweet. We have 6 new investigators! 

We have been working super hard and it has been great! I'm so glad I can physically do the work now! haha. Back in the day I couldn't have worked this hard. I'm so happy though mom! I love love the people and everything. It really is so much easier being diligent and obedient because that is when all the blessings come. 

We just taught Lone Eagle before coming to the Library.... Dude he met Ringo Starr!!! And has a picture with him. He actually met all of The Beatles. Also he has a signed poster from Elvis Presley's last concert... I'm like mind blown haha. I really hope we can get him progressing because I will be extremely sad if we have to stop teaching him haha. He is such a bro! His friends took him out for his 76th birthday to one of the Pacer Miami Heat games last week. He has like a fan club I'm pretty sure because he is the sweetest old man with the best stories. I don't remember if I told you he told us about Vietnam and he cried... Aww Lone Eagle! haha. Elder Twitchell said they never got him to cry before so I think we are on another level here. He calls us the Mormon Girls. When he prays he calls Heavenly Father Grandfather and Jesus grandson. We were so confused at first but then he explained it too us haha. 

There is this 12 year old boy Tyler who is neighbor of one of the families we are teaching and he is so adorable! He has been coming to the lessons. The first lesson he asked how we can know if god is really there. We told him he could pray and ask if he was really there. The next time we taught the first thing he said was I did what you said!!! I asked and he told me he was there. And that he felt it in his heart as soon as he asked. GAHH he is the cutest thing! The other day we went to the families house to invite them to the Memorial Day party as soon as he saw us pull up he ran in his house grabbed his book of Mormon and booked it over to us. He was like I'm here, I'm here!!!! He was holding the book of Mormon so close. As soon as we got in our car to leave we both started crying haha. That little boy has our hearts. It really makes you think of how amazing what we have really is. This little boy is so excited to learn about god. He has never had the chance to learn. I've known my Heavenly Father, I've known the book of Mormon and all that. But I have always taken it for granted. This is all this kid wants and I've had it all this time. We really need to realize how great the gifts we have been given are. We need to share it with everyone. Read our scriptures, go to church, and pray. Heavenly Father loves us so much and he has given us these gifts freely so use them!!! 

So on Sunday we decided we were going to get one of our investigators to church by meeting at his house so he could follow us there. He decided to get out of it and tell us he was in the hospital haha. We were seriously so mad... but I guess that is a good thing to be disappointed he isn't progressing haha. I hate agency sometimes. But we did have one investigator at church :) She is a 12 year old girl who is the cutest! We are best friends by the way haha. Sister Warner said me talking to her is like me talking to myself. The elders in the ward had been teaching her but then she told me they freaked her out and she wants us to teach her! So maybe we are poaching on the elder’s investigators a bit haha. She reminds me of Veronica I think that is why we are homies. She always talks about her cousin and it reminds me of when me and Roni were little.

Oh we taught a drunk couple haha. We were just walking down the street and this lady was like hey what are you doing come teach me! haha. So we walked over and they told us they had been at the race all day.... Soooo drunk. Then they asked how many wives we were allowed haha. Then a pizza man came and they offered us pizza. She kept talking about her "hot tub pool" She was like I just swam in my hot tub pool.... She said it like fifty times. Then she hugged us...So I can know say I hugged a wet sun burned drunk lady that I just met. haha. Missionary work gets wild sometimes. We also prayed and held hands. She invited us back so I hope they are sober occasionally so they can feel the spirit... Or possibly remember us. 

Well I love you people! Sorry It's soooo long I guess a lot happened this week!

Love you!!!

Sister Brooks

Crazy Weather...