Pray with faith

HELLER!

Remember those 8 new investigators we found last week? Well only like 2 of them are actually solid at the moment. Why can't people just love the gospel!?

This week we have been working with a less active member who was baptized the beginning of this year. He has been smoking for a while and we have been helping him quit. He actually really wants to quit this time. He is currently at 15 cigarettes a day and he is dropping them by 1 everyday (Well trying to). We committed him to read the Book of Mormon every time he has a urge to smoke and that will take his mind off of it. He has read the whole book of 2 Nephi and is currently in Jacob right now. He is killing it in his Book of Mormon reading! If only he was an investigator!!

Remember Ricky Corpus? We were teaching him when I first got here and then he wasn't sure if he still wanted to be taught. Well we had a lesson with him the other day and his aunt came over. She has been taking him to the Seventh Day Adventist church and she tried to throw some bible scriptures at us  but I love proving people wrong so of course I pulled out scriptures to counteract her "concern" Well by the end of the little chat with her she said she would read the Book of Mormon and wanted one in Spanish. She said we can teach Ricky because we are teaching him good things and he is learning more. So weird plot twist but we are going to teach the aunt that tried to destroy us?! Ricky is starting to progress though! HUGE MIRACLE!

We have been doing some finding this week. Knocking doors is always fun! You never know what you're going to run into. We met a guy who studied religion so he wasn't interested, met a hick that goes to cowboy church, of course, after we knocked on a door and walked down the street the lady came outside her house, moved her cars, and then went back inside. We talked with a guy who is the Pastor at the Assembly of God church. He was so in need of the gospel. He actually said that a lot of the pastors aren't holding to the doctrine of the gift of tongues....he literally said his church wasn't true. Anywho we didn't find anyone super solid this week.

We had another lesson with our investigator Kellie in Seymour this week. It was a good lesson! This time we took Brother and Sister Harnist with us and Sister Harnist was a really good friend for Kellie. She tried to get out of having the lesson with us by saying her cat got surgery? She felt like she needed to read more before the lesson. She was super glad that she didn't cancel on us though!

On our way home from Seymour we were driving down the high way and this bird was flying in front of us and it just made a 90 degree turn towards us and dive bombed our car! I swear you can't go to Seymour without almost killing an animal!!

This week I have been studying about Prayer. As a district we want to help those we teach learn how to pray with faith. Elder Christofferson said that we treat Heavenly father as a butler who fills our demands. We need to remember to thank him for the things he has blessed us with. The scriptures tell us to be sincere in heart, have real intent, and faith that he will answer our prayers. In Alma 37:37 it uses the word "Counsel" Have a conversation with your Heavenly Father. Seek guidance from him and be willing to act on the answers he gives you. Our Heavenly Father loves us so much! He will answer in His own time and in His own way.

Love Elder Brisk

That is all.

Sonic runs make everything better! Try the new sonic blast flavor funnel!!! 

This car keeps getting beat up! Stupid Bird!!!

Yellow watermelon!!

The Lord has blessed us for our hard work!

HELLER!

Transfer Calls were Sunday night and Elder Clarke and I will both be staying in Vernon. We were shocked because we thought we would be getting split up!

Elder Clarke and I exceeded most of our goals for this week. We found 8 new investigators. How did we do that you ask...I absolutely don't even know. The Lord has blessed us for our hard work! Let me tell you about them all.

Every Thursday we take the trek to Seymour, Texas. We got a referral for a lady who requested a bible so we went to see her and give her the bible she requested. We gave her the bible and she tried to says he had to work so we asked her what time she worked and she goes "actually I don't work until 5 but.." It was currently 3. Anywho we were ruthless and wouldn't let her leave so we had a lesson with her on her porch while the neighbors were playing football. Super distracting lesson but it was awesome! She said that she knows what we shared was true. We also set a baptism date with her for October 15th.

Then we taught a girl named Kellie. (Also in Seymour) She is a members neighbor and they have met before so it is all a big coincidence but The member referred her to us. She said we have been on her mind a lot and so she knew she was suppose to listen to what we had to say. Kellie talks...A LOT! We encourage though because it means she is trying to understand. She said she will read the Book of Mormon and pray about it. She is so cool because she admitted she hasn't found the 100% truth and she is truly looking for the truth! Hint...we have that :)

On Saturday we went to the thriving metropolis of Lockett Texas. You can google it..Literally has like 5 houses. We were suppose to see a lady named Carolina but she wasn't home so we decided to knock some doors because why not!? So we tried a Less Active but he wasn't home and I saw this house and said this way and we crossed the highway to a house where we met Belinda Drennan. Belinda has family members who are members of the church. We talked with Belinda for almost an hour and got to become friends with her. We left her with a pamphlet and she said we could come back when her husband is home. They currently attend the cowboy church. (I literally HATE cowboy church because it steals your investigators!) but she said she would have to come to our church one day! I love when people come to church! :)

Next we knocked on house and this super nice lady named Amanda answered. She asked us if we wanted to come in but for some reason we were like uh...instead of asking if there was a male home and she goes "OH YOUR MORMONS NEVER MIND!" and like runs away. So we stood there confused and she comes back and opens the door. Then she realized what she just said and how we took it so she tried explaining herself. Amanda has a grandfather who is a devout member of the church so she knew the rules that we aren't aloud into a home without a 3rd male. Amanda was super nice! She has 2 kids. Serenity (3) and Dustin (1) Dustin is autistic but he really loved Elder Clarke. Serenity is a spitting image of my sister when she was little. We were able to set up a time to meet with Amanda on Sunday night when her husband Randy would be home.

We went back on Sunday night and taught them. It was a great lesson! They are a cute little happy family!

We tried Carolina before we left Lockett and she was home! She also had her friend Steve with her and we sat outside and had a lesson. I was trying to figure out the relationship between Steve and Carolina and it was so awkward....Steve said that they are just living together in sin....SO AWKWARD!

At church (once again, in Seymour) a member came up to us and said her son and fiance were interested in being baptized. So we were able to have a quick lesson with them during the 2nd block and it was great! They are so interested in the church!

The Lord has people prepared for us to teach. The Vernon Branch will become the Vernon ward if we keep it up!! :)

Love Elder Brisk 

That is all.

Elder Clarke and I got invited to a African American baptist church choir practice....my ears hurt

Cruise night last weekend. Everyone just drags main for 4 hours in their cool cars! 

Burkburnett Zone P-Day in Wichita falls!!

WOW 

When you have been out for 6 months you burn a tie. 

When you have been out for a year you burn a shirt.

 I was a little late but I did it! Elder Clarke burned a tie since he hit his 6 month mark!

I love going to the temple

HELLER!

We are finding new people to teach. We have been riding our bikes everyday

1. To save miles

2. Because we need a change in our teaching pool.

We found a guy named Robert Gates. He was pretty cool! We talked with him about well water. Here in Vernon people have a water well on their property and so they use that to water their lawn and what not. Apparently the city doesn't like you using the water for that. He told us that the water was cold and tasted a lot better than the city water as well. On my mission I have figured out that you NEVER drink tap water. Always make sure it is filtered! Anyway he let me fill up a water  bottle with some well water and it was nice and cold but still tasted a little nasty!

We also met with a couple named Bill and Gail Martin. Elder Clarke ALWAYS wants to knock doors when I absolutely do not want to. We had 20 minutes before our appointment and so we started knocking a few doors. We had a nice conversation with them and learned that the majority of Gail's fathers side of the family are members of the church. Apparently they have been in Vernon for 5 years and not 1 missionary has talked to them, let alone knocked on their door. Now they attend the First Baptist Church (Yes there is more than one kind of baptist church, there is also a Second Baptist Church) Bill is a devout member of 20 years so he is a little more hardhearted than Gail. We learned that Gail expects her daughter to get baptized and do her temple work for her when she passes but she asked about being married after this life. She said she had never gotten a satisfactory answer! Bill also admitted that the Mormon church has the strongest family values than any other church and no church will ever have family values like we do. We realized we were now 30 minutes late for our appointment so she said we could come back and talk to her another time!!

On Thursday we went to the Oklahoma City Temple. I love going to the temple. It is such a peaceful place where you can feel the Lord's love for you. If you have been to the temple you know what I am talking about. I am so thankful for the temple and for our Heavenly Father's plan for us. My hope for Gail is that she will be able to do her own temple work and not rely on her daughter to do it for her.

"Families can be together forever through Heavenly Father's plan." We should all have a goal to attend the temple. We cannot obtain eternal life without the blessings of the temple. We should strive to attend the temple as much as circumstances will allow us. Make a goal for yourself to either go to the temple for the first time or to go back. Start by talking with your bishop and he will help you get to where you WANT and NEED to be!

I had the opportunity to find a name from family search and do his temple work for him. It is an amazing feeling when we do temple work for those who have passed beyond the veil. The veil is so thin inside the temple and you can feel the presence of your loved ones around you.

I know this church is true, I love this gospel with all of my heart, might, mind, and strength. The gospel has brought a joy to my life that nothing of this world would ever be able to fill. I know who I am and I know God's plan for me. I know he loves us and wants us to return to live with him again. It is through our savior Jesus Christ's atonement that we are able to live in the presence of our Heavenly Father. This gospel will bless us in our lives and help us to reach the potential our Heavenly Father sees in us. 

Are you converted to the gospel of Jesus Christ? if so, How has it helped you in your life? If not, what are you doing to become converted?

Read the Book of Mormon, Pray, and attend church. I promise if you will apply those 3 things in your life you will be on the right path to being converted to the truth, The gospel of Jesus Christ.

I love and miss you all!!

Elder Brisk 

I love to see the temple :)

I got to be Ranger Brisk for a day! 

We helped out with Sister Lowery's Operation Back to School and taught the kids about Africa!!

"There can be miracles when you believe"

HELLER!

"There can be miracles when you believe"

We were surrounded my miracles this week and it is because of our faith, diligence, and obedience.

Also apparently Elder Clarke and I have to much "POWER" in our companionship and the AP's want to split us up. We are pretty bitter about that..

President Mansell is bringing some new changes to the mission culture. I love President Mansell! He is so relaxed but dedicated to the work at the same time. He isn't focused on our numbers but he is focused on us as missionaries and the progress of the people we are teaching. President Mansell wants us to start keeping track of what he says the 3 most important things are:

1. Our key indicator of Focus

2. New investigators

3. How many people we OYM

He told us that if we focus on these 3 things then all of our numbers will improve! Elder Clarke and I didn't get to work in our area together until Thursday because of exchanges and meetings I had to attend. Since Thursday we found 5 new investigators and talked to 38 people! That is crazy!! As a district we set a goal to bike everyday. Biking is great! You see so many miracles and are able to talk to so many people!

When we aren't on the bikes we pull up to people walking down the street or standing in their yard and ask them if we can give them a card with our number on it. We are trying to talk to everyone we see and not let people pass us! We even flipped a U-turn to chase down a guy on his segway. We were literally just driving the same speed as him while we talked to him! Talking to people can be so awkward and so fun!

I had the opportunity to go on exchanges with the zone leaders this week! Elder Longfield and I had the craziest experience! We were knocking doors and we met this guy who is Jewish but he was married to a member of the church. He was a huge artist and we were able to talk to him about it for a while. Then we started talking about the gospel and no doubt he said Joseph Smith was a prophet and that the Book of Mormon is true. He also said that his beliefs are no different from ours. Elder Longfield and I were so confused on why he wasn't baptized yet!?

We also took a young man out with us. He was way cool! He is in the air force and served a mission in Honduras! We went to see an investigator that took his name off the church records but wants to be re baptized. He speaks Spanish and the member just taught him in Spanish. The gift of tongues is real!

On Sunday we met with Carolyn and Christopher again. This time Carolyn brought her friend Alex Clark to church with her and she came to the lesson. We decided to talk about the restoration for Alex and to help Christopher have some questions about Joseph Smith answered. At the end of the lesson Alex said a great prayer! The lesson was so spiritual and she said it all made so much sense to her! She may be going back to Florida at the end of this week if she can't move back here so that stinks!

Brother Kauffman passed away this week. He had a heart attack while him and his family were driving to Wichita falls and they were involved in a car accident. The branch here has so much love for every member of the church. Please keep the Kauffman family in your prayers.

I am so thankful for the knowledge we have of Heavenly Father's plan. The Plan of Salvation, Plan of Redemption, Plan of Mercy, Plan of Happiness. We know where we came from, why we are here, and where we are going. In the center of our Father's plan is our savior Jesus Christ. He suffered the Atonement for us so that we may receive eternal life. It is through his grace, mercy, and sacrifice that we are able to be cleansed from our sins. I am so thankful for our older brother. I love having his name on my badge and having him on my lips everyday. This church is true, this gospel is true and I LOVE it! :)

Elder Brisk 

That is all.

Christopher is the funniest kid ever. Can't wait for him to get baptized!!

Yay for biking!!! 

We saw this kid riding a hover board, We wanted to ride it, We talked to him, He let us ride it :)

Our service project turned into touring the local Museum!

Elder Clarke likes to break mailboxes when tracting 

We learned how to make butter at the branch party!

The Vernon apartment