I'll Go Where You Want Me to Go

          I'll go where you want me to go, Dear Lord,

          I'll be what you want me to be

     I am still in Yuli for another transfer, probably my last. I have asked Heavenly Father, Christ and my mission president, and they have accepted my request. I wanted one more transfer to keep up the work here in Yuli. 

     I have been here since last October, and I even watched conference here. I will be here until two weeks before April General Conference starts, how crazy is that?!

     I really love it here. I remember my mom telling me a story about how she was in a branch for six months, and when she left, the branch members came and said goodbye to her at the bus or train station, and she cried a lot when she left. I remembered thinking, Wow, six months in a branch is a long time, about 1/3 of a sister's mission. And now I'm in the same position, being here for about 1/3 of my mission.

     I have to say, I have learned a lot here:

1. Patience.  Having a dog-sick companion, a struggling branch (they're better now), no progressing investigators (except Ding JM who got baptized, a complete miracle honestly), and breaking a companion for the 3rd time (being with a companion who just got out of training) has taught me patience like crazy. 

2. Like Christ, knowing and serving people one by one. It makes it a lot easier to do it in a branch, I can personally get to know all the members more. I have really learned to love the people here. 

3. Humility.  It's seriously the most rural and beautiful areas in the whole mission. These members have such hard lives and they just really amaze me. They really look out for and care for us missionaries and other members. I've never had such a family feel for the members than any other time of my mission. They have taught me and given me so much, I wish I could give more to them. 

As well as:

     Be nice to missionaries in your ward, you never know when you, your kids or grandkids will serve in their ward. #chenmengxin Example: Chen Meng Xin/ Elder Chen, the first Taiwanese missionary in Indiana, and now I am serving in his parent's branch here. 2014.  I eat with him and his family, we see each other share testimonies at church in Chinese, I see him on pdays with his family, he's the member and I'm the missionary. Plus, my comp and I are teaching his 12-year-old sister, she's super cute, reminds me of my sister Lydia. 

     The last week of Chinese New Year is kind of awkward. Still no school (love it), some people work and some don't, people just chilling. The last day, we had a special food like a soft dumpling with either a sesame or peanut butter filling.

 

     Sadly, Ding jie mei said she is looking for work in Hualian or Taidong. I am happy for her but so sad at the same time. She has been such a big help and strength here in the branch, I really would hate to lose her, the branch really needs her, we have such few strong members like her. Her testimony is so strong. I would say that out of all the RC's I've ever seen on my mission, she is the strongest one. She is so amazing. But if God needs her to grow somewhere else, I understand, and the harder my comp and I have to look for a new member.

     Please pray for me and my companion to find a good, strong family that the branch can have. We really need one at this time. Please pray for us that our members will have missionary opportunities, that we can find someone strong for the branch, someone who won't visit only or move away like some strong members did. Someone who will stay here to strengthen our members.

     I love my mission, it's the best thing in the world, I never want to leave.

     Our new elder here, Elder Robbins, came and shared a simple testimony during sacrament meeting. This is his last transfer. Then, a 17-year-old member gave a talk about loving God. Then, her mom got up and spoke about how hard it was tk have three less active children and have a non-member husband. While doing so, she was crying the whole time. It just broke my heart to see her be so sad that her family wasn't strong, which is the case for everyone except three young families in the branch. It made me so grateful that my whole family has the gospel.  It is such a struggle here. This branch wants a new, strong member family so much. My companion and I will work hard this transfer and with God's help try to find one. It's been years since the last family was baptized, and even then that family fell apart. Please pray for us to find one family (or more) and baptize them. 

     Ding JM usually has really amazing dreams. Up until I met with her the first time, I didn't think she read the Book of Mormon everyday. The last time I asked her, she said she would sometimes read it. I was worried she still didn't have a testimony of the Book of Mormon, even after her baptism. To my surprise, she said she reads it everyday and she feels like she needs to (she is hungry spiritually). In the lesson, my comp Sister Bernhardt talked about Lehi's dream, then Ding JM told us of another dream she had.  She said one day a while ago (I think while Sister Scharman and I taught her or after she got baptized), she prayed and asked to know if the Book of Mormon was true. She didn't get an answer right then, so she went to bed. That night in her dream, she saw my companion Sister Scharman and her great-great grandmother, and they spoke great Chinese. Sister S's great-great grandmother, with her hand was on Sis S's shoulder, introduced herself as Sis S's great-great grandmother, and testified to her that the Book of Mormon was true, and then Sis S also testified that it was true. Ding JM woke up. After that experience, she had a testimony of the Book of Mormon then. 

     I firmly believe that in the pre-earth life, Sis S volunteered herself to be sick so that Ding JM would listen to the lessons and be converted. It was a huge sacrifice from Sis S.  I know that this work is so important. I am so grateful for the gospel in my family, my friends, my neighbors, and even in my own life. It is the biggest blessing in my life, I don't know what to do about it.

     I am so grateful for Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ, and all that they do for me.

     I love you all! Happy Valentines Day! (almost forgot about it)

-Sister Brinkerhoff

P.S. Happy Birthday Grandpa Barrus in a few weeks! 92 and still going strong!