June 14, 2021 Grand Island

 Hey Brothers and Sisters! I hope that your week was fulfilling and you had an opportunity to notice God's love in your life. This week was busy and fun, and I learned a lot.

Some highlights of the week: one of our investigators called me 'pudgie.' 😥

We went out to eat with Bro Adams (the sister stalker) and three of the elders. Brother Adams straightup told us sisters to order whatever we'd like regardless of cost. And then he sent us some really creepy manipulative texts afterwards and so we are no longer talking to him...

We had exchanges! For those of you who don't know what those are, its when we switch companions for a day with our leaders of the same gender so we can improve ourselves and work out any issues with the area or companions. Well, we drove the hour and a half to our Sister Training Leaders (STLs) and went up to their apartment, ready for exchanges. Well, I really needed to pee, so we knocked on their door.

Nothing.

We could hear faint voices, so we knew that they were inside their apartment. 

So we knocked again.

Nothing.

A couple of minutes go by before Sister Poulsen and I glance at each other.

"I'll text them." I said. She nodded and we sent a quick text. 

A couple of minutes go by, and so we decide to try knocking again. Well, they don't answer the door, but their voices are getting louder and louder. We hear one of them scream 'Comp inventory!' (Which basically is just code for there's a problem that we need to work out). 

And Sister Poulsen glances at me and her eyebrows furrow.

"Are they fighting?" She asks, whispering.

"It sounds like it." I replied. The voices get louder and we begin being able to hear the words. I ask Sister Poulsen if there's any problems that we need to clear up. She shakes her head, wide eyed.

"Maybe we should call them." She suggests. I nod. Three phone calls later, they still haven't picked up and I really need to pee.

Long story short, we stood outside their door for FORTY FIVE minutes before they finally opened it, smiling like there had never been a problem and I RAN to the bathroom.

Also, later in the week we had a really awful chastity lesson with a less active family who was definitely not keeping the law of chastity. Near the end of the lesson, after explaining the blessings and discussing why we needed to live this law, I turned to the family and asked if they were willing to commit to the Law of Chastity.

Crickets. 

SEVERAL minutes go by before I ask the mother if she has anything to add. She says yes. We wait for another five minutes before I ask what she'd like to add. 

In a slow Nebraskan drawl she says "Ohhhhhh, I don' know. We aren't supposed to do adultery, right?"

I told her yes. She nodded slowly. "Oh, I suppose." She said. "Maybe." 

All is well in Grand Island. The work is moving along well.

This week, I've been really focusing on two central ideas. 

One is obedience. It can seem very strange, especially because (whether you are a missionary or a member or a friend) there are a lot of rules. Some of them don't seem to make sense. Some of them don't seem to matter. Some people will break these rules right and left. And a lot of these rules won't define you if you break them, but I think that the damage to your integrity is absolutely heartwrenching. If you commit to follow something or some rule, respect yourself enough to follow through. 

The other is the Book of Mormon. Do you know that EVERY SINGLE part of our doctrine and gospel rests on the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon? If the book of Mormon is true, then so is everything else. That means that our church is a living church, led by a modern day prophet and apostles, with the God given right to act in His name. It means that the plan of happiness, where families can be together forever, is a true concept, how to use the atonement in our lives, why repentance is so important, how baptism and the gift of the Holy ghost and EVERY FREAKING THING ELSE is true. I was reading a talk that explained that the Book of Mormon was translated so quickly, with so intricate and personal and detailed of a storyline. With so much history that has been proven true (making the Book of Mormon true or a very genius guessing book), that this book MUST have come from heaven or hell. 

I promise you that it came from heaven. It was written for our day, to bring people to Christ. I promise that you can feel this truth in your heart as you sincerely study, ponder, and pray about its contents.

Don't forget, there is NOTHING you could do that would make Jesus Christ love you any less.

I love you all,

Sister Brice