Irmao Joseph and Lil Wayngels.

eeeee. fam. what up. I MISS YOU PERFECT HUMANS. 

This week was definitely a test of faith. And energy. Woah. I am so tired. So. So. Tired. Like falling asleep in sacrament meeting tired.....oops. So hard. Also, I cannot believe 2013 is almost gone, and I have spent basically all of it on the mission. WHAT. Where is the time going? What is time? Who am I?

Anyways, this week, my comp and I talked a lot about faith and about numbers and about how every time we talk to people, it is a test of our faith. And how, we have so much trust in the Lord and that this is His work, and that He is capable of doing all things, but He uses us to help Him, but that at the same time, He doesn`t need us to do anything, because He could do everything himself if He wanted, but that this time is more for us than it is for these people, and oh how grateful I am that He is willing to let me use this time of mine and His to get to know these people and try to share with them the most incredible message there is. But I love the idea of faith, because it is so simple and yet so complex and like...just think about it, it`s things that are hoped for but not seen but then at the same time your faith is increased by the things you do see, but you dont receive a witness until after the trial of your faith, so you have to work first by faith, but then as you continue to work, you start to see, and as you see your faith grows and its like this continual growing cycle, and I feel like its just the coolest thing, because we are here to work on making our faith into a perfect knowledge, and even though that isnt possible here, it is possible to have an unshakeable testimony, which is basically like a perfect knowledge that will just be even more perfected after this life. The Gospel is so cool! And kinda fun. And mind blowing ahha. 

One day, we were walking around getting rejected hard core, knocking some doors, getting rejected, calling some peeps, getting rejected, and we stopped and Sister Briggs goes, `Wanna say a prayer?` So, I look up, and say... `God` cue Madonna-Just Like a Prayer. I didnt even know I knew that song, but it just came out of my mouth and then we were dancing and laughing and freezing and dying at how absurd our life is. And then we said a real prayer. And then we walked past Adriana and Wellington`s fruit shop and they gave us a bunch of grapes, which would have been a lot better if the grapes in Portugal didn`t have seeds, but...it was still pretty good. 

This week, I sat in on something that I NEVER thought would happen to me in my life. We`re teaching this couple in their house and the woman is sick and laying in bed, and she just all of a sudden (well, not so suddenly, because she`s old and moves real slow) she says something like `we`re all girls here right`, but we didnt really understand because she has no teeth...literally NONE....and she has been talking for literally an hour without taking a breath and we are just smiling and nodding our heads like champs and she gets up and starts waddling over to this chair, that she then lifts up the blanket that was over it and we see a bucket under it and she sits down and just straight up peed right in front of us. Oh, I was dying. I couldn`t even not laugh. I tried so hard, but then afterward when we started singing, I died laughing in the middle of the song, because I just couldn`t believe that this was real life. Oh, my life. We had to get out of there so fast. Sister Briggs just kept apologizing all night long that I had to witness that, which Im not exactly sure what that means, but....  oh it was so funny and I can`t believe it actually happened. But it did. And I am scarred for life. I am sure of it.

Also, we had our ward Christmas party on Saturday night, and it was SCARY how members are the same all over the whole world. Like bad relief society skits with weird wigs and the precious primary children acting out the nativity and everything. Literally....I can´t. I die. BUT. Our sick Brasilian member brought her new Chinese roommate who only speaks English (and Chinese) and has never been to a church before and didn`t know who Jesus was, and I felt like I was getting a taste of what Melissa and Mere and Lucy are experiencing. But she is actually SO elect and I am so excited to teach her! Except, I am terrified to teach in English, because I am so awkward and it is so hard, but it`s fine. 

Also, we`re living with this super sick Brazilian who is actually hilarious and just does whatever the heck she wants and just owns it and is actually such a boss and I love her so much. So....just so you know. Sister Briggs calls them the lamanites and I just laugh all day long. Gah I love these people. 

But I love you people so much more. And I love this Gospel. And I love Jesus Christ. And I love how much love he has for each and every one of us. I am so grateful for every single one of you. I love you and I will be speaking to you in 9 days!! #countingdown #guilty #notmad

xoxo

Sister Brooks

KATE HANSEN GHOSTFACEKILLLLAAA---YOU ARE LITERALLY GOING TO THE OLYMPICS. It`s fine that I didnt hear it from you, because Im glad all our mission blessings made it your way. Holy, there are not words to express how proud of you I am or how much I KNOW God answers prayers. I LOVE YOU!!