Angie(?) & prayer

February 24, 2020

¡holaaa y'all!

     How's everyone doing this week? So good I hope:) Hermana Schade and I had another super buena semana! We made cookies for a ton of people and I can 100% testify that food really is the way to a person's heart, especial Latino people! hahaha! I love them so much. 

    This week we started teaching the sweetest lady in the whole world named Fabiola! Her daughter was baptized about two months ago, and ever since then she's been really eager to meet with missionaries bc she's seen the effect the gospel has had in her daughter's life. She told us that she's never seen her so happy and so confident, and she wants to know why! I know whole heartedly that the gospel of Jesus Christ really does change people, and it's always always always for the best. Also, I don't know if y'all remember my girl Diamela from La Habra, but... she got baptized this weekend!!! I was able to drive up to La Habra and give a little talk at her baptism, and it was so so sweet seeing how happy she was! Also it was fun to see some of my other La Habra homies for a minute:)

    Oh gosh something funny that happened though was when we were trying to contact this lady that some other missionaries had told us about, and when we knocked on her door this lady answered and we were like, "hi is Angie here?" And she kinda looked around and was like oh no she just left. So we were just talking to her trying to see if there was a better day when we could come back, and her little son looks at her and goes, "but mommy you're Angie!" And this girl turned SO red hahahaha I kind of felt bad, but we all just awkwardly laughed and we were like lol okay yeah we'll just come by ~another~ day. I love kids man. 

    Something cool that happened last Saturday, was that we were surprise invited to speak at a church meeting we were sitting in. It was a meeting with all of the Spanish adult members of the church from Fullerton to Santa Ana, and we just went to hear some other speakers... BUT when we were sitting there minding our own business, the guy speaking asked all the missionaries to come to the front (there were 6 of us) and just share a little experience of how we were trying to become more Christlike. I was for surely shaking in my boots bc doing that in English is nerve wracking enough, but Spanish?? Oh boy. But we did and it actually went pretty well, and all the friendly Latinos were hyping Hermana Schade and I up about our Spanish after so it was good:)

   For my little spiritual thought today, I want to talk about something I'm sure we all know: prayer:) honestly what an incredible blessing we have to be able to talk with God wherever and whenever we want. And to know that he for surely is definitely always listening to us is astounding. There's a scripture in 2 Nephi 4 that says, "Yea, I know that God will give liberally to him that asketh. Yea, my God will give me, if I ask not amiss; therefore I will lift up my voice unto thee; yea, I will cry unto thee, my God, the rock of my righteousness. Behold, my voice shall forever ascend up unto thee, my rock and mine everlasting God. Amen." That's the perfect attitude about prayer! God really is our Heavenly Father and He really does love us a whole ton. He wants to hear from us! So I guess that's my challenge to y'all is to pray, and really dig deep ya know, speak from the heart:)

Pues, I hope everyone has an amazing week! I love seeing everyone's pictures and stuff so keep sending them! Sorry if I don't always get back to everyone every week, but I promise I will eventually!

Con amor,

Hermana Brayton:)

ya sabes I'm a sucker for golden hour

my girl Diamela ♥

my bestie boy Eduardo and his friends

Hermana Schade y Yo at zone conference

sweet baby puppy

sketchy street selfies yeehaw

Knock knock

February 17, 2020

¡hola y'all!

Sorry, this is going to be a super short email! But I hope everyone is doing so well:)

This week I got a new companion, Hermana Schade! She's so sweet, she's from Orem, Utah, and we get along so well. This week we had such cool things happen: we were just knocking on some doors, as missionaries do, and we met the coolest guy ever. His name is Victor and we talked to him for a while just on his doorstep, and after a few tears were shed and our testimonies were shared, he told us he would love to meet with us more and listen to what we have to say! It was so so cool.

And for a quick scripture, I just want to encourage y'all to read 2 Nephi chapter 2! It's SUCH a good chapter and I find something new to learn and love in it every time!

Sorry, this is lame, but I hope everyone has an amazing week!!

Con Amor,

Hermana Brayton:)

A gaggle of Hermanas!

New companion Hermana Schade with shades ;-)

It's not really an email without a dog pic!

Human ladder and service!

February 10, 2020

¡¡hola y'all!!

I hope that everyone is staying warm and that y'all are thriving wherever you are!! There's not too much to report this week, but here's the update on transfers: Hermana Franklin is leaving me to go to Huntington Beach!! I'm so sad to see my southern sis go. It's been so fun every time someone asks where we're from and they're always so shocked when we say SC and Arkansas. I'm so happy for her though bc it's going to be SUCH a cool experience. Plus she's going to be right by the beach, so maybe I'm a little jealous.. but I really do love it here in Santa Ana so so much, so estoy contenta:) Cute Hermana Schade (skaa-dee) is coming down here with me and I'm super excited to be with her! 

Really not a ton happened this week, we had a few lessons cancel and not a whole lot of people to talk to. But it's all good, just a bump in the road. These next few weeks are going to be so good though, I already know!!

Last night we had a late birthday party for a Hermana from the ward that we love, Hermana Franklin, and I, and it was SO fun. We had some bomb tuxedo cake and took so Polaroid pics with her cute daughters and played with their dog a bunch. Such fun times all the time here:) 

But okay, I'm still just reading away in my good ole Libro de Mormón, and I found a few gems that I want to share with y'all:) In 1 Nephi 18, Nephi is kind of having a rough time bc his brothers are just making his life super difficult, like tying him up on a ship outside in the middle of a storm difficult. BUT in verse 16 he says, "nevertheless, I did look unto my God and I did praise him all the day long; and I did not murmur against the Lord bc of mine afflictions." I don't know about y'all, but I feel like I often find myself turning to God whenever things are going wrong, and it's usually not in this way. This is such an amazing example to me to have faith and patience and understanding. Though we won't always understand why we face the afflictions we do, we have to know that God loves us and that His plan is greater than ours. 

Sorry, this isn't the most riveting email, but I love all of y'all a whole ton and I hope that everyone is happy:) Keep the sweet people of Santa Ana is your prayers por favor!

Con amor,

Hermana Brayton:)

2500 N Bristol St

Santa Ana, CA 

92706

my southern Sis bff 😊

CANES! 😋

last district council of the transfer 😢

a cute, cute family that we had dinner with on Sunday 💗

bday party Polaroid 🎈

a super good quote from my girl Hna Clark that I think
goes well with my escritura 💖😊

PAOLA

February 3, 2020

¡holaaa y'all!!

How is everyone? So good I hope. It's a party over here on Cali as always:) Definitely, the highlight of this week was yesterday whenever my girl PAOLA got baptized!! She's so sweet, but that was probably one of the more wild baptisms I've ever experienced hahahahah. Her little brother Pablito almost jumped into the font before everything started, and then her little sister was sitting between Hermana Franklin and I, and she was being SO stinky if you know what I mean. Also, Paola's nose started bleeding in the middle of her getting baptized so that was honestly a first for me. She's such a champ though, she hopped out and got a little tissue, and then hopped right back in.

This week we found 3 new people that are interested in being taught, and they're all so cool:) There's a little boy named Diego that is super shy, but he loves math. There's a cool guy named Horacio that has been through a lot and has met with missionaries before, but he decided that now he's really ready to change his life for the better. And then a guy named Osmin that's from El Salvador that's super sweet but he hardly ever gets a word in bc his wife does not stop talking. I'm so excited for all of them though, I already know such amazing things are in store for them!!

Also on Thursday, we went on exchanges, and it was my last one with my GIRL Hermana Hinton!! I love her literally so much and I'm so grateful for her and everything she's done for me. Just in case y'all don't remember, she was my trainer way back when, so basically she taught me how to be a missionary. Props to that girl!!

Other than that there wasn't a ton that happened. We picked up leaves for Manuel and there were too many ants and spiders. We had lunch with our Obispo and his wife for Hermana Franklin's bday. We gave more treats to more cute puppies. I talked to this little girl for like 30 minutes about Billie Eilish. We played Go Fish with Eduardo. FUN times:)

Okay and for my little spiritual thought: I was reading in 1 Nephi 16, and in verse 29 Nephi says, "And thus we see that by small means the Lord can bring about great things." And that reminded me of Alma when he says, "By small and simple things are great things brought to pass." I know 100% that these scriptures are so true. Our Heavenly Father is such an amazing and incredible God, and his son Jesus Christ literally worked great miracles every day that he was here on the earth. I think that sometimes though,  I get so caught up in reading about these great miracles and I forget to see God in the little things. His hand is always there, in the smallest and simplest things, and when we seek to recognize that we can better understand the bigger things. I know that with the power of God on the earth today (the priesthood), all miracles, big and small, are possible. So I guess my challenge for all of you is to really try and see God's hand every day.  There's a country song called "I Saw God Today" and as cheesy and probably unprofessional as it is, I want y'all to be able to feel that way too! I've witnessed His help SO much since being here in California, in so many small and simple things, and I know that y'all can all feel it as well:) I also strongly believe that we are all small and simple, but we are all capable of such incredible, mighty, great things. Please never forget your worth in God's eyes, bc it is so precious!

I love y'all a whole ton! Thank you for everything you do! I hope everyone has such a great week!!

Con Amor,

Hermana Brayton:)

my favorite puppy Luna giving me besos:')

my favorite niña Sarahi practicing being a real Hermana 

PAOLA'S BAPTISM

my bestie girl Hermana Hinton

mi otra bestie girl Hna Franklin in her new glasses