Really Good, All Love

March 23, 2020

¡hola y'all!!!

    How is everyone doing on this beautiful day in quarantine? So good I hope;) I'm sure you've all seen the news that California is pretty much locked up, and just like almost all of the other missionaries in the world, we've been asked to stay away from all other people until further notice. So, that makes missionary work pretty difficult. But we're trying to make the most of it over here. We've had a TON of extra study time so that's always fun, and we've been exploring the ~outdoors~ a little bit and it's such a party.

    Before we got locked up though, we were able to have one last face to face lesson with our sweet amigo David. We talked about the Gospel of Jesus Christ and how it really is just like a straight and narrow path that will lead us right back to live with God again. As we can all see right now though, it's not going to be easy, but wow it is so possible and it will be SO worth it.

  

    I'm pretty sure I've talked about this with y'all before, but the book of Enos in the Book of Mormon is really just so good. Y'all should really read the whole chapter bc there are so many good things, but I LOVE the last verse that says, "And I soon go to the place of my rest, which is with my Redeemer; for I know that in him I shall rest. And I rejoice in the day when my mortal shall put on immortality, and shall stand before him; then shall I see his face with pleasure, and he will say unto me: Come unto me, ye blessed, there is a place prepared for you in the mansions of my Father." Now I don't think we're going to the place of our rest any time soon, but how comforting is it to know that after we try our hardest and do our best in this life, we're going to be living like kings and queens in the next:)

    Also! Since we have so much more time in the apartment, if y'all have really any questions at all, feel absolutely free to email me or message me on Facebook and I can respond whenever (as long as it's about church hehe)! I would love to hear from y'all! But sí, I love y'all a whole bunch and I know Jesus loves you more!!

Con Amor,

Hermana Brayton:)

a lil adventure Irvine lake (studying, selfies, y screaming)

otro walks around Santa Ana keeping our social distance

my GIRL Kiki in her cute new pink sweater

¿Inglés, porfa?

March 16, 2020

.¡hola y'all!!!

    This week was SO GOOD y'all wow there are so many miracles in Santa Ana!! Hermana Schade has been saying that she really wants to do an English fast (like only speaking Spanish all the time), so this past week that's exactly what we did. We only spoke Spanish for a whole week, and to be completely honest it was SO hard hahah my brain is still pretty cooked, BUT it was sooo so good!

    We met a ton of new amigos this week and we were able to teach a bunch of lessons, which is definitely my favorite thing to do. Friday night we taught our little friend Diego, and he had other friends over so we got to teach a whole group of jovencitos {youngsters} and it made my heart so happy:) It's so good to see that God's hand is really everywhere, even with all the craziness that's happening right now! 

  

    I'm sorry I wish I had more cool stories this week! But just know I love y'all a whole bunch and I hope that everyone can see God's hand in their lives, I promise He's there!!

Con amor,

Hermana Brayton:)

best zone ever, I love these ppl!

bet y'all didn't know I'm honored enough to have
the QUEEN of Arbys here with me as a companion 

cutie pies Sister Carlson and Sister Harward at a taco place with us

face masks and Martinelli's to celebrate being able to speak English again

car selfie y golden hour 

CUTE baby Husky!

Did Someone Say Humpday?

March 2, 2020

¡¡¡hola y'all!!!

    SO, today is officially my halfway point! I can't believe it and truthfully I do not know how to feel bc I really feel like I'm starting to get a hang of this whole mission thing, but also like I'm excited to see my fam one of these days. It really feels like time is flying by so fast, for real, and so I want to be so sure I make the most of these next 9 months! But anyway, I hope y'all are all doing so well and staying happy and healthy and safe out there! Santa Ana is still one of my favorite places, and these people are for sure some of my favorite people, so let me tell you about them for a minute:)

    To start the week out, last Monday we had an amaZING first lesson with a new friend named David. He's super cool, lived in Italy for 11 years, and feels like God is trying to reach out to him, and so we met with him at our church building and gave him a little tour. We finished the tour with a very powerful lesson about the Restoration of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. He had so many good questions, and our friend Hermano Romero was there with us too and he told his conversion story to el evangelio, it was wild but in the best, best way.

    Tuesday we went out to one of the college campuses around here with our Zone Leaders and it was such a party. It was super warm and sunny, so Hermana Schade and I were excited thinking we were going to get hecka tan, but.. that never really works out for me hahah. So the next day at district council I got a lot of questions about why I was so sunburned, fun times though:')

    We had a few other super good little lessons with people, like whoa we met with our girl Ana and had a bop of a lesson about keeping the commandments. We read 1 Nephi 3:7, Mosiah 2:41, and Alma 26:22, so if y'all have some extra time after reading my novel right here you should look those bad boys up. But let me tell y'all a whole miracle that happened with Ana this week: we went by the church Thursday and saw Hermana Goicochea, and she told us that after seeing Ana at church and talking to her for a minute, she realized they literally live a block away from each other. So Wednesday, right after our lesson, she walked over there and invited her and her kids to get some ice cream with them. She told us that she shared a bit of her testimony with Ana, offered to give her a ride to church, AND invited her to a Noche de Hogar {family night} at her casa Sunday evening. Seriously what a perfect example of just being a little more missionary-minded and a little more like Christ. So sure enough, all of them rolled up to church (even early!!) on Sunday, and then that evening we went over to their Noche de Hogar and taught a little lesson and it was SO good. The families just clicked so well and all kinds of testimonies were being shared from the kids and parents alike. I literally love being a missionary, I swear.

   We were finally able to meet with our little friend Diego on Friday as well, and we played our Plan of Salvation board game. He was giggling like a little chipmunk the whole time hahah he's so precious. And last night we got to go see the Sandovals and they are actually one of my favorite families ever. 

    Sorry, this is 10 years long, but I just want y'all to know how much I absolutely love this gospel!! I LOVE that I have the opportunity to keep sharing it with people for 9 more months and watch as it literally changes people's lives. I'm not sure if I've talked about it enough( ;) ) BUT I know without a shadow of a doubt that the Book of Mormon is TRUE, and that we really can know more of the fulness of Christ's gospel when we read it. If you already have a copy, I really want to encourage you to share it with a friend! And if you don't have a copy, I really want to encourage you to get one (they're free!) and try reading it. I promise only good things will come from it!

    But hey I sure love all of y'all so so much, and I'm so grateful for the influence you've each had in my life:) I hope everyone has an amazing week!

Con Amor,

Hermana Brayton:)

carol.brayton@missionary.org

2500 N Bristol St.

Santa Ana, CA

92706

David and the Atonement

March 9, 2020

¡holaaaa y'all!

    How are my people?? I hope everyone is healthy and happy and safe! There's not much to report on this week, but it really was a good one I promise. A lot of people are scared to talk us when we knock on their doors bc of the Coronavirus, but we're still having a good time:)

    Last Monday, we had another bop of a lesson with our amigo David! And we were talking about Jesus (as we do) and his atonement and sacrifice for us, and our friend Hermano Romero was sharing his story of really feeling like Jesus rescued him from the darkest time of his life, but David brought up a really interesting point that I'm sure some of you can relate to. He said that he's felt incredibly blessed his whole life and that he's never really had an awful, "rock bottom," "depths of darkness" moment where he needed to be saved. But he still wants to feel that same inexplicable power and love that comes from understanding and applying the Atonement in our lives, but without having to be at a point where it seems like all hope is gone. I don't know if that makes sense, but whenever I asked my mission President about it, he said something along these lines: The comforting powers of the Atonement of Jesus Christ are free for any and every person in the world. It's the same as Salvation, right? BUT the most amazing part of the Atonement is the gift and blessing of being forgiven for our sins whenever we repent. THIS is how we experience and apply Christ's sacrifice for us in our lives, we repent of our daily mistakes, and know that God is listening and that we are forgiven. I am SUCH an imperfect person, and so often I take the repenting process for granted and just brush it off, but how absolutely incredible is it that we can become more like our perfect Savior and our perfect Heavenly Father by changing our hearts and really trying to do better? I think it's pretty cool, but that's just me;)

    But let's see, qué más? We also went on exchanges on Saturday and I got to spend the day with Hermana Ramirez here in beautiful Santa Ana. It was such a fun time, I think she liked the wild life and homies here haha, oh and we got pupusas for my first time ever and wow they are SO good. 10/10 would definitely recommend. 

    Yesterday we had a little chat with one of the Hermanos at church, and he was just telling us how much of an impact service has on people's lives. Charity really doesn't and won't ever fail my friends. 

    But sí! I'll share some scriptures from one of the best books I know, and if y'all have any questions at all please let me or my family or anyone walking around with little black nametags on know! This is in El Libro de Mormón in 2 Nephi 26, and it's talking more about Jesus, it says, "Hath he commanded any that they should not partake of his salvation? Behold I say unto you, Nay; but he hath given it free for all men, and he hath commanded his people that they should persuade all men to repentance. Behold, hath the Lord commanded any that they should not partake of his goodness? Behold I say unto you, Nay; but all men are privileged the one like unto the other, and none are forbidden." Salvation is free, all are welcome, and Christ is so so good!

    I am so thankful for all of you and I love y'all a whole ton! I hope everyone has a good week and that you find time to study a little bit more about repentance:) Read your scriptures and wash your hands!

Con Amor,

Hermana Brayton

my girl Lorelie otra vez

first pupusas🤩

baby Luna🥰

Hermana Ramirez y Yo on exchanges 

cute lil quote that's v true

just a sidewalk