Talofa!

Talofa is "hi" in Samoan and since I got to be with a whole group of Samoan sisters this week, I felt it would be fitting!  Be sure when you say it, to say it loud and proud :)  Oh how I love the Samoan Sisters here.  So...TALOFA!!!! How has everyone been?  I hope everyone is doing well.  If you ever need me, I am still here for you. 

I had a wonderful week that has made me so very grateful to not only be on a mission, but to be here at Temple Square.  I had so many mothers say to me that they are forever grateful for their decision to serve a mission as it has made them better wives, mothers, daughters, community members in every way.  I want to be the best I can and so that meant the world.  I feel so blessed to be here. 

Me and some of my dearest Sisters from all around the world.  America, Korea, Mongolia and Hong Kong!

I hope everyone had a most wonderful 4th of July! Happy Anniversary Grandma Jeanie and Grandfather :) I most certainly was thinking about you.  This was the most different 4th of July I've ever ever had, and yet it was one of the best. 

I even ran into the Fischer family (from Sammamish, WA, grew up with them) in the North Visitor's Center.  I just cried, it made me so happy and was exactly the pick-me-up I needed. 

We left the square early since it was a holiday and had a wonderful 4th of July celebration at a chapel nearby.  We had a giant talent show.  Yes, I cried at one point because I was so amazed at all the talent I was surrounded by.  Girls from all around the world did dances, songs, skits, games all unique to their culture.  I loved seeing the passion that these Sisters have for their country, and yet each Sister at the end would say, "Happy America Day!"  It just made me want to travel the world.  There is so much we can learn from people everywhere.  I am so grateful to be in a mission where I'm able to speak with people from all nations every single day.  Did I participate in the talent show?  Yep :) Please don't be upset, my talent was pretending to be Canadian. haha

With the Canadians before our skit for the 4th of July!...sorry it's a bit blurry

I've become really good friends with the Canadian Sisters here and they wanted me to pretend to be one for this skit. Kind of hard to explain but it was great and so much fun.  CASEY- We even used some mean girls quotes- "She doesn't even go here!" It was a wonderful day and such a fun night.  We even got to look out the window of our house that night and see the fireworks out over the Salt Lake temple.  I hope it was an amazing holiday for everyone.  This truly is a blessed land.  It was prepared as a land of freedom, which enabled the gospel of Jesus Christ to be restored once more.  Ah, I love it.

Friday was another wonderful day!  Sister Hillam, who has become one of my very dearest friends out here, asked if I would call one of her friends from back home, Austin...so I did :)  I felt so grateful and so humbled that she trusted me with such a dear friend of hers.  I had no idea what I would say, but it truly all just came to me.  I really felt the spirit working through me. I was able to share experiences from my life, share notes from my friends and family that have written me this last week, it all just lined up.  I 'm going to be teaching him and I am stoked.  Oh my goodness, I just want everyone to know about this gospel.  It makes me so happy.

Also..on Friday we got to go to Lion House! We get to go and have a free meal there once we "pass off," which means we are efficient at talking about the history and the gospel in tours.  It was purely delightful.  I highly recommend it.

Me and my Flor Linda (beautiful flower in Portugese) Sister Siegle from Sao Paulo Brazil! She is one of my roommates and we just have the best time together!

 Also, on our way back we ran into STEPHANIE NEILSON! If you are not familiar with who she is, she is an amazing member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints who was in a terrible plan crash years ago.  Her near-death experience has led her to write a powerful blog, mormonmessages.org to create a video about her and she is able to speak around the world on her experience.  Check it out--I think it's called "My new life," at mormonmessages.org.  I hugged her and it just warmed my soul.  She is such an inspiration.


I love this scripture.  I truly feel blessed and grateful to be able to serve as a missionary for my Heavenly Father right now.

Yesterday was an incredibly busy day.  We had mandarin motor coaches, and then were taking people through the God's Plan video one right after the other.  When Sister Lin and I were in one of the God's Plan presentations, we were around the corner and on her phone texted, "We are never getting out of God's Plan." I know that was just a simply goofy text, but I received so much more from it than she may have expected.  All of us---me, you, people everywhere are a part of God's Plan whether they know about it or not.  EVERYONE is in His plan and so many just don't know it, that they have a purpose, that their pains and sufferings have a purpose, that they were somewhere before coming here. 

Everyone needs to know-this is so very important, this is something that people everywhere guess at, and it's only natural.  And there is a straightforward, powerful and perfect answer.  I testify to you that there IS a plan for each of us.  I want you to just bear with me and picture that you are familiar with Heavenly Father, that He is like your Dad...what you're picturing is real.  We all are spirit children of our Heavenly Father, he created our spirits and we lived with Him before we came here.  Just like my own amazing parents here on earth, He saw that I could become more, that I had so much potential, that we all do.  The only way we could reach that full potential is by coming here and walking by faith rather than by sight.  Through Adam and Eve's decision, we may not be in God's presence, but we were given the opportunity to become as He is, to be apart from Him for a short time, and then to live with Him again if we remember Him and do as He asks.  Everyone is a part of this plan, and knowing this plan has blessed my life in so many ways.  I see things through an eternal lens. I see everyone I meet as a child of God. 

Hi to Liz and Reid Donakey...Books of Mormon in Russian and Spanish! Keep up the good work out there!

Will everyone please, just pray to your Heavenly Father, ask Him who you are in His eyes, if you are special to Him, if He has a plan for you.  I promise that if you ask Him, with a true desire, you will receive an answer.  Receiving this answer for myself this last week has given me strength I have never felt before.  We truly are all so precious in His sight, and I know that that is an important message to share with missionary work.  Everyone wants to feel loved at some level, and God and Jesus Christ provides that for each of us.  He loves us with a perfect and infinite love.

I wish you could all feel of my love for each of you.  I sincerely and genuinely feel so grateful for my family, for my friends, for the people who are so close to me and just for everyone that I meet.  Thank you for everything that you do-I hope you all know how important you are, not only to me, but to your Heavenly Father.

 

 

I love you all!!!!!  Now we are off to hike Ensign Peak and go out for dinner later for our Zone Activity.  Thank you for your letters, packages, smiles and prayers.  They mean the world!

Thanks for the basketball hoop, Rob! You're the best!

Sister Lin and I eating famous Donakey chocolate chip cookies! Thank you!!!

Got fancy with dinner last night...it was time, thanks for all you've taught me Mom and Dad!

 I loved my package from Robert, thank you for all the goodies! :)

 

 

Shoutouts to Casey, Bryan, Mom and Dad Briggs, Sister Sheen, Sister Clason, Grandma Jeanie and Grandfather, Chase, Grandmother, Sister Kim Blauer, Mary, Sara, Becca, Jean, Ed and Rob Donakey.

 

 

 

Sincerely,

Sister Briggs :)

S.M.I.L.E.

PS.  Excited to meet you soon Sister Tiritilli!  Thank you for your note.