It Really Is Life Changing

At a Ward Party

Hola familia!!

This has been such a crazy day and week. I do not have much time to email but I will try to get everything in. We moved into our new apt this Friday and it is in a different complex as before. I feel really spoiled as a missionary because it is very nice. I am happy to be away from the cockroaches! 

We have a gym but are still waiting on permission from the president to see if we can use it. It would be really nice though. They have a computer room, so now we dont have to drive half way accross our area to email.. and they let us print for free! woo! So dad I didnt have time to read your email but I printed it out so that I can read it today! 

We also have a washer and dryer in our appartment which saves us so much time. I love it. But who knows I could easily get transfered soon and have to move again. Haha. 

The first night that we moved into our apt. the fire alarm went off in the compex and we went outside with about 100 other people and just waited and watched firemen run around the building to make sure everything was ok. I think someone might have just pulled the alarm though cause there wasnt a fire. We were thankful that our apt didn't burn down the first day we got there! This Sunday we taught Relief Society. It went well, but it was a very different lesson than the ones we are used to teaching. We talked about missonary work. :) 

Our investigators are doing well but it is so hard getting them to church. We are trying to find out more ways to help them. This week I have started reading Jesus el Cristo. I know that Jesus Christ is the Savior of the world.

Sister Layton with kids in the Ward

He knows absolutely everything we are going through and understands us. It is amazing that we can be forgiven when we make mistakes. I am so grateful for the opportunity to be out here serving my Heavenly Father. There is nothing else I would rather be doing. I am so excited for Eric and all of the cousins who are preparing to go soon, it really is life changing and I love every single minute of it. 

I wish I had time to write more today but we have to go. Next week I should have more time but it might be early in the day. Oh, and tell Curtis that when we went over for a dinner appointment there were a few little kids there and I saw a rubix cube on the couch. I did it and the girl freaked out. I thought of Curtis cause he has been asking me if I have been able to do it to any kids yet. :) I love you all! :) :):) :) :)

~Hermana Layton

He Answers Our Prayers

Hola familia,

Like always, it has been another great week! I love working with Hermana Breitenstein.

Mom to answer your question, yes we do have some new investigators that we found this week, but they are not progressing yet because we have only met with them once. We have appointments with them this week.

We only have one right now who is progressing. We had an awesome lesson this week with him. He loves reading the Book of Mormon and loves it when we come over but he works on Sundays and he can never come to church. We have invited him to talk to his boss a few times to try and get work off but he kept telling us that when God wanted him to come to church he would give him Sundays off. Well this last week we talked about acting on his faith. We talked about how faith without works is dead and he couldn't just wait for something to happen but he needed to act. He said that he had heard that before. You could tell that everything just clicked when we started talking about it. He got a smile on his face and said he knows that he needs to act on his faith.

This week he talked to his boss. He wasn't able to get off this Sunday but his boss told him that next Sunday he can. He called us and told us that he will be at church next Sunday. We are so excited! I will be praying that he will be able to make it. I know that Heavenly Father answers our prayers.

Last week my companion and I made a goal that we would hand out 7 Book of Mormons each week. We prayed each day to have his help to find people who were ready for the message of the restoration and who would be interested in the Book of Mormon. When we had dinner with the members we invited them to pray that as we went out that night to tract that we would find someone we could share this message with. The first night we did that we handed out 4 Book of Mormons, taught two lessons and found two new investigators. We continued doing this each night and were led to people who wanted to listen. By the end of the week we had handed out 14 Book of Mormons and have return appointments with many of them! I know that it was because of the faith and they prayers of the members, and I know that it was only through the help of our Heavenly Father. :)

Dad you asked about the food. We almost always eat Mexican food, but this week we were able to have Salmon at the stake presidents house! It was the best. I really like Mexican food but they always try to feed me way more then I can eat!

I am looking forward to this week. We have zone conference again for my second time. The last one was a lot of fun and the talks were great! Anyway, I need to go write to the President. I love you all sooo soo much!

Hope you have a great week.

Love Hermana Tarde Sobre

I Know That Heavenly Father Answers Our Prayers

Hola! This has probably been the most amazing week of my life. I feel like a completely different person then I was a week ago. I know that Heavenly Father answers our prayers because I got a clear answer to mine. The answer might not come when we want, but I know that if we have faith and are patient that it will come on the Lords time.

Showing off her vertical

Last week on Friday night we were supposed to be having class, but it turned into a testimony meeting. I cannot exaplin the spirit that I felt. That night every person in the room including the teachers and every single elder was in tears. I wish there were words to explain it. That experience changed me. There are not words to describe what I felt but I absolutely know without a doubt that my Heavenly Father loves me. I know that this church is true and I can't wait to share this with those people in Anaheim. Maybe they wont be able to understand much of what I say but as long as the spirit is there they can know for themselves the plan that Heavenly Father has for them. His love for us is real. It is amazing how he blesses our lives.

Briana's MTC District Showing Where They're Heading

On Sunday we listened to Elder Bednar's talk that he gave at the MTC during Christmas. It was so good! He talked about how the natural man turns in when Jesus Christ turns out. I have learned how important it is to focus on others. Jesus Christ is our perfect example.

Being here on a mission is the best decision I have ever made. I have never felt closer to my Heavely Father and my Savior Jesus Christ. One of my new favorite scriptures is Mosiah 3:19 :)

The prayer for the fireside went well. I wasn't nervous until I stood up to give it and realized that there were 2000 plus people staring at me and a bunch of cameras zoomed in on my face.. and my face was on the huge screens. Haha. But it really wasn't that bad. Afterwards Andrew Lamunyon came up and we got a picture together. I didnt have my camera but he took one with his. I also saw Brad Marley on Sunday but neither of us had our cameras. I think I'll see him again though. Also after I gave the prayer, an Elder Layton came up and asked which wife of Christopher Layton I was from.

Christopher Layton

He said that he was from the third. Haha... dad do you know? (We're from Sarah Barnes, his fourth wife.) Also I think I forgot to tell you that I met a older lady when I first got here that said she was related to Christopher Layton. (When you have ten wives and sixty four children, things like that are bound to happen a few generations later.)

It has been cool that I know the MTC Mission President. It all started because my new companion had been at the MTC before so when she came back she had to meet with him. So I got to know him then and then he just happened to sit by us at lunch. Now everytime he walks by he talks to us. 

I am so glad to hear that Alyvia's surgery went well. Give her a little kiss for me when shes home. Miss you all! A couple of pictures for you and letters for the boys will be coming soon! Love you all! Adios!