The Brubaker Family

The Brubaker Family

President Brubaker and I are excited to be here as the Mission President and companion of the Belgium Brussels Netherlands Mission! We love your sons and daughters, and feel to thank you for the wonderful missionaries you have raised! This is a very unique mission. Our mission includes two countries, and five languages, not including many dialects spoken in the Netherlands. The missionaries are teaching many people from all around the globe. With the help of the Spirit, the missionaries are finding those who have been prepared to receive the Gospel. This is truly the best mission in the world, and we are honored to be a part of it. We will try and take good care of your sons and daughters. We love them so much already!

We have 5 children and 11 wonderful grand children. We have so much fun together! We are grateful for the support they have given us as we prepared to leave for three years. Our home is in Salt Lake City, Utah. We have raised our family in the Millcreek Holladay area. We enjoy many activities together. We are happiest when we are hiking in Southern Utah, cross-country skiing into our rustic cabin in the Uintahs, enjoying a good game of Train or Settlers of Catan, or just being together and sharing a meal with each other. We love our family so much!!!

Monday, December 12, 2011

Increasing Spirituality in My Life-Part 7

Continued from last week’s letter

So far we have covered the first 9 of 10 points, which will help us to gain spirituality. These points are from a talk delivered by Elder Joe J Christensen. We now continue with number 9 …

10. Open your mouth and bear your Testimony

This is the ‘Bread and Butter’ of being a missionary. We testify!

Elder Holland said, “All Satan has to do is to get us to not open our mouths … and he smiles all the way to the bank”

I think that this means that the plan of Father in Heaven is thwarted when we don’t communicate the gospel to others, but what does this have to do with increasing spirituality?

First what are we promised if we open our mouths? D&C 33:

7 Yea, verily, verily, I say unto you, that the field is awhite already to harvest; wherefore, thrust in your sickles, and reap with all your might, mind, and strength.

8 aOpen your mouths and they shall be filled, and you shall become even as bNephi of old, who journeyed from Jerusalem in the wilderness.

9 Yea, open your mouths and spare not, and you shall be laden with asheaves upon your backs, for lo, I am with you.

10 Yea, open your mouths and they shall be filled, saying: Repent, arepent, and prepare ye the way of the Lord, and make his paths straight; for the bkingdom of heaven is at hand;

When we share the gospel or bear our testimony we are “filled”. This process is of course the Spirit bearing testimony through us. We are given the words to say. This is through the power of the Holy Ghost.

So, you want to get more spirituality? … open your mouth and bear your testimony!!!

From time to time I have the opportunity to teach with the missionaries. One of the greatest blessings of doing this is how my testimony is strengthened and I feel closer to God (a possible definition of increased spirituality) as I share my testimony with the investigators.

Well this concludes our look at ways of increasing Spirituality. Here for review are the 10 ways to increase spirituality.

. 1. Read scriptures daily.

. 2. Really pray and not just say prayers.

. 3. Fast meaningfully.

. 4. Go to bed early and get up early.

. 5. Be of good cheer.

. 6. Work hard.

. 7. Be more concerned about how than where we serve.

. 8. Love everyone, but keep romantic feelings in their proper place.

. 9. Become more nearly one between our ideal and actual selves

. 10. Open our mouths and bear testimony of truth.

It is my fervent prayer that you will all strive to grow closer to God and Christ and to feel more constantly the influence of the Holy Spirit.

As a side note: It seems apparent that you have all been increasing your spirituality. We are experiencing a wave of excitement and miracles in the mission that is unprecedented! Your Zone Leaders have all averaged the Standards of Excellence over the past 4 consecutive weeks. We currently have 69 baptism dates, the highest since October of 2010. We have 139 progressing investigators the highest since Sister Brubaker and I have been serving here.

We praise your efforts and the Lord for His great blessings,

Have a great week,

President Brubaker

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