Enabling Power of the Atonement.

So I've been thinking a lot about the Atonement and how really that's all we need to teach as missionaries. Because if we really effectively teach the Atonement, everything else will come naturally for our investigators. If we understand the Atonement, we want to repent. We want to do everything possible to grow closer to Christ, including making and keeping sacred convenants with Him. Covenants like baptism.

Also, the Enabling power of the Atonement is amazing because it gives us strength to hlep us accomplish things we could have never thought possible...like trying to train a new missionary after being in the country 2 weeks....It is hard, but I've learned that through Christ's Atonement, I can do all things, including effectively training and helping Sister Ripplinger become the missionary she wants to become. She is so enthusiastic and it's wonderful. She wants to work hard and I just am pretty much helping her with the language, she has everything else down as a missionary. She's patient too, which is good cause I do not know what I'm doing.

I gave a talk in church this past Sunday...it was about "Bloom where you're planted" ;) haha just kidding. It was about missionary work, so basically I just talked about the Atonement.

So I got my first "daughter" as they say here on the mission. Her name is Sister Ripplinger, she is from Utah. Everyone is from Utah...seriously, I'm the only missionary on the whole island of Fyn that is not from Utah.

Also, I went knocking for the first time since I've been in Denmark and that was exciting. I was so nervous but it was the only thing that Sister Ripplinger and I could think to do because we are starting fresh in this area and have zero investigators....zip. So she's like "let's go a-knocking." So we did and no one was answering the doors. not a surprise. But I told her "the next door we knock on, the person will say 'maybe' to the Gospel but then one day you and I will come back and they'll say 'yes' to being baptized" So we knocked on the next door and a young man named Anders answered. We pretty much taught him the first lesson and I stumbled and bumbled through it but the spirit was really strong. He took a book of mormon and we'll check up on him this week and get him on date for baptism.

Also, we did manage to find one investigator since Sister Ripplinger came last Thursday. We got this Danish man interested in hearing more about our religion. We approached him in a park and he was super open, especially by danish standards and we have a return appointment with him so we'll see how that goes. We're going to fast for him to feel the truthfulness of our message and fasting works. It truly does.

other than that, we are just trying to put all our faith and efforts into finding people. And visiting members and trying to get to know who they are and then showing them that we are serious missionaries so they'll want to give us referrals.

Anyways, that's my life right now. Here's a picture of me and Sister Ripplinger. With the light behind us, we look like very angelic missionaires, haha.

Also a picture of the train I took to get to transfers to pick up Sister Ripplinger. I was so happy to get on that train. It brought back lots of memories.

Love you all!

Søster Briscoe

Welcome home Sister Briscoe... to Denmark!

Jylland (Jutland) Zone Training

Søster Nuttall (1st companion) and Søster Briscoe (classic Diana)

Søster Sederholm, Søster Ripplinger (new comp just arrived), Søster Briscoe, Præsident Sederholm

Classic Diana

By the way... you're training

So I had already suspected that I would be a trainer quickly after getting to Denmark but I did not expect it after 10 days! Geez! I am still a bumbling greenie. I know how to get to 3 places in Odense.  The grocery store, the train station and church. Other than that, I completely lost. Anyways, I will get my first "daughter" this Wednesday. So on Wednesday and Thursday I'll be in Copenhagen picking up my kid and taking them around street contacting and pretending to know what I'm doing when in reality I don't have a clue. Then it'll be bak to Odense and into a new area for us. She's in for  treat that sister is. haha, hopefully she'll be patient with me and we'll all figure out this mission thing together.

This week has been pretty quiet, just preparing for 2 new sisters to come to Odense and trying to find out where everything is.

Oh I did meet an awesome African man on the train who is a new investigator now. We were just talking and explaining the gospel in a casual way and he said "I would like for you to come over and meet with me and talk to me more about this Gospel" yes, africans are awesome. He gave us chocolates too. Super cool guy.

We're also teaching this really sweet Muslim girl named Aisha. She is super open and really searching for God too. We just have to make sure everything is okay with the family situation before we teach her seriously. Her dad actually has a copy of the Book of Mormon.

Oh and I met this Russian family who I love. I complimented the wife on her earrings and she tried to give them to me. She doesnt speak any danish but her husband was translating for her and said that she told him that I just had this light about me and they wanted me to come visit. So I told them me and my companion would bring them  gift. We got them copies of the book of mormon in Russian and we'll give them to them this Saturday.

They weather is fantastic here! Sunny, no rain. I'm getting a tan though. It's awesome. Biking around is hard but I like it

Also, missionaries are so popular with the members here, everyone loves missionaries. And we get fed like queens and kings. It's a good thing I do bike and walk a ton or I would get so fat. Danish bakeries....oh they are my weakness, and flødeboller and Haribo gummies, the star mix of course.

Well, I love it here. I love being a missionary and having the honor and blessing of wearing my Savior's name over my heart. But remember, you don't have to hve a little black tag on your coat to be a missionary. Paint a missionary tag on your heart and share this wonderful gospel!

I love you all!

Søster Diana Briscoe

Denmark!

So I am now in Denmark. What a crazy past 5 days it has been. I got a call from President Nilsen at 11pm this past tuesday and he said that I would leave for Denmark Thursday morning. I got into Denmark around 2pm Friday during the day. and surprise! they lost my luggage...all of it...including the carry-on they made me check when I was in Columbus.

Anyways, I'll get my luggage this Wednesday (fingers crossed). But we got to the mission office, they gave us a little orientation and then they sent us off with a more experienced sister to street contact danes. let me tell you, danes hate people stopping them on the street...imagine that...anyways, I ran into Mads Frost and that was funny.

June 1st I met my companion, Sister Nuttall  (from Shelley Idaho) and assigned to my first area. Odense on the beautiful Island of Fyn. It is so exciting to be in danmark again. I say every day that it is the best day of my life. I feel like I'm in a H.C. Andersen Fairytale. It's so green and beautfiul here.

Yesterday was my first Sunday in Denmark. It was also fat and testimoney meeting and I was told, not asked, told in front of the whole congregation that I would be starting the testimonies. I think I surprised them with my danish. In fact I know I did cause they all came up to me and I had a lot of explaining to do.

In Odense, there is a family friend (Roberto Arriaga) who is from Barcelona who was a ward missionary when Dad was a missionary. He's awesome. He and his family had all the missionaries (me and sister Nuttall and Elder Nordfelt and Elder Child) over for dinner after church.

The members of the wards here are amazing. They are so strong and helpful and want to share the gospel. It's just hard cause danes are such a private people. They do not like discussing religion with anyone, especially two random girls from america.

I'm teaching a lady in Spanish here which is pretty funny. We found her at the train station and that was awesome. It's been a wild past couple days and I have stories and pictures but not enough time to write or attach pictures. Next week I will.


Jeg elsker alle jer!
 Søster Briscoe