Dear Family and Friends,
So this is probably the first you will hear about the fire that has just happened in my mission. A sister's Apartment caught and fire and destroyed everything in it in church yesterday (luckily the four sisters that used to live there were at church so they were all safe) but they have lost everything besides the clothes they took to church and the bags they had with them. It just so happens that I am one of the sisters that lived there.

From what the firemen think, it was an Electric box in our Apartment that pretty much exploded and started a huge fire immeditely. The fire and smoke and ash destroyed everything in our Apartment: Furniture, clothes (even the ones in drawers), books, Pictures, letters (so sorry to all my friends. I swear I had letters ready to send you but you'll probably have to wait a while longer to actually receive any letters from Sister Briscoe). All my clothes are gone. This is why you should wait to buy really cute and modest clothes from Europe until you are nearly done with your mission! Never buy them before. And don't care about material Things, you can still preach the gospel with just a few items as a opposed to many.

So sister Bartholomew and I were walking home after church and had planned to get her some Soup (cause she was sick). we saw our Windows flapping open and our neighbors standing outside. They were giving us weird looks and so we asked them what was up and they told us that our Apartment (just our Apartment, not the Building) had caught on fire and the firemen had been there and a few of them were still there but they also told us we were not allowed in our Apartment. Now at this point, I was picturing a Little fire. Like maybe the other sisters left the stove or oven on when they left for church and it started a small fire. But eventually, Sister Bartholomew and I convinced the fireman to let us go look and see the damage. I felt like I was walking into one of those crime scenes you see on tv where the person burns Down a place to hide evidence. Every singel inch of wall and ceiling was Black. some furniture was destroyed and they let us look at our clothes: all ruined. The Pictures I'm sending are from another sister's camera (mine was in the Apartment when it burned. I don't know where it is or if it's alright). The biggest bummer is the clothes. What a shame that all that Money is wasted. Now I know not to buy stupid stuff anymore.

But we called president, told the other sisters and then all four of us cried. We cried, prayed and cried some more. We cried because of the Financial loses and we cried because we are so grateful to just be alive. It was a freak accident and if it had happened while any of us were in the Apartment, "it is unlikely we would be alive" (quote from our friendly fireman) And we have so much to be grateful for. The members here have seriously stepped up immediately and donated old clothes and food and a place to stay and dinner appointments. I'm touched by how much people have helped. It makes me think of Doctrine and Covenants 84:77-91. The Lord knows that I, Sister Murray and Sister Hall, and Sister Bartholomew need clothes and food and so He blessed us to be in the most amazing and wonderful area where we already within 24 hours, have so much, definitely enough to get us through as missionaries.

I'm also grateful for the gospel. I am so grateful to be a missionary and to be sharing this wonderful gospel that I know is true. I know that Christ lives and that He still has disciples on this earth. I know them, they've given me food and clothes and a place to sleep right now. It's interesting and humbling being on the receiving end of so much love

and charity and kindness. I'm overwhelmed and I don't know how on earth I will ever every repay them back. To whoever reads this, don't take the most important Things for granted. Please don't forget that God has a plan and it involves the most important thing ever: our own families. Because of the gospel, God has given us temples and priesthood power where we can be with our families for time and all eternity. I know with my Whole Heart that the temple is the Lord's House and that we should do everything we can to learn about how wonderful the temple is and how we can get there.

I love you all so much. I'm so eternally grateful for you in my life and I pray for your safety! Please pray and thank the Lord for the members in Odense Denmark that are taking care of four homeless sister missionaries.

Much love, Sister Briscoe

A busy week, in which I get sick and get a ton accomplished

Dear Everyone, woah, what a busy week! After you hit the 6 month mark as a missionary, time just picks up and days and weeks slip by. This week went by so incredibly fast.

I was sick from Tuesday to Thursday (just a Cold and a really sore throat). But thankfully I was able to go out and Work for most of the days. I did feel awful Wednesday night, after our Ward coordination meeting and I ended up asking Elder Ivie and our Ward mission leader for a Blessing. It was a neat experience because Elder Ivie annointed and did that in English and my Ward mission leader (Stephan) Sealed the Blessing and did that in Danish. It was the first Blessing I've received in Danish and it was a very special experience. It just reconfirmed my testimony about how real the priesthood is and how God is the one speaking to us when we receive Blessings, because Stephan said some Things that he could have no way of knowing that it was exactly what I was struggling with. I love the priesthood. I'm so very grateful to know worthy priesthood holders that can act as intruments in the Lord's hands and help me and others when needed.

Despite being sick, we got a TON done this week. How grateful I am for Ward members that love doing missionary Work. There is this greenlandic member in our Ward, JJ, and he loves doing missionary Work. He comes teaching with us so much and he is right now helping us teach two greenlandic families (because we can't speak greenlandic). We've met with them once before JJ came with us and that did not go well because only one of the Family members speaks Danish and the second time we came, JJ was with us and the spirit was so strong and six other Family members now are investigators!

Also, we met this mulsim man trying to contact a referral with JJ. He pulled up on his bike and started yelling at us to come over and we thought he was mad but then we found out that that was just the way he talked. He just yells. Anyways, he was very interested and enthusiastic about our pamphlets and kept telling us we needed to bring him some in Arabic. Then he showed us his house, and hustled us in (like he did not even listen to us when we tried to tell him we couldn't come in because there wasn't a third girl). He just kept frantically beckoning us in and saying "come! COME! come!" finally, we just went in (I know, I know, I'm an awful missionary). Basaam (that's his name) is a very devote muslim, with the prayer rug and Compass pointing East and everything. Anyways, he made us sit Down and then brought out all this food for us to eat. Then he proceeded to yell us, not tell but yell, his life story. We finally convinced him to let us go and he very energetically told us that we were his sisters and JJ was his friend. "Sisters, Friend! Sisters Friend" he wanted to be sure we understood. That was an interesting experience.

Our investigator Nynne is perfect. Seriously she is. We went to a lesson with her and asked her how reading was going and she is half way through the book of mormon but she's going to start over and keep reading in Alma at the same time so she can understand clearly. She prayers after every time she reads and gets a confirmation that it is true. She now believes Joseph Smith truly was a prophet and she surprised us by telling us that she has read the ENTIRE gospel principles mannual. Yeah, that was a surprise. And she says she wants to live after everything she's read in it. I love her so much. She's so amazing. And it's so obvious to me that it's nothing I am doing but that this process for her is really between her and the Lord. He's the One teaching her, not me. And then, through her example and her sincerity, she has taught me so much of what it Means to put the Gospel and the Lord first.

Anyways, I love you all so much!

Kærlig Hilsen, Søster Briscoe

P.S. The Picture is of Søs Ripplinger, Me, Nynne and Søs Bartholomew and the other Picture is Nynne's oldest boy, Jonathan playing with the Elders after a dinner appointment (he is 3 years old)

Great Week

So this past week went really well. I love it when you have investigators who are sincerely investigating the church and putting time and effort into studying the Book of Mormon. I love it when you have investigators who have testimonies. And that is Nynne. She is perfect. Man, I love her so much and every day, that love just increases. It's so great being a missionary because the Lord just blesses you with a portion of His charity and love that He has for His children.

This week we went teaching with Sabrina! Yup, that's right, Sabrina from when we first lived here. It was great to see her teach. It was the first time since she's been back from her mission that she has gone teaching with the missionaries. I felt a Little special. She also called me "Diana" and that was weird cause it didn't sound like my name. I'm "Søster" now.

Also, we found out that one of the Africans in our Ward is going to another church. But we also found out that not only is going to another English speaking african church, he is preaching in an English speaking african church. And guess what he is preaching? The message of the Restoration and the Book of Mormon! haha, so that's missionary Work to the extreme. Now we just need to get all those people he's been working with to come to our church Building and then baptized. We'll have to have a talk with our African friend and see what is really up.

Hmmm, I can't really think of anything else that has been very exciting. Busses have recently been late. Like 30 minutes late to everything and that is getting old.

I'm hungry and I want to eat a Kebab. I love Kebabs. There are middle Eastern burritos and they are delicious. But I only have 63 krones to get me through this week so going and buying a kebab would put me at 13 krones. So no kebab for me. No food for me actually. Just a Little bitty small. That's what happens when missionaries travel and use all their food Money to visit less actives that live way far out there.

Sorry this letter is short this week. I'll try to have a more eventful week this week. Love you all!!!

MVH Søster Briscoe

Can't slow down now

So my new companion is Søster Bartholomew from American Fork Utah. She is 19 and super enthusiastic and likes to take responsiblity and work hard with me. Her Danish is also way good. I am highly impressed. It's cool cause this is our first companionship where both of us can speak pretty good Danish and neither of us are completely new to the mission field. So we work as equals and can get a lot of work done together. I love it.

And boy, the work is picking up fast now. We had several members bring friends to church yesterday and our amazing investigator Nynne came with her son. Sister Bartholomew and I ended up sitting apart from each other during sacrament so we could be sure to talk to all the visitors. We actually are having family home evening with one of the none-members and a member family tonight. I am so grateful to be serving in Odense where the members enthusiam and excitment for missionary work is just picking up and growing. The Lord is hastening His work, I feel like I'm running to catch up and I still can't make it. But in September, the Lord will bring 2 more missionaries to each ward. So by the end of September, there will be 6 missionaries in each ward here in Odense. 2 Sisters and 4 Elders. Plus, the married couple. So a grand total of 14 missionaries.

I am about to officially hit my 6 month mark and I do not like that. It feels like I just barely got out into the field a few weeks ago and so it's stresses me out to think that I'm a third of the way done with my mission. I've also heard that now time is just going to go faster and faster. No more slowing down. Wow.

Finally, I can send pictures again.



Me and Søster Ripplinger on our last weekend together. We went to the magical land of Vissensbjerg to teach Nynne and to see our goats. Oh, I also learned that we can eat these really delicious wild plums and cherries in Vissensbjerg.


For our last P-day together, Sister Ripplinger and I decided to match (haha, that was her favorite thing to do) and we aslo went and saw H.C. Andersen's Hus. That was cool to see where he was born and then go through a museum all about him. It's funny. In The main area in Odense, the street lights (like the green and read walking lights), they are little H.C. Andersen figures, complete with cane and tophat. One day I'll take a picture and send that to you.

Soccer, Strokes and Saying Goodbye

So it is a little crazy how much can happen over the course of such a short time when you are a missionary and I feel like that is how my week has been.

We played soccer this Saturday with some more investigators and non-member friends that members bring and I scored a goal! Et Mål!!!! JAAH! it was pretty cool too cause I scored it with my knee. ja, I'm pretty talented like that. Okay, fine, it was an accident, but I still scored the goal and that is all that matters. Oh, also, I stole the ball away from someone on the other team and they totally hit my nose with their arm really hard and I got a bloody nose again...man, me and my nose on a mission, it just can't take a break...get it? haha, a break? oh the cleverness of me

But going back a little bit earlier in my week, Thursday was a very crazy day, we had a lesson with these two ladies from Ghana and we brought a member from Nigeria who actually served his mission in Ghana. It went really well. Except Africans talk so fast that sometimes I don't even know if they are speaking English or not. But anyways, our Nigerian member just yellled at these two girls for like 30 minutes but it was done in an awesome African man way and so it was really effective and the spirit was way strong. Although at some points in the lesson I almost started laughing because I just thought "wow, is this really happening?" Life as a missionary, we have some fun situations.

Then after the lesson Thursday, we decided to walk by this less active and see what was up with him but we were debating which way to take when sister Ripplinger laughed and told me "that lady cannot pick up her bag. She's tried like 5 times, look at her." So I looked and I could see this lady trying to pick up her purse but her arm was completely limp and her fingers wouldn't move. I could tell that something was not quite right with her so I said "let's go help her" By the time we got up to her, some groceries had spilled out of her bag and she was trying to pick them up with her right arm but she just kinda flopped her arm at the stuff and that's all she could do. We helped her put the stuff back in the bag but she seemed really distraught. I asked her "Er du okay?" and if she needed a doctor. and then she started breathing really heavily and motioning like she was going to throw up. I stopped a nearby Dane and gave them our phone and told them to call the emergency number 112 and then the lady with the limp arm collapsed. It was a really good thing I was right next to her cause I was able to catch her. and just set her head in my lap. Poor Sister Ripplinger was freaking out at this point. I made her help me turn the lady on her side, in case she threw up. Luckily there was this nurse who saw the lady collapse and came and helped us, then a doctor came up and helped us out as well. We had to wait a long time for the ambulance though. We didn't see our less active member but we hope we helped that lady.

on Friday, we went to Assens, a beautiful town on the coast and taught our new investigator Pia. It's funny because she fed us cake and herbal tea. That's something I love about the Danish culture that I want to adopt when I get home: whenever you visit someone, even if you met them the other day, they always have this little tea party set up for you when you get to their house. They have cake and drinks and it's so fancy and nice. I always feel so blessed and spoiled. I want to do that though when I get home is always have some nice little refreshments set out for guests who come visit me.

We also got word on transfers. Well, I'm saying goodbye. Not to Odense but to Søster Ripplinger. It's crazy cause we haven't been together very long and they are already taking her away from me. I am staying in Odense and she is going over to Jylland. My new companion is Sister Barthalomew (i know that isn't how you spell it but oh well)

We also had an amazing lesson Saturday night with our investigator Nynne. We asked her if she had read and prayed about the Book of Mormon and she told us "Well, I actually decided to pray about it before I read it and as soon as I started praying about it I just got this warm feeling throughout my entire body and I knew that this was something that God wanted me to read and learn about." So yes, teaching her is so easy because it really isn't us teaching her. her learning is really between the Lord and herself.

We also had two investigators at church this week! Wooo! record for us missionaries here in Denmark!

Well, Love you all lots! One day I'll figure out how to send pictures, I promise!

Love Søster Briscoe

gå gade & geder (walking street & goats)

So this week has been pretty dull up until the weekend.

On Saturday morning, the Elders and us took a big sign to the gå gade (walking street) with a big picture of Christ that said "Vi har et svar..." and we just tried to contact everyone we could. Søster Ripplinger and I finally found out that we could sing with our guitar and not get arrested so we brought the guitar and sung a bit while the Elders talked to people and it was neat too because every time we started singing, the Edlers were able to give out a copy of the Book of Mormon. Apparently our magical singing did the trick. Nah, but we did have some success with people stopping and listening and talking afterwards...No return appointments so no new investigators. next time.

Then Sunday (yesterday), Søster Ripplinger and I took the bus to this little town called Vissensbjerg to try to contact a media referral. We were way excited too because the referral was from about 6 days ago (normally they are from 6 years ago). Well anyways, the bus takes out to the country. Way in the country. We ended up stopping in this goat field. that was cool. Except I got stung by stinging nettle. Sister Ripplinger threw a plum to feed the goats and accidently hit the biggest one right in the middle of the forheard.

Then things got weird. We laughed about the goat incident but we actually think that the goat may have turned our world into this little fairytale land because Vissensbjerg was not like anywhere we've been before. People were super nice and friendly and open. Our referral wasn't home but we met lots of good people and potential investigators.

And everything, the landscape was GORGEOUS. We ate wild strawberries (this super nice Danish lady invited us to pick some in her yard) and then this lady had the most amazing garden I have ever been in. she lives at the bottom of  this hill that goes up into a forest and she has created all these little paths leading everywhere, with plants just all in our path. We felt like we were in a jungle. She also had 2 little glass houses with comfy chairs and then a little log house full of books. then after she let us wander around her yard, she invited us in and gave us a tour of her house. it was awesome. She lives in this hobbit-like world, with cool homemade artwork and wood carvings. She was way sweet too. We are going to go back and teach her the gospel and hopefully help her in her yard.

Well, I realize now that my adventures may have sounded boring but to me they were the highlight of my week.

I love you all!

Love, Søster Briscoe

P.S. in Vissensbjerg i got to feed a wild bunny too!