Combrink Missions: Nathan - Beaumont - Chamberlin, Brinkeroff

area: Beaumont YSA Branch (Beaumont, Texas)

zone: Beaumont

companion: Elder Chamberlin, and Elder Brinkeroff

dates: 5/31/2016 to 8/23/2016 (Transfer Periods #14-15)

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Transfer Period #14
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email: 6/6/2016

I was transferred on Monday to the Beaumont YSA!!!!!!!!!!! I am so happy. I sorta secretly wanted to come here because I didn't want to make the transition going back to a family ward missionary, and because I have served in all the other zones in the mission and I wanted to be able to get to the Beaumont Zone. Tender mercies of the Lord!!! I love the Beaumont YSA! It's held in an institute building across the street from Lamar University. It's much smaller (in population) than the Lake Houston YSA but that's ok, that's why we missionaries are here.

My new companion is Elder Chamberlin. He came out 1 transfer after me. He's so real and genuine. We've laughed a lot this week and have gotten a lot of work done.

One miracle we saw was our branch mission leader called one of our investigators and asked him to sign up on the meal calendar. The investigator accepted, and signed up for Thursday, but then he went on a trip to Dallas. We told him not to worry about it but then he told us to go to a certain Subway at 5:00 on Thursday and he'd "magically" get us fed. We were skeptical, but we went. We had to wait for a while but eventually a girl walked in, pointed at us, and said, "Hey, I'm supposed to feed y'all." She bought us food, then we asked if she would sit down with us for a few minutes to talk. She accepted and we taught her the full Restoration! She had talked with a member of the Church when she was in high school and he bore his testimony of the Book of Mormon and Joseph Smith and she still remembered that. She also recently left her church because she felt some of its teachings went against the teachings in the Bible. But she's looking for a new social group that will help her keep her standards high! We know just the place!

Also, to let Jessica know, I will be going on an exchange with the elders serving in Fred, TX in a couple weeks! I am so excited!

I love y'all! But I love our Savior more. And this is where He wants me. So this is where I want to be.

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email: 6/13/2016

This week has been soooo busy!

Monday we had p-day down in Port Arthur, then drove to Houston and slept in the Atascocita elders' apartment.

Tuesday we had Mission Leadership Council. We learned so much good stuff about working with the members who permanently live here. Also about the role of the Holy Ghost.

Wednesday we met with the Sister Training Leaders and planned Zone Meeting, we had such a good idea involving super heroes! Then a member of our branch, Ian, drove us to Jasper so we could conduct a baptism interview. The man's name was Ed, and I got to interview him. He's read the Book of Mormon cover to cover since December and I asked about why he wanted to be baptized and he said, "Well, everything in the Book of Mormon supports the Bible in every way, so it can't be evil." He went on to explain that since he knows the Book of Mormon is true he knows that Joseph Smith was a true prophet and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the true Church.

Thursday we planned out next week and planned more for Zone Meeting.

Friday we had zone meeting. After the normal opening stuff we had a skit, with the super heroes! Elder Chamberlin was Superman, Elder Bond (one of the assistants) was playing himself, and I was Batman. We all complained, and blamed, and made excuses, and justified our mistakes, trying to prove a point. We learned that we fought for 100% agency in the pre-existence, and with that comes 100% responsibility. If we do things to try to avoid responsibility, then we also avoid agency and we give up control of situations. We taught that we never hear super heroes trying to avoid responsibility. So we shouldn't try either.

Saturday we went up to Woodville and blitzed their area. We had a lot of success! In the morning we got to corral some pigs into a trailer, I never realized how loud they squeal... Also, Woodville has hills! Beautiful, rolling, big hills!

I love being a missionary!

I love y'all. But I love Jesus Christ more. And this is where He wants me. So this is where I want to be.

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email: 6/20/2016

This week was super busy too!

2 more exchanges which I loved with Elder Larsen & Elder Martinez, then Elder Rasband and Elder Souza in Fred!

Fred was fantastic! Tiny town with a bunch of dirt roads, large cows, and super friendly people!

I also got to see Elder Lee. He is in Jasper right now. He made this spicy Asian chicken stuff after District Meeting. SOOOOOO GOOD!

Being in the YSA, and it being summer, there's a lot of door to door security system salesman from Utah down here. They fed us dinner yesterday and Elder Chamberlin and I got some good laughs from talking about mission stories with them since they're all return missionaries.

One of our investigators, Travis, came to church this week! He's a little slow but he's making great progress!

I love being a missionary! I love this area! I love my mission, THE Mission!

I love y'all! But I love Jesus Christ more. And this is where He wants me. So this is where I want to be.

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email: 6/27/2016

I love being a missionary!

One thing that I must share is that within the Beaumont Zone this week there were 6 converts baptized! I had the opportunity to interview one of them, Rafael.

His story is that after High School he went to a Christian Seminary for 2 years, but got a little disinterested so he left the seminary and started working. But after a couple more years he went back to seminary, a different one this time, but a semester before he got his certificate he left again. He still believed in God but distanced himself from any particular group. A couple months ago, in a tiny town called Winnie, TX he walked into his cousin's house to find 2 young, Mormon, sister missionaries. He thought he would have fun by asking difficult questions that nobody could answer at the seminaries he went to, or all the pastors he worked with during those years. They had answers for all of them. Two 19 year old ladies. Over the next couple months he read the Book of Mormon, prayed to Heavenly Father in the name of Christ, and received an answer that all the answers these two sister missionaries gave him were true. He told me this story (as a 40 year old "big tough guy") with tears in his eyes. I'm so grateful for the opportunity to serve as a missionary!

Another big thing, Giovanni (an investigator in the Lake Houston YSA Branch) got baptized. Elder Ericson and I were the first ones to teach him after his best friend brought him to church. He's also only 19 years old and very possibly could go on a mission. His best friend, Tony, is working on his paperwork.

I love y'all! But I love Jesus Christ more. And this is where He wants me. So this is where I want to be.

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email: 7/4/2016

This week was good! We taught a lot more lessons this week than we did in past ones. We also had 30 people at sacrament meeting rather than the normal 15!

This upcoming week is Zone Meeting and transfers are a week from today, time flies so fast!

Does anyone have any great ideas for teaching "extending commitments and follow up" in a zone meeting setting?

Sorry I don't have much to say...

I love y'all! But I love our Savior more. And this is where He wants me. So this is where I want to be.

Your favorite missionary, Elder Combrink

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email: 7/11/2016

This transfer sure went by fast! I'm not being transferred though.

Neither is Elder Chamberlin. I love this companionship, and this area so much! I'm so happy right now!

One of our investigators, Travis, is getting baptized this coming Saturday! He's been meeting with missionaries for 6 months and now he's ready! He could've been ready earlier, but we're excited that we are here for this!

We had Zone Meeting. We think it went well! And the missionaries who we've talked with liked it too. We did a skit where Elder Chamberlin proposed to a manikin, first a bad proposal and then a good one. Then I committed someone to read the Book of Mormon, first a bad one and then a good one. It was definitely memorable!

I love being a missionary!

I love y'all! But I love Jesus Christ more. And this is where He wants me to be. So this is where I want to be.

Your favorite missionary, Elder Combrink

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Transfer Period #15
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email: 7/18/2016

We had a good week!

Travis had his baptism pushed back, but he's still excited about getting baptized and is looking forward to it.

The Temple President came and spoke in Sacrament Meeting because he was the prior Branch President in the YSA, and we learned so much. For example, the Holy Bible mentions the temple or the tabernacle 518 times, showing the centrality of the temple to the Gospel of Jesus Christ. It's like "did you see the elephant in the room?" expression. Believers of Christ are also believers of temples, they just might miss it…

Anyway, I hear the world is getting worse. We don't need to worry though because we know that God is in charge, and God will win. We just need to choose to be on his side and then we will win too!

I'm super grateful I got to stay in Beaumont with Elder Chamberlin!

I love being a missionary!

I love y'all. But I love Jesus Christ more. And this is where He wants me. So this is where I want to be.

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email: 7/25/2016

This was a good week!

We got a new investigator. His name is Luis. The Hermanas have been teaching him for a couple of weeks but he's the only one in his family who's interested so they handed him over to us! He's awesome! He came to Family Home Evening on Monday. Institute on Wednesday. Soccer on Friday. A baptism of a 9 year old on Saturday. And church on Sunday! He's awesome!

I don't have much time, or much else to write.

I love y'all. But I love our Savior more. And this is where He wants me. So this is where I want to be.

Your favorite missionary, Elder Combrink

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email: 8/1/2016

I love being a missionary!

This week was great!

Luis is awesome! He's going to be baptized on August 13. He's so excited. We taught him the Plan of Salvation this morning and it was so spiritual!

I got to go to Woodville on exchanges. I miss the country. They have hills too... Oh well, I love the YSA so much!

I love y'all. But I love Jesus Christ more. And this is where He wants me. So this is where I want to be.

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email: 8/8/2016

This was a good week.

We went to Houston Monday night and stayed in Atascocita. We took Elder Schenk, one of the District Leaders with us. We had so much fun, he's awesome!

Tuesday we had MLC and we learned so much! A few missionaries bore their testimonies. One, who I had served around earlier, talked about the Atonement. He shared that in June President Drake showed up at their apartment early in the morning and informed this missionary that his father passed away in a car accident. He talked about before his mission telling himself that nothing would keep him from going home from a mission, except his dad dying. Then in the MTC he received an impression to ask his companion, "what would you do if your dad died while you're on your mission?" His companion replied, "well, that's a tough question, and I don't know exactly but I hope that I would stay on my mission." This missionary thought about what his companion said and decided then that if his dad died while he was a missionary that he would stay on his mission. He talked about how grateful he was for being prepared for this trial. He also shared that after President Drake left his apartment he walked to the mirror and envisioned two reflections. One of himself being scared, timid, shy, depressed, and weak. The other was of himself, but strong, courageous, confident, faithful, determined. And he knew he needed to decide then who he would choose to be. He chose the latter.

Two other missionaries bore testimonies and told stories about their moms removing their records from the church while they (the missionaries) were on their missions and telling them (the missionaries) to not write about church things anymore. Both of them have stayed on their missions and are finishing this transfer. Amazing missionaries and examples of living the first great commandment, "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind."

Zone meeting was Friday it was awesome! We did a walk with Christ, one room was Gethsemane, another Calvary, and the last was the garden tomb. Super spiritual! We also did a skit and I was a nerdy professor, everyone said I fit very well... Haha!

I love y'all! But I love Jesus Christ more. And this is where He wants me. So this is where I want to be.

Your favorite missionary, Elder Combrink

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email: 8/15/2016

This week was a little crazy, but good!

Elder Brinkerhoff, is now with us in a trio for this week, until transfers. Trio Life is the Best Life!

We went to the temple and did a session as a zone. So peaceful!

The best thing of the week was Luis getting baptized! The service was Saturday and it went perfectly. His entire immediate family came! His parents also came to the confirmation during Sacrament Meeting on Sunday! He's awesome!

It's a good life! I love being a missionary!

I love y'all. But I love Jesus Christ more. And this is where He wants me. So this is where I want to be.

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email: 8/22/2016

I'm getting transferred. It sorta came as a surprise. I'm good with it though.

Quick story: This last week we went down to Port Arthur to interview someone for baptism. There was a member there who told us his step dad would always tell him, "If the Lord comes knocking on your door you let him in. And when He says, 'Let's go for a walk" you go for a walk." I thought that was pretty neat!

Pertaining to transfers, the Lord has told me, "you're moving" so I'm moving. I'm excited though!

I know where I'm going too! FRED!!! I'm so excited! The missionary I'm taking the place of is coming down to Beaumont to be with Elder Brinkerhoff and I'm going straight to Fred with Elder Souza! That's how we found out early, this way we don't need to go all the way to Kingwood for transfer meeting. Fred will prepare me for coming home to the country. Although, the YSA was preparing me to go to the YSA Branch back home, but oh well. I'll still be in the Beaumont Zone, I'll be a District Leader though.

I'm excited to relearn how to work in a family Ward again. It's been 9 months after all...

My new address is:

23415 FM 92 South

Silsbee TX 77656

I've loved my time in the YSA! I've met so many good people. I've seen so many people change their lives.

I'll miss Elder Chamberlin too. He's a great friend! And a great companion! He's truly converted to Christ, willing to do whatever is asked of him.

I love y'all. But I love Jesus Christ more. And this is where He wants me. So this is where I want to be.

Your favorite missionary, Elder Combrink

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pictures: 5/31/2016 to 8/23/2016 (two transfer periods)