Thursday, May 31, 2012

May MG Spotlight: Bryton Auker

Bryton is 19 years Young and lives in Elkhart, Indiana! Her missionary is Elder Ron Mann, and is serving in the Idaho, Pocatello Mission! He gets home in November 2013. (which she says isn't soon enough! haha)




Q. What is an experience on this journey that has brought you closer to your Heavenly Father so far?
A. 
That is such a hard choice! But one overwhelming choice is the day that I actually got asked to be baptized. I am a convert to the church, so this experience happened less than a year ago! My missionary introduced me to the church when we first started dating our freshman year of high school. I never really wanted anything to do with the church then, but as he began to prepare to leave for his mission our senior year, I just wanted to know more about the church, and was looking for some spiritual guidance in my life. It was a Sunday that Ron introduced me to missionaries, and we set up an appointment to meet the following Monday. One of the missionaries gave me the gospel principles book just to use in church the next week. I don' think he or I ever intended for it to be pretty much the base of my conversion. I read the whole book by the next day. The missionaries were so surprised (and honestly, so was I!). We met that Monday, Tuesday, and by Wednesday, they asked me to be baptized the following weekend. When they asked me, my first sudden reaction was "What the heck are you thinking!? ME? Baptized in a week and a half!?" But then, this amazing, overwhelming feeling of "Bryton, you can do it. Why are you so worried? You are a valiant soul!" came over me. When I was truly in tune with the spirit, I have never felt so loved in my life. Heavenly Father's love is so strong, and it is unmistakable.


Q. What blessings have you received from waiting?
A. I have been blessed in so many ways that I cannot even list them all! But some main ones are the fact that I have been able to grow spiritually beyond recognition! I have been able to gain my own testimony of the church. It has been wonderful to be able to know that my missionary and I are have the ability to grow together, but also apart as individuals (we are much better together if I do say so myself though!) so that we may one day be stronger than ever together

Q.Your favorite scripture?
A. Without a doubt, Alma 32:21!


Q.Do you have any special talents you want to share?

A. I used to do competitive club gymnastics! I was a level 9 for any of who know what that means!


Q.Any advice for other girls?

A. My very strongest advice is to have patience and understanding with your boys. When my missionary first left, I would get so frustrated if he did not write, or his letter wasn't long enough, or whatever the case may have been. But something that I came to learn is that you have to see it from their side. Your missionary is not on your time, but on Heavenly Fathers. As much as we want them to be thinking of us ALL the time, they should be thinking of their investigators! One quote that I found that made me just fuzzy inside was "the definition of a missionary" which says "a missionary - someone who leaves their family for a short time, so others can be with theirs for eternity." Being a convert, those missionaries who introduce you to the gospel mean the world to you! Everyone should have the opportunity to be with their families forever. No one should be deprived of that. So if he doesn't write you a letter, maybe he was studying something for an investigator that might be the turning point of their conversion. Or maybe he was reading a talk or in the Book of Mormon that will make him a better husband or father some day. You never know, but be understanding, and do not assume that he is just ignoring you.

A little more about Bryton:

Well, my name is Bryton (like the country!). I did my first year of college at Ball State University, but I am transferring to BYU-Idaho for my last years. I am studying human biology and french. I want nothing more than to have a bilingual family, so I absolutely love french. I want to go to chiropractic school after I graduate from BYU-I. I am a convert to the church, and no one else in my family is members. I am pretty much love being optimistic about everything. I also love people watching, painting, being creative in general, doing gymnastics, and being flippin' spontaneous. I guess that's me in a nutshell, but just so you are well aware...I am like a box of chocolates (even though I don't like chocolate!), you never know what you are going to get!

 

Bryton Is such a fun girl to have on the group. She is always interacting, and talking with us. She is so fun, and always so sweet. We are so happy to have her! :)

Thanks for letting us get to know you Bryton! We all love you!

1 comment:

  1. I live in this mission! I'm pretty sure your missionary has been to my ward and stake! I enjoyed hearing your conversion story. Thank you for sharing!

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