Dear All,
It's been really freaking hot and sunny the past 2 weeks and all I do is sweat. It's horrible. But there are worse places to be that are even more hot. I am getting quite bronze though for being out in the sun ALL day. We are getting well fed (for Mom). I weighed myself the other day and I'm up to 232! Holy freak! I don't look any fatter....I'm just gonna say it's the huge massive things attached to my legs called muscles. They really are massive. Speaking of, I TOUCHED THE RIM OF A BASKETBALL HOOP! hahahahaha that was the best day ever. I told ya, I'm going to be able to slam when I get home.
Alright! Are you ready to read this mighty miracle that has been wrought among the people here in Fairfield 3rd Ward area?
Saturday night, Elder Carter and I were walking around talking to people to try and find new people to teach. We only talked to 1 person, who was a drunk homeless that only wanted money. AND then we ran in to Romy taking out his trash. Romy is from the Philippeans, and he doesn't have a job and he lives with one of his friends for the time being. He used to live with his son in an apartment, but his son kicked him out. We talked to him about how he is a choice son of God and that Heavenly Father wants to see him succeed and find happiness. Romy was all over it. He said he's seen missionaries in the Philippeans. He also said he wants to learn more about God and he even said he wants to be a missionary! After talking to him, I invited him to be baptized. He said "yes" without hesitation. I then proceeded to talk to him about how big of a step that is and how Heavenly Father has blessings that he is waiting to give Romy. The down side -- Romy has sold all of his things so that he can pay for his way to move back to the Philippeans where his family is. He said he was flying back July 5th. Imagine the disappointment that I had. This was the 2nd time that we have found someone that is ready to enter into a covenant with God and be baptized. We set up a time to see Romy on Sunday to continue to teach him. Later that night before I went to bed, I knelt down as usual to say my prayers. I begged and pleaded with Heavenly Father to bless Romy with a miracle. I asked for a way to be provided so that he can stay long enough to enter into the waters of baptism. During my prayer, I felt an overwhelming sense of comfort and peace flow over me. I knew then that God would provide a way. Even if we couldn't teach and baptize Romy, I knew that somehow and some way he would be provided for.
On Sunday we had an appointment with Romy right after Church. We rushed over and were 15 minutes late (we get out of Church at 4:00). Guess what we saw? Romy was working! He was hired for a mini job to make a little extra money. That is just one blessing. He found a way to make a little money so that he can support himself. We talked to him for about 3 minutes and he said to come back later that evening. We did so, and arrived at his place of residence at 7:00. He was out working on his son's car. He told us that his son had come by and apologized for being a jerk and for being angry all the time. He also said that he loves him. There is blessing/miracle number 2. Then we proceeded to teach Romy a very short lesson about our life on Earth. The day before, we had given Romy a Book of Mormon and a chapter to read - Alma 34. During our lesson with him we read Alma 34:32 that says, "this life is the time to prepare to meet God." We talked about that for a bit and then talked to Romy about his travel plans. He told us that he is going to talk to his agent and move his departure date back! The original date was for July 15, and he is going to try to move it back to that. He said he wants to be baptized. We then set a baptismal date for him for July 9th. We are able to see him every day so we have 2 weeks to prepare him and teach him everything. He truely has been prepared by the Lord.
Miracles do happen and they happen often. I know, without a doubt, that Heavenly Father has a hand in this. There is absolutely no way that he could not have. I'm so grateful to be a part of this miracle and to be the servant in which the Lord directed to find Romy. I love this work so much. It is hard, but it is worth every second of it.
I hope this brightens up your week. It certainly has brightened mine. Just always remember - miracles do happen.
Love, Elder Brennan
Wednesday, June 29, 2011
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
Online Missionaries
Dear Dad and Moms,
First off, when I got called to be a DL I was not excited. I am not looking for leadership at all. If I get called to do it, I will. If I've gained any attributes on my mission thus far, it's humility.
I have been working extremely hard in trying to find those who will receice us. We have 3 with baptismal dates so we're working with those. One of them is a tiny old lady from Taiwan and she has a date for July 2nd. I hope she can make that! I also gave my first baptismal interview the other day. Man, what an experience. That was awesome! I hope I can do many many more of those.
I hope g-ma is okay! Give her my love. I'll be writing her next week.
So this week on Thursday I went to a leadership training meeting in Santa Rosa where I learned a TON. One of which is that the mission world is changing and adapting to the times. Our mission is a pilot mission for many different programs such as online missionary work. Right now our mission has 20 something online missionaries and that number is going to increase a ton next transfer. So, it is very likely that I will be an online missionary as well, which means that I will be on FB and have a blog. I will teach the gospel online and receive and give referrals. I love President Bunker. He is a man with a vision for this mission. He is a 0% tolerance for crap guy. I love it. He still likes to have fun and he isn't extremely strict. But 0% tolerance for crap meaning that if missionaries aren't on the same page as him for doing this work. He is a very passionate man, and he is also very inspired. I love and admire him.
Speaking of online missionary work, I wrote on a guest blog for one of our Zone Leaders while on exchanges because he is an online missionary. This is a draft of what I wrote and it's titled "2000 Stripling Warriors".
I am honored to be on here today and Elder Jones was kind enough to allow me to share some thoughts about something that I have recently studied.
First, I want you to imagine yourself in your teenage years. Then think of your country being invaded and being extremely outnumbered. Now imagine yourself fighting that war, on the front lines, being the example for even the most seasoned warrior. Would YOU do that?
I want to talk about an event that took place in the Book of Mormon. It is the story of the Stripling Warriors. The word "stripling" means young, around the early to mid teenage years. These young men were of such age. In about 77 b.c., a group of Lamanites came to accept Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior, thanks to the sons of Mosiah during their ministry in the land of the Lamanites. Along with their conversion, they entered into a covenant with the Lord to never take up arms and go to battle against their brethren and shed their blood. However, the children of these people who became known as the Anti-Nephi-Lehites didn't enter into that covenant because they were too young. So 13 years later when the Lamanites began to invade the Nephite lands, these very young sons took up arms and went to battle with Helaman, the sone of the prophet Alma, as their leader.
What COURAGE and FAITH it must have taken for these extremely young men to leave their families to fight for the liberty of their people! "They were men of TRUTH and SOBERNESS for they have been taught to keep the commandments of God and to walk uprightly before Him." The respect and admiration I have for these young men is immense. They were willing to die for the cause of liberty, the cause of family and the cause of God.
It was now time to put their faith and courage to the test. They went to battle against a very large army of Lamanites, much larger than their small band of 2000. When Helaman asks his "sons" if they should go to battle, the answer that was given are some of the most inspiring words that I have ever heard, especially from the mouths of such young men. They answered saying, "Father, behold our God is with us and he will not suffer that we should fall; them let us go forth; we would not slay our brethren if they would let us alone." (Alma 56:46)
These young men have never fought before, and "yet they did not fear death" (Alma 56:47). Have you ever seen so great courage? They were selfless; they thought more "upon the liberty of their fathers" than their lives (Alma 56:47). What even amazes me further is this is how they were taught by their mothers. Their mothers taught them that, "if they did not doubt, God would deliver them." These sons did not doubt, they also "[did] not doubt [their] mothers knew it" (Alma 56:47-48).
These young men go on to fight many battles, in the which that not one of them was lost. Because of their upbringing, the teachings of their mothers, and their extremely firm faith in Christ, God preserved their lives so that they were all able to return to live with their families again.
I know that God keeps his promises to us. If we live according to the commandments that we are given, we too will become as these young stripling warriors. We will be delivered from adversity, we will overcome temptation, and we will triumph over the adversary. The fullness of the Gospel of Jesus Christ has been restored to the earth through the prophet, Joseph Smith. I am grateful for the knowlede that I have received from my loving parents, it is invaluable. I, like the stripling warriors, DO NOT DOUBT that my parents know of these things. I know with a deep conviction that God lives, His Son, Jesus Christ is the Savior and Redeemer of the world and that through Jesus Christ, we can obtain "never ending happiness" (Mosiah 2:41), forgiveness of our sins, and eternal life.
These things I leave with you in the name of Him whom I love and trust so dearly, even Jesus Christ, amen.
What do you think? I love that story! Anyway, gotta go.
Love, Elder Edwards
First off, when I got called to be a DL I was not excited. I am not looking for leadership at all. If I get called to do it, I will. If I've gained any attributes on my mission thus far, it's humility.
I have been working extremely hard in trying to find those who will receice us. We have 3 with baptismal dates so we're working with those. One of them is a tiny old lady from Taiwan and she has a date for July 2nd. I hope she can make that! I also gave my first baptismal interview the other day. Man, what an experience. That was awesome! I hope I can do many many more of those.
I hope g-ma is okay! Give her my love. I'll be writing her next week.
So this week on Thursday I went to a leadership training meeting in Santa Rosa where I learned a TON. One of which is that the mission world is changing and adapting to the times. Our mission is a pilot mission for many different programs such as online missionary work. Right now our mission has 20 something online missionaries and that number is going to increase a ton next transfer. So, it is very likely that I will be an online missionary as well, which means that I will be on FB and have a blog. I will teach the gospel online and receive and give referrals. I love President Bunker. He is a man with a vision for this mission. He is a 0% tolerance for crap guy. I love it. He still likes to have fun and he isn't extremely strict. But 0% tolerance for crap meaning that if missionaries aren't on the same page as him for doing this work. He is a very passionate man, and he is also very inspired. I love and admire him.
Speaking of online missionary work, I wrote on a guest blog for one of our Zone Leaders while on exchanges because he is an online missionary. This is a draft of what I wrote and it's titled "2000 Stripling Warriors".
I am honored to be on here today and Elder Jones was kind enough to allow me to share some thoughts about something that I have recently studied.
First, I want you to imagine yourself in your teenage years. Then think of your country being invaded and being extremely outnumbered. Now imagine yourself fighting that war, on the front lines, being the example for even the most seasoned warrior. Would YOU do that?
I want to talk about an event that took place in the Book of Mormon. It is the story of the Stripling Warriors. The word "stripling" means young, around the early to mid teenage years. These young men were of such age. In about 77 b.c., a group of Lamanites came to accept Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior, thanks to the sons of Mosiah during their ministry in the land of the Lamanites. Along with their conversion, they entered into a covenant with the Lord to never take up arms and go to battle against their brethren and shed their blood. However, the children of these people who became known as the Anti-Nephi-Lehites didn't enter into that covenant because they were too young. So 13 years later when the Lamanites began to invade the Nephite lands, these very young sons took up arms and went to battle with Helaman, the sone of the prophet Alma, as their leader.
What COURAGE and FAITH it must have taken for these extremely young men to leave their families to fight for the liberty of their people! "They were men of TRUTH and SOBERNESS for they have been taught to keep the commandments of God and to walk uprightly before Him." The respect and admiration I have for these young men is immense. They were willing to die for the cause of liberty, the cause of family and the cause of God.
It was now time to put their faith and courage to the test. They went to battle against a very large army of Lamanites, much larger than their small band of 2000. When Helaman asks his "sons" if they should go to battle, the answer that was given are some of the most inspiring words that I have ever heard, especially from the mouths of such young men. They answered saying, "Father, behold our God is with us and he will not suffer that we should fall; them let us go forth; we would not slay our brethren if they would let us alone." (Alma 56:46)
These young men have never fought before, and "yet they did not fear death" (Alma 56:47). Have you ever seen so great courage? They were selfless; they thought more "upon the liberty of their fathers" than their lives (Alma 56:47). What even amazes me further is this is how they were taught by their mothers. Their mothers taught them that, "if they did not doubt, God would deliver them." These sons did not doubt, they also "[did] not doubt [their] mothers knew it" (Alma 56:47-48).
These young men go on to fight many battles, in the which that not one of them was lost. Because of their upbringing, the teachings of their mothers, and their extremely firm faith in Christ, God preserved their lives so that they were all able to return to live with their families again.
I know that God keeps his promises to us. If we live according to the commandments that we are given, we too will become as these young stripling warriors. We will be delivered from adversity, we will overcome temptation, and we will triumph over the adversary. The fullness of the Gospel of Jesus Christ has been restored to the earth through the prophet, Joseph Smith. I am grateful for the knowlede that I have received from my loving parents, it is invaluable. I, like the stripling warriors, DO NOT DOUBT that my parents know of these things. I know with a deep conviction that God lives, His Son, Jesus Christ is the Savior and Redeemer of the world and that through Jesus Christ, we can obtain "never ending happiness" (Mosiah 2:41), forgiveness of our sins, and eternal life.
These things I leave with you in the name of Him whom I love and trust so dearly, even Jesus Christ, amen.
What do you think? I love that story! Anyway, gotta go.
Love, Elder Edwards
Tuesday, June 7, 2011
Status Quo
Dear Mom and Dad,
Today was transfers and it was a crazy day. What do you think happened? Well, I'll tell you. Fairfield got turned upside down! Every single companionship has changed...except Elder Carter and me. But, I gott love him. We won't have success if I don't. On top of that, I'm a District Leader now. It's a little different than in the MTC - I don't just get mail for people. I have to be an example to all the missionaries in my district and I have to go on exchanges with all the elders every week. I have to teach district meetings, which are usually 2-2 1/2 hours long, and I have to make sure everyone is being good and obedient. It's a big responsibility. I hope I can fulfill my calling. I need to step it up a bit.
I'm very excited for Brian. He will do great! I'm also pumped for Tanner (Green). Logan comes home in a few weeks for the summer, so I'm pumped for that.
Speaking of summer, we have had some very unsummer-like weather here! It hasn't been hot, it's actually been raining and cool. I'm not complaining! Delay the heat as much as possible! In the summer in Fairfield it usually is in the upper 90s-100s. So the longer it rains and is cool, the better for me! I have a crazy tan line on my arms.
I DO need something. I need a watch. The other one just exploded. I would enjoy a nice black one that is manly. But whatever is okay with me.
The discouragement is tough. I fight it every hour of every day. Fairfield is hard. But things are looking up. We had 2 investigators at church yesterday. One of them is Samoan and huge and used to be a really big drug dealer but he has been clean for 7 years. He grew up with an LDS friend, so he knows about the church. He wants to be baptized! He has a date for July 2nd. Now for the kicker...he doesn't live in Fairfield. He lives in Reno and he was only back for the week to visit his wife and kid. He goes to school in Reno. The other "gator" we had is a small old lady from Taiwan. She said that she thinks the church is true. We are taking baby steps with her because she grew up being taught the doctrine of buddhism. But we're coming along with her as well. Other than those 2, well not much is happening.
I miss MAX. Do you ever say my name around him? Does he get excited when you do? Give him a big hug for me.
I think the Heat will win the NBA championship. Who will draft Jimmer?
Thank you for all of your encouragement. It does help. I appreciate your prayers too. I need all the help I can get out here.
Love, Elder Edwards
Today was transfers and it was a crazy day. What do you think happened? Well, I'll tell you. Fairfield got turned upside down! Every single companionship has changed...except Elder Carter and me. But, I gott love him. We won't have success if I don't. On top of that, I'm a District Leader now. It's a little different than in the MTC - I don't just get mail for people. I have to be an example to all the missionaries in my district and I have to go on exchanges with all the elders every week. I have to teach district meetings, which are usually 2-2 1/2 hours long, and I have to make sure everyone is being good and obedient. It's a big responsibility. I hope I can fulfill my calling. I need to step it up a bit.
I'm very excited for Brian. He will do great! I'm also pumped for Tanner (Green). Logan comes home in a few weeks for the summer, so I'm pumped for that.
Speaking of summer, we have had some very unsummer-like weather here! It hasn't been hot, it's actually been raining and cool. I'm not complaining! Delay the heat as much as possible! In the summer in Fairfield it usually is in the upper 90s-100s. So the longer it rains and is cool, the better for me! I have a crazy tan line on my arms.
I DO need something. I need a watch. The other one just exploded. I would enjoy a nice black one that is manly. But whatever is okay with me.
The discouragement is tough. I fight it every hour of every day. Fairfield is hard. But things are looking up. We had 2 investigators at church yesterday. One of them is Samoan and huge and used to be a really big drug dealer but he has been clean for 7 years. He grew up with an LDS friend, so he knows about the church. He wants to be baptized! He has a date for July 2nd. Now for the kicker...he doesn't live in Fairfield. He lives in Reno and he was only back for the week to visit his wife and kid. He goes to school in Reno. The other "gator" we had is a small old lady from Taiwan. She said that she thinks the church is true. We are taking baby steps with her because she grew up being taught the doctrine of buddhism. But we're coming along with her as well. Other than those 2, well not much is happening.
I miss MAX. Do you ever say my name around him? Does he get excited when you do? Give him a big hug for me.
I think the Heat will win the NBA championship. Who will draft Jimmer?
Thank you for all of your encouragement. It does help. I appreciate your prayers too. I need all the help I can get out here.
Love, Elder Edwards
Thursday, June 2, 2011
ROUGH WEEK
Mom,
Happy Memorial Day to you too! The only exciting thing that is happening today is that I'm going to buy a new suit! There are huge memorial day sales at Kohls and I'm gonna go an get a suit. Othr than that, nothing else exciting is happening today other than the usual P-day stuff. Basketball and whatnot.
So transfers are coming up... I really hope that I'm not with my companion again. It is seriously driving me nuts. If I have to stay with him for another transfer I might jump out a window. I would throw him out, but he is too big. But I'm trying to love him...
Too bad about Tressel. I thought he had a bit more integrity as well. Oh well, the Bucks will still do big things. As for lacrosse, GO MARYLAND!
It's been a very frustrating week. Our number of lessons are going down and down. Our investigators aren't keeping their appointments and it is driving me nuts!! It's really discouraging. But I'm doing my best to be of good cheer. Man is it hard though. I'm starting to come to terms with the fact that I might not see even 1 baptism my whole mission. That doesn't mean I'm a bad missionary though. It just means my calling is to find people and to prepare them and then hand them off. The Spanish missionaries in our Zone had like 4 baptisms the other day. JEALOUS!
Love,
Elder Brennan
Happy Memorial Day to you too! The only exciting thing that is happening today is that I'm going to buy a new suit! There are huge memorial day sales at Kohls and I'm gonna go an get a suit. Othr than that, nothing else exciting is happening today other than the usual P-day stuff. Basketball and whatnot.
So transfers are coming up... I really hope that I'm not with my companion again. It is seriously driving me nuts. If I have to stay with him for another transfer I might jump out a window. I would throw him out, but he is too big. But I'm trying to love him...
Too bad about Tressel. I thought he had a bit more integrity as well. Oh well, the Bucks will still do big things. As for lacrosse, GO MARYLAND!
It's been a very frustrating week. Our number of lessons are going down and down. Our investigators aren't keeping their appointments and it is driving me nuts!! It's really discouraging. But I'm doing my best to be of good cheer. Man is it hard though. I'm starting to come to terms with the fact that I might not see even 1 baptism my whole mission. That doesn't mean I'm a bad missionary though. It just means my calling is to find people and to prepare them and then hand them off. The Spanish missionaries in our Zone had like 4 baptisms the other day. JEALOUS!
Love,
Elder Brennan
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