Dear Moms and Pops,
Wow, that was a lot of football updates! I enjoyed it. I'm happy to hear that OSU can still do things without their "stars". I was really happy to hear about BYU also! Let's hope it's not like last season where they won their first game and then lost the rest by just a few points.
I've calculated in my mind how long I'll be here in Clearlake and I have 2 1/2 more months. But, I think that this will be a 6 month area for me. Because ...after this transfer Elder Gardner will be moved and I'll have to break in a new comp and another ZL to the area and that will take a transfer. Then I suppose I'll be here for another after that which means I'll be here for Christmas and maybe my 1 year mark. But, I know that I'll be here for at least 1 more transfer.
Dad, when I get home I want to go golfing. I want to learn. I was on exchanges with Elder Blake (if you don't remember he was my MTC companion) in his area in Kelseyville. They live in a house and they have it all to themselves. K-ville is a nice area and a member owns a golf course there that they can go to for free and they have a golf club set at the house. So, when I was there, we went into their nice backyard and hit some small wiffle-like balls around. I had so much fun!
We've had some pretty sad things happen to a few missionaries in our mission lately. One missinary's parents got into an accident and his dad passed away. His mom is still in the hospital in intensive care. I actually just got a call this morning from President letting me know that another missionary, he is in my zone and is Elder Blake's companion. Anyway, this missionary's younger brother passed away last night. He was on life support and had severe brain damage (I think he was in an accident as well). It's kinda scarey. So, with that said, STAY HEALTHY AND BE SAFE!
I'm glad to hear that it is cooling off there. Guess how hot it was here? Yup, yesterday it was 96 outside. It hasn't rained once since I've been here. I don't even think I've seen a cloud in the sky since I've been here either. I'm so ready for it to be fall/winter.
So, this weekend we had another baptism! I didn't end up baptizing the guy. I was upset about that and I ended up chastizing myself because it was selfish of me. But, he got married on Saturday. I was his "best man" at his wedding. All I did was stand behind him and give him the ring when he wanted it. It was a small wedding that we did in our small Relief Society room. There was only a few family members there and the 4 missionaries. We had a cookout afterwards with grilled chicken and tri tip steak. It was tasty. I ate my share. Then yesterday, we had his baptism! He is a huge guy too. Elder Gardner baptized him. We filled the font up a TON! But we got the job done. We confirmed him right after because he'll be out of town next weekend. He is really vocal in church -- he volunteers to say prayers and he has good input in lessons.
Yesterday I had my first confirmation and then my second. I confirmed Grandma in sacrament meeting. It was an extremely spiritual experience. I don't remember what I said, but I do remember words just popping up in my mind and it was as if I was reading a moving script. Heavenly Father truely does use us as His mouthpiece in these situations. After that blessing, Grandma goes, "You did it again!" She kept saying how warm she felt and she said that the pain that she had at the time was all gone. She was in awe once again. Then I had the same experience with Michael confirming him. It was a great Sunday!
However, it was one of the oddest sacrament meetings I have EVER been to! To start off, during the opening prayer the person praying said "Jesus Christ" in the middle of her prayer but she was just saying his name--not ending. Someone in the congregation yelled out "Amen!" Gardner and I just started cracking up. It was hilarious. Then later, it was fast and testimony meeting. Some old lady got up and she wears a baseball helmet wherever she goes and she went up to the pulpit to tell us a story. Imagine that...an old hunchbacked lady with a black baseball helmet with stickers on it going up to the pulpit....how can you not giggle?! We also had a 10 year old investigator there that was OFF THE WALLS. He is either ADD or ADHD and he didn't take his meds....so, that was an interesting time as well. Then our bishop, who was conducting, messed up a ton. He forgot that we were confirming Grandma and the 1st counselor had to remind him at the pulpit (that happens literaly every week). Then he gave us the wrong hymn for the closing song. We sang 1 verse of the wrong song and then the lady that conducts the music stops everything and they talk for a second while everyone is confused. Then we start to sing the original song from the beginning. It was super wierd! Then I taught Gospel Principles. It was a great lesson about Jesus Christ and why He is the Savior. So that was the day. This next week should be good. We have a Zone Conference in Santa Rosa on Wednesday. I'm pumped!
Have a great week! I hope you enjoy Florida....I'm a little bitter. I'll get over it. Love you both so much.
Love, Elder Brennan Edwards
Monday, September 5, 2011
Saturday, September 3, 2011
Baptism
Dear Family,
YES! We did have a baptism yesterday! Grandma got baptized. Her daughter was the only member of the family and she was baptized about a month and a half ago. Grandma is awesome! I will most likely be confirming her next week. Elder Gardner baptized her. It was awesome! In her service a recently re-activated member, who is awesome and still very young in the gospel, gave a really well written talk. Then Grandma's daughter gave her first talk and it was great! She used about 6 or 7 scriptures and explained them very well. Elder Gardner and I did a special musical number, "I Feel My Savior's Love". I love that song! Good 'ol Primary. It was pretty bad though. Elder Gardner started an octave too high, which kinda ruined it...I even played the starting not for him! (Yes, I have learned how to read music for the piano. I still suck playing with multiple fingers though. However, I can play the WHOLE first line to Joseph Smith's First Prayer with all the fingers and whatnot. Pretty cool, huh?) But, the baptism was great. We have another baptism this coming Sunday as well for Michael. He is going to get married on Saturday and then baptized on Sunday. I will be the one baptizing him. He is HUGE - about 6'2" and 260-270 pounds! It'll be interesting. He will be the first baptism that I actually perform. It'll be a day of firsts because I will be confirming Grandma that day too. I love being a missionary!! Grandma and Des (her daughter) have 3 kids living with them. One is De's son and he is 8. Then she has 2 nieces living there - Safron (15) and B'do (11). Safron and B'do really want to be baptized too, so now. This will be a good transfer.
Speaking of transfers today - nothing hardly happened at all in my zone. We have 5 companionships in the zone, including Gardner and I, and only 1 of those companionships were changed. They were "whitewashed" out, and sister missionaries are being transferred in. I know who one of the sisters are because she was in my district in Napa when she was a greenie. I am still a zone leader with Elder Gardner. So, we were both expecting a lot to change, but nothing did - haha!
Well, I am happy to hear that my puppy is still acting like a puppy! I love that boy. I have to find some pets here that can equate to him, but that's impossible. Grandma has a 2 year old rotweiler who is just the biggest sweety ever! Her name is Luna and she's a good dog. Although, she doesn't give kisses which is a set back, but when we're over there, she follows me around. I actually got her to come out to the truck with me one night after teaching grandma (Luna is grandma's dog) and I got Luna to hop up in the passenger side of the car and I drove up by the house while everyone was saying goodbye. Grandma had a fit! It was pretty funny. Luna was happy to take off with me. They have 3 dogs (Luna, 1 very calm and sweet chihuaha, and 1 wierd dog that is also chill) and 1 kitty that the found. We named her Garfield Scott Gardner. Garfield is Elder Gardner's nickname (because he's a redhead) and Scott for my middle name and then Gardner's middle name because they love him. That cat is the most chill cat I've ever met! I love him.
Which reminds me of a very sad kitty story -- Mom beware! This made me cry. We were up checking on one of our investigators in the hills and we went down to his house (it's kinda hidden and it smells TERRIBLE down there). It smells everywhere in Clearlake, but it smelled way bad there. And we heard this very very faint "meow" and we looked and it was this tiny kitten - not more than 4 months old - with an orange and white face and really green eyes walking toward us. The only thing was tht this poor kitty's 2 back legs were broken and black. She wasn't walking on her paws, she was walking on her whole leg. This was the second time we saw this cat. We saw her a week earlier and we freaked out and left because we didn't know whst to do, but this time was different. I couldn't stand seeing that kitty like thts. So this guy's house is a huge mess and there were some empty boxes around. I got one with some newspaper on the bottom of it and there was a gross towel there too and I scooped up the kitty and put her in the box. She tried to get out at first but I just stroked her head, and as soon as we got in the car and started driving she calmed down and didn't try to get out - it's almost as if she knew what was happening. I was crying on the way back. I just stroked the kitty's head and she was purring a bit. There was some blood streaks on the newspaper because her back side was very messed up. We got to the animal hospital and the vet looked at her immediately and she took her out of the box. She just said, "this is unfixable." She said she would take care of it. It was very very sad and left me tearing up like that cat was my own...I'm a sucker for kittens - any small cute animals really. But yeah, that was the low part of the week.
Well, that is kind of a downer to leave ya'll on. Sorry! But that is the life of a missionary sometimes. We find wierd things. But, I love you all! Thanks for all the encouragement you give me. It helps a lot!
Love, Elder Edwards
YES! We did have a baptism yesterday! Grandma got baptized. Her daughter was the only member of the family and she was baptized about a month and a half ago. Grandma is awesome! I will most likely be confirming her next week. Elder Gardner baptized her. It was awesome! In her service a recently re-activated member, who is awesome and still very young in the gospel, gave a really well written talk. Then Grandma's daughter gave her first talk and it was great! She used about 6 or 7 scriptures and explained them very well. Elder Gardner and I did a special musical number, "I Feel My Savior's Love". I love that song! Good 'ol Primary. It was pretty bad though. Elder Gardner started an octave too high, which kinda ruined it...I even played the starting not for him! (Yes, I have learned how to read music for the piano. I still suck playing with multiple fingers though. However, I can play the WHOLE first line to Joseph Smith's First Prayer with all the fingers and whatnot. Pretty cool, huh?) But, the baptism was great. We have another baptism this coming Sunday as well for Michael. He is going to get married on Saturday and then baptized on Sunday. I will be the one baptizing him. He is HUGE - about 6'2" and 260-270 pounds! It'll be interesting. He will be the first baptism that I actually perform. It'll be a day of firsts because I will be confirming Grandma that day too. I love being a missionary!! Grandma and Des (her daughter) have 3 kids living with them. One is De's son and he is 8. Then she has 2 nieces living there - Safron (15) and B'do (11). Safron and B'do really want to be baptized too, so now. This will be a good transfer.
Speaking of transfers today - nothing hardly happened at all in my zone. We have 5 companionships in the zone, including Gardner and I, and only 1 of those companionships were changed. They were "whitewashed" out, and sister missionaries are being transferred in. I know who one of the sisters are because she was in my district in Napa when she was a greenie. I am still a zone leader with Elder Gardner. So, we were both expecting a lot to change, but nothing did - haha!
Well, I am happy to hear that my puppy is still acting like a puppy! I love that boy. I have to find some pets here that can equate to him, but that's impossible. Grandma has a 2 year old rotweiler who is just the biggest sweety ever! Her name is Luna and she's a good dog. Although, she doesn't give kisses which is a set back, but when we're over there, she follows me around. I actually got her to come out to the truck with me one night after teaching grandma (Luna is grandma's dog) and I got Luna to hop up in the passenger side of the car and I drove up by the house while everyone was saying goodbye. Grandma had a fit! It was pretty funny. Luna was happy to take off with me. They have 3 dogs (Luna, 1 very calm and sweet chihuaha, and 1 wierd dog that is also chill) and 1 kitty that the found. We named her Garfield Scott Gardner. Garfield is Elder Gardner's nickname (because he's a redhead) and Scott for my middle name and then Gardner's middle name because they love him. That cat is the most chill cat I've ever met! I love him.
Which reminds me of a very sad kitty story -- Mom beware! This made me cry. We were up checking on one of our investigators in the hills and we went down to his house (it's kinda hidden and it smells TERRIBLE down there). It smells everywhere in Clearlake, but it smelled way bad there. And we heard this very very faint "meow" and we looked and it was this tiny kitten - not more than 4 months old - with an orange and white face and really green eyes walking toward us. The only thing was tht this poor kitty's 2 back legs were broken and black. She wasn't walking on her paws, she was walking on her whole leg. This was the second time we saw this cat. We saw her a week earlier and we freaked out and left because we didn't know whst to do, but this time was different. I couldn't stand seeing that kitty like thts. So this guy's house is a huge mess and there were some empty boxes around. I got one with some newspaper on the bottom of it and there was a gross towel there too and I scooped up the kitty and put her in the box. She tried to get out at first but I just stroked her head, and as soon as we got in the car and started driving she calmed down and didn't try to get out - it's almost as if she knew what was happening. I was crying on the way back. I just stroked the kitty's head and she was purring a bit. There was some blood streaks on the newspaper because her back side was very messed up. We got to the animal hospital and the vet looked at her immediately and she took her out of the box. She just said, "this is unfixable." She said she would take care of it. It was very very sad and left me tearing up like that cat was my own...I'm a sucker for kittens - any small cute animals really. But yeah, that was the low part of the week.
Well, that is kind of a downer to leave ya'll on. Sorry! But that is the life of a missionary sometimes. We find wierd things. But, I love you all! Thanks for all the encouragement you give me. It helps a lot!
Love, Elder Edwards
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