FORTUNA

Dear papa,

 

You get your own personal email today! Mom is late on her email... But to not keep you in suspense... I have been transferred. I will be going up to Fortuna. It's like 30-40 minutes south of Eureka. I will be a DL there with a pretty new missionary, only been out 3 months. I will cover the Fortuna Ward and the Miranda branch. The area that I cover is HUGE. I'm pretty isolated out there. But I am so excited!! It has been hard to say bye to people here though, man I love these people so much! But, it's time for me to move on. I have received a spiritual confirmation that Heavenly Father is happy with the work that I have done here. I've had the incredible opportunity to be a part of 8 people's conversions. It truly has been amazing. My mission now feels like it is FLYING by... only just over a month until I'm on the other side of the ladder and I'm climbing down... Hard to believe.

 

Anyway, so what happened with football???? I guess mom will give me the hook up.

 

The only thing that sucks about being transferred, is that I'll be spending Thanksgiving with people that I don't know. It's gonna be weird... But thats how it goes sometimes. I am way excited for Thanksgiving though! I'm going to eat so so much! Woo!

 

As for your un-edifying thoughts about the future and money and whatnot. 1 scripture comes to mind... look up 3 Nephi 13 and read the last like 3 or 4 verses. Think about that. I'm sure you already know though, but it'll bring peace of mind.

 

We got to go to the temple this last week! It was sweet!!! I love the temple... Now that I'll be in Fortuna, I will be going to the Medford Temple up in Oregon. Crazy huh!?

 

So yesteday was a great way to end a transfer. We had another baptism! A 16 year old kid, named Kyle, was baptized and his friend who is a member baptized him. Kyle is already talking about serving a mission. It's so sweet!! I can't get over it! Man, being a missionary is the best thing ever! You guys should go serve as senior missionaries!

 

Anyway, love you pops, you're the best. Thank you for the birthday wishes. It doesn't feel like my birthday at all... but that's okay. I'll talk to you next week and tell you all about Fortuna.

 

Love,
Elder Edwards

TRANSFERRED

Moms,

 

Hey! You are WRONG! I'm emailing so early because I don't know if I'll be able to email in my new area! I'm going to Fortuna. It's up north. About 4 hours north of Santa Rosa. I will be a DL and I'll be a "mom" I will be my companions next companion after his trainer, his trainer is his dad, and I will be his mom. Cool huh? President called me and said he has a lot of trust in me and the missionary. I'm so excited though! I can't wait! I am really sad to be leaving Clearlake though... I had the great opportunity to be a part of 8 baptisms here! The missinoary that I'm replacing in Fortuna was a former AP so he is a solid guy too... I did all my goodbye's yesterday to all my peeps, and I got all my pictures with them... I'll have to send them to you tomorrow or tonight (if i'm on doing online work). But up in my new area I will be covering both the Fortuna Ward and the Miranda Branch. My area is massive! It's just south of Eureka. It's on the coast and in the redwoods.It's a tiny little fishing town apparently.

 

Anyway, glad to hear that BYU killed! Are they ranked at all? Go Browns!

 

I will be getting the package that you sent today when I go to Santa Rosa to be moved up to Fortuna. We all meet in Santa Rosa for our transfer and then we all go to our area from there. It doesnt feel like my birthday at all... It just feels like it's gonna be another week. I hope you didn't spend a lot of money on me... you need it to feed that army that you're housing. So yeah... 20 years old, all you're kids now are "adults." Officially at least... not mentally or emotionally, or even physically haha. Although, it only takes 24 hours for me to get some good scruff on my chin now and I have to shave every day :)

 

I hope you have a great week with all the family over! I'm jealous. I'll be spending my thanksgiving with people that I've just barely met. Hopefully it won't be too awkward. I'll just have to put on my "bubbly" personality. Can a guy be bubbly?

 

I love ya moms, you're the best! Give Max my love... We had dinner last night at our Bishop's house and he has 2 german shepherds. One is an all black shepherd tha is 8 years old, and the other is a 1 1/2 year old pup. I spent my time with them instead of mingling. The little one, Bella, was perched up on my lap. She thinks she is a lap dog, as does Max. Man I miss that boy! Take good care of him!!!

 

Love you!

 

Love,

Elder Brennan

November 14, 2011

Pops and Moms,

 

Can you believe that I've been out on my mission now for 10 months? Only 2 more until I hit my year mark, and then I'm on the other side of the ladder... It's crazy!

 

As for Evan's blog... I loved it of course! I miss that kid... I've been following it for a while. He's become quite the poet writer/Christian. I stay in touch with him somwhat... as well as Tyler. I never thought that I'd ever get in touch with Tyler again, but yet he's still writing me :) It makes me feel good. I'm excited to see both of them when I come home.

 

We had a great weekend! We had 2 baptisms! Becky and her son Sean both were baptized! The Bishop baptized Becky and I baptized Sean. I love it so much! This is what missionary work is all about... Clearlake is an awesome place, so many people are ready to be baptized here, I'm up to 7 baptisms just in Clearlake. It's been a privilege. The Lord has blessed me. We have some awesome people, our "pipeline" is full. We have a 16 year old kid that we're baptizing next week, he wants to serve a mission too! This is the last week of this transfer, so we'll see on Friday what's happening with me. And, we get to go to the temple on Friday! I'm excited!!! Have you guys still been going to the temple???? WEEKLY?

 

What is Indy going to do? I heard a rumor that Peyton might go to the Redskins? Tell the Colts they either need to keep him (that would be nice) or send him to the Browns... Those are the only options I will allow. Hey, I went golfing again today and I hit my first PAR on a PAR 3! Man, that felt good haha.

 

I'm jealous ya'll got to go to Las Vegas... I've never been there. President Bunker is from Las Vegas actually... He loves that place. He loves Kobe too....... This is a direct quote from President Bunker during Zone Leader Council, "You will one day come to know that Kobe was one of the 3 Nephites!" Hahaha I don't remember what we were talking about in there, but I remember him saying that ... it was awesome.

 

Anywho... Nothing too intense has happened lately... I keep thinking of things that I could need, but then I forget. So, I must not need them that badly. I could still use some socks.................. I just need a bunch of black nike dry-fit mid calf socks, then I'll be good. I can use those for every day socks too. If you're gonna send anything for my birthday, then remember that it is very possible that I could be transferred on Monday, so send your package on Monday or Tuesday. Again, I don't really care that much about receiving anything. I'd rather you guys save the money and then get me a nice big present when I get home! :) Either way, it's all good. 20 years... that's crazy! Blew my mind earlier today... weird.

 

I love you guys! Thanks for being the best parents ever!!! Have a great week!

 

Love,

Elder Brennan

Testimony

 HEY!

 

We had a FANTASTIC week! It all ended with Bryce's baptism. He wasn't 9 so it didn't count as a convert baptism, oh well. But our week was incredible! We found 7 more people who are ready for the gospel! We taught 25 lessons as well, it was awesome!

 

Golf today was freaking awesome! Like I told you, the course we go to is a 9 (PAR 33) hole course that if we want we can do it again for 18 (PAR 66). I got a 54 on the first 9 and then a 48 on the second 9, to make 105 for the whole 18!!! Improvement! It just feels great to go out on a nice chilly but sunny morning and play golf. I love it and I can't wait to challange you (dad)...(well I guess I could challange mom, maybe she's playing behind all of our backs) and take you down! I hope I retain my skill when I'm home though. It was a good day though. Yes mom I'm driving carefully... for the most part :) I like trucks... I'm coming to like the Chevy Colorado LT's quite a bit. They're nice. But I do miss the good 'ol stick shift... Anyway!

 

Fairfield feels like a lifetime ago... It doesn't only seem like 4 1/2 months since I was there with Elder Carter.  I don't remember telling you I enjoyed my apartment... it's ugly and gross. They're planning on moving us out here soon though. I love Elder Smithfield... (Elder Gifford). Elder Anderson and I get along very well still, hopefully it continues that way! We have 2 weeks left in the transfer (it went by that fast?!?!?!), and seeing as it's my 3rd transfer here I'm 50-50 on whether I can stay or go. We'll see I suppose! I'm trying not to worry about it, but I have a feeling that I'll leave, mostly because there are so many great things that are about to happen. Next week though, we should have 3 baptisms!!! Isn't that awesome!

 

So, I just want to end my letter with my testimony. It blows my mind everytime I think about how it's grown. I am just truly grateful to be out here today. As I look back on my life and my choices (many of which have been poor) I can see the Lord's hand in preparing me for this day. I go back to Ohio, and being blessed to have had Logan Bird and Ryan Call around to be my example. Although I didn't always follow their example, they set the standard and I secretly wanted to be like them. Then it started when we moved. If we would have stayed in Ohio, I possibly would have strayed down a very long and dark path that I'm not sure I would have recovered from. Moving to Belgium is what set me straight. I still had many struggles and trials, and I still fell to many of the same temptations, but something was different. It may have been the support I had from others of my age in the church, or whatever, but something was different. I had a desire to learn and know for myself of what everyone claimed to be true. I admit I never really felt anything in church or when I read the Book of Mormon or when I prayed, but I have come to the knowledge that I didn't allow myself to. I wasn't open. I didn't have sincerity, intent, and faith. I was going through the motions. Christ cannot change someone who is unwilling. I began to be softened, a big part of it was by your example, both of you. Dad, you were the perfect father anyone could ask for and you were an example of how a priesthood holder should live; mom, you showed me how to live my life right and how I should handle certain situations. Most importantly though, you both loved me for me, despite of my mistakes. You both were there to pick me up when I fell. Then, I began to feel the Spirit. Like Alma teaches us in Alma 32, I exercised a particle of faith and I had a DESIRE to believe. I began to read the Book of Mormon, and I began to pray. My conversion was not something that happened all at once. Looking back, it was a very gradual change. Even when I got to college, I had a testimony, sure, but it wasn't what I wanted it to be yet. I used the newly gained faith that I had developed and inquired of the Lord about a mission, and I received my answer. Here I am today, stronger than I have ever been in my entire life. I can say that I have been truly converted to the gospel of Jesus Christ. I know, without the slightest shadow of a doubt, that Joseph Smith was a prophet of God, and that the Book of Mormon IS another withness of Jesus Christ. God lives, He loves me, He loves all of us despite our weaknesses. I have felt that love over and over again, from reading the scriptures and from your constant support and love that you give me. I am so grateful to be where I am today. Never will I go back to who I was. I will make mistakes, I know, but that is why Christ is there to pick us up when we fall. His hand is always extended towards me, and I have learned that it is up to ME to reach out and grab it. I love this gospel, I love my Savior, and I love you both. Thank you for your example to me. Have a great week! :)

 

Love,

Your son

October 31, 2001

Parent Dears,

Ya'll are lucky that I have time to write you after reading those monster emails. I was aware that the Cardinals won the World Series...in fact, I saw the last 3 innings. We were at a LA's house that we're working on to quit smoking (he hasn't smoked in about 15 days now!) so that he can get the Melchizedek Priesthood and he makes us watch...it was good. I heard about Game 6. The LA told us ALL about it. It was awesome to hear. Glad to hear about OSU too! Finally they can win...BYU has been doing pretty well too lately from what I hear. TCU is usually real good, so at least they didn't get killed.

Miracles continue to happen with Elder Anderson and myself. We have 5 people with a baptismal date right now and we had 5 investigators at Church. Bryce (De's son) is getting baptized this coming Sunday. Then on the 13th we'll have 3 more baptisms. Then if things work out we should have 2 more on the 20th. Things are so awesome right now!

So tonight is Halloween...we're doing nothing. Pres. doesn't want us out proselyting or knocking doors or anything, so we're gonna go to the Church and play ball. President HATES Halloween...he says  he says it's a Satanic holiday hahaha he's a funny guy. We had a meeting with him on Friday called Zone Leader Council, all the Zone Leaders in the mission meet together and have a big council with president. It was awesome! Pres was fired up! He is a VERY passionate man, and also very very inspired. I love that guy! He only has 8 months left... I love being able to have a somewhat personal relationship with him. Anyway, it was awesome!

 

Today we went and golfed 9 holes this morning. I'm improving! My drives still are terrible, in the sense that I seem to have an extremely bad case of slicing... I don't know what to do, I always seem to slice the ball. But, my fairway hits with the irons have improved greatly! I almost got PAR on a PAR 4! I had a decent drive, hit 2 5 irons on the fairway and made it onto the green in 3 hits... but then my putting got the best of me... I ended up getting a Bogie. But I felt good! Just like you said pops, I had some very good hits, and some not so good hits... I only lost 1 or 2 balls this time! It's pretty easy to lose balls because there is a creek with tons of trees that surrounds the course and most of the greens have this ditch/stream/forest behind them, and along the right side of the holes (for those that slice like me) to lose balls. Oh well, I improved! I hit a 52 on it, and it's a PAR 33. I'm getting better!

 

I hope ya'll have a good week! I love you guys so much! Thank you for all the support that you give me. I still need some more socks!

 

Love,

Elder Brennan

October 24, 2011

Dear Parentals,

Well, it was great to hear from you. I'm so glad that I'm missing out on the Colts sucking! That makes me feel better, or else I would just be angry all the time. But today, Anderson and I went and played some golf this morning early early. We teed off at about 8:00. We were the first ones on the course. Man am I having trouble slicing the ball! It's terrible. But again I'm not good enough to get angry, right? I didn't really focus on my score today. I just focused on my form and my swing trying to hit the ball straight...

Anywho...we had a great week. We set another baptismal date with a lady that we picked up last week. She is solid. We had a Trunk-or-Treat last night and we managed to have 6 investigators there! Man, it was awesome! But, at church we only had 1 and then another showed up for the last hour. Things are looking up for us here. I wouldn't be surprised if we had another 4-6 baptisms in the next 3 months here. I'm not being prideful or anything, I'm just confident in the Lord and His promises that if we are diligent, obedient and faithful, He will provide us with miracles. So, things are going great.

This week was crazy for us. We went on 2 exchanges right in a row. On Tuesday we had exchanges with the APs and I went with Elder Ames (he is going home in November) and I went to his area called Shiloh Park in Santa Rosa. Their area is actually the southern half of Windsor and the northern tip of Santa Rosa. It was a good exchange. Elder Ames is crazy, haha, but it was good. Then when I came back "home" (it's so wierd that I think Clearlake is my home...) and we immediately went on another exchange with the Elders in Lakeport. It was a busy week, and it went by really fast.

I got your package mom. Thank you! I never eat all of the cookies, so I usually end up hiding them in people's desk drawers and they find a nice surprise.

I'm really happy to hear about the Cardinals! Wooo! I wish I was there to see them play. I really miss sports and stuff....Hmmmm, I don't know what else to write about and the Sisters are waiting on me (weird...it's usually the other way around).

I love you guys! Keep being awesome to me!

Love,
Elder Brennan