Dear Parentals,
Well, as you see from the title, we had another baptism on Saturday!!! It was a guy named A. He is a bigger fella, not as in tall, but as in circumference. We had a little crisis because he couldn't fit into the biggest white jumper that I found in the men's bathroom, so we were all scrambling to figure out what to do, luckily, someone went into the women's room and found a bigger one (weird) that he could fit in. He had to be baptized forward instead of back because he walks with a cane and wasn't as stable. So, one of our members that is fellowshipping him baptized him and the first time A just leaned over and our member just tried to shove him underwater... it was a little humorous to me haha. Our member told him to bend his knees and then just go down. It worked a lot better the second time. I had the privelege to confirm him a member of the church yesterday, it was awesome! Al is so solid. We knocked on his door about 5 weeks ago, and we set up a time to see him the following week. He left us a note saying that he wasn't there. We lost track of him for another week (so now 2 weeks have gone by since we found him) and after visiting a LA member that lived across the street we felt as if we should knock on his door again to see if he's home. He was! Since that day, we've taught him about 2-3 times for the next 2 weeks. We had our first sit down lesson with him on a Saturday, and he came to church the next day and said he LOVED it. He said he felt right at home. He said he couldn't be baptized because he doesn't know enough but after we explained that he doesn't need to know every thing that he can be baptized, to which he responded, "how soon can I be baptized?" He was baptized just a week and a half later. He read every thing that we gave him, he's watched all the movies, he knows the Book of Mormon is true and that Joseph Smith is a prophet. When we talked about President Monson, we showed him President Monson's latest General Conference talk and after it was over, Al just sat there smiling and he said "I could listen to him all day." I love being a missionary!!
We have a few other awesome people on their way to the waters of baptism as well. We have a 14 year old girl that we're working with still, she is literally right on the cusp! The smallest little gust of wind would push her over into the water! She said she's going to pray about it (we taught her last night and said that she's ready to be baptized now). She does every thing that we invite her to do; read, pray, come to church (she lives with her grandparents and they're active members and her legal guardians). She even asks us to give her more reading to do! I love it. We got a referral last night from missionaries up in Arcata for a part-member family (the husband is a NM) here in Fortuna. We knocked on their door last night and the wife is a LA lady that is getting back to church and her husband is searching and is super nice and sincere. He said he'll read from the Book of Mormon with his wife and kids... He'll be baptized before too long as well. As you can see, good things are happening!
Oh, I'm not being transferred by the way. Me and Elder Christensen are staying together for another 6 weeks. He makes me run every day... but, I dropped a hole on my belt!
So dad, tell me, did mom hold it together when she spoke at ward conference? I'm glad I give you a lot to talk about moms, I hope you didn't embarrass me too much... well, I suppose it's okay, as long as they don't remember anything when I come home.
That experience that you had at the temple is awesome, pops! It's like the church is true or something? Weird. Me and Elder Christensen watched a video this morning for our study about temples, it's called Between Heaven and Earth. It's a sweet movie. I wish I could go to the temple more often... Only once a quarter isn't enough!!! I can only go to the temple 3 more times for the rest of my mission! That is weird... I also only have 7 transfers left. This is really trippin me out....
So this week, Elder Christensen and I have to teach all the WML's in the stake at the leadership meeting. Because we're zone leaders, the high councilman over missionary work thinks that we know what we're doing... just kidding! We're going to teach on how members and missionaries can work better together and be unified in the work. A lot of the members just say, "well we got missionaries to bring people into the church!" But, it's as much of a job for the members as it is for us... We are only part-time missionaries really, we don't get to stay in an area longer than 6 months. It's frustrating when a ward doesn't wanna work well with you. Like for Al's baptism, we had just a handful of people there after it was announced in church, and after I posted 3 or 4 reminders on the FB page for the ward, and after the worldwide leadership training broadcast we reminded the leaders and auxiliaries to stay (our baptism was just an hour after it was over)... but they didn't. It's extremely frustrating. Our bishop, WML, the person baptizing A, and A were all there though! So, that's a start. The bishop's wife was there, our WML's family was there and the 14 year old girl that we're teaching, her grandpa was there. That was about it... oh, and the sister missionaries from Eureka came with their investigator who is getting baptized soon was there. So, yeah... work with the missionaries there in Chesterfield!!!!!! At least feed them good food, and turn the tv off when they come over (it is AMAZINGLY distracting...).
Anywho, despite the lack of ward-ness (at a loss of words to describe it) I love this area and the little branch in Miranda. They have special permission to find and teach people down there, and they're working with a girl now. We're going to pick her up as an 'gator on Sunday when we go down there. We'll set a baptismal date, and it'll all be gravy!
I got your package, thank you! I enjoyed it, so did Elder Christensen. His birthday is tomorrow (on Valentines Day). His parents haven't sent him anything, but I'm glad that I got your package so I could share with him. He enjoys the cookies, as do I.
I don't think I have anything else... I'm glad that my blogs are being read a little bit... I hope that they are good and edifying! I'll be writing another one this week. On what? I'm not sure, I guess you'll have to find out.
I love you guys! Enjoy this massive letter that I have written. Have a great week!
Love,
Elder Brennan
