I'm Still Alive

Peter and Charlotte,

Well, yes, I've been transferred to Santa Rosa. My companion is Elder
Bo Evans, from Shelley, ID. He has been out just 1 month more than me.
He is a very loving and compassionate guy. I am SO excited to be here
in Santa Rosa serving with him!

Now, thank you for the tongue whipping mom! Haha. I want you both to
know that I have a good head on my shoulders. I know what's important,
and I know what I need to do. It is confirmed, I will be attending BYU
in April for the Spring term. Also, I kinda do need to be worrying
about that now, because if I don't, I'm not going to be able to
register for the classes that I want to take, and I won't be able to
live where I want to live. Which, I may live with Elder Bacon in
Provo. That's where he's from. He actually just went home today... He's
done with his mission. Weird.

That's really weird to think about Spencer being married. Tell him congrats for me!

How are Colin and Tanner doing? I didn't get a report on them.

I got the package just in time! Thank you! I really enjoy the socks
and ties. I sure do love ties... The cookies were amazing as usual as
well. I don't know what my new address is yet, so stay tuned for that.
Just send all things to the mission office, seeing as I'm only like 15
minutes from it. Boy, that's nice. No more hour long drives to go to
Zone Conferences! I could use some new shirts... mine have lasted
forever, I'm really surprised. But, they are getting gross and they're
ripping... but stay tuned on that, I want to try and go the rest of my
mission without new shirts.

I don't really have all that much to say, I've only been in Santa Rosa
for a few hours now. I will have more to report on next week after I
get a little bit better acquanted with the area. I love you both very
much! Thank you for all that you do. I will talk to you next week!

Love,
Elder Edwards

P.S. President Bell is an incredible man. I'm happy you were able to
talk with him. He is one of the biggest inspirations for me, him and
President Bunker are up there... Pres. Bell's service in the church
will not end at just the Stake level.

OH! Also, I really really hurt my ankle again this week. There are
pictures on my camera, which I plan on sending sometime soon... I got
pictures printed, so now I just need to send the card. It was bad...
It was gross... But, I think that just made the need for surgery on my
ankle that much more necessary. I'm sick of hurting it!

Un Otra Semana (Another Week)

Mis Padres,

So, in an attempt to answer you concerns about me, well... I wish I had a definite answer for you haha. The cause for my...whatever you want to call it... may be because of a few things. One, President Bunker leaving and the changes that are taking place with President Alba. Two, having investigators constantly say and promise us that they'll be at church, and then when Sunday rolls around, no one is there. That is extremely disappointing. Three, yes Elder Buchan and I get along GREAT, but... that is also our downfall. I feel that I haven't been the missionary that I need to be. But, things are looking up in that arena. So, it may be one of those things, or it may be all of them combined. I don't know. Like I said, I don't have a definitive answer for you, but that's what's been going on lately.

Anyway, our week has been pretty good actually. We taught more lessons this week to investigators, rather than LA's or RC's. I think I told you that we're also covering the Solano Ward, so that puts a bit more onto our plate. Yesterday, Elder Buchan and I split up for church, I went to Solano Ward and he stayed in 1st Ward. It was an interesting experience. We were supposed to have investigators at both wards, but the ones that promised us would be there... weren't. BUT! We did have 2 investigators show up to 1st Ward that we're teaching and they're progressing! I'm really excited for them. Yes, we went to the temple not too long ago, and I have good pictures from it! I keep meaning to send my card, but then I think about how I want to print off pictures from it, and I haven't done that yet. It'll happen eventually!

We had Zone Conference this week as well over in Woodland. It was a really really good one. One of the workshops that the assistants did really hit me hard. He talked about teaching repentance with love. He asked for a volunteer companionship to come up and teach that (role play), I volunteered for us. Then, he gave us the twist... The assistant was going to be someone close to me ...  That changed it so much more! Holy cow... it was a powerful experience.

This is the last week of the transfer. I don't know if I'm going to be transfered or not, we'll see! Of course, you'll find out on Monday or Tuesday.

I love you both. Thank you for your concern! I hope the packages that you send me get here before the transfer, if I get transfered. I hope you both enjoy a great week!

Love,

Elder Edwards

18 Months?

Parents,

Holy cow, has it really been over 18 months since I began my mission? Wow. Luckily, it's hard for me to comprehend the end, because it's still in the middle of summer and I have to get through Fall as well. I'm still fully invested! That reminds me, tell G-ma I'm getting her letters and also express my apologies for not responding... same thing with Shelley. Thank you.

Sounds like ya'll have had a pretty busy week between the pups and yard work. It is crazy here. I wish it was crazy in the sense that we had a ton of 'gators to teach, but that isn't the case yet. There are sister missionaries in the YSA ward in VV, and one of them had to go home for medical reasons, so the other sister got moved out. Now, Elder Buchan and I are covering the YSA Ward as well as 1st Ward. So, things are crazy. We went to the YSA Ward yesterday and it was really interestng. We also ticked off one of our members yesterday. She signed up for dinner, and we were going to dinner at a YSA's house because we were going to teach someone there, and because we've been so busy we forgot to call and cancel. So we called at 4:56 pm to cancel, right before we were supposed to go over, and boy... she was ANGRY. She talked in such a calm but angry voice. She said that if it were ya'll that ya'll would scold us because we were so rude... We should have called for sure, I get that, but holy cow! This is the FIRST time that this has happened since I've been here in VV... she said that she's never signing up to feed missionaries again (which is okay with me because the last time she did it was TERRIBLE). So, that was an interesting story for the week.

Other than that, we're still struggling with some of our investigators. We are struggling to find new investigators as well, but we're trying. There are only 2 weeks in the transfer left, and I don't think I'm going to be here very much longer. The transfer ends on the 30th. So, it'll be a good transfer, to see where I'm going, if I am at all.

Well, I hope ya'll have a great week! I love you both very much, thank you for your support!

Love,

Elder Brennan

President Alba

Moms and Pops,

Well, I'm starting to get used to the new mission president. I actually love him a LOT. He is the complete opposite of President Bunker. Bunker was straight up, fire in his eyes, and would yell and get you all pumped up and ready to run through a wall. President Alba is one of the most compassionate and loving men I have ever met. When I'm around him he makes me want to be more holy. We had our first Zone Leader Council this week with President Alba, and it was incredible. Multiple times during that meeting, the Spirit confirmed to me that President Alba is the man to preside over our mission. He is an incredible person. A few small changes have been made so far, nothing too major, some of which are church-wide. I'm excited to continue to work alongside President Alba.

As for our week, it's been good. We are still struggling at finding new investigators, but we're trying. We can't force people to listen to us, but we sure can invite, and that's what we do. It's good to hear that ya'll have yourselves a good pair of missionaries. It's interesting to see the member side of it, I don't know anything that the members have said about me here, or in my other areas. But, in reality, it doesn't matter, if I were to find out it would only be to gratify my pride. We do have a few super solid potential investigators though that some members are working with, so, hopefully this week we'll start teaching them.

The weather here is slowly heating up now. It's not humid, which helps, but it's still super hot. It's going to be getting into the triple digits here this week and the following weeks as well. Awesome... Luckily, I'm in a van! I don't know if I told ya'll about that, but Elder Buchan and I are the "soccer moms" for our zone. It's awesome. I went on exchanges this week to an area that was a bike... it was hot... I was drained at the end of the day because I sweat so much. Good stuff.

Anyway, nothing else too exciting has happened. At least not that I can recall. We're going to the temple this Wednesday in Sacramento. That is a beautiful temple.

Have a great week! I love you both very much.

 

Love, Elder Brennan

 

Farewell to President Bunker

Mom and Dad,

Today, it is hard for me to not be emotional. I just got done writing my last email to President Bunker. He leaves this week, and we welcome in President Alba. I can't describe the love that I have for President Bunker, that man has changed my life. I couldn't have ever asked for a better mission president to serve with. However great my love and devotion is to and for President Bunker, I look forward to serving alongside with President Alba.

It sounds like you all have a had a very active week! It's been pretty mild here this last week, it's been amazing. It's been in the 70s pretty much all week. But, that is not to last very long, it is supposed to get scorching hot here this week.

It has been another trying week. Not that we didn't teach a lot, but that all in a space of about 2-3 days we've lost a few solid investigators, including one who was going to get baptized shortly, and we have tracted into many anti-mormons. It has been tough, but I know that only after many trials and much testing do we become fully converted (look at conversion under the BD). My testimony has been strengthened talking to those that are quite anti, it has reaffirmed to me how apostasy occurs. They take many things out of context and twist them to sound terrible. Whenever we defended a point that they brought up and gave an adequate response, they would immediately change the subject. Elder Buchan and I have a goal of tracting 1000 doors this transfer, we are at about 100 right now... but we have 5 more weeks to get it done.

Your "tick island" sounds liked a horror story. I hate ticks... Dad, what is your work shop going to be on? I could give you some ideas! But, I guess you're doing it this week. Good luck!

I'm not too sure what else to say, I am filled with many emotions at this moment with President Bunker leaving. I'm sorry that this is somewhat of a "lame" email. No dad, I'm not discouraged about anything. I figured that you would worry because I wasn't my happy cheerful email self haha! But, things are good. Just a bit sad to see someone that has influenced my life to such an incredible extent leave. It is a bit hard. I'm a bit attached as you see! Anyway, I love you both. I hope that you have a very good and hopefully a not too exciting week (when there's excitement, it's usually not good). Give Maxy my loves.

Love,

Elder Edwards