Fall Is Coming

Parents,

I love California weather. As you both have talked about droughts and crazy hot and humid weather, I was just thinking how much I love it here! This past week, it never even got close to 90. It's been in the high 60s and 70s all week, and it's been super sunny every day! At night, the fog and clouds roll in from the ocean which causes it to cool off to the 50s, then the fog usually lingers around until 10 or 11 and then it all goes away and it leaves us with a perfectly sunny day of about 70 degrees with a nice breeze. I love it! Depending on how long the fog lingers around effects the temperature of the day. We had our ward picnic this last Saturday and the fog stayed in until about 1, and it was in the mid 60s all day. It was glorious!

Before I forget, because I know I will, can ya'll send my a nice electrical shaver? I'm tired of using a razor blade every day... It gets very monotonous. Yes dad, I have to shave daily now. Crazy, huh? When I get home, expect me to grow out a very very patchy... something. I wouldn't call it a beard, or anything similar, but it is something. Also, concerning picking me up after my mission. I know that mom said that she'd rather me come home and get my foot fixed and whatnot and THEN go out to visit. I'm curious to what you think dad. My thinking is, trying to be realistic, when I come home in January, there is hardly any chance that I'll be able to get my foot fixed right away between getting x-rays and whatever on it to see how it's doing, then the actual surgery and recovery which undoubtedly will take at least 1 1/2 months plus rehab. And, knowing you both, we'll do some kind of vacation which will take a week as well, and with me going back to school April 30th, plus getting a place to stay and whatnot... I just think that it doesn't leave much time to do all that much. You all might think different, but that's what I think at least. So, let us continue to discuss. Talk it over amongst yourselves, and pray about it. I'll do whatever you want, but I would like to get back out here ASAP. So whether, we come together when you pick me up, or we wait until the week between the Spring and Summer Terms, I'm going to go for a weekend or something when I'm at school. That was a lot to say about not much, huh?

Anyway, now to my report on the week. We had a really good week! It was a bit slower though. We dropped a few of our 'gators that had baptismal dates mostly because I haven't even met them yet and I've been here like 4 weeks now (that went by really fast!). We have T, a little 10 year old (he isn't that little) Laotian is getting baptized this coming Saturday! We are very excited! And then Tony is going to get baptized the week after that! So, we are very excited about that. Tonight we are having a big Laotian Family Home Evening at our Stake President's home, I am excited for that too! The Laotians have taught us a bit of Lao... I can't spell the words that they taught me, but I know how to say "cry baby," "hello, how are you," "goodbye," "I'm hungry," "thank you very much," "dog," "come here," and that's about it! It's fun to learn that language. It's crazy to listen to as well. Elder Evans and i are still getting along great, good things are happening and we certainly recognize the Lord's hand in this work that we are doing. Despite losing some investigators, we see the miracles that are being performed. About 2 weeks ago now, I started reading "Jesus The Christ." Holy cow, that book is MASSIVE! I've had it with me my whole mission, and I've attempted to read it once, but only got to page 12..... but this time around, I just seems to have a greater knowledge and understanding and I love it! It is such a great book! If either of you haven't read it, DO IT! There are 42 chapters, and I'm on chapter 16 I think, and I get through about a chapter or 2 a day. I have learned so much about the Savior and His life, it's a great book! Read it! I have so much that I want to read when I get home... I'm excited!

Anyway, nothing else to report on. Things are going well, it's hard to believe that another transfer is almost over! Elder Evans got his "pink slip" this week too. The Pink Slip is a pink piece of paper that missionaries get when they are only a few months from going home. It's just a thing that we need to fill out about what airport we are going home to and everything so that the church can begin to book flights. It is a big moment in the life of a missionary. Elder Evans is only 1 transfer out longer than me, so I expect to receive my pink slip next transfer. That's a weird feeling! Time flies...

I love you both, thank you very much for your encouragement and support. Remember to please send me an electrical shaver, that would be SO greatly appreciated. You can send it to the address that you have. Thank you dad for your little notes that you send me too. Which reminds me, I wrote a letter to gma a few months back, and I lost her address so I haven't ever been able to send it yet......... I know I'm bad! But, I wrote her! The letter is stamped and everything, I just need to put an address on it. So, if you could send me that, that would be great and let her know that I haven't forgotten about her!

My Address here is 155 Stony Point Rd., #15, Santa Rosa, CA 95401.

Love,
Elder Brennan

Time Flies Like an Arrow. Fruit Flies Like a Banana.

Dear Parents,

Did you enjoy that picture of my foot? Yeah, something is pretty
messed up down there. It's not discolored anymore, or nearly as
swollen. But, it still hurts. I don't have to wear a brace anymore (I
wore a brace for a few weeks following the initial injury) and I am
able to run on it and everything, but if I turn a weird way on it, it
hurts pretty bad. I'm excited to get that thing chopped open and
fixed! Which, I want to do ASAP when I get back... if it's the very
next day, that's fine with me! I want it fixed!

In other news. It's been another great week of work. We are working
with a lot of Laotian families here in Santa Rosa. There used to be a
Branch, but it was dissolved and after that, all the Laotians just
stopped going to church. So, we're in the process of getting that
going again. Those people from Laos sure do make good egg rolls!!!

I think you both asked me a few questions, but I forget now what they
were... Elder Evans and I get along great! We work very well together
and we have fun, it is a really good companionship. We don't really
have any contention at all, it's great! Yes we are in a car. I haven't
been in a bike area since last summer in Fairfield. The zone is
decently close, Vacaville was a LOT closer. We still have to drive
about 15-30 minutes to get to some areas, but all around it's pretty
close.

We are going to have a few more baptisms coming up in a few
weeks! One is a 10 year old Laotian named T. He is such a good
kid. He has a learning disability, so it is really hard for him to
retain things, but he will be getting baptized on September 1! Then,
we're working with a 25 year old newly wed named T. He just married
a member who has been LA, and since they got married and pregnant,
they've been to church every week for the past 4 weeks! T is so
awesome!!! He is such a sincere guy, he's Mexican, but grew up in
Santa Rosa. He went to a party Saturday night for his cousins b-day
and it's his culture to drink beer, but he didn't that night! He
really wants to quit. He is so solid; golden is what we call him! He
is getting baptized September 8th! Although, he could be baptized this
week if he really wanted... But we don't want him to feel rushed! He
is so awesome! I love T!

Something I wanted to ask today... It's not for money, no worries!
But, would you both want to come pick me up from my mission? I could
get a field release and then immediately I can take you around the
mission to all my areas? Think about that. Becuase I'm not sure when
I'd be able to get you'll out here, and that seems to be a good time.
It'll still be winter here, so it most likely will be super rainy (it
didn't hardly rain this last winter when I was up north and it's
supposed to rain there nonstop for months). So, think about that, and
let me know what you think!

I don't think I need anything at the moment. Also! The mission office,
for whatever reason isn't forwarding mail anymore... So you can still
send it there, and it's not a problems because I'm in Santa Rosa, but
if I get transferred again, which is still a possibility, send it
directly to my address.

I love you both very much! Thank you for all that you do. Take care of
my puppy!!!!!!!!!!!

Love,
Elder Brennan

Santa Rosa

Moms and Pops,

Whew! 19 months goes by FAST! So, are you ready for some revelation
that I have received this week? Great. Well, after praying about it,
having a battle in my head, and talking with President Alba, I have
decided to stay out until January 14th. So, plan on that. I have been
debating in my head if it it is right, but I know that it's what I
need to do. So, there ya have it! Go ahead and tell everyone that
thinks I'm coming home in December. Thanks!

This week has been good. Another PACKED week! All we do is go from
appointment to appointment, it's awesome. A lot of the time the
appointments fall through, but that's okay, we usually make something
out of it. Lately, we've been trying to visit all the families from
Laos. There are a ton of them in Santa Rosa. We are going to be
starting up a Laos group in the stake, so we're trying to gather them
all together. They're super nice people. School hasn't quite started
up just yet, I think they start this week? It's weird, I feel like
school just barely got out. I bet Shelley is excited.... haha! The
weather here is awesome too! It's been hot lately, but not like
Vacaville. Here, there is a nice cool breeze and it begins to cool off
around 6:00. At night, it cools off a LOT. I love it! Perfect weather.
We have a few awesome investigators here too. One is a 10 year old
Laos kid that hasn't been baptized, and he's come to church 2 weeks in
a row with his Aunt now! Woo! His Aunt wasn't very active but, she's
getting back into it now. And the other is a 23 year old newely wed,
and he is so excited to get baptized and go to the temple. His date is
for September 8th, he is awesome! We have good people that we're
working with here, I'm excited for the next few weeks.

Elder Evans is a great missionary too. We get along great and we work
really well together. I seem to get the missionaries that are a bit
frantic. In the sense that they are very analytical about everything
and they demand perfection out of themselves and if they don't get it,
they stress out. I'm a very mellow person, so it's good for them.
Apparantly I've been able to help out Elder Evans a lot.

So, that's my week. Not much else to report on, other than Elder Evans
thinks I'm a good singer (he is maybe 1 of 5 people that have told me
that) and he told our ward music person, and now they want me to sing
in sacrament............ You can imagine my feelings haha. I'll do it,
but not alone, I'm going to drag someone else in to do it with me.
Luckily, if it sucks, you'll never know because the congregation
doesn't clap! So, that's a positive way to look at it I guess. We'll
see what happens.

Love you both so much! I don't know if Shelley knows that I go
moved... my new address is 155 Stony Point Rd. #15
Santa Rosa, CA 95401

Love,
Elder Edwards