Merry Christmas!

Da nzho' ((Pronounced Don-Joe) Jicarilla Apache for Hello)

This week has been crazy! Transfers were supposed to happen on Tuesday, but as a result of a ton of snow in Salt Lake and Denver, the new missionaries coming into the mission had to wait two more days to catch a flight. They finally came on Thursday. So The transfer was pushed back, for anyone not training, 'til Wednesday.

Wednesday Elder Goodell picked me up and we went to Dulce. It's about a 2 hour drive from Farmington to Dulce. As soon as we pulled into Dulce, I immediately fell in love. It's incredibly beautiful. Mountains be e'ry where! Let me just say, it does not feel like I'm serving on the rez. The houses are pretty good sized. They have a super market here that is super nice. it feels like an Albertson's. It's just a neat little place! We had the Brach Christmas party that evening as well. It was a lot of fun getting to know people in the branch.

Thursday, we had to drive down to Bloomfield for District Meeting. It was a good time! The drive back was... interesting. We started driving back, and about 30 minutes in, the gas light came on... We had to drive 30 minutes back to Bloomfield and get gas. So the 1 and 1/2 hour trip took 2 hours. it was unsettling. Elder Goodell and I handled it well. When we got back we had a dinner/ lesson with a part member couple, Christian Woody and Minnie Browning. We had a really good lesson with them and we committed Christian to be baptized. He said it's something he wants to do. We are pumped!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Friday was really slow. We have been doctoring a horses leg wound for Sister Tafoya. It's been fun to do that. He is a really good horse. He's only 1 year old, but he has been broken pretty well. He doesn't get scared very easily.

Saturday, we went and taught Koby. He's a 15 year old kid that is pretty interested in the gospel. We hope to put him on a baptism date sometime here pretty soon. He and his sister are the only ones who are investigating the church in their family. He is pretty awesome.

Sunday, we had a good sacrament meeting. Elder Goodell spoke. He pretty much rocked it. Last night we had a really awesome lesson with a less active named OJ. We discussed Alma 23. We talked about putting down our weapons of rebellion, and went into it deeper in 24 and talked about burying them. It was a good discussion. When we were at home last night preparing to call our numbers in for this week, a drunk guy came to our door and started yelling/ swearing/ drunkenly mumbling at us because he was mad that a. we wouldn't open the door b. we wouldn't give him a ride and c. we wouldn't let him sleep at our place. He left after about 5 minutes of us telling him no. It was definitely interesting.

This week has been a learning experience. I'm in a new area, with a way new culture, and new people. It's been awesome! I've learned so much about myself. This whole mission thing is pretty much the best thing I could've possibly done.

This work is the work of the Lord. We are nothing without him.

I'm excited for this transfer. We have a lot of people to work with, and it will keep us busy if we let it.

Ihedin (Thank you/ Goodbye) and a Merry Christmas,

--

Elder Breinholt

Missionary 

New Mexico Farmington Mission 

This Week!

I'm going to keep this relatively short.

Oh Farmington, Oh Farmington, I bid thee farewell, I'm going to the mountains of Dulce to dwell.

So this week, we had 21 lessons. and we found 5 new investigators. It's been pretty stinkin busy. I had a feeling I was going to be transferred, so I resolved to work harder than I ever had! It worked!!! I'm pleased with how things have been going in this area. Elder Davis will be taking over the area, with Elder Geilman. He will do well.

So yesterday was a little rough saying goodbye to so many people that i've grown so close to over the last 4 months. It was hard, but next transfer and Dulce will bring new experiences and a lot of new faces. It's going to be sweet!

I had a cool experience this morning. I decided to ask the Lord, "What lack I yet." The Spirit plainly and simply told me, "Work harder." So sort of baffled by the response I asked, "Work harder at what." The spirit said, "In your relationship with your companions, and spreading the work of the Lord." It was a pretty neat experience. I am going to try and focus on doing just that with this next transfer.

I've had a lot of good experiences this transfer, and am really quite sad to leave 4th ward. I'm really excited to move on to where the Lord needs me though. It's going to be sick!

Anyway, This church is true. The Book of Mormon is true. Jesus Christ is our savior and redeemer. This is his church and his work. We must do it his way, for there is no other way to do so. Keep the Faith, Love the Lord and Live the Truth

I bear my witness to the world in the name of Him whom I am called to represent, Jesus Christ the Son of God, Amen.

Deck the Elder!

Yo Yo Yo.

This week has been a good'n. (One of our investigators says good'n all the time. He's an old cowboy, and he is awesome!)

Tuesday, we went and taught Vicky Neal. We showed her the new Christmas Video, A Savior is Born. She really enjoyed it! We also had dinner with the Dollars. They are Less active, but super awesome none the less. We had a good visit with them with showing the Christmas video.  We also had a good lesson with John Valdez. It was super spiritual reading with him in the book of Alma regarding the Conversion of Lamoni. He really enjoyed the scriptural account and message that sends. 

Wednesday, we went on exchanges with the 8th ward elders. I was in 8th with eler Loucks from Morgan, UT. We walked the entire day. We met a guy (Super inactive, but really friendly and invited them (the 8th ward elders) back anytime) who is originally from Green River. I told him i was from Gillette, he said, "I'm sorry!" haha it was pretty funny.'

Thursday, we had District Meeting. We later went and saw Teresa Nelson. We taught her the last half of the restoration. She had a lot of good questions and I hope we answered them all in the like manner that Christ would. It was neat! We also saw John Valdez again. It was a great lesson as always. Full of testimony and the spirit. 

Friday, we did our Weekly Planning Sesh. It was awesome. We received a lot of sweet revelation regarding the Farmington 4th Ward. That led us to want to do some super hard work the next day, and this week. We went with Jared Haynie to go see Kenney Vogt, one of our recent converts. He was a little inebriated, but that's okay. He  is a very emotional drunk. He felt the spirit as did we. He knows the things he needs to do in order to change. He's almost there,  but when he gets there, he is going to be so successful. 

Saturday, we had a great day. We went on exchanges... again... but this time with the Zone leaders. It was awesome. I made Elder Hozman so tired with how hard we worked that day. We had a few really good lessons, but the thing I learned the most that day is... People open up to our message if we involve christmas with it. It was so neat to see people enjoy the new video. 

Sunday was a great day. We had a great fast and testimony meeting. The Casons, two of the greatest people to walk this earth, were sealed for time and all eternity in the Albuquerque Temple on Saturday. A little back story. Tom Cason was Baptized about 7 years ago, but before that was a heavy drinker. He was baptist and didn't have anything to do with the church. Lena and Tom were married in 2004. After years of praying, the Lord finally heard Lena's call. Tom received his endowment on Saturday and later was sealed to his wife. He told me of the experience, "I feel like I'm floating. The spirit was so strong in that room. I didn't want to leave. I am just so excited." I kinda said, "I told ya so." I told him that it would be the most amazingly rewarding experiences of his life. He didn't doubt for a second. I am so happy for that family. They are just phenomenal. Anyway, we also saw Ivan Mills. We went with Brother Gary Morris. Ivan is finally a progressing investigator. His wife is really active and works in the Temple in Albuquerque. I'm sure she's been praying pretty hard in that holy place for her dear husband. We have been praying pretty hard as well. He is "Hard Shell Baptist" as he puts it. He read our commitment we left with him last time, and we didn't think he was going to even do that. We asked him to read John 10. Months ago, he would have said that he didn't need to. We left him with a commitment to read 3 Nephi 11. He accepted!!!!!!!! Things are looking good on that plane. 

This week has been rewarding! We have started to see the fruits of our labors. It's been rough, but we are getting somewhere. It's been kind of like, trying to garden in Gillette, WY. Difficult to get anything to grow. But with enough faith, "all things are possible to him that believeth," as the Savior counsels. This work is the work of God. I've seen that time and time again this week. The Lord's work is truly amazing.

I hope you all are well! Keep up the good work!

P.S. 

"Life is movement. We go up or down, and develop the best or the worst of us in the journey.  Some journeys are full of struggle...some are full of success.  But the thing that makes for success is the struggle and difficulty for without difficulties to overcome, there would be no such thing as succeeding.  


Difficulties develop strength, resolution, resources.  Problems are too often regarded as enemies, but they are not such.  Storms and dangers alone make skilled sailors.


The fiercest of foes develops your strength and your skill.  So do not be frightened by problems and difficulties or discouraged because of them.  They are your opportunities for winning.  Your chances for success."


Charles H. Darkhurst

Good Week!

Received November 30, 2015

This last week started out pretty slow.

Tuesday we taught Abe Trujillo. We had a good discussion with him about the pre earth life and why we are here. He said he's not too interested in reading the Book of Mormon, but we are going to help him to get to that point. We also went on exchanges with the 8th ward Elders. I went with Elder Dupin. It was pretty fun. We saw John Valdez and read some scriptures with him. He is slowly but surely progressing towards the priesthood. We are pumped for him.

Wednesday, we had a lesson with Elmer. He is a new investigator. He is almost 90 years old. He is pretty cool. Quick as a whip though! He is concerned about his wife. She passed around 3 years ago, so we are planning on going through the Plan of Salvation with him. Hopefully that will put his concerns at ease. 

Thursday of course was T-Giving! It was hard being away from family, but it was good to be with the Haynies. They are practically family to Elder Davis and I. We love them and they love us. We also ate at the Allens, who live right down the street from the Haynies. They are an awesome family as well. Sister Allen let us throw some clay and make our own pottery. It was cool. 

Friday, we did our weekly planning. We saw Sister Hale and had an awesome lesson with her. We focused on being steadfast in Christ. It was a good lesson. We went to the Jail and taught Shelby Davis. He is really close to his release date. As soon as he get's released he will go back to live with his family in Kirtland, NM Just down the road from Farmington. 

Saturday, we did some tracting. We found some potential in the area we knocked. But other than that, it was just a lot of walking. 

Sunday, we had a lot of success. We taught a lesson to Ivan Mills. We committed him to Read John 10. He said he would, so that is a start for him! We also contacted a Less Active Lady with MS named Myra. She wants to come back to church so bad! We are going to help her through the ward, as much as we can. Her husband is not a member, so hopefully some good comes out of that! We also saw Kenney Vogt. He is wanting to come back to church. He knows the things he needs to do in order for him to be more spiritually helped by the lord. 

Things are really starting to pick up here in the 4th Ward. We are going to work our shoes off this week. The lord prepares people, including missionaries in strange ways, I have been feeling lately, that I may become a Spanish Elder next transfer. I don't know why, but I will go and do the things that the Lord commands. I have no clue if it'll happen, but I think it would be cool to learn a different language.... Something a little more useful than Navajo. haha no offence to Dine Bizaad. It's a  super neat language, but it is dying. it's sad, but true.

Anyway, hope y'all are doing good things! 

Hagoonee',

Happy Thanksgiving Week!

Received November 23, 2015

Yo! Sounds like you've done a lot of driving lately! Glad you've had fun! :) I will for sure pray for my family!

Pray that I don't devolop symptoms of hauntavirus. We were up in an old attic for 2 hours this morning sealling a shotty HV/AC job. It was so dusty and dirty. So, pray for that please! 

I'm happy y'all are going to have a good time. We are going to the Haynies for Thanksgiving, so that'll be as close to home as I get! Sounds good. I'll be looking for them. We have to go to the post office today to get a key for our mailbox. 

I will write robbie back right now. If he's there, I'll just email it to yours! 

It's okay, we have had a few slow weeks. In fact, we were tracting yesterday, and we handed out 3 copies of the Book of Mormon, the three people we handed them out to... don't live in our ward. It was pretty discouraging, but hey, we tried our best, that's all the Lord can ask of us! Haha those pictures! :) haha. Yup,  John Lowe is the editor of that page. He came to our ward, and asked if he could take a picture with us, so we said yes. I havent even seen that page, so yeah. I probably look like... a turkey! :) 

So, yeah. We're trying to work hard, and this week has been a bummer. But we will try harder this week!

Email me back please! 

Love elder b

This week has felt like walking a Mastiff!

We have been insanely busy this week.

We have had some great progress. Focusing on the members in the ward and getting to know them has been great! 

We had a lesson with Megan Perez, a new investigator... to us. She was taught the Restoration before, but we could never contact her until Tuesday night.  She rocks! She has a testimony of the Book of Mormon and she loves how the church focuses so much on Family. She is the Real MVP! 

So we have been teaching the regulars, like John Valdez, Jack Shindler, the Hales, and all those fine and dandy people. We have been running like mad from place to place. We have done quite a bit of service as well, from helping Brother Grant Pennington set up his music synchronized christmas light show, to walking dogs, hence the subject of this email.

Yup, I literally walked a Mastiff. His name is Clifford. If we could have dogs, I would adopt this big teddy bear! I might get a Mastiff when I get home. He about ripped my arm off a few times.

We walked dogs again a few days later, and that time I walked a Black Lab named Moses. I thought it was only fitting to have him be walked by me. haha I couldn't get a good picture  with him, but I wish I had a good one.

This week has been so spiritual. The lesson we had with Megan was much needed. With that, we are seeing more and more success with less active members and recent converts. Its been a tiring week. 

This week should be even more exhausting than last. We are going to do a lot more tracting and finding. This week should feel like... hmmmm... walking a Great Dane. There we go. A mini horse, that's right. haha Bring it on life! 

I've come to find in recent days, more than I have in the past, that this is the Lord's work. You've gotta do it his way. He doesn't like "Idle Worshipers" Because then, as a result, you are being an "Idol Worshiper". We as missionaries (Yes, Members are supposed to be missionaries as well) cannot be lazy. We have to be proactive in our approaches to share the gospel and serve the Lord. Be Creative! Find ways to share with your friends, acquaintances, but most importantly, the common stranger that you meet in your everyday walk. Us Full-Time Missionaries can't do it with out you Part-Time missionaries! We love hearing that your friends want to hear the gospel! We would love to teach them! We would love for you to teach them with us! "Wake up and do something more, than dream of your mansion above! 'Helping the Missionaries' is a pleasure, a joy beyond Measure. A blessing of Duty and LOVE!!" Yes, focus on your personal progression, but one of the best ways to help your progression is to do the Lords work! 

Anyway, hope y'all are doin' fine! Keep studying and living the gospel. Living a Christ centered life is the best way to do it! 

Love the Lord, Keep the Faith, Live the Truth

Cooler days are coming!

Received November 26, 2015

I've been missing jazz and playing drums the last couple of weeks.  We have a kid in our ward, Caleb Ward, who is preparing to go on his mission. He play the drums, but it is put away right now, because his mom, who is awesome, want's him to focus on preparing. I think she just doesn't want the noise, but that's just my opinion.

Philmont will be sweet!!! Speaking of the Klamms, how is Tyler doing?? How are the Ringers as well?

My health is great! I've been taking Vitamin C every morning. I did get the box! Thank you!! :) The notes were so nice. I got Gpa's Card!! Thank him for me too!! I did get 2 new shirts! Thank you!!

I have a strong testimony of the atonement. In missionary work, we are held to a much higher standard. Almost everyday, you do something that isn't as obedient as it probably should be. As a normal member, you would think, "Oh big whoop, you woke up late. Oh darn, you listened to music other than church music." To the normal member of the church, its not a big deal. But to missionaries, The guilt sets in... You know you've let yourself down, and the lord for that matter. The atonement works miracles in the lives of missionaries. Everything is centered on the atonement in everything we teach. This church is true. The Book of Mormon is the word of God! Contained in it's pages are some of the most amazing spiritual moments of my life. Do all you can now to prepare for a mission! It will change you for the better. You come to know yourself better, but most importantly, you come to know your savoir more fully. I know that this is the work of God! In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

Well, mother, I love you. I am so happy with the way you and dad raised me. This has been a tough transfer, but you have raised me to never quit, and do be resilient. Breinholts never quit! Every time, I want to lay down on the floor and give up, I think of that. We don't quit. Our heritage determines such motivation. "Our lives are not measured by how many times we fall, but by how many times we stand up, dust ourselves off, and move forward"  - Dieter F. Uchtdorf.

I love you so much. I probably wont get to write an email for you to post onto the blog this week, so I'm sorry for that. 

Thank you for keeping me out here,

Elder Benjamin Moses "Relsilient" "Determined" "Motivated" Breinholt

How are you?

Sent November 9, 2015

Elder Davis is a goofball. :) He's like the little brother I've never had! He is awesome! He's a hard worker, and knows what his purpose is. We are starting to be more and more busy here, and we are going to have to start going on splits in the evenings. It'll be good!

We have started executing a plan that we have been formulating over the last little bit. We are starting with the active members of the ward. We befriend them, let them know we are here for them, and help them invite their non member friends to let us be their friends and teach them. Then we go to the less actives. We are trying to become best friends with Bishop Mortensen. He's pretty busy, but he knows we are here and we are ready to work. He is pretty cool! Anyway, with that we have started going down the ward list doing what we have planned to do. Last night, we went by to get to know the Pennington's. They are a younger couple, about Elisabeth and Bobby's age and they said they haven't had the missionaries over in a year, due to the fact that they said that everytime missionaries would knock on their door, they didn't realize that they were members. They are a cool family. They do a Christmas light show every year. They sync it to music. We offered to help him set it up, and he said he would take us up on that offer. It's going to be pretty sweet! 

We did some tracting and found two potential investigators. One of them believe it or not is from Gillette! We were walking by, and I pointed to a house with two trucks in front of it both with county 17 Wyoming plates. We knocked on the door and talked with the man for quite a while. I told him I was from Gillette and he smiled and then proceeded to tell us about how he worked as a pipe runner for a lot of the oil companies in Gillette. He moved here about a year ago but had lived in Gillette for about 18 years. His name is Ron Calingias. He was fun to talk to and invited us back.  

We have been having a lot of success with recent converts and less actives here in the 4th ward. It's been neat to see so many peoples hearts start to change over the course of me being in the 4th ward. 

I've had a lot more opportunities to bear my testimony, and as a result, start babbling like a baby, to so many people. I'm learning so much from Elder Davis (who came out the transfer after me) and we are getting along just fine! :) He is from Kaysville, and marched for Davis High. He plays the trombone and he was in Jazz Band as well. We bond over silly geeky band stuff.  It’s a lot of fun. 

We are working our hardest and trying our best, that's all the Lord asks of us! 

We are the Hope of Israel! We are the Messengers. This is the work! 

Love you!!! 

--

Elder Breinholt

Missionary 

New Mexico Farmington Mission

YO!

Sent Monday October 19, 2015

So this week went well. We had some success with less actives coming to church! The Hales family is slowly coming back into activity. It's been super neat to see the progression of that family. They were at church. This is the 3 sunday in a row that they've come. We're pumped. 

Tuesday, we saw Kenney Voght. He is trying to stop drinking and get back on top of things. He's a recent convert really trying to get his life back on track. We are going to try to stop by this week to see how he's doing.

We also saw John Valdez. Again, everytime we go over, he improves a little each time. We read some scriptures with him with Brother Van Coleman. He and John are really good friends. It's pretty neat!

We met Abe Trujillo this week, and he is a NEW INVESTIGATOR!!!!!!!! He is quite the character. He is a cool dude. We taught him about the prophecy in Ezekiel about the stick of Ephraim and the stick of Judah. It went well. He understood why we have the Book of Mormon so that was good. 

We taught Jack Schindler the Recent Convert. He is doing better and hopefully soon, he will be able to stay for all 3 hours of church.

We taught Devin Dollar. He is less active due to his work schedule. He is a San Juan County Sheriff and works most Sundays, but when he doesn't work, he comes to church. We taught Alma 7:11-13. The explanation of the atonement more in depth. He wishes he could come to church, but he's gotta provide for his family. 

Well, that's pretty much it for this week! We had some dang good success this week.

Hope y'all are doing well!! 

Love you all,

--

Elder Breinholt

Missionary 

New Mexico Farmington Mission