Sunday, March 27, 2016

I'm loving Shiprock!

Ya'at'eeh Shima,

I love how the Lord used that symbol as well. I've thought a lot about that. If you think about how the temple is where we go to feel closer to the Lord, its so true. In a sense, the Temple is a Terrestial place for two reasons. 1. If the savior were to appear to the prophet, apostles, or anyone, he would most likely show himself in the Temple and 2.The adversary cannot and will not enter therein. So thus we are free from the influence of the adversary when we are worthy and valiant in attending the temple and honoring the covenants we make there. That's why it is necessary that we are worthy to go and participate in the ordinances there. If we are not, the influence of the adversary will take hold more than we thought possible. That's probably why those people who have entered into the Temple, made covenants and then fallen away are so hostile to the Church and specifically the ordinances we perform in the Temple. It is truly a higher plane than the world in which we live in today. I just thought you would find that parallel interesting.

(In response to the dedication of the Provo City Center Temple)

I heard that that was happening! Man, I would love to have been there to experience it. I hope one day I will be able to be present at a Temple Dedication. That is so cool! Elder Oaks is just amazing. I'm so excited to hear what he has to say at G-Conf. I'm just all around excited for General Conference. We get spiritual revelation to help the people we work with, and we don't have to wear our suit coats to proselyte anymore (...well, 'til October Conference)! It's so awesome!! 

This week has been equally good if not better than last! So many amazing things are happening in this ward. We have a baptism on Saturday for a kid named Sonny B. He's either 12 or 13, but his Mom is a returning member. She is awesome. We are so excited for him to get baptized. We have a baptism 2 weeks from Saturday for a girl named Tara Foster. She is solid! She knows she wants to be baptized. She lived up in Ogden when she was 9 to when she was like 11. She never got baptized even though her foster parents were members. She decided she wanted it to be her decision. So 16 years later, she wants to be baptized. She has been coming to church, but only staying for sacrament the past few weeks. We invited her to stay tor Sunday School and Relief Society yesterday and she did. She left before we could ask her how she felt and how it went. We have a lesson with her on Wednesday, so we are hoping that she recognizes the importance of Church.

We found a new investigator named Virgil K We were getting out of our truck to go tract, and he was the one that walked up to us and started asking us questions! He was is the land lord for the group of trailers that we were going to knock. He said he has been having family and friends push him to become a member. He said he has thought about becoming a member, but wasn't sure if it was the right thing to do. We asked him if he had read the Book of Mormon, he said he hadn't but he had heard a lot about it. We asked if he wanted a copy and he said he did. We wrote our Names, Emails, and the date we gave him the book at his request. He told us to give him a call and set up a time to stop by. We are excited to work with him.

Last evening, we had a visit with the Second Counselor of the Bishopric. We asked what we needed to do better to increase the conversion of the ward. He said that all of the members in the ward need to have Christlike love for everyone else. If we could not stand the thought of any being lost to the adversary as in the case of the sons of Mosiah, this ward would be better off. It was a pretty cool thought, and I agree wholeheartedly. That's what this ward needs.

We have a semi less active guy named Marcus that we are working with. He's Sonny's uncle. He was baptized a year ago, and he want's to get to the Temple. He has sincere drive and desire to do what's right. He's in the process of building a handicap ramp for a guy in a wheelchair. He didn't finish on Saturday, so he needed to carry it into Sunday. He knew he needed to be to church, but the guy was stranded in his house. He came to sacrament meeting and left right after to go and finish the ramp. He is just a good guy. We are excited for him

Elder Brurud and I told ourselves that we were going to work our butts off and that we were going to more than 20 lessons in this last week. Guess what... We got 22 lessons. That's pretty hard to do on the reservation, especially in our area because it's so spread out, but we did it! Man... he and I are EXHAUSTED. We were so happy to exceed a pretty high goal that we set for ourselves. We were talking the other night about how the exhaustion we are feeling is not a bad exhaustion, but it's the kind of rewarding exhaustion. Last week was a dead sprint. We are pumped revved and ready to go for this week. Last week did have it's moments when we were pretty discouraged, but we just remembered what Heleman said to Nephi and Lehi. Helaman 5:12. We thought, if we focus more on how we need to come more unto Christ, than we shouldn't feel discouraged. That's exactly what happened. The moment we realized that, is the moment where we got our butts in gear, kicked it in to overdrive, and made our goal. The Lord has blessed us so much this last week. He has great things in store for the people here in Shiprock.   

I aim to work even harder this week. I used to be apprehensive about knocking on strangers doors, but the more I do it, the more I love it. Same thing with talking to Adlaniis, or Glaniis, (Drunks). I am now to the point of feeling the way Christ feels for people. I understand how he feels when people break the commandments.

Hope everything else is going well!

We have a lesson in a few minutes, so I have to go. I love you. 

Hagoonee'

Elder B.

Wednesday, March 16, 2016

Great First Week Back!

I must say, the Lord definitely knew what he was doing when he put me here in Shiprock East with Elder Brurud. He knew I would absolutely love it here, and that Elder Brurud and I would become great friends within the short amount of time we've been together so far. Elder Brurud and I have been working hard this week. Our area is more spread out, so it's hard to see a lot of people in a day. We do our best. We get a long very well. I'm so happy to be serving here with him. He truly is a hard worker and wants the best for those people that we do teach every day. Shiprock is probably already my favorite area so far. The people are absolutely amazing, and a little on the crazy side sometimes, but they are awesome. I love it here. I'm working the hardest I've ever been, being the most obedient I've ever been, and let me tell you something, It has been the most rewarding week of my mission thus far.

A little about Elder Brurud. He is from Havre, Montana. He LOVES cars, So do I, so we talk about cars quite often. He loves Top Gear (The British one of course) He a goofball sometimes, but man he gets serious when he needs to. He is really knowledgeable about the Book of Mormon, probably because he has read it 4 times in the 4 a half months he's been out on his mission. Man he knows how to teach. He can understand what people need to hear when they need to hear it. He says that he and I are already in one week working harder than he and his trainer did in 3 transfers. We have knocked a lot of doors so far. We have played with a lot of Rez Dogs while we tract. (If we give them treats, they automatically turn from vicious and hostile to lovable shadows) Yes they follow us around). It's been pretty neat!

The other day, we were tracting, and we walked down this road that was lined with dogs... We got closer to this one dog and his pose. Luckily I had my slingshot. As we got closer, they started to get more mean. I had my slingshot out with a rock in the sling. I asked Elder Brurud if I should shoot the Main Dog. He said, "If it comes at you yeah." No sooner after he finished that statement, then did the dog start lurching forward. So I pulled back, released, and landed a clean shot between the eyes. It was a proud moment. Elder Brurud was pretty amazed at my accuracy. It was a fun day.

We live with Elder Stevens and Elder Rillamas (Who I know very well from serving around him in Farmington). Elder Stevens has been out as long as I have. Elder Rillamas has been out for almost a year, He came out with Elder Bratt, Who, by the way, is back in Farminton 4th Ward lol. We have fun when we are together. Elder Stevens is the most down to earth district leader I have probably had my entire mission. He is awesome. Dang, He works hard. He and Rillamas work their butts off. This week alone they got almost 25 lessons I think it was. It was absolutely insane! Elder Brurud and I work our butts off and only end up getting around 15. They have more people in their area, so they have that advantage. I know its not about the numbers, but in all honesty, it makes you feel good to have a good number, it means you worked hard that week. 

The people here in SR are, again, a bit on the crazy side, but they are all funny. Literally everyone we run into has a sense of humor. There are some people who don't like us cause we're billigaanas (White Man). I'm used to the slight racism now, but initially, It gave me a little shock. I love the Diné (the Navajo people). 

I'm loving it here. I'm excited to be with Elder Brurud. I have a stronger testimony of the Book of Mormon as of this week. I love this gospel, I love these people. I am happy to be serving the Lord. 
 My mailing address is P.O Box 3013 Shiprock, NM 87420

I'm glad Stake Conf went well! I hope you enjoy your vacations! Sorry if this letter was too long. I had a lot to cover and talk about this week. I best be off. We are headed to farmington to shop and stuff like that. 

Adaa 'a'holye. (take care of yourself)
Hagonee'

Elder Breinholt

Wednesday, March 9, 2016

A long six weeks!

This has been an eventful last few months.  First, there were not many emails from Ben after our Christmas Skype call and our subsequent trip to the Philippines.  Everything changed the end of January when we received a call from his mission president that Ben had a cyst on his back that it had turned into an abscess and he needed to come home to have it surgically removed. He had it drained on New Years Eve but it returned.  On January 26 he flew home and the next day at 10:00 a.m. he had surgery to have it completely removed.  He stayed home for six weeks.  He was reverse trunkie for six weeks.  He couldn't wait to return to New Mexico.  He spent some of the time teaching Early Morning Seminary and really enjoyed that.  This past Monday, March 7 he returned to his mission.  We received a small email on Monday that said he was in his new area Shiprock, New Mexico with his new companion Elder Brurud.  Stay tuned for the letters to resume from Elder Breinholt starting again next week.