Short Sleeves in December!

Hey Everyone! 

Again, Merry Christmas!  

And as you may or may not have heard...I'm getting transferred to Roanoke.  My area will be "Roanoke Walk." (Yep, without a car again). 

I'll be in the heart of downtown Roanoke (the biggest city of our mission).  My new companion will be Elder Maxfield; I've talked to him once before, and it was just small talk, but he seems really cool.  So, I was released as a zone leader, which I'm a bit sad; I think more sad because I have to leave BV a week before Christmas, but I will be all right.  I have been called as a District Leader down there. 

So, I've had the wonderful opportunity to be able to go say goodbye to tons of people I've worked with!  So, expect a lot of pictures with this email! 

The Siegels'

Bike helmet head with the Furler's

 

The Gordon's

The Flores'

 

Brother Adams (Davis County native, fellow Viking, Go Utes!)

 

Randy Redcross

It was so warm this week - most of the week we were out in short sleeve shirts.  It hit 70 degrees on Sunday.

Mon. Dec.7:  P-Day. 

It's week 6 of the transfer - where did it go?!  

We had dinner with Brother Thompson.  Then Brother Thompson came with us to see the Barrientos', and we shared with them #asaviorisborn. 

Joe & Ashley cancelled on us, so we were really sad about that.

But, we were able to find a new investigator named, Shandellia.

Tues. Dec. 8:  We were busy all day, trying to see people.  We even had Brother Hilburn come with us to our appointment with Jose. (We are blessed with many RM's here in BV.)  However, Jose wasn't there. :(   

We had dinner at the Lowry's.

We contacted a referral from the Mann's; her name was Cathy.  She is such a nice lady. We've downloaded the #asaviorisborn video on our phone, so we've been showing everyone that!  Cathy was appreciative, and commented on how good her Mormon neighbors are, but she's not ready to get up and leave her Catholic faith. 

Wed. Dec. 9:

We went on exchanges with the Clifton Forge Elders; Elder Higgins came with me to Buena Vista.

We felt inspired to stop our bikes, and talk to this great guy named Keith.  It turns out, he's in a Christian Heavy Metal Band.  I didn't know they had those.  But, we related to him; his love for his son with the love Heavenly Father has for us, and the biggest expression of that love was #asaviorisborn.  He loved it, and he wanted us to stop by.

We spent a good chunk of time today preparing for Specialized Training and Stake Correlation meeting.

We had dinner with the Edwards'. (I think I mentioned he's Lavell Edwards' grandson).

We went and saw the Ramirez', and it was one of the better lessons we've had with them  We showed them #asaviorisborn and discussed why a Savior is born - which led to the Sacrament.  Brother Flores, who was with us, invited them to the Gospel Principles class he teaches and said he would do it in Spanish.  Sister Ramirez liked the idea and said she'd come to Church when she didn't have work.  Brother Ramirez really opened up, and expressed how he didn't want to be pushed into coming to church.  He wants to get it in his heart first before he does anything.  We told him we wanted to help him get there.  Little steps.

Thur. Dec. 10:

We had Specialized Training in the morning, which we headed up setting up!  It was a special Christmas one.  So, President Salisbury & Sister Salisbury each gave us their Christmas cards and presents (golden thought journals).  We watched Meet the Mormons as part of it, and the BV Relief Society fed us lunch.  As always, we sing West Virginia "Called To Serve" for those who feed us. (see video)  

After Specialized Training, we had Stake Correlation with President Jones and President Salisbury.

{Post Mission Coordination meeting selfie with Brother Turman and the Flores'}

We were able to have a lesson with Sister McCowen, and Brother Turman took us.  Sister Hilburn was already there when we got there.  We were able to teach her the Restoration, and show her the four minute video clip of The First Vision.  It was the first time she saw it, and she was really touched by it.

We had dinner at the Hilburn's. 

The Hilburn's

I had the worst headache come on, so I had Elder Johnson and Brother Hilburn give me a blessing.  I was ordered by Elder Johnson and Sister Salisbury to get some rest. 

Fri. Dec. 11:

  We had weekly planning.

We had a discussion with Mark Tomlin; he can't really progress, and doesn't want to.  He doesn't believe that we are children of God.  He does believe in prayer, including sometimes it takes years of praying to receive your answer, so I felt inspired to ask/commit him to pray for an answer to if he was a son of God.  And he said he would.  We tried to leave on good terms, but he kept spitting out anti to us.  Here's a new one: The Book of Mormon is plagiarized!  Never heard that one before.

We had a great dinner with the Hand's.  At one point, in the prayer over the food, I said, "And please bless the hands who prepared this food."  I started cracking up after.

George

Also, had a good lesson with George on prophets, and how that is one of the reasons why this is Jesus Christ's true church.  He seemed really interested.  

Sat. Dec. 12: 

Well, we were running around out of our minds today.  Correction: biking around out of our minds today.  We've received a couple of referrals from members, asking who we can share #asaviorisborn with.  No one has been that interested yet, but some have let us at least share the video with them.

The Roberts' with Bri & Jimmy

We saw the Roberts and Bri & Jimmy. (ages 10 & 11)

We had dinner at the Bowen's - that's where we looked up the email, and saw that I was going!

Our lesson with George fell through.

JB & McKayle had to reschedule to the morning.

We also had a great lesson with Sister McGowen and explained more to her.  

Going to an appointment with Brother Monson

Brother Monson came with us. 

Sun. Dec. 13: 

We had a long lesson with JB & McKayla.  The Jacobsen's came with us, and they invited them over for dinner with us on Wednesday.  JB's not sure he can change religions or beliefs. McKayla seems fine doing whatever.

Church was really good.  Since I was leaving, I became the number one option to fill the opening prayer that day. 

Church was wonderful - it seemed like it flew by.  It was the Ward Christmas program.  They made an announcement in Relief Society that I was leaving, so I had like seven Sisters in a row tell me, "Thank You," and they were sad to see me go.  I felt like a celebrity there for a little bit.

{Ian Olerich, he's the man!}

We had dinner at the Fuentes' house.  

The Fuentes'

Me and Elder Johnson split a foot long Chilean steak sandwich - so good! 

Mon. Dec. 14:

  We had district meeting in the morning.

Then had a good visit with Severin (see picture).

Severin

He's stopped investigating for now, but it's good for us to keep contact with our former investigators - plus I had to get a picture of him!

We had dinner at Carrol's, then

visited with the Stoneman's.
 

Langford's

Howard's

I said goodbye to the Howard's and Langford's.

Tues. Dec. 15:

We were busy seeing everyone, including the Stanton's, the Lowry's, the Hand's, the Walker's, the Camden's and the Mahaffey's.

The Lowry's

 

The Walker's

The Hand's

 

The Camden's

 

The Mahaffey's

Well, you may have noticed that I mentioned #asaviorisborn a lot!  It is so powerful! 

I know that a Savior is and was born.  He loves each of us!  As I have continued to discover why a Savior was born, my appreciation has grown for the Christmas season.  I have had literally just contact with the true meaning of Christmas.  It has been wonderful!  Merry Christmas! 

Love, Elder Brenchley! 

I have to go pack....

A Savior IS Born

Merry Christmas!

#ASAVIORISBORN

So this week was filled with plenty of fun!

Mon. Nov. 30: Our appointment with Joe and Ashley fell through, but we had a fun FHE with the Clark's and the Elliot's.  The Clark's are big Patriots fans - like DIEHARD Pats fans.  So, I could raise my head high since my Broncos had beaten them the previous night.  Then it got better!  The Elliot's are new to the ward, and they haven't met the Clark's yet, so Brother Elliot comes walking up wearing a Broncos sweatshirt!  Haha - it was the greatest!

Tues. Dec. 1: December is here.

We had a way cool lesson with a new investigator named Jose.  He doesn't speak English, so we brought Brother Thompson, and he was able to fluently translate for us (being a RM from Costa Rica).  The Spirit was really strong as Jose read The First Vision from the Spanish Restoration pamphlet.  He's awesome!   However, he works 9a.m.-10p.m. every day except Tuesday, so it might be hard meeting with him and getting him to church.

We had a great visit with the Seegmiller's, the Harper's, and the Carter's!  We are helping share the Christmas initiative #asaviorisborn.

We had an appointment with JB & McKayla, so we brought Brother Crookston, but they weren't there. :)

Wed. Dec. 2:  We got pulled over by a cop the other day for not having working lights on our bike! 

I got pulled over by a cop while on a bike! 

So, Brother Alvstad gave us a ride to Wal-Mart so we could get some bike lights, and not get pulled over again!

We had a great visit with the Southers' and the Wilhelm's (both members).

Other than them, they were the only ones who let us in.  We did get a return appointment with an awesome family, the Snider's.

Thur. Dec. 3:  We had District Meeting.

JB & McKayle weren't at their appointment today again. :(

We had dinner at the Aamodt's.

The Buena Vista Christmas parade was a blast!  This is the first year that missionaries or The Church have done anything for it.  

Brother Turman offered his big, red, shiny truck, and it was fun.  The Young Men, in the bed, ran out of candy halfway through.  We ran out of cards real soon.  

The ward commented to us that we started a great tradition, they want to continue!

Fri. Dec. 4:  I went on exchanges with Elder Williams in Charleston!  What a great day. We got to catch up on old times from the MTC.

We found a new investigator named, Heather.

I got to hold a tarantula at our dinner appointment tonight with the Childers'.

I got to see Brother Charles Hawes and Sister Jordan Fredrick, and teach Jordan a lesson. (She's the one who got baptized with Kelsey in Charleston).

I got to see the Soram family.  They moved from the Charleston zone leader area to the Assistants' area, so it was fun to see them again.  Brother Derrick Soram was so excited to see me; he picked me up when he hugged me!

Sat. Dec. 5:  We exchanged back.

{The A.P.'s: Elder Rueda & Elder Williams, me, Elder Johnson}

 

We went to go see JB & McKayla with Brother Flores, and they weren't home. :(  X3 this week!

We had the ward Christmas party.

We set up a photo booth, and took the members' pictures and had them post it on social media. 

    #asaviorisborn  

Sun. Dec. 6:  We had a great Fast and Testimony Meeting today at church.  There were so many powerful testimonies of the Savior and His birth. 

Please join in this Christmas season on #asaviorisborn and Discover Why.

I know a Savior is born and I know He came to fulfill the Father's will.

That was to perform the Atonement, establish His Gospel so we could know how to follow him, to give the  Priesthood and His Church for us, and to be the ultimate example for peace, love, and joy.

I KNOW THAT MY REDEEMER LIVES!

Love you all!

-Elder Brenchley

There's a Better Use for the Bible....and If You Don't Agree, How About a Referral, Then?!? ;)

Hey Everyone! 

Happy Thanksgiving!  I hope you had plenty of food, spent a lot of good time with family, and played/watched plenty of football!  I love the 3 F's of Thanksgiving. 

As for our week, we had a tough week teaching-wise, but I get to proudly raise my head high because we worked hard, and some great things happened. 

Mon. Nov. 23: P-Day.  We cleaned our apartment for a follow up inspection from our landlord.  He likes them in tip-top shape. 

Brother Hilburn took us to the batting cages.  He plays baseball for SVU.  It felt so good to swing again.  We did some soft toss and tee work.  Elder Johnson, who is not a baseball player, stepped in there and took one swing.  Brother Hilburn immediately stated, "You're a golfer, aren't you?" 

Also, Brother Jacobson, one of the ward missionaries (and starting point guard for SVU), was shooting hoops and challenged me to a game of One-on-One.  I, surprisingly, beat him.  He, of course, wanted a re-match, and I beat him again!

We had some non-members feed us tonight, Natalie and Robey.  We were not thinking and scheduled too many appointments, so we only had like 25 minutes with them, so we only had time to share our testimonies and have a prayer before we had to leave.  

We had a lesson with the Barrientos' again with Brother Alvstad joining in.  It seems like it's just really hard to become active again once you get out of the habit. 

We also had another dinner with the Howard's (see what I mean about over-scheduling?)

Tues. Nov. 24: M.L.C.

It was a long drive up, and a long drive back.

This meeting was actually in the Mission Home.  It was a real great atmosphere.

It's always a huge blessing and a treat to be able to learn from President Salisbury. 

Wed. Nov.25:  Today we got a haircut from Sister Carter (they had to reschedule from Monday).

Sister Carter

And we had a late lunch from the Thompson's.

Tonight we started teaching Joe and Ashley.  They are awesome!  They are not married, but have been together for six years and have two kids together.  They are very open, and really like talking about religion. 

Thur. Nov. 26: Thanksgiving! 

We had a ward Turkey Bowl on SVU's field.  It was just a small 5 on 5 game with Young Men and the Elders' Quorum.  It was tons of fun though. 

We did have the opportunity to plan for zone meeting on Friday. 

We had our Thanksgiving meal at the Shiraki's"  It was Brother & Sister Shiraki, her mother, Sister Bailey, their three kids, Josh, Zach, & Emme, and us!  There was lots of food.  I had a food coma for a couple hours, but we were able to bike some of it off. 

We had two appointments tonight; a guy named Eddie told us to come back another night.  Then JB & McKayla rescheduled to tomorrow. 

Fri. Nov. 27: Click day, 15 months a missionary! 

We had zone meeting in the Institute building.  There was so much information, we barely had time for it all. 

We went on exchanges with the Clifton Forge Elders; Elder Rasmussen came with me.  This is our 3rd exchange together (1 in Charleston, 2 in Buena Vista).

We were able to teach JB & McKayla.  They are really awesome!  They have such a desire to improve their lives.  They are seriously thinking about joining the Church!  We taught them all about prayer. They have never prayed vocally in front of/with one another since they've been together.  We had a kneeling prayer, and I asked JB to say it, and he did!  There is a special Spirit when the head of the household gives a kneeling prayer - it was very simple, but he did it! 

We had dinner at the Pence's!  It was leftover Thanksgiving food, but we didn't mind!  They also have a frozen yogurt machine! YES, PLEASE! 

Sat. Nov. 28:  We exchanged back.  Brother Fuentes drove us up to Clifton Forge and back.  He's awesome and I really have been picking up some Spanish whenever I'm around him.  He's a really funny guy and spiritual.  Anybody wonder why I'm talking him up?  He also took us out to Don Tequila's: The best Mexican Restaurant in the county! 

We had two member-present lessons set up.  One was with a potential named, Latawnya, but she texted us and asked us not to come by, because her boyfriend doesn't believe in the Book of Mormon. :( 

Also we were suppose to teach JB & McKayla tonight, but they were hanging out with George at his house.  Well, instead of inviting us to have a lesson, everyone came outside and the kids started going crazy.  When George is outside, he smokes, so J.B. started smoking.  Needless to say, it wasn't the best teaching environment, so we just followed up with their Book of Mormon reading, and made sure we were good to come by with a member to pick them up for Church. 

Sun. Nov. 29:  Church was really good.  JB & McKayla texted us a couple of hours before and let us know their 6-week old baby, Cohen, had to go to the ER.  They were so grateful for all our prayers. We were biking along today and we were passing this one guy.  I've committed myself to always talk to everyone.  I said hello and introduced ourselves. I started talking about how we all have a loving Heavenly Father.  I asked him if he was religious.  He responded, "I use the Bible to roll papers." 👎 Well, he walked away, and we were riding our bikes later, and I saw him again.  I felt prompted to talk to him again.  This time I asked, "So, you mentioned you use the Bible to roll papers...have you ever thought about reading it?"  He responded, "no."  I then, also, introduced the Book of Mormon.  He was still playing tough to get, but then I asked him for a referral, and he gave us one!  It was for his friend, Devin.  We contacted Devin, and he said we could come back.  It was a funny experience that I'll remember for the rest of my life, but always remember to follow the Spirit! 

We had dinner at the Anderson's.  We had taco salad, and we used mixing bowls that we filled with the toppings we wanted, tossed it, then we ate right out of those mixing bowls.  WOW! 

Well, we really enjoyed the week!

I'm so thankful for so many things!

My awesome family back home! 

A great country to live in! 

Basic necessities that make life easy! 

Sports! 

But especially the Gospel! 

I know it to be true, and as you immerse yourself with it, you can truly change, as it is guaranteed to soften your heart!  I love it so much! 

Love You All!  Thanks for all the prayers! 

Love, Elder Brenchley

Exchanges x 3

Did I ever mention we are bike Elders now?  

{Bike Buddy Selfie}

 

They took our car to Beckley, so I wasn't too bitter at all about those Elders having it.

Mon. Nov. 16:  We went to lunch with Brother Camden at Country Cookin, then he took us to Wal-Mart, and the Lexington Elders brought us home. 

We spent most of the day cleaning and chatting with the other Elders in the district. 

We had dinner at the Trotman's.

The Trotman's

We had a great lesson with the Barrientos' family on the Restoration of the Gospel.  It was a fun little FHE.  They are less active, and we brought their Home Teacher, Brother Fuentes, with us.

Tues. Nov. 17:  We had a great day planned in B.V., however, we went on exchanges.  I went to Gretna with Elder Anderton, who came out on the plane with me.  Elder Gerke came to B.V. with Elder Johnson. 

We taught a new investigator named, Carolyn.  The Spirit was really strong, and we set her on date for Baptism for Dec. 19.  This was huge!  The Gretna area hasn't had someone on date since May!  We were pumped! 

Also, we had dinner with one of their investigators. 

Wed. Nov. 18:  I shared a lot things that I learned from Elder Kopischke at the conferences last week with the Gretna Elders.  Elder Anderton is a stud. 

We had another great lesson with the Ramirez family.  Brother Flores went along with us.

Our recent new investigator, McKayla, had to reschedule.

Thur. Nov. 19:  We went on another exchange today; this time with the Rockbridge Elders.  Elder Moser came with me!  He loved riding the bikes.  We worked hard, but didn't teach many people.

We taught Sister Herndon, with her home Teacher, Brother Pence.  She committed to come to church this Sunday. 

Fri. Nov. 20:  Brother Alvstad ended up coming with us to teach George.  George had to leave early, but his next door neighbor, J. B. (who is actually McKayla's boyfriend), really opened up to us and we were able to testify of the Atonement to him. 

Sat. Nov. 21:  We did exchanges with the Amherst Elders.  I went down to downtown Lynchburg with Elder Malin.  We were able to teach two of their recent converts, including Sister Melissa Israel, who I interviewed for Baptism!

Downtown Lynchburg reminded me of Charleston; police sirens, tons of people walking the streets late at night, loud music.  It was kind of a culture relapse coming from cozy little Mormon town, Buena Vista. ;)

Sun Nov. 22:  The reason we did the exchange from Saturday to Sunday was so that we could help the Elders be more effective with Ward Council.  So, I sat in on their Ward Council, and Elder Johnson did the same with Elder Vai in B.V.  They both learned a lot.

Today's Sacrament Meeting was way cool and spiritual.  It was a music meeting.  So anyone from the congregation could go up, and request a their favorite hymn, and give a short testimony of why that hymn is special to them, then pick two verses to sing.  It was awesome!

We had dinner at the Whitehead's.  She has some of the best cuisine food out there!   It was some awesome pork with purple rice.

We also met with the Porter's; we committed them to share one thing the Gospel has blessed them with to someone we asked them to privately write down.  It turns out they both wrote down the same name!  Comp unity!  We get to follow up with them and see how that goes.

I Love You All!  Never be afraid to share your testimony.

Love, Elder Brenchley

Tearing Up Cigarettes

Hey Everyone!

What a spiritual week we had!  I was a little disappointed with the low amount of lessons we taught this past week, but we had the great privilege to be with Elder Erich W. Kopischke of the Seventy.  He came for a Mission tour!  The south of the Mission got to go the meeting on Wednesday in Roanoke.  Then all the zone leaders and Sister Training Leaders got to go to a special MLC on Friday with him.  What a special experience that was! 

Also, Sister Betty McGowen was confirmed in church this Sunday!  Yeah!  She's now a member.

Mon. Nov. 9:  We had a dinner appointment with the Siegel's - they are awesome - they actually know a potential investigator, who we hope to start teaching, so they will orchestrate that! 

We did FHE with the Hanson's!  They have five girls!  Poor Brother Hanson. haha, just kidding. 

We had an appointment with Jordan and Brittany Garrett, and Brother Blake was going to come with us.  As we texted them to confirm with them, Jordan texted us back and said he's going to go back to his own church, and doesn't need us to come by anymore.  We bore testimony he still needed to read and pray about the Book of Mormon before he never invited the missionaries back.  We will give them some time. 

Tues. Nov. 10:  We had a great lesson with Brother Adam Walker.  We talked about the Atonement of Jesus Christ.  Then after the lesson, we got to rip up and throw away all of his cigarettes!  It was fun! 

We also were able to have a lesson with Nancy - she talks so much about who knows what.  It's hard to teach her sometimes but we need to be more bold with her, and simply say, "Nancy, we don't have a lot of time.  We want to share the message for today.  Please think of questions to ask during the lesson, and then we can better help you understand the lesson."

Wed. Nov. 11: 

The White Sulpher Spring Elders came down last night so they could cut their drive in half, so they rode with us to Roanoke today. 

The Mission Conference with Elder Kopischke was really awesome!  He let us set the agenda, and asked us what we wanted to learn.  He had us write down that question, and promised us that in the meeting we would receive the answer to the question we wrote down (we didn't share what we wrote down with anyone!)  I can say I received lots of answers to my question I wrote down which was: "How can I use all my resources to be a smart, effective, and powerful missionary?" 

He also reminded us about the Power of Teaching Immediately instead of spending too much time on "So, tell us about your dog." or "Would you be interested in a message about......?"  

Floyd Brothers! 

All these Elders served in Floyd!  (L to R [in order of service]: Elder Ward, Elder Price, Elder Brenchley (me), Elder Boyd, Elder Kropsheck, Elder Christensen, and Elder Perkins)

 

August 2014 Missionaries.  Not all of them, but a lot! 

(L to R: Elders Williams, Elder Poyfair, Elder Blaine, Elder Anderton, Elder Brenchley (me), Elder French, Elder Numbers, Sister Charlesworth, Sister Kelly, and Sister Applegate)

 

We drove home and had dinner with the Bonner's...and they gave us a referral! 

Then had a great less-active visit with the Ramirez',  Brother Flores, who speaks Spanish, came with us, and he's already good friends with them.  We were able to ask them how each element of the Gospel of Jesus Christ helps their lives.  They responded very graciously!  Brother Ramirez even said the closing prayer!  We think they are just shy, and feel uncomfortable about being some of the only Spanish speakers there at church, so that's why they've been inactive. 

Thur. Nov. 12:  Thursday we saw so many good things from Teaching Immediately!  We found two great guys!  With Dillon, we were looking for his Dad, then when he said he wasn't home, we just started teaching him.  We got a return appointment with him! 

We had dinner with the Himes’.  He a Professor and very sophisticated!  A lot of the stuff he was saying was going over my head, but I really enjoyed dinner with them. 

Fri. Nov. 13:  We had our special MLC with Elder Kopischke in Charleston.  It only went from 9:00-1:00, so we were able to get headed back earlier.  But, we made some stops on the way home, so we ended up getting home around 7:00. 

We had dinner with the Butler's and we were hoping to have a lesson with Betty, but she's had family over this weekend, so she's not comfortable having us meet her family yet because they are a little anti-Mormon. 

Sat. Nov. 14:  So, we were notified yesterday that we would now be “bike Elders,” and our car was needed elsewhere.  So, our car got picked up today and was driven to Charleston.  Late in the evening, the Assistants brought down some bikes for us! 

We didn't have the bikes or a car for the most part of the day, so we were able to be out and about and talk with a lot more people, so we found some potentials out of it! 

We had dinner at the Forsberg's.

George invited us over for a visit tonight, which was really surprising - sometimes it's like pulling teeth to get in with him.  Also, at his house was his neighbor named, Mikalea.  She humbly listened to our message, and she wanted the promised blessings of the Gospel.  We got a separate return appointments with her and with George! 

Sun. Nov. 15:  We put the bikes to use today! 

Sister McGowen was feeling nauseated today, but she was still determined to come for her Confirmation today.  We also set up a Temple Recommend interview for her after church with Bishop Doxey.  She was confirmed by Brother Butler, and we got to be in on the circle.  It's just a wonderful experience to be a part of something like that.  The Holy Ghost is now with her, and she is now a member of the Church.  Halfway through Sacrament Meeting, she was beginning to pass out, so she had to leave early.  But, still the determination to receive the Gift of the Holy Ghost is inspiring! 

We didn't find much success the rest of the evening, but we stayed committed!  We had some member visits and prayed with a guy in need. 

Well, thanks for all the support back home! I can feel your prayers. 

We can't be constrained by any trials. I guess you could call biking through the dark and cold a trial, but as we let the light of Christ burn within us, it will warm us, and His light will lead the way! 

Remember your purpose that you've been sent here for!  HOLD FAST to the Rod! 

Love You All! 

Love, Elder Brenchley! 

P.S. I attached the talk I gave in Sacrament Meeting, "How do I get Answers to Gospel Questions?"  

The Mouth of the South

Hey Ya'll! 

Betty got baptized this Sunday!  It was a wonderful experience.  She was just glowing.  

Betty and the Butler's

The ward support was great!  54 people were there.  After the program was over, it took a little bit of time for us to get over there and congratulate her with all the people hugging her and what not.  She was so ready, and had such a great desire!  She has a great testimony of the Gospel and the Book of Mormon, while fully admitting she has a lot more to learn! 

It was a pretty busy Sunday to add on top of that!  I gave a talk on "How Do we Receive Answers to Gospel Questions?"  And then after Betty's Baptism, we had to rush down to Lynchburg, so we could interview the Amherst Elders’ investigator, Melissa.  I was blessed to interview her (my 4th Baptismal interview on my mission) and Baptismal interviews are just wonderful! 

As for the rest of the week:

Wed. Nov. 4: Happy Birthday Katelyn!  11!  LOVE YA!

We were able to shop, which we needed badly after the 10 days from last P-Day.

We had a lesson with Betty and Debbie on Family History.  We were able to teach the Why of Family History.  When we brought up the temples, they didn't think Carl (their deceased husband/father) would have to be baptized before they could be sealed to him.  They mentioned he had already been baptized.  We were able to go over Priesthood authority again.  Betty mentioned how sad that is, that all these people in other churches haven't been getting baptized correctly.  I then said, “Do you see why temple work, family history work, and missionary work is so important?”  Betty received it well, Debbie still had some concerns. 

We had dinner at the Langford's.  Brother Langford is on SVU's basketball team, and they played Weber State out in Utah this weekend. 

Thur. Nov. 5: Transfer Day.

We had a long day of planning.  We weren't affected by the transfer day in our companionship, but we were able to call and welcome seven new members to the zone. 

We also seemed to strike out with everyone we went and tried today.

Fri. Nov. 6: We met with a former investigator named, Nancy.  Brother Alvstad came with us.  She's a real nice lady.  She's a talker!  It's called “the Mouth of the South!”  But she has great potential!  Both her mom and her sister are members.  We committed her to read and pray about the Restoration and Joseph Smith's testimony, which she was reading before we got there. 

We had dinner at BV's best restaurant, "Originals."  We requested Severin's wife, Jessica, as our waitress.  She was really nice, and gave us 10% off.  It pays to know people!  We've been hoping to teach her, as well.  As we were leaving, she asked us, “When are you coming to see Severin?”  Maybe our tip softened her heart?  :)

Sat. Nov. 7:  I had some time to prepare for my talk for Sunday.  I was only notified Thursday or so that I’d be speaking. 

We had some appointments cancelled, but we were able to walk and knock some doors.  It seems like everyone in this town has already talked to the missionaries! 

We had dinner with the Anderson's.  They had some friends visiting from out of town.  They were members, but they've been struggling with the concept of God, and the Church's stance on recent same-gender topics.  It was perfect, because the message we had for the Anderson's was using the Book of Mormon to handle objections.  If the Book of Mormon is true, then we do have Prophets and Apostles are on the earth today!  Then that means The First Presidency and the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles are inspired of God!  It's simple! 

Sun. Nov. 8:  Talk, Baptism, Baptismal interview (as mentioned above)

So, regarding my talk, "How Do we Receive Answers to Gospel Questions?"... I was given Elder James B. Martino's talk, "Turn to Him, and Answers will Come."  I loved preparing for this talk.  I will send a copy of it home.  It might take some time because I wrote it out on paper. (No fancy iPads to write it up on here.)  I brought everything back to the Book of Mormon.  Is the Book of Mormon true?  I realized I have a burning testimony of the Book of Mormon, and I got a bit emotional as I bore my testimony.  Many ward members told me they enjoyed my talk today, and some asked for a copy of it. (Again, it'll take some time for me to type it out.)

Elder Johnson, Betty, and I

After church was Betty's Baptism!  She was a little nervous, but everything turned out all right.  Brother Butler was able to baptize her, and Elder Johnson and I said the opening and closing prayer. She seemed so happy!  So many people were there that loved her!  Her grandson, Nathan, came, and he lives in Lexington - the Lexington Sisters came and they were able to talk to him and get his phone number! 

Soon afterwards, we rushed down to Lynchburg.  I was able to interview Melissa Israel.  She's been investigating the Church for over a year!  She and her current husband just had to wait for her divorce from her former marriage to be finalized, so they could get married to each other.  She has had a lot of patience to wait a whole year while things worked out, but I really enjoyed getting to know her, and to interview her.   

It was dark and the roads were curvy driving back up to Buena Vista, but we made it back safe and sound.

Well, how great of a week it was!  We are in the process of getting a Recent Convert temple trip going, with so many converts in the Buena Vista Stake.  Pointing them to the temple is so crucial!  We have a goal as a mission to help 100 % of converts submit names to the temple within 30 days! 

The joy the Gospel brings is just wonderful!  I love every bit of it!  I hope you know how much happiness it's brought in your life.  Remember the times you have felt the Spirit testifying to you this is what is right! 

Continue to be faithful! 

Love, Elder Brenchley

Did You Know the Going Rate for Raking Leaves is $100?

HIGHLIGHTS OF THIS WEEK!

1. Sister Betty McGowen and Sister Debbie French are progressing so well!  They are getting baptized on Nov. 8!  Sister McGowen went up on Sunday and bore her testimony! 

2. The fireside went great!  174 people came!  Plenty of non-members as well! (including B & D).  It flowed very well, and the Spirit was really strong! 

3. Transfers!  Elder Johnson and I both staying!  This will be three transfers together in BV! 

4. MLC and zone meeting this past week was awesome! 

5. Six Baptisms and three Confirmations this week in the zone!  That makes 10 Baptisms and 7 Confirmations for the transfer totals and the last two weeks!  Miracles! 

Picture Perfect!

Beautiful Fall Pics!

 

Well, now to the day by day...

Mon. Oct 26:  P-Day.  

We got free haircuts from Sister Carter!  The Carter's are awesome!

Then we drove down to Lynchburg - they have a Ross!  #tendermercy  I got two ties!  Then we played some indoor soccer with the all the Lynchburg missionaries.  The reason we went down to Lynchburg is so we could interview one of the Amherst Elders' Baptismal candidates.  So, we were able to do that after soccer and changing our clothes.  Elder Johnson interviewed him and it was his first interview he's conducted!  Their investigator got Baptized on Sunday!

We also had to partake of something else Lynchburg has to offer, that I've never seen anywhere else on my mission...... Panda Express.  YUM!   

Tues. Oct 27:  Click Day! 14 months a missionary! 

We drove to MLC in the "Party Van!"

 

MLC was awesome; focused on teaching the doctrine simply!  I absolutely loved the Spirit there, and I felt like I contributed to the council. 

Elder Caldwell was in Charleston for the day, so he came to MLC!

 

On the drive back, down in Princeton, WV, President Salisbury bought all of us dinner (Roanoke zone leaders, Pembroke zone leaders, Christainsburg STL's, Roanoke STL's, and us).  That was a fun experience; just to chat with President and Sister Salisbury over dinner with all of us missionaries.

Wed. Oct 28:  It felt really good to get back to a full proselyting day.

We taught George a lesson on the importance of reading the Book of Mormon - he simply won't progress if he doesn't read the Book of Mormon, and meet with us.

We also saw Janet briefly - she was ready to give back the copy of The Book of Mormon, and we kept asking her if she's prayed about the Book of Mormon.  She hadn't.  We boldly told her, "You can't say it's not for you, until you pray to God about it."  

We contacted Randy and set up a lesson for Thursday at the church. (see Thursday)

We also had the Ward Chili Cook off!  Yum, Yum! 

Thurs. Oct 29:  Weekly planning.

Randy bailed on our lesson today, and called and rescheduled to Friday. (see Friday) 

We had a lesson planned with Joel and Kelly" where we would drive to their house, and they would follow us to the Siegel's house for a lesson.  As we were driving there, we saw them zoom past us.  We were like, "Wait, no!"  We tried to chase them down in the car, and remind them of the appointment they were running away from.  It was to no avail. :(

We met with the Armstrong's tonight.  Brother Armstrong is a Farmington native as well.  His parents, Brent and Gloria Armstrong., live up on the mountain, and are in our stake back home!  The Armstrong's have two kids serving in Utah right now.  Their son is in Ogden, and their daughter is in Salt Lake North (Davis County).  Their missions touch!

Fri. Oct 30:  Zone meeting went great today!  

Our wonderful zone.

From left to right, back to front  BACK: Elder H. Rasmussen, Elder Goold, Elder Anderton, Elder Fidel, Elder Kitchen, Elder Kelly, Elder Whiting, Elder French, Elder Malin, Elder Hugentobler  MIDDLE: Elder Johnson, Elder Brenchley, Elder M. Rasmussen, Elder Tunell, Elder Ward, Elder Underhill, Elder Moser, Elder Hallewell, Elder Tupou, Elder Vai, Elder Hill, Elder Ostler, Elder Thompson  FRONT:  Sister Lively, Sister Pugh, Sister Moeai, Sister Ford, Sister Banks, Sister Harrison, Sister Flake, Sister Skanchy

  

The zone responded really well to teaching simply and using the Book of Mormon more! 

Randy bailed again......

We taught Jorden Garrett about Baptism.  His concern is that he got baptized by his grandmother as an infant. 

Sat. Oct 31: Halloween.

We were able to teach Betty and Debbie, and we went over the Baptismal questions.  Debbie is deathly afraid of interviews.  We went over them, and helped her understand they're not that bad.

We were encouraged to not be knocking doors late tonight on Halloween, but to try to schedule appointments instead this evening. 

We were able to see two older couples in the ward. 

The transfer info came in!  Elder Johnson and I are staying! 

Sun. Nov 1: Day of the Fireside! 

Betty came to church, and got up and started walking with the assistance of Brother Butler.  We thought she was excusing herself and leaving, but she just kept walking right up those steps to the pulpit.  She talked about how she's read the Book of Mormon, knows it's true, and the Church is true, and announced she will be getting Baptized next Sunday.  You could hear many joyful gasps from the congregation.  She also gave us missionaries a huge shout-out!  

We had a great Gospel Principles class on The First Vision and Restoration of the Gospel.  The Hand's brought their friend, Sean.

We had dinner at the Walker's house.  It reminds me so much of home!

So, the Fireside...all this preparation, and setting up, advertising, and scheduling finally came into one piece!  President Jones (Stake President) conducted it, and it went great.  The Spirit was very strong, and you could feel the Spirit testify of us being children of God.  The musical numbers were "on point," the testimonies powerful!  Refreshments afterwards were quickly gobbled up, with so many people!   

Mon. Nov 2:  We had a visit with the Camden's.

We had dinner with the Lowry's - they fed us Cow Tongue!  I'm just glad they showed me the picture after I was done eating!  It was good!  The picture was not! 

We helped Brother Lowry with some of his Home Teaching. 

Betty and Debbie's Baptismal interview went very well!  Our District Leader, Elder Kelly, hushed their fears, and Betty laughed afterwards, "I talked more then he did!"

Tues. Nov 3:  We had a lesson with Brother Adam Walker, he's recently moved to the BV ward with family, and he wants to get reactivated and go to the temple! 

We were trying people today, and we talked to this one lady, Barbara, who was two doors down from the Walker's. (There's like three Walker families in the ward.  It's hard to keep up).  And we asked if we could rake Barbara's leaves - she allowed us to do so, and we had a blast.  We called Sister Walker, and asked if her boys could come help us out.  Barbara's husband, Buddy, rolled up, and was so thankful he gave us a $100 dollar bill!  (Now, I've fought on my mission to give back money to people who offer it to us, but this was insane!  He would not take it back no matter how hard we tried!)  

We are thinking about putting it in his mailbox, but is that rude to keep refusing his money?  If we don't give it back to him, the "Benjamin" will definitely be going to Fast Offerings, not in our pocket!  We were able to teach Barbara a little bit about Baptism.  What we really want (rather than payment) is for them to come with us to church or let us share a message. 

We had a great lesson with Betty and Debbie about service and the Priesthood. 

I bought steak last Monday (on sale at Food Lion) and, oddly enough, everyone has been giving us Dr. Pepper lately.  So, we used that as a marinade.

That steak was so good!

 

Well, that's my week in a nutshell!

I just wanted to bear my testimony on how simple the Gospel is.  We need to always get back to the basics and be reading and praying.

I love this work! 

Love, Elder Brenchley

Keep me updated!

We Got a Referral....to a Mormon!

Hey Ya’ll! 

How is everything doing!  Looks like my brother had his Sweet 16, and first dance/date!  What else is going on?
The week started by getting cold, but then warmed up a little, then chilly again! 

 But, the leaves are absolutely beautiful out here!  

This week, we saw a lot of people.

Mon. Oct. 19:    We had Preparation Day.

We visited with Brother Marvin Ray Hamilton - we recently started visiting him.  He’s a less active member.  He is hilarious; he knows I'm a HUGE UTES fan, so he said he was going to make sure to give me a BYU shirt for Christmas....then proceeded to laugh his wheezy laugh for about two minutes!

Also, finally we were able to meet with the Stoneman’s!  They were a referral we got a while back; they're Brita and Ethan and their two kids.  They are so Mormon!  They live all the standards already, and are just an awesome, young family!  During our first visit, we discovered half her family was Mormon.  So, as we were talking, she mentioned she has taken the missionary lessons before.  So, I asked, “So, did the Missionaries ever invite you to be Baptized?”  She replied, “Yeah, I was Baptized.”  Haha, so she’s a member!  She proceeded to tell us how she was really involved growing up; Laurels president, graduated from Seminary - you could tell she was getting really excited, and the Holy Ghost was working within her.  We were able to teach Ethan about the Book of Mormon and about General Conference.  We think Ethan may be a theological thinker, and doesn’t believe in God.  But, we’ll keep talking with him.  They are just a great part-member family!

Tues. Oct. 20: Happy Sweet 16 Kyle!

We had a lesson with Severin - he got really excited about the 3 Degrees of Glory!  Huge progress!

We also had a lesson with Jordan and Brittany.  We brought their neighbor, Sister Wheeler, who’s the Activity Days Leader for the 8 yr. olds.  B & J have an 8 yr. old daughter and Sister Wheeler invited her to the activity the next day, and she came!  Woo hoo!  Member fellowship!

Debbie was in the hospital, and so Brother Turman was able to take us to go see her, give her a blessing, and teach her a lesson.  She really appreciated the visit.

Wed. Oct. 21:  We had a great Family History lesson today with John and Beth Branham. (We found John at our family history booth.)  Brother Alvstad,  a family history guru, came with us, and was able to get them squared away with an account and find some people.

Correlation Meeting was tonight.  The Jacobsen’s got called as Ward missionaries, so we’re really excited to work with them.

Thur. Oct. 22:  We had a lesson with Joel - he’s not in good circumstances.  He recognizes the Gospel will help him, though!  He needs drive to just read the Book of Mormon!

We got to have a great fun, kids lesson!  We were able to teach Brianna and Kiersten, two less-active little girls (the parents are less-active or non-members).  It was fun; it was at Sister Mahaffey’s house (the Primary President) and we brought the Monson’s (the Primary teachers).  We taught about keeping the Sabbath Day holy through church attendance

We had dinner at the Bishop’s house.

Fri. Oct. 23:  We had district meeting today, it was wonderful.

District meeting

We went on exchanges with Elder Kelly and Elder Moser (the Rockbridge Elders).   Elder Kelly is our District Leader, and he came with me to Buena Vista.  Rockbridge ward uses the same church building for 9:00 a.m. church.  These Elders live in the same apartment complex as we do.

We had lunch with the Carter’s!  They are awesome couple!  He plays baseball, so we’re going to do batting cages sometime on P-Day, and she’s going to cut our hair for free!

Nothing really turned out today.  We did meet a really nice, less-active member, Sister Turner, who’s excited to have us back!

We did see a lot of members, and have been committing them to come to the fireside on Nov. 1, and pray about someone they can bring with them!

Sat. Oct. 24:  We exchanged back

We had a good day of work!  We didn’t teach many lessons, but we talked with people we’ve been looking up in our Area book.  I'm hoping to teach them soon.

Sun. Oct. 25:  So, Joel was having a hangover, so he ended up not coming to church today.  Betty and Debbie, also, were just too sick to come.

The Primary program was today, and we had a great time listening to the Gospel taught the simplest way possible.  The Gospel, through the testimony of a primary-aged child is pure and simple - just the way it should be.

Our appointment with George didn’t go through, and we had Brother Fallon (a Bountiful Brave) with us, so he took us to his friend's, and we were able to invite him to the Fireside.

We stopped by the Hand’s to invite/commit them to the Fireside.  They gave me all these clothes (mostly SVU or VT stuff) that Brother Hand didn’t want anymore!  Sweet!

So there’s the week.  This coming week will be so busy!  We have a Baptismal interview down in Lynchburg today, then MLC tomorrow, then zone meeting on Friday.  Transfers are next week! WOW!

I’m going to keep working hard!

I invite all of you to remember when you first knew the Gospel was true.  When you first knew the Book of Mormon was true, that Joseph Smith is a Prophet, when you gained a witness of the Priesthood power, when you knew families can be together forever.  Consider these, and go back to that moment.  The chances are you were prepared to receive that revelation.  Put yourself in the same spot today, through preparation and work, and you can receive revelation to answers you need!  I testify that our testimonies can be as simple as a child’s: PURE.  The Gospel is perfect!

I love you all!

Love, Elder Brenchley