August 19, 2013

Dear family and Friends!                                  Aug 19, 13

     It just never stops out here. We had a lot of things to do this past week and we even have more to do this upcoming week. It sounds like dad got to spend time with some exciting people this last week. He always does manage to sneak his way into events like that. ha-ha It is a good trait to have.

     This last Tuesday we had a meeting called MLC where all of the zone leaders and sister training leaders in the mission have a meeting together with president McCune. It was a 9 hour meeting where many things were discussed about how we are doing on Facebook and how we are raising the bar in the mission with the standards of excellence changing.   President has been pretty straight forward with the fact that we need to stand up and take responsibility. There has been a big problem I guess in the mission with sisters and elders having feelings for one another. President has a big list already of people he can't put together in the same district when transfers come. This week in the zone we even had a problem with a sister talking to a elder on Facebook...

    Anyways, this week my companion got a boil on his be-hind ha-ha;  so we have been going to the doctors so that the can drain it and make sure it's not getting infected. He was kind of like dad before saying that he was in pain but he didn't want to go to the doctors so I finally talked him into getting it checked out and I guess it was good that he went because it would have kept growing bigger and bigger.

    Our lessons were a little low this week because a lot of our investigators couldn't meet with us. Ana Lopez this lady we ask to be baptized last week showed up to our lesson on Wednesday just beaming! She had read 5 chapters in the Book of Mormon and said she could loved it! It is crazy to see how much her appearance has changed in just a week. She was suppose to come to church on Sunday,  but had trouble with work. Once she finally makes it to church I think she will sky rocket! Also that same night my companion and I had about an hour left for the night to visit people,  but for some reason when we got in the car I felt that we shouldn't  visit any of the people we had planned on visiting. I started driving to an area that felt right and ask my companion if he knew anyone in this area and he said no. I then said well lets go closer to our house since it's getting late so we went through a different neighborhood now and I asked him again if he knew anyone that lived here and he said no.. but then was like well there is this one person my last companion told me about.

     Next thing I knew we were on the front door step and a man opened the door. Before my companion could introduce us he was just like "Elders' come in! " We started talking with him and he introduced himself as Alex, opening up to us being very friendly. Then he told us that ye had actually just been thinking this last Saturday that he needs a change in his life. He doesn't want to fight with his wife anymore and he feels as if life is not going anywhere. He then told us how his wife is a member of the church and really likes the LDS church. So the Sundaybefore he went to church with her and just felt that this was the change he needed in his life.

   My companion and I testified powerfully and shared a little of the restoration with him and told him to pray tonight to God if this is what he needs in his life. We hope to meet with him this week to follow-up, but after walking out of that house I was so happy.   It made me feel good that the Lord had guided us to this man. I have some high hopes for this upcoming week with a lot of people we are teaching. 

      Another family we are teaching the wife is a non member and the husband  is a less active.  We started teaching them about the Book of Mormon and the wife was asking us questions about the Book of Mormon when the husband turns to his wife and just starts testifying to her that this book his true and this is the answer to her prayer! For about 15,  they just had their own conversation about it all as we just sat there. ha-ha It was so cool to see this man teach his wife like that and our goal is to get him the priesthood soon so that he can baptize his wife! They don't know that yet, but It will happen. ha-ha :)

    Well this letter is long enough. I love you all like always and really feel your prayers. Lets me know if you need some up lifting and I can send you a personal letter! Have a good week! The church is true!

                                                                 Love,

                                                               Elder Cory Breinholt

P.S.  Hey so this week I didn't really have time to post much on facebook so I will try this week to post the videos. Also if everyone in the family could share the post I put up that would up so that more people can see them throughout the web!

August 5

Oh my dear Family and other Comrades!                                           Aug 5, 13

     This week might have been one of the weirdest weeks in my mission yet. It was very fun having two companions this week, but it is a little chaotic at times trying to get to other people focused to work. ha-ha I learned a lot from the other missionary though. His name is Elder Abbott and of course he is from Phoenix, AZ. I am glad I will be able to see him after the mission. Right now I am hoping that dad is feeling better. It sounds like he has been in a lot of pain this week. I just said a prayer for him so hopefully he felt it. :)

     So I don't have that much to say this week besides a couple changes that have happened. First off we had a training Tuesday where we were announced to be the 8th mission in the world to go live on facebook. I am now officially a facebook missionary and we are allowed one hour a day or more if we need it to go on and chat with people. It is a little weird I won't lie to go on the internet and I feel like a sinner sometimes. ha-ha Anyway you all have probably seen my post and just remember I will not reply if you try to talk to me on there. ha

   It is that time again and this  morning we got our transfer call to see what is happening for next transfer. So I am changing areas and my companion is getting a missionary that has been out the same time as him. I am going to Provo again! I don't know what I did right , but I was also called to be a Zone Leader. Of course I have very shocked because I have never had leadership on my mission and I have never really cared to, but I guess it's what the Lord wants me to do right now. I love Provo though and my area that I will be in is right next to BYU. My new companion is Elder Aguirre, who is one of the hardest working missionaries I know and he only speaks Spanish so it is going to be a blast!! This area has treated me well and I will miss it dearly. I have made friends for life here that I will always want to come and see! 

  I love you all and I am excited to start a new era of my mission. I have a testimony very strong that the Lord answers prayer and he does whatever we ask for if we ask with faith and are contrary to his will. Thank you for all of your letters this week as well, they're great!

                                                                                                                         love,

                                                                                                                    Elder Breinholt

May 20 2013

Dear family and friends, 5/20/13

This week has not been easy at all. Since are area has cut in half we only have 2 families that we are constantly teaching every week. Let me tell you that 2 is not a very high number especially for this mission. What my companion and I have been doing to keep busy is every single day we try to have a service activity every single day at 1 so that we can get out of the house like we are suppose to. I have really found service useful to find new people to teach and it just makes you feel good every time you help someone. In the morning to make sure we get up on time we go to the private gym at Vincent's Monday, Wednesday, and Friday and then Tuesday and Thursday we play basketball with some ward missionary leaders. I can say that my companion and I are trying to be as obedient as we can so that we can bring forth the miracles that we desperately need right now.

Every single night during the week we have had a ward missionary leader take us out and show us every single person who are in their ward boundaries so that we can find every possible victim and no one can escape us. ha-ha Its is a lot more helpful then us just knocking on random doors and now when they tells us they have no one in correlation for us we know that there are Hispanics that they can visit with us. After yesterday my testimony on ward council grew tremendously. One of the stake presidents we have had a stake council that was centered just around us missionaries since now we are at their finger tips and don't cover that much area anymore. Then he had representatives go around to each ward council and have them center the ward councils on us missionaries. We got some amazing calls yesterday at the end of the day from some excited bishops that are ready to help. I know that we have the people to help get the work going now and the desire, we just need the lord to point us in the direction to the people to teach and serve. Never, ever in my mission will I try to do this work on my own, but only go through the members and have them help us to find people. I am excited to see how that barbeque goes at the house and I am not sure if that book I had send to the house ever got there..

Anyway we are really changing things up to help the work. Also if you guys remember on the phone I told you about the Garcia Family and how we found out that they aren't married. Well we set a wedding date with them for June 15 and they are excited to go through with it. It was going to be sooner, but they want a certain bishop that they know to do it and he doesn't live in the area, so I guess we have to write a letter to the first presidency to get permission to have him marry them. I am learning a lot about the whole marriage stuff that I didn't know and will probably learn more in the next few weeks, but don't worry I am not getting trunky.:)

That's it for this week though and hope Derek kicks butt again selling this week and Craig and Kristin get a big buyer coming through. I can see the blessings that you all are receiving from your obedience to the lord. keep it up and I love you!

Elder Breinholt

P.S. I had to give 2 talks this last Sunday in English. I No longer have fear of standing in front of that pulpit. Also congrats to my best friend Elder Searle for being made AP!

May 13

Buenos Diaz, May 13, 13

I got a letter from dad this week so I am just going to send my letter to him this time since I know mom is busy. Before I say anything just want to give a shout out to Derek and wish him luck on the long summer ahead. Alli I hope you stay busy so that he doesn't feel like he is gone for forever. The good news is its only for a couple months instead of a couple years right? Also about the whole mother's day thing. I decided I am just not going to call home so I can stay a little bit more focused out here.... NOT I will be calling around 4 pm if that's ok. I'll that morning to make sure it's ok and if you guys have come up with a better time to do it just let me know we I call but I can't do it from 9 am to 3 pm because I will be in church those hours.

Speaking about church, yesterday I was in church literally all day for about 8 hours or so. Talked about being exhausted.. I did figure out though that it is easier to fast all day when you partake of the sacrament 3 times. We got a new bishopric in one of our Spanish wards yesterday which was kind of sad because I loved the bishop in that ward. It's funny because I feel like these wards are like my wards back home sometimes. Elder Isom and I blessed the sacrament in both of our Spanish wards too and taught both of the gospel principle classes too. I realized that before yesterday I had never blessed the sacrament in Spanish which I find a little funny.

Even though our lessons were few this week I would say it was a successful week because I finally had a baptism Saturday. I will try to put pictures up today but it was a very spiritually baptism and meant a lot to me sense it had been a while since I have had a baptisms in the area I serve in. Edith Rodriguez the girl that got baptized was the happiest girl person in the world that day. After the baptism we had a stake Cinco de Mayo party that we went to which was the biggest church party I have ever seen! They had a whole show full of cultural dances and a mariachi band that was so sweet!

That was everything that I can remember right now that happened during the week and I am still praying that I can have another transfer with my companion before he takes off to Argentina. I will know next Monday what will happen with our next transfer and I will talk to you all in 6 days. I can't wait to hear from you all and hear how weird Avery and Logan are going to sound. I love you all and be safe.

Love
Elder Breinholt

May 6 2013

Buenos Diaz,

     I got a letter from dad this week so I am just going to send my letter to him this time since I know mom is busy. Before I say anything just want to give a shout out to Derek and wish him good luck on the long summer ahead. Alli I hope you stay busy so that he doesn't feel like he is gone for forever.  The good news is its only for a couple months instead of a couple years right? Also about the whole mothers day thing. I decided I am just not going to call home so I can stay a little bit more focused out here.... NOT I will be calling around 4 pm if that's ok. I'll call that morning to make sure its ok and if you guys have come up with a better time to do it just let me know when call, but i cant do it from 9 am to 3 pm because I will be in church those hours.

   Speaking about church, yesterday I was in church literally all day for about 8 hours or so. Talked about being exhausted.. I did figure out though that it is easier to fast all day when you partake of the sacrament 3 times. We got a new bishopric in one of our Spanish wards yesterday which was kind of sad because I loved the bishop in that ward. Its funny because I feel like these wards are like my wards back home sometimes. Elder Isom and I blessed the sacrament in both of our Spanish wards too and taught both of the gospel principle classes also. I realized that before yesterday I had never blessed the sacrament in Spanish before which I found a little funny.

   Even though are lessons were few this week I would say it was a successful week because I finally had a baptism Saturday. I will try to put pictures up today but it was a very spiritually baptism and meant a lot to me sense it had been a while since I have had a baptisms in this area I serve in. Edith Rodriguez the girl that got baptized was the happiest girl person in the world that day. After the baptism we had a stake Cinco de Mayo party that we went to which was the biggest church party I have ever seen!  They had a whole show full of cultural dances and a mariachi band that was so sweet!

     That was everything that I can remember right now that happened during the week and I am still praying that I can have another transfer with my companion before he takes off to Argentina. I will know next Monday what will happen with our next transfer and I will talk to you all in 6 days. I cant wait to hear from you all and hear how weird Avery and Logan are going to sound.  I love you all and be safe.

                     love,

                          Elder Breinholt

April 29

I sometimes don't even know where to start when I sit down to type sometimes. I totally forgot that I am going to be calling in two weeks on Mother's Day. I don't mean this in a bad way, but it almost just feels normal now to just live away from you guys and do what I do all day long. Of course I always miss you guys but I just don't think about home anymore since it doesn't help too. I am hoping in the next couple of weeks though to send home some extra stuff in a box that I have just collected since I have been out here. There was a yard sale a couple house down the street from where we live this week and I got some really cool old church books there for a dollar each! I got a old Hymn book that is a red color and a really old missionary handbook with scriptures in it that they used back in the day.

There were some great things and some bad things that happened this week. Yesterday between 3 different wards we had 8 investigators at church and we are teaching 3 families that are really interested and I think will all get baptized one day. We are still having a baptism this weekend for Edith Rodriguez. Also if you guys still remember the Garcia family that I used to teach in this area and they go to a different ward, they decided to hear from the missionaries in that area after church instead. They are also getting baptized this weekend, even though it isn't our baptism. I am still happy that in the end they are getting baptized.

Ever since I have been in this area I have been praying so hard and trying so hard to get the members active in the week. Well, my prayers were answered this week with one of the stake presidents over the Sharon Park Spanish ward that we cover. They had a meeting with someone high up in the church and let's just say that he is more pumped than ever to do missionary work. My companion and I gave talks in that Spanish ward yesterday and after our talks he stood up and straight up told the members that they need to find people for us to teach, they are to fill up are planners everyday! ha-ha it was a missionaries dream come true to hear the stake president say that. On top of that we finally had someone called Sunday as a ward missionary leader in our other Spanish ward, so we finally will start having support from that ward too.

I have said this before, but I am really happy right now and am so happy with the companion I have right now. We have so much fun together and get along great. I am praying a ton that my companion doesn't get his visa and he is praying a ton that he gets it, so we will see who's faith is stronger... ha-ha. I went on splits with one of the English Elders this week and we thought about going over to my companions house to have dinner with his family, but I just decided to wait until he leaves. I finally got the video from him of when he scared me with a snake after I was saying my nightly prayers, so I will send that to you right now. Tell Robby that I love him and that I hope he can make in another 9 years living in this crazy family. I love you guys and you guys have been amazing lately with writing me letters thank you soo much. Keep it up!

April 22

Dear Family and Friends, April 22, 13

This week I must say felt longer then usually, but it had some great highlights to it. Katie and Blair I hope that baptism goes through this week and you guys are having contact with them every day so that Satan can't come. I would love to hear from all of you guys on how your missionary experiences are going. Since we are already on the subject I just want to bring up that I had the opportunity to hear a fireside this week from Clayton Christensen who wrote a book about being a member missionary. He is a very big guy at Harvard university and is a Emeritus from the quorum of the seventy. I guess the book is pretty popular right now. He really opened my mind up though about the way to share the gospel with others. I got to go up and talk with him after and he gave me his email address and said that he would send me a free book if I tell him were to send it. So I think I am going to have him send it to the house so that one of you there can read it and pass it around.

The biggest highlight of this week was the lesson we had with the Rodriguez family this week. Saturday night we had the best lesson yet with them and the spirit was soo strong! At the end of the lesson the daughter who hasn’t been baptized yet told us that she was now ready to be baptized! So I then invited her to be baptized on May 4th, and she said yes!! If this goes through it will be the first baptism that I have had in the area I am serving in the last 4 months. I did have some baptism in here when I first came into this area, but it just isn't the same since I had no idea who they really were and had never taught them. The Lord is really blessing me right now and the other family that we have been teaching actually went to church this Sunday which is a great sign too!

I just want to end and share my testimony with you all about something that hit me hard this week. Before my mission I can say that I had a strong testimony in the church, but now that I look back it didn’t really have a strong foundation. I believed in Joseph Smith and the priesthood, but I had never really questioned if it was true or false. Since I have been out on my missions I have had lots of opportunities to really question if the things in the church are true and through those questions I have really received my own personal answers about lots of the teachings in the church are true and that without a shadow of a doubt this church is true.

Also an investigator said something to me this week that he is very happy with his life right now and receives lots of blessings in his life and couldn’t ask for more. I really pondered about it and my companion and I were talking about how blessings are very, very important and helpful in our lives, but they are not the big picture. The big picture in our lives is to achieve eternal life and live in the presence of God. Knowing what we know that we must make certain covenants with God, so that we can show we want to follow him and use the power of the atonement to help us return back to him one day. There are lots of things in our lives where we get caught up in those little principles and things that don’t really mean much, and if we would only step back and look at the BIG picture of things then we would be more at ease and realize the things we really need to do and why! I know that through the ordinances that are restored in the gospel that we can obtain Eternal Life and live with God one day. I also know that everything in our lives happens for a reason and that God has his time for everything and already has everything mapped out, but we just need to be patient and steadfast. I know that we can receive personal revelation in our lives and have a personal relationship with God. If you don’t feel strong on a principle in the gospel, study it, pray about it, and I know that you will receive the answer and testimony you want and need. I love you all and hope all choose the right this week. I leave my testimony with you in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

Love,

Elder Breinholt