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