Wednesday, November 23, 2011

Five Days Left in the MTC

Wow! So I have some big news to start with..... I leave for Denver Colorado at 7:30 AM from the Salt Lake Airport this Monday!!!!!! I only have 5 days left in the MTC!! My next email to you guys will be from Colorado in my mission field! I’m so excited and am so stoked to get there!

Yes, dear mother I am getting all your lovely packages and sharing them with Elder Mclaughlin. He loves those kisses from your "orange" boxes. Those packages really are awesome because it gives me all those night snacks before I brush my teeth:) I love them! Thank you so much for all the love:)

In other news I thought I'd tell you what it’s been like for me here at the MTC. First I have to get up at 6:15 because Elder Mclaughlin and I hate super short showers and waiting for the huge shower rush that happens at 6:30, so we get up early for that. Every day there is 6 hours of class time and one thing that was crazy about the MTC is how much I TEACH. I teach so much. I thought they were just going to tell me how to teach and then that would be it until I got there. NOPE. I get to teach all the time, one or two lessons a day.  I even have to teach "Luke" (played by my teachers Brother Maquey) later today after P day ends.  I’m not the best teacher and the MTC has shown me just how meager of a teacher I really am. I need the spirit to help me teach probably more than everyone else here.

I will be sending pictures sometime but I honestly don't know how I am supposed to do that. How did Christopher do it? I will do a tape thing like Christopher did and explain a little bit about all the pictures. I think I got pictures of everyone in the district plus my first pictures with my nametag on :) I think I may have the first English Elder Bringhurst name tag in a long long time. Probably since Grandpa and Grandma went to New Jersey. That’s pretty cool :) So help me with those pictures :)

I hope mom got my letter last week giving her a better reply to her sweet email :) I think letters are the best way to tell me stories that you want me to take the time to read because letters get to me fast here and I’m sure it will get to me fast in Denver. So send me letters.  I love hearing from you! It helps to have letters because it gives me time to write these emails because my 30 minutes on the computer goes by so fast.

Wow I really love how the Lord has blessed me with health. I woke up today with a HORRIBLE cold.   I thought I’d have to miss the Temple :( but I prayed this morning and now I feel really great (with the assistance of multivitamins and a boost of vitamin C) Thanks mom!

Well the buzzer is making me get off. See you next week from Denver!!!

Elder Bringhurst






Wednesday, November 16, 2011

First Official Missionary Letter

Sorry Everyone.  I know I told mom I would write her on Monday but my P day is actually on Wednesday. Wow the MTC has been absolutely great! I really thought I would have a hard time adjusting to the new environment here, and I thought I would feel really sad the first few days, but surprisingly, I have been feeling GREAT! I am just so full of energy, life, and motivation. The mission rules are easy to follow because I feel I am really striving to learn them and get them all to be second nature.


My companion’s name is Elder McLaughlin, and he is awesome! He comes all the way from Maine. He is absolutely amazing and he is just so into the work and has a strong desire to learn and obey the rules just like I do.


I have lived a lot of the days kind of tired, because we have to get up at 6:15 instead of 6:30 to beat the "shower rush." But I think those multivitamins have saved my life because I think they are helping to keep me up. I never thought how much you would be teaching here at the MTC. I came in thinking "yeah I’m gonna feel the spirit and be like an instant great teacher!!!"" Nahhhhh. Me and Elder McLaughlin stumbled and stuttered so much in our first few lessons, and we have so much work to do. Teaching is like the number one thing we do here. Our lessons are 10 percent doctrine and 90 percent teaching. We do so much role play and we have to teach a lesson like every day now. But wow, the spirit here is so strong. It’s like I’m living in a temple or something. I love how much we work.


Time I kind of learned is my enemy. When I’m working hard and I need time, it goes fast.  If it’s a slower day with about a million hours of personal study, time goes slowly. But I am glad that I have always used my time effectively and WE have actually taught some great lessons. Our most recent lesson was with "less active" people.   (All the investigators and people here are actors) We talked with them and got them to come back to church! We are meeting them again in two days.  Anywho, our district has got to be the most amazing thing ever! We are becoming such good friends and we always sit next to each other. Well, I’ve got a lot of emails to read and write so that’s my update!


Elder Bringhurst


Monday, November 14, 2011

MTC ROCKS

November 9, 2011

To my Dear Family:

Wow, a lot of people told me a lot of things about the MTC, but now I know about it for myself. First of all, I’m safe, I’m good and they’ve taken really good care of me.  Wow!  It’s amazing here.  As soon as I walked in the door, all I felt was happy.  I wasn’t sad at all.  My heart is so Happy! J  I got my companion.  His name is Elder McLaughlin.  He is so amazing!  He is just as excited as I am and he is from Maine!  Wow!   I have the most amazing branch in the whole world.  Most of them are going to Denver, but some are going to the West Indies and Las Vegas.  After a class, we went to an orientation meeting where the presidency of the MTC addressed us.  Great talks!  But the thing that got me the most was when everyone sang "We’ll Bring the World His Truth”.  They changed the line to “And we are NOW the Lord’s missionaries.”  That brought tears to my eyes.  Well, that’s all I have time for and I will write you Monday!

Love,

Elder Bringhurst

Thursday, November 10, 2011

EMBARKING IN THE SERVICE OF THE LORD

On Tuesday evening, November 8th we had the sacred opportunity to participate in Brandon's setting apart as a full-time missionary of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  President McGinn had some very kind words, as well as great counsel for Brandon and pronounced a beautiful blessing on his head.  The spirit of the Lord was present, testifying of the truthfulness of the work to which Brandon is embarking.



It was wonderful to have Christopher and Ashley there and Brandon was touched by their effort to make the long drive so they could attend.  It was also great to have Kimberly with us.  Brandon has always loved his big sister. Her beautiful smile always adds joy to our special family occasions. Shannon and Jennifer have always looked up to Brandon and this mother is grateful for the example he is setting for them.


How lucky Brandon is to have grandparents that love him so much.  He has a rich legacy of ancestors who have loved their Heavenly Father.  It was Brandon's great great grandpa Bringhurst, that while on a mission to Germany, baptized his great great grandma on his mother's side.  Brandon is the 96th missionary from her progeny.


Brandon's Grandma and Grandpa Tanner will truly be a blessing to him on his mission. Grandma Tanner is known as being an amazing letter writer and Grandpa's life example is not only a blessing to Brandon, but the entire family.  Grandpa's testimony is a strength to us all and his desire to be part of this great missionary effort is strong.  Click here to read Grandpa Tanner's Testimony

This was a choice evening for us all.

On Wednesday morning the immediate family took Brandon out to breakfast before our last goodbyes.


Mixed emtions filled the morning.  Sending off a missionary means sacrifice for the missionary and their family.  Elder Quentin L. Cook said, "We must know what we do is pleasing before God and understand that this knowledge comes to us through sacrifice and obedience. Those who come unto Christ in this way receive a confidence that whispers peace to their souls and that will eventually enable them to lay hold upon eternal life."  So there were tears because of the sacrifce, joy because of obedience, and a sweet peace knowing all would be well and blessings would come to not only our family, but the many families that are waiting for gospel in Denver, Colorado.


In the shadow of the beautiful mountains, with the Provo temple in the background, we hugged each other goodbye.  There is a new plaque that rests on a table in our living room that reads:  "Missionary: one who leaves their family for a short time so others can be with their families for eternity."  Thanks to my sweet and dear friend Janet who shared that with me.  It will be my strength for the next two years.


It was a beautiful day.  President McGinn promised Brandon he would rejoice.  On this day, we all rejoiced.