Hello from Grand Junction

Hello everyone, this is Elder Bringhurst contacting you from Grand Junction Colorado!! I’m actually staying in a small town called Clifton which is RIGHT NEXT to Grand Junction.  Packages CAN be sent directly to me here but transfers are every 6 weeks and I would have no idea how long it would take for one to get here. If you send packages to the mission home they can forward the package to wherever I am so you don’t have to worry about missing me at a transfer. But don’t Fed Ex or UPS if you send them to the mission home because they won’t be able to forward those. Send it "parcel".   I don’t know what that means but hopefully you do.

ANYWAY now for the cool stuff: WOW I am here in Colorado and when we got off the plane we were met by the mission president.  He and his wife are just SO nice! We had dinner at the mission home and slept one night and I was shipped off to Grand Junction the next morning -- a 5 hour drive. I am now closer to home here than I am to the mission home. That's funny.

Well I came and I met up with my trainers. No, that’s not a typo. I have 2 trainers. For the next 6 weeks we will serve as a tripanionship. Their names are Elder Scheopfle and Elder Houston. They are both the Zone Leaders. So yeah, I’m in pretty good company. They made me go tracting the FIRST DAY I was here. Scary! I did okay.  Nobody wanted to talk to us but it was fun.

This mission does really well and president has had us make the goal to get at least 1 baptism each transfer! Whoa! I believe we can do it.  We have like 5 progressing investigators (people who keep commitments) so it very well might happen. This week I help set a record with both my companions. This week we got 6 new investigators! Oh by the way, Elder Scheopfle has only been a member of the church for 2 years! His testimony is really powerful with the investigators. I never realized how much people need the gospel in this area.  Most of our lessons are for less actives and they know just about as much of the gospel as the investigators know. I am trying my best to participate in the lessons and help out, and my trainers say they think I'm doing really well, so I’m hangin in there!

We are teaching this 40 year old woman and she is a heavy smoker.  She’s been an investigator for 10 YEARS and we finally got her to agree to start the stop smoking program! AND she came to church this last week!!!  We taught 33 lessons this week. Ask Christopher if that's a lot (because it is). I really hope I see a baptism this month! My trainers have the most excellent way of teaching. Elder Houston has built such a relationship with these people and is helping me so much.

We are driving so I haven't had to use my bike. I probably will in another place though. My, my, I am really glad to be here. The days go by so fast. Well that’s all I can think of right at the moment. I love you guys and I miss you! But I am praying and the Lord is helping me get along my first few weeks out here in the mission field. I love you!

Love, Elder Bringhurst