Current Location and Address

UPDATE: Reassignment (click)

Puerto Rico, San Juan - East Mission


Puerto Rico, San Juan - Mission
E-mail: Brandon.bryan@myldsmail.net


(Remember to keep things upbeat and supportive try to not to share or say things that might distract or make him feel homesick.)


He will be happy to hear from you all.

Current Location:

P.O. box 33
Adjuntas, PR 00601

Mark 1:4 and 9

4 John did baptize in the wilderness, and preach the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins.

9 And it came to pass in those days, that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee, and was baptized of John in Jordan.


Christ was not baptized for the remission of sins because he had none. But, as Nephi recounts, he was baptized for the following reasons:
(1) As a token of humility before the Father;
(2) As a covenant that he would keep the commandments;
(3) As a prelude to receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost;
(4) To gain entrance to and be saved in the kingdom of God, for no one, not even the Son of God, can so obtain without baptism; and
(5) As a pattern and an example for all men, and so that he could say: “Follow thou me” and also, “He that is baptized in my name, to him will the Father give the Holy Ghost, like unto me; wherefore, follow me, and do the things which ye have seen me do.” (See 2 Ne. 31:5–12.)

Bruce R. McConkie, “A Man Called John,” New Era, May 1984, 4

Wednesday, May 25, 2011

Re: Hmmmm, mail box is still empty

Wed, May 25, 2011

Hey oh! So... I'm sorry I'm getting email out so late today... transfers are RIDICULOUS NOW! Gosh! Now that I'm district leader I can see firsthand how really little people know in the line of communication. Goodness me. I receive a phone call on Monday night saying "alright. You, Elder De Leon and Elder Moody all are going to pack your bags." wait... that’s it? "Yup. That’s all we can tell you." wait... do you KNOW where I'm going? "... no." so I didn't find out until this MORNING what the dealio was with everything, and even then I was stuck at the chapel waiting for things to get worked out... and I got there at nine thirty. >:( lame-o!

So, for things. I am no longer in Ponce 2A! :'( Sad day. I've been moved! And I'm going to be white washing again! :-O goodness. I'm going to Adjuntas, where the weather is always rainy, and the temperature doesn’t get much hotter than 65 degrees. Bonus! But a downer, too... my TANS gonna go away! :'( But we'll see. I think I overheard something from Elder Black... from some secret call from President, that I'm gonna be leaving three weeks into the transfer because of my special project with my group... but we'll have to see. Things always change anyways. :-/ but Yes. Elder DE LEON is my comp. that’s right, the gordito Guatemalan. Sweet. It’s gonna be nice to just get to speak Spanish all the time. Cool beans. :3

sorry I don't think I'm going to be able to get too much written this week, I was having difficulties with my email, and I think I 'm going to have to change a few things. Just me being stupid with the settings and all. Not too much to worry about... however, that also means that I've really killed my time. Especially with us not having very much in the first place, darn it. But that’s ok. I'm a genius. That’s all.

So, the psychologist. Ha, ha, ha, very funny. I'm not crazy. :P no, no, he was just calling me to give me some sleep therapy to see if that would help. Well, it definitely helped me sleep more relaxed... but it hasn't taken the pain away. What do you mean by "have I felt puffy?" like in the kidney or the back? In that sense I don't THINK I have, but then again, I haven't REALLY checked.

So I've been told that Elder Stout has arrived! if I'm correct, I've heard that he's with Elder Vicil, maybe over in Cabo Rojo... but I don't know for certain, so don't quote me on that.

I have the box all packed up and in the car, but because of this fun little excursion with transfers I don't think I'm going to be able to send it TODAY, but maybe tomorrow. Adjuntas is pretty small, so I might be able to squeeze over to the post office while we're out contacting.
Dang it.... I'm sorry this wasn't very long.

However, I love you more than things are disorganized around here. :)

~Brandon (Elder Bryan)

Wednesday, May 18, 2011

Re: any more news?????

Wed, May 18, 2011

Alright... so, first things first. I just got done with an email to d-man. AH! No, no, no... bigger things first, first, first. Alrighty. I've got my package all ready. I haven't been able to get those stickers yet, but I think I might be able to get it before the end of the day. I have to go clean up some more on the Yauco apartment today... so we're going on a trip. I'm gonna just be sending it off from Yauco so I don't have to deal with grumpy postal workers in Ponce :) you know what I mean. but, I've got some presents for Hannah and Donny that I've owed them since their birthday... and I'm gonna slide the card in the children’s hymns CD case. Protection and space saver. :)

After talking with the doctors there last week... Elder Mcdermid, the Caribbean area psychologist, and Elder Kilgore, the area caribe doctor, both of them are still stumped... but they are going to council together to figure out what’s gonna be goin down. I've been getting some phone calls/phone counsels from Elder Mcdermid to at the very least help me with some sleep exercises that might help me sleep better, but that’s not till Friday, so we'll see. However, I've also pulled or strained a muscle or SOMETHING in my back doing some exercise... *sigh* so now all that tension is back in my shoulders and neck. I talked to Elder Kilgore about that and he said just with some Ibuprofen and cold that should go away soon... but it hasn't yet... so I'm gonna have to call him again to figure out what to do. Blarg! I've got cancer all over now!

YES! That’s good news. Bryan hadn't told me ANYTHING about Pax when he emailed me back, lol, that bum. So. PAX! OH YEAH!

Well... I do have to say that I've gotten more comfortable in this last little while with being a district leader. So far so good: with the minions. They follow my every command. *evil smile* unLIMITED POWA! *Emperor Palpetine* no, but really. It is a bit harder when all the attention is on you and you're the one running things by yourself... but... I guess that’s something that I need to learn how to do... woot.

So yeah... things are getting tight again. Most of the investigators that we've had this last little while have dropped off the radar. We had received a referral from a member that lives right in front of the chapel, and we've been sharing with her these past few weeks. we found out that she had been reading the book of Mormon for a while and had given three copies to her family members (!) but, after teaching her the first three lessons... she hasn't been able to do any more lessons after that... and that was LAST week... we've been really trying to get her to pray about the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon, but she just hasn't done it... she thinks and FEELS that’s it's true, but no one can know of spiritual truths without prayer. So unless she prays, she CAN'T receive a testimony... so I think that’s might be why she's been kind of distant... we've extended the baptismal invitation, but since then that’s when it got rocky. :-/ so yeah. difícil. So yeah.... that’s essentially the extent of our investigators right now, but I've been really trying to keep my eye out for other missionary experiences other than just teaching investigators you know? I wanna round out what I find. Nice people, miracles, cool stuffs... you know. If, that makes sense?

So, question for my account: is there always a fee for normal people? Was I just getting a free account because I was younger than 21? And after 24 is there a way to keep that free account?

Have you heard anything new from Ella about her coming up?

Well, have to bust a move... going to clean the Yauco apartment!

I love you!

Brandon (Elder Bryan)

Saturday, May 14, 2011

Why I won't be seeing the Book of Mormon musical

Michael Otterson

Head of Public Affairs,
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
5/14/11


Reviews of "The Book of Mormon" musical have been all over the entertainment media in the past few weeks. According to the reviews, the play sketches the journey of two Mormon missionaries from their sheltered life in Salt Lake City to Uganda, where their training and life experience proves wholly inadequate to the realities of a continent plagued by poverty, AIDS, genital mutilation and other horrors. While extolling the musical for its originality, most reviewers also make reference to the play's over-the-top blasphemous and offensive language.

Dealing with parody and satire is always a tricky thing for churches. We can easily appear thin-skinned or defensive, and churches sometimes are. A few members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints who have seen this musical and blogged about it seem to have gone out of their way to show how they can take it. That's their choice. There's always room for different perspectives, and we can all decide what to do with our free time.

But I'm not buying what I'm reading in the reviews. Specifically, I'm not willing to spend $200 for a ticket to be sold the idea that religion moves along oblivious to real-world problems in a kind of blissful naivete.

Somewhere I read that the show's creators spent seven years writing and producing "The Book of Mormon" musical. As I reflected on all that time spent parodying this particular target, I also wondered what was really going on with Mormons in Africa during those same seven years. So I checked.

•The World Health Organization estimates that 884 million people worldwide don’t have access to clean water. This is a huge problem in Africa, not only because of water-borne diseases but because kids who spend hours each day walking to and from the nearest well to fill old gasoline cans with water cannot attend school. According to church records, in the past seven years, more than four million Africans in 17 countries have gained access to clean drinking water through Mormon humanitarian efforts to sink or rehabilitate boreholes.

•More than 34,000 physically handicapped African kids now have wheelchairs through the same Mormon-sponsored humanitarian program. To see a legless child whose knuckles have become calloused through walking on his hands lifted into a wheelchair may be the best way to fully understand the liberation this brings.

•Millions of children, meanwhile, have now been vaccinated against killer diseases like measles as the church has sponsored or assisted with projects in 22 African countries.

•More than 126,000 Africans have had their sight restored or improved through Mormon partnership with African eye care professionals in providing training, equipment and supplies.

•Another 52,000 Africans have been trained to help newborns who otherwise would never take a first breath. Training in neonatal resuscitation has also been a big project for Mormons in Africa.

•Then, of course, there is the tragedy of AIDS. A couple of weeks ago I attended a dinner where the Utah AIDS Foundation honored James O. Mason, former United States Assistant Secretary of Health. When he was working for the Center for Disease Control in 1984, a project to research the epidemiology and treatment of AIDS was established at the Hospital Mama Yempo in Kinshasha, Zaire. After visiting the hospital and examining the children and adults with AIDS, Mason described the death rate and the associated infections from AIDS as "horrific." Mason, a Mormon, knows quite a bit about AIDS and a great deal about Africa.

•None of this includes responses to multiple disasters, like the flooding in Niger, where the Church provided clothing, quits and hygiene items to 20,000 people in six inundated regions of the country.

Of course, parody isn’t reality, and it's the very distortion that makes it appealing and often funny. The danger is not when people laugh but when they take it seriously – if they leave a theater believing that Mormons really do live in some kind of a surreal world of self-deception and illusion.

A couple of weeks ago a review about the musical appeared at the New York Times from a Jewish writer who simply listed himself as Levi. "As someone of Jewish faith," he began, “I take personal offense at this show….I cannot believe that New York, MY New York, where I was born and raised, would ever do such a thing. Shame on you, New York Times, shame on Broadway, and shame on all of us who stand idly by and do nothing while the faith of others is mocked. Religious and cultural Jews need not support such bigotry."


Levi's point was echoed by some reviewers, but by surprisingly few. So why hasn't there been a huge outcry from Mormons?

In my opinion, three reasons. The first is that in the great scheme of things, what Broadway does with "The Book of Mormon" musical is irrelevant to most of us. In the great sweep of history, parodies and TV dramas are blips on the radar screen that come and go. Popular culture will be whatever it will be.

The second reason is related. Jesus's apostle Paul put it rather well when he said that Christians seek out the positive and virtuous things in life. His New Testament phraseology was adapted in the early years of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in this formal Article of Faith:


'We believe in being honest, true, chaste, benevolent, virtuous, and in doing good to all men…If there is anything virtuous, lovely, or of good report or praiseworthy, we seek after these things."

Finally, if we Mormons really do follow Jesus Christ in our lives and look to him as an example, then it’s hard for us to ignore the injunction to turn the other cheek. There were times, to be sure, when Jesus roundly criticized others, but it was almost always for hardened hypocrisy. He dismissed the criticism he received personally and told his followers: "Do good to them who despitefully use you and persecute you."

It takes strength of character to do this, but it's the Christian mandate. Sure, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints pushes back when the record needs correcting or when legal rights need defending, but the world of popular entertainment is more likely to be met with a collective shrug than by placard-waving Mormon protesters.

Meanwhile, what of those thousands of remarkable and selfless Mormon missionaries who opted to pay their own expenses during the past seven years to serve in Africa while their peers were focused on careers or getting on with life? They have returned home, bringing with them a connection with the African people that will last a lifetime. Many will keep up their Swahili language or their Igbo dialect. They will keep in their bedrooms the flags of the nations where they served. They will look up every time they hear Africa mentioned on the evening news. Their associations with the people whose lives they touched will become lifetime friendships. And in a hundred ways they will become unofficial ambassadors for the nations they served.


Otterson, Michael. "Why I Won’t Be Seeing the Book of Mormon Musical - On Faith - The Washington Post." The Washington Post: National, World; D.C. Area News and Headlines - The Washington Post. The Washington Post Company, 14 May 2011. Web. 30 May 2011.

Friday, May 13, 2011

New Puerto Rico Family History Center Opens

Salt Lake City | 2011-05-13 |

The newest family history center has opened in Puerto Rico, and local television station WAPA-TV provided viewers with a tour of the new facility in a recent news story. The center is located in the law school of the Interamericana University and opens to the public on Saturday, 14 May. Click here for more ...

Wednesday, May 11, 2011

Re: :-)

Wed, May 11, 2011

Well, check this out. I was called Monday night by Elder Putnam, now my zone leader :), and he told me that the mission doctors would be here in the area today. Well, I'm in the mission office now, and after waiting from 8 till now, I can finally REALLY start my P-day. Not that I can really do anything cause I'm stuck in the office until I finish and then I have to travel all the way back... :-/ *sigh* yeah. It’s great. I hope I get to do laundry today. That would be wonderful. However, after talking to Elder Kilgore about my kidney... nothin. he's doesn't have a single Idea about why my kidney could be bothering me still... so he's gonna have a meeting at the end of the day where he's going to present all the info about all the missionaries and He'll talk with Sister Alvarado and some of the other Doctors to see what’s going on... whoot. I'm o excited. Maybe it's a mental thing. I dunno. you know what? it's probably cancer.

But YES! It was GREAT to get to talk to you guys on Sunday. I always feel more energized. :)

So... I'm not sure if I'm going to be able to get my package sent out today... I have it all just about packed up... but I don't know if I'm gonna make it back to Ponce in time before the post office closes. I'm going to rush it. There’s a chance that they WON'T close early today (because they're LAZY >:(  ) but We'll see. I'm sorry...

So, for transfers here, rapidity since I don't have very much time, transfers aren't the most exciting... :-/ only the people getting transferred go, and all we really do is meet up with our new comp, and if we're lucky the zone leaders with have a quick plan presentation on things that are going on in the zone. That’s pretty much it. :-/

Yeah, finding out why they've been charging my account for a monthly service account would be nice. :P that way they can stop stealing all of my shinies!

Hey, I FINALLY got an email back from Bryan, but he didn't tell me if he bought me my PAX tix! >:( grr, angry. Did you ask him when he came over?

Hey, get this. I just heard from a sister that the writers of South Park made a Broadway show about the Book of Mormon. Excellent. *sarcasm*. .. Her mom told her that it was Raunchy and horrible and even worse, it’s been nominated for Tony awards.

Poop. Ok, I'm gonna have to cut this short cause we don't have very much time... but, I’ll write more next week? :)

I love you more than I love not knowing what’s going on with my kidney. :)

~Brandon (Elder Bryan)

Tuesday, May 10, 2011

Decision 2011

Mother's day phone call was an exciting time as we spoke and joked with Elder Bryan. He sounds good and we all enjoyed hearing how the work is going and what his decision was and what it was all about. In a nut shell he will stay a few extra weeks to do a special project with some of the others who will also be staying and coming home on July 22nd, 2011


Wednesday, May 4, 2011

Re: Oh my my!

Wed, May 04, 2011

Yes, yes. what a week indeed. because now, even worse, today is the day that I have to decide if I extend or not... gah! this has been one of the more grueling weeks that I've had, quite honestly. not only have I had to think about whether or not I wanted to extend, but all of our investigators are dropping off the map! :'( EVERY ONES disappearing! :'(

Thoughts about extending:

Well. lets see. I don't really lose anything by staying... except that Steven and Josh will beat me up... and maybe Robin might disown me (but I'm pretty sure that she could just call up the airport, since it's so far in advance and just move the date...) and maybe just some extra time to hang out with the exchange students a bit longer.


Donny would go to Camp Helaman, and he and Cameron AND Jesse would be there for my homecoming... both Bryan and Tawny say that I should go with what I feel is right (not that I know which one IS right)...


But if I DO go home... What if I could have found someone that would have received the restored gospel.... what about the example that I could set for those I know? Such as: wow, that might be really important, he decided to stay. (not that I've really even been able to explain clear enough what I'm doing to those that ask...) what if this decision causes others to think about what I've been doing and it opens their hearts to the gospel?

OK. good. I'm glad I got the correct email for Cody. I had really meant to ask if the one I had was the right one... I was just tired enough last week that I really didn't think about it... :)

Sorry I didn't really write much this week... heh, I had just been talking to you so much already. ^^ naw, but at least we got to discuss a little bit about me extending.

I love you more than I'm torn about this decision! :D

¿ßrªndºn? (Elder Bryan)

Tuesday, May 3, 2011

Partial "Thoughts" email to Elder Bryan

Wed, May 03, 2011
Well, what a week. First you copy and paste the info request that the miss office wanted, your official letter came in the mail about you being a district leader and now we get an email (only sent to dad's email by the way!) saying you are considering extending till the 22nd. WOW!! I made 2 phone calls- to Bryan and Robin and posted on facebook. Do you want to know what some of the comments were? Maybe not.

First I will say that we support you whatever your final decision is and know you must feel that this is the right thing to do. There must be someone that needs you to be there for a little longer! you only get one mission! When do you have to give them your final decision? Tell me what your thoughts are.

Bryan was more positive than I expected. He said he supports you whatever you decide. I told him to email you.

Jesse Moore is excited cuz she would be here for your homecoming

Marissa Neumann-King said she wished that she could have (stayed longer)

I won't tell you what Josh and Steven said lol

Jamie Keys was excited cuz she would be back from her sisters and Cameron would be done with Camp Helaman

Tawny says you should do what you feel is right

OK, here is what Steven said- tell him I will woop his behind if he does! and he was promised just 2 years.

Josh-(Darth Vader after he finds out he choked Padme to death.) NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO and That's a long time in dog days. and
If this means Ehren comes later, then that's a double no.

Mckay was excited because that would possibly mean Donny would go to camp Helaman.

Even your booger (Shadow) is willing to wait but that it will cost you some cat nip!

Well the hardest is Robin- she is not happy cuz they have their tickets for the 14th-20th! I will calm her down and figure something out. They can change them but tickets are more now. I will let you know....

Interesting - Somethin' to think about

Tuesday, May 3, 2011
Dear Brother and Sister Bryan,


Elder Bryan would like to extend his mission a few weeks and come home July 22nd. He would like your input before committing to this change of assignment. Please communicate your feelings regarding this in your email to him tomorrow.

Thank you,

Sister Button

Secretary, Puerto Rico San Juan Mission