This might of use

Considering Elder Bryan's current situation, this might just be helpful. ... Yes:) no :( maybe?!??

Transfer to the Dominican Republic

Elder Bryan had his first real traveling experience. You know the one where everything "goes perfect". He left for the Dominican Republic Thursday. He and his companions, as well as another group of 9 Elders, had a lay over in Texas before heading east to Miami. He was allowed to give us a call while in transport to the DR. We spent about 45 minutes getting some updates and enjoying the sound of his voice. So good so far ...

E-mail after arriving in the DR.

Subject: augh!

Hola Mi familia! I have to make this quick cause that's all we get for now, but my goodness... I didn't call you guys back yesterday cause we were delayed like... seriously four and a half hours or five hours in Dallas. :'( no es beuno. from there we went to Miami and then were totally just shoved onto a flight last second to Santa Domingo cause it was so late. so you wanna know whats great? I don't have my luggage. nothing except my carry on which I decided to fill up with all of my books and three polos which I can't wear anyway! blarg. so heres my address for now and my time us gone! Love you guys! oh, and I'm safe. By the way. :)

Elder Brandon Bryan
Dominican Republic
Centro Capacitacion Misional
Av Bolivar 825
Los Robles
Santo Domingo, DR



As of yet we have know knowledge as to the status of his luggage. I would believe that we would hear from him soon if they can't locate it.




'Your luggage is still missing but we've found a stray sock that might be yours.'

Transfer Day is Thursday

Elder Bryan leaves for the Dominican Republic on Thursday July 23rd to complete his training (about 6 more weeks worth). I currently have a few items about the D. R. up on the website. If you would like to see them "Click Here". Remember to come back often as we will be updating with pictures and information about his areas and companions as we receive them. There is a link here on the blog for the website main page on the right hand side under links.

2009 Puerto Rican Holiday Calendar

All U.S. government holidays are celebrated in Puerto Rico. Additionally, there are nine local holidays, which usually honor important leaders or events in the island's history. Government offices, banks, the post office and most stores are closed on the official holidays.

January 1 Año Nuevo (New Year's Day)
January 6 Día de los Tres Reyes Magos (Three Kings Day)
January 12 Conmemoracióon del Natalicio de Eugenio María de Hostos (Eugenio María de Hostos Birthday) (second Monday in January)
January 19 Conmemoración del Natalicio de Martin Luther King, Jr. (Martin Luther King Birthday) (third Monday in January)
February 14 Día de San Valentín (Valentine's Day)
February 16 Día de los Presidentes (Presidents' Day) (third Monday in February)
March 22 Día de la Abolición de la Esclavitud (Emancipation Day)
April 10 Viernes Santo (Good Friday)
April 12 Domingo de la Resurrección (Easter)
April 20 Conmemoración del Natalicio de José de Diego (José de Diego Birthday) (third Monday in April)
May 10 Día de las Madres (Mother's Day) (second Sunday in May)
May 25 Memorial Day (last Monday in May)
June 21 Día de los Padres (Father's Day) (third Sunday in June)
July 4 Día de la Independencia de Estados Unidos (Independence Day)
July 20 Conmemoración del Natalicio de Luis Muñoz Rivera (Luis Muñoz Rivera's Birthday) (third Monday in July)
July 25 Conmemoración del Estado Libre Asociado (Commonwealth of Puerto Rico)
July 27 Conmemoración del Natalicio de José Celso Barbosa (José Celso Barbosa Birthday)
September 7 Día del Trabajo (Labor Day) (first Monday in September)
October 12 Descubrimiento de América (Columbus Day)
November 11 Día del Veterano (Veteran's Day)
November 19 Día del Descubrimiento de Puerto Rico (Discovery of Puerto Rico Day)
November 26 Día de Acción de Gracias (Thanksgiving Day) (fourth Thursday in November)
December 25 Navidad (Christmas Day)

Leaves for the Dominican Republic on the 23rd

oh my goodness... Ella broke her arm? that totally sucks!!!! how bad was it? worse than mine? :-O isn't like the humorus practically the entire length of your arm? and her mom was there... so did you get to meet her? that must have been interesting... I can't believe that her mom totally made her fly down there right then. that is the lamest thing ever. >:(

...but yes, I did get an email from Steven, and Stephanie Babb too. xD how did SHE manage to get my email? cause all she said was that she did some scrounging. ha ha ha!

oh, I leave for the DR on the 23rd. its a really early flight. I don't have the itineraray with me, but I go from here, to texas, to florida, to another Island, and then I believe I take a boat from there, cause it doesn't say that I'm going to DomRep in a plane. so yeah. tahts all the info I have right now, and I would totally run and get it, but I only get thirty minutes on here, which is lame. but hopefully I don't have that limit out in the field. maybe you could ask the elders about that? :)

I think that if you send the pacage normally at this point it wouldn't make it on time, so maybe if you spent just a little more money on your most favorite son ever for a two or three day send it would make it. ;) what bottoms where they?

also! it would be "su madre" ;) not tu madre. su is your, tu is you. ha ha ha! I actually know some spanish now!!! :D woot woot! anyways, I'm cutting it down to the wire and only have fifty seconds left, and it will erase it if I don't finish it and send it before time runs out, so I will email you later!!!!

I love you!

~Brandon

New e-mail

We now have Elder Bryan"s e-mail. Remember to keep things upbeat and supportive try to not to share or say things that might distract or make him feel homesick. He'll be happy to hear from you all. Be sure to check out his website. Don't expect too much as it is under construction but look it over for additional information and pictures. It's http://jlbryan.homeserver.com/mission which has a blog link back to here. (http://elderbrandonbryan.blogspot.com)

Elder Brandon Harley Bryan
MTC Mailbox # 304-0723
Puerto Rico San Juan East Mission
2005 N 900 E
Provo, UT 84604

Brandonhbryan@myldsmail.net

YAY!!!! :D

huzzah for me! I just got my email set up! :D and guess what? well, you probably already saw what my email was, but it's exactly the same as my home email, so it's great! :) so, it's my first REAL P-day, and I just got your letters yesterday so I figured I would send you an email first and THEN get on to your letters. but yeah. it's so different here. it TOTALLY almost feels like EFY cause we have the whole dorm thing, so I don't think that my mind hasfully gotten used to the fact that I won't be seeing you guys or a while. :-o but I'm sure that I'll just get hit by that when I get to go out to the mission field.

so in the mail yesterday, I got a little itinerary for my flights. It's looking like Grandma won't be able to see me. they had a little note on there that mentioned the fact that they don't really want us to see any family there, so yeah. thats pretty much that. ha ha ha! xD

also, you need to tell Robin that she needs to get out of denial and admit to the fact that she misses me already. don't belive that "oh, no. I don't miss him" crap.
:P ;)

so my companion is Elder Eversole. he is such an awesome guy. he is from the big Las Vegas! suuuuuper nice. he actually has a really great conversion story. I might have to just get that in my letter though. it's a bit more private. :) the food is really just your basic college cafeteria food though. it's cook by the BYU staff and everything. but it is pretty good. and I'm happy to say that I STILL havent gained any weight. :P so HA!:P :P :P

and you guys are getting elders?! and they are staying at the OZIERS?!?!?!?! QUE BUENO! that is so awesome. that means they will get the Oziers to start going to more than just sacrament meetin', eh? ha ha ha, thats so cool.

also, Ella owes me a letter. right now. I demand that she teleports it here as soon as she finishes it. because I derserve it. :P and I get one from Donny too. and DAD! :P

also, I really did want to get the chance to talk to Grandma laster before I left. I will most definitely send her a letter for sure.

but the spirit is just so strong here. I love it. I get to go to the temple every P-day in the morning, and we have constant testimony "builders" like the lessons and tesimony meetings. hmmm, and every tuesday we get the chance to get a fireside from a general authority. this last tuesday we had a talk from Brother Angel Abrea of the seventy. we actually don't get to find out who speaks until we get there, but the prophet hasn't been here for a while, so theres a chance that I might get to hear him speak before I leave!!!!! :D :D that would be so incredible. :3

but getting the opportunity to just be here at the MTC has built my testimony SOOO much. I can tell you guys with absolute certainty that I know that this church is true. I mean, whow could it NOT be? were ELSE could you learn a language almost completely fluently in nine weeks?! I've seriously learned more about spanish here in a week and a half than I did the whole two years that I took at school. well... ok. maybe not COMPLETELY, but still more than nothing, a'ight? :P

he he he, I got two letters from Stephanie today. :D doin good SO far. no dear john yet. :P but if it's supposed to happen, it will. I just so hope it does. xD ha ha. I mean, I DID get that feeling that it wouldn't be able to get our situation resolved until I got home anyway, so we'll see.

ANYWAYS, I have no idea how much time I have left, cause my computer is the only one without a pop up timer, so I'll have to end it here.

I LOVE YOU GUYS!!!!!!

Elder Bryan's First Letter Home

7/1/2009 =) Save my Pillow!

Dear Family Unit,

I’m alive! =) haha, they told us to put that. xD Anyways, it ‘s really… organized here. Really nice, actually. But I’m totally lacking in mind energy. So I’m really fighting to stay awake,.zzzzzz.., wait. Just kidding. It’s not really that bad, but yeah.

We just got a little free time to write our families. So that is what I am doing!

But First! I need to know this, no joke, like as soon as possible. ASAP! Did I have my Typhoid shot, and was my last TD/Tetanus shot in ’03? Cause if so, that is too long ago and I must get an other one.

Anyways it’s bed time and I HAVE to get to bed on time so I will try cram as much in as I can in the next six minutes.

Today was all the orientation stuff. We had food, devotional, introduction, food and then we got together with our Branch. We are in Branch 22. I have 3 other Roomies. Elder Eversole is my companion fro the next 3 weeks till I go to Dom. Rep. Then I have Elder Banner and Elder Elg <-- Pronounced El … oh gosh, I don’t even know how to put it phonically. Oh, wells. But it’s ten thirty, so I will get back to you guys hopefully next week! =)

Love you All!

Elder Brandon Bryan

At the Church's Missionary Training Center (MTC) in Provo, Utah

Elder Brandon Bryan is dedicating two years to missionary service. Approximately 52,000 members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are currently serving as full-time missionaries. They are called to serve in one of 334 missions in approximately 120 different countries around the world. Each Wednesday several hundred missionaries like Elder Bryan enter the Provo MTC where families bid them farewell. The eager missionaries then enter an exciting world of learning. The MTC curriculum consists of up to 12 weeks of studying doctrine, learning to teach the gospel of Jesus Christ effectively, and developing excellent communication skills. When missionaries are called to serve in foreign lands, their training also includes learning a new language. The Provo MTC is well known for its language teaching program. Approximately 50 languages are taught at the Provo MTC. The Provo MTC is a beautiful campus designed to accommodate up to 4,000 missionaries. The facility includes a large gymnasium, cafeterias, a medical clinic, a bookstore, a mail center, laundry facilities, classrooms, meetinghouses, and residence halls.

The MTC daily schedule is a long and active schedule. The daily schedule is changed, slightly, for preparation days (P-days) and Sunday worship. There will still be classes on these days, but varying morning or afternoons changes may occur. Much of the basic schedule is as follows:

Time Activity
6:30 am Arise
6:30–7:00 Personal Study
7:00–8:00 Breakfast
8:00–11:30 Morning Class
11:30–12:30p Lunch
12:30–2:30 Afternoon Class
2:30–3:30 Large Group Meeting
3:30–5:00 Gym
5:00–6:00 Dinner
6:00–7:00 Personal Study
7:00–9:00 Evening Class
9:00–9:30 Personal Study
9:30–10:30 Personal Time/Prepare for Bed
10:30 pm Lights Out

gentle additions added to information copied from http://www.mtc.byu.edu/themtc.htm

Enters the Provo MTC

Missionary Training Center of Provo Utah



Additional information including a virtual tour, can be found on the Internet at http://www.mtc.byu.edu/



All missionary communication with family and friends should be through letters and e-mails only--no hand deliveries, faxes, telephone calls or messages.



Elder Brandon Harley Bryan
MTC Mailbox # 304-0723
Puerto Rico San Juan East Mission
2005 N 900 E
Provo, UT 84604

Elder Bryan was released to the MTC Elders and where he quickly said his goodbyes and went of to begin his training. Mom said it wasn't too bad saying goodbye. (She did however have 3 days to do it.)

PS - His Scriptures were at the front desk at 9:00 am awaiting his arrival

Follow up Foto's