Re: Fw: Happy 2 days after your birfday!

Wed, Nov 17, 2010

ok. whooo.... so there is a TOOOOON of stuff that I need to tell you about first before I get into anything else. but first:

Thank you everyone for wishing me a happy birthday!!!!!! :D

and now for something completely different:

so. first off, we had zone conference yesterday. absolutely AMAZING. *whew* wow... It was a very powerful meeting. and actually, it's a part of some of the changes that the first presidency is making. so we had a new format that involves the meeting being, at the very least six hours. but it's ok, because it's so spiritually packed that your brain feels like it's going to explõd! :-O this whole zone conference was about the restoration... but not just about the lesson itself, but a little bit about the HISTORY of it, to give us some better perspective. and after that was my favorite part. :3 we got to watch the Joseph Smith movie. :D oh my gosh that movie is so amazing. we actually got to see it in the MTC as well, but this time....... I dunno. it was just so much more powerful. it really strengthened my testimony of Joseph Smith. I know without a doubt that he was a prophet called of God, and that through him, God and Jesus Christ restored the true church on the earth and that this church is the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. punto. there's no doubt about it. and it's amazing.

and this last Sunday I also got the opportunity to give a talk about Agency. Perfect. especially because we got the chance to hear from Elder Bednar in our missionary meeting about that when he came. and speaking of which... I DID tell you in depth about that, right?... I coulda sworn I did... Elder Bednar, in our missionary only meeting, talking about Agency, and how all of us are Agents unto ourselves, not objects? right? like in second Nephi 2? and how we, as missionaries, need to help our investigators be agents unto themselves, and us not turning them into objects? :3 well... either way, I wanna invite you guys to read second Nephi 2 and search for agency. well, you know what? just be an agent unto yourself. read 2 nephi and follow the guidance of the spirit. find what HE wants you to find. :3 but read it, at the very least. it's amazing. would you do that? I wanna know what you guys learn.

and YAY! I got my birthday package! :D those ninja band aids are perfect. just what I was needing. because REAL ninjas don't really need band aids, right? so this way... when I use one, I will be able to throw people off of my REAL identity. I'm actually wearing my birthday Tie right now. :3 it's amazing. :D guitar pen? LOOOOVE IT! now I'm REALLY a rock star. only real rock stars have guitar pens. and that guitar book... ooooooo. OoOoOoOoOo... OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!! gimme gimme gimme! :-( I wanna know whats inside! gah, only seven and a half more months. and then guitar-ness. it's coming.

BRYAN sent me birthday presentS?!?!?!?!??!??!?! PLURAL!? what?!?!?! I don't believe it! This is almost as intense as the time I forgot how to sit down. but not as intense as camping. I don't even know what to say. especially since he already sent it. but if he got it from a website... then it has to be VEEEERY good. oooo, I'm excited. also, I like how Dad wished me a happy veterans day on my EPIC birthday card of win and awesome! that was great!

so, another thing that they have started changing in the mission field, which is to coincide with the new and improved missionary curriculum, as they put it, is something called the Doctrine of Christ. when we first started studying it, they had us start with 2 Nephi 31. so, I also wanted to invite you guys to study that too. maybe you can add these two things to your family home evening scripture reading, or family scripture study. I dunno, but just study the heckstersickle out of it. there is something AMAZING waiting within. I promise you. it is incredible, and it's changed my view of the entire gospel. and if there's anybody else that wants to join in, Do it. then email me about your stuffs. I wanna guide anybody that has any questions in this quest for awesome and amazing. :3

so. NOW onto stuff in the email. :) so, Elder Lehr opened up his Mario ball, and the one that he got was the Mario on his Motorcycle. that thing was pretty sweet! and he was pretty excited too. now he has a Mario cart AND a Mario motorcycle. :3

now unfortunately... they made us fast in preparation for zone conference... so I didn't get to eat ANYTHING on my birthday!!!!!!! WAAAAAHHHHHH!!!!!!!! I died inside when Elder Crawley called us up to let us know that! >:( Grr, angry. so we might just pick up some ice cream tonight, or during our shopping today. :3

YEAH! it gets SOOOO FREEZING at night, you don't even know! I feel the cold just eating away at me in those low 70's! i't hurts so bad! :'(

and whats the fish head song?

aw, hannahs first date with Mckay! :3 how did she like it? was it cute? ;)

so, for missionary correlation meetings: we usually start out with our investigators, but then it moves into stuff about some of the families that are needing help that either WE have found, or ones that the auxiliary leaders think would need some help, or be the most probable in bring back to church. unfortunately, when we had our zone conference, we had Presidente Rivera (stake president) come in, and some of the things that we talked about with him, was how the Ponce stake used to have FOUR wards in Ponce, and now there's only 3. there is over 1500 members in the stake, and only a little bit less than 600 are active... things are getting bad in the ponce stake, and both him and Presidente Alvarado want us to be working the stake program of CRR: or conversion, Retention and Reactivation- right now, we only need to be working on conversion and reactivation (retention naturally kinda comes anyway... that is, if your ward is supportive enough... which doesn't happen ALL the time. but still) so yeah.... things are a little dire here, I guess you could say. and it's getting worse every year, so we're having a very big need to work HARD in everything that we do.

and we DO have a Branch mission leader. he's actually the return missionary son of the Branch president, and he's the go getter type of attitude. very good for the Branch.

so yeah... I think I might just have to bust a move now and email President. but it's OK. I've got some good stuff in this email, right? so yeah. but I wanna hear about your studies in 2 Nephi 2 and 2 Nephi 31! :D

I love you more than how cold it gets here at night!!!!! BRRRRRRR!!!!!!

~Brandon (Elder Bryan)