Monday, October 19, 2015

This week is..... TRANSFER WEEK!!!!!!

So this morning we did our regular studies from 8-10 AM. At 10:00 our next task was cleaning the car and the flat. During the week I am the mom of the flat.  I always clean the kitchen, but it’s okay because I kind of enjoy doing it.  On preparation days Elder Holmes usually washes the car and I vacuum it out.  I really love vacuuming for some odd reason.  This morning we were going about our normal preparation routine until we were interrupted by a phone call. We couldn’t tell who was calling us because our phone passed away this week.  So to interrupt my story I will tell you all about the phone.  A couple weeks ago Elder Holmes fell down and sat on the phone, which crushed the screen.  It was usable but it made things very difficult.  We called Elder Marsdan who is in charge of the phones and he told us to just keep trying to use it.  Well this past week I finished off the damage.  I jumped off this cement porch and the phone came out of my shirt pocket and smashed.  We have ghetto phones so it wasn't like the glass shattered, they are like plastic screens. It just did that thing where if you press on the screen a big blob of black comes up. So we are going to get a new phone at transfers. Back to the story....so we got an unknown phone call and guess who it was...President Rudd.  You know what that means!  The results of transfer week are here.  Elder Holmes went first and found out that he is going to South Auckland and is going to be a Zone leader!  I'm super excited for him.  He will do a great job up there.  Now the moment you have all been waiting for… where is Elder Brunson going??   Answer:  He is going to Wairoa!!!!!!!!! (That is where I am currently serving.)  Guess what he is doing though?!!!! Training!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I can't believe after 12 weeks I'm going to be training a new missionary.  I feel totally unprepared but I feel humbled that I have been given the call.  Training is a huge responsibility, I might not be the best teacher, or the best trainer, and have very little experience, but I know that the Lord will qualify those who he calls.  I know that we are going to work as hard as we can.  I see a lot of success coming to the Wairoa area.

This Wednesday we will head up to Hamilton for Transfers.  I'm glad that I will get to spend the last several hours with Elder Holmes in the car.  Elder Holmes is a great missionary and our relationship has come so far!  Remember the first day he drove the car into a ditch. I was thinking, who is this guy? hahaha. Then we stayed at an investigators house for like 3 hours!  When we got done I smashed him for us being there so long haha.  I didn't actually smash him, but I was like, “Elder Holmes I don't really feel like I fulfilled my missionary purpose, I haven't invited anyone to come unto Christ.” Today we talked about my first day and Elder Holmes and I just died laughing.  After the phone call Elder Holmes and I gave each other a giant hug!  Elder Holmes said that he tells all the missionaries he has been with that they were his favorite missionary.  He told me today that I was his favorite companion and that he really meant it.  I really believe him because he absolutely loved his last companion Elder Stevens.  I remember the first couple of weeks he just talked about how he missed Elder Stevens.  It made me feel like I was a boring companion and kind of sucked.  After those first few weeks Elder Holmes and I really got along.  We have had a ton of fun together and I'm really going to miss him.  I'm not sure who my next companion is going to be, or where he will be from, but I'm super excited for Thursday!

A little bit about our investigators.  So Tanika and Carol, the ladies I found with Elder Mathews the other week on our exchange.  Well we have been teaching them once a week.  They don't want to come to church but they want us to keep teaching them.  Well this last lesson was way mean.  We were teaching them the Restoration and I asked Carol an inspired question (it had to have been inspired because I can't even remember the question).  She said that for some reason she had this strong desire to come to our church over the church she is attending.  The church she is attending is a Christian Rock Church.  Tanki (Carol’s sister) was kind of shocked by what Carol had said.  Tanika is kind of holding Carol back, but I think they will both eventually get baptized, I can just feel it!  We invited them to family home evening tonight so hopefully they come!

I love the mission so much! The Church is true!!! If you are not happy, keep the commandments, it is that simple!  This Sunday I gave a mean talk.  I used an analogy using my mom’s famous cookies haha. I wish I had more time to explain it but I don't have much time!  I love you all!

Love,

Elder Brunson