July 25 - 14 missionaries in a Van

Hey, guys!

Thinks are going good here, except for the rain. It has been raining like every day non stop this past week and I left my raincoat in Utah on accident. What really stinks about the rain is that we cant dry our clothes. (No one around here has a dryer. We have to hang our clothes up to dry.) At least its not hot though. The temperature has been really nice.

Im getting to know some of the members better and making more friends, but we are still not having much success in terms of finding people to teach. However, we recently recieved several references of people in our area who already want to be baptized. We just have to teach them, or so they say. Honestly, I dont really care how many people we teach or baptize or anything. Its just that I dont feel like Im doing everything I can as a missionary. Its hard for two reasons primarily. One: my companion has been in this area forever and sometimes doesn't want to work extremely hard and Im not good at confronting him, my senior companion, about things like that. Two: I still feel like there are things holding me back, like doubts and worries and stuff. I still feel like I'm lacking the faith I need to be the missionary I want to be. However, I've kind of just decided to be happier and, therefore, I'm feeling better, although, I still have a long way to go to get to where I want to be.

I think Im going to start playing the piano for the ward on Sundays because there's no one else who knows how to play, even though its terribly out of tune. We'll see how that goes. I havent been able to practice much.

Today we put 14 or 16 missionaries (I cant remember) in one little van so that we could get the whole zone to a training meeting (and to play soccer after). You have to see the pictures. The van was bottoming out at every little bump.

I still can't think of my favorite scripture. I'll decide by next week for sure. Sorry.

I dont have much time. Sorry. Tell Marc and Austin thanks for writing me. Ill try to write something more specific to them next week.

Love,

Brett

July 19 - Week 2 in Mexico

Well, this week was kind of lame because my companion is district leader and was gone Tuesday through Friday from 8 to 5 for a training for all the leaders while I went to another area with two other elders who are really cool, but our numbers were terrible. Missionary work is a little different here than in Utah. We have basically no investigators right now and I havent gotten the opportunity to teach that many people. Well, we did visit a lot of recent converts and less active members, but my companion always ends up doing most of the talking during those lessons. I dont know. I guess things are going okay. Im just not enjoying it as much as I had hoped. I just dont feel like the missionary I want to be nor the missionary the Lord needs me to be. I feel like everyone else has so much more faith and is so much more sensitive to the Spirit than I am. My companion always seems to know what to say, and I just feel like I have no idea how to help these people or what they're really thinking or what their problems are or anything. Im just always worrying about something or someone. Sometimes I drive myself crazy.

At least it sounds like everything is going well over there. I cant believe that Brittany still remembers me. Tell her that I said hi and that I miss her too and that I owe her a hug when I get back. Shes so awesome. I hope shes doing well in school and everything.

Marc, give muffin a snuggle for me, ok? and have fun at rock climbing camp. Keep practicing tennis so I have someone to play with when I get back. I played soccer with a bunch of missionaries today, almost the whole zone it seemed like. It was pretty fun. We werent allowed to play soccer in Salt Lake. And down here, Marc, soccer is the only sport anyone cares about. Everyone is always playing everywhere. Tell Sean and Austin that if they dont treat you nicely theyre going to have to answer to me in 2 years.

Its still been raining here almost every afternoon. So, Ive been getting a little wet, but I try remember my umbrella or my poncho before we leave in the morning even if its bright and sunny out. Other than the rain, though, the weather is perfect, not too hot and not too cold. Sorry, you guys in Florida. Its probably over 90 degrees right now over there.

How is Grandpa Graham doing? Is he recovering from his heart attack ok. Tell him that Im sorry I havent written him yet.

Let me think about my favorite scripture. Im not entirely sure right now.

Love you all,

Brett

July 12 - FINALLY IN MEXICO

Well, I finally made it to Mexico. It´s going pretty good so far. I havent taught that many lessons to non members yet, which kind of makes me disappointed, but I have been contacting people in the street and getting to know the ward. My companion is pretty cool. I still dont know him that well, but he's super chill and easy to get along with. He's from Mexico City. Im going to try to help him learn english. Theres so much good food here. Tomales, mole, fresh homemade tortillas, its all delicious and dirt cheap too. I think my least favorite part about the area is how dirty everything is. Well, its a tie between that and the fact that our area is separated by this gorge and we always have to go way out of our way to cross the only bridge across it and then circle back around. It takes forever. We played some futbol today with another companionship and a whole bunch of other people I didnt know. Today is our P-day, just like in Salt Lake in case you didnt already figure that out. I havent taken that many pictures mainly just because I dont want to look like a tourist and I dont want my camera to get stolen, but I wll send some eventually. Its really not that pretty, anyway. Just a grubby little city. Although, once in a while you'll come upon these gorgeous trees full of bright colored flowers. Its been raining a lot. Friday, my first day, (I stayed in the Mission Presidents home on Thursday night before going to my area) I got totally soaked. We walk or ride buses everywhere. No cars, unfortunately. The mission president seems pretty cool, and ya theres a few things that are less strict here than in Utah, but all the rules are pretty much the same. I like it here even though I dont get all the comforts of home. Its just a nice change to be in a place where people live in more humble circumstances. It makes you appreciate certain things a lot more. I cant drink the tap water, but my water bottle filter thing the MTC gave me seems to be working so far. I havent gotten terribly sick yet.

Tanner is already engaged?!!! What?!! That was fast.

Thanks for telling me about Grandpa. Did this happen recently? I had no idea.

Im so jealous of you guys, going to Puerto Rico. Marc looks so tall in that picture you sent me. What happened?

I love all the people here, but Im still struggling to feel like Im actually helping them. I dont know. Im trying to, but most of the time I just feel like I dont know what to do or what to say to people. I just feel like Im there and thats it.

Love,

Brett

Write Elder Graham at:

Calle 25 Sur#907
Colonia La Paz
72160 Puebla, Puebla
Mexico

That is the mission address, so he probably would get these weekly. You can also use dearelder.com. There is a charge to Puebla, only 44cents. The letters from dearelder.com go into a pouch that is delivered every 10 to 14 days.


We talked to him for several hours yesterday. Great! He is happy and excited to do Heavenly Father's work. The mission president contacted us and like him and are happy to be working with him. They are sending him to the Manzanilla area. I looked that up. It appears to be a small, beach town. But, I am sure there are outskirt areas as part of it. Excited to hear more each week. What a great thing our missionaries do. To sacrifice 2 years to serve the Lord and bless many.

Hi Mommy!

It pains me to hear about your cancer diagnosis. I'm just glad I have a cancer specialist for a father who can reassure me that everything should be ok and that the risk for any life-threatening issues is low. I would be a lot more worried without his reassurance. However, I still worry about how having surgery is going to affect your health and your high goals of running marathons and stuff. Do you think you'll still be able to run that half marathon that's coming up? I think I worry most about how this second cancer diagnosis is going to affect you emotionally, but I know you're strong and you've gone through this before. So, I'll try not to worry too much myself if you promise to not worry too much either. The most I can do for you is tell you the three simplest and yet most powerful words in the english language: I love you.

DON'T SEND ANYTHING ELSE TO THE ADDRESS FOR THIS MISSION!!!! Why? Because I finally got my visa Wednesday!!!! They still haven't told me when I'm leaving, but it should be by the end of this week. I think I should be able to call you when I find out, but if not be expecting a call thursday or friday. Will you be in Puerto Rico this whole week?

I can't believe little Marcy Poo is using my bed! Haha! Just kidding. I guess he must be growing if he's tall enough to ride the rollercoasters at islands of adventure now. Wow! I probably won't even recognize him when I come back. That's cool that you're getting better at Tennis. I was able to play a little tennis last Monday at a zone activity, but everyone was terrible. So, it wasn't that fun.

I have a lot of favorite scriptures. I wouldn't even know where to start. I love having companionship study every morning and hearing what everyone else learned during their personal study. I'm getting close to finishing Jesus the Christ. It's taking me forever because I'm following along in the New Testament and marking all the scriptures I like that he references. That book is amazing. I'm learning so much more about the life of Jesus Christ and just how amazing he was and just how significant his sacrifice really was for the entire human race. One of my favorite scriptures has always been 2 Nephi 26:24 and 33. I also like D&C 58:2-4. Those are just two that first came to my mind.

I'm kind of sad to be leaving Kamas. I love it here, but I'm excited to finally be going to Mexico, too. I'm still a little scared, but a lot less than I was when I first left the MTC. My confidence has grown a lot since I left the MTC. I love my companions. They're so awesome, and being in a foursome is so much fun. We're always laughing and having a good time.
So, I don't think those tomatoes will make it to Mexico. Maybe the beef jerky will make it ok though.

I still haven't gotten yours or anyone's dear elders. I don't know what the deal is. I'll ask tomorrow when we go down to the mission office.

I love you guys,

Brett

HOLA!

Things are still going pretty good here. I felt really sick a couple of days ago, but now I'm fine. The weather here is great! It's always sunny, but never hot because it's pretty high elevation. I'm so glad I'm up here instead of down in the valley. I'm not a big city person. We got another visa waiter, named Elder Ferrin. So, now were four missionaries all living together and all technically part of the same companionship. We usually split up during the day. Two go in the car we have and two others either walk or ride around with a member. Things seem to be slowing down a little bit. We have a ton of people who say they are willing to listen to us and that we have appointments with but then when we show up they aren't there or they're busy. We had like 11 appointments on Sunday, but only a few of them worked out. Nevertheless, we have quite a few people with baptismal dates and others who we are continuing to work with. It does seem to be getting a little hard to find new people though. There's some places around here where just about everyone is a member, and just about everyone has listened to the missionaries before. Therefore, a lot of people we meet already have preconceptions and personal opinions about the missionaries and our church. Plus, there's just not that many people in Kamas. In fact, I'm almost certain there's more cows and horses than people. Haha! But it's still going good. It's just weird to me sometimes to be a missionary in a place with so many members. I love my companions. They have taught me so much, and they always manage to be obedient without being as uptight as some other missionaries. I still don't feel like I really know what to say a lot of times, and sometimes I wonder if anything I'm doing or saying is really having any effect on the people. I feel like just an extra or backup sometimes. At least I don't feel like it's my spanish that's holding me up. I can usually express myself pretty well and understand people. Everything just happens so fast and if you don't jump in quick especially with spanish speakers you miss your opportunity to say what you wanted to say. Oh, I got the harshest rejection yet on my mission this past week. I knocked on this one door like less than a block away from the church and this guy answered and told me he blank blank hated Mormons and that he wasn't buying any souls today. At first I almost thought he was joking, but then he slammed the door. I didn't even get to say a word before he shut the door. I actually felt kind of sorry for him. I mean if he really hates Mormons then that means he hates half of his own neighbors.

Mom, what happened with those kidney stones you said you had? I forgot to ask you last time. I hope your surgery goes ok. You are one tough Momma to try to run a marathon with all these health problems always getting in your way.

Dad, you can email me pictures now if you want because I just use a computer at a public library. So, I should be able to see them. I want to see all this stuff you're doing to the cars and, I want to see that GTM. Mom, you could probably email me that music I was asking for too if you ever find it. I don't an opportunity to play often, but I would still like it eventually.

Ya, tell Sean to write me. I want to know what his college plans are and how things are going for him. Also tell him I said Happy Birthday! I know it's a little late, but I think he'll forgive me.

I wish I could tell you about every single person I'm teaching, but that would take forever.

Have fun at Universal and Puerto Rico. Dad, don't worry too much about about the politics at work. I think part of what makes you a good doctor and a good person is that you never get too involved with all that stuff. I mean I know you have to sometimes, but just remember that God is always with you and that your son loves you and misses you more than you can imagine. And that goes for all of you.

Love,

Brett