Monday, November 25, 2013
Week 22- Gilbert
I am doing well this morning, thank you madre! yes it is definitely colder than usual this last week. It was freezing actually. and it rained a lot! like for two days straight! so i had to use my zone leader's jacket the whole time, because they have a car. So i need a jacket. but i think i already told you that. But anyway... yes Martin's baptism was on Saturday. I always think that baptisms can't get any better. and then they do. "In the ordinances thereof, the power of godliness is manifest." it's true. you feel the spirit so strong at any ordinance! especially saving ordinances! sacrament too. and confirmations. and any ordinance. no i didn't peform the ordinance. i have never performed the ordinance. except for the dead. but never on the mission! We are encouraged to have the member fellowship be the one to do it. Ultimately it is the choice of the investigator however. So obviously none of them have liked me enough. haha no but it was awesome nonetheless! he is so solid though. he got up crying from his confirmation. I had the opportunity to teach and baptize a family! Martin is the father of the kids we baptized last month! i already told you that story though so moving on...
yes i'm having pretzel jello for thanksgiving. yes sister stock is awesome. Fusion cartridges are perfect! that's what i initially was going to ask for. I have the razor yes. costco socks would be awesome too. those ones i used to have? the girl ones? those would be perfect. that is so cool to hear the story of Kellie ad Cassandra! She's such a missionary! The Lord needs more members like that! Willing to reach out and feed His sheep.
i have no idea what to get courtney and calvin haha... ummm... something to do with cooking for Calvin? He seemed to love the noodle maker. and for Courtney? ummm... no idea. i'll keep thinking. remember to remind me. yes the ladies young and old like me a lot. mostly the old ones so you have nothing to worry about. Hahaha the sister's name is Sister Elder? that is awesome. Tell her hi! are they in the Little Rock mission? and tell them to step it up! When was the last time your ward has seen a baptism? ask dad if you don't know. and ask bishop if he doesn't know. and get working on it if you all don't know. it's all up to the members! President Hinckley has made it pretty clear. and every prophet before and after that really. anyway.... i don't have much time at all today... i apologize. But anyuway... love you much!
Love, Elder Sister
i mean bronson.
yes i'm having pretzel jello for thanksgiving. yes sister stock is awesome. Fusion cartridges are perfect! that's what i initially was going to ask for. I have the razor yes. costco socks would be awesome too. those ones i used to have? the girl ones? those would be perfect. that is so cool to hear the story of Kellie ad Cassandra! She's such a missionary! The Lord needs more members like that! Willing to reach out and feed His sheep.
i have no idea what to get courtney and calvin haha... ummm... something to do with cooking for Calvin? He seemed to love the noodle maker. and for Courtney? ummm... no idea. i'll keep thinking. remember to remind me. yes the ladies young and old like me a lot. mostly the old ones so you have nothing to worry about. Hahaha the sister's name is Sister Elder? that is awesome. Tell her hi! are they in the Little Rock mission? and tell them to step it up! When was the last time your ward has seen a baptism? ask dad if you don't know. and ask bishop if he doesn't know. and get working on it if you all don't know. it's all up to the members! President Hinckley has made it pretty clear. and every prophet before and after that really. anyway.... i don't have much time at all today... i apologize. But anyuway... love you much!
Love, Elder Sister
i mean bronson.
Week 21- Gilbert
yes i definitely am blessed. just responding to the title of your email.
good to hear from you mom! well it always is! and thank you for the letters from the kids! i really appreciate it! mail is like the greatest gift. well behind eternal life. oh you got sister menden's pictures? how'd i look? haha just kidding. yeah the members tend to like me. which is weird, at least in 6th ward. We only have one investigator in 6th ward. the work is super hard in that ward. so i don't know why they like us. but everyone in pioneer loves us too! haha the members are awesome. love them. yes i am definitely grateful that heavenly father sent me here too. It gives me a chance to use my social talents! i didn't even know being social was a talent until i got on my mission. it totally is. anyway... you participated in a youth fireside, huh? awesome. haha you were the old couple? yeah, what are you guys, 60 now? just kidding mom, i still remember how hard it was for you to accept that you were turning 50 haha. saddest birthday ever. hopefully you don't put these letters on a blog or anything. otherwise, you'll have to edit this out haha.
good to hear from you mom! well it always is! and thank you for the letters from the kids! i really appreciate it! mail is like the greatest gift. well behind eternal life. oh you got sister menden's pictures? how'd i look? haha just kidding. yeah the members tend to like me. which is weird, at least in 6th ward. We only have one investigator in 6th ward. the work is super hard in that ward. so i don't know why they like us. but everyone in pioneer loves us too! haha the members are awesome. love them. yes i am definitely grateful that heavenly father sent me here too. It gives me a chance to use my social talents! i didn't even know being social was a talent until i got on my mission. it totally is. anyway... you participated in a youth fireside, huh? awesome. haha you were the old couple? yeah, what are you guys, 60 now? just kidding mom, i still remember how hard it was for you to accept that you were turning 50 haha. saddest birthday ever. hopefully you don't put these letters on a blog or anything. otherwise, you'll have to edit this out haha.
no i won't get transferred. calls were yesterday, and i didn't get one. so i'm good! i'm staying with Elder Abramson another transfer. which is awesome because he is seriously my favorite companion. he's so funny. and we work way well together. i'm so glad i'm staying too, because we just put martin on date for the 23rd. i would've had to miss the baptism if i got transferred. and hopefully alle will get married to eric this month so she can get baptized too. it's been a long process with them but they are awesome. We love them. I kinda told dad the story over email about martin. so i'm probably just going to copy/paste it to you. because i don't want to write it again...
gotta go!k so you know ashley, tristan, and tobin? the kids that got baptized two weeks ago? yeah well they got confirmed in sacrament 8 days ago because stake conference was the previous week. anyway, martin (marteen) is the father of the kids. He's catholic and didn't want anything to do with the church, up until he went to the confirmations. we had 3 confirmations, 2 baby blessings ("and in the ordinances thereof, the power of godliness is manifest"). so he felt the spirit way strong. there were so many good testimonies too! because it was fast sunday. and usually it's iffy for investigators and fast sundays. but every testimony was simple and powerful. pure doctrine is what brings in the spirit. and that's what was shared. many simple testimonies of Christ. So the spirit was SUPER strong. anyway that night, aubrey called us (the mother of the kids, husband of martin), and told us to come over. so we did. she told us that martin wanted to meet with us, so we set up a time. Brother bitter came and aubrey came as well. We literally asked him one question: "why did you decide to meet with us?" and he responded with his feelings at sacrament meeting and how much he felt the spirit and ended with, "so i want to convert." so we put him on date for november 23rd. we're super excited, and so is he. it's gonna be awesome. anyway... not much time. but thankyou for the updates. i love updates!man those pictures are awesome! pretty crazy though. and pretty nasty for the fish head thing. yeah it'd be tough to eat that. we get fish head like every day in Gilbert though so i'm getting used to it. just kidding. anyway... yes all the members in the ward love to take pictures of us and send them out! usually missionary moms. yes i love our wards! especially the pioneer ward! they love us too! it is awesome. bishop is a stud. he's the kind of bishop where meeting with him is one of the first invitations i want to make to investigators haha because bishops' offices are revelation central. can't walk out of that place dry-eyed. yes i will definitely try to keep up the pace!miracles this week dad. well miracles every week, but some pretty awesome ones this week. definitely journal entry ones (i hardly write in my journal, brecause i'm so tired at the end of the day it's the last thing on my mind). but alle and eric our hopefully getting married this month. but that's not the miracle. well it is, but that's not the one i want to share.
Week 20- Gilbert
once again good to hear from you mom! emailing is like the best part of P-day! yes a lot of people like to take pictures and send them to moms, especially the ones with a son out on a mission haha. yes we had an awesome time for halloween. Our mission president wouldn't let us proselyte so we had to stay inside, but he gave us permission to go to a member's house. My zone leaders cover a ward where all the rich people live. Well everyone is wealthy in gilbert, but these ones are extremely well off. So mission president let us watch "ephraim's rescue." it was a pretty lame as far as movies go but it was a good mormon movie! but yes i beat everyone at ping pong. one of my zone leaders is really good but i won 3-1. wassup. yes i love this area so much! we have so much support! it takes a couple months to really gain the trust of the members, and get them excited about missionary work. it's kinda hard. you have to get them excited about missionary work, so you can have success. but you have to have success in order to get them excited about missionary work. it's a vicious cycle. luckily, the Lord blessed us with success first.
yes please don't come to Arizona. i'd probably cry if i saw you. or i'd probably just get really mad at you for coming. tell you about our investigators? Welp... this will be a long email because of all the miracles we saw this week. ready? k go.
Well... last friday (i think i've talked about this already) i was sick. But Eric and Alle wanted to go to the visitor's center super bad so they wouldn't take my "sorry i can't go. i'm not feeling well" for an answer. So they worked it out themselves to drop me off at Bishop's house, so Elder Abramson could go with our zone leader to the visitor's center. Elder Abramson told me that it was such a great lesson. After going through the "God's plan for the family" exhibit, they went and taught part of the plan of salvation. They were balling. And then they came to the adult session of stake conference the following day on saturday and met with elder perkins personally. They decided to have their baby blessed. And Elder perkins of the seventy was there at stake conference, and called them up in front of the whole stake conference to talk. They told the whole stake how appreciative they were of us and the bishop and everyone, and alle bore here testimony. she said "i just know it's true." i wanted to cry haha. and then they came to stake conference the day after that, and went to dinner with the Barney family (who they have been working with). and they went to their house the next day too. And then we had a couple lessons with them this week, until sacrament meeting.......
It was their baby's blessing and Eric's mom was there who he hasn't talked to in a year. and his whole family was there. and Alle's dad was there. Usually it's a little nerve racking bringing an investigator to fast and testimony meeeting, because sometimes people get carried away in their testimonies. However, it was perfect. Everyone bore simple, powerful testimony. And then. Eric got up and bore his. It was incredible. They are making so much progress and are working on getting married now, so they can make steps toward the temple. so after all those miracles, I have to tell you about this other one. During that same sacrament meeting, the three osorio children were confirmed (because it was stake conference last week when they were baptized). Martin, their dad decided to come when he had previously not wanted to at all. He is catholic, and doesn't want much to do with the church. But the meeting was so incredible (with 3 confirmations, two baby blessings, and awesome testimonies) that he felt the spirit way strong, and it completely changed his view. He had us come over and set up an appointment to meet with him. MIRACLE. Elder Abramson and I are so blessed to be in this part of The Lord's vineyard. We are thankful every day for the miracles we see. People are truly being prepared every day through the wisdom of Him who knoweth all things. So get going Bronson Family! There are people in your lives who are prepared to hear the great message of the restored gospel. I promise.
Yeah so that's how our investigators are doing. We have a few others as well, but no time to write. That is awesome that you are moving into Jacob. Jacob has some of the coolest scriptures. It's one of those books that you have to read very slowly. and ponder more than read. but yes pride his huge. and it talks about chastity. and the olive tree. good stuff. good luck with the olive tree. i don't have a ton of time left because i wrote so much but yeah i'll email aaron. i've been emailing ben ever since i got out. k go take a nap! oh i always love letters and packages so thank you so much!
Love, Elder Bronson
yes please don't come to Arizona. i'd probably cry if i saw you. or i'd probably just get really mad at you for coming. tell you about our investigators? Welp... this will be a long email because of all the miracles we saw this week. ready? k go.
Well... last friday (i think i've talked about this already) i was sick. But Eric and Alle wanted to go to the visitor's center super bad so they wouldn't take my "sorry i can't go. i'm not feeling well" for an answer. So they worked it out themselves to drop me off at Bishop's house, so Elder Abramson could go with our zone leader to the visitor's center. Elder Abramson told me that it was such a great lesson. After going through the "God's plan for the family" exhibit, they went and taught part of the plan of salvation. They were balling. And then they came to the adult session of stake conference the following day on saturday and met with elder perkins personally. They decided to have their baby blessed. And Elder perkins of the seventy was there at stake conference, and called them up in front of the whole stake conference to talk. They told the whole stake how appreciative they were of us and the bishop and everyone, and alle bore here testimony. she said "i just know it's true." i wanted to cry haha. and then they came to stake conference the day after that, and went to dinner with the Barney family (who they have been working with). and they went to their house the next day too. And then we had a couple lessons with them this week, until sacrament meeting.......
It was their baby's blessing and Eric's mom was there who he hasn't talked to in a year. and his whole family was there. and Alle's dad was there. Usually it's a little nerve racking bringing an investigator to fast and testimony meeeting, because sometimes people get carried away in their testimonies. However, it was perfect. Everyone bore simple, powerful testimony. And then. Eric got up and bore his. It was incredible. They are making so much progress and are working on getting married now, so they can make steps toward the temple. so after all those miracles, I have to tell you about this other one. During that same sacrament meeting, the three osorio children were confirmed (because it was stake conference last week when they were baptized). Martin, their dad decided to come when he had previously not wanted to at all. He is catholic, and doesn't want much to do with the church. But the meeting was so incredible (with 3 confirmations, two baby blessings, and awesome testimonies) that he felt the spirit way strong, and it completely changed his view. He had us come over and set up an appointment to meet with him. MIRACLE. Elder Abramson and I are so blessed to be in this part of The Lord's vineyard. We are thankful every day for the miracles we see. People are truly being prepared every day through the wisdom of Him who knoweth all things. So get going Bronson Family! There are people in your lives who are prepared to hear the great message of the restored gospel. I promise.
Yeah so that's how our investigators are doing. We have a few others as well, but no time to write. That is awesome that you are moving into Jacob. Jacob has some of the coolest scriptures. It's one of those books that you have to read very slowly. and ponder more than read. but yes pride his huge. and it talks about chastity. and the olive tree. good stuff. good luck with the olive tree. i don't have a ton of time left because i wrote so much but yeah i'll email aaron. i've been emailing ben ever since i got out. k go take a nap! oh i always love letters and packages so thank you so much!
Love, Elder Bronson
Week 19- Gilbert
Hello mom and family! good to hear from you guys! every week! yes i knew it was halloween week haha. this week is going to be kinda rough too because we have a zone conference, a mission conference, and interviews. and we have to be in by 5 on halloween. so not a lot of time to proselyte this week. yes i am definitely doing well! and i am healthy. well NOW i am haha. i got the flu the other day. woke up on friday morning around 2ish and went to the nearest container (happened to be a trashcan). i don't remember what i hate but it didn't matter anymore! haha so after a few more purges and a priesthood blessing, i was good to go! thank goodness for the priesthood. "in the ordinances thereof, the power of godliness is manifest." and you could definitely feel it! anyway... yes bishop turley asked if he could do so. good to hear it made ya cry! haha i knew it would. Bishop turley is a stud. love that man. He is such a good bishop. every time me and my companion meet a new less active member, we immediately refer them to the bishop because we know how awesome he is. there is a whole in his ceiling where revelation just flows straight down. i swear. haha
yes! you are correct! the gilbert temple dedication has been announced. it'll be open to the public for tours in mid january. yes it is in our mission. i hope that we will be a part of the dedicaition, but more importantly, there will be so many members inviting nonmembers. the nonmenbers will feel the spirit, and then we will teach them! that's the hope of course. We are trying to help members understand that it would be best for them to be spiritually prepared for the temple, so we should start inviting to other things now. it's a work in progress. But we love the members here. all of them are so faithful, and love the missionaries. How could you not?! just kidding. but they really are awesome. Yup frank was baptized. He is a stud. Hasn't received a clalling yet but we're working on it. yes the osorios got baptized this weekend. It was such an incredible program too. They were so excited and the ward REALLY helped out with the program. the spirit was so strong. i'll send a couple pictures in a bit. But if that didn't make saturday the best day ever, stake conference certainly did! We were able to go to the adult session of stake conference and Elder Perkins of the first quorum of the seventy attended. The spirit was so strong to begin with, but on top of that, Elder Perkins kinda went out of the ordinary and stood up, asked for a microphone, walked down off the stage, and asked a recent convert to come out from the pews and express her feelings (we were talking about missionary work the entire meeting. that's what the bretheren said they wanted this session to be focused on. So elder Perkins decided to talk about the reasons why we do missionary work. So he asked Amanda to express herself). It was pretty awesome. She talked about her experiences. AND THEN. Elder perkins asked Alle (our investigator) and Eric (her less active boyfriend) to come up. We have been working with them for a couple months. they are so awesome and progressing. but slowly. anyway so he asked them to come up and share their thoughts. So Elder perkins began talking about them (because he had previosuly met with them earlier that day), and Eric began to cry ( he always cries). But the spirit was sooooo strong. And Then he asked Eric to share his feelings and he did. in front of the whole stake (while the whole stake was on the edge of their chairs). And then he asked Alle to. And she began talking. Elder perkins asked her what she thought about what the missionaries were teaching her. she relplied, "ya know, i just feel something when they teach me. i know it is true." She said that to the entire stake! it was so awesome!!!! and then Elder Perkins asked Elder Abramson and me to come up. so we did. He asked me to share a few thoughts and i did. and then bishop too. he then concluded with, "this is why we do missionary work." the meeting was so powerful and the spirit was so strong. I remember sitting in that meeting never wanting to leave. feeling like this is it. This is home. The gospel is real. it blesses lives. and families. i love teaching. i love witnessing change. i love the mission! so that about sums up saturday. good day huh?
that is awesome that myou came up with that analogy for seminary. i love it. yes we had a fall festival in one our wards and we have another one on wednesday. hailey's last primary program? that is an awesome idea mom! what a perfect missionary opportunity. you never know whose lives can be touched. so invite everyone! anyway i don't have a ton of time to write back becaus Elder Glaus wants to leave the library right now but anyway... good to hear Hailey is still the athlete in the family! keep it up. and she didn't want to go to the ceremony on sunday. what a stud. you're raising some good kids mom! the call over christmas will be skype. yeah that is sad that so many people are coming down with cancer. yeah don't tell me the sad stuff. 30s? yeesh it's still in the 80s during the day. sometimes 90s. night it'll get to 60s. sometimes 50s. but that's how it is all summer i hear. yes we eat every night. our ward missionaries take care of it. nothing i've tried that i didn't like! the mexican food down here is ridiculous though. Sister Garcia, the wife of the wml makes the best food in the world. but yes nothing compares to your cooking of course.
but i would love some letters. i haven't had one in a few weeks and it's killing me haha. so post it on facebook or something i don't know! i need letters! love and miss you all!
yes! you are correct! the gilbert temple dedication has been announced. it'll be open to the public for tours in mid january. yes it is in our mission. i hope that we will be a part of the dedicaition, but more importantly, there will be so many members inviting nonmembers. the nonmenbers will feel the spirit, and then we will teach them! that's the hope of course. We are trying to help members understand that it would be best for them to be spiritually prepared for the temple, so we should start inviting to other things now. it's a work in progress. But we love the members here. all of them are so faithful, and love the missionaries. How could you not?! just kidding. but they really are awesome. Yup frank was baptized. He is a stud. Hasn't received a clalling yet but we're working on it. yes the osorios got baptized this weekend. It was such an incredible program too. They were so excited and the ward REALLY helped out with the program. the spirit was so strong. i'll send a couple pictures in a bit. But if that didn't make saturday the best day ever, stake conference certainly did! We were able to go to the adult session of stake conference and Elder Perkins of the first quorum of the seventy attended. The spirit was so strong to begin with, but on top of that, Elder Perkins kinda went out of the ordinary and stood up, asked for a microphone, walked down off the stage, and asked a recent convert to come out from the pews and express her feelings (we were talking about missionary work the entire meeting. that's what the bretheren said they wanted this session to be focused on. So elder Perkins decided to talk about the reasons why we do missionary work. So he asked Amanda to express herself). It was pretty awesome. She talked about her experiences. AND THEN. Elder perkins asked Alle (our investigator) and Eric (her less active boyfriend) to come up. We have been working with them for a couple months. they are so awesome and progressing. but slowly. anyway so he asked them to come up and share their thoughts. So Elder perkins began talking about them (because he had previosuly met with them earlier that day), and Eric began to cry ( he always cries). But the spirit was sooooo strong. And Then he asked Eric to share his feelings and he did. in front of the whole stake (while the whole stake was on the edge of their chairs). And then he asked Alle to. And she began talking. Elder perkins asked her what she thought about what the missionaries were teaching her. she relplied, "ya know, i just feel something when they teach me. i know it is true." She said that to the entire stake! it was so awesome!!!! and then Elder Perkins asked Elder Abramson and me to come up. so we did. He asked me to share a few thoughts and i did. and then bishop too. he then concluded with, "this is why we do missionary work." the meeting was so powerful and the spirit was so strong. I remember sitting in that meeting never wanting to leave. feeling like this is it. This is home. The gospel is real. it blesses lives. and families. i love teaching. i love witnessing change. i love the mission! so that about sums up saturday. good day huh?
that is awesome that myou came up with that analogy for seminary. i love it. yes we had a fall festival in one our wards and we have another one on wednesday. hailey's last primary program? that is an awesome idea mom! what a perfect missionary opportunity. you never know whose lives can be touched. so invite everyone! anyway i don't have a ton of time to write back becaus Elder Glaus wants to leave the library right now but anyway... good to hear Hailey is still the athlete in the family! keep it up. and she didn't want to go to the ceremony on sunday. what a stud. you're raising some good kids mom! the call over christmas will be skype. yeah that is sad that so many people are coming down with cancer. yeah don't tell me the sad stuff. 30s? yeesh it's still in the 80s during the day. sometimes 90s. night it'll get to 60s. sometimes 50s. but that's how it is all summer i hear. yes we eat every night. our ward missionaries take care of it. nothing i've tried that i didn't like! the mexican food down here is ridiculous though. Sister Garcia, the wife of the wml makes the best food in the world. but yes nothing compares to your cooking of course.
but i would love some letters. i haven't had one in a few weeks and it's killing me haha. so post it on facebook or something i don't know! i need letters! love and miss you all!
Kind Words
Dear Bro. and Sis Bronson,
I asked Elder Bronson for your email address. My name is Mark Turley and I am the Bishop of the Pioneer Ward. I have seen your son grow and develop since he came into the mission. I knew when I first met him that he was special. Before being called to serve as the Bishop, I served for almost 5 years as the ward mission leader. In all my time serving in that capacity as well as my time serving as Bishop over the last year, I don't think I have seen a more dedicated, hard working, full of the spirit missionary as your son. He is cream of the crop. You have done a marvelous job raising him and I am thankful for him. I have a son serving in New York New York South Spanish, and Elder Bronson reminds me a lot of him. I am grateful that Elder Bronson is seeing the fruits of his labors with the Baptism of Frank Romano last week and the three Osorio children this Saturday. He was and is an incredible trainer for both Elder Nue and Elder Abramson. That is so important to have a good trainer. Elder Cook, who trained your son was a great missionary as well. We have several others that he and Elder Abramson are working with that I feel will also come to the waters of Baptism. I have had the opportunity to be in discussions and see Elder Bronson teach, and he is amazing. You call feel the Love that he has for the people he serves. We had he and Elder Abramson over for dinner tonight. They are great young men. The Lord's BEST!!
Well, again I just wanted to thank you for raising such a wonderful son. We Love Him!!!
Take Care,
Bishop Turley
I asked Elder Bronson for your email address. My name is Mark Turley and I am the Bishop of the Pioneer Ward. I have seen your son grow and develop since he came into the mission. I knew when I first met him that he was special. Before being called to serve as the Bishop, I served for almost 5 years as the ward mission leader. In all my time serving in that capacity as well as my time serving as Bishop over the last year, I don't think I have seen a more dedicated, hard working, full of the spirit missionary as your son. He is cream of the crop. You have done a marvelous job raising him and I am thankful for him. I have a son serving in New York New York South Spanish, and Elder Bronson reminds me a lot of him. I am grateful that Elder Bronson is seeing the fruits of his labors with the Baptism of Frank Romano last week and the three Osorio children this Saturday. He was and is an incredible trainer for both Elder Nue and Elder Abramson. That is so important to have a good trainer. Elder Cook, who trained your son was a great missionary as well. We have several others that he and Elder Abramson are working with that I feel will also come to the waters of Baptism. I have had the opportunity to be in discussions and see Elder Bronson teach, and he is amazing. You call feel the Love that he has for the people he serves. We had he and Elder Abramson over for dinner tonight. They are great young men. The Lord's BEST!!
Well, again I just wanted to thank you for raising such a wonderful son. We Love Him!!!
Take Care,
Bishop Turley
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