Letter to Buzz

Ashley & Buzz!
Sorry such a short letter, but I only have like 2 minutes. Thanks so much for the letters, packages, and support. It means a lot. I love you guys so much! I have Austyn & Dallin's drawings hanging up. I hope you guys are doing well. What are you guys up to? Dal learn any new words? Is he allergic to Darla? Fill me in! What are you guys doing for Halloween? I will be in class ALL day. Fun stuff! No really though, some days are fun. Today was rough, but I am having a good time and laughing a lot so that's good. My $180 pair of Ecco shoes gave me blisters. No bueno! Oh well, maybe I will grow some callouses, ha ha. Anyways, I have like 5 min to get ready for bed. I love you all and miss you very much! Give Buzz a hug and kiss. Talk about me to him so he doesn't forget me!
Love you!
Elder Davie

Long Days and Pepto Bismol

Letter from Brendan, dated October 26, 2009

"Yo!
I got a package and 3 letters today! So that was awesome. I'll try to answer some of your questions. The food is awful. I find myself going to the bathroom a lot. I saw Dennis a couple of times on Sunday. P-days are on Thursdays. I'm running out of clean clothes so it will be good to do laundry. Saturday was the longest day of my life. Here was my schedule: 7-8 AM: Study. 8-12: Classroom instruction. Lunch at 12. 12:30-5: Classroom instruction. Dinner at 5. 5:30-8: More class. 8-9 PM-Study. 9-9:30 PM Plan. 9:30-10 study. 10:15 is quiet time! Longest day ever! I am actually doing really good though! I'm comfortable around everyone and I have had some very spiritual experiences. In class tonight we practiced teaching the 1st lesson. The spirit was so strong! Tomorrow at 8 AM we go and practice teaching a volunteer acting as an investigator. It will be awesome!! My teachers are Bro Weist (he's hilarious) and Sister Adams. Things are really going well here so don't worry about me. There's an elder in our district named Elder Holderman and he is hilarious! I laugh just looking at him. I have taken some pics so before I leave I will send some to you. It's 10:00 so I gotta go. Love you all. Thank you Austyn and Dallin for the pictures. Thanks for the package. The church is true!

Love, Elder Davie

P.S. "True Christianity is love in action". - David O. McKay

P.P.S. My companion's been hitting the pepto bismol pretty hard haha"

Missionary Life Feels Normal

"We had a devotional tonight and L Tom Perry was the speaker. It was really good! Thanks for all of the letters and packages. It's much appreciated! I wish I could write everyone individual letters but I'm short on time, so dispense the letters! I miss Dallin and "Austy" like crazy!!! I feel like I haven't seen them for a year and it's only been a week! What else is new with me? I can't wait until I can do my laundry on Thursday! I'm almost out of clothes! It will be nice to get new missionaries tomorrow so we can stop being the "new" guys. Thanks for the Tim Tams! It's weird here because missionary life just feels like normal life and hoem life just seems like it's been gone forever. It's weird but cool I guess. It really feels like I've been gone forever. We taught in the TRC which went ok, then taught a teacher later in the TEC and went horribly, so that was frustrating. I'm having a hard time keeping investigators interested in the message and applying the doctrine to their needs. BRT is easier said than done. Anyways I gotta go. Love you all very much!

Elder Davie"

P-Day #1

Brendan's first email on his first P-Day:

"How are you guys? I am doing good. I'm actually starting to like the MTC! It's pday today which is awesome. It has been a very long week so it is nice to have some "down" time. We do laundry at 1:45 so that will be really nice since I am completely out of clothes. Then we have class tonight at 5:45 till 9 but besides that we will just be doing study and stuff. We went to the referral center last night for the first time....You make calls and receive calls as well as talk on a live chat. People call to request church movies and then we can call people to confirm their delivery. It was scary at first but now its cool. I had a chance last night to talk to a guy from oakland. It was a short conversation but the church sent him a book of mormon like 6 months ago. He lost his job and had to move in with relatives so now its still packed away. I had the chance to testify of the book or mormon and share my testimony and he was very receptive of that so it was a good experience for me. Then I called some dude in Oregon at like 9 pm...... He tore my head off for the stupidest reason.....it was hilarious.... the phone was ringing, his wife picks up and so I ask for him. Then he gets on the phone and says "Phillies or Yankees". I was taken back for a second then turned my mind into real life mode and said "Phillies !". Then he said is this Don? I was like uh no this is brendan from the church of jesus christ of latter day saints. And he proceeded with these exact words ( I will add caps to help you feel exactly how mad he was) "HOW DARE YOU CALL ME DURING THE WORLD SERIES? I CANNOT BELIEVE THAT PEOPLE CALL DURING THE WORLD SERIES?!" I told him the spill and asked if he received his bible he requested. He said " No I didn't ! " So I was like sweet do you still want one or....? and he was like " Yes! But not during the world series....and you guys can send one or call me back but it better be after the world series !!! It was hilarious but I was scared at the same time. Thanks for all the letters and packages that you guys have been sending....I get way more mail then the other elders and it means a lot to me! We had the chance to go to the temple this morning. It was really cool since I have never been to that one before. Our session started at 7:40 so I was dead tired but its all good. It was a great experience. It is hard waking up so early and I am dead tired all day...but I will get used to it...or just deal with it. We have 10 people in our district.... 4 of us going to dc south and then 6 are going to Rapid City , South Dakota. We all getting along pretty well. I hope you guys are all doing good ! Let me know if there is anything I can do for you !! I love you !!! Church is true !!!!"

Learning to Teach

Letter from Brendan, dated 10/24/2009

"I'm writing as often as I can and will try to answer some of your questions! My Branch Presidency is cool. They're a little intimidating, but that's to be expected. Things are going well. I am comfortable for the most part. Some of my fears have become extinct because of the spirit that is here. Tonight we went to the teacher evaluation center to teach the first lesson to a teacher who posed as an investigator. Ya we bombed it. Never have I felt so dumb. I wasn't nervous but we just didn't connect with her and have the spirit with us. It was very frustrating but I guess life goegs on. Not sure if I told you but one of the elders in our dorm got swine flu. He is now in quarantine and our district was given tamiflu. Who won the BYU game? I could hear it but don't know the outcome. Tomorrow is Sunday which should be interesting since there are a lot of meetings. Hopefully I can see Dennis and Kim. I think that is all the new info. We found out that 6 other elders are also going to the Washington DC South mission, but they're in another district. I need to get going and prepare a talk about patience. They pick on random missionaries to give a talk during sacrament. Hopefully they don't choose me! Pray for me, on Tuesday we teach again to a visitor who acts as an investigator, and they tape you then critique you. That should be a blast. I love you all! I'm still waiting to wake up from a very weird dream :)

Elder Davie"

MTC Food and Harry Potter

Letter from Brendan, Dated 10/23/09

"Thanks for all of the letters! My comp and the other guys in my room haven't had mail yet. A guy in our dorm got swine flu so he is now in "quarantine". So now I'm in a threesome. It's cool. We have been working hard on trying to teach the first lesson. Easier said than done. We have spent a lot of time at the TEC. For breakfast I had eggs and a ham and cheese sandwich (GROSS!!!). For lunch I had a hamburger. Worst burger EVER!!! And for dinner I had pizza and pumpkin pie which was delicious. Overall the MTC food is horrible! I spend a lot of time dropping the kids off if you know what I mean :) So it is day 3 and it's getting a tad better. I am adjusting and doing fine. One day feels like 3. I can't believe tomorrow is only Saturday. One guy who lives in our hall dressed up in a cape and was running around casting Harry Potter spells in spanish. Very intersting. I can't wait until P-Day next Thursday! It will be much needed. Well this elder needs to plan, study, change, brush my teeth, get a drink, and study some more and it's already 9:56 so I better go. Love and miss you all!"

Brendan & Companion

Here is a picture of Brendan and his companion taken last night at the MTC!!

Aren't they cute??