WOW!!!! Tomorrow marks Elder Branham's 6 month anniversary that he became a full time Missionary. Time is going by fast, I am so excited that I get to put my 6 month sticker on his count down chart...
I have tried to tell him today that there is a season for everything and that he is on his mission not only to convert but to plant seeds. Although it would be nice to have those seeds blossom while he may be in the area, sometimes the enviroment may not be right for them to blossom. But the seeds he plants may blossom oneday because of his efforts. Sometimes that may be hard to remember but I want him to understand it. He works very hard in his Missionary efforts and tends to get disappointed when he thinks things aren't going well. We are proud of him!
Here is his weekly Email:
Hey
Well this week was kinda stressful but I got through it. We got 2 new investigators tracting this week. We are also about to start teaching a black kid named Jean Paul. So I am really excited for that and we are also about to start teaching another part member family that has a 10 year old not baptized. So hopefully things will all work out. Also transfer calls are this friday I hope I stay since the work is picking back up again I wanna teach and bring people to the waters of baptism.We had a total of 31 lessons this week we have averaged 32 for this transfer.President Gardner came down for our stake conference and he met with us at our house and talked with us. I really am sad to see him go I hope the new President is like him. Well I don't know what all to say. Last year in my area they had 7 baptisms the whole year and 15 reactivations so far since I have been here we have had 5 baptisms and 15 reactivations so that is exciting :)
love yall
Monday, March 19, 2012
Monday, March 12, 2012
March 12, 2012 Email From Riverton, WY
Hey,
Well this week went really well. We had 3 baptisms that went great and we also had 2 reactivation's. And we had a total of 29 lessons again. Which is great! I hope I don't get transferred we are about to start teaching another 9 year old and and 24 year old who's girlfriend is in our college branch and he has been to church with her the last 5 weeks. So its good that we are getting more people to teach. As a missionary you work hard to lose your work you work hard to get them to baptism then you have nobody to teach. But luckily this is probably the best area in the mission cause that's not the case for this area. My companion and I are getting along great it took me a while to get used to him but I love him not quite as much as I loved Elder Akina but he is an awesome companion and I hope we stay together for at least one more transfer. This past week at zone conference President Gardner wanted to talk to me, I thought I was in trouble... but he said he just wanted to let me know that my companion and I are leading the mission right now with an average weekly lessons of 32.1 and we have had 15 reactivation's and 5 baptisms this transfer so he just wanted to congratulate me and tell me to keep up the good work and that he was proud of me for working hard. I am gonna miss President Gardner. I hope the new mission president will be just as good as President Gardner was. I have been checking up on South Carolina baseball and right now they are on fire with a 13-1 record so far and their only lost was to Clemson in the 11th inning. I hope they can win the national championship again that would be crazy if they won 3 years in a row. well I don't know what else to say the work is going good here. Hope I have the opportunity to stay, next friday is transfer calls.
love you all
Well this week went really well. We had 3 baptisms that went great and we also had 2 reactivation's. And we had a total of 29 lessons again. Which is great! I hope I don't get transferred we are about to start teaching another 9 year old and and 24 year old who's girlfriend is in our college branch and he has been to church with her the last 5 weeks. So its good that we are getting more people to teach. As a missionary you work hard to lose your work you work hard to get them to baptism then you have nobody to teach. But luckily this is probably the best area in the mission cause that's not the case for this area. My companion and I are getting along great it took me a while to get used to him but I love him not quite as much as I loved Elder Akina but he is an awesome companion and I hope we stay together for at least one more transfer. This past week at zone conference President Gardner wanted to talk to me, I thought I was in trouble... but he said he just wanted to let me know that my companion and I are leading the mission right now with an average weekly lessons of 32.1 and we have had 15 reactivation's and 5 baptisms this transfer so he just wanted to congratulate me and tell me to keep up the good work and that he was proud of me for working hard. I am gonna miss President Gardner. I hope the new mission president will be just as good as President Gardner was. I have been checking up on South Carolina baseball and right now they are on fire with a 13-1 record so far and their only lost was to Clemson in the 11th inning. I hope they can win the national championship again that would be crazy if they won 3 years in a row. well I don't know what else to say the work is going good here. Hope I have the opportunity to stay, next friday is transfer calls.
love you all
Thursday, March 8, 2012
Update on Elder Branham from Riverton
In my last couple emails, Elder Branham is doing good. He is enjoying his missionary experience and his new companion. He was made Senior companion last month and is training a missionary who has been out 6 weeks before coming to him, calling it a Greene Breaker. They are working hard in Riverton and teaching lots of lessons. They have had two baptisms already and 3 more this coming Saturday, 3/10. He sounds very upbeat and adjusting. On March 21st it marks 6 months on his mission but whose counting. We are very proud of our Missionary and the wonderful things he is accomplishing.
More pictures from Riverton
Enjoying a day in the life of a Missionary
February 2012 Baptisms
If you look closely you can see the deer behind him
I am so glad that he made his bed!
Pictures from Riverton WY
Elder Branham and his flavored water
Awe this picture is for his sister, he is showing her the horse....
Riverton WY
Showing off their new hats
Monday, February 20, 2012
February 20, 2012 Email, Riverton WY
Weekly Email:
Hey well this week was good. We had 29 lessons and set 3 baptismal dates for March 10th. so it was a good week. We have 2 baptisms this sat. for Jada a 11 year old girl. and John a 13 year old boy. Jada wants me to baptize her and confirm her in sacrament I am nervous.. we also gave out 15 book of mormons this week. We can't go hiking today cause of the snow it snowed last night and hikin in it would just be miserable. so far my new companion is good he likes to talk alot though. Well tell Rachel I said happy birthday. oh and my entire district had a sleep over last night so it was pretty fun.
Hey well this week was good. We had 29 lessons and set 3 baptismal dates for March 10th. so it was a good week. We have 2 baptisms this sat. for Jada a 11 year old girl. and John a 13 year old boy. Jada wants me to baptize her and confirm her in sacrament I am nervous.. we also gave out 15 book of mormons this week. We can't go hiking today cause of the snow it snowed last night and hikin in it would just be miserable. so far my new companion is good he likes to talk alot though. Well tell Rachel I said happy birthday. oh and my entire district had a sleep over last night so it was pretty fun.
Monday, February 13, 2012
February 13, 2012
Weekly Email:
Hey,
Well as you know we got transfer calls last friday. I will be getting a new companion this wed. I will be training which I am really excited about. I am only the 3rd missionary to go senior companion after only 4.5 months so i am really happy about that. Last week was a good week we planned a little bit for the baptism we have on the 25th. We will be baptizing a 10 year old girl named Jada and a 13 year old boy named John. They are great kids and they have really understood everything we have taught them. We tracted into a guy about 4 weeks ago his name is william. we have been meeting with him and he is SOLID! He told us he has been looking for a church to be baptized into for the last year but says that he feels that none of the churches are right. He also does not like how most churches dont practice what the preach. He is a firm believe in you must show faith. faith without works is dead. he also doesnt believe in babies being baptized. so i am really excited for him. So i ask all of you to keep him in your prayers so that he may receive an answer taht this is the true church. and that this amazing gospel will bless his life. We have also been teaching a 23 year old for a while now. He wont get baptized cause he is scared what his parents will think so just keep him in your prayers also. Also keep praying that the area i am in will continue to grow with success. My companion did leave yest. he will probably get to his new area tuesday. he is going to lolo, montana which is near missoula. His new companion is the district leader and is a really hard worker which i feel is what he needs cause he didnt wanna work at all when he was here. I am excited for the opportunity that the lord has given me to train, i feel this is like what coach laprad always told us " when you get the chance to shine and show people what you are made of take advantage of it and soak in teh feeling you get from your success" and thats what i hope i can do is show people how great i can be. My new companion is coming from eureka montana which is the farthest point north on the mission he is only about 5 mins from the canada border. So he will get here at about 2 pm wed afternoon. So he will be on the transfer van for 3 days. So until wed. i am with the elders from down in lander wyoming. there companions all got transferred so we are all getting new companions. One of them is getting Elder Hatch which is a elder i came out with and was in the MTC with. And the other is gettign Elder Savage who will be our new district leader and i served around him up in butte and he is a really cool kid. So i am excited for this transfer and hope to find lots of success. Well the weatehr here continues to be nice i hope it stays like this both winters once i get home from my mission it can be cold all it wants. Well i guess thats all i got.
Love, Elder Branham
Hey,
Well as you know we got transfer calls last friday. I will be getting a new companion this wed. I will be training which I am really excited about. I am only the 3rd missionary to go senior companion after only 4.5 months so i am really happy about that. Last week was a good week we planned a little bit for the baptism we have on the 25th. We will be baptizing a 10 year old girl named Jada and a 13 year old boy named John. They are great kids and they have really understood everything we have taught them. We tracted into a guy about 4 weeks ago his name is william. we have been meeting with him and he is SOLID! He told us he has been looking for a church to be baptized into for the last year but says that he feels that none of the churches are right. He also does not like how most churches dont practice what the preach. He is a firm believe in you must show faith. faith without works is dead. he also doesnt believe in babies being baptized. so i am really excited for him. So i ask all of you to keep him in your prayers so that he may receive an answer taht this is the true church. and that this amazing gospel will bless his life. We have also been teaching a 23 year old for a while now. He wont get baptized cause he is scared what his parents will think so just keep him in your prayers also. Also keep praying that the area i am in will continue to grow with success. My companion did leave yest. he will probably get to his new area tuesday. he is going to lolo, montana which is near missoula. His new companion is the district leader and is a really hard worker which i feel is what he needs cause he didnt wanna work at all when he was here. I am excited for the opportunity that the lord has given me to train, i feel this is like what coach laprad always told us " when you get the chance to shine and show people what you are made of take advantage of it and soak in teh feeling you get from your success" and thats what i hope i can do is show people how great i can be. My new companion is coming from eureka montana which is the farthest point north on the mission he is only about 5 mins from the canada border. So he will get here at about 2 pm wed afternoon. So he will be on the transfer van for 3 days. So until wed. i am with the elders from down in lander wyoming. there companions all got transferred so we are all getting new companions. One of them is getting Elder Hatch which is a elder i came out with and was in the MTC with. And the other is gettign Elder Savage who will be our new district leader and i served around him up in butte and he is a really cool kid. So i am excited for this transfer and hope to find lots of success. Well the weatehr here continues to be nice i hope it stays like this both winters once i get home from my mission it can be cold all it wants. Well i guess thats all i got.
Love, Elder Branham
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