Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween 

from Elder Brinkerhoff and Elder Peterson!

(I got this surprise picture in my inbox!!!)

Back in Yak!

Hey all!

Wow what a week! Just got doubled in/white-washed into a new proselyting area in Yakima! I am training and District leader in the Ahtanum Creek and Yakima Valley YSA serving with Elder Peterson from Kaysville, Utah. Elder Peterson and I have been making quite the adjustment! I was surprised to find that we were now covering this ward and this branch instead of Randall park which was the original plan but we are so happy and excited to begin our time here! President made a last minute switch as I was coming down from Wenatchee apparently!

It's been great so far! Got to visit the new WYM mission home and mission office this week. We are driving a brand new 2016 Toyota Corolla and we just moved in to a spacious apt that has everything except a laundry area. We have been making our plans for this week to take over existing investigators and to begin finding new ones too! The YSA covers the people in the Yakima and Selah stakes so it's been strange to be able to go to some of the places I saw all the time when I served in the Selah stake in 2nd ward earlier this year!

The 6th ward and YSA branch members are very supportive and we look forward to the new wards coming this Sunday! The stake is being reorganized and yesterday was the last week of the numbered wards. The missionaries are acting as if the split has already occurred however. There's even a family named the Beus's that are here in our ward that I worked with down in Kennewick a lot and now they've moved here so that's pretty neat! Definitely inspired! I'm glad I have a mission President who is so open to the promptings of the spirit! I'm always nervous for transfers but I am always amazed at the confirming feeling I get each time that this is where I need to be. Missions are incredible! Have a great week!

Elder Brinkerhoff

Found my street before I left Wenatchee!

Said goodbye to Elder Bawden....it was very sad!!!

I got teary when I left this place.  Each transfer gets harder.

Look what I found!!!  First time at the new mission office.

Hi Mom! 

So do you know if chargers for electric razors are sold separately? I found out that I left mine in Wenatchee! I tried to look at Wal-mart today but had no luck. 

Was there a shooting at NAU? I've heard that now from a couple people and Grandma mentioned it too but i keep forgetting to ask haha

I will write you a letter soon! Elder Bawden stayed and recieved Elder Haymond who took over as DL. He came out with me if you remember. Elder Bawden was so scared to take over the area but he's got a great Elder taking care of him :) I'll fill you in on the other changes in the letter. There were some crazy ones!

And thanks for the work gloves! I can't wait to get my box! have you sent it yet? I am guaranteed to get it sooner. Once it arrives I can just pick it up at the office. :) It's pretty great! It's like deja vu of being in Kennewick really close to the mission headquarters and getting doubled in and everything! haha

Hope you all have a happy Halloween! Ours should be boring as all mission holidays are but just found out that we're going to the temple on November 4th so that will be sweet! Time is going so fast! Hope everything is well! 

I love you and take care! :)

-Elder B

From Sister Lewis's blog (I removed many of the pictures from her post and mostly kept the ones that Elder Brinkerhoff is in)

Trainer & Trainee Meeting 23 October 2015                                    

Posted on October 23, 2015by annlaemmlenlewis

This afternoon we met with all the newly arrived missionaries in the south part of the mission for T&T Training.  These missionaries arrived Tuesday, traveled to their new areas Wednesday, had a day of work, and now returned to us today (Friday).  It was Great to see them again, rested, settled, and happy!  Lots of unknown factors in their lives are now known, and they are ready to work!

The training today was excellent.  President Lewis reviewed the Four Essential Truths of the Gospel of Jesus Christ:

1. Jesus Christ is the Savior of the World
2. Joseph Smith saw God, the Father, and the Son
3.  The Book of Mormon is the Word of God
4.  The Priesthood has been restored to the earth.

We also talked about Companion Unity (see D&C 38:27).  I talked to them about the Adjusting to Missionary Life booklet and how to use it.  Then 2 of our local Zone Leaders, Elders Krogue and Wilkey explained the 12-Week Training program and how it works.  They compared it to the example in the Book of Mormon of Alma and Amulek (Alma 10) which is very similar to the situation these missionaries are in.  They had time together to prepare and learn before being sent out to teach, and they had power given unto them.

We also talked about Accountability and Responsibility and trusting in the Lord, who places His trust in us.      After a short break, we separated into 2 groups–the Trainers went upstairs with President Lewis and the new missionaries were trained by the Assistants, who taught them about Sanctification and its effect in our personal lives.  They talked about ways they can become more clean and pure or worthy to be representatives of Jesus Christ and the effect that will have on others as they teach.  They watched some video clips from training seminars that were excellent examples of teaching by the Spirit.

The Trainers and President Lewis talked about this sacred responsibility of preparing this new group of missionaries.  They reviewed the 12-Week Training booklet and how to use it and discussed things each learned from his or her trainer when they were new.  It helps to remember the challenges of being a new missionary and how that feels.  These trainers are some of the best missionaries in the mission.  We are so grateful for them and their willingness to teach and pass on all they have learned.  Some of these trainers are “young” meaning they have only been here a few weeks themselves.  It’s remarkable what we are asking of them.  We have complete trust in them and can’t wait to see these companionships develop as they learn together.Here are our fearless Trainers:Then we met together again and watched a video clip of Elder Holland’s wonderful MTC talk from 2011.  (Please watch this if you are able to.  We showed them the ending from minute 37:44 on.)

Next Tuesday, we will get to meet with the rest of the Elders and Sisters who arrived during the last 2 transfers.  I’m already looking forward to it!

Transfer Week!

First, he teased me with THIS email:

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"The good ol transfer predictions board!! One person guessed it right!" (Predictions for each Missionary are listed vertically)

And then several other pictures which clued me in that he is being transferred this week:

"Said goodbye to the 'H' family last night :o( "

"My last District Counsel in Wenatchee"

Then he finally sent me an explanation! ha ha

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Hey Mom! 

Yes I do actually have a couple requests: Can you also send me that Presidents of the Church DVD set that I sent home? And when you send the DVD's can you not send the covers? Just the discs in sleeves or something? Also if you can somehow find a good pair of work gloves for cheap that would be helpful. I have some but they are slowly deteriorating haha OH! And "Meet the Mormons" would be great, too!

How was the WML presentation? That is a super funny story about Greg. Probably pretty embarrassing too... Glad he's not missing! Thanks for the pictures of dad's birthday! The kids are too funny!

Yes, I am being transferred back down to Yakima!! I will be serving as the District leader and a trainer again in the Randall Park Ward (Formerly Yakima 1st) in the Yakima Zone. My future comp is in the MTC today and will arrive tomorrow! I leave this Wednesday :( It will be super sad to leave Wenatchee). This ward actually borders Yakima 2nd! It's pretty cool! I am very nervous but more excited than anything. I will get to visit the mission home and the mission office is smack dab in my area! It's going to be sweet when I know who my comp is, where I'm going to live and what the heck I will be doing!!! I'll find out soon! :)

Have a great week! I love you!

-Elder B :)

"'L' made us this Halloween cake!"

We helped the Columbia Hills Elders help their Bishop and this is his backyard!!

Touching the Columbia River!

I'm a little behind....here are a couple of weeks worth of emails and pictures.  To start off with, I got a surprise email with pictures Conference weekend:
********************************************************
This is sister Ludeman.
We are so blessed to have your amazing son in our home today!! He asked me to share this with you!!! 

*****************************************************
Hey!! 

Thanks for the pictures from the Sister Ludeman! It sure was a great conference! We watched with the Ludeman's on Saturday. We all had a great time watching conference! We had a lesson/testimony meeting in-between sessions and some lunch. We then went to the rest of the sessions at the stake center. Conference was amazing and I can't wait to get the conference Ensign!! WEIRD TO REALIZE THAT I ONLY HAVE ONE MORE CONFERENCE LEFT!!!!!! AHHHHH!!! :)

That's so funny about your connection with the Skousens. You can tell them that she is doing SO well. She and Sister Wilson are doing a lot of hard work and they are a good team! They both had a rough week with sickness but they are going strong. Sister Wilson got sick right in the middle of our district meeting this week (barfing and stomach illness). Then Sister Skousen wasn't feeling good yesterday. Elder Bawden and I gave her a blessing in-between sessions of conference. They are both okay though and feeling better :) It really is a pleasure having them in my District. So humble and such powerful teachers!! I love my mission haha :)

I look forward to getting your letters! It will be so exciting to get them! Man, I can't remember anything from this week. Hopefully I can remember for your letter when I reply!

I love you! Hope you have a great week! Oh, I should probably get my birthday list to you... I will get that next week!!

Love Elder B :)

Elder Jensen drew this on the board right before my District Council haha

I found Arizona!!!

Just a beautiful morning drive on the way to Waterville to watch conference with the Ludemans

My conference notes from Elder Holland's talk <3 (If you can read it haha):

Went on a zone hike today up to Saddle Rock!! Here's my District! (Most of it)

Here's a pic from last P-day:

Hey Mom!

This week was stellar! We have 2 new investigators and we are so happy for them! They are both former investigators and we didn't know until after we went home after meeting them. One is named "T" and the other is named "J". They both now are separated from the their wives. We strongly feel that that the true gospel will bless their lives so much! We invited "T" to be baptized but he didn't accept a date. He committed to pray and ponder about what the Lord has in store for him. Things are great! Our ward is more on board with us in our efforts than ever before and we are so excited for all the visits we will be making this week to potential investigators and less active members who need the gospel in their lives. We're also anxious to find out what's in store for us in transfers this Saturday!! 

Found some nice jeans at Goodwill today that fit great and they are AZ brand too! can't wait until my pants are back haha! No I haven't gotten your letters yet but it takes about a week to get from the mission office to me so they will probably be here soon. Selina's hymn was cool! And then Elder Ballard talked about it in conference too! That was cool! haha Hope she is successful with it!

Here's some ideas for my b-day list:

• Church music
• Halloween Candy (REESE'S PUMPKINS) :)
• Cinnamon rolls
• Can you send back the D&C, BOM, NT and OT videos that I sent home? President Lewis JUST allowed them for watching haha I couldn't believe it...

I don't want/need much. Those DVD's will pretty much make me super happy haha

This week I am preparing for my last District Council of the transfer. It will be tomorrow. Then we'll have transfer calls on Saturday! 

I love you! Hope you have a great week and that Dad has a great B-day! Love Elder B

I held another snake named Medusa!

Every day is Sunday on a mission!

Did some service this week in Malaga with the Columbia Hills Elders.  We cleared the ground for a future park! There were a lot of rocks. We raked them into lines and then shoveled them into tractors to dump them. The Spanish Elders were spearheading it and we were enlisted to help. It was back-breaking labor! haha