Hello everyone!

Well this last week was great! It’s always a blessing to be able to get the car back. Driving is a privilege.

One awesome occurrence was when we visited a man who had referred himself online to receive a Book of Mormon in French from us. So we set up a time to meet and went over there. Turns out he is already a member, and he was baptized about 2 years ago in this area. A while afterward he moved to Chicago, but had a bad fall at a wedding party and cracked his head open and lost his memory! But he is gaining it back now slowly and he remembers his testimony of this church even though he doesn’t really remember the doctrine, and he wants to come back and prepare to enter the temple! How crazy is that?!

Our zone had the wonderful opportunity to attend the Lamb of God performance in Holland, Michigan, on Saturday night. Due to some extenuating circumstances, we ended up being quite late, but miraculously they began RIGHT as Elder Strauss and I and the other Elders sat down. It was both a blessing and a curse we were in the second row… everyone was glaring at us as we stepped over to our seats. EVERYONE. But I’m grateful I was able to feel the Spirit as an orchestra played, a choir sang, and soloists representing the Savior’s closest friends and apostles sang of Him.

Soul Stick from zone conference

Lastly, I’ll mention that I had the chance for the first time on my mission to sing in sacrament meeting, alongside Sister Nelson and Sister MacArthur! People in the audience were crying so I guess that is a good thing, right? 🙂 I’ve been waiting to sing for a long time and I really enjoyed it 🙂

Choo Choo Grill

I love you all and I hope you have a marvelous week! Stay safe and pray often!

Love,

Elder Breinholt

(I got pictures with some of my beloved friends from wards I’ve served in, and hopefully they will send them to me soon!)

Hello again my lovely friends and family!

It’s been a great week, even though we had to give up the car again on wednesday. That’s always a sad occurrence. It was also a lot colder this last week than in the weeks prior, but we’re surviving. Elder Strauss is walking like normal again, but won’t be playing basketball for at least a couple more weeks to avoid reinjuring his ankle.

Ski Resort in MI. HA!

Well, three of Elder Strauss’s recent converts went to the temple this last Saturday and both of us had the opportunity of tagging along! We performed baptisms in the temple and it was a marvelous experience, and my first time doing baptisms in the temple on my mission. The recent convert we went with, Bob, seemed to love every bit of it and the way he talked on the way versus the way he talked and his countenance on the way back was different. He was brighter, and happier, and, well, a lot more appropriate x) Haha, crazy guy.

Ski Resort in MI. HA!

Our investigator Trayvond came to church with his girlfriend! We gave them both a tour after sacrament and they plan on coming back. Trayvond has never been baptized and is planning on “getting wet” on April 29th! Also, Cabrielle and her Nanny’s two daughters came to church as well! Saturday night after the temple trip, she texted us asking if we could give those two daughters copies of the Book of Mormon because they are interested, so we did, and then they all came to church the next day! What a marvelous weekend it’s been. 🙂

Well I love you all and I look forward to a great week once again. If you have anything you want to send me better do it quick because I’m likely leaving two weeks from today.

Elder Breinholt

Hello Everyone!

I feel like there’s not much crazy stuff to report this week. Elder Strauss is walking again, carefully.

Wednesday was hilarious because as Elder Strauss and I walked in for district meeting, I was surprised to see the zone leaders unexpectedly sitting in the room to join us. So I was a little nervous, wanting to make it a good district meeting filled with the Spirit, right? To my utter horror after a couple of minutes the Assistants to the Mission President walked in the door, also without having told me, or the zone leaders, a single thing about their planned arrival. It turned out to be a really fun time and a great district meeting, and we went to a chinese buffet all together for lunch. I ate a Korean Mussel for the the first time because Sister Nelson kept daring me to.

Last week was a lot of simply stopping by people I used to teach in Grand Rapids, and potential investigators who have been found over the past few months. This week we’ll be able to return to our searches for more new people by street contacting and knocking on doors, it was just a slow week last week without it.

Our investigators James and Teresa are doing great, we’re just working with James once again and encouraging him in his search for another new job, because unfortunately the one he found fell through. If he can get a new one soon and start coming to church, he’ll be able to be baptized before I leave! I’m sure this is simply another trial of faith that they can overcome if they keep doing what they know is right, and believe God will help them.

I love you all and I hope you have a wonderful week! Stay strong, and stand up for what you know is right. Pray and meditate more often than you are now, and I promise greater peace will come into your life, especially as you act on the feelings you have as you do so.

Love,

Elder Breinholt

Hahaha hello dear friends and family!

You all probably saw the title of my email. And I bet you thought I was talking about myself! Nope. Elder Strauss. We starting our new event with the Grand Valley Elders: Investigator Basketball. After the first 30 minutes, before everyone had even shown up yet, Elder Strauss had managed to roll his ankle and tear a ligament causing severe pain and swelling. We ended up taking him to the emergency room because everything else was closed by that time. Needless to say, he is now on crutches and will likely continue to be so for about a week, and his full recovery will take 5 to 6 weeks, as planned.

The work has slowed down a lot because of this. We can’t really even go and proselyte. So we are dropping investigators like flies, and are not finding more people to teach. It’s a little sad for me, especially since I always like to be working on something but we come back pretty often during the day so Elder Strauss can ice his ankle and take ibuprofen.

Other than all that we have been doing pretty well. Had some great, fun dinners with members. I probably ought to take more pictures with members, now that I think about it. I’m most likely going to be leaving this area in the next four weeks–or so President tells me.

Highlight of the last 7 days:

A member who has been less active in the church for a while who actually had issues against the church has been worked on over time by the Lord. God works in mysterious ways, my friends. I don’t know where it all started, but how I first got involved was by “coincidentally” knocking into her house, and her nanny answered and told us the situation with that members anger against the church. We answered some of her questions, got her information, and weren’t able to get in contact again. Later on we got a text from the Relief Society President, saying that member had surgery and requested a blessing! So of course Elder Strauss and I went over there and did that! On her TV she was totally watching Studio C (which I recommend, look it up on YouTube.) After that, her NANNY ended up in the hospital and the member asked if we could go giver HER a blessing, too! Holy cow. Meanwhile, members of the relief society had been helping to babysit her 5 special needs children while both she and her nanny were down. Later, the member texts us about her situation, and asks if it’d be possible we come help her rake leaves. We raked alongside the nanny’s two daughters, and then lo and behold, on Sunday, without us having asked or poked or prodded or even mentioned, The member Cabrielle showed up to church with one of her nanny’s daughters. They were happy and smiling and interacted with other members of the church. What a beautiful miracle this has been! Sometimes God works on us through the difficult, humbling experiences, so do your best to learn from them my friends.

Super long email. Sorry.

I love you guys and hope you have a wonderful week!

Elder Breinholt

Hello Friends and Family!

Our Ride is literally here to pick us up. So. Shortest Weekly Letter of all time?

God is good, he blesses us every single day!

Last night we put together a cottage meeting where we invited investigators to come together in the home of a member and we discussed the importance of family and centering the family on Jesus Christ. Our investigators from Calvin College came, and James, and Alisha and her kids so it was great! The Spirit was felt and they asked great questions.

Starting basketball with investigators on thursdays! So excited. I’m so glad we have enough people that that can actually be a thing!

Sisters got into Pokemon *facepalm*

IDK

I love you all and have wonderful week!

Elder Breinholt

Hello Everyone!

This week was a really confusing week for me. Oh and by the way we are emailing today because next week is the beginning of a new transfer, so our P-Day is today instead.

I totally thought I was going to transfer! Why? Because I got a letter from the mission President saying I would like my new district, and that my endorsement would be done by the time I arrive, but the transfer call came in yesterday morning and I am staying, and I was flabbergasted.

On top of that the Sisters in our district went missing in action during transfer calls, and we were sent by the mission President to check on them. Turned out they were in a lesson with their phone on silent. *facepalm*

This week was a short week, but we ended up teaching 15 lessons and picked up a bunch of awesome new people. Quite a few of them are planning on being at church so we’re hoping and praying it works out.

We’ve been praying for our investigator, James, to be able to come to church regularly but also be able to support himself and his wife. He took the leap of faith to ask his boss to stop having him work Sundays, even though he knew he’d no longer have sufficient funds to provide. He knew God would provide, and yesterday he called us to let us know a miracle happened! He got a full time job at a factory that will allow him to do more than provide for their needs, and they will be able to come to church every Sunday, as James says, “for eternity.” x) James and his wife Teresa are such awesome people and I’m grateful for everyone who has been praying for them. 🙂

Things have been going very well, and we know that as you draw closer to God, the Adversary tries to pull you away, so yes, there have been some trials that we have been facing, and It’s been difficult. I’m trying to be the best example I can, but still my own diligence or the diligence of others falls. Know this, brothers and sisters, that your choices and your obedience to what you know is right does not only affect you. I say this not to chastise, but rather to give another reason to be the best that you can be, not just for you, but for those you love.

Matthew 25: 40 “And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.”

I love you all! Have a wonderful week! Don’t be afraid to shoot me an email whenever!

Elder Breinholt

Hello again family and friends!

How has your week been? How has social media been? How bout them politics? Oh and how do you feel about 5 for the Patriots??

Elder Strauss and I had a great week! But every week can be great if you make it a great one. Even the hard ones, because there’s something to be learned, and some way for you to grow and become stronger. So honestly, I can’t remember the last time I had a bad week, or really even a bad day. That’s a BIG change from how I used to feel 18 months ago.

On Friday, we had 6 lessons lined up and 5 of them worked out, and they were all filled with the Spirit. Saturday, we had another 6 lessons lined up! One by one, they all went down the drain. One simply asked us to leave, another cancelled ahead of time, another shined us, and another one apparently no longer lives in that house. Holy Cow! Stark contrast! But it was an eye opener for me of how God has helped me to grow in positivity and patience; through all this, my companion was becoming more and more stressed and frustrated. Meanwhile, I was able to laugh it all off, and continue on in the work. And although most all of these appointments fell through, we were blessed with a BUNCH of miracles throughout the day! Our first appointment was in a house that was actually 3 apartments. I said I had a good feeling to knock on number 2, after our Referral asked us to get out. It took a little bit of coaxing, but eventually we went and knocked it. Turned out to be a super solid family we are planning on teaching tonight. Just another way Heavenly Father showed me that I am in tune with the Spirit, even though I’m not perfect and I make dumb mistakes.

So yesterday our investigators Anna and Morgan invited us to a youth program called LOFT! We had no idea what to expect, and it was not a program run by their church, so we were able to go! We carpooled with them and a friend named Kirk, and turns out it was actually a program of Calvin College, and it took place in their CFac center, and there were upwards of 200 Calvin College students there to come together in singing and praise! It was the sickest thing ever. The band playing was comprised of students and they were amazing, and we all stood and sung songs that remind us of our commitment to follow Christ! What an experience. Not at all what we were expecting. We were expecting a devotional, and that’s apparently usually what they do, but yesterday was special because of the superbowl, I guess. I don’t know. Just thought I’d share my excitement with you.

Here’s a picture one of the guys from the home ward sent! It’s all of us before Colton and I left on our missions!

Anyway.

I love you all, I hope you will make it a wonderful week, and I will talk to you all again soon.

Elder Breinholt

Hello everyone!

Well I think this time I am going to give a short run-down of some of our investigators, as I have done in the past:

Kevin and Alisha: Have been being taught for over a year now, and are planning on getting married on April 29th and being baptized shortly thereafter! They have strong testimonies of the Gospel, and are practically already members and have been that way for a while. They’re super awesome and they will be a great addition to the ward.

James and Teresa: They are a little bit slower when it comes to speech and expressing themselves, but they very well grasp the concepts of the Gospel, and continually act upon those principles. They came to church yesterday and loved it and strongly desire to be baptized by the end of February. By a miracle, they very well could make it, but need help through prayer to be able to continue coming to church!

Hilton: Older man, and he’s been taught by missionaries before, years ago. He came to church 2 Sundays ago and enjoyed it. We have him on date for Baptism March 4th, and he continues to keep commitments and read in the Book of Mormon. As he does so, you can tell his faith grows and he learns more about God’s plan and purposes. It doesn’t work when we try to force it into people, only when they choose to act for themselves.

These are just a few of the awesome people we are teaching right now but I would ask those who read this email to pray on their behalf! I would ask you to pray that they will be guided by the Spirit, and protected physically and Spiritually so they can continue to grow.

We had some great miracles this week including an instance that occurred after I ran out of money: We knocked into a lady who actually ended up inviting us for dinner, and that was the ONLY door we knocked that day! Crazy. Other small miracles have happened that have provided for me throughout the end of this month. I’m very grateful 🙂

Miracles have not ceased!

I love you all I hope you have a wonderful week! Stay awesome and Stay safe!

Love,

Elder Breinholt

Hello Everyone!

I didn’t know what I should call this weekly letter. You can probably tell.

This was a great week for our district! Lots of progress!

Elder Strauss and I have been working hard in being obedient and of course, being as diligent as possible, and our area saw one of the greatest weeks it has in a long time. We had 14 great lessons with people and had the opportunity to do more service for awesome refugees. I can say one thing, that although it is all hard and tiring, I am happy. I’m truly happy! If you want to be happy, lose your life in the service of others, even if it’s in little things! 🙂 Look back gratefully at what’s been given you, because it is much!

I actually ran out of money for the first time today. Haha. For some reason the dinner calendar has been quite sparse, but that’s okay!

We had the wonderful opportunity to have 3 investigators at church on Sunday! Plus it was Ward Conference so there were some great talks by our leaders.

Anyway gotta go, I love you all! Stay strong and firm on the foundation of the Gospel. Faith, Repentance, Baptism, and the Gift of the Holy Ghost are the way to fully exploit the blessings God has in store for you, and they can be maintained through your endurance to the end of your life in living those principle and ordinances.

Love,

Elder Breinholt

(Please don’t be too upset, I left my camera in the car so no pictures.)

Hello dearest Friends and Family,

Elder Strauss and I have been working our butts off and keeping really busy. It’s fun! But it’s also exhausting. The Key indicators are looking good but actual people are making progress toward Christ, which is what those indicators supposed to be about.

One really fun experience this week was teaching 3 college kids. Two of them are from Calvin College and one is from Kuyper. FYI, Calvin College is where the majority of Anti-Mormon literature worldwide is printed. These students are legitimately interested in learning about the Mormons and one of them is now writing their term paper on Mormonism. x) Pretty awesome.

On Saturday Elder Strauss and his last companion, Elder Thompson, went to the Detroit temple with a bunch of members from their last ward (up in Midland). Meanwhile, I worked in Holt with Elder Thompson’s companion, Elder Reynolds. We had a lot of fun and we helped a member family clear a bunch of stuff out of their house, which recently burned down. Luckily none of them were harmed and things are working out for them in finding a new home, but it was all we could do to help them move the things they were able to salvage.

I love you all and I testify of the reality of our Savior Jesus Christ. The Bible was given as a witness of his existence and his perfect example and ministry in Judea. The Book of Mormon testifies of His divinity as the Son of God, and of his love for everyone in the world. I’m so grateful for these two witnesses which have helped me to not only learn more about Christ, but apply those things into my life, one by one, which is what has brought me to be the person I am today. I am happy. 🙂 I can truly say that I feel happy, and I did not always feel that way. We talk to and teach many people right now who do not feel that way either. The Gospel is the greatest way I know to find it. It’s really the only way I know, that brings true and lasting joy. So plant your feet on the Rock! Serve your fellow brothers and sisters! Do what Jesus would do!

Have a wonderful week and enjoy this picture of me feeding a rabbit cilantro. It reminds me a lot of a rabbit I once had named Oreo. Oreo ran away.

Elder Breinholt