Hello Everyone! The first thing I want to share, and this isn’t the first time I have said this, but you are all so Loved. I wish the world could understand that more, and I wish that the people we teach could understand that more, because that is the first thing we need to have the motivation to move forward and become better, and come closer to each other and to God 🙂

Rock concert in town! Tender Mercies of the Lord

Things are going well in the Oscoda area. Elder McGuire and I succeed and fail every day, and God makes up for our failures with the small and the mighty miracles we see, and also the one’s we don’t even notice. Is God working miracles in and for your life, even as you read this? Probably! 🙂 Without his timing none of this would be possible. I testify that I know God lives and that His hand is in this work. Somehow he puts us in exactly the right place at exactly the right time. He provides us the opportunities we need, and that these investigators need. You reap what you sow, brothers and sisters. Often when we turn from a bad direction or turn from darkness toward the light, we don’t immediately experience all the blessings quite yet that come from being righteous, but we are planting those seeds, and we must nourish them, and eventually we will partake of that fruit which is more desirable than anything of the world, and it is true joy, and it is experienced only through living the Gospel.

Elder Hudson went to Cory and Dawna’s baptism in Utah! How cool is that??

Kayla, Mark, John, and Rob were all at church this Sunday. But there was a pretty big surprise that happened, which even through Elder McGuire and I off! The Stake Presidency was there, and they reorganized the branch presidency. Brother Karn stepped down after being Branch President for 6 years, and who was called as the new branch president?? Our branch mission leader, Rob Parent!! What?? How?? When?? Why?? Haha it was a surprise, but I do believe he was called of God at this time for this branch, and although we now don’t have a branch mission leader, I’m very excited for Rob and for this branch. It’s a difficult calling, and he is only 29. This branch will see baptisms soon. I may be gone by the time they happen, but I know that I was a part of that process of these people coming closer to God and changing their lives.

I love the Gospel, and I love all of you, and bid you farewell till next week 🙂

Love,

Elder Breinholt

Hello everyone!

This week was kept pretty busy! Zone P-Day last Monday was a BLAST! Hung out on the beach for hours and played lots of running games. I was sore for days. Best one yet. Afterwards, Had tradeoffs with Elder Fiame in West Branch. That was a ton of fun. While I was gone, Elder Boyd and Elder McGuire had some pretty great lessons, and Rob in Hale is now on date for baptism! AHH! Apparently he put himself on date, so that’s awesome. He’s progressed so for and feels very firm in his conviction to join and knows the church is true.

Yesterday, 4 of our investigators were at church!! FOUR of them!! That’s more than I have ever had in my mission so far. And they all live in Hale! 45 minutes away from the church building! So awesome.

This week we did 10 hours of service! That’s the max we are allowed to, and we definitely have seen blessings from it. It helps people to see that we are just normal guys, not just some pious preachers going door to door trying to convert people to our church.

Please pray for Angie and her children. Work is not letting her come to church, even though they promised they’d work out her schedule for it.

This morning Elder McGuire and I during studies RANDOMLY turned to Helaman Chapter 3 and read a verse about trees and discussed it. And we discussed a quote that says “The best time to plant a tree is 20 years ago. The next best time is right now.” All of a sudden, I have a bunch of emails from friends and missionaries using that same quote, and President Jacobsen himself put it in the bottom of his letters to the missionaries for this week. Think of the meaning that has in your life. The best time would have been 20 years ago, or even 10, or even last week. But the next best time is right now. Make the changes you need to make. Change your environment, change your habits, and you will see the blessings come. Heavenly Father loves each and every one of you and so do I! Thank you all for your support and love!

Have a good week! Talk to you all later!

1. Me with the Scherbels. They just moved out! 🙁 Favorite family in the branch
2. Model Status
3. At the Car Show in West Branch
4. Me walking up to OUR car. 😉 (just kidding)

Hello everyone! Don’t have a ton of time

The Scherbel family found baby skunks under their porch! Pictures included.
Unfortunately the Scherbels are leaving, and taking 2/3 of the Primary with them… but that’s why we need to bring other families into the fold! And we have some great potential in the area.

Rob from Hale came to church yesterday! He has made so much progress, and we’re very glad. It’s quite the drive, about 40 minutes. Angie is doing well, too, and just moved into a small house with the family!

I learned a lot this week about how I need to continue to work on having humility and I’m doing my best.

We are headed down to Bay City in a bit but I love you all and hope you have a wonderful week!

I can promise that if you will forsake your pride and be willing to hear others out it will make life simpler and more joyful. Serve others around you in big and small ways!

OH!! And by the way, a family just moved into the branch temporarily and they are from TAYLORSVILLE!! Ahh!! They know a bunch of my friends from back home! So awesome.

Love,

Elder Breinholt

Hello everyone!

Once again, emailing on a very odd day. They are trying some new things here in the MLM and if I’m being completely honest I think they are weird, but I will go and do the things which the Lord hath commanded.

Anyway, because Monday is a transfer day, they decided to try moving the first P-Day back to the last Saturday of the transfer before, which is today. Confusing, I know, but we shall roll with it.

Transfer calls came yesterday during studies……… aaaaaand Elder McGuire and I are staying here for another 6 weeks! Yay! I am excited because I love the investigators we have right now and want to see at least one of them be baptized.

Great things are happening here in Oscoda, and we have seen wonderful miracles this week already, one of which happened on Tuesday:

Tuesday night Elder McGuire and I were planning for the day ahead, and had pretty much finished up plans except for where we would go knocking, and instead of just picking one that has not been knocked for a while, we tried to debate back and forth by the Spirit as to where we need to go, and decided on a street on the map that did not even have a name written next to it. But the next day came and we drove into that street all the way out in Hale, pretty much in the middle of nowhere, and got out of the car, and who do we see coming down from the house? Sister Parent, our branch mission leader’s wife! Turns out that this first house we were going to knock was the house of Sister Parent’s new friend who she has been working on and trying to work toward sharing the gospel with and inviting to church. Sister Parent had told us about her before, but hadn’t given us any information about here, and all of a sudden God led us to her at a perfect moment when Sister Parent was there. So we all walked up to the house and we were introduced to this friend, Kayla, who agreed to meet with us on Friday! Friday came around and Brother and Sister Parent drove us down there, and we had a marvelous lesson with Kayla, her husband Mark, and her brother John, who all want to read the Book of Mormon and come to church tomorrow, and join the church if it feels right to them.

Angie is also doing very well and tried SO hard to quit drinking coffee, and it apparently made her sick to the point of vomiting, so she is drinking it again…. Haha so yesterday she asked for a Priesthood blessing. I guess this is what happens when you have been drinking coffee every day for 24 years…? Keep her in your prayers, she is progressing steadily and although she is facing much opposition she and her family are coming closer to God, and she will be at church with them tomorrow.

Love you all, and Hope you have a wonderful week next week! I won’t be emailing Monday, it will be a full work day for me! So I’ll talk to you the next Monday! Hopefully!….

Elder Breinholt

1. Nerds
2. Nerds
3. Nerds
4. Elder McGuire and some dogs at the Wrathel’s house 🙂

Hello Friends and Family!

We have to get going here in a moment. But I wanted to give a short update.

I have already been out for 10 months. Can you believe that? It doesn’t feel like it’s been that long, yet at the same time it’s like I’ve been a missionary my whole life. Hard to explain.

Things are going well with most of the investigators. Some of them have dropped off of the face of the earth, but that happens sometimes. They just become impossible to contact. Sometimes because they are indeed avoiding us. Haha but that’s okay.

Angie and her family are doing so well, and we had a wonderful church tour with them last Sunday. They couldn’t make it to church because of work but hopefully this Sunday! We’ll be seeing them today.

Also, weird thing, this Saturday is going to be our next P-Day instead of next Monday. Because it’s the last week of the transfer and they are trying something new.

Transfer calls are this Friday, pray that I don’t get moved! D:

I see miracles each and every day, and I’m sure it is a result of faith and prayers, so thank you all for your love, and support, and prayers that you give in behalf of this work.

Love you all and hope you have a wonderful week! Stay strong! Remember that God loves each and every one of you and I do, too! 🙂

Elder Breinholt

Today we had the marvelous opportunity to help out at the Assembly of God church in Tawas, Michigan. They got together to tear apart the garden beds which were causing interior water damage to the building. Elder Hudson and I taught Pastor Tim a month or two ago, and developed a friendship so he called and asked us to come help out! So that’s what we were doing all morning, and made some more awesome friendships with other members of that church. Pictures are attached.

This past week went very well, but not really according to plan. I mean, it was our plan that the week would go well, but probably 75% of our plans were foiled for different reasons, and we had to figure out what we were supposed to do instead. It was like a test from our Heavenly Father, especially after our declaration last week of having a change of focus and a firm devotion to follow the Spirit in the work rather than trying relying on our own knowledge. There were a couple of times that we walked up to a door to begin knocking, and putting out my hand, and pausing to say, “I don’t think this is what we’re supposed to be doing right now.” Let me be the one to tell you–This work is exhausting, physically, mentally, and spiritually exhausting. There was a lot of wrestling back and forth with the Spirit to determine what it was that God wanted us to do when we faced all of these roadblocks throughout the week, mostly because of investigators not being home for appointments. We did our best, and things worked out the way they were supposed to. Mostly… 😉

Elder McGuire and I have been working on finding a lot. Last week we had a total of 7 potentials! That’s significant, because a few days of the week were taken up by interviews with President Jacobsen and stake conference. By the way, interviews were awesome. President Jacobsen always gives me the best advice of what to work on next, and cares sincerely for each of us and what we hope to accomplish with the people we teach.

Everyone who reads this, please pray for Angie and her kids. Angie is overcoming issues with addiction, and is facing opposition and trials. In the end, it will make her stronger, but right now she needs all the help from God and from others she can get, so please pray for her to have strength, and to feel God’s love for her and her family. If all goes well, she will be baptized June 18.

Stake conference was amazing. Elder Sittati (not sure how it’s spelled) of the Seventy spoke and gave trainings. The main message was love. The greatest way to bring people closer to God, and closer to each other, is simply to make sure they know that you love them. Always retain in remembrance the importance of love, no matter how cheesy it may seem.

With that, I truly do love you all and hope and pray the best for you. Yes, even those of you who think I am not talking about you, you are wrong, and I love you. Have a great week 🙂

Elder Breinholt

Hello Everyone!

This past week went well. Started with a district P-Day which was very rushed because Elder Boyd and Elder McGuire were both trying to bake things-Calzones and Cherry Cobbler, respectively. I left with Elder Boyd to West Branch and we dropped by to a couple named Nadine and Shane. Nadine was preparing to not only get married to Shane the following Friday, but also to be baptized the day after that. She is a very sweet lady and I’m very proud of her. We prepared the baptismal paperwork with them on Monday evening, and tuesday afternoon Elder Boyd and I helped Nadine with learning how to use Family Search so that she can do work for her ancestors. Friday they indeed got married, and Saturday Elder Boyd and I attended her baptism, at which there was a wonderful, sweet spirit.

Those are indeed pictures of Elder Boyd and I hand-mixing fifteen pounds of meat to make meatloaf at a members’ house. Don’t question it, just savor the meatloaf.

Wednesday got fed at the same member’s house twice, had district meeting on the application of a training we received at zone conference, and Elder McGuire and I walked a quarter of a mile down one guy’s driveway and found that he had been doing family history at West Branch for a while now and loves our church! He didn’t quite accept the invitation to hear our message, but I think one day soon he will, because his heart has been opened through genealogy.

Visited a certain investigator. He was so wasted with his friends that he didn’t even recognize us and told us to go away. Came back a couple days later and had a great visit and just didn’t bother to mention that we tried to come the other time and he didn’t recognize us. Committed to come to church. Another investigator committed to come to church as well, actually, along with the family. Others said they would try, but it was still a maybe. We sat at the doors, waiting all the way up until 10:00. No one came. It’s just kind of disappointing sometimes, getting your hopes up and then having them drop to the floor and shatter. Afterwards we went hometeaching with the Drury’s, which was great and a very positive uplifting visit. And after that met a member at Angie’s house to teach her, but she had forgotten the appointment and was not home…. The member we brought was pretty upset, and I think in the past while he has thought that we are either disobedient or not working very hard and that is why we were not seeing success… so he asked to meet us at the church, most likely to throw down on us. We got in and began speaking with him, and he quickly saw and felt that we are doing the best we can, but that there is not unity within the branch. We spent the hour talking about ways to help this branch grow, and involve Angie and her family, and bring them and others into the fold. We have a new focus, and we now know what we need to do to prepare this branch to receive more of God’s children. To my friends and family: Be the kind of person that adds to the church, or group, or community you are a part of. Don’t keep to yourself, but branch out, invite others, get to know those you don’t know within the group, be as Christ would be.

I love you all and hope you have a wonderful week.
Pray for Angie and her family, Dawna and Cory, and Mary.

Elder Breinholt

I kind of said it last week but once again, Happy Mothers Day to all of you mothers! One point brought up in church yesterday was that Eve was called a mother by God before she even bore children on earth. So really, to all of you women out there, thanks for being women. I hear it ain’t easy.

This week was great! We are working with Angie and her children to help them progress toward baptism. The next step is most likely going to be the Word of Wisdom. They love us coming by and whenever we give Angie something to read she is intent on reading it right then and there. She is ready and wanting to learn. It’s such a blessing to be a part of the progress of other individuals on their path toward God. A change begins to happen, mostly seen in their eyes, with every small step they take. With Angie and her kids, we usually will shoot some hoops with them after we are done with the lesson. The kids make us look bad, because we can’t shoot for our lives.

Yesterday I had the opportunity to skype my family! We did it from the church inside the clerks office. Only one computer so we took turns. My brother Ethan apparently started a YouTube channel with the neigborhood friends called FAE Unlimited. You should check it out, it looks pretty awesome. Everyone is doing well and I am grateful to hear it. 🙂 At the end of the call my mom asked if we could all get a picture, so they set up the camera and the family sat down on the couch and my mom held the laptop with me on it so that is what that picture is all about! 🙂 I think it’s pretty awesome.

I got to meet Elder McGuire’s family also, and that was fun. They are pretty cool and talented! Very smart intellectual kids. Elder McGuire is the oldest in his family, like me. I practiced a little bit of Spanish with his brother Daniel, who’s taking Spanish classes.

I love you all and hope you have a marvelous week! Keep Angie and her family in your prayers.

Elder Breinholt

1. The House
2. The District before Elder Hudson left
3. & 4. Lake Huron
5. The whole family! 🙂

Hello Everyone!

Elder McGuire and I had a marvelous week last week and it was a ton of fun as well. It feels like I have known him for years but I have known him about 7 and 1/2 days. We had the opportunity to teach 5 different investigator lessons last week including one to a family that we picked up. A single mother and her three kids and her two parents. We were supposed to go back again yesterday but the meeting after our zone p-day yesterday went waaay too long so we had to cancel the appointment :/ Hopefully we will be able to come by this evening.

Elder McGuire is a solid missionary and I’m not sure how much i already mentioned about him but he has been out a transfer longer than me and he is definitely a good teacher and is great at continuing to move lessons forward and not allow there to be too much distraction or getting off on a tangent. A lesson we had last week with Mary who had decided against being baptized into this church caused her to rethink her decision. We taught alongside a couple of members, and the Spirit was felt strongly and there were tears shed, and Mary feels now that she knows this church belongs to God and that God would want her to be baptized by His proper authority. If you can, please pray for her regarding these things.

Had a bunch of other lessons and we taught in unity and with the spirit as much as was possible! Sometimes it’s hard in chaotic situations within some households, but without the Spirit what is the point? The Spirit is who testifies to their hearts and teaches, not us.

Something really awesome happened on Sunday–Dawna and Cory came to church with their two kids! We were so happy to see them there! They were fellowshipped by the members and plan on being back this Sunday as well. It’s so great to see the progress they have made so far. Dawna is a member and Cory is not, but he is open to the idea of being baptized.

Yesterday was zone pday and it was extremely fun but I am super sore all over because I haven’t been that active in quite a while. We played a lot capture the flag and sand volleyball and had fun laughing and talking together and Elder Boyd brought suicide brownies for everyone! Great day just wish we could have gotten home sooner… ;P

Hope you all have a wonderful week and I love you all and will talk with you later!

Happy Mothers’ Day on Sunday thank you for being amazing mothers!

Elder Breinholt

Hello Everyone!

We don’t have a ton of time because we gotta get out and get working, but I just wanted to update you all on what has happened:

Elder Hudson is now in Portland and I am here with Elder McGuire! He’s a super chill guy, and a great missionary who is ready to work hard, so I’m very excited for this transfer.

Last week was a little rough. We cleaned our entire house on Monday and Tuesday including shampooing all the carpets. There was a lot of moving furniture around, and on Wednesday we helped a member move a bunch more furniture and move some huge 200lb logs. Elder Hudson totally threw out his back but didn’t realize it and he could hardly walk. We called in and the leaders sent us to Bay City to find a walk in clinic. (62 miles away for the closest walk-in clinic.) Really not a lot was done last week but we are preparing for what looks like a great week here in this new transfer.

We already have started off right because we just found a lady named Angie who is searching for truth and have a return appointment with her on Thursday.

I’m very excited to rely wholly on the Savior and on the Spirit as we do our best to be the missionaries God needs us to be to help the people who live within the Oscoda area.

My friends who sent me emails this week: sorry I am not going to be able to respond to all of you until next week!

Hope you all have a wonderful week and remember how much God loves you and how much I love you as well!

Elder Breinholt