Merry Christmas everyone!

It has been a beautiful and spiritual Christmas season here, mostly because there was no snow 😉 just kidding.

Christmas Eve we had a half-mission conference where we played a bunch of games and did a bunch of fun stuff with about 60 other missionaries. I saw Elder Yadon and gave him a gift (which was glow-in-the-dark dog poop,) and Sister Edwards gave him toilet paper. (He absolutely despises bathroom-talk.)

I’m grateful for the chance Elder Liu and I have had to be companions and to work hard here in Sturgis together and to push through difficulties and arguments. We are good friends and we have each other’s backs. It’s been hard because not many people want to meet with us or talk to us because they are annoyed that we are coming around during the holidays, but isn’t this the reason for the season? It’s all about Christ, and that is the center of our message. It’s odd to me that these people get so upset. >:( But it’s okay, because we still had a great Christmas and shared wonderful messages with the members. 🙂

We received more candy and junk food in the past month than I ever plan to eat throughout the entirety of my life. I got some awesome gifts, and probably the best gift was the chance to speak with and see my family using Skype on the 25th. They got a bunch of Star Wars stuff for Christmas, and hey, only 19 months till I get to see the movie! ;P

This year is coming to an end and I am grateful for all that I have learned and the growth that I have had. I am still far from perfect, but I strive every day to become a little more like our perfect example, Jesus Christ, who’s birth and life we celebrate throughout this wonderful Christmas season. He lives, still, my friends and family, and he loves us more than we can understand. Be strong and of good courage, and go out and help and serve others. There is no greater gift than the gift of giving.

The cost of love is pain, and Christ suffered more pain than is imaginable for our feeble minds. He truly loves us, and he lives. Of this I testify in the name of Jesus Christ, amen. 🙂

Elder Breinholt

I just want to start off with saying Merry Christmas everyone! Hope you are all enjoying the wonderful spirit of this time of year when so many people take some time to think about and remember the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ. Not only was He born, lived and led and served, and died for us, but He still lives and loves each and every one of us. John 14:14 “If ye shall ask anything in my name, I will do it.” He has already given us everything that we have, and atoned for our sins, but He still is willing to give us whatever we desire righteously.

We are having a great time here in Sturgis, and although we had to journey through 28 degree weather plus a big wind chill for seven hours straight the other day, we are having a great Christmas season. We found 6 people on one day, I believe Saturday. Things have been awesome.

We’re doing our best to help those who have been baptized continue to make and keep covenants with God and get on their way to the temple. Our investigators are great, and although some of them have a hard time keeping commitments, we love them and are trying to help them learn of Christ’s love and faith in them. Jason, the Brony, is still investigating and waiting to receive his witness from God of the truth of the Book of Mormon. Josh, a pastor, brought his pastor friend Ryan to dinner with us at El Taco Loco, where Elder Liu, Josh, and I ate cactus. Josh is still wanting to continue investigating, and it seems to us that his desires are sincere, although they may not be “baptism” at the moment.

We are also teaching many other wonderful people, but we don’t have the time to go into detail about each one, unfortunately… ;P

Once again, Merry Christmas everyone, and I love you all, and stay safe, stay awesome, go look for opportunities to love and serve others, and enjoy this picture of my district on the Inidana sign a couple weeks ago. 🙂

Elder Breinholt

Yesterday was the beginning of transfer number four! Elder Liu and I are staying together in Sturgis, and the Sisters are staying too, and Elder Mafile’o our district leader is gone and we have a new district leader who is awesome and his name is Elder Freeman. We just got back from bowling and then eating Taco Bell, and it was a blast. When you’re on a mission, you learn to appreciate the little things that are fun, or good. 🙂

This week Elder Liu and I had the cops called on us because we are “suspicious men walking outside people’s houses.” So in Indiana while we were knocking in the country a sheriff rolled up slowly but he recognized who we are and asked “You guys found anyone yet today?”

Two days ago we had an awesome lesson with a woman named Nancy, who is the mother of one of our investigators–John. John has not been keeping commitments, and we were worried we might have to stop teaching him, but during our last lesson we invited his mother to join and she is completely ready for the gospel. She asked us all kinds of questions about how we came to be missionaries and why we chose to give up two years of our lives. We taught about the Plan of Salvation, and she is wondering why her husband was taken at a young age, but she has a lot of faith and is willing to learn new things. One week soon they are planning to come and visit our church.

None of our other investigators came to church yesterday, and it seems like that’s one of the hardest commitments for people to keep. Maybe it’s the whole “getting up in the morning” thing. But we are on the verge of breakthrough with a lot of people, and they are facing a lot of opposition. That’s how it’s always going to be while we are in this life: When we come close to finding truth or gaining further happiness, Satan is always going to hit hardest at those times, to become that extra wall you have to climb that you didn’t expect all along. It’s always going to be worth getting over that wall, and all will be well in the end.

Elder Liu and I wrote a sick rap. It’s about the device in our car that yells at us and reports to our leaders when we speed or do anything bad in the car. On the way here, Elder Liu got an “aggressive driving” for hitting a dip too hard and now he’s worried he might get his driving privileges taken away…. xD

Anyway, have a great week everyone! Enjoy the Holiday Season and all! And for all of you back in Utah in the middle of snow and storms, it’s a lovely 50 degrees right now out here! 😉

Elder Breinholt

Hello everyone great to be amongst you my brothers and sisters! 🙂

The work is going here in Michigan and Elder Liu and I are doing our best! Last week, I bought a nerdy game for Elder Liu’s sake: Star Wars: X-Wing. It’s like a board game type of deal with little ships and stuff, and Elder Liu LOOOVES stuff like that so we have had some fun with it.

We have been teaching some wonderful people:

Josh the Pastor: Has taken us out to eat three times and we have talked about the Gospel over delicious meals (such as cedar grilled salmon with crispy cheddar bacon potatoes.) Hungry yet? He reads everything we give him and writes down detailed questions which we discuss with him. This man wants knowledge, and he is also a really cool, nice guy with a young family. The other day while Elder Liu and I were walking he stopped next to us in his car to say hi. 🙂 We’re trying to tell him we don’t always need to meet over food…

Joe the Veteran: This man knows that what we are teaching him is true, and he wants to make changes in his life and have “this wicked spirit rooted out of [his] breast, and receive [God’s] Spirit.” He has a lovely family, and they planned on coming to the ward Christmas Party on Friday night, and church Sunday, but somehow, neither of those things ended up working out. That’s one of the hardest things on the mission, because while we are always trying to pull these people to the light, there are forces pulling them the opposite direction at the same time, and last week their car suddenly broke down so I can only imagine what happened this time. He really wants to come. Pray for him and his family, if you can. :/

Jason the Brony: He has now been to church 5 times and has met pretty much every active member of the ward. He is reading through the Book of Mormon, slowly but surely, and is searching for an answer from God confirming its truth. He loves how nice the ward is and has now been investigating for about three months. Jason is a fun-loving guy and I actually think he has received some kind of answer already, but just doesn’t realize it.

These are just a few of the people we are teaching and we are excited to teach some first timers this week as well and see how interested they are in learning more about Christ’s gospel. Thank you all so much for your support–oh, and I bought a 32GB flashdrive today, tried to open it, and accidentally sent it through the air into a pan full of water in the kitchen. ? Have a good week everyone! (sorry I forgot to take pictures….)

Love,
Elder Breinholt 🙂