Monthly Archives: March 2016

Tyler’s Letter – 03/28/2016 – Samoan Cooking and Raining Trees

Happy Easter Everyone!

This week was great! It wasn’t terribly warm but it wasn’t terribly cold either. I went on a tradeoff in West Branch with Elder Fiame, and they do not have a car at the moment so he and I did a lot of walking. Apparently he did not even know we were going on tradeoffs that day, so he didn’t have any specific plans… so we went wherever he felt impressed to go at the time, and I’ll tell you what happened: knocking on what would seem like random streets, we happened to knock into a woman who is a member of the church but hasn’t come for years and years, and we had the chance to talk with her and get her phone number. Continuing to knock, we happened to knock into that woman’s daughter who is also a member and hasn’t come in a few months. Is this all coincidence?? Pish posh, there is no such thing. 😉

Tyler with Elder Fiami

And this wasn’t even the last of it! We decided to do some personal contacting downtown, and as we were going there was a big church building, but the sign in front said something about a thrift shop, and we had a feeling we should go inside. When you get those small feelings or ideas pressing on your mind, just do it. We went in and as we were looking around, a lady happened to recognize that we were Elders and came up and talked to us. She told us that the past Elders used to come in this building to do service for an hour or two each week, and she directed us to the woman in charge who was very grateful to see us and says they could use the help again. It is a non-profit organization to help kids within the community. Our last district meeting was literally all about service and encouraged us to look for service opportunities in the community. Coincidence? I think not!

Tyler Thumbs Up Selphie

I am indeed grateful for Elder Fiame’s cooking. He cooked fish in coconut oil and made me breakfast in the morning, too.
We had the chance to teach three lessons to investigators with members present. That hasn’t happened in a week in this area for probably at least a year. Things usually move pretty slow here.

Raining Trees

This is quickly turning into a long email, so I’m just going to go all out: Have you ever experienced tree rain?? On thursday our area was subject to freezing rain which blanketed everything in sight in a sheet of ice. Friday, our walking day, the weather was just warm enough to cause the ice to melt, little by little, causing a constant rain of ice to fall from every tree in the city. Seriously at some points it was actually pretty dangerous, but hey, I love a good dangerous adventure! >:D

Tyler with Elder Hudson Thumbs Up

One last detail of my week: Have you ever woken up unable to turn your head to the left or right without experiencing excruciating pain? That’s what happened to me yesterday morning (Easter morning.) I still can’t really turn my head to the left, and I can’t keep my head straight, it stays at about a 30 degree angle to the right. Haha, any suggestions anyone…?

Elders at Burger King

I love you all and I hope you have a wonderful week. I’m grateful for this Easter season to remember Christ’s triumph over sin and death. Through him, everything that is unfair in life can be made right, thanks to His Atonement:

Alma 7: 11-12
11. And he shall go forth, suffering pains and afflictions and temptations of every kind; and this that the word might be fulfilled which saith he will take upon him the pains and the sicknesses of his people
12. And he will take upon him death, that he may loose the bands of death which bind his people; and he will take upon him their infirmities, that his bowels may be filled with mercy, according to the flesh, that he may know according to the flesh how to succor his people according to their infirmities.

Sincerely,

Elder Breinholt

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Tyler’s Letter – 03/21/2016

Good morning friends and family,

Although for some of you it is not morning. I had a lack of picture-taking this week but please don’t be mad. Things are actually going really well and Elder Hudson are excited. This area may be seeing a couple of baptisms in the near future yet. A couple of dates have to be moved back because it’s been so difficult getting people to church, but we did pick up another three investigators this week. That’s 7 in the last 14 days. That is unheard of in the Oscoda area! 😀 So we are doing our best to keep busy and teach these people as much as possible and extend commitments to them that they may strengthen their testimony of the Savior and His restored gospel.

Tyler with Elder Boyd 2

I had the chance to go on a tradeoff with Elder Boyd, our new district leader, on Wednesday. We were in Hale Michigan which is mostly just country. We knocked for a few hours and only talked to a total of about 5 people, but one of the homes we knocked into was the home of Ed and Sue, a lovely couple of probably 80 or 90 years of age. Have you ever seen the movie 50 First Dates? There’s a guy in the movie they call “10 second Steve” or something like that. That’s what it was like talking to Ed:
“Where did you say you’re from Boyd?”
“Arizona.”
“Payton Manning boy, eh? Ya see that table over there? I made that.”
“Okay cool… so as we were saying about Joseph Smith–”
“YOU KNOW! I made that cabinet over there, and you see that crate down there?? I made that. Now, um, where did you say you’re from?”
“Arizona.”
“Payton Manning boy, eh?…”

And so on and so forth.

Collin Schroeder is off and in the MTC in Provo preparing and learning, and Elder Boyd and I started teaching the parents of a girl he used to like in Hale, so the plan is to baptize her family and he will come back and marry her.

Other investigators are doing well. We pray for them and do our best to meet with them and get them to church but sometimes it’s difficult. People are SO intimidated to come to church but once they come they realize there was nothing to be afraid of and that being there brings so much peace and helps you feel the Spirit and remember Christ.

i’m doing my best to continue to learn more of the doctrines of the kingdom, and apply principles that Christ taught into my life that I may become a better disciple and a more prepared husband and father in the future. I am a different person than I was seven months ago, and I’m so glad. I didn’t know I had the capacity to do the things I am doing, and endure things I have endured, and I accredit that to a loving Father in Heaven, the Atonement of Christ, and a wonderful family that has taught me good morals and values.

I love you all and I hope you have a fantastic week! Stay awesome, and I promise I will try to take more pictures this week. 🙂

Elder Breinholt

(Elder Boyd and I)

PS He loves Dubstep

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Tyler’s Letter – 03/15/2016 – A Braaaand New Car!!!

HELLO EVERYONE!!

New Ford Fusion

The amazingtastic trip to Lansing finally happened! We got a call on Friday asking us to come Monday, and that is indeed why we did not email yesterday. So, sorry.. We didn’t know very “in advance” and the drive down there alone was 3 hours long. Plus they could not and still cannot find the key for our new car, so ended up giving us the spare. We waited for the tech guy to switch the tiwi devices and VOILA! Brand new 2016 Ford Fusion. With only 15 miles on it. It drives like a dream.

Elders Ping Pong

Additionally, last week was actually a very good week for us here in Oscoda. We picked up FOUR new investigators, which literally doubles our number of investigators. Two of those four were given through one of our current investigators, Nikki, who has loved our message so much she is already doing her best to spread it to other people. That is the joy that comes from the Gospel: It is so great that it simply cannot be contained.

Spartan Stadium

One of the members of the branch took a very bad fall and cracked four of his ribs and has an enormous bruise on his side, but Elder Hudson and I had the opportunity to give him a blessing last week and he is already up and about again and says that words in the blessing could not have been known by us because it said things he’s never told anyone in the branch.

Tyler Selphie Passenger in Car

I also forgot to mention the other elders of our district got whitewashed out last week so we have some new elders including a new district leader. I’ll be trading off with him tomorrow.

Star Wars Mini Ships

Keep pressing forward, friends and family. I love you all and hope you have a wonderful and amazing week.

Please enjoy these pictures from our trip and embrace our nerdiness as we have embraced it.

Elder Breinholt

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Tyler’s Letter – 03/07/2016

Hello everyone!

Some crazy things happened this week and I don’t have a ton of time left to talk about them!

Elders Sitting in Blue Charis

Sunday, the church recieved a call during the last hour and it was a man asking for help to pay for his wife’s medication. A member went and helped him out and then called us and had us come meet them there, too to set up an appointment to talk with this guy because he is looking for a church. We set up an appointment for thursday, but he called us that day and asked us to come, So we did! Taught the restoration, he liked it and said he was read the Book of Mormon and come to church. Explained his situation and asked if another member would be able to get him 6 more dollars, so we worked something out. Supposedly, he later ended up being rushed to the hospital and that’s why he didn’t show up to our thursday appointment or church! A couple members are worried we might have gotten swindled but we are not sure. Stay tuned to find out!

We have someone on date for baptism! Her name is Mary and she is a wonderful lady! She has very strong faith and believes the Book of Mormon to be true and reads it often. This area hasn’t had a baptism in three years, so I hope we can change that. The baptism is planned for April, and we will have to work hard with her to accomplish that.

Deer in the Snow

I want to let you all know once again how much I love you and pray for you. I have become someone new through Christ and I desire the same for others, because there is so much joy and beauty in life when you serve God by serving others.

Transfer calls came and Elder Hudson and I are staying here together for at least another 7 weeks. 7 because the MTC changed to 3 weeks instead of 2 again so it throws things off.

Have a wonderful week! Goodbye!

Elder Breinholt

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