Hello again everyone!

I am so excited and happy right now to be sitting here writing to you and letting you know what’s going on and how awesome my mission is!  I am not going to pretend like I haven’t already had some hard things happen or that the mission life is all running through fields of flowers throwing Book of Mormons everywhere baptizing everyone you see.  But, there is much joy in preaching what I know to be the word of God, and what we need to do to be happy in this life.

Quickly I want to describe a little bit of detail of how things are going and what I do:

My first companion/trainer is Elder Yadon (pronounced  YAY-Dun) and he’s really awesome, nice, and loves dubstep and chillstep music.  Probably the reason we were put together.  ;P

Typically, a new missionary in training cannot receive driving privileges until at LEAST 6 weeks.  That’s not the case for me… Elder Yadon was not able to receive his driving privileges during the 14 months he’s been here because before he left his license had expired and out here he cannot provide two proofs of address.  SO, I have been driving us since day one in a white 2013 Ford Fusion.

The climate.  Yup.  Right now it is so hot, and especially on Saturday, which is our “car fast” day on which we have to either find rides or walk.  We did a lot of walking and door knocking (aka tracting) and sweated bullets.  When the wind blows or when you are under shade it’s honestly not that bad, it even feels good, and in the evening when the sun goes down they are warm, nice nights.  But when the sun beats down on you while you’re walking in a shirt and dark slacks it just drains the life right out of you…

I ought to finish this up as we do not have a particularly long amount of time on preparation days to email, but although we have had doors slammed on our faces, people tell us our doctrine is wrong, and people who just don’t care what we have to say, we are out here for those who have been prepared and will be willing to accept Christ into their lives and become a better person.

–
Yesterday on our third door of the day, (Sundays we only have the afternoon to door knock,) we met a man named Mike who is 37 years old.  This was actually in Indiana, as the Sturgis area goes down a little bit into the state of Indiana and we see a lot of Amish people.  But Mike expressed to us his misery in living alone, his want for a family, and the fact that he believes that God has been seeking him out.  We sat and spoke with him in his home for almost an hour and our purpose here, where we came from, where we are going, and the restoration of the gospel.  Mike might not realize it, but God has prepared him to learn and accept this message.  I hope he does, because I know how much joy the gospel of Jesus Christ brings us.  I think I always took for granted the blessings we have of knowledge of our purpose here, and have a strong relationship with Heavenly Father.  I am starting to see how it changes us, gives us a “fulness of joy.”

I am so very grateful to be out here, even though the days are long and rough sometimes.  I go to bed grinning from ear to ear because I know I am accomplishing the Lord’s work, day by day, and I hope to do so throughout these two years.

I know this Gospel is true, that the Book of Mormon is the word of God, that Joseph Smith was a true prophet as the prophets in the bible, and that Jesus Christ is the only way we can return to live with God again.  In the name of Jesus Christ I say these things to you my friends, amen.

Elder Breinholt