July 14, 2010

FLASHFLOOOOOOODD!! (I thought this would be a good contrast to last week's title.)

Yesterday, I took a shower. Outside. Fully dressed True Story.

SO much water I tell you- falling from the Heavens! We were SO wet! The streets were covered- the inlets in the gutters (I actually can't recall the name for those thingys... I wanna say Water Gates, but that just reminds me of Nixon...eh..) anyways, those things couldn't handle the amount of water flowing into them so the streets were flooded! Remeber that they are usually full of Bronx Juice ANYWAY... you can imagine what the backing up water looked like...

This week was good! They are all good! Haha! We taught a bunch of lessons and visited a lot of people!

Elder Torres and I are doing great! Haha right now we have 2 main goals- Baptize, and Improve Elder Hellberg's Spanish. Haha he's native so he doesn't need the practice. My Spanish is at that point where my grammar is great and I can speak just fine- I even think In Spanish- now I need to fill in those holes with more Vocabulary. (Mostly that random stuff that you don't hear very often, but would need if you were telling a story or something.) We actually have a pretty good plan- every week we prepare a lesson based on an article from the Ensign to teach our active Member families- but I take the Ensign over to their house in ENGLISH, then translate in right there in the Lesson and teach from it. It's actually really effective! This week I read about the talk by Elder Uchtdorf in the May 2009 "We are doing a Great Work that cannot Come Down" and told the story of the Pilots in Florida, focusing on the little light in the cockpit instead of flying the plane- leading to the tragic crash and death of 100 people. It's really helpful- I learn words like "landing gear" and "swamp" and "autopilot"... words that I wouldn't need to survive, just to make it more interesting! :)

Transfers are coming up!! I can't believe I'm already getting ready for CYCLE 5! Honestly, I have no idea what's going to happen. I've been here in my Greenie Area for almost 6 months already- but I'd definitely love to stay here in Olmstead for another Cycle of two! PLUS I'm very much not ready to part with Elder Torres! Ah!

WHOA!! 9:30 am!

Gotta run! We're goin to the Temple- gotta be at the SUbway in 5 min...

CHURCH IS TRUE!

Be safe! Be sound! BE ON TIME?

Elder Hellberg

July 8, 2010

HEAT WAAAAVVVEEE!!!!

IT'S SO HOT! AHHH!!

Even many of the New Yorkers are saying they have never felt a heat like this before! It's HOT and HUMID and seems like the only break we get is the quick 15 minute flash floods! Bahaha! Crazy weather!

BUT- the good news is that my Italian side is showing- I'm getting a nice Bronze look about me- minus the incredible farmers tan from my short sleeve white shirts! ;)

This week for P-day, all the Missionaries in the whole Mission went up to the Mission Home in Scarsdale and we had a MISSIONWIDE LUAU PARTY!! With ISLAND ENTERTAINMENT! It was so fun! We played soccer and volleyball and had burgers and homemade Rootbeer and had a Limbo competition!! Hermana Child won in the Olmstead Zone! Represent! It was such a great way to get to know the other Missionaries better. We really are such a tight group of young adults.

July 4th was so great!! The Missionaries have to stop proselyting at 6:00 PM on that day (and Halloween and New Year's Eve) so all the Elders went to one apartment and we grilled steak and corn and potatoes and watched the firework display from our balcony! It was so much fun! There was a park literally 500 feet from the apartment launching massive explosives into the air- so we got to see- and feel- every firework that went off! Hahaha everytime one exploded we'd all yell "AMERICA!!" then break off into Drunken- Irish cheering... minus the Drunken!! We played with Sparklers and told stories and had a grand ole time! I didn't even miss the colorful display at Eaglewood! (Okay maybe a little... ;).... )

The Work is going well! It's a little harder right now- 45% of the Active Members in Elder Torres and My Area are OUT OF TOWN- visiting their countries of origin! I think a total of 23 of our Members have left for the Dominican Republic! Just DR! Haha and several in Puerto Rico and Honduras and other countries as well! Which means a lot of tracting and contacting! In the HEAT! Some people may call that character building! :)? It's great fun though- Elder Torres and I have learned to LOVE when people accept us and laugh when we get doors slammed!

INVESTIGATOR SPOTLIGHT!- One of our main Investigators right now is from El Salvador- and he is basically one of the coolest guys ever. He has already read (in two weeks) half of the Book of Mormon and said for 100% he knows it is true. He's learning so fast- and his wife too! They plan on getting baptized before the end of July! They are so excited- and we are excited too! It's such a great blessing to be able to teach people that are so ready to accept the Gospel.

It looks like it's going to storm again! Last week we had a 2 minute freak hurricane here in the Bronx! It was so random! Elder Torres and I were on the way to the Church so I could interview an investigator for Baptism- and we had just gotten into the church for 15 seconds before this random 100 MPH wind came with 10 billion gallons of water and destroyed half the trees in the city! It was crazy to watch!!! We were all staring out the glass doors of the church watching full-size trees fly down the road and smash into cars and break windows and tear down fences!! And someone left the window to the Primary room open- and a 8 foot tree branch had managed to get halfway into the room!! (not to mention hundreds of leaves and tons of water!!) But we cleaned it up, no worries. (Yup I can see Umbrellas popping out- it's raining right now!)

I love you all so much and I'm so grateful for your love and support! The Church is true!!

B happy! B Strong! B HYDRATED!!

Always,

Elder Brandon Hellberg

June 30, 2010

HOLA!

Hey home! It's another sunny day here in the Bronx! It's been a lonnnggg week- I think due to the heat and humidity! We went to an appointment at 7:45 AM yesterday morning, and even that early in the morning we had beads of sweat running down our faces!! It's SO hot here! I don't quite understand- I'm in a short sleeve white shirt and pretty light dress pants; and I'm overheating... yet there are some New Yorkers who are in SWEATERS and COATS and are perfectly comfortable! AHH! Hopefully I adjust better to the weather in the East!! That being said, I love it here! Blistering hot day, coco helado in hand, walking past bunches of little kids running through blasting fire hydrants, the smell of barbeque in the air... music pumping through car windows and boom boxes on every street conrner. For some it might be a distraction, but somehow it keeps me motivated. I love New York Summers!

Juan told me all the Lego's are in my room! Is that true!? Bahaha! OH and I'm gonna try to mail you a tape today or tomorrow! Hopefully today! haha! aww man! I heard the release date for Harry Potter is Nov 19! It's pretty hard to stay uninformed about all the movies and things when we ride the subways everyday- ads for EVERYTHING EVERYWHERE! Haha! I'm fine! Doing well, having fun, being obedient- and I'm happy! I love Elder Torres! He's so great! :) We're going to get haircuts and play soccer in a park! and SLEEP! Haha Elder Torres and I wear ourselves out! We are both pretty new so we're still on FIRE! Hahaha i hope i never lose the fire!

I can't believe I've already been away from you for 7 months! I can still feel your hug on Dec 2nd!I can't believe how fast time is flying! Elder Bayard has a calendar that shows significant dates throughout history- and a couple of days from now it says the Festival of San Fermin- the Running of the Bulls- will commence in SPAIN! It hit me like a truck- this time ONE YEAR AGO we were in Spain for that festival- and I was eagerly awaiting to submit my Mission papers when we got back from Europe!! Crazy!! Elder Bayard goes home this cycle- it's crazy to think I've lived with him for my whole Mission so far in New York- I'm gonna miss him!! Haha!!

Right now we are teaching many! July is recorded as the best month for Missionaries in this Mission! I can see why! People in new york are just.. happy! :) Maybe cuz it's so hot people just like getting WET! (Baptismal Font... ha ha ha?) Several of our recent converts are planning to go do baptisms in the Temple this coming week! We're so excited for them! I love the Manhattan Temple... It's got a really special feeling to be around it. People on the outside rushing by, amidst the chaos of the busy city- yet right in the heart of the Lincoln Center there is a place of peace- a little Palace to get away from the world.

Haha Elder Torres and I have a new thing on Tuesday's- we call it "Attackem Tuesday's." Last week we had a TERRIBLE Tuesday- we had planned a lot of lessons and service and tons of things to do- but everything fell through and we had a very lousy and unsuccessful and dissapointing day. Tuesday ALREADY is a harder day to stay focused becuase the next day is P-Day!! From that day forward, we have vowed to seek revenge on all subsequent Tuesday's for the rest of our Mission- with "ATTACKEM TUESDAY's! We plan AS MUCH AS WE CAN the night before and run around our area all day long teaching as many people as we can! Haha that should be everyday, but it feels good to have a specific day to PWN every week. Status of Yesterday- Tuesday: PWNed. Haha YES!

Happy 4th of July all! You're all in my prayers and in my heart!

CHURCH IS TRUE!

B happy, B safe, B A TUESDAY PWNer!

Always,

Elder Brandon Hellberg

June 23, 2010

Hellooooo and greetings from NYC!
It's HOT and HUMID and music is in the AIR!!

It's been a good week!! Elder Torres and I are doing so great- we're
such a great team!

This week..

Well on Saturday we had a Blitz up at Pelham Bay Park! Our district
set up a table and stopped everyone we saw to come sign up on a sheet
on the table for the Missionaries to come by and give a free Video
about Christ and teach them about it! We made a fun little competition
out of it- whoever could get the most addresses wins! I just kinda let
the obnoxious side of me take over (the dominant side?) and really
animated-ly lead people to the table! Behehehe I won! I got a little
prize treat from the Hermana Misioneras for winning! Hahaha! PLUS I
contacted Santa Claus (I'm not kidding- Santa hangs out in Pelham Bay
during the Summer- I WISH I had taken a picture of this guy) and the
ever-infamous "Crazy Hat Man".... Just picture all the costumes in the
Masquerade scene of Phantom of the Opera- all put together- worn by a
crazy 7 1/2 foot tall bronx guy. Yeah.

Last P-day we went to the Metropolitan Museum of Art! It was...
hahaha It was definitely a fun experience to hang out with the District
in Manhattan for a day. PLUS we went to CRUMBS BAKERY! Can I JUST
SAY- CRUMBS is a NECESSITY for anyone traveling through or to New
York. Best Cupcakes- IN THE WORLD.

Elder Torres had the coolest street contact yesterday-
We were walking down Jackson Avenue and we passed this bald Puerto
Rican guy with a cane (not an old guy, just balded and cane-ed) and had
gotten about 3 blocks away from him when Elder Torres stopped abruptly
and turned to me and said "Elder, we were supposed to have contacted
that guy." I said "He's way back down the street! And he's an old (but
not old) bald guy! But alright sure..?" So we hurried (ran) towards
him until we got about 20 feet away, then slowed down to regain
composure before talking to him. We walked up and Elder Torres in
Spanish said "Excuse me, hey we passed you and I was supposed to talk
to you." The Puerto Rican guy said "I know- so why didn't you?! I'm
on my way to work right now, but here's my number and address- be at my
apartment at 12:00 on Saturday and we'll talk then!" Hahaha it was co
cool!! He kinda contacted himself for us and then set up an
appointment! So funny!

Another cool story- a lady we taught the first lesson to last cycle
suddenly disappeared a few weeks ago- and so we decided not to go by
there anymore. Yesterday, we were nearby and I found her name in my
planner and decided for us to run up there and just knock on her door.
We did, and she came to the door and was SO happy to see us! Turns out
she has been in the hospital with her sick son and hasn't been home
during the day for the past 3 weeks- but she took the Book of Mormon
and Plan of Salvation pamphlet we gave her at the first lesson with her
and has read well into 2nd Nefi! She has marked up the Scriptures with
stars and questions and was so excited that we had come by! We're
going back at the end of the week to teach her and her husband too!

We had a great Mission Conference on Monday! Such a powerful Spirit
was felt and it was great to see Elder Betenson and Elder Martindale
from WX and all the other missionaries!

Work is going well! Still hard and hot and humid- but I love it! I
love being a missionary- I still get goosebumps sometimes when I put my
tag on every morning! haha! I love this Work! Church is True!!!

B happy, B safe, B at CRUMBS BAKERY!
All my Love
Elder Brandon Hellberg

June 16th

HOLA!
Hey-o!

This week was great!

Not a lot of time today- the library doesn't have laptops again ***how hard can it be to plug in some laptops before closing up shop on a Tuesday night? I mean seriously?.... ahem...******

Anyways, I'll just make some bullets of the week!

-Isabel was confirmed! It was SUCH a cool experience for her and for us. She bore her testimony in Gospel Doctrines class and said that during the confirmation she felt this strange warm sensation she had never felt before. She described it- "It's not a human heat- but a powerful undeniable heavenly heat." She is going to do baptisms at the Temple at the end of this month and she is so excited!!!

-I LOVE MY COMPANION ELDER TORRES. AH! Seriously, I can't even tell you. He's incredible! We both have the same time in New York as each other, and I think it's the best thing ever- we're both mold-able and teachable still and we both have the desire to get work done! He is such a blessing! PLUS he's COLOMBIAN! hahah!

-Elder Torres and I were studying in the morning on Tuesday, and we heard a rattling in the garbage can... we hurried and grabbed it and took it into the basement of our apartment building (really creepy btw, like... old dusty cask-of-admontiado wine-cellar kinda place) and found a RAT! In our GARBAGE CAN! and it wasn't like a low-to-the-floor little bin... it was a 3 foot tall office-style garbage can!! AHH! So we drowned the nasty thing and disinfected the can promptly. If that's not a good enough reason to move apartments, turns out the apartment building is slowly collapsing- the bathrooms are all warping as they slowly sink lower and lower, steadily falling away from the building!! Bahaha!! (I only think this is funny because we are moving at the end of this week into a new nice apartment a few streets away!) The Mission office is pulling our lease and we are OUT of there in a few days! YESSSS!!

We have a lot of people that we are teaching right now! Elder Torres and I make a great team- we have some high goals and expectations- and we are intent on reaching them! The work is going well out here- it's tiring at times- we're out everyday doing Missionary work basically all day long- sometimes running from appointment to appointment! But that's the way to do it! My shoes are SO destroyed! (well my Rockports are anyways, my Echos are holding up pretty well...)...

I love all of you so very much! I am so appreciative of your love and prayers. Sorry this e-mail is on the short side!

Love you all!! CHURCH IS TRUE!!

B happy! B safe! B structurally sound?

Always,

Elder Brandon Hellberg

June 9th

DEAR Home!!

It's a misty gloomy (perfect) morning here in the Bronx New York! I hate the heat here - hahahahaha it's the ONLY problem I'm experiencing right now in my mission. It's sticky and nasty and we walk all day long in the heat and humidity with heavy shirts and black pants and heavy backpacks --- BAH!! Hahaha But I'm all good :)

Transfers came and went- and I have a new companion! I feel jipped I only got to spend 6 weeks with Elder Prue- and JUST when I started to like him... JK!! Hahaha I love him- we really grew to be great friends. My new companion is Elder TORRES! From COLOMBIA! YES! AH! I've heard SO many great things about him- PLUS he already speaks Spanish- my Spanish is going to get SO much better (I hope) with him helping me out. Turns out he's actually younger than me in the Mission- we came in to the Mission Home together on Feb 2, but he somehow bypassed the MTC altogether!! He's just that GREAT! Hahaha!! I love him already- he's super funny and humble and excited to work here in Olmstead with me. His previous area was Kingsbridge- right next to our zone, still in the Bronx! Haha we're both BronxBabies- Born into the Mission in the heart of the Bronx New York!! We're both stoked and ready to tear it up here! Love it! I've been assigned to serve as the District Leader for our little Spanish District of 8 here in Olmstead- I'm nervous! Haha mostly because I'll have to conduct the Baptismal interviews for all Spanish investigators in Olmstead- I really hope my Spanish is up to par!! :S I also have to give trainings in District Meetings and take numbers and stuff. I'm nervous, but excited- I'll do my best!!

Isabel got BAPTIZED!! It was such a special experience for her and for us- the Spirit was so strong. Something cool happened- well, it's... let me explain...

SO it was Sunday, about an hour before the baptism, and I asked Elder Thomas to go start filling up the font for us. He comes back about 45 minutes later and says the font is about 75% full- so I kinda think to myself "Okay, 15 more minutes should be good..." .... TURNS out there was some type of miscommunication (AKA Elder Hellberg forgot to turn off the font) and it flooded!! AHH!! Both the men's and women's bathrooms had about an inch of water in them, and water was coming a little bit into the carpeted areas of the foyer and relief society room (whoops!). Fast Forward to Monday morning, we went and visited Isabel again, and she asked if the bathrooms were supposed to flood every time there was a baptism- I kinda nervously laughed and said no. She began to cry and told us that right before the baptism she prayed and asked God to confirm to her that she was making the right decision- and that after the baptism was performed, she was standing in the flooded bathroom and looked down at the water she was standing in- saw her reflection and for a second didn't recognize herself. She said when she looked down, she felt as if she was someone different- and that she felt 'new,' and she walked away from her reflection leaving her sins and her old life in the water in the font. She said she was so grateful that God loves her so much and so individually, that he would flood a baptismal font for her. :) It was so sweet. :)

Also last Sunday, we invited a less active member we've been visiting very frequently to bring her newborn infant, Sara, to come get a baby blessing in sacrament. Her husband, is not a member so he couldn't perform the Blessing, so I figured the Bishop would do it! I was sitting near the back of sacrament meeting with some investigators, when Bishop called up the Mother and her baby and pointed at me and motioned for me to come up. I thought "Oh cool, I'll be in the circle!" ... When I got up there, the Bishop quietly said "Elder Hellberg, she has asked that YOU bless her baby." ... AHH! For a few seconds there my heart stopped- i was so nervous! Before I knew the young mother handed me her infant girl and we formed the circle and there was this microphone in my face! I said a quick quiet prayer that I would be calm and the baby too- she was a little fidgety at first- and started the blessing. Just after starting- I paused, and looked down at the squirmy baby girl in my arms, and she stopped moving and looked right at me with her big brown eyes. I suddenly felt an IMMENSE spirit of love for this baby- She was so young, and so pure- just barely having left the presence of our Heavenly Father- and He had trusted her enough to send her here to the Bronx- to be a light and example to her family. I could barely speak I was so touched- I thought as though I were feeling just a small fraction of the infinite love that God had for little Sara, and also for me, too. It was a very special experience both for the Mother and her husband- and he is now taking the lessons from us! :) The Lord works in wondrous ways.

SO, it's JUNE which means all the Puerto Rican's have officially gone crazy! Haha I don't see why America doesn't do this- we celebrate our Independence day for only one day, whereas Puerto Rico has like a full on Celebration MONTH!! There's like this big traveling party (centered in MY area, thankyouverymuch) and it's HILARIOUS. The party comes and everything goes WILD- then it packs up and leaves- and what's left behind literally looks like F5 Tornado Aftermath. It's so awesome! Minus the garbage and drunk (if not comatose) people laying all over the streets... :) SO Elder Hellberg proposes that we have, instead of the 4th of July, the 4-30th of July! Woot!!

I am really becoming Bronxed. My English is REALLY deteriorating - bronxed combined with Spanish grammar rules - it's awful! Oh dear it's raining again. Hahaha its all good. The rain is a nice break from the DEATHHEAT!

Mom, I love the TIES! Hahaha it's the only way a missionary can express himself clothily (spell check?) withour being disobedient hahaha!

The war I have declared on all mice and rats continues. I caught another demon in a glue trap under my bed... and (again) i didn't know what to do with him... so I put the trap-with-live-mouse in a plastic bag and filled it with water... classic Casino Royale style. It was morbid!! I had this awful "Jack! Don't let go Jack!" moment with him, as he slowly slipped away in the water... he steadily slowed down his fidgeting and eyes went wide.... minus the Big sinking ship and me floating on a door. It sounds inhumane I know! I'm sorry!! What else am I supposed to do!?!?

Do me a favor and say a prayer for me together would ya? Just ask for me to find more people to teach. It's HARD - but worth it. We have a family of 4 that we are hoping to get baptized by the end of June! ;-) Then they can get SEALED next June - while I'm still here!!!

Anyway, we have to get going and unpack Elder Torres's stuff and figure out what adventure we're doing today for P-day!!

Love you all, thank you so much for your letters and love and examples and all that Jazz! (Even though the Jazz lost to the Lakers... I'm not bitter!!! ....)

CHURCH IS TRUE!

Be safe! Be happy! Be humane to mice!

Always,

Elder Brandon Hellberg

6 months down!

HELLO!
June 2nd, 2010!

I woke up this morning, and Elder Fox ran in and said "HAPPY 6 MONTH MARK!"
Can you believe I've already been out here for 6 MONTHS!?
That's crazy! CRAZY I tell you! It feels like 6 WEEKS not 6 MONTHS!
That means...
I have…
the Equivalent of...
1 sister missionary mission left...
2 terms of pregnancy...

Half of a Mission President's Mission...

Or 6 more season changes...

I'm so excited for this Christmas- because AFTER that, I can say in all my letters and e-mails "See you at Christmas!!" hahahaha
Whoa! Everyone says that by your year mark you're wishing it would slow DOWN!

We have another Baptism this coming Sunday- and we're SO EXCITED! Her name is Isabel and she's SO solid. On our first lesson with her, she told us about all these dreams she had down in Ecuador where she comes from- all about these wars between her people and these white people, and angels wearing white coming from heaven- she was so shocked when we explained about the Book of Mormon and the Angel Moroni. It was such a powerful experience- she tells us she is ready for this Sunday and then she'll get confirmed next Sunday! Ahh! :)

So, my sweet Mama sent me 2 snazzy new ties and I was showing one of them off at church last Sunday- "Mira! Mi madre me envio a esta corbata bonita!" And the old Chilean man that smacks inactive members and tells them to get back to church came up and said "And now you have THIS too! (in Spanish)" And he stuck on me a tie clip with the Manhattan temple on it and he said "From your best friend, ME!" Hahaha so cool right? Bahaha I love Spanish people- they are the greatest.

On Monday, Elder Prue and I had everything planned and set out into our area at about 1 pm to teach the first of about 5 lessons planned in. It was one of those rare but dreaded days where EVERYTHING falls through. ALL of our appointments cancelled or just weren't home- it was ridiculous. SO- we contacted people on the street- and tracted buildings... FOR 5 HOURS. My legs seriously got their own version of P90X hardcore- by the time 6:30 rolled around they were JELLY. Haha we rewarded ourselves with Spanish snowcones and the Lord rewarded us with 3 lessons by the end of the night. It was, overall, a pretty cool day- we got a bunch of new people to teach and got a lot of crossing-out done on ward lists and lookup lists. We returned promptly to the apartment and planned for the next day- and I had probably the best night of sleep I've ever had. :)

My allergies are actually improving- I think it was just the boom of pollen bringing summer from spring. Haha it's so sticky and hot here but I love the sun- I feel happy and energized! It's SO HUMID- and I'm hoping to lose some of this extra weight I've gained from eating SPANISH food all day long! Short sleeve shirts are such a blessing- even with those on it's too stinkin' hot! I can't imagine wearing long sleeves! Ahh!

We had such a cool/random/20-minute thunderstorm here yesterday! It was kinda gloomy outside while we were walking back to our apartment in the morning from the church, and the SECOND we got inside to our apartment- the building SHOOK with this HUGE bang of thunder and the rains came pouring down (Primary song allusion) literally- SO MUCH WATER the streets were flooded. But just as quickly as it came, 20 minutes later it just suddenly stopped- hehe Crazy NY weather.

OH random question- WHO IS SALT?

There are ominous billboards everywere here that say just that-

WHO IS SALT?

And all the Missionaries are dying to know! Haha research project for Connor!

I must leave, we're going to go play Volleyball in a park for P-day! Woot!
Love you all!
Church is true!
Be safe, be healthy, be happy!
Always
Elder Brandon Hellberg

May 26 2010

DEAR home!

Hellllo! How are all you this week?! Hahaha I loved the picture of Connor all tied up in the car- and at Woodstock too! So cool! Tell him he's so awesome!

I hear Dad is going to Israel again? So cool. I'm reading Jesus the Christ- and I have this INCREDIBLE desire to go there and WALK where Christ Walked and SEE what he saw! So epic. OH and don't cancel fun trips just cuz I'm gone- cuz even when I'm back and Connor's gone on HIS mission, we ain't no way gonna halt the explorations! hehehe

It's SO HOT today. The Weather service on our cell phone said it was going to be up to 90 degrees with 90% humidity! BLEH! You walk outside and BLAM you're already sweating like crazy!

This past Sunday we had Stake Conference- it was incredible. Elder Michael T. Ringwood of the 70 came and spoke to the Westchester Stake. I loved the Saturday night session- Elder Ringwood says it's the best kept secret of the Church- I might actually agree on that. Usually I'm pretty good at controlling my emotions during things like that- (that's a lie) but I was bawlin' ALL over the place. Hahaha one of the members came up to me and asked me afterwards if I was okay! My favorite part was when President Taylor in the Stake Presidency talked about King Lamoni's father in the Book of Mormon. I have always loved that story, but now I look at it in an entirely new way. Ammon and King Lamoni are on their way to free Ammon's brothers from prison in Middoni (correct me if I'm wrong)- and they run into King Lamoni's father, King of ALL the Land, who was waiting for them to show up at a feast, but they decided to travel to Middoni instead (whoops!). King Lamoni's father asks his son why he's running around with this Nephite instead of coming to the feast of the King- nobody turns down the feast of the King. King Lamoni's father, in short tells his son to kill Ammon- and upon his son's refusal is about to slay his own son- disobedience to the King of all the Land! Some crazy thing happens and suddenly Ammon has the advantage (where were the King's guards at this point?) and at swordpoint has King Lamoni's father's life in his hands. King Lamoni's father in fear offers half of his kingdom if he will spare his life. Ammon tells him only to let his son worship how he wants and to help them free Ammon's brothers who are being held in prison by the other Lamanites. He agrees and goes back to his land. Fast Forward- Later in the story, King Lamoni's father is now being taught by Ammon, and tells Ammon he will give his ENTIRE kingdom to know the Joy that Ammon has. Here we see a change in King Lamoni's heart- first it was half his Kingdom, now it's all his kingdom- we see the Spirit working on him. Then, Ammon teaches him of the Great God (the Great Spirit) that lead his father's out of Jerusalem and brought them to the promised land. King Lamoni's father at this point tells Ammon that he will give EVERYTHING he has, Yea, "will give away all of his sins" to know that Great God. He then prostrates himself on the ground and calls upon God and is filled with the Spirit of the Lord. I LOVE this story. It really emphasizes one of the greatest concepts of the Gospel- Change. Through the Holy Ghost, King Lamoni's Father's heart was changed from about-to-kill-his-own-son, to giving away even all his Sins to know God. Will I give away all my sins to know Him? Ah! Love it!

We're so excited for this coming week! We have a Baptismal Date for an incredible Lady from Ecuador on June 5th and several others for following weeks!

We've taught a ton of lessons and done a bunch of good this week... but I'm disappointed to say that I have no ridiculously strange or awkward or funny stories to tell you! It's been pretty normal this week!

I'm writing a song for the Christmas Mission Talent Show...

I'll, be here, for Christmas! Here, in N Y C... hahaha it'll be great.

OH and tell Carlie to take Juan to MO' BETTAHs steak house and then also you guys take him to Tepanyaki if you can!! Hahah What are your plans with him?

We're having interviews with President Smith tomorrow, and it's P day today so I'm excited about those things! :) I'm not sure what we're going to do today but we might go get slurpees and play boardgames. Lame? hahaha!

I love you all so much! Thank you for your love and support and all you do. I Love this Gospel and know that it is true with all of my heart!

B safe, B happy, B healthy! CHURCH IS TRUE!

Always, Elder Brandon Hellberg

Wednesday May, 19, 2010

Hello home!

How is everyone doing!?

Hahaha I felt so jipped last time! My laptop cut out and I lost my WHOLE e-mail! So sketchy! So by the time I got a little of it typed again, I ran out of time! Hahaha welcome to Bronx public library! Nah it's actually a pretty good system they've got going here :)

It's been a rainy last couple of days here in the Bronx, New York! It rained so bad yesterday! Painfully cold and wet :( I cannot believe it's already almost JUNE! Can you believe my 6 month mark is in 13 days!? NOT THAT I’M COUNTING! haha truly I’m not, I just figured it out quick this morning!

Mother's day was great- got to talk to my family and Carlie- it was so great to hear all your voices! For some Missionaries it stirs up homesickness and kinda kicks the Missionary out of commission for a few days- but I feel energized and great! It was so great to get to talk to you guys. :)

So, remember how I was starting to grow fond of the little Mice that have taken shelter in our apartment? NO MORE. We came home one night and there was one of the nasty little demons on my BED. MY BED. This. Means. WAR. I have every kind of trap waiting for the fiends- snap traps, glue traps, poison- and I'm buying one of those sonic rat-blasters next time we stop at Duane Read. I tried playing nice- I even hosted one and gave it a home to live in a bucket- and this is how they repay me? MOUSE DROPPINGS in my BED!?!?! Arg I'm gonna get some awful VIRUS or something. Open Warfare I tell you... WARFARE!!

Bahaha so there is this SUPER awesome Member in the Ward from Chile named Hermano Cerda and he LOVES going out teaching with the Missionaries. He's in his early 70's and works at the Manhattan Temple! We took him out teaching the other day and we were waiting at a bus stop when a small Mexican man ran up and patted him on the shoulder. Hermano Cerda looked surprised, then said "Augusto, my friend! It's been too long!" Turns out he knew him a long time ago back when there was just a branch instead of a Ward here in Olmstead. Hermano Cerda asked why he hadn't been to church in so long! The man shrugged and said I dunno I just didn't see the need." Hermano Cerda then looked at him firmly in the eyes then SMACKED him square on the face and told him to get back to church!! Hahaha It was so funny! I told my companion I was going to be that bold and just start smacking people and tell them to get to church!! Baha!

Something very touching happened a few days ago- My companion and I went to follow-up on a recent door tract we had done a few days previously. We knocked on the door and a shy Mexican woman opened the door very timidly. We exchanged hello's and we started talking about our message and asked if there was a time we could come back. She seemed flustered and uninterested and told us she didn't have any time due to her son's 'therapy' and that maybe in a few weeks we could return and see her. We gave her a pass-along card and were about to leave when I felt to ask what her son was in therapy for. It was kind of an odd feeling and at an odd time, right at the end of the conversation- she'd already said goodbye. Awkwardly, I asked why her son needed therapy, trying not to sound rude or prying. Her eyes widened, and she began to say "my son..." She started to cry and told us that her son was almost 2 years old and hadn't begun to walk or talk yet and that she had therapists coming to her house nearly 4 times a week to work with him. She opened up and talked to us right there at her door for nearly 20 minutes, just crying and telling us her life story. It was sad, but I could tell it was relieving for her just to be able to talk to somebody. She expressed sincere thanks for listening and invited us to come back a few days later. We did, and we taught the Plan of Salvation and taught her of the Resurrection. It was SO touching and powerful to see her realize and receive confirmation of the truth that her son would some day be able to say and do everything he had potential for doing. We're going back in a few days to give her a CD of church music she asked for- she said peaceful music calms her son!

Last week for Zone Conference, Elder Robbins from the 70 came- it was so cool! He talked to the Missionaries about so many interesting and important things. He taught us about reverence and agency and the changing world and some new things the Church is going to be doing in the years to come. It was very powerful and uplifting- plus he speaks Spanish!

I'm so excited for P-day today- our district is going to go to the church and Watch Joseph Smith- Prophet of the Restoration and then play soccer and Pokemon Monopoly!! Bahaha! P-day is such a blessing!!

I saw something pretty intense the other day as we were on the train down to Mott Haven. We were slowly passing by St Lawrence Avenue Station and off to the left of our train we saw a big apartment building with big flames climbing out of the second story windows and licking the walls of the building all the way up to the 5th floor! There were people starting to gather and they all had their cell phones out calling- and right after that we went underground so I couldn't call 911! Elder Prue says I'm making this up- but I'm so NOT! I SAW a lady on the 3rd floor in a window banging on the glass! Orange shirt, short black hair! I swear I saw it! We heard from a member that the fire was put out pretty quickly and nobody was hurt- which relieved me- but still! Scary, right?

I love this Gospel, and I'm so honored and privileged to be out here representing the Savior Jesus Christ! This Church is TRUE! Love you all- be safe, be happy be strong!!

Always and Forever,

Elder Brandon Hellberg