feb 2

Good Evening HOME!!

ANOTHER important date has come and gone! I, as of today, (February 2nd, 2011), have been in New York for 1 YEAR. AHH! I still can remember my emotions 365 days ago as I walked off the plane into the brisk air around JFK Int'l Airport... Going to the Mission Home... Meeting my first companion and Trainer... hearing I was going to be serving in the Bronx!! Time has been so strange to me. All those things feel SO distant… but I can remember them as if they were last week- and it feels like only mere months have gone by, not a whole calendar year.

It is SO cold!! The cars have been grounded all day until now because of the America-wide arctic BLAST- we've had awful freezing rain! No joke, our parking lot looked like an ICE-SKATING-RINK. It's been very cold! I have no idea how the rest of the country is doing, but I heard it's a huge storm- and that basically everywhere is gettin' it pretty bad! How has the big terrible storm hit Utah? I hope everyone is warm and safe!!

I have gotten a few of your letters! Thank you so much. I know I'm a Lame-sauce writer-backer, but I am so grateful for your love and support! I never feel forgotten! :) Things are improving here. :) I can feel your prayers combined with MY prayers- and they are working! :D

We had Dinner at President’s house- just 8 of us Missionaries- it was SO great. We ate with him and Sister Smith- then went to the living room of the Mission Home and had a big long open discussion about the ups and downs of the Mission. We got to ask anything and he was so friendly and fun - he's pretty professional when he's up in front of the whole mission- but I love it in interviews or smaller meetings- he is such a great guy- (reminds me of DAD!)

In a few Sundays, it'll be Missionary Sunday- and we're going to give talks! :S Excited/Nervous!

We are teaching some incredible people right now. Most of them are from the Dominican Republic, a few from Ecuador! Most of them we have found through knocking doors! It's such a blessing to be able to be invited into someone's house and share our message with them- for the first time! One of the Dominican families we are teaching has 6 OTHER families related to them living in the nearby areas- and we are teaching MOST of them! Haha! And one of the ladies related is actually already an active member in the Branch!

Hey- just got the call! Gotta leave right now to go home, cars grounded again!

I love you, please be happy and warm! Love you!!!

I am so grateful to be a part of this work. I know that what I am doing as a Missionary is what the Lord wants me to do- and I LOVE doing it.

The Church is TRUE!

B safe! B Warm! B fighting the STORM!!

Always,

Elder Brandon Hellberg

1/27/2011

GOOD AFTERNOON FROM SCARSDALE NEW YORK!

If you'll notice, it's actually Thursday! Yesterday, we were GROUNDED due to extreme blizzard weather! We were SNOWED in! So I had to just send you my love and hugs telepathically!! Did you get them!?

Elder Fotu and I deep cleaned the ENITRE apartment (trust me, it needed it... Missionaries have been there for quite some time..) and it looks Mah-velous! I also got some good reading done!

I have already come to love so much the little Branch up here in this area. Such wonderful people. Although our area has VERY few members, they are some of the strongest members I have seen. Completely solid! Many wonderful things are happening in this area- I can feel it!

And we got invited to go to dinner with President Smith at his house tonight! I'm very excited!

Kind of exciting thing happened the other day driving home during the beginning of one of the blizzards:... SO we received the call to return to the apartment, the weather had started to get bad so all the Mission cars were to return promptly home! We were heading off the exit (RT-10 Port Chester) when we saw this taxi in front of us lose control and barrel off into the strip of land in between the highway and the exit. He NARROWLY missed the exit sign and took out about 5 of those little reflective posts, missed a big oak tree by about a foot and a half and came to a stop about 150 feet into the strip of land,- about 6 feet away from the road. We hurried and pulled over (safely- breathe, momma!) and turned on the emergency lights and ran over to him to see if he was okay. He stumbled out all confused- and there was a bunch of smoke coming out of the car. He put mats under the back tires and us 2 (Elder Fotu and I) and the guy the taxi cab was driving somewhere all pushed and pushed... but we just burned holes in the mats and couldn't move the car. Ultimately, he had to call a tow service to come get him out! We were all muddy and cold afterward! But he thanked us for stopping! Nobody else stopped!

This week has been slow! Elder Fotu and I have spent over 20 hours of knocking doors and running around talking to people! Cold bruised knuckles, man!

All be safe, okay?

Love you!!

B wise! B warm! B smart drivers!

Always,

Elder Hellberg

1-19-2011

DEAR HOME!

Hello!!! What a LONG and DREARY week! (Weather speaking...!)

We have this thing in New York called FREEZING RAIN. It's obnoxious- but looks super cool on your car the next morning, when it's been perfectly frosted with a half-inch layer of clear ICE. Chipping it off the car and trying to open your doors however, is not as cool. Plus, recently we have been having a NONSTOP rainstorm- so all the roads are soaked. At about 6:30, the temp drops below freezing- so the freeways get coated with black ice, so all the Missionaries have to be home early!!

Elder Fotu and I are excited and ready to give a wake-up call to Sleepy Hollow (hehe so clever...)!! Things are slow right now- we're back to the basics! Knock* Knock* "Hi, we're the Missionaries..."..*SLAM*...... But we're already seeing things begin to pick up! Bright Spirits! :)

I have definitely seen the Lord's hand in preparing the people here in this little village. It's a very newly opened area, so most people don't know who the Missionaries are (big contrast to the City, everybody and their grandma knows who we are...). Sometimes I will get discouraged- but always the Lord reminds me that I'm working for Him, and He's on MY side. Several times in the last two weeks, we will have spent hours knocking doors with no results- when JUST as we are on the last house on the block or are about to call it quits for the night, a family warmly welcomes us into their house and we excitedly share our message with them. Usually when we knock houses or buildings, we start at the TOP, because tradition holds that in order to find those who will listen, we have to climb a LOT of stairs. I second that. :)

All is well here! Hoping all is well there, too.

All my Love,

Elder Hellberg

January 13, 2011

January 13, 2011

HELLO and GOOD MORNING!

This is the FIRST E-MAIL coming from me that is NOT from NYC! I'm OFFICIALLY in the county of Westchester!

My new area is a little DREAM VILLAGE. Seriously. I'm going to seriously break man-code here by saying this... but it's the cutest little town in all of New York!! Hahah! I'm not sure how else to describe it. My area name is "Sleepy Hollow" but that also geographically includes Tarrytown and Elmsford. I. Love. It. There are trees and hills and little shoppes and everything is peaceful and quaint and everybody is nice and friendly!!! NOT to mention that I'm the official "designated driver" for the companionship- it feels SO strange to be driving again. I got re-accustomed to it about 20 minutes into driving... but it was almost scary for those 20!! Although our area is Sleepy Hollow- A.K.A Holloweentown- we live in Port Chester, about 15 -20 minutes away by freeway. We drive a little Silver Chevy Malibu 2008! It's SUCH a different atmosphere upstate than in the crazy city. We go out of the house, get into our car, wait a few minutes for the heater to start working, and take a peaceful, scenic drive through the snow capped Westchester hills into our picturesque little village. A CRAZY change from the high speed run-around-catching-buses-and-trains velocity of the city! Our area is relatively new- it opened up about 5 months ago, so we only have about 3 member families in the whole thing! So mostly we knock doors and "Make Friends"!

Right now, we are serving in the Westchester 3rd Branch! It's so awesome- it’s only a small Spanish branch of about 70-80 Members, but they are some of the most solid people I have met. The Branch President is named President Jefferies- he's Caucasian, but lived in Spain for 11 years so he speaks perfect Spanish! With the Z too! "Grathias?" Anyway. He's a great man and we look forward to working closely with him.

We've had some CRAZY storms here lately- already in the 1 week I've been up here, 3 days have been SNOW DAYS- cars; GROUNDED! Good days to catch up on reading or cleaning the apt... ew.

Hey sorry time is so short- we'll try a different Library next time!

The Church is True, even in Halloweentown!

B happy! B strong! B WARNED OF THE HEADLESS HORSEMAN!!

All my Love,

Elder Hellberg

1/5/11

Breathe.

OKAY.

THE NEWS!

After 11 short months, mounds of spiritual growth, many haircuts, 5 companions, one blistering-hot summer, and a long series of hilarious and life-changing adventures I am OFFICIALLY leaving the BRONX.

My next Destination-

Zone: Westchester

Area: Sleepy Hollow (Yes, the Headless Horseman.)

My Emotions are SO out of control right now! It's a little ridiculous. I am overwhelmed with love and gratitude for the many incredible people that I have had the chance to meet and know here in the Bronx. I have left part of my heart behind here in this crazy city- and I truly feel like it's been a home-away-from-home for the past year. I have been so blessed here in the Bronx; I have been in 2 incredible areas, with several great companions- and we've seen SO many miracles. I was saddened and surprised to find out that my time here in Kingsbridge is up- tomorrow morning I'll climb in a van and have to fall in love all over again with a new area- which, no doubt, I will do. I trust the Lord's decisions- and I know that wherever he needs me to serve, I'll be serving there for His purpose and His reasons. It was hard to say goodbye to all my great friends I've made here in KB- but it's an honor and blessing to call them 'friends'. I will miss them. A wise friend of mine from back home told me of the prints I'd leave on other people's lives, and the powerful impressions they would leave on my own. How grateful I am for my time here.

PLUS, I'll have a car. WATCH OUT WORLD, HELLBERG IS BACK ON THE ROADS!!! MUAHAHAHAHAH!!

Ahem. Wish me luck.

Today, we went to the Temple again- for my last time in Manhattan for a while! Such a powerful Spirit prevails in the little Manhattan Temple- it always amazes me how no matter where you are inside the Temple, you can try with everything you've got to hear even the tiniest noise from the busy city around it, but it's just silent- and perfectly peaceful.

I wish you all the best! I hope a lot of excellent new year's resolutions were made and all are happy and safe!

The Church is True!

B happy, B healthy, B riding on Carriages with Headless Horsemen?

All my love,

Elder Hellberg

DEcember 29, 2010

Day 14

Base Camp 3 - 25,000 feet. Nightfall.

Elder Mitchell and I trudge along at high altitude, low on oxygen, as the wind carves dramatic riffs into the brilliant white ledges of snow and ice, now a shadowy gray under the dim moonlight. We ran out of food late last night, and it will be hours before the rest of the party reaches us. Our equipment is almost as tired as we are, the once metallic glare of our spiked boots and pickaxes now a dull matte as they slowly, but surely, lose their grip. Elder Mitchell's temperature has dropped below 91 degrees, and I am beginning to worry. We are near out of propane and we don't have sufficient supplies to last us much longer... Our fate is very uncertain as we continue our battle with this cruel mountain.....

BLIZZARD!

Or in Spanish, as they say, "NEVADA!" (Kind of counter-intuitive, huh?)

Seriously. Remember the movie "Day After Tomorrow?" Yes. I am in the middle of that movie. Heading home at night on Sunday night was my most intense encounter with a blizzard- despite spending the first 19 years of my life in the mountains of Utah. Every gust of wind cuts through every layer of clothing you're wearing and small chunks of snow and ice soar through the air at high speeds, threatening your eyes and face. We stopped several times to push cars out of the middle of intersections- only to travel a few more feet and get caught again. Our futile attempts nearly lost us our fingers. Signs and garbage sailed through the air with the snow. Small whirlwinds formed and picked up more snow. Walking was counterproductive- you had to RUN at the wind to make progress against it's gale forces; visibility, was next to zero. The aftermath was almost as impressive as the storm itself. Cars were COMPLETELY covered in snow; only the few top inches of their radio antennas protruding from the top layer of snow could be seen. For hours we dug ourselves our of our OWN apartment with the measly shovels we found on our patio the night before. The entire transportation system of the city was shut down- and for good reason. On our trek to the church building later that night we saw 7 MTA buses and HUNDREDS of cars stranded and abandoned and on major roads and intersections. Oops sorry getting into dramatic story-telling mode again. It's all true! But no worries, we're all safe! The storm has passed and cleanup has begun!

Right now, both Elder Mendez (apartmentmate) and I are SICK. We both have fevers and are coughing and have scratchy throats and we take turns "Ralphing" into the toilet. (Nicer word for throwing-up...?....urg...) That started on Monday morning... luckily we are both starting to feel better! :)

On a happier note! CHRISTMAS was WONDERFUL! All the Missionaries went up to the Chapel in Scarsdale for a big Christmas Morning Brunch and musical program! All the zones sang and we had scripture readings and afterwards, we all enjoyed a wonderful meal with a (hilarious) slide show of pictures from around the Mission in the past year! Hard to believe I was on my Mission one year ago! Man!

Maria was Baptized on Thursday and Confirmed on Sunday! I had the priviledge to perform the baptism- it was such a special day for everyone. Maria plans on getting her temple recommend as soon as possible- and the next P-day, we plan on heading down to Manahttan to do Baptisms for the Dead!

WEDDING BELLS ARE RINGING!!! RIGHT THIS VERY MOMENT my dear sister Sammi is getting MARRIED for time and all Eternity in the beautiful Bountiful Temple!! Congratulations Sammi and Kevin! Please know I am right there with you in SPIRIT!

The New Year is HERE! I have many new-years-resolutions!! I have colored streamers! I have pots and pans! I have!....to be in the apartment at 6:00 pm on the 31st... BUT THAT'S OKAY we have a PATIO and we can celebrate!....until 10:30 pm which is LIGHTS OUT HOORAY!!! Hmm.. Well I hope all of you break one of those big party popper things and scream at midnight for me!! :D

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

The Church is True in 2011 TOO!!

B safe! B warm! B prepared with iceaxes and propane!

Always,

Elder Hellberg

December 22

Sing NOEL!! CHRISTMAS IS HERE!!!

HOORAY! It's the most wonderful time of the year here in NYC! People are smiling and music is playing and lights are making the City just GLOW! I still can't believe it's been a YEAR since LAST Christmas. This time last year, Elder Linford and I were in the MTC together- both of our first Christmases away from home! So strange to think that already a year has flown by.

Hooray! Tomorrow evening, a wonderful lady we are teaching- will be Baptized at the Kingsbridge Chapel. Her name is Maria- she's amazing. She has such a foreknowledge of the Bible and its teachings. She is very excited to be baptized- her little girl (2) and infant son were presented and blessed a few Sundays ago- and they are such a wonderful example to the ward.

Baby it's cold outside, but people sure are being so much warmer! Elder Mitchell and I have been working hard and talking to everyone! We have found several new families that we are teaching- mostly from Mexico!

Last night, the stars were shining brightly- but the moon was NOT! Too bad we were sleeping.. we heard from a bunch of people that the Lunar Eclipse was pretty cool!

We are all going up to Scarsdale for a wonderful Christmas morning Lunch/Dinner party! The whole Mission! I'm so excited to see a bunch of old friends and spent time with the other Missionaries. We have a big slide show of funny photos from throughout the year to watch- and each Zone has prepared a special musical number!

From my planner.........

Bus used most frequently this week: Bx9

Number of times I used the word "Wonderful" in this letter: 6

Number of points I received this week in "BronxTrash Soccer": 13

Number of Carols I've sung on buses and trains this week: 49

Christmas lights on our tree in our apartment: 350!

Money spent on postage to and from our apartment: You don't want to know.

Iced Hot Chocolate w/ face caramel and cinnamon made this week: 5

Allusions to Christmas Songs in this letter: 8

I'm wishing you all a Feliz Navidad! I hope it's wonderful and white and cozy!

Merry Christmas!

Love,

Elder Hellberg