January 27, 2014 - Letter Home from Elder Bryen North

Date:  January 27, 2014
Area:  West Memphis, Arkansas
Companion: Elder Freddette

Dear Family Matters,

Right now we are teaching a woman named B****.  She likes us and doesn't have a problem with the Book of Mormon.  She keeps getting hung up on Joseph Smith though.

We are also teaching a girl named M****.  She is ready to be baptized and just needs to select a date.

The W**** took us out to eat at Andrey's.  It's a pizza buffet place like Cici's, but with more variety, availability of choices and includes a Mexican buffet as well.

I only see Sister Longshore when on exchanges in Lakeland, so I don't know if she made the assuage biscuits.

We took a trip to Wynne this week with Brother Jones.  Wynne is in our area despite being further away than the Temple.  It's hard to get out there since there is a limit to how far we can drive the car and the fact that it takes so long to get there.  We might go up again later this week or the next.

I'm excited for Taylor and all those going out on missions.  I'm going to come back with no one to hang with!  All the cool cats are headed off to preach the gospel! (that's how you know they're the coolest of the cats)

- Elder North

Sister Longshore e-mailed and asked for the sausage biscuit recipe.  It is very yummy.  Elder North must have been talking about it.

Taylor is Elder North's cousin who just got his call this week and will be leaving at the start of April for Washington.

Please take the time and send Elder North a note, I know he would like it.

Elder Bryen North
Arkansas Little Rock Mission
606 Rainer #10
West memphis, AR 72301

January 20, 2014 Letter Home from Elder Bryen North

E-mailing home from the W**** House

Date:  January 20, 2014
Area:  West Memphis, Arkansas
Companion:  Elder Freddette

Dear Folks,

Everything is good!
That's all folks!

- Elder North

I'm kidding.  I don't recall getting a letter from you this week mom...but, this week has felt astonishingly long!  Crazy how old Zane is now and that he will be in sixth grade next year!

Our week has been fine, Elder Fredette and I are focusing on less active members like mad still and it's good.  A family friend of the A**** Family has decided to start taking the lessons.

I'm confident I'll be moved out of West Memphis in the next three weeks. (When transfer happen)  I won't like it per say, but it'll be exciting.  I'll be leaving a lot of things to the Marion Elders and Elder Fredette.

Our missionary meetings typically take place across the river in Bartlett.  Our Zone Leaders are over there as well, and there is a missionary meeting every week, but sometimes we don't go to Transfer meetings.

I apologize for the lateness and brevity of this letter, things didn't pan out how we would have liked for our e-mailing time.

- Elder North

Drop Elder North a letter, he would appreciate it.  Missionaries love mail even the ones who are not very good at writing back.  

Elder Bryen North
Arkansas Little Rock Mission
606 Rainer #10
West Memphis, AR 72301

January 13, 2014 Letter Home from Elder Bryen North

Elder Fredette and Elder North

Date:  January 13, 2014
Area:  West Memphis, Arkansas
Companion:  Elder Fredette

Dear Muppets,

Things are looking pretty good on the missionary front over here!

Can't wait to see where Taylor is headed.

Taylor is Elder North's cousin who just submitted his papers so in the next couple of weeks will receive his mission call.  Taylor is six weeks older than Elder North.

Technically we were supposed to have bike week this week, but due to fortunate circumstances dealing in our favor, we got to hold onto the car during this week.

Elder Fredette is an excellent companion.  He is leaning things quick and getting to befriend member here, which is important.  We're starting to work a lot more with Branch leadership to reach out to less active members and are planning a trip to Wynne on Saturday.

We picked up the stocking package a couple of days ago.

There was one of Elder North's Christmas packages that did not get delivered.  I was able to track it down and he finally got it.  I was just grateful it wasn't the important package.

Still hardly cold out here.  My jacket is more than warm enough.

I hear from other missionary moms how their sons are freezing (most of those are from Utah also) so I keep asking if he would like me to send him his coat.  He only went with a light rain jacket.  He insists he is fine.  I think he is enjoying this weather after the very humid summer.  

Hope you all keep doing what you're doing and always pray to be able to help another person, then keep and eye out!

- Elder North

The pictures are from Sister Orey and along with them she sent this information.  "Elder Fredette is a distant cousin to Jimmer Fredette.  These pictures are from church Wednesday night.  Elder Talbert thought it was funny to photo bomb, so then Elder Oveson started also.  Of course then my Isabelle and Lauren Walls did the same.  At least you can see Elder North and Elder Fredette even with the photo bombers.  LOL  Also, "Big Red" is Elder Fredette's nickname from school.  He is not a small guy at all.  He is of Irish decent.  He had a full red beard by the age of 16 and showed everyone his driver's license to give us an idea what he looked like.  Well, you are pretty much as caught up as I am.  Both Elders are pretty sure Elder North will be transferred next transfer.  Joe is NOT happy with this.
 

I love members taking the time to give me updates, pictures, and information!!!  Thank you thank you thank you Sister Orey!  The next transfer for Elder North will be February 12th so he still has a few weeks.  Joe is Sister Orey's little boy who is quite taken with Elder North.

Please take some time and drop Elder North  a line or two he would love to hear from you.

Elder Bryen North
Arkansas Little Rock Mission
606 Rainer #10
West Memphis, AR 72301

You can check out his blog at eldernorth.blogspot.com

January 6, 2014 - Letter Home from Elder Bryen North

Date:  January 6, 2014
Area:  West Memphis
Companion:  Elder Fredette

Dear Earthlings,

I now have a new companion, his name is Elder Fredette, and he is from Gilbert Arizona.  He has been out one transfer longer than me.  He is tall and has red hair, and works tirelessly and loves cars.  Elder Bell is my District leader, I was with him for a couple days as I waited for a new companion.

The package has not arrived still.  I did get the pillow case though!  Now I'll just need to get a pillow.

Does that mean he needs another pillow to go in that pillow case or he doesn't have a pillow at all???  Hmmm..Did find out that they post office has his package.  After getting the run around for two weeks I finally got someone that asked more questions and was able to figure it all out.  So they will redeliver it.

I figured a commitment to missionary work would function well enough as a resolution and didn't make any others.  Aim for 100% and your failure will be greater than the failure to achieve any lesser goal.

Elder Fredette immediate wanted to try working with less active members in the area and we've been going around.  A lot have moved away, we set some return appointments with the new residents of those homes. One though we found has moved and he lived nearby.  We found him and he came back to church on Sunday, as did another less active couple!  It was fantastic.  The blessings of church attendance are so obvious to me now that I'm shocked I was blind before.  Later Sunday we met with a man who many become an excellent investigator.  He has problems with the idea of organized religion and the necessity of it, thinking Christ never really endorsed it and we were to just follow his example of doing good.  We reminded him of how Christ himself established a church meant to organize people and that organization allows people to work together so that they can accomplish more good than individual agents can.  I shared a powerful lesson I learned in the MTC from Brother Elton.  He severely chastised all of us for mistaking what exactly the purpose of church is.  That it is first and foremost a place for us to get answers from God.  He agreed very much with that viewpoint and he set our return appointment.  I hope that we can help him see the blessings of church attendance.

Don't miss your meetings, or find a building near you if you don't know where to go.  God promises blessings and it is up to us to prove him.

- Elder North