Letter Home from Elder North - August 11, 2014

Date:  August 11, 2014

Area:  Oxoford, Mississippi

Companion: Elder Cy Despain

Dear Love at Home,

Whoa that's a lot of brithdays coming up. Happy Birthday all!

The baptism went extremely well. We had a good number of people in attendance, and one of our investigators. They did both move from North Carolina to Oxford so that Hannah could do some Schooling. They just live together, no one else is there. As for the baptism itself I caught myself on a slip up in the wording and started over, but other than that everything went off without a hitch.

Meetings with the Mission President are typically once very month to month and a half.

Best part about Oxford as opposed to my previous areas, would probably be the Ward Mission Leader. We didn't have a very involved one in West Memphis since he was busy and lived out of town. In Kennett we just didn't have one. Here we have a great one!

There are some decently cool buildings on campus, the Lyceum is one of the oldest buildings there.

We'll be on bike week, but the timing is pretty good. We hope to do some finding and setting of dates this week.

-Elder North

Letter from Elder North - August 8, 2014

Date:  August 4, 2014

Area:  Oxoford, Mississippi

Companion: Elder Cy Despain

Dear Spaniards,

Everything is going well with my new companion. He is 20, from Arizona and has learned almost everybody's name since he got here, and it hasn't even been a week yet. We have three dates set, two for the 23rd and one for this Saturday, having set it last Saturday. Elisha had been talking to missionaries in North Carolina for about a year now and her sister joined the church a few years ago, so now she's ready to take the plunge! Everybody pray for her as we prepare for her baptism.

We have a lot of great things going for us now and I'm very excited. Oxford is going to hit it's influx of people soon and we will have loads of new people to talk to!

I suppose the toughest thing was changing companions and I thought it was going to be hard taking over the area so soon, but we have been MAD busy the past few days! So no worries.

Our lesson with Elisha (Pronounced Uh-Leash-uh) was excellent, we had a member there with us, JP, and he helped immensely in talking with her and helping smooth her nerves. She's very much ready, just nervous about actually doing it it seems.

I got a letter from Grandma Maxine, thank you very much! Everybody remember to read and pray, the gospel of Jesus Christ is real and the Book of Mormon IS the Word of God, finding out is a simple prayer away.

-Elder North

To write Elder North you do so here...

Elder Bryen Nielsen North

Arkansas Little Rock Mission

801 Frontage Road, Apartment 915

Oxford, Mississippi 38655

At transfer meeting picking up a new companion

This is his new companion Elder Cy Despain

Letter from Elder Bryen North - July 28, 2014

Date:  July 28, 2014
Area:  Oxford, Mississippi
Companion:  Elder Beckenridge


Dear Manchesters,

This transfer flew by like a jet engine riding a lightning bolt! Elder Breckenridge got the call and is headed out and I will be saddled with a new companion as I take on taking over the area. Good Gravy. Setting my abject horror aside, I shall take on the challenge with all the gumption of a squeaky sea-lion.

We have two primary, prospective baptisms again, Kenneth and another woman named Alysha. Alysha has a sister, Hannah, who joined the Church about three years ago and now she's considering baptism.

Mother asked for some details on some previously mentioned events. Driving down a road Elder Breckenridge and I spotted a Turtle. It likely was going to try and cross so we snatched it up and drove it to a safe place and dropped it off.

 

The church building here is on top of a fairly steep hill. It is painful to reach via bike.

 

Lastly, we had a grill and Elder Breckenridge sold it, we moved it from the apartment balcony onto the back of a pick up.

I am stunned that I've been out for a year now and I know this time is going to vanish lickity split. I've got to do all I can to make good use of it. Thank you all for your support!

-Elder North

 

 

Letter Home from July 21, 2014

What can I say I taking what pictures I can get.  :)

Date:  July 21, 2014
Area:  Oxford, Mississippis
Companion:  Elder Brecknridge


Dear Titans,

I missed these questions that were asked before and shall answer them now!

Elder Breckenridge is from Idaho, he's been out a while, he goes home in December. We do have senior couples in the mission, but not in this area. The media card is handled and I got some mail from Grandma Mary! She told me about relatives somewhere nearby, but I don't know where or anything like that. Our Ward I think is just called the Oxford Ward.

Mosquitoes haven't been a real problem lately. I suppose it's the location. I still have much of my anti-mosquito equipment though.

Our new Mission President is President Wakolo. We've had a couple meetings with him so far and he's great! He seems to put more emphasis on the individual missionary. That by instead of trying to jump over us to get to our investigators, he wants to focus on us, improve us, and then let us handle our investigators. Hopefully this mentality enters into the minds of the rest of mission leadership as it's a thought process I can always get behind.

Next week is already transfers and we suppose Elder Breckenridge will be moved out. Let you know next week!

-Elder North

Please do not use nick names on letters or packages. They have to go to the mission home and then be forwarded on. If you have a nick name on the letter it may never make it to him. THANKS

Elder Bryen Nielsen North

Arkansas Little Rock Mission

801 Frontage Road, Apartment 915

Oxford, Mississippi 38655

My new place to live

Outside and Inside the chapel in Oxford

Letter home from Elder Bryen North - July 14, 2014

Date:  July 14, 2014

Area:  Oxford, Mississippi

Companion:  Elder Breckenridge

Dear Diggers,

I've heard that I got a lot of mail in Kennett. I received a letter from Uncle Jim and Aunt Marciah! Thank you for the letter! I enjoyed it very much. It looks like you all had a fabulous time on vacation.

This transfer has gone by unbelievably fast. I feel like I've only been here a week or two, not five weeks! So many things are a blur. Rescuing a turtle, moving a grill, driving down that one hill.

The package's contents are long gone and Elder Breckenridge told me that more sourpatch kids showing up in the future would be very welcome. He liked those a lot. I was more into the crackers and cheese, which vanished all too quickly.

Our greatest new investigator is a man named Kenneth Jones. He went to the Book of Mormon Musical and talked to some sister missionaries about it. They gave us his information and he lives in our apartment complex. We met with him last week and he's very solid. He teaches Social Science at the community college. We're meeting with him againWednesday and it looks very promising!

-Elder North

Drop me a line at my new address:

Elder Bryen Nielsen North

Arkansas Little Rock Mission

801 Frontage Road, Apartment 915

Oxford, Mississippi 38655

Letter Home from Elder North - July 7, 2014

Date:  July 7, 2014

Area:  Oxford, Mississippi

Companion:  Elder Breckenridge

Dear Cone Heads,

This week was rather slow. Bike weeks here are rather arduous. Many hills made for painful bike rides or dull walks. Less enjoyable since our two most prospective people faded back for now. We hope to get that reignited.

Since we didn't have a car we missed a Missionary Devotional that happened on Sunday, Elder Breckenridge was rather put off by that.

The package arrived and was filled with delicious snacks. They were greatly appreciated by both of us.

Bryen hit his halfway mark on July 2nd!

For Fourth of July we went and hung out with the Griffin family. A number of them are non members. We had burgers and home made ice cream, it was very sweet ice cream.

We had a great deal of visitors to church, people from out of town attending. With so many people one of the bishopric asked us to open the back curtain after testimony meeting started. Elder Breckenridge tried to time it right but we ended up loudly dragging it open in the middle of Sister Robert's testimony. She laughed it off and it was funny.

Thank you all for your support and I hope you all continue to have great joy in all your endeavors.

-Elder North

Elder Bryen North
Arkansas Little Rock Mission
801 Frontage Road, Apartment 915
Oxford, Mississippi 38655

Letter Home from Elder Bryen North - June 30, 2014

Date:  June 30, 2014
Area: Oxford, Mississippi
Companion:  Breckenridge

Dear Time Travelers,

I'll try and check our office to see if they have a package for me. As far as I know it has not arrived.

As for prettiest area I think I'd have to go with Oxford. I'm not sure, best to ask someone else. I don't examine the foliage very closely.

He did send a quick message later saying the package had arrived.

What makes a good companion you ask? That's a very subjective question. Your personal taste and habits are bound to mesh well with others or clash. I have had the fortune to have all of my companions be plenty agreeable and reasonable people.

Our previous P-Day was very uneventful, just like this one is shaping up to be! I am perfectly alright with that though.

The apartment does have a washer and dryer, I have saved myself the trouble of answering many questions on it's many details and instead opted to doing another video tour. You will see it all soon enough! As for bike weeks, the rotations can very from area to area. They are currently attempting a new rotation here in Oxford. It looks like a difficult one though. Hopefully things work out better than they seem right now because having Oxford in your car share is not a fun for anybody. We are very far from everybody else.

Due to ride issues we may be not able to attend our first meeting with the new Mission President unfortunately. We'll see as we get closer to it. My new companion Elder Breckenridge is solid. We get along great!

We will be going on our bike week this week (Big part of why our rides are an issue) so it'll be a tad tougher than previous areas. Very hilly here. My shoes are holding up just fine still though! No worries. Looks like everybody is having a blast on vacation, I see my Xbox has continued to make the trip. Keep up on the list Deven!

-Elder North

He seems to be doing well.  You can write him at...

Elder Bryen North

Arkansas Little Rock Mission

801 Frontage Rd.  #915

Oxford, Mississippi 38655