Letter Home from Elder North

Date:  March 17, 2015
Area:  Morrilton, Arkansas
Companion:  Elder Barker



Dear Paps,

Elder Barker says Hello.

Things have been interesting here on the Arkansas side. Things are much more, the same than I thought they'd be? My real expectations were not too wild but I suppose it's that missionary work has a lot of same factors wherever you're placed. I believe you are now in touch with Sister Gates. She's great and gave a talk this Sunday about following the first great commandment.

This week was our week without the car and it's been rather fruitful. A decent number of people have let us in to speak with them and share what we know. We're hoping they will let us return and come to church as well. Raking up a large amount of potential investigators.

Yesterday we had a great experience with Sister Gates, sharing Family Home Evening with them and Brother Stover. Brother Stover is an older gentleman who helps us missionaries a great deal. He converted to the church about 9 years ago and is a strong member. He also made us a great cabbage and sausage stew to eat. The day before I shared some of my Siracha with Logan at the after-chuch potluck, since he said he likes hot sauces.

We will be getting a vehicle tomorrow, so that's nice. My respect goes to those missionaries who walk or ride bikes anywhere they go. They're areas are often smaller but they would still be doing a lot of moving that I'm not quite accustomed to.

Everybody keep up your prayers and best of luck to Caice!

-Elder North

Letter Home from Elder Bryen North

Date:  March 9, 2015
Companion:  Elder Barker
Area:  Morrilton, Arkansas 


Dear Meatshields,

Exciting to see so many plans solidifying, new developments each week. Congratulations to Mikel, going to serve in South Africa, where Flintheart Glomgold is from.

Here we have an interesting variety of investigators! We met a guy my age, Jarrot, who despite his youth has had numerous near death experiences. Anna is a long time investigator who needs messy marriage papers handled before she can be baptized. Austin is also a long time investigator who has been consistently coming to church and gets himself to Stake meetings and institute.

Personal news, I was asked to give a brief testimony in Sacrament early last week to introduce me to the ward. Some people ended up not being able to speak so it got upgrade to a 15-18 minute talk! You can ask Sister Gates about it.

Elder Barker is a stalwart companion who I appreciate very much for his diligence. It's possible (though unlikely) that he is my companion for the rest of my mission. Slightly more likely is that I stay in Morrilton for the rest of my mission! That or it's my second to last area.

-Elder North

Elder North's new address is:

Elder Bryen North

102 Eastgate Dr. Apt. A

Morrilton, AR  72110

Letter home from Elder North

Date:  March 2, 2015

Area:  Morrilton, Arkansas

Companion:  Elder Barker

Dear loved ones,

I have never been more grateful than I am right now for the restored gospel. The airtight security that it gives when combined with a faith in Christ is the most marvelous thing on this Earth. My best wishes to the Johnson family. 

My new area is fine and I have a wonderful and diligent new companion who has been more than helpful in showing me around. We have long time investigators already and I hope we will be able to share with them what they need to be baptized. 

I think of what's happened and dread anyone having to cope without the certainty I have in the gospel.

-Elder North

Elder North is talking about the tragic news that he received about our dear friends 13 year old son passing away.  Elder North's new area seem to be taking good care of him and I am thankful for several ward members who have friended me on facebook and given me updates and info on my boy.  I will have to send out his address as soon as I get it.  I forgot to ask so I have someone working on getting that for me.  Thank you for your love and support.

Letter Home from Elder North

Date:  February 23, 2015
Area:  Jackson, Mississippi
Companion:  Elder Eatchel

Dear Fast and Furious,

I am indeed being transferred again! I may be onto my final area with this one, and I am finally going to the Arkansas side of the mission. I'll be leaving Benjamin before he gets baptized but I'm sure Elder Eatchel will handle it. His date is this Saturday and they'll be scheduling the interview once the two new missionaries arrive. Going to have to do so quick!

 

I look forward to meeting Deven's fiance! It's going to be interesting coming home to so many changes.

As for a guess as to Mikel's mission? Hmm, I'd say he's going West Coast for U.S., Europe for foreign.

I've had a good time here in Jackson and now I've got to go strong into my final transfers! A re-commitment to support my companion and investigators for the last leg of the race. I have to leave very early since I'm going to the other side, this is going to be a big change and I have absolutely no clue who I'll be serving with. This will likely be my second to last companion. I've made a lot of friends on my mission and with other missionaries and I hope that all these relationships I've made will leave lasting impressions of a good example.

Pray for Benjamin's baptism this Saturday!

-Elder North

 

We found out he is now in Morrilton, Arkansas with Elder Barker.

Letter home from Elder NOrth

Date:  February 16, 2015
Area:  Jackson, Tennessee
Companion:  Elder Eatchel

Dear Ice Kings,

This place is iced over today! Ice everywhere! Not too dangerous though, at least not yet!

Things continue to go just fine with Elder Eatchel and we still have rice. He thought his rice wouldn't last through December but it's now mid February and there' s still plenty.

We had Benjamin to church this week, and his friend Paul! Paul is the member who got us in touch with Benjamin and he is very excited to be baptized and has a date for the 28th! Our first lesson with him was yesterday and Paul is excellent and supporting.

It's not a bunch of things to report but this is one of the best things to go on in a while. Jackson Ward seems to just attract people who want to be baptized.

-Elder North

Letter Home from Elder North

Date:  February 9, 2015
Area:  Jackson, Tennessee
Companion:  Elder Eatchel

Dear Swans,

Sorry for this letter coming so late and being a tad shorter than it would have been.  We had one interesting experience this week that I do want to make sure to tell you about!  We got a referral for someone at an address.  When we went there we found the man did not live there but there was a woman who lived there and she had been to LDS services over a decade ago when she lived in Mississippi.    We will be meeting with her again soon.  We then tried the number on the referral and got in touch with a man named Paul.  Paul was the one who sent the referral and gave the one to the guy we were looking to talk to!  He had us meet him at Chick-Fil-A and he is a traveling believer in Christ more or less.  He's been to many other countries and speaks Italian and he was very excited to get a copy of the Book of Mormon.  We were glad to give it to him.  Unfortunately he wasn't able to make it to church but we hope we might catch him again and be able to teach him more and share some of our Missionary Invitations.

Congratulations to Amber for having completed her Mission!  Thank you all for your continued support, be sure to send Jered mail!

- Elder North

Letter home from Elder Bryen North

Date:  February 2, 2015
Area:  Jackson, Tennessee
Companion:  Elder Eatchel

Dear Steam Engines,

Summer weather is returning...NNNNNNNNNOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

The last week was a very interesting one, and for the first time in over 3 months we set a baptismal date, 2 of them! Hopefully meeting with them frequently enough will lead to the prayer and study necessary for them to go through with the decision, but that's the case with pretty much all investigators. We invite them and hopefully they follow through on the simple invitations and progress towards a more meaningful relationship with their Heavenly Father and Savior.

The week was not very eventful otherwise, but we did manage to see a good number of people and do some walking. We met two kind preachers this week! Jeff who we met walking by and spoke with him about what we do as missionaries and about The Spirit. Later Elder Fiso and I met the father of one of our investigators and spoke with both of them about the Book of Mormon and how God will lighten our burdens.

We can all always stand to remember that when we rely on the lord he can offer us perfect help in our infirmities.

-Elder North