Hello Everybody!!

There is a family we are teaching right now that have 2 little boys and a baby girl.  We had lost contact with them for a couple of weeks.  Every time that we go over there the kids are so excited to see me and they are always giving me high-fives and telling me that they missed me if we haven't been there in a couple of days! It is pretty awesome! :) We stopped by on Saturday, and I had given myself a haircut (which I taught myself how to do) and one of the boys was like "Hey, did you get a haircut?" I said, "Yes, I sure did!" Then he responded with, "Wow, your white!" The family is an African American family and so it was really funny for me to be on the receiving end of that! 

Oh, and just so you know I got your package that you guys sent to me and I Loved it!!! I got a package from the Kohler's too, so it was awesome to be able to read all of the Valentines day ones! I loved Caleb's that told me that it would be just wrong for me to be his Valentine! :) That made me laugh! 

I really appreciate you guys keeping me in all of your prayers and I can tell that it for sure helps because yesterday at church I had a really cool thing happen! After our service was over we left with the 1st counselor in the Bishopric to go and visit JB. But he wasn't home, so we just asked to be dropped back off at the church so that we could walk to our next appointment! :) When we walked in,  there was a member family inside that had another guy with them that they had taken to the Gilbert Temple open house! He said for us to give him a call and set up a time that we can come over and teach him! I am super duper excited! :)

Here in Arizona it is now starting to get hot again and I could really use some snow right now! :) Today it is supposed to be 89 degrees! BURNING HOT. . . WHERE DID THE WINTER GO!  Oh wait I guess that winter left the very second I stepped off the plane here in Arizona, huh? :D It is nice to be able to go around in short sleeves though. I like that part!

Oh man, I almost forgot to tell you guys what happened to me last P-Day!!!! So, we decided to have a Zone Activity that day and we were playing kick ball in the gym. It was a blast and we were all energized and ready to go! It was super crazy and we were having probably close to the most fun that I have ever had on a P-Day in this Zone! Then something kinda funny happened! There was a ton of those big carts that were filled up with chairs that stood about 6 feet high right behind the first base. When I kicked the ball I ran really fast to the first base and the ball got thrown at me. The ball is about 1.5 feet in diameter and it is big and rubber. When they threw it at me I jumped in the air to try to dodge it, but it hit my legs and my legs went out from under me (still airborne), then I ran into the chair representing 1st base and then it sent me flying toward the giant chair racks. I HIT them super hard with my head and also with my shoulder. Everybody thought that I had a concussion because I was a little bit dizzy, but I thought that I was fine. The Zone Leaders made me sit out for a bit anyways. I sat for about 1 minute and then got bored and went back to playing. I had a huge goose egg on my head and on my shoulder which hurt pretty bad, but now it is starting to heal! So I'm good! It was really fun and I super underestimated the thickness of my head! :) #headofsteel 

Well, that is about it for me this week! Thanks a ton for writing to me and keep it up! 

Love,

Elder Wallentine

Hello Everybody!!!

It is still pretty funny when we talk to people on the street because when we say that we are from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints a lot of people don't even know what that is so we have to clarify by saying that we are Mormons. Then usually they know exactly who we are, but have some false ideas floating around in their heads. :) It is really crazy to think that there are so many people that do not believe in God. I do not understand how you could not believe in God the way that the world is today. Apparently there is some weird debate going on right now with Bill Nye the science guy and some Creationist guy for some "evolution week" or something. We heard about it from one of our members this week and is sounded really strange. But it's whatever because I know that there is a God and that is what I am here to do is to help people come closer to him! :) 

Oh, and something kind of funny happened on Thursday this week! We had left a note on one of the doors of a member in the ward here named Jennifer. She gave us a call back and she wanted us to come over. So we did! We went over and talked to her for a while. Then when we were about to leave with a prayer she looked at my name tag and she said, "I used to know a Wallentine." Then I said, "Oh really what was his first name?" She said, "Dave!!!" So apparently I ran into one of Uncle David's friends from down here in Arizona! Its kind of funny how there are so many people that know someone that is in the family and how small the world really is! It was awesome!

We definitely did not get any snow here this last week nor do I expect to see snow for another 17 months.   It isn't so hard right now when it is in the 70's to not go swimming, but in the summer like right when I came out here when it was like 120, it was harder. hahaha! Good thing that I don't really have too much time to worry about that stuff because we are keeping busy enough that there isn't even any time to get distracted! :) It's Awesome! 

JB wanted me to tell you guys all thank you for raising me and making me the person that I am today! He continuously calls me and thanks me for everything that we do and for teaching him about God and stuff! It is so good to see how much the gospel has an effect on people. 

Well, thanks a ton for writing to me and keeping in touch and I am looking forward to the package from the Primary! Your AWESOME!!!

Love,

Elder Wallentine

Hey Everybody!

This week was a super good week for me! I was really able to focus on the positive side of things rather than the negative which is what I usually do, but it seemed to be a little better for me this last week! I am always super happy when we go into a member's home over here, and the first thing they do is invite us in and ask if we need a glass of water? It is awesome to be able to have so many members that you can count on! :) 

It has really hit me this week and last week on how important the members are in missionary work! If we do not use members and if members do not come out with us then the people that we teach are not going to feel as welcome as they would if there was someone there that they could relate to a little bit better! 

I never realized how people see missionaries until recently as well! Well, I guess in the last 6 months. People always think that we are either perfect or that we are little stuck up brats dressed all nicely! It is pretty funny the reactions we get when they actually talk to us and realize that we are not so weird after all, just a little odd! haha :) We had one guy talk to us this week and he didn't even know who we were. He was like "Why are you guys all dressed nice and matching too?" So we explained that we were missionaries and told him what we do while we are on our missions! He wasn't interested, but it is always nice when you are able to bare your testimony to others even if they are complete strangers!

We also went on exchanges with the District Leader this week on Thursday and this time I got to go over to his area! That was super fun because the last 2 times it was always me staying in my area and my companion going to the others. :) When I was there, we saw this family who was moving. We asked if they needed any help moving or with anything. They said "Wait, you want to help us?" We assured them that yes, we do want to help them and we will do whatever they need us to. So we began to go inside the house and grab things to carry out to the truck and soon one of the ladies asked, "So in your church blacks can't be members, right?" We were able to teach her that they can and that everybody is welcome! She is now taking the discussions from my district leader and his companion! It was a really good experience! 

Also, when I was on exchanges we went to the Bishop's house for dinner! The bishop was so cool and his family is awesome! He owns the business that provided the concrete to build the Gilbert Temple! It was really cool to talk to him about that! Then he took us out into his back yard to show us his swimming pool. I wish that I took a picture because it was the coolest one I think I have ever seen. It was exactly like the one that is at sea world with the whale! Giant pool with a giant glass wall on the side! It's awesome! It even has water flowing over the glass wall so that it is like a waterfall too! Way cool! :)

We have been teaching a lot of people still, and also people on Facebook! There is still that one kid from high school that I am teaching and Natalie Laws is actually getting him in contact with the missionaries over there right now and they are going to go with him and her to show him around the church tomorrow! It is going to be such a cool experience for him! I hope that it all works out! Well if you guys know of anybody that would like to talk about the church, or has any questions about anything, then share my Facebook with them and inform then that I am a missionary and I will answer the questions that they have!!! :) It is still so weird that we are able to use Facebook on the mission now! But it is a really good idea! I am so glad that I get to hear from you every Monday for my whole mission! :) I love you a ton!

Love,

Elder Brandon Wallentine

Hey Everybody!

 JB's baptism was for sure one of the highlights of this last transfer! I will remember that day and the time that we have taught him for the rest of my life! I totally agree with you when you said that you felt like you were more in tune with the Spirit when you bring non-member friends with you to the temple open house and to church and stuff. It is so true! If you can feel the Spirit now, then if you actually get out there and begin to do missionary work then it just enhances that feeling by 200% easily! :) It is so awesome and that is one thing that I have come to know as I have been out here in the mission field!

As for contact with JB now, the ward takes over most of it, but we still go over there every once and a while just to check up on him and share a message really fast. He can come with us to lessons and stuff now so that is super cool. Last Monday he took me and Elder Watters to Dillards! They had an amazing sale over there! Everything in the store was 65% off with another 50% off of that price! So I bought a pretty cool tie that was priced $60 but got it for $10! It was awesome! 

With the new members though such as JB it is for sure a huge culture shock at first! Our mission president talked about it at the beginning of my mission and the Zone Leaders talk about it a ton! WHICH PROBABLY MEANS IT IS IMPORTANT! But they compared it to if you were to go to a party that you didn't know anybody, and nobody talked to you. If that happened you obviously would not feel very comfortable staying. I would just walk out of the party just as some people walk out of the church because they are not used to that feeling. That is why it is so important for the members of the ward to make sure they stay involved and make sure that those people who come do not feel left out or like they are strangers there. I did not even notice in the ward back home if there was a non-member there, which is kind of sad that I was not in that mind set back home of making sure that everyone is comfortable. But I guess that is one thing  that I will need to make sure that I take home from my mission! 

Oh man the mission is going so good right now for me!!! :) This week was probably the best week in the transfer so far! We had tons of lessons and taught so many people that it was keeping us way busy! It was amazing! It really helps when you have these experiences together of teaching Gods children that are here ready to learn! Pretty cool! I have also been learning how to better serve him. I definitely think it is the little things that help the most.  I have learned some things that have helped our companionship, too.  Every once and a while I will do his dishes for him, and last night I cleaned the kitchen and vacuumed, and I even cleaned the bathroom--which anybody in their right mind would say that I was crazy for even touching a bathroom that had only been used by 18 and 19 year old boys! hahaha  But I got through it! :) 

Anyways it was so awesome to hear from ya and I am so happy that you shared those experiences and stories with me. I think that is exactly what I need to do and work on with my companion as well! :) Thanks Again!

Love you all,

Elder Brandon Wallentine

P.S These pictures are just from a few weeks ago.

Hello Everyone!!!

So, we had a really exciting week this last week. It was awesome! First, we had JB at church with us again and he was ready for baptism.  He chose me to baptize him and he also wanted me to speak at his baptism! The service was so awesome and it was so cool to be able to have the experience to baptize him since I have been teaching him almost every day for the past 7 weeks! It was amazing! :) 

That night we got news that rather than not being able to go to the Gilbert temple open house, we are able to go once with an investigator and a member, so I am hoping that we will be able to make it! I am sure that we will! Then yesterday on Sunday JB got confirmed and then that night we were able to go with him to the Mission President Devotional where two very recent converts spoke and then the mission president and his counselor! It was so awesome and then after it was over JB told me that he wants me to talk to President Toone and ask him if he can speak at the next one coming up next month! It was awesome!

Thank you so much for all of those experiences that you shared with me and also for telling me that story about the missionaries! I love you guys so much and I am so happy that I chose to come out here on a mission even though some things are kinda crazy and really make you wonder why it is happening to you.  I know it all works out in the end and will be for the best!  Anyways, thank you a ton for everything!

Love you guys,

Elder Brandon Wallentine

Hello Everybody!!!

So this week was a pretty good week and it was for sure a busier week for us than the other weeks have been. Transfer calls were last night and we were almost positive that one of us would be transferred out but it seems that both of us are staying for at least another transfer. This will be the very first transfer that I am not being trained or training which will be a little bit weird. I really liked training and was kinda hoping that I would still be training again :) 

We continued to go over to that guy's house that we have been teaching, and he is doing amazing and growing more and more every single day! It was awesome because we got him interviewed and set up his baptismal program this last week.  He said that he wants me to speak at it and baptize him. :) I am super excited, especially because this is someone that I have been working with this entire transfer! He's awesome! 

We also had another really cool experience this week.  I was on exchanges leading out my area with the district leader and we were going around to some apartment complexes looking for some of the less-active families that live around there.  As we were walking back to the car, I heard someone yell, "HEY ARE YOU GUYS MORMONS?"  So I turned around and said, "YEAH WE ARE!"  So, she told us to come over. They told us that they have been looking for a church to attend.  They had been going to another church, but her boyfriend is a member of the Mormon church but just less-active. So we talked to them then and every day since then. They were able to make it to church yesterday and me and a member went and picked them up! It was a super cool experience and it was an awesome day yesterday!

So that meeting that we had on Saturday where Elder Holland was going to show up and talk to us and the two other missions still happened, but Elder Holland wasn't able to make it because he got called to be on another assignment that day.  Instead, we had Elder Wright from the Seventy come and talk to us as well as his wife and the three mission presidents and their wives! It was really cool because I also got to go and see Elder Erikson and Elder May again which was super fun! Me and Elder May have our futures all planned out already. We are both going to go to BYU-I, work on a potato farm, and then live in Idaho for the rest of our lives and be the classic Mormon friends that met on the mission! Its going to be awesome! :)  It is so much fun when we get together as a mission though! I love it! 

I am for sure getting way less homesick than I thought I would out here on the mission though! Every once in a while I get a tiny bit homesick, but when we are busy (which is all of the time) it is a ton easier to keep that off of my mind.  Anyways, thank you so much for all of the stuff that you guys do for me and all that you have done for me! 

LOVE YA,

Elder Wallentine

Hello Everyone!!!

Hey, thank you so much again for all of the treats!  It is lasting me quite a while, so it is awesome! Me and my companion got moved again this last week, so now we live on the other side of our area!  I also received a little package of letters from the primary the other day! That was so fun for me to read the little notes that Caleb and the other kids put inside of it! I didn't even realize that some of those kids would even remember me! haha 

That is really cool about the ward fast you had for missionary opportunities because that is something that we are trying to work on right now as well--finding people to teach! We are still teaching the guy that we have been visiting for a while and he is so awesome! I cannot wait for his baptism and it is exciting me so much! He is so awesome! Last night when we went over there he told us that he's noticed that ever since we have been coming over, it has changed him.  He didn't think he was selfish, but he realized that now he is putting other people's needs before his.  Even in little things like cutting someone off in the parking lot of a store.  It is really cool for me to  see how people become better once the gospel of Jesus Christ is in their lives! It is such a blessing to have people like that in your life to make everything else worth while! 

This week I was thinking about things I miss about home--my family and friends, and wearing my basketball shorts and t-shirts every day.  But there is nothing better than being here right now!  It is awesome! Our church schedule got changed to 9 o'clock so we have some early meetings which gets us up and ready really quick! :) The members here in the ward are super nice and we went over and visited some of them this past week.  We walked into one and they gave us some apple pie, ice cream, and ice cold water! It was awesome!  Then we went to Ross today, and I found this nerf gun which is really fun since the whole zone basically has them so we can have giant nerf wars! 

There are not as many stories for me to tell like I had from Maryvale! Everybody here in Ahwatukee calls Maryvale Scary-ville! Hahahah It is so funny! I love it!!! Well, I love you guys and I will tell you guys how this next week goes! I am doing a training to the zone tomorrow and then on Saturday, Elder Holland is coming and he is going to speak to all of the Arizona Missions! So that will be super fun!!  I am super stoked! Have a FANTASTIC week parental units and family!!! Oh and everybody else that read this!!!

Love,

Elder Wallentine