Two Weeks in One Post

Here's the scoop - I just didn't update Jared's blog a week ago, and now I have an email from this week too.  So I'll do Monday, January 28th first and then write about this week.

Here are a couple pictures of Jared.  He said that they had a massive storm that "smacked the island" and that they got 2-3" of rain per hour.  He said he was more scared of that than he was of the tsunami warning back in October.  He said that he and his companion were thoroughly soaked so they spent the next hour or so just helping people in their apartment complex getting to and from their cars.  He said that even through all the rain it was still probably mid 70s outside.  He said he felt bad for us because I'd written telling him how cold it had been in New York.  He said:  " You might have been praying that your snow storms would come over my way, and maybe they did, they just couldn't handle the warm weather out here;) So I'm definitely not envious of you guys haha."

Jared said that transfers happen on February 6th and that he should know what is happening by sometime in the coming week and that we'd know for sure by the next p-day.

Jared told me a funny tracting story.  He said that they were tracting and they knocked on this "uncle's" door.  He said it was his companion's turn to give the door approach so he started it very nice and politely by asking the man if he was having a good day so far.  The man says:   "Well I was until you showed up on my porch!"  Jared said that he started to apologize to the man and asked him if they could offer a prayer for the man to have a good day, but the man says: "NO! Not you Mormons! You believe in having more than one wife!!!"  So Jared said they started to address that one and the man interrupts the and says:  "No, No, No, I know all about you guys, I read it in the magazine."  He said that his companion started to ask him about that and said:  "Well uncle" and the guy said:  "AND I'M NOT YOUR UNCLE!!!"  Jared said that his companion got a little salty and said:  "Well OK, SIR!"  Jared said he could tell that his companion was getting frustrated so he took him by the arm, told the guy to have a nice day and they walked away.  As they were leaving the guy said:  "Yeah that's right, get off my property!" and slammed the door.  Jared said he had a good laugh and thought the whole thing was hilarious.  But he said that his companion didn't share in his sense of humor.

He said that not too much happened that was exciting as far as missionary work in the week, but that it wasn't for lack of trying.

Now on to this past Monday's email - February 4th

This is a picture of a woman who wants Jared to baptize her.

This picture is of Elder B. and his bike which was super broke.  Jared said:  

"If you look both of his pedals are facing down hahaha, I was laughing sooo hard:)"

This picture is Jared with a poster that the Glenville ward YW sent him.  He was so happy to get it!

We learned that Jared will finish his mission as a Zone Leader in the Makakilo stake.  He will be with one the the missionaries from his transfer, Elder T.  Jared said that he's an awesome missionary so he's "stoked", and that he's hoping he's up to the responsibilities of being a Zone Leader.  He thinks he'll finish his mission there.  But he said it's good, and that they're not "letting me slack haha."

Jared said that one of the ladies he's been teaching said that she'd like Jared to come baptize her, even though he won't be in that area any more.  He said that is one advantage of still being on the same island.  He also said that one of his early converts is going through the temple on his birthday, and that he'll be able to go with her because she also lives on Oahu.  He's excited for that.

Jared ends by saying:  "Anyways, I hope you all have good weeks wherever you all are, and I love you all so much!  Muchos Mahalos and Aloha!!!  Elder Brooksby"

New Missionary Gear?

We got a letter from Elder Brooksby yesterday with these two pictures attached.  He said that the pictures were taken after a member said he needed more protection while riding his bike because he and his companion almost got "creamed" earlier that day.  So the member gave them his dirt biking gear to try on.  I can only imagine how hot you'd get wearing all that gear while riding your bike.

He also said that he ran into a former Hawaii Honolulu missionary who was from Fiji, at the Social Security office (he was there getting a new SS card).  I guess the guy was back because he was going to go to school at BYU-H.  Jared said it was great to talk to him, but weird at the same time.  He said he remembered the young man going home like it was yesterday, but in reality the former missionary had been home for a whole year.  Jared said he feels like his mission is going by too quickly.  He also said that a lot of his good friends in the mission are going home this coming transfer, and it makes him sad.

But he got to see a former companion whom he really liked, Elder M at a Zone Conference a little while ago, and he said that was great.

It sounds like transfers are in two weeks and that he can't quite decide if he wants to be transferred or not.  He likes where he is, but would also like to see another area before he comes home. Transfers always bring surprises - but hopefully they will be ones that he likes!

Elder Brooksby is at the point in his mission that I remember reaching in mine.  You're very comfortable as a missionary and a little apprehensive about returning home and what that will be like.  He said he's excited to see us again but everything else about returning home scares him.

This past week was a very productive one for him.  He said they taught a lot of people, and found a lot of people.  He also said he really worked with a recent convert who was having some difficulties.

I love getting letters from Jared and seeing the growth he's had while he's been serving a mission!

What a Dinner!

We got this picture from a sister in the ward where Elder Brooksby is serving.  He and his companion were having dinner there.  It was so nice to get the picture and to read the kind words that were said about him.  It makes my day!

Our email from Elder Brooksby was short.  He said that there's not too much new to report for this week.  Although he did say that he would probably be coming home a week or two earlier than planned because of the influx of new missionaries into the mission.  He said every departing group is going home one or two weeks early.  That means we should see him the end of May or first of June.  How exciting.

He also said that transfers there are in three weeks and he thinks he'll be getting transfered this transfer or next, and that that will be his last transfer before coming home.  It seems funny to even talk about his return.

He also said that his Zone was able to go to Outback Steakhouse with the mission president and how much he enjoyed the food there.

The Tahitian Haka

Wow it sounds like you all have had an exciting 2 weeks there haha.  I guess things always get nuts around the holidays though.  

Well what has happened this week...

We spent New Year's Eve with the King family in the Tongan ward I served in last year.  They have a farm on the side of a mountain near Kunia road.  We were there all night and we were able to see everything from Wahiawa to Ala Moana light up in pyrotechnics.  A night I'll never forget, it was pretty gnarly haha.

Then New Year's Day was just nice and relaxing haha.

The next few days we had some meetings and lessons but nothing of consequence.

Friday we had an amazing lesson with a family we were teaching.  The spirit was so strong!  The husband just returned from Afghanistan and we had been teaching the wife for awhile now,  and she said she knew the church was true and said she would be baptized!!!   I'm stoked for this month, we'll have to wait and see what happens:)

Here's a picture of me with Kylie.  It was wonderful to be able to baptize her.

Also you should watch this https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5xEfC2k6P7o&feature=youtube_gdata_player.  It's a video of us doing a Tahitian Haka.  Should be fun haha.  Yeah maybe I'll consider a job at the PCC next summer;)

 

Well all in all things are going well here!  

Ok chutes then!  I Love and miss you all so much and hope you're doing well:)

MAHALOHAWAII

Love, Elder Jared Brooksby

Hello everybody!  How's being in New York for the Holidays?  You guys must be busy doing all sorts of fun things haha.

Well where to start... Thanks for the fun phone call home and all the wonderful gifts on Christmas! And Erin I got your package and I love it!  It's holding my keys as we speak, so thanks a lot:)

I never got to tell you all about my Christmas Eve.  One of the pics is of food on a table.  LOTS of food.  The family we ate with own a restaurant, so if you look close you'll see prime rib, crab legs, steak medium-rare, ham (my FAVORITE lol) all that jazz.  It was awesome:) 

But just not like being at home.  Nothing beats that. 

 I'm attaching a pic of me and my uke... it's a little different from Lauren's one haha;)  It's electric-acoustic with a built in tuner.  AMAZING.  

Christmas was awesome.  Started the morning with a big breakfast at Wahiawa 2nd bishop's house,  then called home (best part of the day) then we played pool the rest of the day, ate Swiss steak at a member's house and called it a day.  

Later on in the week we baptized David and Kylie.  FINALLY!!!!  I've worked so hard for this so it was nice to see it through.  David was baptized by his father and I baptized Kylie.  It went so well and their confirmations were great as well.  All in all a pretty good week I think haha.

Love,

Elder Brooksby

Temple Trip

Elders Brooksby and Mitton

Hey everybody!  First off sorry for not telling you that we were going to email today.  We had our temple trip today so that was nice.  And so guess where I am?  The BYU Hawaii Library!  It's cool I got to see a lot of the places that we went back when we were on vacation here haha.

Anywho... this has been a hard week just because of all the stressing things that have been going on. So we have an investigator who has been investigating for some time now, but we just found out on Sunday that in order to be baptized on the 29th of December, her broke off his engagement and then retreated to Maui for a couple days to relieve stress... So we're hoping he'll be back and able to make his baptismal date.  We also have a couple of other investigators who will be getting baptized - probably in January. But transfers are coming up in a week here so it's kind scary to think that I might get transferred out again before those baptisms actually happen.

I've also been really sick.  Like, "I think I have the black lung papa!"  Haha but seriously, it's been miserable to ride bikes all day feeling like the stuff you scrape from the bottom of a food disposal. 

Elder Bateman and I get along well.  Right now we're working on bolstering our faith in the things that our President asks us to do.  I know that we need to have faith and then we'll see results, not the other way around.

Well it sounds like another week has come and gone in the Brooksby Ohana.  Will everyone be home for Christmas but me?  Oh well haha there's always the future ones...

Well Hope eveything else is going well!

I LOVE YOU ALLLLLWarmest Aloha (You'll need it where it's so cold;)

Elder Brooksby

Hello Everyone! Howzit? (I keep saying howzit at the beginning because, let's be fair, when I come home, I'm not going to be saying "hello" to anyone I don't think... I think it'll mostly be "howzit" and "wassup" haha)

So I'll start by sending a few pics and go from there... Brother M. informed me that I don't send as many pictures as you would like, so I'll try and be better at that haha.

OUR THANKSGIVING MONSTROSITY!!!! THE TURDUCKEN!!!! It was pretty gnarly haha.

 
Christmas Decorations are going up!! It's just not the same without the weather changing though haha.

 

Here's a picture of something that my cousin Erica Brooksby drew and I thought was hilarious... hopefully you like it too haha.

 

I found a car that was from New York... with a BILLY FUCILLO plate cover! I never would have thought that I would've seen one of those on my mission in Hawaii hahaha.

 

Last pic - Elder Bateman is a photographer so he can take some interesting shots, unfortunately, my camera is less than capable of artistic shots, but I still liked this one.

 

Well life is good! We are teaching this family of three and they felt the Spirit, know they want to be baptized, came to our Christmas party, and to church the next day and LOVED it:) So now we're waiting for the dad of the family to get back from Afghanistan, he's deployed currently. But the mom was talking to him on the phone and she was so excited she was like "When you get back you have to meet these guys!" so I'm stoked.

We had 6 investigators at Sacrament meeting this week, so I was stoked.

So I'm serving with no regrets and I'm gonna finish hard here. But it's weird to thikn that I'll probably only have one more area, one or two more companions and I only have 4 transfers left. It's trippy to think about... so I don't think about it that much haha.

Well I love you all so much and I'll be better about sending pictures in the future:)

Mahalo nui Loa and warmest alohaaaaa Elder Brooksby