ELDER BRANDON PENA

ELDER BRANDON PENA

Tuesday, July 19, 2011

July 11, 2011 ...ONE WEEK TO THE YEAR!

It's really weird, I still feel like I just got here, and now I've almost been out a year, how crazy nutz!  Anywhoozle, it looks like you all had alot of un in seven peaks, last year when I first got up there to go to UVU, Aunt Charlotte gave me some free passes to seven peaks, and I went with my room mates, it wasn't all that fun like I remembered, but it looks like it would have been alot funner with the family, except for the fact that everyone looks pretty paired off, so I would ve somewhat of the loner, so I think I'm alright with that for now. 

Glad to here that things are progressing there in the ward, and to hear that there are more missionaries leaving from the 4th ward.  We need more representatives in the world, so I hope that the influence of these great soon to be fulltime missionaries, will inspire many more of the yourth of that ward to serve a mission.  Today are changes, and well, pretty much everthing in my district is staying the same, but we are all quite saddened because today we lost one of the funniest missionaries who I have ever known, Good ol' Elder Bird, (The one in the pricture I sent last week).  His companion, Elder Smith, is going to be training a newby, so that's going to be pretty fun, because now as the senior companions, we have Elder Anderson, Elder Smith, and I, who all got to the mission at the same time, and we are all three training new elders who all have relatively the same amount of time.  It's going to be an interesting distric. 

This week wasn't the greatest of weeks, it was really slow, and I spent alot of money on transportation, the rains keep a coming and we're still just adapting to how to cope with that.  My companion Elder Maldonado and I are doing just great.  Elder Maldanodo just finished his first full transfer in the mission, I'm so proud, he's just growing up so fast, "the little tyke"  Well it looks like next Thursday you can start the year count down, which is a weird realization, which I'm sure that Elder Einfledt and Elder Bassett have recently felt.  It's a realization that just makes you feel how little time there really is to get everything done.  This thought makes me reflect on a question that I imagine the Savior might ask me about my mission, "What have you done with my name, and what have you done with my time. "I really cannot express to you the amount of urgency that comes everytime I get taht realiztion, I think, if the first year felt that fast, I can't imagine how fast the second year is going to pass.  At best I will only serve in 3 or 4 more areas before my time is up.  I feel the urgency, and I also feel with this the love that our heavenly father has for me, and for all of his children, especially those lost sheep who once knew but to this have forgotten.  I know that the church is true, and I know that Jesus Christ Lives and loves us, that he was 100% obedient to his Fathers commandments, that he suffered all things that we may have life, and life eternal.  I love you with all of my heart.

Elder Pena