Bryan and Elder Hansen with Vicki at her baptism. This was Bryan's first baptism of his mission.
P-day fun: fishin' in Tennessee!
Thursday, March 26, 2009
Some Photos
Bryan and Elder Hansen with Vicki at her baptism. This was Bryan's first baptism of his mission.
P-day fun: fishin' in Tennessee!
March 23, 2009
The temple dedication sounds like it was spectacular, I'm excited you all got to participate in that and I'm excited to go to the Draper temple when I get home.
We set two dates this week, one with Jerome, and another with Connie, who has hitherto been classified as an eternal investigator, not anymore. They're both scheduled to be baptized on the 26th of April, Jerome just needs to get to church, and Connie needs to get married to the guy she's been living with for over 2 years or move out. So that'll be fun to go over with them, but if she really understands the importance of baptism, which she will if she doesn't, then it shouldn't be any problem at all. We were hoping for a baptism this month but its not going to work out because none of our investigators made it to church yesterday. So we had 7 baptismal dates drop in our district yesterday because they won't have the prescribed number of times attending church to be baptized, so that was sad. However we'll get them next month.
Things are going very well here. The weather has gotten consistently better. Its been between 60-80 degrees for about the past two weeks with occasional rain. All the trees have blossomed and now we've got several that have already turned green so that's nice. Very good walking weather, which is good because we have almost no miles left for this month. We had an Osmond fireside, Elder Osmond, who is our district leader, had his dad come out, Jay Osmond, and his cousin Jason Osmond, who was just on American Idol and they did a big fireside for the mission. However Elder Osmond ended up driving to and from Nashville about 3 times in our mission car. Meaning that within the first 4 days of the month there was already 600 miles used out of 1054 for the entire month. So we walk a lot this month.
So that's pretty much it. I think today we got it approved to go to the Opry Hills mall. I have no clue what that means but apparently its a pretty big deal so that'll be fun. That's about it. I love you guys and love hearing from you. Tell Mitch to write me back I'm anxious to hear what he has to say concerning his mission preparations.
Love you!!!!
Elder Carpenter
We set two dates this week, one with Jerome, and another with Connie, who has hitherto been classified as an eternal investigator, not anymore. They're both scheduled to be baptized on the 26th of April, Jerome just needs to get to church, and Connie needs to get married to the guy she's been living with for over 2 years or move out. So that'll be fun to go over with them, but if she really understands the importance of baptism, which she will if she doesn't, then it shouldn't be any problem at all. We were hoping for a baptism this month but its not going to work out because none of our investigators made it to church yesterday. So we had 7 baptismal dates drop in our district yesterday because they won't have the prescribed number of times attending church to be baptized, so that was sad. However we'll get them next month.
Things are going very well here. The weather has gotten consistently better. Its been between 60-80 degrees for about the past two weeks with occasional rain. All the trees have blossomed and now we've got several that have already turned green so that's nice. Very good walking weather, which is good because we have almost no miles left for this month. We had an Osmond fireside, Elder Osmond, who is our district leader, had his dad come out, Jay Osmond, and his cousin Jason Osmond, who was just on American Idol and they did a big fireside for the mission. However Elder Osmond ended up driving to and from Nashville about 3 times in our mission car. Meaning that within the first 4 days of the month there was already 600 miles used out of 1054 for the entire month. So we walk a lot this month.
So that's pretty much it. I think today we got it approved to go to the Opry Hills mall. I have no clue what that means but apparently its a pretty big deal so that'll be fun. That's about it. I love you guys and love hearing from you. Tell Mitch to write me back I'm anxious to hear what he has to say concerning his mission preparations.
Love you!!!!
Elder Carpenter
March 16, 2009
For baptismal dates this month almost every single one has dropped. Jerome was our only one who still had much hope and he still does but he had a family emergency yesterday meaning that he couldn't make it to church. He needs to come at least twice before we can baptize him and there are only 2 Sunday's left in the month. So I'm a little irked because I cant find any foreseeable way to get our goal of 3 baptisms this month, yet I know the important thing is that everyone we're teaching presently will be baptized in the near future.
Jerome was in the hospital for some disease that I don't care to attempt to spell because I don't even know how to pronounce it with how he told us. It's probably like a sinus infection or something but he just says it so funny I can't tell if it's that or something entirely different.
Well I love you guys and I don't know what else to write about. I do however have a study topic that I think would be good for you. I'm going to study it this week and I would like you to as well and then get your feedback on it in the next letter. The question is one I came up with yesterday when pondering, is there a difference between acting in the name of faith, and actually acting in faith? If there is what makes the difference? Just some food for thought. Love you!!!
Elder Carpenter
Jerome was in the hospital for some disease that I don't care to attempt to spell because I don't even know how to pronounce it with how he told us. It's probably like a sinus infection or something but he just says it so funny I can't tell if it's that or something entirely different.
Well I love you guys and I don't know what else to write about. I do however have a study topic that I think would be good for you. I'm going to study it this week and I would like you to as well and then get your feedback on it in the next letter. The question is one I came up with yesterday when pondering, is there a difference between acting in the name of faith, and actually acting in faith? If there is what makes the difference? Just some food for thought. Love you!!!
Elder Carpenter
Thursday, March 5, 2009
Hey, I havn't gotten an e-mail from you guys yet; sad day! Oh well I'll manage. I also would ask if you could forward my thanks to Grandma for sending me that Valentine's Day card and let her know that I'm going to be sending her a letter eventually (I've started writing it, there's just not enough time to finish it) and if you could let the Bakers know how grateful I am for their letters. They've sent me a postcard and another card with a family picture. So if you'd extend my thanks to them that would be wonderful.
So I just got back from fishin' this morning on Old Hickory Lake. We went with Seth Poore, who is a new member in our ward. He and his wife Carrie just moved here from Virginia. They've both been life-long members and they're living with Carrie's mom and step dad. Her mom is a less active member and her step dad is not a member! Seth and Carrie's goal here is to have their step dad baptized before they leave in 2 months! So that's very exciting. We're going over to their house tonight to cook up the fish that we caught and have dinner with them. Seth also had what he called hand reels for fishing. They're pieces of plastic that you wrap the line around. One side is sloped and smooth for the line to slide off of and the other is vertical to hold the line in. You swing the line over your head and then throw it out, letting it slide off the smooth plastic side to cast and then you reel it in with your hand. That way you can feel everything that the line touches, you don't have to feel it through the rod. It's pretty awesome, and it would be great for a missionary because its about 6 inches in diameter and 3 inches deep so its not big at all.
My new companion is Elder Keeler, who is from Kaysville, Utah. He worked as a line cook at the Garden restaurant in SLC and he's awesome. Don't have much else to say. We're hoping for at least 3 baptisms this month for Hendersonville and 100 for the mission. So we're going strong.
Love y'all
Elder Carpenter
So I just got back from fishin' this morning on Old Hickory Lake. We went with Seth Poore, who is a new member in our ward. He and his wife Carrie just moved here from Virginia. They've both been life-long members and they're living with Carrie's mom and step dad. Her mom is a less active member and her step dad is not a member! Seth and Carrie's goal here is to have their step dad baptized before they leave in 2 months! So that's very exciting. We're going over to their house tonight to cook up the fish that we caught and have dinner with them. Seth also had what he called hand reels for fishing. They're pieces of plastic that you wrap the line around. One side is sloped and smooth for the line to slide off of and the other is vertical to hold the line in. You swing the line over your head and then throw it out, letting it slide off the smooth plastic side to cast and then you reel it in with your hand. That way you can feel everything that the line touches, you don't have to feel it through the rod. It's pretty awesome, and it would be great for a missionary because its about 6 inches in diameter and 3 inches deep so its not big at all.
My new companion is Elder Keeler, who is from Kaysville, Utah. He worked as a line cook at the Garden restaurant in SLC and he's awesome. Don't have much else to say. We're hoping for at least 3 baptisms this month for Hendersonville and 100 for the mission. So we're going strong.
Love y'all
Elder Carpenter
Sunday, March 1, 2009
February 23, 2009
Vicki did get baptized on Saturday and confirmed Sunday!!! YAY!!! Saturday was pretty rough on us though. Our ward mission leader said that he'd schedule the building for it... but he didn't. So we checked out the calender and the only other activity that day wasn't until 6:30 PM and our baptism was scheduled for 12:30. So we figured it would be fine. We got there around 11:00 and there were tables and a food warmer set up in our auditorium, which is where the baptismal font is. So we moved some tables around a little and the food warmer and closed the divider to set up for the baptism. Then we our ward mission leader got a call from the building scheduler. Who told him that the Gallatin ward was really mad and they were coming over to the building to make sure we didn't mess anything of theirs up!!! So we quickly put everything back the way it was and figured we'd just hold the program in the Relief Society room and then go into the auditorium for the actual ordinance. However when the people from Gallatin got there they said that we couldn't do it in the Relief Society room because its neighboring to the kitchen where they were serving the food! So we had to move it to the primary room. We had to do all this for an activity that didn't start until 5 hours AFTER we left the building! I was so mad, it just turned out to be a huge power struggle between the wards. I don't get why people are so ridiculous at times (I know I can't spell). It was a baptism! Why weren't people flocking there to help out, why werent they running to welcome Vicki as a new member of the Church! Instead they were making it harder for us! Ugh! I was very unhappy. Then Ed and Vicki came and we started the program and I felt a lot better and everything turned out fantastically. Vicki asked me to baptize her, and the font we have is tiny! Vicki is probably about 5 ft 9 inches tall so she's a good sized lady. When I was pulling her up out of the water she let go of her nose early and flinched a little bit and whacked her head on the side of the font. I felt so bad cause I thought it was my fault. It was so sad... but pretty funny. Then I also got to confirm her a member and give her the gift of the Holy Ghost yesterday, and that was fantastic.
As for transfers, Elder Hansen's being transferred to the Antioch, area which is by the airport. I'm staying here and getting a new companion named Elder Keeler, all I know about him is that he worked as a chef in the garden, at the Joseph Smith memorial building. So that'll be fun. President Hutchings said that he'll keep Hendersonville open for at least 3 months (2 transfers) and we'll see how its going then. We're just getting a lot fewer missionaries here this year. They've lowered the max number of missionaries for our mission. This next transfer (tomorrow) we'll get 10 new guys in and lose 8. Then the transfer after we lose 14 and get 2 new ones. Then the transfers are going to be more like that for the rest of the year and possibly next. So due to numbers if nothing else areas need to be closed or re-sized. So the missionaries are going to be put where they'll be most effectively used. I do however have hope for this area still. There's some real promise and we've just got to take advantage of those people who are willing to work.
Jerome we were supposed to meet with yesterday but he wasn't home. The women that referred him Sister Hadley in the Gallatin ward invited him to church though, and they're church is right during our scheduled time to meet. So hopefully he wasn't home because he was at church. At least in a perfect world that's what the case would be. We're calling him today to find out. Then Lola has been sick, and Chad we were supposed to meet with last Monday, but his heating unit broke and him and his family had to flee to their in-laws home for warmth. Hopefully he'll be back today and we'll meet with him tonight.
We've had some spring teasers here as well. About 65 degrees and a slight breeze. However we get 65 and sunny one day and then 25 with 20 mph winds the next day. Its crazy here. We havn't had any tornadoes or ice storms here. Every year there's been a tornado somewhere around Hendersonville but it's never tresspassed the city limits, so no need to worry Mom :). As far as allergies I've noticed a change my nose has been running slightly but not too bad. The pollen here gets really really bad I'm told. This area is topographically shaped like a bowl so the pollen gets in and just circulates around and around. Its bad enough that you can actually see all the pollen. So when that happens it may be bad. We'll find out.
That's great with Mitch. Tell him to write me!!! I've only gotten that one letter from him! I've written him one but I can't send it yet because I still can't find anywhere with stamps here!! We checked the UPS store and they had none. Then I saw a US Postal services store but it wasn't in our area its in Madison area so I need special permission to go there!
Oh and I did get my hair cut, but I did it myself again. We have some clippers so it was pretty easy. I just sat out on our porch in my P-day clothes and cut my hair with the clippers. Saves money and time!
Love y'all,
Elder Carpenter
As for transfers, Elder Hansen's being transferred to the Antioch, area which is by the airport. I'm staying here and getting a new companion named Elder Keeler, all I know about him is that he worked as a chef in the garden, at the Joseph Smith memorial building. So that'll be fun. President Hutchings said that he'll keep Hendersonville open for at least 3 months (2 transfers) and we'll see how its going then. We're just getting a lot fewer missionaries here this year. They've lowered the max number of missionaries for our mission. This next transfer (tomorrow) we'll get 10 new guys in and lose 8. Then the transfer after we lose 14 and get 2 new ones. Then the transfers are going to be more like that for the rest of the year and possibly next. So due to numbers if nothing else areas need to be closed or re-sized. So the missionaries are going to be put where they'll be most effectively used. I do however have hope for this area still. There's some real promise and we've just got to take advantage of those people who are willing to work.
Jerome we were supposed to meet with yesterday but he wasn't home. The women that referred him Sister Hadley in the Gallatin ward invited him to church though, and they're church is right during our scheduled time to meet. So hopefully he wasn't home because he was at church. At least in a perfect world that's what the case would be. We're calling him today to find out. Then Lola has been sick, and Chad we were supposed to meet with last Monday, but his heating unit broke and him and his family had to flee to their in-laws home for warmth. Hopefully he'll be back today and we'll meet with him tonight.
We've had some spring teasers here as well. About 65 degrees and a slight breeze. However we get 65 and sunny one day and then 25 with 20 mph winds the next day. Its crazy here. We havn't had any tornadoes or ice storms here. Every year there's been a tornado somewhere around Hendersonville but it's never tresspassed the city limits, so no need to worry Mom :). As far as allergies I've noticed a change my nose has been running slightly but not too bad. The pollen here gets really really bad I'm told. This area is topographically shaped like a bowl so the pollen gets in and just circulates around and around. Its bad enough that you can actually see all the pollen. So when that happens it may be bad. We'll find out.
That's great with Mitch. Tell him to write me!!! I've only gotten that one letter from him! I've written him one but I can't send it yet because I still can't find anywhere with stamps here!! We checked the UPS store and they had none. Then I saw a US Postal services store but it wasn't in our area its in Madison area so I need special permission to go there!
Oh and I did get my hair cut, but I did it myself again. We have some clippers so it was pretty easy. I just sat out on our porch in my P-day clothes and cut my hair with the clippers. Saves money and time!
Love y'all,
Elder Carpenter
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