What will I be doing?

Brett hasn't been able to do his biometric imaging yet. They didn't get his passport in time. However, I think they went yesterday so I'll hope they were able to do it. That is the only thing holding them up in his re-application for a visa. All of his district leave this coming Tuesday. We aren't sure what will happen with Brett yet. Keep him in your prayers!

I've been at the MTC for 5 days

May 18, 2008

Dear Mom, Dad, Jared, and Lauren,

I’ve been at the MTC for 5 days now and have been the most busy I have ever been in my entire life. The sleep you get feels like just enough to get you through until the end of the day. Sitting in class for four to five hours is a new experience all together.

My companion’s name is Elder Touli. He is originally from Samoa, but he grew up in Los Angeles, CA. He still speaks fluent Samoan. He’s a really great elder.

I have a great district with three sets of Elders and two sets of sisters. Our teachers are really great! Brother Petersen and Sister Billings and both return missionaries and are great at teaching us the gospel and how to plan our days. I share a room with Elder Winslow and Elder Ball. Both are great. Most of my District is going to Seattle, WA with the exception of Sister Lewis (who got here a week early and is going to Catania, Italy) and Sister Smith and Sister Sykes who are going to Melbourne, Australia.

I have been reading the scriptures and praying a lot. Preach My Gospel is a great book, but right now I like reading True to the Faith. Tell Jared to read the Book of Mormon and Preach My Gospel so that when he gets to the MTC he’ll be ready for everything.

The MTC is great! The food is like BYU-Idaho’s. I’m learning a lot as well as growing a lot and I know I’m here to do the Lord’s work.

I love and miss you all,

Elder Brett Brooksby

I'm Alive!

Hey Mom and Dad,

It’s P-day and I figured I'd write you an email so I only have 22 minutes to do this. I wanted to let you know I'm having a great time at the MTC and I love my District, even though it took some getting used to. I'm sitting in the laundry room right now waiting for my laundry to dry and then later today I'm going to the Provo temple! I'm learning a lot here, and lesson one in Preach my Gospel is a lot of hard work! My favorite so far has been the RC or the referral center where you can talk on phones to try and place Books of Mormon or follow up with people! It’s sooo much fun! Tell Jared to start loving PMG (Preach my Gospel) because it will become your best friend here at the MTC.

Everything else here is wonderful. I'm singing in the MTC choir and that is sooo powerful!!! The spirit is sooo cool the way that it works inside you! The whole spirit here is wonderful. You are always on a spiritual high and I just love that! I'm finding out that there is just not enough hours in the day to do all things I want to do and that work is really hard long exhausting work here but I love it!!!

Well I only have a few more minutes so I have to go, but I love and miss you all!!! Keep working hard and having a good time at home! Tell everyone I'd doing well and I love the work! Be Good, Work Hard, and Have Fun :)

Love, Elder Brett Brooksby

Brett's First Full Day in the MTC

Erin and Justin took Brett to the MTC (Missionary Training Center) yesterday. My mom and dad didn't end up going to the MTC at all. Brett was the first missionary to arrive. They were able to get great pictures which I'm waiting to see. Erin said that Justin logged into his MTC account as a teacher and saw Brett's companion's name. She said that it looked like he was Samoan. We haven't heard anything from Brett yet, so don't really know anything. They thought the companion was going to Seattle. We'll see.

Today's REALLY the Day

This morning at 11AM MDT, Brett check's in. Erin and his grandparents will probably be there with him. He safely arrived in SLC last night and Erin picked him up. She was planning to have him tucked in by 10:30PM and up at 6:30AM today. They were even a bit reluctant to let Brett talk to us on his arrival. After all, he is a missionary now and shouldn't be calling home you know.

Today's the Day

This morning at 7:00 a.m. we went to the church after seminary so that the Stake President could set Brett apart as a missionary. So I officially have a missionary son! We'll go pick-up Lauren and Jared at 11:30 a.m. and head to the airport. Ray and Robin are going to go with us and Helen said she might try to meet us there. Sharon Maughan is also going to try to come. I can't believe it has really happened. Brett get's into SLC at 7:00 p.m. I think that my mom and dad as well as Tammy will be there. Brett will spend the night at Erin's and then to the MTC at 11:00 a.m. tomorrow. This is so exciting. If only we knew where he would be serving. Oh well, we'll know in time.

Tomorrow He Leaves!

I simply can not believe that Brett is leaving tomorrow. He will be set apart at 7:00 a.m. by President Standage. We will leave for the airport at 11:30 a.m. for him to catch the 1:45 p.m. flight to JFK. From there he flies to SLC. He will arrive at 7:00 p.m. Erin will pick him up at the airport. We managed to get everything into two suitcases, but it was a TIGHT squeeze. The bigger of the suitcases weighs 49 lbs. The smaller one weighs 42 lbs. Tonight for FHE Helen and Ray and Robin were here. Glen gave Brett a father's blessing. What a wonderful night it's been.

Provo MTC!

We just spoke with Brett Morrison at the COB. He said that Brett will now fly to the Provo MTC. He will leave here TUESDAY and enter on Wednesday, May 14th. He will spend 3 weeks there while awaiting his visa. If he gets his visa he'll fly to the UK. If he doesn't he will probably go to the Dublin Ireland mission where he will wait for his visa. If he is unable to get a visa into the UK he will serve his entire mission in Ireland. WOW! My head is spinning. He leaves two days earlier than expected, he's going to the Provo MTC, and he might serve in another mission altogether. The good news is he's going more or less as scheduled rather than having to wait some more.

DISASTER!

Brett just received an e-mail saying that his visa appeal has been denied. He is supposed to be leaving a week from today. We called the Brett Morrison at the Church Office Building, but he isn't in yet. At this point I have one frustrated boy, and a whole lot of unanswered questions. Brett is supposed to speak at the Aaronic Priesthood outing on Friday night about going on a mission. He is also speaking in Sacrament meeting on Sunday, which will be a challenge if he still doesn't know what he's doing by then. We can only hope for a miracle.

Where Oh Where is Brett's Visa?

I got a call from Brett Morrison in the Church Office Building. He's over British missionary travel. He asked if we'd received Brett's visa yet. I told him that we hadn't. He said that they had faxed requesting information, but hadn't heard anything. Other Elders going on May 16th have already received their visa. I think both the church travel and myself are getting nervous that we still haven't received it. I also found out that Brett is the only missionary traveling from JFK. All the other ones are going from Atlanta. I was so hoping that Brett would be able to travel with someone else. The missionaries from Atlanta get in at 9:30 a.m. and Brett arrives at 10:10 a.m. I just hope they remember to wait for him.

Fourteen Days and Counting!

Brett leaves fourteen days from today. It feels like we've been waiting forever. Tomorrow is his last day working at Price Chopper. Saturday is the Glenville Ward temple trip and we're all going. It will be one of the last things we do as a family. I keep hoping we've done all we need to to be ready, or that if we haven't we'll remember in time to do them. On Friday, May 9th Ray and Robin Brooksby are coming. That night Brett is speaking at the Aaronic Priesthood campout. The next evening we are having an openhouse for Brett. The next day (which is Mother's Day) Brett speaks in sacrament meeting. Monday, May 11th we'll have our last FHE together. Tuesday we're all going to Evan and Suzanne's house to celebrate Stacy's adoption. Wednesday Lauren has a concert and Brett gets set apart. Thursday Brett leaves. WOW! We're at the point in time where there seems to be something each day. We're excited and I know he's ready!