MAY 5th!!!!!

We just got an e-mail from the Birmingham mission office saying that Brett's release date is May 5th! It is great to finally know when he's coming home. It will make future planning much easier.

In Brett's e-mail this week he said that it has been rather snowy and really rather cold in Merthyr Tydfil! He said that it has been around -4 degrees C on a normal day for the last two weeks. And that it dips down to -8 degrees C with a windchill of -20 degrees C overnight. He said that there is a high pressure system that is stuck over the UK and because of that they are getting their weather from Siberia, which tends to be pretty cold. He said that in the UK it only takes two or three inches to shut down the whole of the UK. He said that everyone thinks it's a huge disaster and that it's going to be the end of the world! But he said that it's really not that bad compared to the NY winters that he remembers from his childhood. He's still riding his bike in the snow to get around! He loves the snow and couldn't be happier that it's there. He said that it makes it feel a little more like home. He did say that he'd skip the snow altogether if it meant that the chavs couldn't through snowballs with rocks in them! But he said that it's all part of the experience!

Brett said that for P-day he was going to sew one of his mittens that has a hole in it, go food shopping, and have a nap. Sounds like an exciting day!

He said that he's starting to feel old in the mission. His companion, Elder Worthington has been out 8 months less than him, and he's starting to feel the distance apart. He said that he's not trunky, but he's having to work harder to fight it off.

He has been in Merthyr Tydfil longer than any of his other areas, and he's having to fight the thinking that says "I've already talked with him 9 times and he's told me to go away in lots of different words I'll never repeat! Why should I stop him again!" He said that at the end of this transfer he will have been in Merthyr for 7 and a half months. And he feels like he has tracted the whole of Merthyr 3 times!

I know how he feels having spent nine months of my mission in the same area.

He said that they're working on building up their teaching pool, and praying to find people to teach.

All in all it sounds like he's doing well.

Brett's back in Merthyr Tydfil

We got an e-mail from Brett telling us that he was going back to Merthyr again for a 5th transfer. It's funny, but it looks like he will have spent his mission in only three areas - Birmingham, Merthyr Tydfil, and where ever they send him to finish up.

Brett said that it had snowed and stopped the travel plans for transfers. The mission president told him that because it was p-day he wanted them to stick close but he told Brett that he could go visit some recent converts in his old areas. He said that he was going to Sheldon to see who he could catch at home. He seemed very excited for the unexpected opportunity to see people dear to him from earlier in his mission.

Brett said that he is getting a new companion named Elder Worthington, who has been out about a year.

Brett got to spend New Year's Eve at President Odgen's house and said he enjoyed it very much.

He said that he had to get off the computer because all of the missionaries who were leaving to go home this transfer got snowed in and their flights got canceled so they all had to e-mail their parents to tell them that they'd be delayed getting home.

It was good to hear where Brett is, and know that things are more settled than they had been for the last little while.

The Latest from Brett

We had a very nice call with Brett on Christmas Day. We've known that they were planning on moving to a new apartment in Merthyr Tydfil and the move finally happened. Sadly, in the midst of the move, Brett's companion injured his knee and required surgery. This left Brett a lone Elder for a few days as his companion was confined to hospital. But he was well cared for by the church members in Merthyr. Transfers are coming up on January 6th, so in order to keep things simple while his companion's knee heals, Brett and his companion have both been transferred to the mission home. So cards, letters, packages, etc. should all go there for the next week or so. We expect Brett will have a new address after Jan. 6th. Whether it will be a new one in Merthyr Tydfil or elsewhere we cannot tell. It's been a crazy week or so for him so keep him in your prayers.

Hi!

Our e-mail from Brett was short this week. I'm sure in part because we'll be talking to him soon. He said that he didn't think he would be able to send Christmas presents home, but thanks to a member where he is serving he would be able to after all.

He said that he has received the package we sent to him. And it sounded like he'd already opened it. So much for surprises on Christmas.

He said that we are supposed to call him at 6:30 p.m. his time (1:30 p.m. our time) on Friday. He's going to be at a members home for Christmas dinner and then their phone calls.

He said that he's all caught up on the mail he was supposed to return. So hopefully if you've written Brett recently you've received his reply by now.

He ended by saying: "Well I love you all enjoy your week and speak to you in week!"

We can hardly wait!!!!!

Brett's e-mail got lost!

We got a short e-mail from Brett today because after typing a longer one, it got lost. So then he didn't have a whole lot more computer time. Oh well!

Brett said that he's going to be moving into a different apartment. He said the one he's in now isn't very nice at all. We'll be sure to update his address when he moves. He did say that he's helped other people move during his mission so he knows to get things done before people show up to help, and that he needs to have everything cleaned so others don't have to do it. That's a valuable lesson learned.

Brett also said that his watch is broken, and he's not sure it's fixable. He has another watch, but the watchband stinks because it soaks up all the rain. One way or the other he'll either get one of his watches fixed or get a new one.

Brett said that it sounds like everyone has been busy at home. He said that was good because it makes the time go fast.

Brett said for us to call him around noon or 1:00 p.m. our time on Christmas day. He's going to be at the home of members of the church and they said he could use their phone. We're way excited to talk to him. It's always so good to hear his voice.

Sometimes when I'm missing him I'll use the GPS to go places I know well, just to hear his voice telling me directions on my GPS (he and Glen's present to me last Mother's Day).

He ended by saying that he didn't have much else to say (or time to type it), but that he was excited to talk to us in a few short weeks.

Congratulations!

Wow, congratulations Brett. You've been out for 18 months now. You'll be home before we know it!

18 months is pretty weird!

Brett's letter this week was great. I can't believe that he's been on his mission for 18 months!

He sent us a couple of pictures. This one is of him and his current companion. His companion is from Switzerland. He has been out one transfer (six weeks) longer than Brett has. Brett said that he's hoping that they'll stay together for another transfer. That would also mean that he will have been in Merthyr Tydfil for six months, but he said that would be OK.


He also sent this picture. It's of a fire on Bonfire Night or Guy Fawkes night. You can go to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guy_Fawkes if you want to find out more about it.

One of the British Mums said that the event takes place almost everywhere. She said that some people have a bonfire and fireworks in their garden, and that there are many public firework displays to go to. She said that whatever they do, they always have bonfire night food - hot dogs, baked potatoes, soup, ginger parkin, cinder toffee and toffee apples. I had to wonder what ginger parkin and cinder toffee were. I'll have to ask Brett sometime.

Brett said this about the picture: "This is a picture of the bonfire behind our house that neighborhood youth did for bonfire night (Guy Fawkes night) on November 5th! The pile of things they were burning was like 25 feet high!"


I'm just glad that that fire wasn't in MY backyard!!!!

Brett said that he's amazed at how much he's learned in the last eighteen months. He said: "Coming out here to England has taught me a lot about bring up children and how it is vital to bring them up, not drag them up. And not to spoil your children. And to actually make them work for the things they actually want (sort of like you did with us as kids). I've learned how important an education is and that now a days you can’t get on without an education! I've learned everything in life that is worthwhile is a lot of work!"

I'd say just that knowledge alone is worth the eighteen months.

He also said that the postal strike has been postponed until after Christmas. So for any of you who'd like to send him a package, go right ahead. We were told to send Christmas packages to the Birmingham mission home because there will be transfers between now and Christmas. That address is on his blog below the address where he's currently serving in Merthyr Tydfil.