The Latest from Wales

This week we got a very nice letter from Brett. The work is going well and not surprisingly he's had more bike repairs to make. I guess missionaries not only wear themselves and their clothes out, but also their bikes. It's a good indication that he's working hard. Here's an excerpt from his most recent letter:

"Well, not much else is new. You can always tell when you've hit the later months in your mission because alot of people give up writting to you. Even if you send them letters back I think they just get sick of trying to [write] things down like Twynyrodyn or Wolverhampton or something like that. ... Yeah pretty much my post has completely stopped! Minus Dad but even that has slowed....its okay Dad everybody is doing it!* ... I just think its funny how everyone said eventually your post will stop and people will quit writting you and then you will realize you've been on your mission a really, really long time! And thats kinda what I've realized just lately. I am a really really old missionary in the mission! But thats okay I'm still doing well and I'm not dead [yet]."

(*Dad's disclaimer: I've mailed Brett 49 letters and at least one e-mail in the last year, so it's not as bad as it may seem.)

So come on everyone, if you're reading this post, you have some interest in Brett. And I know your reading here because that hit-counter can't be all web-crawlers. Whaddaya say to sending Brett a note to let him know you're thinking of him. Columbus Day is just around the corner. You could send him a nice post card of the Niña, the Pinta or the Santa Maria! I'm sure he'd be happy just to hear from you. His address (for letters and packages) is always maintained here.

The Bare Necessities of Life

Brett is doing a lot of traveling because his companion is the district leader. They end up making all sorts of trips to other areas of the mission for exchanges, interviews of baptismal candidates, and Zone Conference. All of the travel makes it challenging to stay within his budget. He said that he's beginning to understand why he needs a good education because life is expensive.

Brett also said that he wants to renew his drivers license by mail. Before he left he said he didn't want to worry about it. But now he's reconsidering. He said: "I heard that you have to retake a driving test, and I don't want to do that. It would take me forever to get that done especially since my sense of direction has been demolished since I've been here in the UK driving on the left side of the road!"

Brett also said that they are having a baptism of a 10 year-old boy either on Sunday or next week sometime with a waterside confirmation! He said they are doing the waterside confirmation so as to not postpone it two weeks because of General Conference! He said he's SO excited for that! He also said they have two more potential baptisms coming up.

Brett said that they went to the early church historical sites for his last Zone Conference. He had been there last year, but said it was fun to be with all the other missionaries.

Here are the pictures he sent:

President Ogden and the backs of everyone else's heads :)

The Malvern Hills

Elder Forbes and I on top of a mountain

My Swiss friend Elder Burri

Hello from Wales!

We got a letter from Brett today. It's always great to hear from him.

Once again he is with a companion that will be going home in a month. But Brett is really focused on working hard and continuing to tract.

He also said that his roommate from BYU-I has received his mission call to Auckland, New Zealand and that he was very excited for him.

This p-day is only a half p-day because tomorrow is Zone Conference and they will be going to Gadfeild Elm, Bimbo farm and the place in the Brecon Beacons - the highest point in the land roundabout. It’s where they had a conference in the early days of the church and where they decided to publish the hymnal in Britain! I can tell Brett's been out awhile because this will be his second trip to those places. He went shortly after arriving in Britain in June of 2008.

Brett was glad to see the "back to school" pictures we took of Jared and Lauren the day school started. He was surprised that Lauren had so many of his former middle school teachers. He thinks they are both looking much older than he remembered.

He ended by saying: "Well that’s it for me this week. I'll close mine epistle to you. I know this work is true and I couldn't be more happy doing it! Some days are harder than others. Some days I'm way tired, but it is soooo rewarding either way you go about it!"

Transfers

Okay - well in case you couldn't already figure it out, we had transfers. And since I'm able to write you at this time of day it means I'm not on the coach going to transfers in Birmingham. Soooo I lucked out and get to stay in the blessed town of Merthyr Tydfil for another little while! I'm sending another missionary home though.....I'll be sending Elder Forbes home, so that will be good. Although the one thing I don't like about being with missionaries as they end their mission is the fact that it make you a little bit trunky as well. And then it takes me a little while to figure things out again.

Well I'm glad you are enjoying your time in Utah, that sounds like a fun trip! I had kind of forgotten that Erin was due soooo soon. It's weird how fast time flies. I'm coimming up on my 16 month mark in just a few days! And that is crazy because that means I'll only have 8 months left.

Well today after I'm done e-mailing I'm going to a member hairdresser. He gives the missionaries free haircuts, and since I'm about due for another one I'm going to take advantage of that today!

I've got some pictures for you today! Lucky you!



The first one is one of my district. From the top left across then to the bottom left across: Sister Morris, Elder Forbes (DL), Elder Davis, Elder Nimer (ZL) Sister Winn, Me, Elder Hooper, Elder Wark (ZL). Then the next picture is pretty much the same except crazy! ;)



Well not much else is new. Just remember the next transfers is 6 weeks from today!

Well I'm loving the Welsh hills and the rain. But I'm not too big on the cold, but whatever!

Well I'll leave it at that! Have a fun week!

Love, Brett

Hey!!!

Greeting from Merthyr Tydfil! Again another glorious day!

Ummm hmmm I think today we are going to play a little bit of rugby and maybe some Frisbee as well have a District P-day! We have the Ebbw Vale Elders - Elder Davis and Elder Hooper, and then the Beacon Heights Sisters - Sister Winn and Sister Morris, and then me and Elder Forbes ;)

Well, I dare say that we travel a lot. What with going to Zone Conference and interviews! And being the DL's companion, I have to go on a lot of exchanges on the X4 bus to Ebbw Vale.

Well what else - next week we are having a baptism on Friday the 21st of August. So I'm really excited for that! Also we are going to be having another one soon that was just sorta handed to us!

Hmmm, not too much else is new! Our summer is now over and it’s getting darker at night and the weather is getting colder. And then in September the leaves will fall off in one go, and then - well it rains and is cold!.....

Well I love you and I'm glad you’re all well! Tell the family I say hello and I love and miss them!

Love Elder Brooksby!

Cymru = Wales?

Well I'm typing to you from a place called Cardiff! It was Elder Forbes's birthday yesterday so we went to his favorite area which is only a 45-minute train ride away. Don't worry we went with permission from Mission President because it was out of our area, but still within the mission!

Well in the way of money - I used about 20 POUNDS worth to buy a new set of pedals for my bike because - funny enough, my pedal snapped right off and then I was only riding on the bar. And that’s not fun when you are peddling up mountains!

I am glad to hear that you are having fun over the summer months. I am as well!

Well let's see - we have been working a 20-mile bike ride from our flat 3 days a week in a place called Treharris! It’s a nice nice town! I'm going to send some pictures home in the next email or in the post or something.....

Well my time is up! I'm working hard and the Lord is blessing us for it. And although bicycles aren’t trusty the Lord's promises are, and he promises to take care of our families while we focus on the work. So I'm just going to keep going and run my bike into the ground!

Hey look out for a post card and then a little envelope with a magnet from Wales!

Love you- Elder Brooksby

This Week has been Great!

Well this week has been great! It was a slow-fast-slow-fast week! But it was a good week! The hills are absolutely killing my legs! But that’s good for them. That means they are only going to get stronger! But with all the hills my knee is giving me a little bit of trouble sometimes, but not too much. I'll just have to keep walking and keep on strengthening my knee!

We had another baptism on Saturday, just one of a woman I got to teach for a week. And we have another we just got last night on the way! She was a member referral and she has been taught loads! She knows almost everything. Her member boyfriend who is a return missionary taught her all the commandments and has committed her to live all of them. So our work has been done so now it’s a bunch of easy review!

Member referrals are where it’s at! The prophet is pushing for them, the new mission president is pushing for them, and overall member involvement is our best ally says PMG chapter 13! So that’s where we stand with this lass.

Okay well I'm going to go to the post office to get some stamps so I can catch up on the letters I've gotta write so maybe you can expect a letter from me? Maybe with some newer pictures as well!

Well before I go I'll attach some pictures!

This one is of me with a chip.

This one is of a street sign. You can guess how to pronounce it! LLEWELLYN - the LL makes the chhhhhl sound!

Love you, Elder Brooksby