Hello!

Well, it sure is great to hear from you! :)

Dad told me about Ben. That is crazy!

I am glad that Granny is okay. That sounds like a ton of blood!

Food here is fine. Nothing terrible. I haven't had anything that was just outstanding yet. Nothing weird. I did force down a bunch of strawberries yesterday, you will be happy to hear haha.

When is Brandy due? Soon, right? Is it a boy or girl? Speaking of which, is Amanda pregnant yet?

We are teaching a few people. We are teaching two kids of the family that we baptized that didn't get baptized then. We will get them though! We are also teaching this lady named Wednesday Thomas, who looks and talks just like Sue Pyle. It's kinda freakin me out. haha.

We're also teaching this lady Vicky Schaffner. A couple years ago she married a Swiss member named York(or is it Yorg? I don't know haha). She goes to church like every week. She knows all of the stuff that we teach, essentially. But when she married her husband, her kids, especially her oldest son, were very upset. They think we're a cult. Her son stopped talking to her. She is afraid that if she is baptized he will completely disown her. She has made progress recently though. Hopefully she will realize that she needs to just do it.

So, overall, things are going pretty good out here. We taught 40 Lessons this last week. That was awesome. We have been really blessed.

President Seal goes home in a couple weeks. That's kind of weird. I'll only see him one more time. He has one last time of going around the mission and interviewing everybody. He told us that this final interview will be short, consisting of two things: One, we will write our name next to our favorite scripture in his set of scriptures. That way when he reads them he'll be reminded of us. Then, he will give us a blessing. And that'll be it. It will be really sad to see him go.

The rain here is insane. I didn't know what rain was before this week. Honestly. It's intense. I just witnessed yesterday that lightening can cause a car alarm to go off if it is close enough.

I have to talk in church in July. That will not be fun. My topic is "Teaching the Plan of Salvation." Which will immediately be followed by a High Councilman speaking on "The Plan of Salvation." Any ideas/tips/suggestions/etc would be greatly appreciated :)

I hope you are all going to the temple very often. I really miss it. Elder Nielson goes home in a couple months and he is so excited to go to the temple again. Please please please take advantage of the temple being so close!

Supposedly, the church already owns land in Rogers, Arkansas for a Temple. So there will probably be one there in the next few years.

Also, I don't know if I've ever mentioned it. But President Seal is extremely convinced that within the next year or two our Mission will be split(is it pretty huge). So that will be interesting.

Well, I've got to get going! It was great to hear from you! I love all of you! :)

Love,

Elder Bracken