Laughter is the best medicine

Hi Everyone!

In response to "How are you?" from Mom, I say "Good, good."   In response to "No, really, how are you?"  I say, "It hurts right here (pointing at the general area of myself) but I don't know how to make it better." I've had a lot of practice smiling, lately.  Lots of things about missionary work are hard, but it's amazing what a simple smile will do to brighten my day.  I hope that by being cheerful always, I will find more people who will speak to me and be receptive to the message of the restoration.  I know that it's hard for the love and light of Christ to shine through us when we frown or disengage ourselves.  I hope I can be a more pure, conductive vessel of the love of our Lord to other people.

One thing that keeps me smiling is thinking about Rosie.  She's also got a lot of hard things in her life, like her friends abandoning her because she comes to our church now, and taking care of a house, kids, and a business alone, but she has amazing strength and sense.  I'm so glad the Lord prepared her so that she can endure these trials and still have a strong desire to learn the gospel, leading up to her baptism.  At our next meeting with her, I hope we can help her choose a baptism date for sometime in April!  She says the things she learns, the Spirit she feels, and even the faces she sees at church seem somehow familiar and comforting her.  I know the Holy Ghost is testifying to her of the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon and of what she learns at church, and I'm immensely grateful that I've been a part and able to witness her strengthening conversion!

Oh, Elder Fabiano and I have been titled Master Finders of the zone, so we won an all-expenses-paid trip to zone conference, inclusive of our own 30-minute presentation which we'll give all the other missionaries about how to become master finders.  Yikes!  More info next week on how that went.

For now, know that I love you all and I'm glad that Heavenly Father is watching over you, just as he's watching over me.  I can feel it, and I hope you can, too!

Tons of Love,
Brennan

  

P.S.  I just found out that two of my former investigators in Singapore were baptized yesterday!!  I'm so happy for them, and I'll take a little time today to send them short messages of congratulations!  Thanks for your prayers on behalf of my investigators as well as me!

Love,
Brennan

Dad:  Congratulations!  Is this one of those successful mission stories that ends with "and then I got transferred"?

Brennan:  Well, most of the stories of my investigators end with...  "We were teaching him, he showed so much promise, he accepted a baptismal date, he was keeping commitments, and then... He moved to China."  One of those two actually traveled from his home town in China to Hong Kong to be baptized.  That's how I know that he was dedicated!

Photo explanations:
Elders Harr & McCarthy nearly died of laughter when "O Holy Night" played from my Christmas list.  I had to take a picture, but this one doesn't capture all the tears that were shed and all the uncontrollable rolling around on the couch and nearly eating the pillow that ensued.  I'm glad there are still ways like this to relieve stress after a long day.