Monday, December 5, 2016

Elder May - November Email



This Elder is truly a light in our home.  His tireless missionary service is second to none and it is such an amazing experience to watch all his service and missionary work from our own home.  We sure love Elder Bryson and are so proud of him. 

Hello Everyone!

I feel like every month is like the greatest month of my mission. I was able to create friendships this month and be able to go to side activities where I'm still serving but it isn't a set list on what I'm doing every day. I feel like I'm becoming more helpful in people coming back to Christ either through inactivity as I am a ward missionary, or through my example and answers questions for people at Save the Family, or even across at the Spirit World through the veil as I go various different Elders each week through endowment sessions. I feel like I'm evolving each month and I'm just working myself harder and becoming busier, week by week. 

As a ward missionary, I work with the mission leader, Brother Erickson and him and I do the temple prep classes and do splits with the missionaries. We will go to their homes for temple prep and teach them kind of the quick basics of the gospel. It is tremendous to see the progress we can make. I went with one Elder and the family we went to, the Donn family, Tanner and Hannah, were super inactive from the church. Then that next Sunday, we saw their whole family sitting in sacrament meeting and that was a beautiful moment for me. Then, Bro Erickson and I went over there for a few weeks and taught them through temple prep and now they're being endowed this month! I am able to see change happen, including changes of hearts. I am able to help people grow. 
Elder May - Save The Family

Save the Family had their Thanksgiving Delivery Days back on the Monday before Thanksgiving. As
a quick summary, we have sponsors call us and tell us that they want to create a Thanksgiving basket of items for one of our homeless families that is in our client roster. I was able to be a part of the Delivery Days by greeting sponsors and helping deliver the baskets to various locations across Arizona. In total we had about 200 different sponsors asking us to donate and 300+ families that were blessed to have their own Thanksgiving this year. I was able to be part of one delivery and as we were delivering them across the street, kids and families would be so excited to see us and asking if they could take it from us. I was fine with it but apparently there were rules about it so it was good to learn!

Last night, Elder Hayward, Haws, Ferrell, Zollinger and I went to the Gilbert Temple and did an endowment session together. It's fun to go to the same appointments every week but it's weird how much more fun it is when you plan the same exact thing but go as a group of friends instead of being all about business. It's crazy how little a change that is but how big of a change the outcome can become. It amazes me how I have become good friends with each and every one of them. I'm glad to have found them in my mission and getting to know them. I'm grateful to not only have companions but be able to create my own mission friendships, outside of companionships. I've been able to learn so much about the four Elders listed above and I'm so grateful for their unconditional love that I can feel from them for me. 

For this month, I made a goal to at least make it to the temple twice in the month and to further increase my hope for the Atonement of Jesus Christ. I can happily say that my hope for Him has increased tremendously as I have gone not only twice but at least four times, twice in a week! I'm so grateful to know of his plan for me and I'm grateful that he has planted such wonderful people, not only wonderful Elders but also wonderful people outside of their missions, to help strengthen and lift me up. I'm grateful that I am able to further continue my journey as I help others come unto Christ. 

I love you all and hope you all had a wonderful November!

Sincerely,
Elder Bryson May