Elder May: Being home...

Elder Bryson May is been home for approximately 2 weeks now and things are moving very quickly for him with regards to his service mission.  We are very proud of him and his decision and desire to continue to want to serve the Lord...Enjoy!

Hey everyone! I just wanted to let everyone know that I'm home and I'm doing well.  My asthma is in much better control and I am able now to focus on my service mission.  

I am working really hard on getting started on my service mission.  Apparently there is a pilot program going on in Arizona to start out new Church-Service missions. Apparently there is about 45 of us going around doing service by not proselyting and we share stories to Salt Lake City and the authorities all there are supposed to read our stories. If the pilot program goes well, it's going to branch out to other states and so on.

The couple in charge of it, Brother and Sister Pugmire, reached out to me and asked if that was something I would be interested in.  There are so many different options for where I would like to serve.  Since meeting with them, I have chosen the things that I would like to pursue and help further along the Lord's work.

Right now, I am working with them and someone from the Save the Family Foundation to become an Executive Assistant to the Chief Operations Officer there, very similar to the Executive Secretary in the bishopric.  I will be assisting them to find housing for homeless people in Arizona. I'm also going to be helping an Elder in the temple. He has cerebral palsy and can only blink but has a desire to serve the Lord through doing temple work so I have accepted to be one of the two elders that would help him throughout the week in different sessions by helping him get dressed throughout each session. As of today, I am just waiting on the Church to update the system and we can move further along with it.

Once my hours are set, I will also be working in the temple once a week as an ordinance worker.  I will also be going on splits with the missionaries assigned to our ward once or twice a week which I am very excited about as well. 

I'm really grateful that even though I had to come home, I was still able to further increase the work. I'm really glad to be chosen as the few groups of missionaries to help bring this church service to Arizona and maybe even the world one day! I love you all and I'll keep updating!

Elder May: Week 3 - Changes

Elder Bryson May will be returning home to serve a service mission.  Deciding to do so was probably the hardest decision that he has ever had to make.  Because of his health concerns, serving a physical mission was just not an option but he has touched so many lives.  As his mom, I am full of love and gratitude for this son of mine and it has been heart wrenching to watch him churn over this decision. That being said, I received 2 emails from two folks from his district that I want to share.  His weekly email will follow... Love him and so proud of him!

Dear Elder Mays mother - i would like you to know i love your son Bryson May he has been such an amazing blessing in my life and he has become an amazing person with the short time that i have known him. His testimony is so strong and has changed the lives that he has met while being here in the MTC, i am truly going to miss him. i know that his choice to do a service mission is the right one because he has served so many people already, he has helped my testimony grow and has kept me sane here in the MTC. Bryson has become one of my best friends and i just want you to know you have raised an outstanding missionary who is kind and loving to all he meets i wish i could be more like him in every way,  he was meant to by my companion here and teach me more about the Book of Mormon then i ever could have known. he will bless many lives in his life.  thank you so much for the gift you sent it was the best.  sincerely,  Elder McNaughtan 

Dear Elder Bryson May's Mom!  Thank you so much for the care package! That is so sweet of you! But thank you most of all for the incredible young man that I had the honor of getting to know here in the MTC. His mission really was to come here to the MTC, and prepare his District for their missions. Without him, my testimony wouldn't be nearly this big! Thank you for raising such an incredible young man. He is going to do amazing things. Tell him we love him with all of our hearts and cant wait to hear about all of the things he does!   With love,  Sister Eisert <3 

So I spoke with another doctor last week and I have been honorably excused from my mission to Knoxville, Tennessee. It was sad to hear at first but then I read a quote by Jeffrey R Holland that says:

"We also recognize that there are some who have hoped all their lives to serve missions, but for health reasons or other impediments beyond their control, they cannot do so. We publicly and proudly salute this group. We know of your desires, and we applaud your devotion. You have our love and our admiration. You are "on the team" and you always will be, even as you are honorably excused from full-time service." (Elder Holland, We Are All Enlisted, October 2011)

Even though, I can't serve a physical mission, I still have a very strong desire to serve a mission. I have chosen to work with my stake president to see what kind of a service mission that I can serve. I read an LDS article that said that a proselyting mission isn't greater than a service mission, they're actually equal. No matter what, I want to fulfill my purpose and "Invite others to come unto Christ by helping them receive the restored gospel through Faith in Jesus Christ and His Atonement, repentance, baptism, receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost, and enduring to the end. I am going to help someone somehow come unto Christ. I am ready to serve and I know that no matter what happens that my family and friends love me and support me and I want to say thank you for that. I know that most of all that Jesus Christ and Heavenly Father are proud of me and love me no matter what. I know that God has a plan for me and that I was called to serve in the MTC to be a part of my district and I love my district so much! They are the greatest people that i could ask for in my district and they have all told me that i was called to serve them here in the MTC and help prepare them to be better missionaries. I have watched a Face to Face by Jeffrey R Holland too that says that the length of your service doesn't matter, as long as I gave my all to The Lord. There is nowhere in the scriptures that say that a missionary has to serve the full two years to be able to be an RM or a returned missionary. I served a full time mission in the MTC and now I am going to serve a service mission back home.

I love my family and my friends for helping me get to the MTC and I love my district so much. Sister Bird,

Sister Eisert, Elder Kesler, Elder McNaughtan, Sister Fowles, Sister Johnson, Sister Bracken and Sister Merriman.  We were so strong in our friendships that we were one of the very few districts that is so incredibly rare on how well we got along. I was able to host with my district that is EXTREMELY RARE to do with a 3 week district.   I have been able to grow so much and my testimony has been greatly strengthened. I can't wait to serve my service mission and I know that this is the plan that God has for me. I love you all and I will email again next week!  

Love Elder May!

Elder May: Week #2: P-day #2 - MTC

Many of you know that Elder Bryson has had difficult with his health at the MTC.  While his health is still not good, he loves being a missionary and is really struggling with whether he needs to come home or not.  We would ask for your continued prayers and support on his behalf and joining us in a family fast on Sunday.  He does meet with the doctor tomorrow to see next steps but he wants to stay so we will see. 

At any rate, here is his letter this week... Enjoy!

Hi mom!

A lot of stuff has happened in the last few days so I will just quickly catch you up on everything for the most part.

We taught our TRCs this week and committed them both to baptism and found out later that they were both real. I would recommend reading D&C 18:10-11 because it gave me comfort. . I remember getting a box with chips ahoy and tootsie rolls and stuff and I have kind of shared it with my whole zone. I remember getting an enormous box and my whole district including the sisters wanted to know what was in it but you can't open them until 9:25pm so we all shared spiritual experiences with each other for an hour and a half until it was time to open the box and we loved it so much! The care package place was closed on Sunday and Monday but I have another notice so we are just gonna wait until I can go down and grab it. I am supposed to leave for Tennessee next Tuesday which is unfortunate because I have come to love it here, plus Elder Bednar is supposed to be here next week for a devotional so I missed it by a day. It is starting to get hot and humid here too and wearing a suit coat all day does not help either. 

 I was told this last week by one of our investigators that we taught that he had been to all of the different ministers and could tell they were all lying about their religion. He told Elder Kesler, McNaughtan and I that we were the best missionaries that he had been with in over 15 years and that we have a certain aura about ourselves that because of us, he wants to be baptized. I thought that was super cool because the first visit went by and he was asking us question after question and being angry about our church and McNaughtan and I just wanted to punch him in the face haha but by the end of our fourth visit with him, The Spirit was so strong and I had come to love him so much that all of us were shedding tears of joy for him. I wasn't physically there to commit the other guy Jose to baptism but I was told that it went really well and apparently they got the TRC member to pray for me. If anything, I am very grateful for the work that I have already done and I am grateful for the time that I have served. I just kind of wish that all of the problems would be set aside sometimes but I know that they are what makes my testimony so I am just stuck with them haha. 

I forgot to tell you too. I have learned how to give priesthood blessings of comfort and they are insane! I have given about three to different elders and sisters who needed them but it has been crazy these last few days. I think we have almost all gotten at least one or two blessings now in the last few days and so i have been a part of like 20 priesthood blessings now. 

Elder May: Week 1: P-day #1 - MTC

Many of you know that Elder May had a very difficult time acclimating with his asthma at the MTC this past week.  At one point, he was breathing about 89% and needed to go on heavy duty steroid and up his inhaler medications to deal with the colder, wetter climate in Utah.   

Hearing from him today and how much love as well as support was just amazing.  He is loving it and wants to stay as long as his health challenges get under control.  

Bryson was given one of the absolute beautiful setting apart blessings I have ever heard and was promised MANY things if he was faithful and and stalwart.  His choices to stay and find a way through his challenges show us as his parents his dedication to the Lord and I am sure that the Lord is very pleased with him as well.  Please continue to keep him in your prayers and thoughts.

  Here is his first email home and some pictures... enjoy!!

Hi Mom - 

First week is in the books!   I have two comps so we form a trio. It can be crazy difficult at times. I have one that I get along with real well and our strengths work together real well and then I have one that seems disinterested in class and interrupts people so it's been a bit more difficult for me to feel the Spirit. The classes are amazing though and I cannot get enough of them. I have been having difficulties with my physical health though. I have already had two times where I have been in a lot of distress and I have used my inhaler multiple times every day I've been here so far but I'm working through it the best I can.

Our district consists of 3 elders and 6 sisters and the sisters are all amazing lol. Learning has been tough and the hours go by slow but the days seem to be going a bit faster. I'm just taking it a day at a time and trying to make memories.

As far as the food, most of it is actually really good but I have somehow lost almost ten pounds since I have been here. I am not used to being called "Elder May" yet and it is weird how my district is all best friends and we don't even know our first names but it is a lot of fun here for the most part.

I love and miss everyone at home so much. It's been hard being away from everyone but I'm hoping it gets better soon. I appreciate all the emails I got already. It was really a good sight to see.

I'll write again soon.

Love,

Elder Bryson May

Elder Bryson May's Farewell - May 15, 2016

Yesterday was Elder Bryson May's farewell and what an amazing farewell it was.  2 in six weeks has not been the greatest time ever but I am very proud of Elder Bryson and the amazing talk he gave on finding refuge.  I have uploaded his talk and supplied the link here... Enjoy!

Elder Bryson May's Farewell Talk - 051616

Bryson 2007 to Present

Since the boys were little, I have put together a video of their life at major milestones such as baptism, being ordained with the Aaronic Priesthood  and of course, being called to be a missionary.  

I finished Bryson's last night and wanted to upload as soon as possible... Enjoy!

Bryson 2007 to Present

Bryson Enters The House of the Lord!

What a glorious experience to take our youngest son to the "House of the Lord".  We were surrounded by family and friends to welcome him after he made his temple covenants.  It was a surreal moment to have all five of us in the Celestial Room and just be still together.  I am so proud of Bryson and the choice that he made to make those covenants and I hope he remembers this special day forever.  I am humbled to be his mom and I am truly grateful for the restored gospel and for the knowledge I have of forever families!

Thank you all who took time out of your very busy lives to share this special day with Bryson and our family.  Words cannot express the joy and love we have for your all for your support to our family.  

Countdown to launch: 13 days, 22 hours, and approximately 56 mins