Elder May: 3-Month Mark (September Monthly Email)

Hello again! 

I feel like a bit has happened in so little time! I have been able to document different stories and different things I have been able to do at my service assignment that I wouldn't have found anywhere else. I am learning more about my new companion and we are scheduling a time to meet up together, to actually meet face to face and to get to know one another better and become better instruments for the Lord. I have been able to pray to Him and feel my own comfort from Him personally. I have been able to trust in Him more and be able to feel His Spirit as I wear my badge every day that I come to work and to serve.

I was looking back and my very first day here at Save the Family was on June 30, 2016. I remember because I got an email that day saying that someone named Kaitlyn had brought the most delicious cookies for all to enjoy and that happened on my first day because I was still wearing a white shirt and tie until my supervisor had gotten approval to change it to what it is now. With June 30 on my mind, I learned that September 30, my 3-month mark is this Friday. Time flies by so fast! The more I help people, the faster that time flies. When I focus on myself, time slows way down. I started out just scanning files and having to wear an enormous nametag so everyone could learn who I was and I have gone to manning the front desk "the front lines as they call it" and I have been able to learn how to do background checks and I have slowly begun to help more people around the foundation like helping with storage issues or with being able to fill in for people when they are away and answering their voicemail calls and helping with insurance packets and really just helping anyone out in any way that I can. I like to tell everyone here that I am Laura's assistant but I am everyone's intern! It's funny and it lets them know that I am willing and ready to help anyone with anything that they may need!

I am ready to continue to serve. I have grown a desire to keep wanting to help the people at the Save the Family Foundation and the clients that we continue to receive. Through my service, I have been able to grow more in my testimony of my Heavenly Father. As I have helped clients here, I have become more grateful for the things I receive every day. I know that Christ lives and loves each one of us and the more I call out to Him, the more He wants and is ready to help me. He knows all of our struggles and our successes, even when we don't tell him and he knows when we will ask Him, we just have to do the asking for help in order to receive it, we can't just expect it just because He knows. I have come to love everyone with their different and unique talents that everyone can possess, I have become able to be good friends with anyone I come into contact with and I can put a smile on anyone's face that walks through our doors, asking for help and Christ wants to do the same but for us. We have to ask for help in order for Jesus Christ and Heavenly Father to make our lives happy. I know that God lives and loves each and every one of us and I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

Love,

Elder May

Elder May: New Companionship

Elder Bryson is really thriving in his new mission and is loving serving the people that he comes in contact with at Save The Family – not only those in need but also those that work there.  Love him so much and oh, so proud of him.  Enjoy!

Hey everyone! Some news for me is that I am now in my own zone! I am now a part of the Scottsdale-Tempe-Mesa Zone! Because they have service missionaries everywhere around the state, that is what our new zone is being called. I also have my own companion! His name is Eric Davis, he's 22 and his service mission is going to be at Resurrection Street Ministries. It's a food bank/thrift store to help families in need. He's into sports, like football and basketball, he is in school and has a job and is big into working out. We have kind of different interests but I already know that he is a great guy and I can't wait to meet him soon. They gave us companions so that even if we don't spend every minute together or even have the same mission, we can have someone to talk to, gain friendships and life skills together and to have a higher standard of accountability with each other. His mission, I looked it up and it is only 4 minutes away from Save the Family, or my mission. They are really trying to make it like a regular proselyting mission except we don't have to be dying in the heat! I am really excited to be working with my companion and I am excited to keep working with the Save the Family Foundation. I know that this mission was here just for me and I am honored and ready to continue serving them and continue serving the Lord.

I appreciate all the continued love and prayers on my behalf.  Please keep saying them. 

Love,

Elder May

Elder May Hits His "100-Day Mark"

I have been remiss in updating Elder May's blog with his 100-day mark.  Even though his mission changed and things are different than a traditional mission, I didn't want the day to pass (even though it was August 31) without him knowing how much we appreciate and love him.  We are so proud of the very tough decisions that he had to make over the past 100+ days but he is defintely stronger and a better missionary for those decisions and trials.  Bryson is amazing with a solid heart of love for service to others but mostly to Heavenly Father.  It has been a difficult time figuring this new role out but Brian and I see him coming into his own and blazing the trail for new upcoming service missionaries.  

Bryson - we love you and are so proud of you!  Happy "100" Days!!

ps - check out his new blog design... so cool!!

Elder May: August Monthly Email

Elder Bryson is asked to report on his service mission monthly to his mission president, stake president and bishop.  One of the biggest reasons is because this program is a pilot program that is blazing the path for the way service missions are performed in the future.  This, among others, is one of the reasons that Elder Bryson felt that this was the right path for him and the Lord had prepared him for this.  Boy, do we love this Elder!  And we are oh, so proud of him!  Enjoy!!

Hello!

For those of you who don't know, my name is Elder Bryson May and I have been serving a service mission with the Save the Family Foundation in Mesa. Save the Family helps homeless families with minor children be able to get back up on their feet and regain self-sufficiency. I get to help homeless people find the next step as they move forward with gaining self-sufficiency.

My service mission has been absolutely wonderful! Everyone here is so nice to me and wants me to help them more and more. I started off when I first got here by scanning documents and organizing the files online and the more that I'm here, I'm starting to get trusted more and more by my supervisor as she is starting to trust me with more important jobs like manning the front desk even though I have like a fear of phone calls and stuff like that. I don't know why either because I can talk to people face to face and I can do text and email but i am just not good at all with phone calls. It's terrible but I'm getting better! It's a new life skill! I know that I am normally terrified of phone calls but relying on the Lord, I am wanting the phone now to ring more and more because through the Lord, I have gotten good at it and the words just flow straight through.

I have gone from scanning files to helping at the front desk and helping people up front and with phone calls and transferring people and now I can do background checks on people and helping more of my coworkers with different jobs they have. They all really like me and I love the group that I am with. They treat me more as a missionary and that I am here to help them. They see me more as an equal, a part of the team, rather than the typical boss and employee kind of relationship. I have been able to help them on different days depending on the need rather than only coming on specific days. Soon, I might be asking for an extension here, on if I could stay for both years of my mission because they believe that I can only be here for a year and soon I will ask for my supervisor to extend it to the two years because as I have become acquainted with everyone, I have come close to all of them and my desire to serve them has grown more and more. I'm planting the seed, and increasing other people's faith in Jesus Christ through my service to them.

I can't wait to continue growing through with my mission. I love to serve all of these people and I love to be a service missionary. I feel like I am learning so many things and through relying on the Lord I have been able to get so much more of the Spirit to be inside of me as I am trusting in him while I am at my mission. I can keep eye contact with people and I know exactly how to help people as I interact with them, either through the phone or face to face. I can't wait to keep serving these people and being how the Lord would want me to be. I can't wait to continue serving my mission here! 

Elder May: Week 12 (Service Mission)

Finally... after weeks of waiting and mulling over his decision, Elder Bryson May was formally called to the Phoenix Arizona Youth Service Mission to serve the duration of 24-months in the various service capacities outlined by the service mission area.  As earlier stated, Elder Bryson is serving at the Save The Family working directly with the COO of the organization and really is thriving.  He has so many experiences and opportunities to serve.  We love him and we are oh, so proud of him.  Enjoy!

Elder May at Save The Family

Hello!  It has been a crazy couple of weeks.  I was officially called to the Phoenix Arizona Youth Service Mission and was set apart as such last Thursday night.  It was a different blessing than the one I got before I left for Tennessee but still very inspiring.  I had an orientation meeting about everything of the service mission stuff last Wednesday and I really liked getting to know the mission president and what me new experience entails.  It is far more structured than I thought it would be.  It makes me sad that the purpose is so much different than that of a proselyting missionary. The service mission is like pray and study, serve others, something else and learn life skills. I have realized too that my example in my service is what people are looking at and through that example I am showing the love of Jesus Christ to them.  I love to serve and help others so much, especially those at the Save the Family Foundation like helping answer calls for homeless people and helping coworkers around with different things. It just makes me sad that now I can't fully teach people anymore if you know what I'm saying.

I'm starting to get trusted more and more by my supervisor as she is starting to trust me with more important jobs like manning the front desk even though I have like a fear of phone calls and stuff like that. I am not sure why either because I can talk to people face to face and I can do text and email but i am just not good at all with phone calls. It's terrible but I'm getting better! Life skill! I know that I am normally terrified of phone calls but relying on the Lord, I am wanting the phone now to ring more and more because through the Lord, I have gotten good at it and the words just flow straight through. I have hit my 3 month mark too and I am now 1/8 done with my mission and I am excited to keep on going. Thank you for all your support and encouragement.  It was a long 3-months but I know that this is where I am supposed to be.  I am excited for the next 3-months to come.  I love you all and wish you all a great week!

Love Elder May

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!