Elder Brayden Mortensen: President Bernhisel Called Me To Be A Trainer

Hello friends and family,

This week was great and it is the end of my second transfer. On friday I got a call from President Bernhisel, and he has called me to be a trainer!! I am super excited about this!! Its kinda crazy though because I just barley finished the first 12 week training program, and now I will be training a new missionary. It will deffenatley will be a learning experience for me as well as the new Elder. Tomorrow we are driving up to Raleigh for the transfer meeting, where I will meet my new companion. I will deffenatley keep you updated on that in the next letter home!

As far as the bed bugs go, we still have a few, even though they sprayed everything, but we do have a lot less. Hopefully we will figure out how to get completley rid of them. Their bites get red and they are really really itchy. Even with all of this, everything is still going really great!! We had 3 investigators come to church this week (Larrhe Ann, Leon and Dana). Our friends Leon and Dana are deffenatley on track for baptisim, but we are moving the date back a week or two so we make sure we cover all of the material. They love to talk, and when I say that, they really LOVE to talk. Every lesson we only cover a little part of the gospel, but they are slowly getting everything. Dana keeps on reading and is now in Mosiah, thats crazy!! Leon has quit smoking for 2 almost 3 weeks, so we will see how things go. Maybe they will be ready to be baptized on the same day. That would be amazing!!

Our other investigators are doing well. Louisa is just super busy and we havent had a lesson with her for a while. She texts us saying she really wants to meet, but she is a single mother of 2 kids and she is working like 3 jobs. She will take some time to work with but she is deffenatley still really solid. Eddie and Joe are slowing down a bit. Eddie is going through a lot of stress trying to figure out school, work and organizing his marraige so we are going to wait until things settle down with him. Joe is going through a lot also. He is in some trouble with the law and says he may be getting locked up again.. Hopefully that doesn't happen. It would take a lot for him to get baptized but he seems to be a good guy and is trying to change.

So to answer some of your questions.. It would probbably work for Dad to send letters straight to my appartment. The only time he would probbably have to send it through the mission home is around transfers just in case I get moved. Transfers are every 6 weeks. I think as long as you dont send them around transfer time that should be fine, because it does take a while for them to be forwarded. I also think I am going to purchase the GPS today.

Congrats Bri and Ali on the Book of Mormon reading!! That is really impressive and Im sure it has been a blessing. I know it is a major blessing in my life because it is easily applicable to my life as im sure it is to yours. Also it sounds like soccer and parties are going great! I kind of miss swimming, this is a good place because it has the beach and nice weather. Dad, that goose egg on your head looks great!! Im sure it felt amazing. It seems like something like that happens every time we go swimming. Dad, didnt you speak on temples? Im sure it was fantastic.

Its crazy that summer is almost over, Im sure school will be great! Im kinda hoping it cools down a bit here. It has been really hot, and it sounds like it has been really hot there.

Well I love you all. I really appreciate your prayers and your support, I feel it. I hope everything will go well this week and that you continue to enjoy everything you are doing.

Love Elder Mortensen

P.S. Here is a scripture I really like about scripture study. Mosiah 1:4-7. I think it gives some good reasons to read the scriptures. Enjoy

Brayden's District from left to right: Elders Peck, Mortensen, Edwards, Garvin, Adams, Olsen.