May 31st, 2011

Sounds like everybody is having a good Memorial Day. It's rained here again for like the sixth day in a row. And its still pretty chilly. Nothing like last year around this time. It was so hot in the MTC. But hopefully I go out to Wyoming this summer and avoid the heat. Hear its absolutley beautiful out there in the summer. I want to get out there since that's where dad served for a bit. See what it's like. Sounds like it would be a lot like home.

But transfers are coming up on Wednesday again. This transfer flew by. I feel like I was just telling you bout Lameta. But I have absolutley no idea whats happening. Could stay or leave. No idea. President hasn't even announced the AP yet. Lots of changes in the mission this transfer. Pretty excited for it.

Pics coming!

Elder Orr

May 23, 2011

To be honest, there's not much going on. Things have been pretty slow lately. I think I'm finally starting to feel the trial of faith the mission has been going through these past few transfers. I just made some really big changes with my focus and commitment level with the mission and the work. I feel like I'm starting to see the trials from making those changes. Satan is trying to get me to go back to how I was, but I just know that if I continue with these changes I will be blessed. I'm so excited right now and so is President Winn.

At the same time, I'm praying I'm not called as District Leader. I've had two District Leaders in other districts tell me that he has brought me up when they were talking about stuff. I'm all about receiving blessings for the work I put in, but not this way. It's one of those things where I'd like to be one, but at the same time I don't. Many missionaries focus too much on aspiring to leadership roles instead of focusing on the role they already have been given, which is being a missionary.

All of our investigators are stuck on something that's keeping them from being baptized. I did have another baptism in my old area this past Saturday. I also have 3 baptisms scheduled for next week. I'm so happy. :) It's always good to hear that you all are proud of me. Probably the best. Love you

Brando

PICTURES!!!

Elder Burkard, Elder Orr, Elder Wiehl

May 3, 2011

Things are still going great. We had our first baptism together this Saturday and hit the Standard of Excellence. Pretty excited about that. But it's been the most fun I've had in awhile. First time I've been able to have a solid balance of working and playing hard. I think it makes some elders crazy though. Like some are hating their life because they are so obedient but they arent having the success we are. They dont get it! Supposed to enjoy your mission. People can see through the whole trying to be perfect act. They're all so uptight they can't have an actual relationship with people or have the spirit. But I'm just glad I finally got this whole mission thing figured out. Having so much fun and still hitting the standard. Its great! Interviews with President are this week. I'm really excited for them. Let him know what's up and get to talk for a little bit.

Definitely getting fed alot though. Samoans are great. Kind of weird, because when we go to their houses we just sit at the table with the dad and he talks to Lameta in Samoan the whole time. So I just chill eat and wait to say "Oklahoma". It's fun though. They hook us up all the time with food. Randomly get knocks at the door at night and they drop off food. But I still haven't gained ANY weight. Still 220. Gonna hit 200 by my year mark. That's the goal anyway. lol

Good to hear my grandmas are doing better though. Pretty crazy how quick all that stuff with Nana happened.

But a month away from hitting a year of going to the MTC. Sooo crazy! But things are great. Couldn't be happier right now. Love you Momma!

Talk to you on Sunday! :)

April 18th, 2011

Hey!

Glad to hear you enjoyed all the letters. It was really cool. Not much has happened this week. Kind of slow. We only have 3 people left to teach after all these baptisms. But for the transfer Elder Wiehl and I have had the most baptisms in a transfer this stake has ever had. The record was 7 and we had 10 in the 6 weeks. Very exciting. Real happy with how i'll be leaving the area. Transfers are in 2 days. I know I'm leaving for sure. Elder Wiehl will more than likely be staying and training again. President told me I would finally be Senior Companion. Way excited. Last two weeks have been tough. I'm ready to be running the show again. It's been hard to take a backseat to Wiehl, because we have similar teaching styles and both of us like to lead. So I've been sitting the bench most lessons. Horner and Sharp never really cared about teaching so I always did the majority of it. So I'm excited to be running the area again after being retrained and getting my stuff together. Things are going real well. I'll give you ALL the details on transfer, my new area, and my new companion next week. Im way tired and want to go chill on Pday. We got some ropes and have been roping Elders with them. Have had so much fun this transfer with Elders Burkard and Wiehl. Theyre like the only normal missionaries out here who arent aspiring to leadership or that are being disobedient. So kind of a bummer to leave when they're both staying. But it's all good. It'll all work out either way. :)

Brandon

April 11, 2011

Oh wow! Sorry fam I spoke too soon. I have a few more reasons for why the Utah Salt Lake City Mission is the best, and all the other missions can sit the bench. This was the most faith building week I've had so far on my mission. Great week.

So far on my mission I've just taught people and got them baptized. I haven't had to spritually exert myself to make things happen. They were just golden investigators and they wanted to be baptized. But, with the Standard of Excellence and the goals we have now, we are always praying and exercising our faith so that we'll have the things we need to happen. This week we had Myah get baptized. But in order to hit the Standard for the 5th week, we needed to find someone who was ready for baptism...in just a week. So on Thursday we were feeling terrible. Just ungrateful for everything we had and we really were just being ridiculous. Elder Wiehl was upset with how Wednesday had gone. (Had a baptismal Interview, 3 lessons w/ people, and added someone) I was complaining too, but i told him how if any other mission had that kind of night they would be so excited. So we needed to be grateful for those things. So we doubled our faith and started praying that we'd find someone for baptism.

We knew of a family (Kyle's) That had 4 unbaptized children that were way active. Jessica has her YW medallion already. She's 14 and not a member. Amazing family. But the dad has social anxiety real bad. Really bad. Like 4 months ago I went by their house convinced I would be the missionary to have him get it together. lol It didn't happen. Sister Kyle said that "if we were there for her kids we wouldnt get anywhere just like the other missionaries from the past 6 years" So we gave up until a week ago. We just got lucky and helped them unload some things they were moving and chilled with the fam. No gospel talk. Did that a couple more times, just dropped by and ate some cookies. Had amazing talks with the dad. Really cool guy as long as hes not in crowds. But before we left, Elder Wiehl was impressed and told him that we felt like we could help them get there kids baptized and we wanted to do that. Bro Kyle went straight white. lol We thought we messed up. The next time we saw the fam, we chatted about weather and sports and nothing really for an hour and a half. This was the same Thursday that I had said we needed to double our faith. Before we went in I said the most sincere prayer that he would be okay with baptism. As I walked to the door I felt the Spirit so strong, like in the middle of testimony meeting walking up. I knew it was gonna work out, but nothing happened while we were there. Nothing. I was so confused. But as we walked out. He followed us out the door and said he had thought about what we had said and wanted to baptize his kids before they moved in two weeks. I went nuts. So amazing. All four of them are going down next Saturday. One is 8 so we get 3 of them. We'll have 9 for the transfer. :) And SOE for 5 weeks. So blessed. Just because we hit a trial doesnt mean we moan about it. We double our faith and act. Lord will bless us. So grateful for this miracle. It was amazing.

But that's nothin. This was our stake conference weekend. Bishop Burton (Presiding Bishop) was coming. So I figured I'd shake his hand or something say hi and that'd be it. No big deal or anything. But before adult session we were shaking hands and kissing babies as everyone walked in and he walked by. He shook Wiehls hand and threw his arm around me and told me he loved my tie and for me to call him when i took it to DI (Deseret Industries) so he could pick it up. It was pretty cool. I was laughing so hard. Wiehl and I both had our new ties on and we were fighting about who had the better one. So I'm pretty sure I won. So I thought I had my cool moment with Bishop. But it wasn't over yet. The days before conference i was praying that I'd be able to say something at some point to a leader that would really get the work going. We were having trouble finding new people, and with my last miracle I really wanted to share it and tell people how there were those out there for them to touch. Maybe just tell a bishop or something. BUT after stake Pres Rosenlof spoke he said "Bishop Burton would now like to hear from Elder Orr...and liste two other people." It was awesome! I felt like they had told me a week ago and I had been preparing for it. I wasn't nervous at all. It was SICK (You're welcome :) i guess i say it a lot now.lol) I got to talk to a little over 1000 people about the miracles we had been having and I even got a lil choked up. It was great. So cool. I didn't even think about anything I would say, just shot from the hip. I think it was the best testimony I have ever born.

So once again I thought I had my cool experience with Bishop. lol But after conference I needed to drop off a progress record to the Stake Pres. We walked in the High Council room, told him about the stuff that was going on, and Bishop Burton was in there and invited us to have lunch with them in-between sessions. It was soo cool. Just us, the stake presidency, and Bishop Burton. We just talked about home and how well the work was going. I was so happy. Pres. Rosenlof was talking us up and said how there wasn't any work going on before I had been there. It was kind of unexpected, but very appreciated. President Rosenlof is a lot like Dorpa. Alot. So it was an amazing day and week. So blessed! 9 baptisms in a transfer and 16 for 16 this year as far as baptizing every week. All the Lord baby. I love prayer!

Love you guys so much. Almost through 5 transfers. Time is flying.

Elder Orr

April 4, 2011

Alright So I'll be accepting applications for the best mission in the world, because I'm pretty sure Utah Salt Lake City Mission is hands down the best. :)So check this....I spent all weekend at conference by the reflection pool and going to most of the sessions in the Conference Center. I got the Presiding Bishop to come to my stake conference and have a special meeting with my investigators. I'm baptizing a lot, and living in amazing basements with members who have homemade bread ready for us every night when we come home. Then after a weekend like that we have 3 baptisms Sunday at 6. (Solid German family) Then we went and said a prayer in the car and in 2 hours found a family of 4 to teach and put one more person on date, to hit our goals and get the Standard of Excellence for the 3rd week in a row and it's our 5th baptism in 4 weeks. So this mission is obviously the best. :) I still wonder what I did to deserve the blessings I'm receiveing. Still can't believe I'm in this mission. I walk around temple square and am just in awe of how lucky I am to be serving here. Hands down the best.

We were stranded on temple square in the rain Saturday night. Had no ride home to West Valley so we stopped this Tongan. He was headed to Provo, but he took us anyway. Gave the four of us a ride AND bought us some 5 Guys (burger place) on the way there. It was an awesome night.

Conference was amazing though. Recieved some revelation on some things I've been thinking about lately. It was awesome. During Elder Scott's talk, I believe. But it blew my mind. Holland tore it up, but I'm gonna have to say Uchtdorf's talk in Priesthood, for the second conference in a row, was my favorite. Every time that guy opens his mouth its like he's talking to me. It was great. But the most spirtually on fire I've ever been at conference, besides Priesthood Session with dad when I was 12 at the conference center. That was when Elder Holland said "One way or another the voice of the lord WILL be heard!" It was great.

But I was thinking about it and I'm pretty sure when I went to priesthood with dad and we sang We Thank Thee Oh God For A Prophet as the closing song. It was when Hinkley was sick so it was a little cooler. But im gonna put that on the board of the moment I knew the church was true.

But I love you Momma thanks for the package and the card. The stuff was perfect. I love getting the Oklahoma jerky and cookies. I miss Oklahoma a lot. But You're the best mom. I'm really thankful for you and dad the more and more I'm out. People out here do a pretty bad job raising their kids most of the time. And I am sooo blessed to be your son.

Brandon