Elder Brandon Orr

Wednesday, July 6, 2011

On exchanges!

Breakfast on July 4th as a District with the Pulu Family.

July 5, 2011!

Whats up Fam!

I've been having tons of fun lately. Had a really good week. Elder Lameta and I's time together is almost up. I have transfer on the 13th. So excited. It's kind of a bummer that I will stay here again. 4 and a half months in 2 wards.. I'm losing it. lol I feel like I know everyone. It's weird, I'm not used to it for sure. I'd like to go back to covering a whole stake or two. Not just two wards. But lots of things are going to be changing this upcoming transfer. President Winn is moving a lot of leaders around since we arent doing the best as a mission right now.(We're ONLY baptizing 50 a week...lol) I love my mission!

I am 3 weeks from htting a year. It's so weird. The mission is just life now and it's going by so fast. I'm kind of at a weird point in my mission though. I'm not trunky or anything, and I'm not green at all, so I'm just content with where im at right now and having a lot of fun. The only struggle I've been having lately is just really loving my investigators. I never thought that would be a problem. I feel like I'm baptizing people just because it's my job and to set an example for my Elders, and not because I truly love them. It's just hard right now to have a special relationship with people because you teach them for 3 weeks and then it's on to the next one. I'm almost not really pumped for baptisms anymore. It's just what we have every Saturday... I'm not being prideful. Just losing how special it is in the fact that it happens every week. I'm working on it though!

BUT I have found a new thing that I absolutley love. Being a leader is the biggest blessing right now. I have been able to help a lot of the elders in my dstrict lately. It's been the best. Idk how but whatever it is I'm saying is helping them. I talked to an Elder today only because he saw how much his companion changed after talking to me about the mission and what he needed to do to be happy. It was awesome. It's weird how everytime I talk to an Elder I think, "I just did absolutley nothing for that kid." But they start turning it around and improve. Sooo cool. :) So even though I'm struggling loving my investigators (gosh that sounds terrible!) I have never been more happy on my mission than right now helping these Elders. It's THE best.

For transfers though I'm going to be staying here in the Pioneer Stake pretty much for sure. And I'm crossing my fingers I'm a DT (District Leader/Trainer) There are lots of English kids coming in. But whatever, I just do what I'm told. I'm doing good. Happy to hopefully be done in the Samoan program soon lol Being 230lbs is not fun. I love you all and imma keep tearing it up as always.

Elder Orr

P.S. Sorry I never really talk about scripture stuff or quote things throughout my letters from the scriptures or send you tons of spiritual stuff. I'm not really into the whole sharing stuff just to share it. I mean, you guys know the scriptures so there is no need for me to expound on King Benjamin or anything. So just in case you're wondering I am learning stuff and getting a stronger testimony. Learning lots! But I'd rather just share the highlights and the big stuff. Sorry if that's what youre wanting. :/ I read other Elders blogs from my mission and think "My family and friends probably think I'm out here just having fun" haha But if you aren't having fun with the gospel and enjoy being a member, then whats the point? You know what I mean? For instance, and I quote "Adam fell that men might be and men are that they might have JOY" haha There's some scripture mastery action for ya. :)

I'm just being me and sharing the gospel. I love it. Not putting a show on for people, I just love and a simple, powerful testimony. THAT is how you baptize. I don't know what I'm trying to say other than, just because I'm out having more fun than anyone, still have a personality and joke around a lot doesn't mean I'm not spiritually on fire right now. I love this church. I love being a missionary. I love my Savior.

Now go share your testimony, it's not hard if you're just yourself and talk about it like you actually have one. Share what you know. What is there to be afraid of when you know your right, and you have the Holy Ghost backing you up?? (Mosiah 28:3) Read it and live it! Love you family. I miss you so much. Enjoy the heat. Cant wait for August and to have Shelbz out here!

Brando

June 29, 2011

Hey

This week was good. I've just been busy with the district and keeping things afloat. I had a lot of issues earlier in the transfer, but Elders are really making a lot of progress. It's amazing how I'm actually able to help these guys. It's really weird when I'm talking to a former ZL that was in my zone when I first started my mission. But it's fun. I'm enjoying it a lot, giving trainings and everything.

I'm glad you all were able to meet Elder Wiehl! Just to hear some stories and talk to him. He's a really good guy. Kept me in line. lol But I don't know where the work ethic question came from.(Elder Wiehl asked where Brandon got his good work ethic from.) When I read it I was like "What work ethic?" haha jk :) But I have gotten better. I'll always remember Dad going through my binder a long time ago and finding a paper that said I admired Derek Jeter because of his work ethic and then dad got on me me for not having one and doing bad in school. So yeah.. I'm trying to step my game up and work like a Orr. :)

Next Tansfer is July 13th.

It's not official but I'm coming home July 25th next year.

Glad to hear about Austin.(Austin's knees have been bugging him. We took him in, and everything seems to be fine. He just needs to quit growing!) I was definelty worried about him. He better not be 6' 3". I can't even imagine him being as big as me. Whatever though.. he could be 6' 4". But I still don't have red hair. :)

Oh and get yourself out with the missionaries! :)

Brandon Thomas

June 20, 2011

Hey!

Things are going great. Happy Father's Day!!

This week has been wonderful. We had our two day leadership meeting on Tuesday and Wednesday. It was so good. We have the best mission presidency you could ever ask for. The taught us all kinds of new things. I am so blessed to be in leadership. I felt pretty bad most of the time though because they kept talking about how there were 14 companions with no one on date and how that is almost impossible to do in this mission. Well.. I was one of them.... :(

So as of Wednesday night we had 2 progressing investigators, and NO ONE on date. And at the end of Sunday night. We had a miracle baptism, 3 investigators on date, and 7 progressing investigators!!! We went from the worst in the mission to one of the few to hit the standard of excellence this week! Completely Amazing. So blessed. I feel like the Lord had pity on us and gave us all this new work. lol But its so great right now. I shouldn't be saying that because my district is doing awful and my car was stolen my one of the elders in my district about an hour ago. This elder went nuts because Lameta was making fun of him. Lameta said Samoa was better than Hawaii, and the kid flipped and took my car. So everything isn't going the best, but I'm happy and that's all that matters. But I have to go and handle some stuff. haha Cant wait :)

Oh and I ran into a mom of an investigator Wiehl and I taught in West Valley City. The mom told me how her daughter didn't want to be baptized now because the new missionaries aren't taking their time with her and aren't as understanding as Wiehl and I were. Mom wants me to come and teach her daughter as soon as I can. It's a pretty sweet feeling knowing that, but I have to get the girl converted to the Church and not Wiehl and I . It is still always a blessing to hear you're doing a good job from your investigators. I miss West Valley so much. Oh and you guys too. :)

Hope everything is going good.

Brandon Thomas

Saturday, June 18, 2011

"Before my first training as District Leader.. Sooo professional."

"My new Eli Young Band t-shirt! :)"

"Doing a little service."

June 6th, 2011

Hey

So being a DL is not exactly fun....But definitely a learning experience! They just kind of throw you in there with not a lot of direction on what's happening. I'm pretty much just learning as I go. My first training last Friday was pretty good. I had a lot of fun with the Elders, trying to get them involved and have some fun. Most of the trainings aren't the best because Elders are just trying to impress the Zone Leaders. I don't know if it was the right thing to do or not, but I just got up and told them I wasn't doing any of this stuff for anyone but them. I told them I would be real with them, and that I wouldn't act like an almighty District Leader. No one likes to do what someone says when they act like they are better than you. I don't know, I was kind of being chill and letting them do things their way and letting them understand the consequences. I can't make them be obedient or work hard. I just told them it was there choice if they were going to do it or not. Blessings or No Blessings, Happiness or No happiness. Then I quoted Luke 6:46. Pretty awesome.

I'm kind of learning a lot about myself. I'm not a big motivator or inspiring leader, I'm just plain, honest, and to the point. My missionaries love it because I'm just a normal guy with them, but some people see it as not taking it serious. They haven't said anything, they just give off that impression. It's almost like they think you shouldn't be having fun and still getting your stuff done. It sometimes upsets me, but it's all good. I guess it really doesn't matter as long as we hit our goals at the end of the day.

It's been way stressful though. My companion, is still pretty miserable, and I don't know what to do. If I want to be obedient and work, he's fine with it but he's just a shadow of himself. He's not there. He just doesn't care or want to say anything when we go anywhere. We don't really have the Spirit when we teach. It's just hard, because he's one of my best friends out here and I'm not really the type to jump on someone for not doing stuff, especially with Lameta. He doesn't do well with that. He will just go silent for days and won't do anything when people get mad at him; doesn't respond to it at all. There's just no motivation.

I know I could get mad and make him work, that's no problem. But I love the kid. I want him to do what makes him happy. I don't want him to be miserable out here. I just feel like my hands are tied until he decides he wants to work. Our area is just about dead, not because of him, it's just down really bad right now. But, I think I'll try to slowly, one step at a time, get him back to being effective and loving the work. I hated doing that with Sharp. I felt like I wasted a transfer, but I don't think I love another guy in the world more than Elder Sharp after that transfer. I sacrificed a lot of my mission to help him and now he is tearing it up. He's doing so good! The change I've seen in him has been worth way more than most of my baptisms to me. I'm just not sure if I can do all that again haha.. Who knows.. maybe that's why we stayed together this transfer. The Lord knew I would take the time to do it. I just don't know. Love you.

Brandon Thomas