Saying goodbye to OKC and hello to Alva!

HELLER!

I have officially been transferred to Alva, Oklahoma! It is pretty much Hurricane just a little more ghetto and isolated but other then that it is basically home! Here in Alva we have a branch because we aren't big enough for a ward. We had 34 people at church and that is counting every little child. I think they sing louder then the OKC 2nd ward though! Every one here is super nice and funny!

Monday and Tuesday consisted of me packing and saying goodbye to some of my favorite people from the OKC 2nd ward. I didn't realize how much stuff I actually had. When you serve in the city you tend to become a hoarder pretty much. For example, I came out on my mission with maybe 5 or 6 ties...I may or may not have between 30 and 40 now. OH WELL!

Wednesday I made sure I had all of my things packed and we got ready to go. The Sisters came and picked us up and took us to transfers. I was a little sad to leave my old area because I loved it so much and all the people I served with. Sister Johnson was sad Sister Snyder and I were leaving. Sister Johnson treated both of us like we were her kids so Sister Snyder and I say that we are basically siblings. We got to transfers and there was a bunch of people there! I went around and said hi with a lot of the missionaries I know from the MTC and just the mission in general. I took a lot of pictures with them too! Then I loaded my stuff up in the truck and my new companions and I headed to Alva. We carpooled with Woodward to transfers because it is a lot of miles so we took them to Fairview and then we went to Alva and they went to Woodward. It is about a 3 hour drive from OKC to Alva so I got to go from not driving to road trippin! I missed driving so much!

Instead of having Elder Smith and Elder Morgan as companions I have Elder Richey and Elder Morgan. We are really intimidating because we are all 6'4. Elder Richey is actually a little bit taller then Elder Morgan and I. I guess Elder Smith's area was going to become a sister area and the branch president wasn't about to have that so we got Elder Richey instead.

Elder Morgan came out with me and served in the same zone with me for about 3 months so we were already friends. He is from Rexburg Idaho and has been in Alva for 3 months. I am not sure why he isn't the senior companion but I'm not gonna argue about that :)

Elder Richey came out a transfer (6 weeks) after us. He is from Sacramento California so the little town of Alva is a little different for him. He is kind of a weird kid but he is super funny!

We are teaching a lady named Joy who is going to get baptized on February 13. She has given up cigarettes and is working on coffee right now. She has gone from 2 pots a day to half a pot. She said she is going to be off of it by the end of the month. She has so much faith! We think oh yeah give up coffee just stop drinking it! When she was little her mom put coffee in her baby bottle and she has been drinking coffee for 74 years. She is so awesome and has adopted Elder Richey and I as her new grandson's. She calls me Elder Kyler because she refuses to use our last names.

I have gone to Kansas already and we helped a member renovate his new house. We got to tear down some walls and I even found a dead rat behind the dry wall. Of course I took a picture, what's service without a souvenir picture?

On Friday night we had a Branch FHE and each of us missionaries were in charge of a little station. I got to tell the story of Nephi when he broke his bow and then help the kids build little pencil bows. I kept it under control and they only shot at the target! I made a new little friend. His name is Cade and he is 7 years old. He sat with me throughout the FHE and read the scriptures/ate sweedish fish with me!

On Sunday we had to teach a primary class. We tried so hard but it was impossible for 3 of us missionaries to keep them under control. We ended up playing simon says and the quiet game for 30 minutes. While playing simon says we told them to sit in their chair, be quiet, fold their arms, and close their eyes.

I really like Alva! It is going to be so much fun being in a trio!

I hope you have a great week! Remember to read your scriptures and say your prayers!

Sincerely Elder Brisk :)

That is all.

Some of my favorite people I will miss so much!

The Parkinson's

 The Judy's

 The Gates

Sister Walker

 Brother Mueller

 The Wedendorf's

The Lusk's

The Middleton's 

 Brother Kidwell

 Elder Steed (My mission Grandma)

 Elder Van Halder and Debenham

 This is Elder Smith. I was really looking forward to being companions with him since he stayed at our apartment the night they flew in to Oklahoma from the MTC (Elder Karr and I baby sat him)

 Elder Thomas

 Sister Johnson

 Sister Snyder

Elder Neves

Our apartment fit for 1 person but has 3 of us :)

 Elder Richey and Morgan are hilarious! Elder Morgan likes to play nose goes for EVERYTHING!!

This is my new ride! Not really a truck just a car with a bed.

DEAD RAT!

 

Kansas

 Alva hasn't upgraded all of their street lights yet.

I am getting Transferred!

HELLER!

I AM GETTING TRANSFERRED!

My new address is:

Elder Brisk

914 Flynn Street #2

Alva, Oklahoma 73717

I am getting transferred to Alva Oklahoma which is very small. It is the most Northwestern part of the mission. I cover a huge area and we even go into Kansas. I will get shipped out Wednesday at 10am. I am so excited! I will be in a trio (2 Companions), live in a trailer home, and we have a truck and I am senior companion so I get to be the driver!! I miss driving so much!

This week we taught a lady named Carletta Davis! We had an awesome lesson on the Restoration and she told us we enlighten her so much! She really enjoys having us over to talk about the gospel. She will definitely get baptized!

On Saturday we had Ray and Yesika Cordier's baptism! It was the best baptism ever! They got confirmed on Sunday and ever since they have been extremely happy and glowing! I am so thankful that I got to teach them from the beginning and help them work towards being baptized. Now Ray will hopefully be able to get the priesthood on Sunday and they can go do baptisms for the dead at the temple with the ward on Tuesday! I will most likely be able to go to the temple to support them!

On Friday I went on Exchanges with Elder Keller (one of my zone leaders) We had a really fun exchange and he helped me get everything setup for the baptism!

In 1 Nephi 10:18 it says; 

"For he is the same yesterday, today, and forever; and the way is prepared for all men from the foundation of the world, if it so be that they repent and come unto him."

I thought about how missionaries are always getting transferred around to different area's. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. Just like Christ is the same his church is going to stay the same. We are all commanded to share the gospel with EVERYONE! 

I challenge everyone to share the gospel with a non member by sharing your testimony, using social media, giving out a Book of Mormon, referring someone to the missionaries, However you do it doesn't matter. Just know that you will be blessed for sharing the happiness the gospel bring with others.

I will email from Alva, Oklahoma next week! Stay warm and safe!

Sincerely, Elder Brisk

That is all.

These are the cutest twins ever! They let me show them a pamphlet about Jesus

Ray and Yesika are the Newest Members of the Oklahoma City 2nd Ward

My last P-Day in the City was the best P day ever! I beat everyone at bowling!

I want to become like Nephi

HELLER!

I have been super tired this week because Elder Neves and I have been waking up at 5:30 every morning to go to planet fitness! At least we are exercising though!

My companion, Elder Neves, Only wears paisley patterned ties. Well on Sunday a old guy named Brother Logan in our ward gave us each a tie because he has like 50 billion and he can't tie them. Elder Neves and I were arguing about whose tie was better and I told him mine was better then the one he got and was wearing. Then we walked into Priesthood opening exercises and Brother Parkinson goes

"Nice tie, Where'd ya get it DI?" 

and because Elder Neves isn't from Utah he didn't get that his tie pretty much got called ugly but I got it and I started laughing. You could say that I won the battle of whose tie was better! 

This week was a little slow. We didn't have a whole lot of appointments so we have been trying to see a bunch of referrals. We have set up quite a few appointments with people this week and I am so excited to start teaching them. We have a good handful of potential investigators that will become investigators and then get baptized! Maybe not while I am here but they will be baptized!!

Speaking of not being here.. Transfers is on the 20th and it is getting closer and closer everyday. I am sooooooooo ready to get transferred to a new area because 6 months in an area is a little to much if not perfect. Don't get me wrong, I love the ward here and the people we are teaching. Plus I know how to get around all of the south side of OKC. I won't find out if I'm getting transferred or where I am getting transferred until the 17th. Trainers calls have now been moved to the second Monday before transfers. Tonight Elder Neves or I could get a call saying that we will be training a new missionary. I sure hope I don't have to train a new missionary because that would most likely mean I would stay in this area for 2 more transfers which would be 3 more months!

This week we were only able to teach Ray and Yesika once because Members think it is alright to cancel on us when they are already late. No worrys though because they are still on track to get baptized at 11 am on Saturday! I am so excited for them to get baptized because they have been ready since the day we met them! Ok maybe not the day we met them but they have been ready for a while! We would have had their baptism this past Saturday but having a baptism when there is a youth fireside/dance probably isn't the best idea.

We are still teaching Barbara, Josh, and Alexas and just incase they didn't live far away before, they decided to move to the very northwest of our area. Good thing we have a member that likes to come teach them with us because otherwise we would have to bike and I would probably get hit by a car because Oklahoman's do NOT know how to drive, and people think Utah drivers are bad.

On Friday Elder Neves and I decided to go OYM. OYM stands for Open Your Mouth. We tried to see a few referrals and we talked to a bunch of people walking home from school with their kids and we did awesome! We got 3 appointments setup just by doing that. Trying to OYM is hard! You never know what to say or what they person will say or anything!! You just have to not be afraid.

In D&C 33:8-10 it takes about opening your mouth. We have to put our trust in the Lord and have faith that we will have the spirit with us to tell us what we need to say.

I have been studying through 1 Nephi in the Book of Mormon and I have decided that I want to become like Nephi. He has so much faith and when the Lord commands him to do something he does it because we will never be commanded to do something we cannot do. (1 Nephi 3:7) Through all of his trials and afflictions his faith doesn't waver. He knows that as he lives righteously and follows the Lord's commandments he will be blessed.

Remember to read your scriptures!!! It doesn't matter how much we read everyday, it matters that we are reading it. Even if it is only a verse a day! Make it a habit to be in the Book of Mormon everyday! Read it in the morning, at night, at lunch. If you aren't a great reader you can download the Gospel Library App and listen to it while you go on road trips or to and from work.

We have been given the scriptures for a reason. USE THEM! I know that the Book of Mormon is true and I know that by reading it your testimony and faith will be strengthened. The way to return to our father in heaven is written over and over again throughout the scriptures. I know that you will be truly blessed as you study the scriptures individually and with your families!

I hope everyone has a great week and will learn something new in your scripture study!

Remember who you are, Make good choices!

Sincerely, Elder Brisk

P.S. Because I will most likely be getting transferred on January 20th. If you are trying to send me anything please mail it to the Oklahoma City Mission Office.

I will update my address as soon as I found out if I am getting transferred or not.

I will also be emailing on Tuesday the 19th next week due to MLK day.

That is all.

The 3 Basics

HELLER!

It is now starting to feel like winter. Really missing my good ole Honda right now.

Our district has been baptizing a lot of people lately. We had a baptism on Tuesday and Wednesday night and we are expecting 2 baptisms for us next week on Saturday.

The baptism on Wednesday really cool to witness. A lady named Kiki who has no legs made the decision to get baptized. We were all wondering how the baptism was going to work but they did it! They ended up having 2 people in the font with her and they set her in a chair. When they went to immerse her they lifted her up and pulled the chair out from underneath. Unfortunately she was holding on to Elder Steed so they had to redo it.

For her to make the decision to be baptized must have been more difficult then anyone else. She knew that being baptized was the next step for her and she wasn't about to let her handicap stop her. I thought back to when we were teaching Terry Stephens and how he said he couldn't get baptized because of his medical issues. I realized that he wasn't ready to be baptized even though I thought he was. I know that we did our part in teaching him through the spirit but it just wasn't his time.

We were playing sports the morning of New Years Eve and Elder Curay dislocated his knee cap! It was so gross! The ambulance and everything came and gave him some pain medicine and took him to the hospital where he got his knee cap popped back into place. He has a huge brace on now. I will attach some pictures!

On Friday I went on exchanges to Mustang again but this time I was with Elder Van Halder. He is so cool and he is OCD just like me. We decided that we need to be companions. We went and visited a few families because our appointment canceled and it was really awkward. The family we visited was just a mother and her son and they were arguing while we were there. We got to help them with there storage shelf and then we got out of there. It was a fun experience.

Also for all you Hurricane kids or anyone who knows about the Bull at Baristas. Take a look at the pictures below :)

This fast and testimony meeting I bore my testimony on the basics. We can be at peace and have joy by doing the basics which are saying our daily prayers, reading our scriptures daily, and going to church every week. By doing those things we will increase our testimonies, faith, and knowledge of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

I have been living the gospel diligently for the past 5 months now and I can honestly say that the gospel will make you happy. Those 3 basic things are so important and most of the time we put them aside. I hope you made a good New Year resolution to be more involved in the gospel and improve where you are slacking.

As much as I love Christmas and bringing in the New Year, I am glad that it is over. As a missionary it is the hardest time of the year, at least to me. We have quite a few appointments set up and I am excited for the coming week!

I hope everyone enjoyed their holiday! 

Sincerely, Elder Brisk

That is all.

Exchanges with Elder Van Halder!

Elder Curay's knee!! He didn't even cry but he was in a lot of pain!

This is how I wake my companion up after lunch time! :)

Hurricane isn't the only place with an animal statue! This one is just missing the "Party Hat"