6/24/2013

A small preface to the response about Daxton and what he said about Brennan:  Daxton is Brennans cousin.  We go to Park city every summer as a family.  Last summer Brennan bought a couple of little plastic RAMS for Travis to put in his office at HHS.  One was a Blue Smurf Ram and one was a Warrior Ram.  They are pretty cool.  This year on our trip Daxton went to the toy store and started his own collection of Ram toys because he wants to be like Brennan he told me.  When I asked him if he knew why Brennan was on a mission he said no so I told him that the reason Brennan is on a mission is because it is the right thing to do.  I said he went on a mission so that when Daxton and his other cousins are getting ready to  serve a mission that they will know they should because Brennan did because it was the right choice. So this is a good reminder that we never know who is watching and how much we really mean to them.

Wow that was really cool to hear about Daxton I am pretty sure he used to call me Brittan didn't even know that he knows my name.

 

So the Birthday thing... yeah don't worry about my birthday just send me some cool emails with pictures and maybe a few conference talks I can print out and study and give me to read when I am bored. I feel really bad I haven't writtne you all more I just need them to sent a tiny little email under their own names so that I don't feel like I am writing you everything I am saying to them I am also working on handwritten cards for all of you I just have to figure out where I should mail them out. The miami adress totally works I think the post office just messes up or can't figure it out so they send it back sometimes. They haven't sent me any dear elders and sometimes they bring down a few letters when somebody comes down to the islands, but for the most part I maybe get a few letters every transfer just a little hard to get them down here I guess.

 

Yeah that conference last night was absolutely amazing I learned so much and a lot of what was taught were answers to questions I have had. I really loved the video with the family and children of all ages going through all of their day's and the missionary work they did. I hope my family can be like that someday.

 

So this next part is just for Brea: Brea tell me how it was to go to the temple? was the walk fun? and how is softball? the other day I showed my companion a picture of you and I pointed out your cool magic eyebrow it is pretty awesome he was so pumped says he wants an eyebrow like that. I think about you often and hope you are really enjoying all the fun that you get to have with our family. so lately what has your favorite song been and why? and what was the funniest thing that happened in park city? I love you brea this week write me a little email just from you and I will be able to talk a little more.

 

 Next is for Brittan: Hey bud I heard about Boise and it sounds like you did awesome so I have a funny story for you the other day I was showing a thirteen year old girl investigator some pictures of our family the ones we took pretty close to right before I left and she was looking at them and thought I was you and I said no that isn't me she then said,"Why aren't you in your own picture with your family I can't find you in it it sdoesn't make sense" I then told her I am the guy in the purple shirt. and she replied, " No way you used to actually have muscles and my companion and I just started laughing our heads off haha I guess I must have shrunk a little bit since I left. I hope you got to see some of the mission conference last night it is probably one of the most important meetings that will ever take place during our lives it was very inspired every last part of it the stories and the videos I know it is what all of us as members in the church need to apply in our lives. So give me a heads up on what you have been up so and how was the sky coaster. Dying to hear from you love you britt!..................

 

ok back to the family letter. I have been doing good learning lots about myself and found out that if we pray to God to ask us to be happy doing his will throughout the day he actually helps us to feel more peace and enjoy his work. I have been thinking a lot about what is really going to make me happy in my life with all temporal goals set aside and I know by what I have learned that my only true happiness comes from reconginzing I am a son of God, remembering that, and trying to live like his only begotten son lived. I feel like I am unhappy when I am not trying to develop attributes of Christ. That is what I need to do to be happy with myself.  Prayer has also become very important for me so that I can know what I am doing and preaching is true and I have got to pray for faith and then live faithfully showing through obediance that I believe these things are ture. Love you all so much! Elder Bell

Curacao - 6-18-2013 Week 1

Hey mom! how are you all after the fun week? I am doing great this island is completely different than Boinare two hundred thousand people very very busy haha. Two elders from Aruba were over here for a day so they could get their visas cleared and then go back and we had a blast we played two on two in basketball....wow I am so terrible at basketball ha but I got tons of rebounds on the bright side of things :)

 

The branch here is pretty big and we have a building that was actually made by the church and not rented so that is cool. I guess our main work here is working with all the less active member because there is a ridiculous amout of those here. I don't know exactly what happened but at one point in time there were twelve missionaries here and five branches they split the branches and the church kind of fell apart and they pulled all those missionaries out and there were not any missionaries for about two years so many people went in active.

 

My new companion's name is Elder Irizarry he is from arizona and he is probably the most outgoing companion I have had really fun to be around. I feel bad for him though because I am such a terrible driver ha I have almost killed us a couple of times, I hope he can one day get home to his family safe. Traffic is pretty ridiculous here and we have a pretty powerful car and I am so out of driving mode. Elder Irizarry plays lacrosse so that was pretty cool to find out I think he has fifteen months as a missionary right now too.

 

 It was weird getting on another plane just to go to my next area I guess I better just get used to it because I found out that I do go to aruba for sure in two transfers.

 

Our two baptisms last weekend were totally awesome and I will send as many pictures as I can next p-day. Right now we are praparing two investigators for baptisms on the 29th of this month pretty exciting and we are going to find some amazing people who are prepared for the gospel this week. there are a whole lot more places to look for people on this island so that is exciting.

 

Tell britt and brea to write me when they get a little bit of time about what has been going on I love you all so much! , Elder Bell

Pictures June 10, 2013

BonAire June 2013

To Dad - Fathers Day 2013

I am working on your father's day letter it will be there late but you should be getting a hand written one soon. That experience sounds absolutely amazing.  (Temple walk 2013) I am so happy they were all able to do it. So did Brittan run a lot of it then. Sounds like he was trying to hurry. haha Way to finish. I hope your foot gets better soon. It is interesting that it got hurt on the thirteenth mile. Every time I think of thirteen miles I think of when you broke that record for the wrestling team at Rick's. I love you father you are amazing and I appreciate the lessons you have taught me as well as the work ethic you have to provide for our family. I often wonder how your mission was as I serve my own mission and it makes me proud to remember that we have both served the Lord in the missionfield. We have really put emphasis in the branch with visiting. That is something I now recognize I must fulfill with in the future if I want to be a Righteous Priesthood holder and be a real servant to our Heavenly Father. I have learned so many lessons here from fathers not doing their job or playing their role in the family and It fills me will gratitude to know that you play the role in my life that you need to to help me grow strong and obedient. I think obedience is the most important think for me out here it helps me develop the other attributes of Christ I need. This church is about developing the body of Christ which are his saints. Thank you so much I love you dad!

6/10/2013

 This week we have a baptism Ellery and Nurgia are awesome they will be the first Bonaire born couple to ever join the church here.

 This week I wrecked on my bike trying to carry a cantalope in one hand got to a turn and was going to fast stall on my front tire because I hit the front brakes too hard and held up traffic as many cars were behind me. I am ok, but my pride may have been hurt...just a little bit haha.

What else...we have been trying really hard to get people to do their visits here because that basically has not been existent.

 I leave to Curcao monday! sounds like a lot of fun 250,000 people on that little island so lots more to do and I get a car every single day :) yesssss I am sad to leave bonaire but I have worked hard here and don't have any regrets.

 Today we thought we were going golfing...it didn't happen ahhhhhh that means I won't be golfing in the Caribbean any time soon .Love you mom sending some pictures your way.

Summer is here too and it is very hot ha.  We have been having a harder time here again with finding people to teach but at least three of the people we started teaching six weeks ago are coming to church every week and two of them get baptized on the 15th two days before I transfer to Curcao.

 

Today we drove to the national park here on the island and got some awesome pictures that I will send next week. We have been having a lot of fun here the people that do meet with us are amazing and I have been able to witness a lot of progress in the branch here. hopefully next monday we will go golfing with the branch president here if he has time to take us.

 

We have had such a blast teaching Ellery and Nurgia two bonairians that were very hesitant at first but through doing service projects for them and them putting in their effort to feel if this is the true church.They have some of the strongest testimonies I have seen and are very excited to be baptised. It is a very rewarding feeling to find people that will actually benefit from the church and work to help the Lord's kingdom become stronger. They are so much happier now than they were when I first met them and I was able to be part of helping them gain that happiness which is so exciting and rewarding to recognize

 

.Wrestling camp sounds like so much fun looking back on it I don't think there are alot of things that are more fun for me than going to a wrestling camp with all my friends there.

 

 This week I learned alot of things that have helped strengthen my testimony in the church in my personal scripture study and companionship study. I know that those are things that I want to continue doing the rest of my life. It is too uplifting and helpful for my to ever stop learning through studying the words of the prophets

 

.It is really strange now that I think in spanish first but mostly only talk in papiamentu really kind of messes with my head, and my english so when are you all in Park city? and how long? can I see a few pictures please? sorry for being so demanding but pictures are pretty much the funnest thing to receive. I bet it would be hard to focus with all of our family runing around like that it has got to be pretty hectic. Well mom I love you very very much I am going to try to answer bay and britt and dad's emails now have a wonderful week :)

Pictures that haven't made it here yet