07/22/2013

I wish I could have gone to that reception that would have been so cool!  (James Esplin) I am excited to hear about your calling that really will be awesome. I think those callings are the most important ones in the church I feel like in my home and in primary classes it where I gained the majority of my testimony. I like the looks of Brea's cake, but I have got to ask.. What is it? haha

 

 This week was interesting we were told to try and change our apartment and the landlord flipped and was threatening us with lawsuits and and saying it violates some contract I have never even seen and he has no signature on it. Then later that sunday evening our microwave lit on fire so I got to live my five year old dream and put it out with a pot of water... after I had already unplugged it don't worry haha. I finally weighed over 170 last week but I got it back to 165 again ha I don't feel any bigger so I don't get how I weigh so much. Last Monday the car battery died and wouldn't jump start and no one from the branch came to help us so we got home at 11 at night which is really late for us and the best part is I got to ride in a tow truck :).Ugh the last two sets of elders on this Island didn't service the car so I get the priviledge of doing it the beginning of nest trasfer on P-day!wooo hoooo....This week was a little unique I guess you could say. Whats cool is after hard days and weeks I have always been blessed with awesome new people to teach and be friends with. We have this awesome 21 year old young man named Omar that is so awesome he has been struggling to believe in God and once he read about the Book of Mormon and Joseph Smith's situation he lost all doubts and really described how powerfully he feels theSpirit when he Reads it and asks us questions. I really lke how cool he is about it all and honest too it makes it so much fun to visit him and really just be his friend. I have really been thinking about how cool it is going to be to come home and share my experiences with you in a little while. Time goes so fast when I just get lost in the work.

 

 And mom...what do you mean the salmon only had a few bones...? you trying to be euphimistic? haha. I found out today that the beginning of next transfer I will be elder Montgomery's comp again so that is cool even though I really like having new companions all the time. Mom and dad what size of shirts do you wear? And just to let you know I solved the debit card thing so don't worry about that they have it cleared for all these islands. I can't think of a whole lot of new things now. I love you all so much have a great week!

7/15/2013

Mommyyyyyy! How is everything today?! I cleaned up a huge mess today in our apartment I found tons of maggots eating something rotten and it smelled horrible and also  my companion has had tons of problems with his skin and now he has bed bugs :\ very miserable for him but he keeps working hard it is awesome.

 

 Lets see this last week we said goodbye to Jasmine as she left to Holland and I accidentally ate ice cream that had alcohol in it.. which stinks because I never broke the word of wisdom until my mission.. I am such a tig  ha. We are starting to teach a venezuelan family and they havve a dog that looks like emmy it is really weird.

 

This week I noticed something really funny in elders quorum meeting abnd me and my companion coud not stop laughing for the longest time. Well I hope you guys understand what I am saying. There are these two Older high priests that we noticed are part of a pattern in every ward they are the two old smart ones that make jokes that only they get and they sit there and giggle and act like little kids as they joke with each other and then I realized it makes me feel like I am at home bcause there are usually two older men like that in every single ward in the church. At least the ones I have been in and elder Irizarry too because he could not stop laughing after I told him.

 

 Something else that has been concerning us is that  we have three women who are ready for baptism and come every single week , but there husbands will not give consent which is so frusrtating for them. One of them bore a testimony about the church in the investigator class and when she finished there was not a single person the wasn't crying. She shared the desires of her heart in that testimony and it was true and she said she will endure until the end of her life and you could feel that she really meant what she was saying.

 

 One more cool thing we came to a less active woman's house for an appointment with her the other night and no one was there, but a nineteen year old boy was sitting there watching a movie and he was either ignoring us or really really into the movie. Well, we decided he needed to acknowledge us at least so we said hey you on the couch! and he immediately came to the door and seemed excited to meet with us he then asked us some awesome questions about the Plan of Salvation and he said he felt like something about what we were saying was putting a broken puzzle together that he has had in his head all of his life and he also said he wants to be baptized. I am really hoping he will remember those feelings he has had because I have the same kind of thing happen before and people lose their fire if they don't act upon what the Holy ghost has told them. That has happened to me many times in my life as I ponder upon the things I have felt, heard, said... but what have I actually done? and acted upon/ I invite you all to think and pray about that too I am praying about it and recognizing that I am becoming more converted, even though it can be very hard.

 

I love you a ton have a great week!

07/08/2013

Hey!!!! So this week has been pretty good we went on splits yesterday and I went out with the elders quorum President. He can be really stubborn and only really wanted to visit less active members which is good because that is the focus for missionary work in the islands right now, but what was really cool was seeing him get excited when we had opportunities to make contacts when we couldn't find the members. He was quiet at first but got really pumped to teach investigators that we found together and the hearts of those people were very open because of him being there as a witness of how the gospel has changed his life and he would talk about what the young missionaries of our church really do.

 

 Jasmine our last baptism had a little slip up with the word of wisdom which was really scary for her sister and us, and she totally held strong after she slipped up and met with president and is doing a whole lot beter now she goes back to Holland this thursday though so that is kind of sad to have to say goodbye to her.

 

Someone new that we have been teaching is so amazing his name is Rudolph and he is from here about 53 years old and really has a lot of desire to make changes in his life. He works  as a guard at the prison her and always has some really crazy stories for us ha. This sunday he had the night shift before church so he stayed up all night and went from work to church without even taking the time to eat or sleep and when he got here he realized he still had his firearm on he said this to Elder Irizarry and was kind of nervous because  I guess he has rules that he has to have it with him at all times. So he was worried we wouldn't let him in elder Irazarry said as long as it didn't go off it will be ok.. but hopefully he won't bring it next time ha. He is now fighting on leaving behing smoking and had a miracle last week he said he lit five cigarettes in a row and they were all bad and made him cough and he couldn't take it so he even tried switchin brands and all the cigarettes he lit he couldn't smoke either. Really cool to see him act upon his desires to be baptized probably one of the most dedicated people I have met yet and I know if he really wants to change God will help him do what he wants to do.

 

What else...oh yeah for my Birthday I was thinking maybe I will just go get a check up at the Dentist's in Aruba when I get there and use my debit card I just need you make sure I don't flag it so can you help me out with what I need to do with that please? :) I am so grateful that Shane and Kris did that for me I really appreciate that and I know it has really help you and dad relieve some stress! I will pray about the house you are renting out. hmmmmmmmm hwat else.. yeah I wrote down a bit in the letters I am going to scan and send to each one of you so I will leave it at that for now love you a bunch!

The ward in Curacao, Baptism in Curacao, the last baptism in BonAire

7/1/2013

Next time I am going to send messages to people individually, I didn't get time to today because we just had a problem that ate up our time. We ordered pizza and realized we had no money with us and went to three ATMS that weren't working.

 

 This past week has been good we have had some really good contacts that we kind of got just from talking to people so that was cool and they are all pretty excited to visit the church. I got to confirm Jasmine Yesterday that was the first confirmation I have ever done and it was a very cool experience.

 

Today we went to the national park and saw some really cool blow holes and I kind of got in the ocean because a wave snuck up on me in a cave....ha this Branch is really cool they speak tons of papiamentu and I really feel like I am getting pretty good at it. I speak it before spanish now..it isn't a very expressful language though so Spanish is better communication.

 

 Brittan turned into a tank top kid huh ;) haha I am glad to hear the wrestling camp went so well and to hear that bay and brea are enjoying softball. Actually the ocean can get a little old if you look at it every day , but you can't get in or whenever you ride by it on bikes in church cltohes too haha

 

 I love you all so much I finally got all your handwritten letters done so now I just have to send them. I wish I could be there in  St. George beating Brittan and Dad at wrestling matches in the pool...... I love you alll have a wonderful week! :)

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