We're Half Way There!!!

On January 15, 2015 Brayden will have been out in the mission field of one year. This is commonly called his hump day.  We are sending him half and half pizza from Dominos. I'm not sure how time can fly so quickly and crawl at such a slow pace at the same time?

January 12, 2015

Oh yea I hit my year mark. That's cool! Love you! :) So much! I think this will also be my weekly email. Too lazy to write this all again. Hope I answered all your questions. :) I love you ! 

Thursday is a great day for some pizza lunch :) Elder Bilmire and I both like meat pizza. No olives or mushrooms. For some reason people here in Oregon think missionaries love mushrooms. It's crazy! But if you can do it, I will not deny you the blessings of feeding us lunch on Thursday. If it be not your will then I will live and move on my daily routine :) heheh :) his first name is Dallin. He's from Texas. And he love Texas and that's all he talks about. He's like most 18 year olds. But he played basketball and he was pretty good about it. The thing he misses most is watching basketball. Again a maturity thing. I would have to say my beloved family.

So the lady that is getting me shoes. I know nothing about her. She moved into Eugene first when I left. She's a ward missionary there. On Wednesday I got the chance to go on exchanges there with my DL. I showed him around and I got to see a couple of the people I taught like Brian. He said I was, once again, an answer to his prayers. I wish he would quit smoking and go to church. But that was a cool experience to see him again. We talked for about two hours. Toward the end he told me that he's missing something. He is lacking happiness. He has a house, he has possessions, he's got money and food and yet he still is depressed and longing for something. I had the chance to bear powerful testimony to him of this gospel. But Brian being Brian joked about it after wards. So that sucked. After this we had BOM class. Yes! They are just picking it up again after a five month break. And guess who taught? haha :) That's right the boys are back in town. This is where I met this lady. She's a ward missionary. And while I was putting a movie in the TV she noticed the bottom of my shoes and said.. "Elder, I'm buying you new shoes" of course I replied that I will be good but appreciate the offer. At the end of class she came up to me and put her finger in my chest and said.. “I'm buying you new shoes.” And then laughed. So I said she could. I think she will call me and ask, I'm not quite sure how she will get them to me lol :) but it's sweet of her. I during BOM class I taught and read from 1 Nephi 17. Where Nephi builds a boat. There is a cool BOM movie that goes with it about missionary work. So it was sweet. After this my DL took me to dinner at an expensive restaurant called Hawaiian time. It's so good. Hawaiian food! Best stuff ever!  But it was nice of him. We get along great.

Three things that made my week. And all three happened to be letters! So first letter I got was from my dog, Xander! It was so creative! It seriously was the best letter I've gotten my whole mission - till the next day :)  Oh man that's horrible what he did to the laundry room! Did he cut himself on those tack strips?  Hmm strange, maybe it was the cat trying to get to him. Dang sorry to hear about the destruction. I thought y’all put tile in there? Btw.. Still waiting on that picture ;) Good times ! :) I love it!  If it hadn't of been the same week I got a letter from my Grandpa Workman, it would've remained the best letter I had ever gotten. It was very creative and funny. I laughed and laughed. Although, I must express what trouble it brings to my soul to hear that he ruined the carpet, walls and doors. I'm sorry about that. Dang dog haha. Thanks mom for that awesome letter. :) One of my favorites. 

The second best thing that happened was I got a letter from an Elder Spencer. Yes, the same Spencer who I have served around most of my mission. You see last exchange he and I went on he expressed a concern to me in which he was having a problem with. I was able to give advice to put to rest his weary and torn soul. I made light his burden and supplied him with the ammunition to break the chains in which he was bound by. He expressed that in this letter, which brought such great strength to my week. My soul was filled with accomplishment and satisfaction. (You never know when something you say will help someone else)

Third best thing and best thing of my whole mission was to receive a letter from my grandpa Vern. I'm so glad you got him to write me a letter. That meant a lot. Thank you mommy. At this time mom, I wish for you to share this note to him. My soul was harrowed down with the trials and challenges that Thursday brought. Being weighed down with affliction of strength I prayed and asked for strength. We had gotten home from a day full of many hard works. Which works brought my body into a physical state of tiredness. I opened the mailbox and what did appear. Well a letter from grandpa. Enclosed was something special in which I will hold dear for the reminder of my mortal life. The privilege and honor it was to receive a letter from my hero. The man in my life, who to me, started the Workman name. The man who endorsed my nickname. The man who raised the greatest man in my life, my father. What joy was upon my broken soul. Such words can simply not express the gratitude from receiving this simple, yet powerful letter. Grandpa you will never understand the impact your note had on me. I was truly endowed with power from on high. From the Workman’s. Again I will treasure this amazing artifact for the remainder of my days. Till my mortal frame doth quake due to old age. Thank you grandpa. I love you and will forever be thankful for this act of kindness. He told me he loved me. That right there is worth more than gold. I love grandpa Vern.

So your probably wondering what intense work I did on Thursday? Well you see after we exchanged back we went to some LA house out in the middle of nowhere and did yard work for them. They are marijuana growers. So it was kinda weird to be doing yard work because I'm pretty sure we were supporting the cause. They desired us to remove some 10,000 species of black berry bushes. What a pain in the butt, literally. Took darn near all day long, and were it not for another service project we had, I'm sure we could still possibly be there pushing up daisies. We then moved on to the next service we had which was fixing a sewer line. I guess actually replacing it. We dug like ferocious lions in solid ground. I even got crap all over my hands and arms in desperate attempts to get a broken line free. Oh what fun that was. Really a crappy deal. At this point in the day my head was throbbing. I had a massive headache due to lack of water. And I had sweated every fiber of my being out. And had exhausted all mental and physical strength that I had. Anywho, long story made longer we finished the task and had completely replace the ladies whole sewer line. Now we pray it passes inspection. After that we had dinner and a lesson (A LESSON!!!) and over all was just a long day.

However Friday brought new of goodness to my ears. We got permission to watch the national championship. YES FOOTBALL TIME BABY! I get to finally support OHIO STATE in the national championship! After 5 long years of not being able to go to the national championship they are finally there! Wahoo! Also it'd be cool if Oregon did ok. Go Bucks! What a great birthday present ! :)  Hey I love both teams, but I loved Ohio longer. Gotta stick with my guns :) If they win... I'll be happy! I'll be happy anyway it rolls but I'll be happier if Ohio wins :) Oh also boo the Ravens and Broncos lost. What a bummer. Anyways go Colts, Greenbay, Seattle, and NOT the Patriots! (Everyone talks football here! I hear about it all)

I absolutely love your miracle. What a cool experience. I was just reading today in Mosiah chapter 24 maybe is where it was at, where the people of Alma the high priest were in bondage to Amulon the King of the Lamanites. Amulon used to be friends with Alma. Then Alma when he heard the words of Abinidi was converted and left. Anywho Alma's people in the land of Helam were brought under bondage to king Amulon. And Amulon put taskmasters over them. And they had to provide his guards with food. Yea even 1/2 of all their possessions. Anywho Amulon saw them praying for strength. And he commanded them that they could not pray. And whosoever was found praying was killed or put in prison by his guards. The people of Alma prayed heavily in their hearts unto the lord. Insomuch that they did pour out the whole souls unto him through the prayers in their hearts. He heard their prayers and released them from the bondage in which they were in. He caused a deep sleep to come over the guards and told Alma to lead the people out of the land and to the land of Zarahelma. When Alma's people had traveled one day in the wilderness they set up camp. AND LIKE YOU they realized the blessing the lord had placed upon them and gave thanks immediately. Hold up I will put my favorite scriptures from the chpt in.. 10 And it came to pass that so great were their afflictions that they began to cry mightily to God.

11 And Amulon commanded them that they should stop their cries; and he put guards over them to watch them, that whosoever should be found calling upon God should be put to death.

12 And Alma and his people did not raise their voices to the Lord their God, but did pour out their hearts to him; and he did know the thoughts of their hearts.

13 And it came to pass that the voice of the Lord came to them in their afflictions, saying: Lift up your heads and be of good comfort, for I know of the covenant which ye have made unto me; and I will covenant with my people and deliver them out of bondage.

14 And I will also ease the burdens which are put upon your shoulders, that even you cannot feel them upon your backs, even while you are in bondage; and this will I do that ye may stand as witnesses for me hereafter, and that ye may know of a surety that I, the Lord God, do visit my people in their afflictions.

(The Lord did strengthen them that they could bear up their burdens with ease, and they did submit cheerfully and with patience to all the will of the Lord.)

20 And Alma and his people departed into the wilderness; and when they had traveled all day they pitched their tents in a valley, and they called the valley Alma, because he led their way in the wilderness.

21 Yea, and in the valley of Alma they poured out their thanks to God because he had been merciful unto them, and eased their burdens, and had delivered them out of bondage; for they were in bondage, and none could deliver them except it were the Lord their God.

22 And they gave thanks to God, yea, all their men and all their women and all their children that could speak lifted their voices in the praises of their God.

Anyways I thought that related to your story. I'm now in Mosiah 26. I started last Sunday. Good stuff. I love the BOM. It's nice to just sit down and read. I'm hoping to read it in a month this time. Maybe sooner.

Have a great day mom! :) Love you!  I love the BOM. Maybe I can get half way this next week. Thanks again mommy! I love you sooo much!

GRIZZ 👻

PS tell Stinkey n Ry to write me. They need to like switch off every week or something. Punks! Thanks mom! :) At least I get the most important email every week. I don't know what I would do without your letters. Thanks mom! Love YOU!