July 23, 2014 - Transfers??

Hey!

So, Elder Rydalch and I are staying for another cycle! I'm really
excited. I love Rydalch.

So, Devon, our investigator. Has decided to postpone his baptism. He
was suppose to be interviewed by president Morgan on Sunday and he
never showed up. We talked to him afterwards and he still wants to be
baptized but he feels the need to postpone it until he is fully ready.
I don't blame him. I'm just proud that he wants to be fully ready
before he makes a covenant with his Heavenly Father.

Brother Ambroselli came to church last week. He isn't really inactive,
he just needed a push. He is an awesome fella. He and I could talk for
hours, well he could, I can listen. Last time he and I met, we mapped
out each others houses. His sister lives right next to wheel park and
before he was baptized he used to live off of Potomac, next to the
Ronald McDonald house. I told him I did my Eagle Scout project there
:) I'm glad that Eagle Scout card I have wasn't in my wallet. I made
sure it wasn't in there just in case I lost it or it got stolen. Good
thing huh!

It's getting closer to August...so that means more heat and more
humidity. Gross. August is the worst time of the year for New
Yorkshire weather. Or I guess any states weather. I just never really
paid attention to it while I was home, haha. The humidity is killer
though. I'm not a fan.

I'm sorry this is a short letter. We are at transfers and I've gotta
go. I love you all!!!!

Elder Branndin Brian Long

This is my zone from last transfer. They're awesome. 2 of them
finished their missions this last cycle. Pretty cool!

 

All of us "Glorifying" the pizza that Elder

Sevy made us. He is a super good cook!

July 16, 2014 - Week 6 in the Bronx

Hey friends!

This week has been way awesome! 

So, our investigator, Devon, is still improving. I have never gotten this far with an investigator before. Since he is living with his girlfriend, we committed them to get married, and they have been keeping true to that! We set a date for the 19th of July...this weekend. We set it for them a few weeks ago, though. But they have gotten a marriage license, rings, and all that other stuff. So they are ready to get married! I so excited for them. They have been dating for a few years and neither of them knew how to go about getting married here in the US. All they needed was a little push i guess, haha. A week after the wedding will be Devon's baptism! He will be interviewed by President Morgan, which is really awesome. Guys, I'm so excited for Devon! Like i said in my past emails, he is just being reminded of the gospel. He already knew all of this! We are just here to re-ignite his flame. 

So, the zone leaders met with a less active last week. His name is Mario Ambroselli. They passed him on to Elder Rydalch and Me. Wanna know why they did that? Take a guess where brother Ambroselli is from......Aurora Colorado. AH! How bizarre is that? Well, it gets more bizarre. He was baptized in 1993 and he was baptized by Bruce Lee...My dentist! And his bishop was Don Jones...My seminary teacher! So he was baptized into the Meadowood ward. He know's Bill and Sadie Hand. He knows the Thomas Family, he knows the Orsers. Basically "S Dawson Way", haha. He and i are basically best friends now, haha. He is so shocked that i'm from aurora. We showed each other where we lived on google maps. So hopefully that will be a little motivation for him to come back to church. 

I also went on my first legitimate "Split" the other day. I never had the opportunity to do so because the zone leaders and district leaders in Poughkeepsie never did splits. So, guess who i went on a 24 hour split with on friday...Elder Cloward. My trainer. haha. It was really fun to be his companion again. Speaking of companion. By the next time i talk to you guys, i might have a new companion. We are having transfers next week and we find out who is getting transferred this saturday. I'm guessing Elder Rydalch is gong to leave because he has been here for a few cycles. BUT, be will have to wait and see. 

Thanks again for everything guys. I love it out here so much! The work is coming along and we are "Thrusting with our sickle". There is so much wheat that needs to be harvested here, its just hard to find. It's like trying to find wheat in a...hay stack. I guess that analogy works. haha. Love you guys! Have an awesome week! Every member a missionary!!!

Love, Elder Branndin Brian Long

July 9, 2014 Letter - Happy 4th! (SOAKED!)

What's up?!

So yeah...I left my wallet on the bus. Man I was so upset when I
figured it out. I let you guys in on the long version of the story. It
actually combines two stories that I wanted to share with you.

So Elder Rydalch and I are walking to our bus stop after we were at
the church, and on our way to the bus stop, we hear this voice calling
out to us: "Hey! Elders!" We were shocked to hear the correct term,
instead of: "Hey! Jesus Boys!" Haha. So I thought it was a member at
first. We run over to him and his girlfriend and he says: "Wow, I
haven't seen you guys in a while. I used to attend kings-bridge (a
ward on the opposite side of the Bronx) when I was a little boy." So I
asked him why he stopped and he said he just got busy with life, which
is understandable. He asked if there was a church around here and we
replied with: "Definitely! We just came from it. It's only right down
the block,would you like to see it?!" And they agreed. So about 9:00
pm we gave a church tour to this couple who has been dating for 12
years...yes...dating! Turns out that they live across the street from
the church and they said they would love to come. It was really cool!
Oh, and he said he used to attend the ward as a kid, but he was never
baptized, so he is an investigator. So, after we were excited about
all that, we went into a little bodega (Crappy run down store) right
next to our bus stop and my companion bought me a Malta, which
everyone seems to hate :( haha. Anyway, as I was drinking it, the bus
came. So I got out my wallet to get my metro card. I got on the bus
and out my metro card back but never put my wallet in my back pocket,
for some odd reason. And as I sat down, I saw this Hispanic lady and
her two kids and I felt prompted to share the gospel with her, so I
got out my iPad and pulled up the huge list of Spanish terms that the
Spanish missionaries gave to the English missionaries for this exact
purpose. So I looked for a reasonable conversation starter. ¿Puedo
darle una tarjeta? Which means, "Can we leave you a card?" Put my
wallet between my legs on the seat and out my iPad away and pulled out
a pass along card and just studied that phrase until the time came
where I could say it and give her the card. When the time came, I
stood up, said it, gave her the card and walked off the bus. The next
morning I went to put my wallet in my pocket and realized that I never
grabbed it from between my legs. Depressing, huh? Yeah. I had that
wallet since sophomore year in high school, and it was still in
excellent condition. I didn't really care about the contents, I just
want my wallet!! So there is that crazy story. I feel super dumb for
leaving it, but I'll get over it.

So our investigator, Devon, is the dopest! He is so awesome. He has
come to church twice now. Last week was fast Sunday and he leaned over
to me and asked: "Is that okay if I bear my testimony?" I couldn't get
the word "Yes" out quick enough. I was so overcome with happiness. I
was grinning from ear to ear the entire sacrament meeting, haha. He is
so ready to be baptized. When we teach him lessons, it's as if we are
only reminding him. He is also extremely smart. He has his masters in
education and leadership. He is going for his PhD this fall and his
hopes in a career is a professor in college. He is brilliant. He also
loves listening to talks by Elder Holland because of Hollands
brilliance and vocabulary, lol.

I'm not sure if I told you guys about another investigator we are
teaching, but his name is David. He is from Montenegro, but when he
lived there it was called Ugaslavia (Not sure how to spell that). So
he speaks Croatian, Bosnian, Serbian and English. The first three are
sorta similar, but different at the same time. Kinds like Portuguese
and Spanish.

Man, it's pretty hot here, and it's only July. The locals say that
August is the worst month. I'm NOT looking forward to it. My clothes
stick to my skin because of all the humidity. Yesterday it was in the
mid 90's with like over 70% humidity. It was ridiculous.

I also want you all to know of how much I love President Morgan. We
had interviews this last week, and he is just so powerful in
everything he does. When he enters the room, that spirit fills the
entire room. I know we aren't really suppose to predict this, but I'm
predicting that Thomas Brady Morgan will be an apostle of the The Lord
Jesus Christ. I'm telling you, he is hands down the most powerful and
spiritual man I have ever met. But at the same time, he is one of the
funniest. I am so blessed to server under his direction. He is really
making the work here in New York boom. It's so awesome!

I love you all. I really do. I'm grateful for the opportunity to be
involved in your lives. I miss you!

Love, Elder Branndin Brian Long

On the third of July, it rained like crazy! I had no umbrella at the
time, so I used a box. It worked pretty well!

 

This last picture that is mostly black. That is the firework show

that we got to watch, lol. We watched it from our apartment window and

it was the show going on at the Brooklyn bridge in south Manhattan. So

it was a ways away. The white blotches are the fireworks, haha.

July 2, 2014 - YANKEES GAME!!!

Hey All!

This week was crazy. Not really crazy, but all over the place. Elder
Rydalch, My companion, was sick this past weekend, so I had to stay in
with him. And before he got sick, I went on a split with Elder
Cloward, my trainer, because he was sick and had to rest. So
basically, my weekend consisted of staying in with sick elders and
church, haha. It's good that they were sick last weekend though. It
was super hot! We got a brand new AC unit for our apartment and now it
feels really great. The humidity is ridiculous now that we are getting
to summertime.

This past Sunday was the very first Sunday I had an investigator come
to church! I've been out almost 6 months too! We had to go pick him
up, but he still came! He loved it too. We took him to gospel
principles and he fully participated. He even volunteered to say the
closing prayer. I love Devon. He is so ready to be baptized. The only
thing holding him back is that he is living with his girlfriend and to
be baptized, he has to marry her or move out. So we are helping him
with that.

Sorry this is so short, but I have to leave to get on the train to get
to the Yankees game. I will probably send another email you you guys
about the rest of my week after the game. Just know that I love you
all!!!

Love, Elder Branndin Brian Long