Willy's Trick Shot

Evidently Brenter has spent a lot of P-days in the gym working on his B-ball skills, and practicing a few trick shots. Here's a little "missionary magic" or luck...(I wonder how many times he had to video this shot before it went in!??)

"Coach Wilson"

Brenter finally sent some photos of his basketball coaching days in Prince Rupert. He really enjoyed the opportunity to coach the kids, and of course have some time to play some hoop and show off the skills he learned from his older brother! :) Here are a couple of emails he sent of his coaching experience:

11-24-08
"Ok so guess what??? I am coaching now!!! Not sure if I told you this before, but we are coaching the Sophomore basketball team at the high school, which is 8th and 9th grades in Canada. The high school got our number and wanted us to coach, ha, so we had them call President Nelson, and we talked to president, so he loves the idea. So yeah, we get to coach high school ball, but we only practice on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. They usually practice on Sundays too, but we changed that because we said we wouldn't do it, so hey no more Sundays for the team, that is cool right!?? At practice I made them run ladders for swear words :) Ha!! The day after our first practice this old man comes up to us in the streets and starts talking to us, I was lost with the conversation, but he was just telling us about his wife dying and how it hurts, and then comes to find out he saw us coaching ball and wants us to come visit him and his wife. When I told him we will help him with his house work and stuff he almost started crying so it was way cool, but yeah so we are finding the way to people...Our baskteball team is coming way good the principle even said he has seen a huge change since we have started coaching, now we just gotta win some games when that time comes."

12-9-08
"Basketball is way fun! We have one dad who talks to us every week now, and then we met another dad who was just shooting around and we are already kinda friends, cause I played some pick up games with him, and he just asked me a question, and said in his church his preacher can't answer why there are so many churches, and I asked him if I had the answer would he beleive me and he said yes. :) He is going out of town for Christmas, but he said when he gets back he wants to know, so hey things will just get better and better!! Our first basketball game is Wednesday against the other coach that is Mormon, so it will be a big community deal. :) We are the under dogs, so hey I don't know if I can pray for this sort of thing, but we are hoping for a game!??? :) Haha, no it will be fun!!!"

Here are a couple pictures of Coach Wilson and Brown with their team the CHARLES HAYES HURRICANES

Life in Prince George

The blog has finally caught up to Willy's life in Canada. This post really has no rhyme or reason to it, just the last few photos Brent has sent home of the happenings in Prince George. This first picture is Brent using his car as a watercraft to forge the "river" in the parking lot. He said it's time to invest in a canoe...The bruise on his wrist is supposedly from hitting the rim after being pushed from behind while going up for a dunk, or so he says!!?? :) This could be another one of his "fish stories," and he actually just slipped on some ice or rolled the car window up while his wrist was still hanging out, but we'll go with the dunk story for now...(Doesn't this picture just scream, "Mommy, look what those mean boys did to me!!?)This last photo is Brent and the other three missionaries in his apartment showing off their St. Patrick's Day ties...

Zone Conference....or NOT!!!

To a missionary a Zone Conference always is a time to hang out with your fellow missionaries, share stories, and hopefully come away with a renewed faith and desire to work harder than before. Brent's always enjoyed this opportunity to be, as he would put it, "lifted up" from a message from the Mission President and other activities from Zone Conference. This particular Zone Conference is one that he has been looking forward to ever since he found out that a member of the Seventy would be visiting their Zone. After an awesome week of missionary work where everything seemed to fall into place, it seemed as though this Zone Conference would be the "Cherry on Top" of everything that had occurred the past couple weeks. Well let's just say things didn't work out exactly as Brent had hoped...here is how he told the story:

3-23-09
"So we came back Thursday night, from our Zone Leader duties, and the whole zone traveled in that night too because, zone conference was supposed to be Friday morning. You know the cool zone conference with Elder Dickson from the seventy!? So we are all you know getting ready trimmin our nose hairs, polishing our shoes, and pulling out the nice ties! You know trying to really impress! So yes it goes down like that. Friday morning we get to the church, all seated, reading our scriptures some Elders getting the dust off theirs haha, jk! So yes then 9 o clock comes around no President or anybody, then 10 o clock, still no word nothing, so I start calling the airlines, calling salt lake, like hey one of your Seventy's and our Mission President is lost!! Okay, I really didn't call the Prophet, but thought about it! So finally at 11 o clock, President calls me, and he just finally landed, but they landed back in Vancouver!! I guess the fog was too bad so the plane had to turn back around! So yes that means Prince George was the only zone who didn't get to visit with the General Authority, so every other 130 missionaries did but no not us 14 freezing to death in the north; if you cant tell I wasn't to happy about it, but oh well life goes on! Elder Barton and I just ended up having zone conference, and Elder Dickson did call and talk on the speaker phone for 20 mintues. Haha!"

Here are the photos Brent took from the infamous "Zone Conference" and the note he sent: "This is all we knew what to do, after realizing our Mission President wasn't gonna come see us! Just kiddin President. But seriously."

Growth of a Missionary

This morning I was reading the March 2009 First Presidency Message written by President Monson, and as I read the first part of his message about rising above trying times through prayer and faith, I thought about how this relates to the growth of a missionary and the purpose of missionary work. President Monson began his message with counsel given to us from past Prophets, such as Solomon's words which say, "Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths." He goes on to share this example to remind us of how we can apply this counsel in troubled times: "One human resource officer assigned to handle petty grievances concluded an unusually hectic day by placing facetiously a little sign on his desk for those with unsolved problems. It read, “Have you tried prayer?” What he may not have realized was that this simple counsel would solve more problems, alleviate more suffering, prevent more transgression, and bring about greater peace and contentment in the human soul than could be obtained in any other way."

As I read these words I thought of my little brother serving a mission, and how much he has grown spiritually, and the blessings that have come from him applying this "simple counsel." Brent, like most missionaries, struggled for the first few months as he adjusted to life as a missionary, and learned his purpose for being out on a mission. As I read his first few letters home, it was as though I was reliving the first few months of my mission in Germany, and sometimes I just had to smile, knowing that he was being molded into the missionary the Lord wanted him to be. Although it was difficult to see him struggle with homesickness and still wondering how this could be "The Best Two Years" of his life, I knew that Heavenly Father was allowing him to be torn down, so that Brent could be built back up one prayer and testimony building experience at a time. As I have pieced through Brent's letters to find experiences to put on this blog, it's been neat to see the change he has gone through as he learns to put his trust in Lord, and forget himself and go to work as he helps younger missionaries to learn their purpose, and to put their full trust in the Lord to guide them in this work, while continuing to teach the people to "Come unto the Lord in Prayer and Faith."

"Those who feel that prayer might denote a physical or intellectual weakness should remember that a man never stands taller than when he is upon his knees."

Angel Moroni in Langley

As Zone Leader, Brent travels down to the Mission Office in Vancouver on occasion for a Zone Leader Conference with the Mission President, to discuss the progress of the Mission. The last Zone Leader Conference was extra special for him because he had the opportunity to head back to his old stomping grounds in Langley, and see the Angel Moroni placed on the top of the temple. Here is what he had to say about the experience, and the awesome week he had:

3-16-09
"So I think I have some cool things to talk about!? This last week was the week I flew down to Vancouver where President flies the 10 zone leaders down for a conference which is way cool, but what made it even better, is it just so happened, Tuesday was the day they were putting the Angel Moroni on top at the Vancouver Temple, in Langley. So President calls me up Monday night, and says "Hey Elder Wilson, how would you like to join me and Sister Nelson to go see the temple on Tuesday morning when you get in?" Dang I was excited!!! Haha! So we got on a plane at 6 that morning and got into Vancouver and then I rode with President and Sister Nelson and the other two office people to the temple. And right when we got there, there was already a ton of people standing outside just a ton of members, so I got out and I was able to see everyone from Langley again. I know I am probably confusing you but it was way cool, it is almost a year ago since I left Langley!! So i got some pictures, Just a way cool day, then had to drive back to Vancouver and got back to the meeting stuff, it was definitely a highlight to be able to see the people again, and see the temple again!
Then the next day a long meeting but good, and then got back to PG and had a way cool weekend! We taught all of our investigators on Friday and Saturday, and then we were supposed to have 6 of them come to church but only 3 showed up, but they were a solid three!! One of them is a 19 year old kid named Jordan, he doesn't believe in God but he wants to know, and so he finally agreed to come to church, and it just so happened I was the speaker yesterday. Since they were having a Stake High Councilman speak, they asked a missionary to speak too, so I got to speak for the first time yesterday, but wow I was nervous going from a branch the last two areas to a ward!! But its ok :) I ended speaking a little long and didnt leave the High Councilman much time!! But after church Jordan just sat in the chapel and didn't say much, and i asked him, "so Jordan when you come to know this is true will you be baptised," and he said yes! Tight huh? He is just scared cause he is all about science and thinks science and God doesnt go together, but we will work through it!...But anyways one last thing, so this family here likes to cook the missionaries waffles, and they have always said there is a record of ten waffles by a missionary! So I just watched the first couple weeks to see if it's possible and yesterday I matched the ten. I was going to go more, but I didn't want to steal his glory, just join him in the glory!"

Brent and Sister Nelson at the Vancouver British Columbia TempleBrent and Wade (Member from Langley)

Willy's Arrival in Prince George

When Brent received "the call" that he was leaving Prince Rupert, and being called as a Zone Leader in Prince George, it was definitely a bitter-sweet moment; probably more on the bitter side at first. Even though he knew it was the Lord's work and was willing to go wherever, there were a lot of people he didn't want to leave. Brent had a lot of great experiences in Prince Rupert, and although he knew he wouldn't be there forever, he was hoping his time to leave wouldn't have come just yet. These were his words as his time came to an end in Prince Rupert:

1-20-09
"Just a little more about Prince Rupert...I am gonna miss the people, our basketball team is doing good we only have two more weeks left so Elder Brown will have to finish the season! Then Chris is doing really good! I don't know, I just can say I love the people here! It will be tough to leave Brock, the kid we are teaching,...but hey life is good!"

Although this transfer was probably the hardest for him up to this point, I think it gave him a taste of what it will be like when his 2 years come to and end in December. I was able to chat with him through email the day he wrote telling us he was being transferred, and told him that the amount of love he has for the people he has served, is a testimony of what kind of missionary he has been and how hard he has worked. The fact that he was going to miss Prince Rupert so much, should make him feel like he had been a "True & Faithful Servant."

So the departure was difficult, but Brent hit the ground running in Prince George and of course like he has done in previous areas, he took time to "ponder" what lie ahead, and get a photo of him looking over his next challenge:Here he is dressed in his new "Zone Leader Armor" ready to dominate the Prince George Zone...