"Can You Imagine Me A Year Ago?"

You may remember that we did a post all about Eldrew's hair and how he has totally gotten over his obsession with perfect hair styling. (A parting of the ways) Well, Eldrew came to that realization on his own this week. In fact, the title of the post comes directly from Elder Bellomy's letter home this week. (More on that below.)

The letter home this week was back to the short variety. Susan thought that it would be a great idea to make the family letter all about announcing Preston's birth to his missionary uncle. No questions, just baby news. Eldrew responded with about as short an email as he could.

One of the things I admire about Eldrew is that he is obeying the mission rules. We weren't sure if he was allowed to view sites on Preparation Days at the library...but we included the professional baby photo site that has Preston's hospital photos.

(You can see the photos yourself until August 9, 2010. Click on this link: Bella Baby Website The password is: 0622PRESTONHANSEN.)

True of heart, Eldrew told us that he could not visit the site because it was against the rules. He asked us to send the photos seperately and that he'd want to see them.

We were able to send him this photo that he could see:

"Can You Imagine Me A Year Ago?"

Here is the one story that he did share from this week:

I will tell you a funny story. I call it, "Can You Imagine Me A Year Ago?"

Last preparation day I needed a hair cut. We went to the laundry mat and put our laundry in then set out for a barber shop or a hair salon. For some reason all the good ones were closed...so we succumb to "$3.99 Happy Cuts" in a strip mall more ghetto than anything in Rose Park. Ha, ha.

We sat down in the lobby and waited for the one hair stylist to finish. She was Vietnamese. Elder Zhang whispered to me, "I don't think she speaks English..." and I replied, "If she doesn't speak English, I'm not getting my hair cut here. " After a few minutes she was ready to cut my hair..."You wan hear cuah?" (misspelling intentional) I asked, "do you speak English" She was confident, "Yes." ....she lied.

I asked for a 4 on the sides, she gave me a 2 because..."4 too long!!" It was terrible...but I didn't care. It was weird, I parted my hair when I got home and did the best with it I could and I really didn't care in the end.

It left me saying...can you imagine me a year ago?

Three thoughts came to me regarding this "hairi kari:"

1. Elder Bellomy really has gotten to a place where he doesn't care about his hair.

2. I laughed at the notion of him doing his best to part this bad, short hair cut.

3. If the salon is named "$3.99 Happy Cuts" you are going to get a terrible haircut even if they speak King's English!

More next week!

Asked. And, Answered.

Every LDS missionary has a different letter writing profile. Some send long, detailed emails home every week. Others, you are lucky to get a paragraph or two. Eldrew falls on the few-paragraph end of the scale. When we mention this to other missionary parents, we ususally get a, "Oh-our-missionary-sends-wonderful-long-letters-full-of-details-home-every-week" sorts of responses.

Even though Eldrew's letters are short -- they are regular. Every week. And, we love knowing that he is alive and doing well. Even from a paragraph we can get a sense of his happy...stressed...tired...focused...excited...spirit.

But, I think we have broken the code for getting longer letters. We have taken to asking him the things we'd like to know about him and what he is doing. The result are markedly longer letters. The last couple of weeks he has taken the time to answer some of our questions. Here (in paraphrased form) are some of the questions and answers from the last two weeks:

Q: What are the missionaries in the zone like?
A: They are good missionaries. We have very obedient missionaries in out mission... our biggest struggle is the occasional elder that doesn't get out of bed until 7...so it's really good for us. There are some struggling areas but thus is life...I don't really know how to answer that question without taking a few pages ha ha

Q: How many zones are there in the mission?
A: There are 7 zones.

Q: How many English speaking zones?
A: 4 English, 1 bi-lingual and 2 all-Spanish.

Q: Do you spend a lot of time with individual companionships or elders?
A: We spend about more time with individual elders. We switch areas for a day and teach them by example...we apply the trainings, do everything right and inspire them... this week I took a brand new missionary out into our area...he'd been out for 3 weeks...we found 3 new investigators they all accepted baptism on specific dates and all our lessons were with a member present.

Q: By the way...how many missionaries in your mission?
A: There are about 140 missionaries so about 70 companionships. I think it's about 60% English[-speaking] and 40% Spanish[-speaking].

Q:What was the $85 bike shop charge on your account? Any problems with the bike?
A: I snapped my axis and I popped my tire so I had to get it fixed. Funny story...one day in my last area...I don't know if I've told this story. We were riding and nothing was going through all our appointments weren't there and I just looked up into the sky at the clouds and said...Heavenly Father, help me to have patience... then about 10 minutes later and hit a big nail and my tire went completely flat in about 8 seconds. I guess the only way to grow patience is to have your patience tested. Ha, ha.

Q: Does Elder Zhang (Eldrew’s new missionary companion from mainland China) speak English well?
A: Yes, he has great English. He has a very big accent but he knows the English language well.

Q: Is Elder Zhang a convert to the LDS Church?
A: Yes. He was an atheist all his life until 16 when he was invited to a cottage/baptismal meeting in his home town and after 4 hours of hearing the lessons and feeling the spirit, he got baptized. He hadn't ever prayed about the Book of Mormon, talked to his parents about it, he just knows it was right. He then converted is mom and after a year of reading the Book of Mormon with his dad, he got to baptize him. Their branch meets in his home and Sunday School is in his room. The branch is made up mostly of his family members.

Q: Where in China is Elder Zhang from?
A: I can't pronounce it. But, it's in central China. He is one of 100 missionaries in the world from mainland China...when he left one of the first 30 missionaries from his country.

Q: Tell us all about your new area.
A: It is very diverse. There is about every culture and religion here. In about 95% of the lessons I am the only Caucasian person participating. The major ethnic group is people from Africa — Nigeria, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Ghana. It's crazy. Right now we are teaching a Muslim. She had a dream the night we taught her where she was in the middle of a war and she was screaming, "Jesus Save me!" She was very confused because he doesn't believe he can...but she is slowly understanding why he is necessary as a mediator and feeling the spirit as she reads and prays

Q: What is the Ward like?
A: It's small and nice. The people love the missionaries

Q: How many missionaries in the zone you are in?
A: There are 16 Elders and 4 sisters.

Q: What areas does the zone cover?
A: Memorial, Alief, Richmond, Rosenburg and...well...the entire Houston area, including all 3 missions. We have the Vietnamese Missionaries and they cover that area. It’s called the Breaburn District. Bry Lines served in this branch when he was in Houston. If you ask him he was in the Richmond Zone.

Q: How many districts in the Zone?
A: There are 4 districts: Memorial, Alief, Richmond and Breaburn.

Q: What sorts of things do you do as a Zone Leader?
A:  Hmmmm…plan, pray, and get ulcers over struggling areas, ha ha. We help, lift and inspire the missionaries. We also do exchanges, calls, leading by examples, zone meetings, etc.

Q: How many splits (Missionary team-ups with members of the congregation)
A:  About 2 a week.

Q: Do you have a car?
A: Yes, a 2009 Malibu... V6!!!!

Q: What is it like to have a foreign missionary for a companion?
A: Interesting. He's been Americanized but he's hilarious. Some of the phrases he says make me laugh so hard.

Q: Do you like Elder Zhang?
A: Yes.

Q: I there anything we can do to help Elder Zhang?
A: He goes home in a month so, I don't think so

Q: How is the weather? Very hot, not a lot of rain yet.
A: Is it getting hot yet? Yes...see above

Q: What is your apartment like?
A: It's very big and clean. Zone leaders have to have clean apartments. We had bed bugs for a bit last week though...we killed them all though with some bug stuff....stupid buggers bit up my legs! Ha, ha.

Other letter-home items:
So, I had my first zone meeting this week...I conducted it and gave the training. I was really nervous...Elder Zhang said you could tell I was freaked out (ha ha) I will get better over time.

PS...If you could send some E.F.Y. CDs that would be great (‘E.F.Y.’ means especially for youth) It's approved listening and I need something other than Boremon Tabernacle Choir. Ha, ha. Send it to the mission home...Please?
I'm excited for pictures of Preston. I've been praying for him every night.

Phew, these weeks feel so long in retrospect but so short while living them. ha ha So many things.

------

That about covers the latest news from Houston. We will update the next time we hear from Eldrew.

Uncle Elder!

We just wanted to post a quick announcement. Elder Bellomy is a first-time uncle! His sister Elizabeth and her husband Spencer welcomed Preston Spencer Hansen into the world today. Here is a rather out-of-focus photo of the new addition and parents. (I wonder why they wouldn't let me use a flash?)

Little Preston's birth was something of a surprise. Elizabeth has been under constant observation due to the breech position of the baby and low ambiotic fluids. Tests today showed dangerously low levels of fluid. The doctor ordered that Preston be born today by C-section. Elizabeth was admitted and in surgery within hours. There were concerns that low fluid levels are an indicator of kidney problems. No worries. He is perfectly healthy and Elizabeth is doing well.

As Susan and I prayed before driving to the hospital to await news of the surgery, I was overwelmed at the fact that at the moment that we were praying, Preston was still with our Heavenly Parents and getting ready to come to this earth to begin this part of his eternal journey. To us, Preston is a son of God. He has come to this earth to learn faith, follow the Savior, and to become a part of our eternal family.

In many ways, Preston is what Eldrew's mission is all about. He is teaching other children of God that they are the sons and daughters of a loving Heavenly Father, that Jesus is the Christ and their Savior, and that by following the Plan of Salvation they can have eternal life and eternal families.

We miss Eldrew. It is a big family event to miss. However, we are so proud and happy that he is on his mission serving his Father in Heaven.

Congrats to Preston and his parents Elizabeth and Spencer. Congrats to Uncle Andrew for his faith in serving his mission. He will be one of many faithful missionary examples to his nephew!

Welcome home Elder Rios. Thanks for serving a great mission.

Elder Ryan Rios was Elder Bellomy’s first missionary companion in Houston. On June 1, he honorably finished his mission and has returned home to friends and family in Highland, Utah.

This weekend we had the privilege of being in the congregation when Elder Rios spoke to his home ward for the first time in two years. (A ‘ward’ is the Latter Day Saint equivalent of a parish.)

Every missionary has a ‘trainer’ who is the person who shows the ‘greenie’ the ropes and teaches him what he needs to know to be a great missionary. Mission presidents typically choose only the finest Elders to train new missionaries. As far as we are concerned, Elder Bellomy got the best trainer he could possibly have. Eldrew loved his time with Elder Rios. We can honestly say that Elder Rios set Elder Bellomy on the path to be the happy, hard-working missionary he is today.

Elder Rios gave a great sermon. He shared some wonderful stories. He is a confident, articulate young man. He bore a strong, spirit-born testimony of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We enjoyed being the congregation with his family, friends, and ward members.

We are sure that one of the reasons that Elder Rios is such a great missionary is that he has great parents. When Eldrew arrived in Houston, we got a call from his father introducing himself to us. He told us that he’d arranged for his son to take Eldrew out to a nice restaurant. He and his wife were excited that their son would be companion to our son and that they were praying for Elder Bellomy’s success and well being. The Rios’s have no idea how comforting it was for us that they were rooting for Elder Bellomy and that their son would be our son’s trainer.

After the sacrament meeting, we were invited to visit the Rios' home and participate in a family meal. Relatives from several states had gathered to honor and see their returning missionary. The Rios’ and their family are wonderful people. We traded stories, learned histories, laughed, and got to meet the missionary who served so honorably and trained our Eldrew.

Welcome home Elder Rios. Thanks for serving a great mission.

Welcome world.

I thought it might be a good time to review some of the weblog statistics for ElderBellomy.com.

Since the site went live about ten months ago the site has had:

• 1971 visits
• 768 unique visitors
• 3,166 page views

From within the United States:

• Utah
• Texas
• California
• New York
• Iowa
• New Jersey
• Idaho
• Virginia
• District of Columbia
• Maryland
• Arizona
• Washington
• Oregon
• Georgia
• Tennessee
• Florida
• Ohio
• Massachusetts
• Nevada
• Colorado
• Oklahoma
• Illinois
• Missouri
• Minnesota
• Pennsylvania
• Hawaii
• North Carolina
• Montana
• Michigan
• Kansas
• Louisiana
• South Carolina
• Wyoming
• Maine
• New Mexico
• Indiana
• Alaska
• Wisconsin
• New Hampshire
• Rhode Island
• West Virginia
• Connecticut

If  you know anyone from North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Arkansas, Mississippi, Alabama, Vermont, or Kentucky...send them a link to this website and invite them to visit!

Internationally, we have had visitors from:

• United States
• United Kingdom
• Canada
• Australia 
• Germany
• Brazil
• Sweden
• Spain
• France
• Italy
• Mexico
• New Zealand
• Poland
• Indonesia
• India
• Japan
• South Africa
• Colombia
• Romania
• Thailand
• Philippines
• Slovenia
• Guatemala
• Slovakia
• Denmark
• Hong Kong
• Turkey
• Dominican Republic
• Netherlands
• Venezuela
• Israel
• Fiji
• Taiwan
• Bulgaria
• United Arab Emirates
• Russia
• Finland
• Luxembourg
• Chile
• Puerto Rico
• Iceland
• Trinidad and Tobago
• Costa Rica

We want to welcome and thank all of our visitors. We hope that you will enjoy the strories of Eldrew's mission.

Best man, from afar.

Elder Bellomy could not be home for Adam and Lindsey's wedding. We missed him. But we were all proud of his willingness to serve. We were touched by his wedding toast to the couple.

A & L,

Congratulations on this great and important day. I know it is the start of great times for each other and for all branches of the family tree. On the brink of such a momentous occasion I can’t help but to think of complementary colors (even though it’s snowy in Utah, it’s not snowing in Texas and the gardens are in full bloom, trust me).

My biggest fear has always been losing Adam. I know, I know…call it a corny thing to say, maybe it’s because I wouldn’t have anyone else to rip style from or maybe it’s because there wouldn’t be someone else to clean the bathroom with me on Saturday mornings…but mostly it’s because Adam has always been my friend. He’s always let me know what is cool, what I should wear, how I should talk, and, unexpectedly, how to be myself. It is a privilege of mine to see Adam become who he needs to be. He’s always been good, but Lindsey…with you, he’s become great. You are his complementary color. You bring out the best in him. I have never seen him so dedicated, so responsible and so concerned for another person…not even me!! (I’m not jealous, don’t worry, I understand).

I’m thankful for you Lindsey for being the one my brother was looking for, I love you. Adam, I love you too. I’ll give you both really big hugs in about 15 months. Ha ha Have a great night, congratulations again.

Mission international.

Transfer!
Big news around here is that Elder Bellomy has been transferred. We are sad that he was with Elder Born for just one month. That is a very short training period for Elder Born. He must be a very good missionary to be ready for his trainer to transfer. Eldrew spoke very highly of Elder Born.

Alief, Texas.
Eldrew has been transferred to an area west of Houston called Alief. You can still send him mail at the mission home. Here is a map showing where Alief is:


View Larger Map

Mission international.
Elder Bellomy is excited that his new area is so diverse. He reports that about 60% of the residents in his area are new in the United States from Africa. 10% are Vietnamese, and 20% are Latino. His companion's name is Elder Zhang (pronounced Jong) and he is from mainland China! We think it is amazing that Elder Bellomy can serve in Houston, Texas and have such an international experience.

Special Experience.
One of the first experiences in his new area was to participate in the baptism of a very special person. Lia is her name. This wonderful lady is paralyzed from the chest down. Eldrew was one of six people who carried her into the waters of baptism on a sheet. As she entered the water, Eldrew says that she had the 'biggest smile' on her face. He was deeply touched at the meaning of the atonement, the gospel, and the opportunity to touch the lives of the people who need and seek the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

New assignment.
An aspect of Eldrew's transfer included a new assignment from the Mission President. Elder Bellomy is now a Zone Leader.

(LDS terminology explanation alert:) A zone leader is an administrative leadership position within an LDS mission. A zone leader is responsible for 3-4 'districts' of missionaries (usually 4-8 missionaries in each district). We have no idea how many missionaries are in the zone Eldrew is in. The zone leader facilitates communication between the Mission President and the members of the zone. He also helps, trains, and motivates the missionaries he serves. The position involves a lot of time travelling around the zone area and spending time with each of the missionaries.

Elder Bellomy reports that he is already spending hours a week doing administrative reports and various meetings. He is also meeting with Bishops and Stake Presidents in his zone. This is a great opportunity to share in many missionaries' experiences. I would expect that he has a car and does a lot of travelling and staying with other missionaries' apartments. He is excited and overwhelmed at this new responsibility. He hopes to serve the missionaries he is working with.

On the lighter side.
Here is a new photo sent by Elder Born's mom. This is from before the transfer. The Elders are showing off their watch tan lines. I don't know why a tan line makes the Elders so tough...(click to enlarge)

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

More next week. Until then, God bless you!

The Born Identity.

Introducing Elder Born!
This is a time when I wish I'd kept up with this blog on a more of a regular basis.

Last month, Eldrew wrote home and announced that transfers were in coming and that he would be training a new missionary arriving from the Mission Training Center.

Within a week we welcomed Elder Born into our mission family. We were very excited. I got a chance to call his mom and talk to her when he arrived. It was great to talk to her. Elder Born is from Phoenix, Arizona. Eldrew says that he is an AWeSOME missionary. In fact, Eldrew sees many qualities in Elder Born that he admires and wishes that he could be more like.

The pair have been working hard, teaching, and inviting people to accept the Gospel. Here is a photo of Elder Bellomy and Elder Born after a very heavy rain storm. It's not a great photo...but I remember working hard in rain, snow, and the heat. These are hard working missionaries braving the elements to preach the Gospel. (Click to enlarge)

The Mother's Day Call.
It was great to talk to Eldrew on Mother's Day. We were all prepped by Elder Bellomy. Being the serious missionary he is, he wrote in advance and notified us of the time when we could call him. He announced that he was timing the call with is Mom so that it would least interfere with his missionary work! At the appointed time, we called...and called...and called. No answer. Then after about 20 minutes, the phone rings and its Eldrew chiding us for not calling on time. It turns out that he'd given us the wrong number.

It was great to hear his voice. We did most of the talking...mostly asking him questions about how he is doing and what he is doing. The funny thing is that he kept giving us time checks. The call home is allowed to last 40 minutes. And, that boy was not going to go 30 seconds over.

"You have 35 minutes."

"You have 13 minutes."

"You have six minutes."

"You have one and half minutes."

Gotta love the fact that he is dedicated to follow the mission rules. It was great to get a sense of Andrew. We can tell he is happy because his warped sense of humor was in full force. He was teasing us, bearing his testimony, and generally glowing about his mission. Only six months until Christmas when we get to talk to him again.

The missing man at the wedding.
Last week was Eldrew's brother's wedding. We missed him. I confess that there has not been a moment since Eldrew left that I have wished him home. Last week was the exception. As we celebrated Adam's wedding, I really missed having Eldrew there for the big event. Eldrew wrote a very, touching letter to Adam and Lindsay. When we read the letter at the wedding dinner the night before the wedding, it brought tears to their eyes...it was a very special moment.

Playing dead.
Here is another random photo sent by Eldrew. It is of a possum doing what possums do...playing dead. (Click to enlarge)

The Wiki article on possums (opossum) describes the behavior of this indigenous medium-sized marsupial as:

"When threatened or harmed, they will "play possum", mimicking the appearance and smell of a sick of dead animal. When playing possum, the lips are drawn back, teeth are bared, saliva forms around the mouth, and a foul-smelling odor is secreted from the anal glands. The physiological response is involuntary, rather than a conscious act. Their stiff, curled form can be prodded, turned over, and even carried away. The animal will regain consciousness after a period of minutes or hours and escape."

Later, after this photo was taken, Eldrew reports that the possum had disappeared — resurrected you might say.

Meeting Elder Rios.
Elder Bellomy's first companion is coming home this transfer. We are planning on going to his sacrament service where he will be speaking. It will be great to meet him and his parents. Elder Rio's parents are top notch folks and have been super kind to us and Eldrew. We are looking forward to hearing from Elder Rios.

Transfers.
There are transfers next week. Stay tuned. More news next week.

A parting of the ways

For those of us who know and love Eldrew, know how absolutely fussy he is about his hair. Prior to his mission, he obsessed about missionary haircuts. Never in his life has he parted his hair on the side. Under no circumstances was he going to have a regular missionary (parted on the side) haircut while he was on his mission.

When it comest to hairstyles, Eldrew has has almost every hair style imaginable...but NEVER parted on the side.

Imagine our surprise when recently he sent photos and announced he was parting his hair on the side.

For kicks, here are a few samples of the many styles of Elder Bellomy before his mission.

It goes without saying that we love Eldrew no matter how he wears his hair. We love getting photos from him on his mission. So, we will share one last photo we got last week. It is Eldrew sleeping with the new pet beagle of the owners of the home where Eldrew is staying.

We get to talk to Eldrew!!
One last note. Missionaries call home on Christmas Day and Mother's Day. Today is Mother's Day and we have our call with Eldrew scheduled at exactly 5pm Mountain time. He has scheduled that time so that it will least affect his missionary work. The whole family is looking forward to hearing from him. We will report in a later blog entry what he has to say.

Happy Mother's Day!!!

This week I'll call it "The Good, the Bad, and the Funny"

Susan asked me to share this entire email from Eldrew.

First, the Good:

To answer your questions about investigators: (not that anyone is counting...) I have been a part of 3 baptisms. Jimmy, Malonni, and Lacey. But the way it seems to go in missionary work is that you can't really claim any baptisms of your own.

The other day we got our mission newsletter, 'It Is Written', which contains articles from President and Sister Saylin and the Assistants, pictures of incoming and outgoing missionaries and baptismal statistics and names of individuals baptized. It was cool to see names of people whom I began or helped teach on the list. Oscar was going to be my first baptism...back in December on the 12th. He had some things to still work on so I never saw it happen. BUT he did. And the word was passed along that he is preparing for a mission! Edwin in my first area got baptized as well as a boy named Brooklyn.

Hopefully people I helped come unto Christ! Miranda moved to Virginia with her mother, she hasn't been baptized yet but she asked the sister missionaries if she could get baptized as soon as she got to her mothers. They told her yes...so...I'm confident she is going to be baptized. Currently we are working with a 24 year old man named Eric. He is going to get baptized this Saturday. He is overcoming word of wisdom problems and this week he is going through "detox". He took work of so he could sleep, throw up and feel miserable at home. Will you please pray for him this week that he can feel God's comfort and have the strength to endure. He is a very passionate young man and will go on a mission! ha ha :) I will send pictures of it home next week.

Some more good...My birthday. No breakfast in bed but I did get to wake up at 6:30 and exercise ha ha. My birthday present was given to me on Sunday. Lacey bore her testimony. I got all choked up and stuff. ha ha to feel the Spirit bear witness of what she said. She's thankful for the gift of the Holy Ghost. :)

Also, I feel great riding on my bike. I hope I stay on it my whole mission.

Also, today I read Alma 17...its amazing how diligence, faith, scripture study, pray, fasting, optimism increase our effectiveness in the Lord's work (Whether you're a missionary, a Sunday School teacher, on the High Council or a Laurel) Effective teaching, testimony bearing and even rock slinging and sword work! Ha


Second, the Bad.

There's none of that.

Finally, the Funny.

So here's an interesting encounter for you:

We were riding through a trailer park in the bottom part of our area when a car pulled up next to us and said, "Are you Jehovah's?" I replied, "No, Mormons!"

He said, "Nice, I'll pull over!"

So, he drove up a ways and pulled over and got out of his car. He was wearing black boots, black tight pants, and a black and white stripped shirt buttoned half way up with his chest exposed and over ten necklaces. His hands were covered in rings and his wrists with bracelets. On top of his head was a fedora hat covering is dreads that went halfway down his back. I laughed to myself as we rode up to him.

So! Tell me! What are you all about...maaaaan."

We told him, we're all about Jesus Christ and told him about the restoration. He was really interested but was really just interested in everything possible. He was "spiritual" and prayed to everything and anything people pray to...while he does yoga. He's studying to be a lawyer but the Man (American politics) is going to keep him from making a difference. He informed us early on in the conversation not to look up, because the airplanes and helicopters that were coincidentally flying above us weren't actually coincidently flying above us. It was the government keeping tabs on him. They are scared of him because he's going to do something for the people...probably a communist thing.

He also explained his ridiculous policy on guns which...I am afraid to say though it is stupid is kind of clever. He wants to take away everyone’s guns but not their arms. He will give everyone an arm...a sword. Because when everyone has a sword and no one has a gun, you'll think twice before you kill someone. His rhetorical scenario, "If I'm standing right there and you're standing over there and we both have guns are you going to think twice about shooting me faster than I shoot you? Probably not. Or if I'm standing right there and you're standing over there and I have a sword and you have a gun are you going to think twice about shooting me? No, because you have a gun! But if we both have swords you're going to think twice before you kill me because you may die first." ha ha ha ha hilarious. He told us to look at his face and remember it because it was going to be famous someday and then he was off.

Famous or infamous he will always be funny to me!

Your son,

Elder Andrew Paul Bellomy



Translation:

(Eldrew's Dad with a little Mormon-speak translation and commentary for those who may not understand all the LDS references.)

Andrew has never really spoken in detail about the people he has/is teaching who have accepted the restored Gospel and have been baptized. We were wondering and asked him in his weekly letter. The first part of his letter is sharing with us. Obviously, he is happy that he is teaching and people are listening to his preaching...but he is not boastful about it. (I will say that I am eternally grateful to the Mormons who introduced me to the Church and missionaries that taught me.)

Testimony meeting -- a once a month sacrament or communion meeting in the LDS Church where there is essentially an open microphone for members of the congregation to 'bear their testimony.' They can speak on any topic they want regarding their feelings and experiences in the Church. (One of my favorite meetings...very unscripted.)

Restoration -- Mormons believe that the Gospel of Jesus Christ in its pure and authoratitve form was lost from the earth and that through a modern prophet, Jesus Christ has reestablished (restored) his Church. If  you are interested in the concept, you can read about it here: The Restoration of the Gospel

High Council -- This is essentially an executive board of Elders that assists in the administration of an LDS Stake. They are sort of like a board of Deacons in a traditional Christian denomination. A stake is an territorial/administrative unit of the Church made up of about 5-7 congregations. The closest equivilent is that of a diocese in the Episcipal or Catholic Church.

Laural -- a member of a woman's youth class aged 16-18. Eldrew's younger sister is a Laural.

gkb

Happy Birthday Elder Bellomy.

Hard to believe. Twenty years ago on April 6th, the future Elder Andrew Bellomy came into this world.

We love him and are very, very proud of the fine young man he has become.

Happy birthday young man.

On sharing the spiritual.

I (Elder Bellomy's dad) have been pondering for a while about the nature of this blog. So far, it has been mostly a travel log about his experiences. By design, we have not shared too much detail on the spiritual nature of his mission.

Elder Bellomy has mostly non-LDS relatives and many non-member friends. There is a concern on our part that an overly-religious blog may not be well received, understood, or appreciated by some. So, out of respect we keep the blog on the lighter side.

Yet, the whole purpose of a mission is to be and to serve the spiritual. At points along the way, we want to share the deeply religious nature of his devotion to the Savior and his service to him. Hopefully, we can do this in a manner that is respectful and sensitive.

I'd like to say that Elder Bellomy is undergoing what seems to be a life-changing spiritual journey. His desire to teach and share the Gospel of Jesus Christ is evident in every letter home. His love of the people he is teaching is deep and touching. Each week, he tells a few stories of the people he is teaching. The sweet invitations to accept the Gospel, follow the Savior, and be baptized in his name. Some of these stories are so personal we choose not to share them here...but they are very much the core and purpose of his mission.

LDS tradition has it that a missionary's home congregation places a plaque honoring a serving missionary in the lobby of the chapel. The plaque features a photo, a map of the mission, and the missionary's favorite passage of scripture. Elder Bellomy did not take care of this before he left. We have been nagging him for over six months to tell us what his favorite passage of scripture is. Finally, two weeks ago the sent home his favorite passage...

Doctrine and Covenants 130: 20 and 21 — There is a law, irrevocably decreed in heaven before the foundations of this world, upon which all blessings are predicated. And when we obtain any blessing from God, it is by obedience to that law upon which it is predicated.

Latter Day Saints love our Father in Heaven and our Savior Jesus Christ. Dedicated Latter Day Saints devote our lives to the Gospel. For the pure in heart, there is only a desire to serve the Lord. We believe that as we obey God, he blesses us in the work of the kingdom. For Elder Bellomy to choose this passage of scripture as representative if his mission is significant. (Being a former LDS missionary, my Daddy heart understands what Eldrew is feeling.) Andrew has fully devoted himself to serving the Lord. The blessings he counts on his mission is the opportunity to serve others and bring them the Gospel. When he obeys the commandments, the mission rules, the spirit of missionary work, has pure desires...the Lord promises to bless and consecrate his efforts. His love of this passage is a demonstration of his commitment to his mission.

I hope that those who visit and read this blog can imagine the great love that Elder Bellomy has for his Savior, his thankfulness for the atonement, and his desires to share the Gospel.
I also hope that we will be excused if we don't always share some of the deeper and more personally spiritual moments on this blog. Please understand that we intend to share with family, friends, and other visitors as much as we can...this blog may never quite capture the deep spiritual aspect of the experience Eldrew is having.

Please keep Eldrew in your hearts. If you are ever prompted with a desire to study Mormonism, nothing would make him happier. Please let us know if we can be of any assistance.

Was it something we wrote?

Elder Bellomy continues to thrive. He is happy and working hard.

In tune with the rules:
I think the big news from Eldrew's mission is that the rules allowing him to play the guitar have changed. They did so right after we shared some guitar stories. (Hmmmm...I hope it wasn't because of what we wrote.) Eldrew is bummed, but quite satisfied to follow the mission rules. He gave his guitar away to a member of the ward.

Andrew's desire to keep all the rules is sort of blowing his parents away. We visited a reception last week at which a video was shown of the brother of the Bride giving a short speech to honor his sister on her wedding day. The video was very short and obviously filmed in the lobby of the mission home or LDS chapel. We asked Eldrew if he'd consider making a similar video for his broher Adam's wedding. Eldrew declined and explained that they have been asked not to make videos. Gotta admire his desire to obey the rules! (Working hard, having faith, and obeying the rules were some of the counsel I gave him before he left on his mission.)

New Companion:
Eldrew's companion completed his mission and went home. He now has a new companion, Carlston from Lehi, Utah. That is about 45 minutes south of here. They seem to be getting along well.

Beautiful person:
Andrew had a run in with a drunk last week:

So, yesterday I almost got kissed by a drunk guy! He's like "You're beautiful"...and grabbed the back of my neck to pull me in. I think he was joking but it wasn't funny. Elder Carlston had a field day laughing about it ha ha...

Houston Temple:
Elder Bellomy also had a chance to attend the Houston Temple last week.

Visiting the temple with his Mission President was very meaningful for him. If I remember correctly, the temple is actually outside of the mission. I believe that the missionaries get to visit the temple a couple of times a year.

Working hard:
One of the things about being on a mission is how hard you can work...and be happy doing it. It seems that Eldrew is also experiencing that on his mission as well:

I'm worn out all the time and my eyes always hurt because I'm working hard and I wake up on time and never take naps. I'm probably gonna sleep in the first week I get back because there is no disobedience in it. I wake up with exactness in the name of the spirit. I can't afford to not have it with me. Also, I've been working out every morning and night, so I'm staying in shape and I'm not eating too much because the members never feed us. ha ha but I'm happy. There is a unique satisfaction in being beaten dead everyday. Knowing that you're doing what you're supposed to be doing and that the Lord is somewhat pleased with your efforts.

Teaching the word:
Every week, Eldrew mentions a few teaching, tracting, contacting and other missionary experiences. I have to admit that he is teaching a lot more people than I expected...and experienced on my mission. I sense that the missionary work is going well and that he is really into it. Due to the nature of this public blog, we have not gotten too much into the details of that aspect of his mission.

Upcoming entries:
In the near future, we are planning a hairstyle story. The ever changing world of Eldrew's hair! I (his dad) will also be commenting on how our blog is approaching his mission.

Please keep Eldrew in your thoughts and prayers. If  you get a few minutes, drop him a line.

With love from Pasadena Texas.

This is the longest...by far...letter from Eldrew so far on his mission. He seems happy and content as he comes up on his six month mark. SIX MONTHS!! A quarter of his two year mission completed. Wow.

Here is the letter. (I've added a few photos for context and fun.)

This week was so cool ha ha and I'll tell you why.

First, Elder Beck and I were rolling down this street that we take as a short cut when we look over and see a guy playing guitar on his porch. We turned around and went to his trailer to talk to him. His name was Louie and he was playing a Fender Strat. We talked music. He likes blues and so we talked about Buddy Guy and Big Mama Thornton. He offered us some sodas and we accepted, so when he got up to get them I asked if I could strum on his guitar, he said, "Sure, Man!" So I strapped up and started ripping some blues. He said, "Man, not very many cats have rhythm like that, that was a good little ditty." ha ha so we brought up the gospel and we're going by this Friday to teach a first lesson.

Second. There is a section of our area called the Avenues. Just your typical grid system that goes by 1st street through 15th street and Avenue A through M. So one day we are riding down Avenue K and these kids are playing basketball. They yell, "Oh no it's the cops!" and some of them laughed and one of the kids hid under a truck ha ha We said no, we're not the cops, we're missionaries. And then they started talking, "Can I have that bike, that watch, that tie, that backpack...etc...etc" So I said, "I'll play you for it. ha They all agreed, but then I said I was joking but that I did have a proposition for them. A game of ball, if we won, they had to hear a lesson, if they won we'd leave, no lesson taught. They enthusiastically agreed. There was four of them and so they gave us their gimpy friend with a hurt arm. (not fair at all)...they tossed me the ball and asked if I had ever played before. I said, "Basketball? No, not really, but it doesn't seem hard." One of the kids yelled in repsonse, "you're hustling us aren't you? You totally are." I said "maybe" and checked the ball. I faked a drive and shot. Swoosh. 1 to 0. "You are hustling us!" They played winners ball so if you always make it the other team never gets the ball. I checked the ball, passed to Elder Beck, he shot. Swoosh. 2 to 0. I checked the ball, faked a shot and drove it. Off the backboard, in. 3-0. But then...they stole it from the gimpy kid and came back...we lost 11-15. Humiliating. We would have won if it weren't for the gimp! ha ha We're gonna try to get a rematch some day.

Third, Yesterday we got a call from our bishop. He said to Elder Beck, "Rumor in the ward is that you're going home?" He said yes. He then said, "Another rumor is that you and your companion play guitar?" He said yes. He then said, "Well, my wife is going to be out of town this week and so I'm gonna be a bachelor. I've been trying to learn the guitar, how about this week you and your companion bring your guitars over to teach me a lesson." He said of course. ha ha Preach My Gospel says to serve the bishop...so we are :)
   

Fourth and finally. This week was a special zone conference. Elder [W. Craig] Zwick and his wife were touring the mission and so they gave the trainings. (Note from Kim - Elder Zwick is roughly the equivilent in the LDS Church to what a Cardinal is in the Catholic Church)
 
We sang a hymn and had a pray and then Elder Zwick got up. "I want to do something a little different today, I want to have some missionaries come up to do something. Open your preach my gospel, choose a principle, teach it, the next companion will tell a story about it and testify and then the first companion will bear testimony and close. I'd like to ask the zone leaders to choose 4 companionships from each zone to do this."
 
Of course, Elder Beck and I were chosen to represent our zone. ha ha We went 3rd. The first companionship came up, rambled nervously and closed. Elder Zwick told of Elder Perry's criticisms, they seem harsh but they are done in love and he let them have it...told them that they rambled and that they didn't stay on topic. Gulp. ha ha then sister's got up. They did good because they're sisters and he didn't have much to say about it but good things.
 
Then it was our turn we taught fasting and I told Miranda's story. Elder Zwick said that we made him want to start a fast right then. He asked the audience for comments and they were all good. phew...good thing I prayed to not sound like and idiot before we went up. ha ha I taught a lesson in front of a General Authority. It was crazy! ha ha

Uhh...it has been a while.

I fell off the Elder Bellomy blogging wagon and have not posted since January 5th. This week I have had a couple of interesting comments as to why there is no news about Elder Bellomy. One person asked me if there were no recent posts because the blog was discussing too many details of Eldrew's mission and were asked to stop. Another person wondered if bad stuff was happening to Eldrew and we did not want to talk about it.

I am happy to report that neither is the case. There have been no posts for quite a while because I am lazy and distracted. Elder Bellomy is happy, working hard, and having success.

Oh, and the other reason that there haven't been any posts is that Eldrew does not write very long newsy letters. Hence, there is not a whole lot to tell. (But now I am just making excuses.)

One experience that Eldrew did share is that the day after Christmas, he was at some sort of Ward get-together. One of the young girls in the Ward had a skateboard. If  you know Eldrew, you know that skateboarding was a major part of his life before going on a mission. He asked if he could show her a skateboarding trick on her skateboard - said "Yes."

So, Eldrew proceeded to show her a stunt called an 'ollie.' Here is what an ollie looks like:

Well...as you can guess from the photo above...Eldrew broke the little girl's skateboard.

He immediately told her that he was sorry and asked her where she got it and how much it cost so he cold replace it. She looked at him (visualize big kid eyes here) and told him she did not know...

She got the skateboard for Christmas! Ooops.

Needless to say, Elder Bellomy felt terrible. He did make good on his promise...he bought her a new skateboard. Eldrew said she was very happy to get the replacement, but even happier that he promised her that he would never ride her skateboard again.

Lesson learned!

More news from the Texas Houston South Mission soon.

Christmas call.

Our first missionary call home. This is one of four we will get during Eldrew's mission. Sorry to be so late reporting on it. We got a little carried away with the holidays.

Eldrew arranged the call and time via email on the prep day before Christmas. We gathered the whole family for the call at 2pm on Christmas Day. Eldrew is a missionary who obeys the mission rules. He made sure that we  understood that only family couuld be on the call.

When the big moment came, the phone rang and we all ran into the office to put him on speaker. It was great to hear his voice. He was calling on a member's cell phone. He was in good spirits, happy, upbeat, joking around...and sort of awkward...not knowing what to say.

By the rules, Eldrew kept his call to 40 minutes. Every five minutes or so, he tell us how much time he has left. The whole family peppered him with questions about how he is doing, what its like to be on a mission, about his new area, etc. etc.

Eldrew is of the opinion that he is going to be in his new area for a while. His companion goes home in March and will most likely remain in the area until the end of his mission. That being the case, Eldrew will probably stay and extra month or two after to assure missionary continuity in the area. If that's true, his next transfer will be maybe April or May. Of course, it is all up to the needs of the mission and the inspiration of his mission president. An interesting note...Eldrew's new companion sort of came with the territory. The area Eldrew is serving in was a part of the Texas Houston East Mission...the area moved into Eldrew's mission as a part of a boundary shift when a Stake was reorganized. His companion was already there and assigned to the Texas Houston East mission. So...his companion got transferred into a new mission for the last few months of his mission.

We discovered that Eldrew would prefer mail sent to his mission home and not to his apartment address. It seems to work out better that way.

So...the correct address is:

Elder Andrew Bellomy

Texas Houston South Mission

4627 Austin Parkway

Sugar Land, TX 77479-2146

On a side note, we Googled Eldrew's new apartment address and found a Google street view photo of the home. We won't post it here...but it is really sort of odd and cool to have so much information about where he is serving. I will show the general area that he is at in relation to Houston.


View Larger Map

At the end of the call, I got the chance to have a minute or two alone talking to Eldrew. It was very special. Susan got to finish the call with Eldrew one-on-one as the time ran out. She came out wiping away tears.

It made for a GREAT Christmas!

Transfer accomplished!

Eldrew has arrived in his new area. Here is his letter today.

Hey hey Family-

So....I'm sure you are all sooooooooo anxious to hear where I am. So...I guess I can fill you in.

I got transferred to a new area in the Texas Houston South Mission called Pasadena. It is part of the newly formed League City Stake. The boundary change is the reason for the new area in our mission because it was formally an area in the Texas Houston East Mission--you should ask Josh Madsen if he's served here or heard of it? So, it's pretty much suburb style...lots of cozzy homes and nice people. Country folk for sure.

My companion's name is Elder Beck from Blackfoot, Idaho. He's pretty funny and used to dirt bike.

We live in a member's home. He's a high priest and is retired and Red--the Red haired grandmother--works everyday somewhere. They have...or had (I'll explain in a second)...a parrot, 2 cats, and two dogs. BUT Suzie, the Bassett hound, an aged and important member of the family died last night after being a bit sluggish and sad the passed few days. Red was very sad and doesn't want anymore dogs because she "can't go through this anymore"...so today, Elder Beck and I dug a grave and buried Suzie...not your typical P-day activity.

We have some solid investigators and are working on a few others. I've met some great people already and I'm starting to learn how to be myself and be a missionary at the same time...if that makes any sense? ha.

Elder Bellomy

We will post again after he talks to his Mom on Christmas Day.

"I'll be (fill in the blank) for Christmas."

There is an old song, "I'll be home for Christmas." We know that Eldrew is not going to be in Utah this year for Christmas. But as of right now, we don't know where he will be for Christmas.

We got our weekly email from Eldrew. It was very, very short. The only real news is that he has been notified that he will be getting transferred this week. He is sad to leave Maplewood. Elder Rios has been a great companion, and Eldrew loves the area.

As of the time he wrote the email, he does not know where he is going, or who his new companion will be. I believe that the process is that he is given a head's up on the Sunday before transfers. I think he finds out late yesterday or today where and who. The actual transfers are on Wednesday. I don't know if he will let us know on Wednesday or if we wait until the weekly email on Monday to get all the details. We will keep our loyal readers up to date when we learn more.

I will say that Eldrew is sort of blowing me away. His letters are positive and energetic...even if they are short. His comedic view of the world comes through in every word he writes. It is amazing to see his committment to the Gospel growing each week. I can tell he is really focused.

Susan and I spent some time last night talking about my companions. I had some wonderful missionary compainions...and some real duds. I can honestly say that I loved all of my areas that I worked in. Each was unique and interesting. Eldrew is in for an adventure as he moves on to his next chapter on his mission.

Thanksgiving with “Familia Mendez.”

A really, really long letter this week...

Eldrew reported on his Thanksgiving Day, singing, upcoming events, some frustrations, and other items. About Thanksgiving he reports.

“Thanksgiving was kind of funny. We woke up and did our usual thing. Thursdays are our weekly planning day so we sit down and plan for 3 or so hours so we did that. Then we had dinner at Familia Mendez (a somewhat new family into our ward from the Spanish Ward). We had Turkey, Ham, Rice, and peppers. We scheduled appointments at member's homes earlier that week so we would be expected and we didn't stay more that 40 minutes at each home. Of course we did no tracting or OYMing (open your mouth)ing on a family day like Thanksgiving. Then we went home and slept. Ha!”

This week was sort of frustrating.
 I think that Eldrew is not having the most fun he’s had so far. This week seems to have had some down moments.

“This week was a bummer! Ha, Ha. That's very pessimistic, but we didn't really get out a lot to go spread the gospel. I like talking and working physically...planning is good but too much planning and meetings and interviews and etc, etc, etc...makes for a week that feels very claustrophobic, that is very low in results, and is very discouraging."

The work.
Eldrew reports that he will be participating in his first baptism. It is planned for this Saturday. It is a young man who is 19 and was introduced to the missionaries by a member of the Church. Elder Bellomy and Rios taught the young man and let the sister missionaries continue teaching him. Elder Bellomy and Rios are staying involved because of their relationship with him

Eldrew reports that they have other great people they are teaching, but that they often have trouble keeping the appointments. Eldrew sees the importance of this. He says:

“We have currently some very good [people] we are working with, though presently we are having a hard time getting them to keep appointments. Which is a big part in teaching...weird right? We are working hard still, more mentally than physically though 2 weeks ago my throat was hurting from talking so much. I was never expecting that."

He and Elder Rios get a vote of confidence.
“Another other cool things is the Bishop in our ward told Elder Rios and I that we are good missionaries and he has enjoyed watching us.”

Looking forward to the Christmas call.
Missionaries are allowed to call home to Mom twice a year – Christmas and Mother’s Day. Eldrew is getting ready for the call. He says:

“This Christmas, I don't know when I will call ya'll but hey...I will at some point. I'll let you know the ball park.”

Snow Day.
"Oh so I almost forgot...I'm staying warm and the snow was really weird because it didn't stop. It went all day. It just accumulated on cars but melted on everything else but people were making snowmen and work was cancelled and stuff...it was funny. I heard that people were afraid to drive in it???...it was just like rain. Ha, Ha."

Have guitar. Will sing the Gospel.
"I used it [guitar] for the first time in a lesson this week. Elder Rios and I say 'Israel Israel, God is Calling'. It brought the spirit and started us off for a great lesson."

Not on our Christmas wish list – Transfers.
Eldrew reports that transfer news will be coming on the 15th. That’s when he and Elder Rios will know if they will be together for another month. We are keeping our fingers crossed that he and Elder Rios will stay together. We think Elder Rios has been a great companion. We will be very sad when they are assigned new companions. But, transfers aren’t our call. Elder Bellomy and Rios have a wise and caring Mission President who will make the right, inspired decision.

Snow in Houston! Earliest ever.

News reports today are that Houston is receiving its earliest snow ever. The forcast is for as much as 2 inches in some places.

Photo courtesy of The Houston Chronicle. They have a story and photo gallery here: Houston braces for icy night after early snowfall

I hope the Elders drive carefully and stay warm.