July 4th and beyond in Sunnyside.

Eldrew has settled into the routine of his new area...and probibly last area...Sunnyside.

He is contacting and teaching. My impession is that he is teaching many more people than he did in his previous area. Elder Bellomy seems to be upbeat, happy, and committed.

It is not to suggest that there isn't anything interesting going on, but he is certainly in a sort of focused zone. He loves his companion and teaching people.

Here are a few highlights from his last few letters:

The difference in his new area:
"We are doing lots of good finding. We normally find about 10 new investigators a week...compared to 2 a week in Sugar Land. It is a lot of fun meeting the people we meet."

Some highlights from the people he is teaching:
"The 4th of July was good and hot. We worked a regular day, we did get BBQ! The Sisters brought us some from a member. It was really good soul food. The highlight of the 4th of July however was a man we met on the bike path...He normally walks around with a pack of dogs so we don't talk to him because Elder Tufaga and dogs don't get along (He got bit 2 weeks ago), but he was with out his dogs so we started up a conversation. He wasn't interested, but he is a professionally trained opera singer and he sang us 2 songs. ha ha I was trying so hard not to laugh. One was from Handel's Messiah."  

"There is a man ...I see so much potential in...He is about 40 or so, I think I told you about him...he didn't come to church, we saw him that day and he was drunk but I still can see and smell passed all of that. He will be baptized this month. He is way funny though, he is a martial artist...kind of...and he was showing us his moves...I was blow away, he actually knows martial arts. It made me laugh because I volunteered Elder Tufaga to spar with him and he was trying to egg Elder Tufaga on so he could show us his moves. ha Elder Tufaga was not happy with me! HA!"

"I think the spiritual highlight of the week [July 19] however, well, there were two. First one was actually not even our investigator but I baptized the sister's investigator on Saturday. His name is "W.W." and he is an amazing man. One of the most prepared investigators I have seen on my mission. His family is completely against it, especially his daughter whom he lives with, but regardless he knows it's true.

These are just a few of the stories that Eldrew is sharing of his teaching and contacting that we are comfortable sharing.

Pioneer Day in Houston:
(Mormonspeak note: Pioneer Day is a major state holiday in Utah. It is the holiday that celebrates the moment the Mormon pioneers entered the Salt Lake Valley.) "Wow, Pioneer day... I completely forgot about that holiday until the first talk at church. I thought to myself, "why is this person talking so much about the pioneers?" and then I realized and had to explain to our investigator next to me what a pioneer is and why the person was talking about it."

Talk assigned and accepted:
We were approached this week at Church to confirm Elder Bellomy's date for coming home. We were asked to arrange with Eldrew the date he will be speaking in Church. Elder Bellomy accepted and asked for an assigned topic to speak on. He also asked us not to remind him of the talk until two weeks before he comes home. He doesn't want us to discuss coming home because he wants to stay focused on his mission.

Transfers...not.

Elder Bellomy finished his July 25th letter with the following: "Transfer calls were today, I am staying in Sunnyside with Elder Tufaga. :)

Love ya'll!

Elder Bellomy"

 

And we love you too, Elder Bellomy

More transfer news...

With every transfer, we get a copy of the official assignment letter sent to Elder Bellomy from President Saylin. We got our copy of the letter today.

WE knew he'd been transferred and had a new companion. We also know the Church unit he is serving in. We don't know where the area is...or where his apartment is. Eldrew did leave out one small detail regarding the transfer. He has also been assigned as a District Leader.

(Mormonspeak: A district leader is the missionary assigned to lead and coordinate the missionary work in a smaller geographic area within a mission. We don't know the size of the district, but generally a 'district' comprises between 2-4 companionships. Up to eight missionaries.)

I am sure that Elder Bellomy is excited about this assignment because he LOVES working with other missionaries. I believe that he didn't mention it because he is happy being focused on the work. This is sort of a best case scenario for him. He gets to do the missionary work he likes...and gets to share time with other missionaries.

From a trivia perspective, this also provides Elder Bellomy with chance to experience every assignment an LDS missionary can have on a mission — junior companion, senior companion, trainer, district leader, zone leader, and assistant to the President.

Tomorrow is letter day. I'm sure there are updates coming...and photos if we are lucky!

Final Transfer?

We don't know if this really is the final transfer...but there are only July and August transfers left on Eldrew's mission.

After only a month of training Elder Hesterman, Eldrew has transferred to the Sunnyside Branch in Houston. Elder Bellomy describes this as a "dramatic" change.

He has moved from what he has described as "the ward he wants to live in when he is married" to a tiny branch. The Sugar Land 1st Ward is a well established, affluent area. The Ward has a nice chapel and a lot of really great, active members. The Sunnyside branch has only 30 members and has no building. Until they recently rented space, they met in a member's home. The branch (Mormonspeak: a small congregation) can only rent the space for two hours, so they cut out the ususal Sunday School class.

Eldrew describes the area as "mostly extremely poor ghetto" with some areas near the University of Houston that has some nicer homes.

His companion is Elder Tufaga (pronounce Two-fong-ah) He is from Hawaii. He is part Hawaiian, Samoan, and Chinese. Eldrew says that Elder Tufaga is hard working...and he is excited to serve with him. The congregation is so small that Elder Bellomy and Tufaga took the responsibility of passing the Sacrament on Sunday.

Eldrew says that if they don't find, teach, and bring people into the Church, this small congregation will not grow. So, he and his companion are working hard.

We are excited for him and his companion!!!

Time for another Mormon Moment.

Here is an inspiring video of a young LDS mother who overcame the challenges created in her life from a terrible car accident.

Basketball, and other Sugar Land News

Now that Eldrew is no longer a Assistant to the President, he is focused on being a regular prostlytizing missionary. He is training a new missionary (Elder Hesterman) and they are working hard finding people to teach in their area. (And playing a little B-ball!)

His letters are getting longer. And, seems to be having regular preparation days now.

In his last few letters he reports:

1. The photograph of Elder Bellomy with the mystery missionary — Mystery Missionary Photo turns out to be his companion, Elder Bayles the other assistant. He was wearing another missionary's name tag because his was lost.
2. The weather is getting brutal and hot. (We are teasing him because the weather in Utah is wet and cool.)

3. He is playing basketball on preparation days. Eldrew says that he can play for about 15 minutes before he get tired.
4. They still have a car...but don't drive too much because of the small milage allowance. Eldrew says that he loves riding the bike anyways. He says you get out more, connect with the area, and talk to more people.
5. Elder Bellomy reports that with the summer weather, he is getting SUPER tanned. He says that some people say that he looks Cherokee. (Funny thing is that his great, great, great grandmother is reported to have been full Cherokee) However, I don't see that with his blond hair and blue eyes that anyone can think that.
6. He and Elder Hesterman were touched and pleased that they had six people that they are teaching come to Church on Sunday. They have a number of people planning baptisms. Getting six visitors who are committed to baptism is a BIG deal. Eldrew credits the blessing as being 90% the Lord, and 10% Elder Hesterman!

7. Riding bikes is having the effect of Eldre losing weight and getting into shape. He is now 180lbs.

8. They taught two "awesome" gentlemen from Iraq...Muslims. The taught a lesson that Elder Bellomy describes as "filled with the Spirit." They met them tracting (Mormonspeak: "Tracting" is when Mormon missionaries go door-to-door knocking and introducing themselves. They generally teach a short lesson and leave LDS Tracts (pamplets)...hence..."Tracting.)

9. He and Elder Hesterman had a outside their area. Two missionaries going home with long international flights needed to leave a day early. Since Eldrew is near the airport and knows Houston really well, he and his companion were asked to get them to the airport.

10. After nine months in Sugar Land, Elder Bellomy announced that he is getting transferred. We will learn the particulars later. He is looking forward in faith to serving in what may be his last area of this mission. Wow! I can't believe that we are getting to that point.

Plaque

It is a tradition in many Latter Day Saint wards (congregation) to put up a plaque on the bulletin board for each missionary serving from the ward.

It has taken a while, but our congregation decided to put up plaques for our missionaries. This is a terrible photo, but here is Eldrew's plaque. (click to enlarge)

I confess that I've always found this tradition rather quaint...but I have been truely touched by this plaque.

Other missionaries serving from our ward are Elder Price -- Mississippi, and Elder Turner -- Japan.

As soon as I get a getter photo, I will replace this one.

Caught up. Looking forward.

Well...we are finally caught up on Elder Bellomy's mission blog. To friends and family who have lived throught the drought...we hope this has not been too much in too short a time. We have been catching up by writing in as-if-in-real-time. I hope this still captured the spirit and flow of his mission. For us, it is almost like reliving this portion of his mission.

Going forward we will keep everything up to date.

At dinner tonight, we talked about the time Elder Bellomy has left. We are amazed. He has about four months left...where has the time gone. Yet, he has so much left to accomplish and grow. The interesting thing is that we don't really know exactly when he is coming home. It will be sometime in September.

The other BIG news is that we get to talk to him next Sunday for Mother's Day. This is the last of the four times we get to phone him. Wow! The next time after that we we actually talk will be at the airport.

Our mission now will be to support him, keep him focused, and not cause him to become distracted thinking about coming home. Now is the time to sprint across the finish line.

A touching letter from Elder Bellomy

No commentary this week. I'll just share Elder Bellomy's email.

----------------------------------------------------------------

This passed week Elder Bayles and I had a companionship study which makes the first part of this email, really a preface to my email, necessary. We had a conversation about our families. I remembered how the best day of my week before the mission was Sunday. I remembered how I used to pull up after church or after being with my friends to see Spencer and Elizabeth's Sonata parked out side with Adam's car right next to it. I remembered how warm and happy it made me feel to be with my family. It brought tears to my eyes to think about how I can be with you all forever. Through the Priesthood of God, our family has been bound together. It is powerful motivation to always stay pure. So I may stand spotless before the judgement bar of Christ and be let into Celestial Glory through His infinite mercy and grace, after I have exerted everything I have keeping true and remaining on the path.

Long story short, I love ya'll. I am so thankful to you for all that has been given to me. Support, love, finances, everything to get me out here and keep me here. YOU DO SO MUCH, I can scarcely summon adequate gratitude to pay you back. I am sorry I have been a terrible pen pal. I am going to be better!

Okay. Now that I have recanted, I can give you the news:

This week was a week of ups and downs...like most weeks and days in missionary work. We had an awesome week in our area. We found 2 new investigators, we have some awesome investigators, and we have been doing a lot more in our area than the weeks before. One of our investigators name is Andy Chen. Andy Chen is the husband of a woman from mainland china. He is Chinese himself but was raised in the Bronx and Queens. His wife joined the church in Switzerland while going to school. They just moved into the area and we went by after they came to church together and announced to the ward in introduction "We are the Chens, I'm Ting, this is my husband Andy...he is not a member YET, but we will be married in the Temple in a year or so"...talk about bold. ha ha He is scheduled to be baptized this Sunday evening. We have an awesome relationship with him and it is awesome to see how he is coming closer to God and Jesus Christ through the Book of Mormon and through the help of the Holy Ghost.

I would say the story to my life right now is really hard to put into many words when it can so easily and appropriately be explained as a blur. Time is moving so fast. It was my birthday yesterday right? ...RIGHT? Transfer week is coming up this next week so I am getting pretty anxious to see what will happen with me next week. The crazy time is going to shortly begin...Busy, busy. ZLC...Ebenezer, etc, etc. :) But I love it.
What is another weird facet of my life is that I am going to start applying for school in the upcoming week. I think BYU is going to be my big sell. Not that I have been thinking about it but...Business Accounting undergrad and then onto law school. Corporate attorney here I come!

I love ya'll...I did a lot better this time, eh?

With love from Houston--

Elder Andrew Bellomy

Busy boy II.

Well...we sort of got after Eldrew in our email this week about the short letters and/or no letters. His big sister Elizabeth also sent him an email complaining. Her email included a sample email from another missionary that is very newsy and much longer than Eldrew's emails typically are. This resulted in this very, very long email home this week.

I'm sorry! It makes me feel terrible hear that my emails are too scanty in details, but I am so void of time that long emails aren't possible. This week is no exception. As you can see it is 5 o'clock our time and p day ends at 5, we still have a few more projects to get done. I haven't had a p-day in a long time. I love ya'll and hope you can forgive me for these week emails. I am doing well and the creditable coverage letter should be coming. They said they would mail it. Love ya'll!

But, you can tell that he is working hard. If he doesn't have a formal "P" day...then he is a very, very busy missionary. LDS missionaries typically get one day a week to take a break. Break is a relative concept for missionaries. The "Prep" day is for doing laundry, grocery shopping, cleaning, letter writing, reports, etc. On my mission (back in the dawn of time) missionaires had until about 5pm for prep day. That allowed some time for sight seeing or gathering with other missionaries to hang out. My impression now is that you have more of a Prep morning to get everything done. Even at that, Eldrew has so many tasks that they are giving up what little time they have to devote to getting the work done.

All I can say is, "keep up the good work Elder!"


We love Eldrew. For me (his Dad) his letters and occasional lack of a letter is just fine. I consider his mission an opportunity of a life time and is about working hard and serving the Lord. My teasing about long letters is just that — teasing. Others in the family...not so much. Long letters or short, he will get the chance to tell us all about his mission when he gets home. In the meantime, we know that he is healthy and happy.

Transfer announcement (not Eldrew) and THE WRECK.

Why he hasn't been writing. (Same old, same old.)

 I apologize for not sending the newzy emails I should be sending...These passed two weeks have been crazy!!!  Transfers tied us up, then it was moving the mission office (not home), and then it was ZLC, and then, and then, and then... ha ha Those are my excuses! 

An unanticipated expense...a car wreck.

So...I tell you this not so you will freak out, but so that you know of some upcoming financial needs that will be rising. I am fine, I was not hurt, nor was my companion, but I got in a car accident last Monday. I was driving and right after an intersection, right after I was turned to check my blind spot I turned back and traffic was stopped at a point when I was not expecting it to be, so I turned the wheel, slammed on the brakes but I hit the back of a truck. It hardly did any damage to his truck but it got our truck pretty good. Long story short, I got a ticket and our vehicle coordinator said when all I said and done it will come to about 250 out of pocket for me. Which I just feel foolish about and I am so sorry because obviously it won't be coming out of MY pocket and I feel bad because I can't work to pay for it. So, I am sorry in advance. I am going to go to court and plea poverty because I don't make any money and I'll see where that will get me. But anyways, I'll answer your questions now.

New companion.

So there was a transfer in my area.  Elder Peterson is now a District Leader in the Richmond 1st and 2nd wards.  It is a very large area geographically and it is also extremely wealthy.  In that area there is only 1 apartment complex, the rest is ritzy homes with large plots of land.  My new companion is a Spanish missionary named Elder Bayles.  He is an all state middle line backer from Green River, Wyoming.  He is a stud, he went to BYU before his mission and practiced with the team before he came out on his mission.  He plans on playing football at BYU.  We are getting along great and we are really similar to each other, it's eerie.

Mission office move (Answering our questions about it.)

It went as well as a move can go. We actually moved the mission office, not the mission home. The responsibility to move the office was firmly placed on our shoulders, we just got a whole zone to help us. We moved it in 2 days and the office couples and missionaries are putting all the pieces together and unloading boxes.

Q. Where is your apartment in relation to the new mission office?

I don't actually know what my apartment address is, because I don't get mail sent there because I could get transferred and I don't want to tell people to send it other places and have mail for me where other missionaries can lose it...though, the chances of me receiving mail are slim! ha ha I don't write letters and as a result I don't get letters and any letter I would receive wouldn't be very interesting. Plus, I am in the office everyday doing something so the mail being sent there is really convenient for me. The mission office is now in the Eldridge chapel. I was in this chapel for 4 1/2 months when I was a Zone Leader in the Alief ward. It used to be the Richmond stake center so it had the stake offices, but they built a new building for the stake center with new stake offices so the church converted that section of the chapel into our mission office, it's pretty neat and it will save the church money! The mission home is about 15 minutes away from the office, President Saylin also has an office at his home so he has two interview places.

The mission is doing great!  When I started my mission we were the lowest baptizing mission out of the 3 in Houston.  Now, we are the highest.  In the America Southwest area (Which includes all of Arizona and New Mexico where the church is really strong) we are above average on all key indicators AND we lead the area with the most baptismal dates!  421 investigators preparing to be baptized!

Q: Are you teaching anyone?

The Chen family, brother Chen accepted a baptismal date for April 16th. It was awesome!

Random photo.
Eldrew sent this photo without any explanation of who the other missionary is.

(Commentary: Reporting how a mission is doing is always a somewhat odd thing. On one level, the number of baptisms is a concrete sign of the lives that are being brought to the Gospel — and the hard, faithful efforts of missionaries and members. Yet, it can come off as overly statistical and calculating. So, I take the above statistics as a measure of joy at the success rather than boasting or competitiveness.)Q. How is the mission going?

April 2...no news letter.

We are going through another famine period from Eldrew. A short, short email...then no emai...and this week's thin email:

Hey hey! This is going to be short, just a quick note really. Regarding the thing I was supposed to ask for, I know I asked for it because she verified my address and everything for it. I will call again on monday to take care of it. But I love ya'll, enjoy conference!

At least we know he'd alive and seems to be in good spirits.

(For what it is worth, the "thing" Eldrew is speaking of is a health insurance verification document that he needs to provide so we can fully insure him on Dad's health plan...we've been working on getting him to take care of it for months.)

Transfer week...no news yet.

A very short email from Eldrew this week (March 21). It is transfer week. We don't know if he is staying or going. He said he is very, very busy.
Eldrew did write to send his love. He sounds happy and busy.

Stay tuned for transfer news next week.

March 14. Birthday greetings from my son.

March 14th is my birthday. I am proud of all my children for all the things they do. I am proud of Andrew for his choice to serve a mission. It was wonderful to get a birthday message from Elder Bellomy. (I think someone reminded him...even though he didn't need reminding.

"Ahhhhh man....you robbed me of the pride of remembering. I was excited all this week for the chance to email because I actually remembered a birthday! I'm not forgetful or anything but I think I'd forget it was Christmas if the world didn't bring it up ha ha But...all is well. Happy Birthday Dad!"

Mission news.

My life this week has actually been a bit relaxed (relatively). No mission conferences, no leadership meetings, no transfers, no etc. etc. Just the regular things. We have transfers coming up this next week, which will be busy.

Reflections on time warp.

It is weird to think of this time in my mission. I heard a returned missionary joke when I at about 8 months in my mission that isn't as funny to me now as it was to me then. He compared a mission to a snow covered house....you set up a ladder on the one side and you make an arduous hike up the ladder for 6 months, then you walk up the slant and it seems to go a little faster and easier for six months, then you hit the peak and start sliding down the other side quickly for 6 months and then, free fall to the ground...for what seems like seconds. Elder Peterson and I have been together for 6 months and I feel like I have been with him for 2 months. Time is going so quickly, I am almost scared by it. ha

Misc. stuff.

I wish I had news to share with you, we don't...other than this...the mission office is moving locations officially March 25th. The new address is:

Texas Houston South Mission

ATTN: Elder Bellomy

602 Eldridge Road

Sugar Land, TX 77478

So, if you want to write Eldrew...and please do...this is the new official address.

Hmmm...maybe that is how we do it.

We jokenly complain about about Elder Bellomy's short letters home. He's actually done pretty well of late.

However, we may have stumbled onto a way to get him to write longer emails...don't write him. This week (March 7th) we had an email snafu...and our letter to him went to the wrong email box.

The reply to our missed email was this rather long and detailed email from the Elder:

Wow! A taste of my own medicine! ha ha I'm kidding. I do appreciate any email I recieve and the quick to read bullets! That makes my email time fly by. So, not much has changed from Friday other than the dust is settling down. We don't really have anything big on our plates until the transfers. Which are 22 March. I can't say whether I'm staying or going...time will only tell. As soon as I take more pictures I will send pictures. With the usual amount time I have to email, I will tell you a neat story from this week. I'm not sure where it is going to go but it was pretty cool. I was on exchanges with one the of the zone leaders in my area this Saturday and it was about 2 o'clock and our appointment called and cancelled so we decided to go get a few contacts somewhere. We had already been to the Walmart parking lot to talk to people, so we couldn't go back there and there is a severe scarcety of places to contact people in sugarland because we have been kicked out of so many places. As we were driving there was an apartment complex that kept coming into my mind so we decided to go there (which didn't make sense because I had been to that apartment complex only once and we left quickly because there was no one walking around AND our next appointment was in 30 minutes so we were going to need to leave in 20 minutes). I looked at the missionary I was with and said, "I don't know why we're here, but I feel like we should be here" So we went to go knock on a few doors. When we got to the first door, Elder Breeze realized we didn't have our scriptures on us and I agreed with him that it would show a lack of faith to not be prepared to be let in, so we went back to the car to get our backpacks. We then began knocking. We got to our 6th door and we started talking to the man and he let us in. We only had about 10 minutes at this point, so explained our purpose as missionaries and told him that we were going to talk about something important to the restoration of the gospel and said a pray. Then we taught the book of mormon. As we were winding down the lesson, Marcus (the man) said, "can I be honest with you?" We said, "yes please" and the began, "To be honest, all my life I have hated mormons. I didn't know why you were doing what you were doing! When I'd see you on your bikes I'd want to run you over with my truck. But 3 weeks ago, my father in law came to stay with my family. He's one of your brothers. He told me what you told me today. I realized that you are doing a great thing. I'm going to read this book cover to cover. I have never once seen you in my complex before and it just happens to be a time when I'm home and when I'm reading my bible too, this is not a coincidence." It was really cool. Hopefully he progresses!


Well, I love ya'll!


Elder Bellomy

And, we love you too Elder Bellomy!

Busy boy!

No word from Eldrew on Monday...but got the following email on Friday:

Family!

So, once again...I know I'm a broken record...but I have very little time on my hands. We had a really busy week this week which started on preparation day...so I didn't get to email. This email is going to be brief. BUT...the rule on attaching pictures is no longer a rule (I didn't know when I sent those pictures before...opps.) So I can send you pictures. So, since a picture paints a thousand words...i'm writing WAY more than usual!

This week.

Monday: Putting together the Ebenezer, our mission newsletter. It needed to be ready for distribution on Tuesday. That was a project.
Tuesday: ZLC/Leadership meeting. That was a stressful event. But really good. The mission's vision is being lifted.
Wednesday: Preparing for our mission conference on Thursday.
Thursday: Mission Conference...160 missionaries...enough said...
Friday: Running around getting the beginings of transfers set up and doing some things for President.

Well...I love ya'll!!!

Now for the photos...be sure to click to view a larger image.


Houston Temple


 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Not sure...but I think this is the Zone Leader Conference.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

I think this is Elder Bellomy, Born and his companion.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Elder Bellomy with President Saylin and Elder Peterson

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Presents under the old Christmas CHAIR???

Eldrew's ongoing facination with glasses. (Who knows?)

Nice to get photos...this was a GOOD letter week. (Even if it was a little late)

Merry Christmas Elder Bellomy

We heard his voice, enjoyed his spirit, and laughed at his jokes.

It was a great Christmas present.

Funny story...

During the Christmas season, the Texas Houston South Mission has a Christmas party for the missionaries.

We were asked to send a package for Elder Bellomy. (Like we need prompting.) Well, actually...they asked to have it arrive by a certain date to be passed out at the party.

We were also asked to contribute a gift for a game in which the missionaries somehow trade gifts and attempt to upgrade to a gift that they like. (I don't know how that works.)

While shopping, we saw this cool, small, blender. Perfect for protien shakes, etc. We knew that would be a winner. So we got it.

Knowing our Eldrew...we knew that he'd love that gift. (He was a Magic Bullet) frequent flyer before his mission. Guessing that he would have a very small chance of winning the the mixer in the game, we bought him one for his gift package.

On the call, we asked him if he got his Christmas Package...he proceeded to tell us the story of how he and his companion really tried to win this "cool" blender in the Gift Game...and failed. But in an amazing coincidence, his Christmas package had the exact same mixer as he'd tried to win. We all laughed and told him the secret of where both gifts came from.

Almost a year and a half away from home...and we can still read his mind!

It was a great Christmas call. We have three of our four calls down...one to go.

December 13. Touching his heart.

First the news...Eldrew didn't get transferred.

After a week where we didn't hear from Eldrew, he sent a long letter.

He shared a story of how his mission, under the direction of his Mission President are trying to apply hard work and faith to find and to bring people to the Gospel before the end of the year.

As Assistants to the President, Elderw and his companion don't get as much missionary time as other missionaries. In fact, Elder Bellomy reports that he and his companion are very busy with Zone Conferences, Mission-wide meetings, Christmas activity planning for the Mission, and TWO transfers this month. It seems that missionaries going home this month were given the choice of early December (be home for Christmas) or after Christmas (spend one last Christmas on their mission).

Anyways, Elder Bellomy and his companion have been striving to contribute to their mission's efforts to find, teach, and bring people to the gospel. Elder Bellomy shared this experience:

Elder Peterson and I were praying to find someone. We had gotten a referral from the spanish missionaries a week before that we couldn't find. It was a bad address. But...while walking through another complex in the area we saw a familiar apt number. We knocked on it and ask for Ashley Hale. It was he. He said he was busy that day but said he would come to church (a day he would HAVE to come to for baptism on the weekend in white). He came. and he loved it. We went that night and taught him, extended a date for baptism for December 19th, the evening of his third time at church. He jumped up and wrote "baptism" on his calendar. As we left his very humble and run down apartment, smelling of cigarettes, Elder Peterson and I were full of faith that the Lord had provided a miracle. Though we knew this would be no easy task, it was well within the realm of reality for a work so guided by God..


Brother Hale has lived a hard life. He was born into wealth, being the son of a father whom inherited a great fortune. His father didn't work and spent his time drinking and doing drugs. Ashley was often beaten by his father and ran away frequently. As he grew older, he turn his life into one of drinking and partying. Realizing the hollowness of the party life he changed his life around leaving only one vestige of his past life-- his heavy addiction to tobacco.

Brother Hale smoked 40 self rolled cigarettes a day. We taught him the word of wisdom 2 days after we met him...knowing he had one week to be through with it. That night he gave us half of his tobacco and coffee. The next day he made a plan of how he would quit by the 12th, the next day he made a numerical goal, the next day he called and told us of how his desire to smoke had curbed dramatically. Friday came around and he smoked 26 cigarettes. That night we talked about miracles, about baptism, and about priesthood blessings. He counted out 13 cigarette papers, grabbed just enough tobacco for 13 cigarettes and then put his ash tray and remaining papers and tobacco in a bag for us to through away. The last 13 cigarettes of his life--Saturday's ration. We gave him a Priesthood blessing. The single most spiritually powerful blessing I have ever been a part of. There was such a feeling of God's love and power. When I annointed I felt as if an agent for God as I stated the authority I acted under. Brother Hale told of the immediate change he felt in his clarity and physical strength. He said he felt the spirit. Tears welled up in my eyes as we made our way to the dumpster to through away Brother Hale's sacrifice to the Lord. Given with a willing heart and a contrite spirit.

Brother Hale came to church yesterday. He loved it again. Brother Hale is going to be baptized on the 19th. I know the Lord loves His children, for if He didn't, I wouldn't have been so blessed to be out here in this work. Words can't express how these months have changed me. This work is a work of miracles

As a former missionary, I (Eldrew's Dad) can relate to the faith-building experience of seeing someone turn their life around. If all goes as planned, this will be a wonderful Christmas for Brother Hale!

(Christmas) green with envy.

Letters home:
Elder Bellomy's emails have been arriving on time, but are awfully short. Hence, not a lot to write about.

Here is the last email home:

I know I sound like a broken record...but...we have tons to do today. I have a talk I have to prepare for our Zone Leader Council tomorrow and it is proving to be a very hard subject. So, I will give you the low down of thanksgiving. We were well taken care of. Our ward mission leader had us over. He was for a long time the VP of finance at a big oil company. They had tons of good, traditional food. Then we went to see a family named the Crossgroves. We taught a lesson there and they filled us up with 2 plates each and a plate of dessert to share. She is from Louisiana so it was cajun. Spicy turkey, cornbread stuffin and dirty rice. Mmmmm. so good. We then went and taught some more lessons other places. We have to stay busy on thanksgiving, it's not a day off. :)

Eldrew sighting.
We confess to be a little green (Christmas green) with envy. We got a real-time Eldrew sighting report this week.

We emailed Sister Saylin with some details on Christmas packages. She was kind enough to respond with an email reply and share with us that she'd been with Elderw at a Christmas dinner the night before with the senior missionaries...and that he was in the office at the very moment when she was responding to our email. It was really cool, and sort of strange to get an email from someone who was interacting with Eldrew during the moments we were getting the email. Needless to say, we were excited, happy...and yes...a little envious...that she gets to see and talk to Elder Bellomy. Most of all, we were very happy to read her kind words about Eldrew.

Just 23 days until we get to talk to Eldrew on the phone. Now that will be a real-time experience.

Mormon corner:
In the spirit of Thanksgiving, here is a Thanksgiving message produced by the LDS church.



This Thanksgiving Day, as our family gathered around the table and each spoke of the blessings we are thankful for...we thanked the Lord for Andrew. Our son, brother, and inspiration. We are grateful for his spirit and light. We are thankful that he is well taken care of and that the Lord has watched over him.

A new record.

This week is notable for Eldrew breaking the record for his shortest letter home, yet. Here it is:

I love ya'll....waaaaaayyyy busy week. No time to talk. I gained a stong testimony of Home Teaching this Sunday...I'm gonna be a bomb home teacher. A shepard...not an hireling.  : )
Love,

Elder Bellomy

He is obviously focused, busy, and happy.

And with that, we are going for a record of our own -- the shortest blog entry so far!

Great letter from Houston.

Got a nice, long letter from Eldrew today. Elder Bellomy mixed answering our questions with a few experiences.

Q. When is Trick or Treating in Houston? (Basis for question: In some Southern states and Utah trick-or-treating is held on a Saturday when Halloween falls on a Sunday...which is a Sabbath for most residents.)
A. They do it on Sunday...though we didn't get any trick or treaters at our door.

Q. What to the missionaries in your mission on Halloween. Do you go out? Is it safe?
The mission was required to be in at 7:30pm. It's safe physically to be outside...I don't think that there are riots or shootings are anything of that nature but the danger is the spiritual things. Halloween seems to be a very immoral holiday. Lots of drunken parties and inappropriate costumes. So, we were inside. Elder Peterson gave me a hair cut with the time we had. ha!

Q. How is the Assistant assignment going? Any interesting stories or experiences?
A. Being an assistant is going great. We have just had sooo many things going on. It's crazy. So in my letters home I normally include things that I would consider to be out of the ordinary...but now...everyday is out of the ordinary so It's hard to think about what to write. We just finished the Texas Houston South Mission Quarterly Leadership Conference. It was really good. We had all the leaders come together and we have a training conference. I don't know if I told ya'll this already or not but Elder Born is training this transfer. I'm a grandfather! ha ha.

Q. Have you visited any other parts of the mission yet?
A. Not really. I haven't gone to any new parts. Though, I have gotten to return to some areas. Like League City, Hermann Park, etc....I will get a chance to go to a place called Wharton Texas and out to Pearland Texas but I really don't go to any exotic far out there places because I mainly go to the Zone Leader's areas for exchanges.

Q. I'd be interested in knowing your impression of the southern part of your mission down the coast...and how it is different from the inner city areas you have been in.
A. Well, I haven't been there yet...but it is surprising how quickly it goes from inner city to country...cowboys, cows, trucks, fields, etc. We have an entire zone that is country. The Bay City Zone.

Eldrew shares an experience.
I will attempt to paraphrase Eldrew's telling of a highly touching, but personal story this week. It is quite lengthy.

The companionship have been teaching a couple and son in a long term relationship, but not married. The father in this family was baptised as a child into the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints...but has no real memory of the Church or its teachings. One evening, Elder Bellomy and a member of the ward visited the family. They learned that the couple had been struggling with their relationship...brother Fletcher and Elder Bellomy could tell that the tension was high and the mother was upset. [Note...missionaries' do not get in the middle of family matters.] Elder Bellomy and Brother Fletcher listened, bore testimonies, and Eldre shared some passages of scripture from Alma 34 (Alma 34) a chapter of scripture from the Book of Mormon. After a prayer, they excused themselves.

Elder Peterson and Elder Bellomy were concerned for the well being of the family. On the day of their next appointment, they got a call from the family cancelling. They were disappointed and concerned. But the couple requested the phone number of the Bishop. The mother had been touched by the visit of Brother Fletcher and Elder Bellomy a few evenings before and had spent time reading, and rereading the scripture that Eldrew had shared. She and her partner had also accepted the invitation to pray together suggested by Brother Fletcher. As a result, the couple felt the guidance and promptings of the Sprit. As Elder Bellomy put it..."It changed everything." After prayerful consideration the couple decided to ask to meet with the Bishop and arrange to be married. The wedding was last Friday and the mother and son are planning to get baptised soon.

Mormon corner.


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Have a great week!

Love from Edrew.

Looks like Edrew had time to write today. It was a short letter and that's okay with us.

The letter was upbeat, loving, faithful, touching...and highly personal.

He got his Halloween package. (Candy for he and his companion, and an EFY CD.) He was grateful.

He took a few lines to express his love and gratitude to us -- very sweet.

He also apologized that he has not written long, detailed letters.

He quickly shared some of challenges and blessings going on in the mission. The mission is picking up momentum from the last transfer when a number of experienced missionaries and leaders completed their missions and returned home.

Edrew sends his love.

More next week!