Sweet Sister Dávila

We still don't know too much about Bryce's assignment in Orlando.  We are hoping he is assigned to a Spanish speaking area and that he gets a smart phone so we can still hear from him.  We can't wait til we get his email next Monday. 

But today we received a text message with 2 pictures of Bryce and this message from Sister Dávila:  "I am Sister Dávila and your son in in my ward waiting for his papers to go to Ecuador but while I am here I will send you all the photos I can take."

Love this gospel and the sweet members in it!

Orlando Bound!

We received a quick phone call from Bryce while he was waiting to board his plane to Orlando. Some very nice people let him borrow their phone and then once they boarded the plane they realized they were sitting just behind and across from him and snapped this picture of him and sent it to me😊

We also got this email from another Elder's email account from Bryce:  Hey made it to the mission home. The Elders and President that picked us up are super cool. Gtg ttyl (got to go, talk to you later)

Week 6 Last Week!

Hola!!

How is everything going! I leave on Monday and am so excited but I still have to pack everything.

Last Pday we went to the temple and did an endowment session and then did initiatory after. We were in the temple forever but I loved it! Sunday Elder Fatiaki actually participated in class and then gave a talk in sacrament meeting and it was amazing. Could really feel the spirit and I was so thankful for his testimony. He has always had it but is kind of shy to share it. Then later in the day we had a district activity and basically we went around telling everybody why they were awesome. When it was my turn for people to talk about I was like ok lets make this fast, but they actually said like nice sincere things so I was happy about that. Then at choir Brother Egget compared our MTC experience to the movie Rocky. It was funny but I didn't get any of the references. We sang This is the Christ but not my favorite. We then watched a film with Elder Holland about opening your mouth and using preach my gospel and studying and being converted so we can teach by the spirit.

Monday was the start of our Spanish only week. Before I continue lets just say our district sucked at speaking only Spanish. The next few days kind of blurred together but basically we would all start off Spanish and by our first class everyone was speaking English except me and Elder Cox but he lasted longer than I did. Found out that hermanas in Connor's district call me the "Work of God" so that's funny. My companion teases me about it all the time.

Hermana Cheney

Tuesday I ran 3 miles and it was fun but so tiring and the rest of the day I felt so dead.We sang in the devotional and Elder Claudio Costa and his wife spoke about what we should be doing as missionaries. While he was talking about helping members be apart of missionary work, dad's quote came to my head, "You miss 100% of the shots you don't take." So thanks dad.

Wednesday we got ANOTHER district so now 4 and we also practiced two songs we are singing in choir. One is God Be With You Till We Meet Again and we will sing that in English and Spanish and then a song called How Can I Be. Elder Fatiaki is going to play the ukulele while we sing. I love it so much. Look it up on youtube. Also it was so nice outside that our teacher let us go outside and we went around sharing the first vision Elder Fatiaki was timid at first but then after a few he was sharing with everyone. It was awesome. Then we had an English TRC which went pretty good. Probably the best one we have had. Also talked to an hermana that ran XC at Deseret High and ran a few halfs and a full marathon. Never got her name tho. She didn't sound very fast so you know not much competition here.  Then we had another TRC on Thursday with the English person and then one later at night with a native over Skype. Her name is Carolina. She was so cool. We also had a class from the dude who makes the curriculum and he talked about our brains and learning Spanish so that was cool. Then yesterday everyone wrote in journals and we passed it around and stuff. Connor stole mine so his hermanas could write in it. Got the package from mom and it had Martinelli's and we had a toast and party and it was awesome! 

Celebrating with Martinelli's

Overall a good week with tons of spiritual experiences. I'd like to share one before I end. I was in the shower because that is where all my revelation happens and I was thinking about if I didn't learn Spanish in high school or if I just didn't put that I did on my mission papers and how that would affect where I'm serving and what language I'm speaking. Then the spirit said this, "you are not called to speak Spanish because you took Spanish in high school. You spoke Spanish in high school because I knew you would be called to speak Spanish." It was so cool. I love the spirit and the ability to have it with me always. I know the Church is true and that Jesus atoned for our sins so that we could all return to live with God. Jesus is our advocate, our closest friend and we can turn to him for anything. I know the Book of Mormon is true and that Joseph Smith was called of God to restore the gospel and I am so grateful for this knowledge and to be able to share it with anyone.

Love you all and hope you have a great week!

Elder Tolman

Week 5

Hola Como Esta,

This week was actually kind of boring. Nothing huge.

First off I have seen a couple of friends like, Hermana Fowers, Elder Thompson, Elder Degroot. Saturday, Elder Fatiaki go another hair cut. I finally got mine yesterday and you can't even tell I got one. So dumb.

Wrote my first talk in Spanish last week and have to write another one for tomorrow. On Sunday my cough was super bad (I still have it) so I made honey tea. Thought it would help but not sure it did. Hermana Johnson has also been giving me cough drops. District B is now gone but on Sunday they sang Come Thou Fount. It was pretty good. I was probably closest with that district so sad to see them leave. Our devotional was with BYU men's choir. (I was disappointed it wasn’t BYU Vocal point). Then in choir practice Brother Egget shared some awesome stories as always. Then we watched a rebroadcast of Elder Bednar. I saw Malcom and Kofi in it! The main message was that revelation can come to us if we are in tune with the spirit. It will come on the Lord's time and like Nephi we will act not knowing beforehand what we are to do.

Monday got a priesthood blessing. My companion anointed and Elder Ward blessed. Then later in the week I anointed for Elders Ward and Nyberg and they both blessed each other. Our whole room is sick! The beginning of this week Elder Fatiaki was talking trash on our district saying we were bad at basketball so I convinced him I actually played Semi Pro and the rest of our district was in on it. Anyways went to gym time and we were shooting and I was draining threes which made it all more believable. It was so funny. Now he doesn't brag as much.

Tuesday we sang in the devotional and Elder Funk of the Seventy spoke about being changed by the end of our mission and how people at home are going to keep doing the same things and we as missionaries need to come back home having progressed so much. Also on Tuesday I had to sign some paperwork for my visa idk why.

Wednesday was our 1 month mark! We had to go to the police station for Elder Fatiaki to get fingerprints for his visa. When we went to the police station one of the workers drove us over except it was a female which is breaking missionary rules so that was way weird. Hermano Monney is a tutor and he is so awesome. He taught us on like Saturday and Thursday as well. He has so many good things to share and I look up to him as a friend and as an example. We are supposed to be speaking Spanish almost everyday but our whole district struggles. Elder Fatiaki says its too hard so he won't speak. My goal for the rest of my time here is to help him in anyway possible to have a desire to learn so that it isn't as hard on him when he gets in the field.

I saved the craziest news for last, because Ecuador is having problems with visas I have been reassigned. And I guessed where I was going to go.....I am going to Orlando Florida!

Anyways hope you all are having wonderful lives full of adventure.

Nos Vemos!

Elder Tolman

Elder Morrey

Elder Montez

Left to Right:  Hermana Smith, Ross. Garcia, Johnson, Hutchison, Damery, Elder Fatiaki, me, Cox, Watd, Singelton, Nyberg, Morrey, hermana Hiatt, DeBarcellos, Baxter, Parker

Elder Calkins Rap

Week 4

Hola familia y amigos!

This week seemed a bit boring but lots of good stuff happened too. Elder Fatiaki was sick so on Wednesday we went to class in the morning and then stayed in our room the rest of the day. On Thursday we went to class because I "guilt tripped" him into going, but then one of our zone leaders did splits so I didn’t have to miss another class.

Saturday went to the temple but this time we helped the workers laundry. Got my package full of candy but I have a cough so can't eat any of that. I have been drinking lots of water and encouraging my companion to do the same (sound like dad). I leave class like every 5 minutes to go to the bathroom. We also have safety videos we have to watch about being safe in different ways and about tragic accidents. We laugh at them tho, not because people get hurt but because of the way it is presented. Its' like a news show, idk. If you want to see what it's like I think you can find it on lds.org. There is one girl named Vivian, she reminds me of a deer so she is the center of our jokes. Whoops not very Christ like.

It snows way too much here which also means that not only is it cold but Elder Fatiaki walks slower than a turtle! One funny thing is we were watching a video about missionaries and a person used the word mestado or something like that to ask if native missionaries are always paired with people from the United States but Elder Fatiaki though it meant a Mexican/white baby. Super funny. I always laugh at him not being able to understand it's bad but I can't help it.

Sunday was fast and testimony meeting. All the departing missionaries shared their testimonies and I cried whenever someone else cried I don’t even know why!! Me and Elder Fatiaki also got called to be Sacrament coordinators and I am now a senior companion. Taught a lesson on charity, went well and then we had a devotional with Brad Wilcox who talked about our calling as missionaries and our lineage. What sets us apart from everyone else is not that we were saved for these last days, but that we accepted the call to share the gospel and to serve. I challenge you all to find a way to help along the gathering of Israel whether its temple work, family history, or any other type of missionary work. Just do it!

Tuesday we had a “speak in Spanish” only day and I was doing really good until lunch and basically my whole district gave up except me and Elder Cox and Elder Singleton. I accidentally spoke in English because I was frustrated with Elder Fatiaki and then it's like a switch in my brain turned off all the Spanish I know and I couldn’t talk in Spanish anymore. I try and speak Spanish every day but Elder Fatiaki makes it super duper difficult.

We also had a devotional about the light of Christ and humility and how they coincide so we can share the gospel. Yesterday we learned about goal setting and made spanish goals so hopefully I can improve a lot more! Also taught some TRC. One about praying and the other I shared the family proclamation to the world which was a mistake because then he asked about covenants and ordinances and then about eternal families and the afterlife and agency which was so hard to explain in the little Spanish I know but I was able to remember where to find some things to share with him in Spanish and for the most part I think he understood which is a miracle!

I know the church is true and that the gospel brings happiness to all those that hear it. I am so glad to be able to share the gospel with everyone I come in contact with!

hasta la proxima vez!

Elder Tolman

Elder McNally

Elder Moala

Elder Jensen

Elder Calkins

Elder Johns

Your Calling

Just got back from a devotional with Brother Brad Wilcox and he talked a little about our birthright. I just wanted to share a little bit of what he said and then my thoughts. 

He said that the tribe of Ephraim is charged with the temporal gathering of Israel and Manasseh is charged with the spiritual gathering of Israel. Thoughts came to me that you two were called to raise me so that I could fulfill my calling. And that dad fulfilled part of his calling by serving a mission. We are all called to serve in the gathering of Israel in the millennium too. Mom is charged with the spiritual gathering of Israel. You can take this in multiple ways but the main thought that came to me was family history. You may not be able to do a lot on your own
line but I know that you are called to gather Israel and so I challenge you to start finding ways to serve those on the other side of the veil whether it is indexing or finding those who need ordinances done. And invite the rest of our family to follow your example. 

I have a firm testimony of the Temple and its power. It has blessed our family to be sealed forever. That’s an indescribable blessing that I want to share with those I teach. And while you are not called as a full time missionary you can still be a missionary for those who have passed. I know that as you do this you will feel the
spirit of Elijah. I promise you that as you find time to do family history and temple work that the Lord will bless you so much and that it will be added unto you according to your work. Your calling is just as sacred and important as mine.

Love,
Elder Tolman

Week 3

Hola!

We just started speaking Spanish on Tuesday but before I get to that I'll just go day to day about what I've done.

Saturday, went to the temple but not everyone went so I have a picture of a few people. I saw Tyson at the temple as he was leaving which was really cool!

Sunday, talked about patience and a member of the branch presidency promised us if we will help our companion improve, especially as we learn Spanish, that we will not fall behind but will be blessed ten fold. That was comforting to me so now I’m trying to help my companion but it is hard! District A has been here the longest in our zone and they gave a musical number on Sunday. It was way good. Sister Cuthbert shared that pain and guilt comes from hiding the truth. Repentance is what frees us from it. And that we do not need to repent and suffer because Christ did the suffering for us. We just need to repent. President Cuthbert got up and these are his first words, "So yesterday I choked on a carrot and all I could think about is how a doughnut wouldn't have done that". Then later on his wife spoke and was like oh I can't read this I need glasses so president gave her his and says, “they have a lot of power” and she goes, “oh sure a lot of power”,then she puts them on and is like, “wow those are way powerful!” They are sooo funny!! President Cuthbert also shared his mosquito story about how he worked at a drive in and he would always wear long sleeves so he wouldn’t get bit but one time a mosquito got through and how we always need to put up armor against temptations. We had a devotional with Brother and Sister Richardson and then watched an old devotional with Elder Holland both were pretty good. Then at choir practice we sang Joseph's First Prayer but it's kinda weird version but also fun.

Monday our schedule changed so we have breakfast earlier but none of us knew so we were late but we are late to breakfast everyday now. It's ok cause we have planning meeting after but we don’t have to plan anything cuz our day is already planned out. Elder Fatiaki got a haircut but then the lady didn’t do it how he wanted and messed up his line up so we had to go back to our room so he could "fix it", we were late to class. Also learned the first vision in Spanish.

Tuesday was probably the worst day for food, it was so gross! First day of Spanish and Elder Cox and I know the most and I have to translate for Elder Fatiaki or else he doesn't listen at all. It's so annoying. He also learned how to say annoying in Spanish but because it sounds like molest he uses it in that context. So dumb. Had a devotional with Elder Christofferson. He started with this question, “Is the law of God written in your hearts?” He also sent the love of President Nelson and could definitely feel that. He shared scriptures from Alma 38 that help us gain full conversion and Mosiah 5 about being converted unto the Lord.

We are supposed to talk in Spanish outside of class but Elder Fatiaki hates it so I can't talk to him. And then on Wednesday we had a break where our whole class was going to go outside so we were running down the 6 flights of stairs. Everyone except my companion so when I got to the bottom everyone just went outside and I waited at the bottom of the stairs for him. I waited for like 5 minutes then ran up the stairs looking for him on every floor. I got to our classroom and then started going back down when I met our teacher who was running up to find me. She had found my companion who decided to use the elevator. I was so mad at him and it was really hard not to say anything. I had to say like 5 prayers before I was ok enough to talk to him. He does stuff like that so much and then tries to blame it on me. I've lost him like 3 times this week, Wednesday being the worst one.

Thursday had service and the elders in R2, where we clean, are so disgusting and they break everything. Toilets were exploded and lamps and pictures were in the garbage. I hated it. We are also in our class for so long. We have language study, then class, then language study, then class and it's like forever long.

Yesterday was normal except instead of doing companion study, we played darts in our dorm with the rest of our zone and rapped songs. Elder Fatiaki likes to make them up on the spot. Then Elder Calkins rapped a Child's Prayer. Someone got it on video but I don't have it. You just have to trust me, it is sooo funny! Also got two mission t shirts that I’ll probably send home before I leave.

So the big group picture at the temple on the left is Hermana Hiatt, Hermana Baxter, Hermana de Barcellos, Hermana Guiser, Hermana Ward, Hermana Damery, Hermana Smith and Hermana Parker. Starting on back left is Elder Peterson, Elder Johns, Elder Morrey, Elder Montez, Elder Jensen, Elder Calkins and me.

Also our teachers for English left. Brothers Porter and Holland and Sisters Blau and Giles. We switched on Monday so now we have Brother Silva and Sister Cheney. They are awesome but I'll miss the old ones. The pictures with the teachers are Hermana Giles and Hermano Holland. By the way, he is the grandson of Elder Holland.

Hope you all had a great week. Estoy agradecido estar en la mision. Se que Dios, nuestro Padre Celestial no ama y El envia su Hijo Jesucristo a la tierra para expiar por nuestros pecados. Cuando arrepentamos y abandonamos nuestros pecados, Padre Celestial perdonara nuestros acciones. Se que el libro de Mormon es verdadero, el Espiritu Santo testificara que esto es verdadero.

hasta la semana que viene,

Elder Tolman