November 3, 2008

Dear Family and Friends,Excuse me for the not writing last week. I've never had such a busy week... I did actually write something but the computer messed up and I just gave up on the matter.

Anyways, This week has made me a happy boy. We kept busy and we saw some good things happen. Starting with the extra things, Last monday as you may have known was me b-day. I spent the entire day with my bulgarian friends, I feel somewhat bad because I didn't really invite any other missionaries. The people there were Martin, George, Georgia, Valia(our investigator), My comp, the stray dog Elder Brooks, and myself. After watching a couple of movies we ended the night at the church in Lyulin where we played BS and Ate cake. Martin even made the cake, I never knew pinapple could work in a chocolate cake... We finished it with the Rootbeer I made. So now on for Halloween... That was a cool day here. My companion made me a costume, and it was awesome. After cruisin the gypsie market for hubcaps, strobelights, a wig and insulation we had what we needed... Then with a cardboard box, Ipod and speakers thrown in the mix of collected garbage, we turned one mans treasure into another mans masterpiece... I became brittney spears of the future with "techno house beat" coming out of my chest! The make-up was done by a good friend who happened to be in sofia at the time... a girl from Rousse, Ceci(non-member whose in love with my trainer Avrill-btw hes coming to visit dec. 26)... She was in the hospital and she was our tag along for the week.My companion, after putting all his creative energy into my costume sortof fell into disarray and put on all the left overs... a sparkly tu tu, full body red tights, and a fanny pack... We decided he was a gender confused demon. The halloween party at the church in center was way cool and we had a good show of the lyulin people we invited. Some other missionaries put a little heart into their constumes and still couldn't hold a candle to my gypsie-rigged metalic booty.

When president gave out the costume awards my companion had tears of gratitude and accomplishment as I raised the first place prize in the air and gave him that look that BFCFs(best freakin comps forever) give eachother...

Alright on the work end... Me and my comp have focused a great deal of our attention in the direction of the inactives. We have 10 babas(old ladies) coming to church and 108 people on the inactive list.. a great deal of youth too, thats where we really want to get to. They are hard people to get a hold of because we don't have the right numbers, but slowly we're finding them. We had alot of meetings that fell through but if we gave up there then whats the point right? We did meet with a man yesterday and I have no idea why he's not coming. He's a very good guy and has a testimony.. I believe he just feels inadequet and was previously offended, or at least thats what I think he was saying.. he was very honest about how its a rough subject for him, but we'll keep meetin with him and see if we can get someone musical back in our branch...(oh its bad..no one can sing, and now im stuck playing the piano)...But I love this branch. These ladies are some of the sweetest little Ol' ladies I've met, and holy cow can they teach! Its like a branch of super missionarski babis.Things are coming good with Valia, shes been a little busy lately.. but at least she was at the halloween party. I just wanna get a good lesson with her! Ok so I wanna share some love... I love this mission. I complain to my parents alot about the dullness of the food or the cobble stone streets that have destroyed my knees... But there are people here that I get to directly be apart of their lives.

I am learning the most bazaar concepts of life... There are simple things that we already know as members of the church, things I never realized I knew. I find myself having the hardest time teaching some things only just because I figure these are normal things that everyone knows... Hope is a big one, just saying hi to somebody because they are another human being, or smiling because you're happy. Just remember. We're children of our heavenly father, and as children "men are that they might have joy", the easy stuff is the most important stuff.anyways, I love you all and take it smoothly. Last item of business... I have alot of emails right now, so It might take a week or two to get caught up. just forgive me for not getting to you right away and just continue to email me normally and ill respond to the old stuff as I have time.

October 20, 2008

Dear family and friends,
It's been three weeks in the big city and i've finally met my branch. Yesterday was a miracle of sundays. Just like any good story, we can include the weather, the traffic lights, and the blaring of alarm-clock morning symphony.

It was a beautiful atumn day. The sun shining, but the wind still reminding us that the cold is coming. Bulgarian fall is quite the sight... blankets of multi colored leaves blanketing the broken up streets, and crowds of gypsies raking it all up for possible winter insulation. Of course they still haven't given up the usual park-the-horse-and-dogs-by-the-dumpster-and-take-off-with-that-nights-dinner. Traffic lights were in our favor, and we actually made it to church on time. The sweet unimaginable smell of musaka filled the chapel as Baba Vikki was preparing an after worship tummy-fill. Martin, one of my good bulgar buddies brought with his person our new investigator! She's a nice young lady whose suprisingly impressed to come. It is amazing how ready she already is. I don't think this sunday could have been more perfect for her. The Bennetts (Mission President) were down for talks, which were spectacular. The President can sure just talk, its amazing the things he can say...His talk was about a two verse scripture. "Jesus wept" ...anyone can find it? Our investigator(whose name i wont dare to try and spell until i got martin with me), she too gave a good cry during sacrament meeting. The sunday school lesson led by Baba Gergina was pretty much the reading commitment from 3rd nephi 11 we give to all investigators, which also rocked!!Then after church, we took part in one of the coolest branch traditions i've ever seen... LUNCH!!! oh and it was soo good.This week has been the week of being fed. Everynight, Martin has made me bulgarski dinner here at our place... and on wednesday was our canadian thanksgiving by the president. Anyways I love you all, i gotta head...Elder Briggs

p.s. events: 23rd, 9 month mark
27th, B-day

October 13, 2008

Dear Family and Friends,Whao... its already the next week. Its rough here really in the big old city. The butchings have increased, mostly due to the percentage of people compared to the good ol' towns. But a "keep on keepin' on" attitude keeps us... well ultimately, keepin' on.I still have not directly met my branch, we've had general conference the past two sundays. It might already be transfers before i ever do. I have met the BP, he seems kind of crazy... he talks a million miles an hour and just looks like one of those guys in those mob movies who, the only necessary thing needed to fit the part is a phatty cigar or a glass of tonic water. "Lazeroff they call me, by blabberoff they know me!" he literally said that, no lie! :pNot a whole lot with the investigators. we thought we had one when we were stopped by a macedonian who had talked to missionaries the previous week...he said he'd never heard of the book of mormon and woduld really like us to answer his questions. We agreed and he took our number. We asked for his and he made it way obvious he gave us a fake one.. trying it only proved it bummer contact.Lyulin isnt so exciting.. its not even really sofia, its the total ghetto... and english is even more a downer. But they call it tracting heaven. and It is. We've got bloks galore, great stories high full of people just ready to be explored.Everyone keep it together while im still gone. I haven't started counting down with D&C or a bag of skittles yet... so just miss me lots and reminess all the memories you've shared with me as if im dead. "Hey remember that one time when Robby was here? He always smelled kinda funny, but i miss his goofy-lookin trash"With lots of lyubov and love,yours mostly true,Elder Robert David Briggs

Varna Zone Conference

Monday, 22 September, 2008, we had zone conference in Varna. It was a very informative conference with presentations from the zone leaders, assistants to the president, and President Bennett; Sister Bennett also demonstrated, "How to iron a shirt." It was fun for all of us to get to be together and partake of the spirit.

September 15, 2008

Dear Family and Friends,So its been raining all day... We wanted to go to Tsarovets (its a big cool castle) and it didnt happen... instead we just sat around wasting our P-day watching movies waiting with hope..but yeah... The week has been a little more than a drag really, but still better than some missionaries from what ive heard. (elder jacobsen in pernik got beat up).

My week went as such. Tuesday we had our pleven elder friends stay to interview Nedelcho for his baptism. I went on splits with the greenie of the district while the others waited for the Del-cho to show up for his meeting. Elder Beer(our german of the mission) interviewed him. He didnt make it sadly. apparently he didnt know who our prophet was and that we had a living one at all... Beer said hes ready, he has a testimony and hes keeping his commitments. he just doesnt really know alot of stuff. So we moved his Baptism to the 27th.. now we have a couple weeks to work with. He might have that old man forgeting disease... he showed up saturday during english... and we had the awkward oppurtunity to remind him that we canceled it and moved the date...poor old man was already to get baptized...English was once again humbling...i dont know if i mentioned but i feel all the pain i caused my teachers haunting me. It sucks when people are late, it throws the entire class off cause they ask dumb questions and our timing gets off. After the class we invited everyone to our mexican party the following friday.

Friday: I grueled over perfection of the meat. And then a beautiful bulgar style mexican fried rice. (lyutenitsa, corn, rice and other things). and a few hours making the refried beans. the piniatas were made the week before(that day was a flop if anyone read it... nikolai responded to the activity.."im not five").so to just get to the point... i put my heart and soul into this... ill go as far to say that my companion just helped warm it up when we got to the church.. oh yeah and he put the candies in the piniata... just kidding he did alot.. but it makes the next part more expressive if you feel that i did it all.

we had four people show up... krassy and nikolai of course.. and two old ladies from english. I was torn, you should of seen me. big mess of tears and snot... nasty nasty...It was still fun nontheless. but i met my opponent just outside. They call it a houseparty. Center was filled with every bulgar across the city.. loud techno crap music and drunks.... everyone from the cops playing russian roulette to the six old gypsie boy playing in the fountain....drunk...anyways i should get going.

to end with something nice so my mom doesnt think her son is at hell's gate. "Wierd creepy guy" as hes become to be known as..showed up at church. we can consider him a new investigator, but its becoming clear he just either wants a place to stay our a ticket to the states.

just kidding...my special thought can be that our branch president is really just kicking trash right now.. hes been meeting with us and planning what we can do to start activating the 40 out of the 50 on our list. yes its sad we have an activity rating of 10/59 ..9 is the ones who most likely will kill us if we try to contact them.much love too all,

elder briggs

September 8, 2008

Dear Family Friends,.

Today is a beautiful pre-fall day. probably the only "autumn" ill get. Seasons here are Really Hot Summer, and Freakin Cold Winter.

One of the most important hours of a missionarie's day is his excersise time. Its the energy boost for the day, capatilized upon by a delicious breakfast this missionary becomes unstoppable even against the unbearable stench of an angry gypsy shaman.

All is still in order for our baptism this weekend. Well have his interview tommorrow to know whether or not we move his date later. On a continuing bright note we've picked up two more investigators. Konstantine technically already was one, but I finally met him! Nice guy too. Our other, Elo, is very knowledgable in the scriptures. His life is pretty much the joseph smith story. Going from one church to another knowing that he hasn't found the truth yet. We showed him the Restoration Film and he loved it.The only problem is that he wants to borrow it and do some preaching himself(hes a preacher), so now we have to cool his jets and let him know theres some things he doesnt know yet, I can assume he'll eventually struggle with the one true church concept, but we'll see. My comp doesn't really like him, which doesn't help. I can understand though, the guy can be creepy sometimes.Other than those messes, not a whole lot else I can say. if you want to see my pictures my mom might have that deal all set up now. Shes such a nice lady, everyone should give her love when they see her. I got a little hand out here and took the awesome Mom and may have made up stories. I dont call it an exageration becuase augmenting her coolness only is truth. A mommy with growing awesomeness. Anyways just email me if you want the link, i seem to have lost it and have no willpower to look.(No pushups or eggs in a basket this morning).

With all my love,Elder Briggs

August 25, 2008

Dear Family and Friends,

This week can be said as fantastic. Where to start! Alot of it was spent in Veliko Turnovo, i think you all got that part. We went to a members house down there for home teaching.. only the mother is member. She showed us pictures and all sorts of things. She used to be an olympic athlete way back in the day. it was so cool. then the son cam in and we talk to him a while. really nice guy, he works with compouters and things... and then this skinny hairy half naked stinky man came in... Way nice, way cool. he picked up his guitar and played probably the most amazing guitar playing ive ever seen. his fingers just shoot across the strings like a dolphin in water. so im not good with the visuals.

later on in the week. my saturday id say. i had english. we can count it as our first lesson because it was a crash course getting started and i started with the first lesson. my comp taught level one and i level two. It was so fun, ive never had that much fun teaching english before. i taught them about the days of the week, months, etc. then after a quick break.. gabriel was having a hard time, he probably belongs in the first, but his wifes in second so i think ill give him some private lessons... anyways after the break i did some games to see how they all learn. we played simon says and head shoulders kneees and toes..it was a hit so im going to do a game every class now.

saturday night just before contacting i was feeling roughed because we hadnt had a referral ever... our investigators are progressing..its just rough, so i said a little pray inside and we went right outside and the first person we saw we talked to for about an hour and a half. He said everything right.. i cant call him Golden, cause no one in bulgaria is golden, but at least hes silver. He said that he wants to read the book of mormon because he believes in the scripture in the bible saying we should search for the truth. and he understood the scriptures very well. he was a little intense about the sabbath though. saying it should be on saturday.. (in bulgarian, Subota, or saturday means sabbath...its always a toughy)sunday was nice two.. i got my cut. i only had to be deacon and give a talk. im glad to have kraci back.

ok so my dad wants to learn about my comp a little. Hes a way nice guy, not a mean bone in his body. Kindof a video game nerd, and comics andall that jazz...but a good guy nonetheless. Im sort of just sick of all the random invisible gernades being thrown about. but i definitly get along with him and we work good together. he language is struggling on the accent and grammer, but at least i can increase vocab with him. He definintly lets me have my piano time too, and we lift eachother there too.

love you all and may the ghost be with you