Shoulder Surgery Photos!

     Last May (2011) Brock underwent shoulder surgery in Klamath Falls to repair a previous football injury.  Both the surgery and recovery went incredibly well.  Brock finally sent us photos of his stitches and when he was in a sling.



The small incisions and stitches from the orthoscopic surgery.  Brock
had four calcium screws drilled into his shoulder to tighten and secure the injured ligaments.

Elder Bird wore a sling for six weeks, which didn't seem to get in the way
of his busy missionary schedule.

Oregon Eugene Mission Zone Leaders



Brock with President and Sister Young and 20 other zone leaders at the mission home. (September 2011)

     Brock just sent us this shot from a recent zone leaders' conference in Eugene. He says the schedule is crazy, organizing transfers, finding apartments for senior missionaries, doing splits, and covering his own area.  He says he's thankful for the experience and the blessings.  More to come.... 

Burning Calories, Blowing Tires in Bend!

Elder Bird soaking up the scenery in Bend.

     Tuesday of this week, I had an exchange with Elder Newman a recently released AP and a really cool kid!  We had a ton of fun! We handed out 500 mormon. org cards in an hour! :) Haha!  We burned 800 calories in that hour.  No joke, his watch told us so! :) It was a good day.   We taught Charlie.  He is really cool and we go biking with him He is getting baptized!  He's just praying about the date right now. We had our lesson at the park and it started raining and thundering but we just had fun with it.  We had dinner at Mikey's house.  He gets baptized this Sunday! :)   And boy is he awesome.  We're gonna play ball with him tomorrow! :)



     Wednesday was a day full of finding and teaching. We handed out a ton of fliers because we're having an open house this weekend at the church so we have really been pushing for that.  We had a planning meeting for it.  We also taught Courtney and Lauren that day!  Courtney is a "super hippie" haha ,and is kinda crazy, but she is absorbing the Gospel.  It's awesome to see the change in her life as she has been reading and praying and coming to church.  We also taught Mikey. He is so funny, as well as his sister Alondra.  They are the coolest family.


     Thursday we had weekly planing and talked about a ton of people we're working with, went over a few things for the open house, and we also had to plan for lessons were teaching at zone confrence. It was super long and exhausting so it was nice when we were done to get out and work hard and just talk to people. Yes, I love just talking to people. It's really the best!  We met a few intersting people.  We had prayed for someone who needed help and then went to the park. There was a lady there who said she had cancer and was in the middle of an ordeal where she was stranded.  She said she saw us and just really wanted to be taught. So we sat down and had a lesson with her about the Book of Mormon.  She said when she gets back home she wants to go to church.  So we got her name and number and referred her to the missionaries out in Missiouri.  That was a cool experience just to see Heavenly Father's hand bring us together at that park.  Then we hurried over to a lesson with Jim Jensen where we read with him, discussed a few things and just had a really good spiritual lesson. That man's life has changed so much since we have met him! :) Unbelievable! You look at him now and he is just glowing.  After his lesson we had sports night with the young single adults.  That was fun. We were there for about 30 minutes and played indoor soccer at a place which a member owns. We actually ate dinner with them last Monday! :) Man we had some good meals this last week.  Steak twice and ribs twice! :) ooh buddy! :)  Well, we had to leave the single adults because we have our call in confrenece every Thursday night at 9.  All the zone leaders, AP's and president link up over the phones and talk about things! :) Pretty cool. 


     Friday we had zone conference all day from 10 to 6.  It was way spiritual!  Elder Golden, a general authority, came and talked to us! We learned a lot of things that we can take back to our areas. President apologized for the long conference, hah, and told us from now on we're gonna play some kind of sport before or after zone conference.  After that we had dinner at Brother Carlson's house.  This guy is old and super funny!  He reminds me of my grandpa! It was a good dinner and we talked about a lot of things.  He is just really an awesome guy! He and his wife have served tons of missions! They were last in Africa.


     Saturday I was with Elder Goode and we handed out 300 fliers with the Mountain View elders downtown and just enjoyed talking to people.  We found a few new investigators.  One girl named Kiki.  She was pretty cool and we'll meet with her Thursday. We then split and had another lesson with Mikey out in his backyard and read out of the Book of Mormon! :) Good stuff! :) We also met with Reed and headed over to Marc and Jessica Miller's. We just talked about some questions they had, and she asked for a blessing because she had never had one and since she was starting a new job so she really wanted one.  I gave her one and it was a super spiritual experience. She was crying. She and her and husband are now getting baptized shortly.  I am so happy for them! :)

     Sunday we had stake confrence!  President Young talked and so did Elder Golden!  It was really good.  We had a few lessons and planned Mikey's baptism.  So everything was pretty good.


    And today, P-day, I went mountain biking and blew my tire out! So it's in the shop! haha! :)






     I love you and want to let you know I do have a testimony of this Gospel!  I am very thankful for it and how it has changed my life. My Heavenly Father loves me and he loves you.  I have great love for our Savior, for if it weren't for Him I wouldn't have the comfort of knowing that I can return to live with Him. My Savior saved my life and we as members and missionaries owe Him everything!  I challenge all of us to strenthen our faith, for faith preceeeds the miracle!  I love you!

Love,

Your son! :)

Elder Bird Just Transferred To Bend!

Brock arrived in Bend, Oregon on Tuesday, July 26th.  He had only been in Eugene barely 6 weeks, but President Young said he was needed in Bend and called him to serve as the zone leader there.  Bend is an incredibly beautiful nestled at the base of the Cascade Mountains.  Brock says he's looking forward to diligently serving the Lord and His people in Bend.  Check out Bend in this YouTube video:

Hippies and Clown Hair!

Elder Brock Bird

     Tuesday I went on exchanges with Elder Nelson.  We taught a 16 year old girl named Victoria Quesenbery.  Really cool.  She got baptized this week!  She was kind of nervous about everything so we just sat and talked with her and made sure baptism is what she wanted and she knew it was right! So obviously the lesson went pretty well.  Other than that, we just did some tracting and ran into some hippies! Haha!  I am so used to hippies they don't even stick out anymore. My life! One guy I thought legit had clown hair,but turned out, nope, it was real!

     Wednesday we taught Robin, a way sick guy.  We have worked with him for awhile.  He is turning his balcony into a ship! Haha!  It's for plays and theater type stuff.  We talked to him a little about the Plan of Salvation.  He said it totally made sense to him and that he was surprised how much he over thought it, but in reality it's so simple and not as complex as he made it out to be.  That was cool!  We also taught Haylee Odle.  She is a member and her husband isn't.  A really cute family!  Their little boy loves us.  He is really funny.  We just talked and got to know the husband.  We haven't really talked to him too much before but he really likes us and we have another appointment to see them again tomorrow, so it will be fun.  We also met up with Roy and his wife.  Roy has been reading and has really just opened up to the Gospel.  When we first started teaching him he didn't really believe in God but now he knows there is one for sure!  He said he knew deep down He was there all along.  "I just didn't open my heart to it because I was too stubborn," he said.   I asked him, "So why are you moving now?" Haha!  Unfortunately that was our last visit with them.  They moved to Utah, Cotton Wood Heights area this weekend!

President and Sister Young

     Thursday, boy was it a long day!  We had interviews with President Young from 8 to 5!  My interview went well.  I felt good when he talked about how impressed he was with me as a missionary, how I get people to open up, members or non members and how organized I am with running things in my district.  He is a really cool, very sincere guy!  We have a lot in common!
     Friday we had correlation and I had to prepare a talk for a fireside for the Eugene Stake! President asked me to go with him and talk.  Haha! Lucky me!  But it was fun!  I enjoyed it, but that was on Sunday!   In the meantime, we had a lesson with Qin Beavens from China.  We finished talking about baptism and the Holy Ghost.  She was funny, but it was a good lesson.  She is really loving the church, so it's been good.  We also helped the Leavits move.  They're the family whose kids I read stories to.  They left Friday.  We helped them finish packing the truck and they were off.  I'm gonna miss them! They are headed to Sandy, so who knows I might see them again! :)

Monica Bruin, a very
close friend who passed
away in June 2010.

     Saturday we went to Carolina's! She is an older woman who has brain cancer and she broke her leg so she can't do anything in her yard.  We went over there, taught her a lesson and then went to work!  It reminded me of when Monica (Bruin)would sit in her front yard in her wheel chair and watch me work in her yard! :)  It brought back some bittersweet memories.  I really miss her! I actually carry her funeral pamphlet around in my suit jacket along with a picture of the family :) We did that then hit the streets.  It was busy.  Afterwards we correlated with our ward mission leader.
     Sunday we had church plus several meetings.  We ate, tracted, visited people, and then I went to that fireside. Pretty interesting! I talked to the young single adults and the youth, a good experience! All in all that's my week!


Well dad, I love you. Hope all is well!
Love,

Your son!

A Baptism And Getting The Saints Excited!

Pre-mission photo.  Brock is fast approaching
his one year mark!

     My week was alright! Very busy, and very stressful! Obviously the 4th we just chilled inside and kicked it!  Tuesday we did some finding and then we went on exchanges from Tuesday night to Wednesday night with my buddy Elder Johnson, the one who came out with me.  We had some pretty crazy times! Haha! Did a lot of finding but it was fun.
     Thursday we had a lot of work and visited some less actives.  One guy, named George and another guy named Rich.  George is this crazy old guy who wreaks of smoke and just throws out profanities, but it's kind of funny.  Rich is this old guy who is really sweet but he had a stroke awhile back and has just been recovering.  We're preparing him to receive the priesthood, so that's pretty cool.  We also visited Steve our recent convert.  He is struggling.  He moved out of his house and is getting his foot amputated, so it's been hard on him.  We just went over and talked with him and tried to help him but other than that we did some finding and went through the unbaptized childrens' list.  I also had correlation with the zone leaders that day to figure out some things for the zone and district.  It was pretty cool!  Elder Knight thought it was 7/11 and started tripping,  but in reality that was today and I still didn't get my free Slurpee! haha! Iam an idiot! Oh well!
     Friday we had district meeting.  It went pretty well.  I think we got some things figured out. After that we had lunch at Taco Bell! 

     We did some finding, just cruised around talking to people.  Some girl asked me for my number and to see if I wanted to go to a party with her at the U of O.  I just laughed and said,  Sorry, I am a missionary and I have a girlfriend!"  Everyone else laughed and started making fun of me!. 
     After lunch and our district "finding" we went back to our areas and worked there.  We had an appointment with Qin  Beavens, the one from China! It was a really good lesson.  She actually started to cry and said, "I know it's true!  I know it is!"  It was really cool and super peaceful! I just wanted to cry for her and her husband.  It was really cool!  Later we played some ping pong with them, and yes I freaking suck!

Elder Ryan Bruin (left) now serves in Argentina.  Brock
and Ryan grew up together.  Jake Roper (right) also serves
in Argentina but in a different mission.

Her son looks exactly how Ryan Bruin did when he was 5! haha! So funny! He's a little runt just like him too in every way possible! After that we went to our ward mission leader's house to finish our laundry.  We talked about things and what he did on his mission .:)  It was cool!
     Saturday we had a baptism! Her name is Marcy Shram.  I guess it technically wasn't our baptism but it was in our ward so we had put it all together.  The sisters actually taught her, but it was a good baptism! I don't know Marcy very well,  but I was happy for her.  We then had lunch and went to work!  We went through our ward list and are starting to visit families and kind of build the ward up to help them become more unified.  We don't fieel that everyone knows each other very well and that they're on their own, so we're just trying to bring the ward closer together.  We want to get to know the families too because we don't know many of them and noone seems to sign up for dinners. Haha! We did meet with a bunch of cool families, like the Hess's, Ferriers, and  Hendricksons!  We will visit more this week!
     We also had a lesson with Kathleen Wagner a single mother with 6 kids!   They're really cool and a super nice family!  Their kids are crazy for sure! Haha!  They were playing games with us and were all crazy and wild, except the one year old.  She would just sit in front of me, wave and just smile!  It was super cute.  But three of the kids want to get baptized so it will be really cool.  I am excited for them! :)
     Sunday we obviously had church as well as stake correlation!  Since I'm the DL I discussed the work with the stake presidency and it went very well!  President Young was there!  He's a super cool guy and I love him to death! It went well and president pulled me aside and told me I did a great job.
     We did some finding and had dinner with my favorite family the Leavitts!  Their daughter is the one who tucked me into bed and sang to me, haha! :) We had fun over there! Unfortunatly they are moving on friday to Sandy! My favorite family here moves to my home town! Haha! Great! Oh well!
     I love you dad!  I know you guys love me and want what's best for me.  I love you guys, I do! I am grateful for everything you have done for me. You guys are a blessing!


I love you!
Stay safe!


Love, Elder Bird

Elder Bird Transferred to Eugene!

     Brock was transferred to Eugene from Klamath Falls on June 14th!  Here's his first letter, once he arrived in his new area:

I really like Eugene and my comp!  His name is Elder Ivie.  I have served around him before.  He goes home in 7 weeks so that's not cool!  I am still the DL, and yes this is president's last week here. President Young comes in next week and President Macdonald will hand the Youngs the keys and take off!       


Fast forward to Tuesday,  June 28th.  The Macdonalds leave Oregon
for their home in Utah County.  I (Ron) actually saw the Macdonalds
the next day on I-15 near Salt Lake.  What are the chances
of that?!

     My week was pretty interesting!  I transferred Tuesday night, so we drove to Medford and we stayed the night with Elders Mcmakin and Perkins, guys I know and have served around so it was fun!
    Wednesday morning we left at 9:30 to go to the trasnfer spot to head up to Eugene!  It was a pretty long drive, like 3-and-a-half hours!  But it was good to talk to all my buddies that I came out with on the van.

Biking is huge in Eugene.  Brock says there's
a bike shop on every corner.  Photo: "WeBikeEugene" 

     I got to my area about 2-ish and then just unpacked and went to dinner.  My allergies are off the wall here.  Eugene is so pollinated! My eyes were swollen shut!
     Thursday we hopped on the bikes and went crazy with work!  It's nice being in an area where people walk around! 
     We visited several people we're teaching.  Shelly and Angelina are ready for baptism!  Shelly just needs to get divorced and then re-married.  And Angelina is just waiting to get baptized with her mom.  Shelly's dad Steve is a recent convert for like a month.  Really cool old guy, but it's sad he has gangrene in his feet and kidney failure so he might have to get his feet cut off and then the kidney transplant.  But the guy is a trooper!  He goes fishing everyday!
     We visited Ann and Rob!  They also have dates. They are a cute young family. Then we just did some finding!

    Friday we had district meeting.  The whole zone gets together and does all their D-meetings at once! Kinda cool!  We just set expectations and goals.  It was a good meeting and we got to meet some of the new guys.  Afterwards we went to Mucho Gusto, a Mexican restaurant.

  Pretty cool and pretty good! Then when district meeting and everything was done we had correlation with the zone leaders! Really long! After that I had a baptismal interview with a 9 year old, Mckyle Arthur, a really cool kid, really shy and has Ashbergers but he was really cute.  By the time we were done with that it was like 5:30 so we went back home for dinner and then we visited a few people and then it was time for bed! Haha!

     Saturday we were booked.   We went to our ward mission leader's house.  He is Brother Baird, a super cool guy, 28 years old and married.   Just a really refreshing and solid guy!  We talked with him for awhile about the work and then ate luch with Elder Trayden Johnson and his comp.  Then we did some finding, taught Steve, Shelly and Angelina and visited George,  this old crazy less active guy. He was super funny and he really likes me! 
     Sunday we went to church and then visited some people and had dinner with the Leavitts. Super cool family! They have three young kids, a 2 year old daughter, a 6 year old daughter and a 4 year old boy.  They were so cute after dinner. They all ran up to me holding books and wanted me to read to them.  So they all sat on my lap and I read to them!  The 2-year-old looked at me when I was done reading and said, "Elder, I love you!"  Then she said she'd be right back and came with another book.  It was cute! :)  I loved it!  After about an hour of reading to the kids we shared a message and got back to work!
     I am grateful for the support, love and passion you have for me!  I couldn't do this without you guys! :)


Love,
Elder Bird!