Farewell and Setting apart

 Brandon had his open house the Saturday night before his farewell. It was well attended by family and friends. Tanner and Tristan, Riley and Ellee came up, Grandpa Champ, Crystal and Brianna, Carter and Suzie Szilagyi, Sebastian Badara,  Allie Butler and her sister Meg, Troy Sherwood and Martin, Edmund Hubbard, Alan Ackroyd, Dave and Cheryl Walker, Jacqueline LaBrie and Jordan, Michelle and Dawson Tatlow, and Amber and Caleb Walton. It was a fun night of Sloppy joes, Mac and cheese and salad! Once everyone left, a trip to Cool Drinks was in order!!

Sunday was Brandon's farewell and Setting Apart. Brandon talked about being willing to turn your life over to God. He shared his story on how, after all these years, he decided to serve a mission. He bore a powerful testimony. Following him, Hailey sang the song Reaching Out. It was so beautiful. She got emotional, but the spirit was so strong, it reached out and touched everyone's hearts. Everyone was crying. It was very special. Alan Ackroyd concluded the meeting. It was a very spirit filled sacrament meeting.

Right after, we all went into a room to set Brandon apart. President Lonsdale spoke words first:

- be the best missionary your Mission President has

- be kind

- listen to what God has to tell you

- dont be discouraged if your Visa doesn't come

- the Savior lives, and every person you talk to needs to know that

- he told the story of Parley P Pratt bringing the gospel and Book of Mormon to Sigdney Rigdon, and how Sigdney says, "What other choice do I have, for this is the truth!"

- take your Setting apart blessing literally

- write in your journal for you future children

- the best people will be the hardest to find

Setting Apart Blessing

- you have the rights and authority of the Priesthood that come as you serve

- Blessed to have resilience in times of discouragement

- Blessed to have enthusiasm for the work

- Do your best to smile and be cheerful

- Blessed with love, charity and a grat desire to share the gospel with whom you will teach and people online

- be creative in the ways you invite people to be baptized and confirmed

-  the reason you are out there is to have people receive their endowments in the temple. You will be blessed with the ability to see the end from the beginning and the temple is where that happens

- Send letters home and speak of things to encourage people who read them

- Blessed to get along with your companions, to serve them with kindness and love

- Blessed to find those of your heritage and to find ways to help them rise up and become the people the Book of Mormon prophesied they would be

-Blessed to have a wonderful experience and his will set you on the course to eternal life