Monday, January 5, 2015

2015

First off, thank you Megan for reminding me that I come home next year. Yes, I just have a Sister´s mission left and then I´ll be home for the summer. The funny part is that I am beginning to get to a point where I do not want to go home, which is good as I still lack a mission. Seriously though, this week I have felt that I have really grown and progressed a lot. I have been studying the talk ¨Becoming a Consecrated Missionary¨ and have been focusing on a line that says a consecrated missionary rises above it all. Basically, whatever the problem or challenge, a true missionary will, with the grace and help of Christ, rise above it all. 

Sunday we had a great training with our ward and ward mission leader, Tanus Lazo. Personally, I thought it went great. At the end I felt the spirit, at least I hope it was the spirit because I got up at the end and promised the entire ward that it is about to progress rapidly! There have been some fantastic promises made that I hope I have the opportunity to see come to pass. Anyways, Elder Benavides though took some serious offense during the training and now wants a transfer because he does not like our ward. It´s going to be a tough couple of weeks. 

Please thank the stake presidency for me. I recently received their Christmas letter, and though it was a little late, it was really nice to hear from them and how the stake is doing. I also hear that Grandma Bradford is now chatting with Hermana Ciri, my Peruvian Madre, via Facebook. She is loving it and was very impressed with my family´s Spanish. I did not have the heart to tell her that my family does not know Spanish. 

By the way, this is what Ciri wrote to you mom: 
"You are welcome. it has been a pleasure to know Elder Bradford and i feel that it is my duty to love the youth that live very far away and do not know our language or our foods. I love them very much and I have a lot of kids in the world from there and other states, but Bradford we love because he is a humble kid and eats every thing we give him. It is a blessing to have him in the ward this transfer as a missionary. I know he will probably have a transfer soon but will continue to search for him until he leaves in the plane for his own country. Don´t worry because he is now my child and I will take care of him. Bye sister."

Yeah, that is more or less a rough translation, but the message is that she likes being the mom of the missionaries and always tries to stay in touch with them. She also love feeding us, so me and her have a pretty good relationship. 

Our investigators are going well. We have a date for baptism for Jans, the boyfriend of a member in our ward. He has a grand testimony, but lives in a different stake. I´m not sure the official church policy, but here in the land of apostasy, our leaders have said to baptize him and not to worry about the rest. Tania still needs to get married but we hope to baptize her this month as well. 

Tell those in our ward preparing for a mission to not be nervous.  It is hard for everyone at first. Those first few weeks feel like months and all you want to do is sit in your room and go home. But eventually, the language comes and you hear the voice of the Lord saying, now is MY time, and I need you to serve with all you got. And you go out and serve and feel the spirit like never before and prophesy for the ward and people, and learn what true happiness is. And pretty soon you learn how to lose yourself in the work and love every minute of the craziness! Thank you all for your examples and support. I don´t want to get sappy, but I know that Jesus is the Christ, He is the savior of the world and will return, soon. The spirit testifies every day that this is his work and nothing can or will slow or stop it. I pray the best for each of you. Have  a Great Year!

Elder Bradford

PS. HAPPY HAPPY BIRTHDAY FROM ALL OF ME TO YOU I WISH THE RULES WERE DIFFERENT SO I COULD PARTY TOO-HEY!!! HAPPY DAY OF BIRTH BROOKIE!!!

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