Christmas Week

Hey Family!

I get to call you guys in one week!!! (It will probably be around noon!) I can't believe Christmas is already almost here! Time is going by so fast! Thank you for all the thoughtful letters! Baby Elle looks so great! Seriously a little Angel! I am excited to celebrate my first Christmas on the Mission!

Our Temple trip to L.A. was amazing! We had an entire session with like 70 missionaries and our mission president. The Celestial room experience was truly something I will never forget with all of my fellow missionary friends. All of us, a bunch of 20 year olds, conversing one with another, far away from our families, preaching what we know to be true, in the closes place to heaven, in EXACTLY the best place we could be in this EXACT time in our lives. We were all emotional as the spirit bore witness this to all of us together with our mission president.

We also all gathered together for a Zone Conference again back on Tuesday. It was an awesome meeting, the trainings that President Martin gives are always super powerful. I figured out many things that I could be doing better. The little things are what make the difference. By small and Simple means are GREAT things are brought to pass! (Alma 37:6 I believe?) Then at the end of the meeting, President wanted to end with a testimony meeting and selected 3 missionaries to say a few words... We'd now like to hear from Elder so and so, Sister so and so, and we will finish up by hearing from (I bet you can guess...) Elder Brady. Yeah. Every time without fail... Ludlow turned and looked at me and said that's you! I just looked at him and said, I knew it. He said, they told you before hand? And I said, no, I just knew somehow... ha-ha. So I just got up there again and blabbed for 5 minutes, cried, and told them what I have been thinking about lately and what has helped, (the usual) and hopefully it helped someone out there? I'm not sure if it did, but Heavenly Father wanted me to speak for some reason, I just know that we should never turn down opportunities like these to bear testimony, be his hands and serve.

Speaking of Service, This last week, we have grown very close to Miracle during this Christmas season and I ended up giving them the Christmas tree you guys sent me because they don't have one... Very humbling experience but it reminds us of the TRUE MEANING OF CHRISTMAS once again. And brings us eternal JOY.

We should be having a baptism this Sunday, Christmas day! Jade Mundy wants to get baptized then and we just have to teach her a couple little other things then see if she is ready and passes the Baptismal Interview questions. We found her like 2 months ago and she has come a long way so hopefully it happens! Cross your fingers and that's where we need the prayers this week! I don't think there would be a better way to celebrate Jesus Christ's Birth by bringing a soul unto Him through the waters of baptism! That's as good as it gets!

I love you guys so much and I don't know what else to share but I know there is a lot of crazy stuff happening. Think of some good questions for our phone call because I feel like I have already shared everything that is worth sharing? Ha-ha

Talk to you guys on CHRISTMAS! Until then, have a good one!

Love, Elder Brady

---NO REGRETS---         

Castillo Family -Miracle-

Hello Family!

Thank you for all the letters and Christmas love! Our (Stripling Warriors Hideout) apartment now has a pretty good Christmas feel to it with all the lights lining the walls and 3 of us received little trees so we have placed them all in our living room! Way sweet! Something weird about California is that they don't have any overhead lights... we just have to use lamps but now we replaced them with all our Christmas lights and trees so when we walk in and flip the switch our apartment lights up with Christmas spirit! Thank you for everything you guys are doing and for your thoughts! They give me a HUGE boost every Monday! Thank you.

So Yesterday was Erin Castillo's baptism! We were stressing about it all week because we are in charge of making sure everything is taken care of and runs smoothly, we felt a lot of pressure, but as always it turned out perfect and was exactly amazing. The Castillo family is by far one of my favorite families out here! They even had their family fly in for the baptism! We had a huge turn out from all their family and the ward attending. They are all super strong and spiritually awesome. We made sure each one of the Castillo's was involved in the baptism. Brother Manriquez, our ward mission leader, (The MOST AWESOME MISSION LEADER EVER!) conducted and set the atmosphere extremely well (He got baptized a year ago and is "so legit" ha-ha, probably barely 30 yrs old). Then, Ben (10yr old) started out with the talk on baptism and delivered such a great message. Then Erin and I proceeded to do the baptism and it worked perfectly. Then while we were changing, Jeremy Castillo said a few words and we came back into the room to find everyone filled with tears and Jeremy upfront crying. The Spirit was so strong! Then to top it all off, little Sarah said the closing prayer and got up there and said "Dear Heavenly Father thank you for Erin to be baptized... (Then started bawling and you couldn't even hear what her little voice was trying to say for like 2 minutes... then she just said in the name of Jesus Christ amen." SO CUTE! No better way to finish off a great baptism day.

Oh and Abby, P.S. she told me, "Elder Brady, I'm sorry I haven't written your sister yet..."ha-ha so, Sarah should be sending a letter to you soon Abby!

So that's pretty much all the big new for this week except we found another awesome lady whose name is Miracle and she is a single mother with like 5 kids! She calls us all the time and feels like we are the only ones that she has to listen to her, so we just go over and she just lets everything out and we try our best to help her. Yesterday we were over at Miracle's and she was reaching across the table to hold our hands and told us that you guys don't know how much I need you right now and we all just started crying. I see such a bright future for Miracle and her family and they want to be baptized as well! But we are going to take things slow with her cause she is struggling right now.  When we leave we kneel down and all the kids run up to us and give us big hugs and say "BYE DA MISSHHONARDIES!" This is what a mission is all about :) Just melts our heart every time. We are probably going to go over and help her clean her house today.

This week: We are having Zone Conference this tomorrow and we all get to go to the Los Angeles Temple on Thursday! SOO EXCITED! Sister Kabel is going to give Sister Brown, Sister Mix, Elder Ludlow and I a ride up there! I love Sister Kabel. We call her Grandma Kabel and she takes such good care of us. Easily one of my favorite ladies in the ward. Grandma Kabel took us to the chiropractor and spent a day with her last week because something was wrong with Ludlow's sinuses and he is very stuffed up for like the past ...7 YEARS of his life... so yeah. Ha-ha Grandma Kabel is trying to fix him. We love her so much.  I have become very attached to the people out here in Lancaster. Maybe since I’ve been here for 1/2 a year and it's exactly where Heavenly Father wants me and I feel like I was destined to know these people. The Right thing, Right Place, Right time for sure.

Well I have to get going but I believe we can call you for free from a member’s house or cell phone on Christmas day. We still don't know what time but don't worry, we'll surprise you! :D

Until next time, I love you guys and hope you all have a great week!

Love, Elder Brady

---NO REGRETS---

Fantastimagical News!

Thank you so much for all the support! I received your package and Ludlow and I immediately put up the tree in our room along with the present under it! Yay! I love Christmas! We also put the lights around the apartment along with some other strands of lights and now it's all decked out! That story was also amazing! Thank you Thank you

So this week Ludlow and I did a lot better! We taught about 15 lessons this week, which is more than he has ever taught the last 5 months of his mission! Yeah, we're making progress! Hopefully we can keep this up... last week was exhausting! The weather is getting very BITTER and in Lancaster, people like to refer to it as land-scatter because of how WINDY it is. We have found that any direction that we are riding our bikes the wind is always blowing against us in our face. We must be in a tornado or something... Last week we were going to meet the Spanish elders to knock some doors with them and it took us 45! Minutes to rendezvous with them! Crazy wind. Too bad we are only getting STRONGER! Ha-ha. We just laugh because there is nothing else we can do about it.

Anyways, also this weekend was the Christmas Creche Festival! A huge celebration where all religions in the community come together to worship Christ. Everyone brings Nativity scenes to display them from all different religions and countries! It was so cool! I took some pictures of some way sweet and creative ones that I will have to send to you. We spent a lot of time up there answering any questions that people had as they walked around. Oh! And get this, they had some nativity scenes all the way from Chinese ones that use the heat from lit candles to operate the nativity scene to things as simple as white chocolate and Lego ones... and even HALO!!! Yeah, Halo. The coolest Nativity scene I have ever seen in my life.

So we visited with the Castillo's again this week (like usual) and we shared a message from the Ensign this time mix things up, nothing too special, but then she started crying! We helped her out and we then started talking about her baptism and how important it is and she is so excited! We then started to figure everything out like what songs ect. She wanted at her baptism. Then we asked her who she wanted to baptize her and we assumed it would be her husband, but then he said he couldn't... so she then she looked up at me and said" Will you baptize me?" and I just hit a brick wall and couldn't believe it! The spirit hit me so strong and of course I said yes and we were all excited! I am so happy to do this for Erin Castillo, she is so awesome I am thrilled and honored to perform such a sacred ordinance for someone I love. MISSIONS ARE THE BEST!

Love,

ELDER BRADY

---NO REGRETS---

Thanksgiving

All I can think to say right now is... WOW! Thank you so much for those thoughts mom and dad. That was exactly what I needed to hear right now. I started tearing up while I was reading that.

It has been a tough week and that letter just gave me the motivation and morale boost that I needed. I am going to print that off and keep it somewhere safe to keep me focused. Man, seriously though, that was amazing!

It's almost as if the spirit told you my feelings... What you said was pretty much what happened at church last week... we taught Gospel Principles class with our investigators and ward missionaries and I pretty much soloed the whole thing. This is also how most of our appointments and meetings have gone but I have seen some improvement! We have been going over lessons and helping him to know what to help teach. He has been with some hard companions in the past and a long story short, before he came up here to Lancaster, he hasn't taught a lesson in over 4 months and some lessons even not at all. I love Elder Ludlow so much and he is one of the best guys I have met out here and I am so glad we are companions. He is a very humble guy and wants to learn so badly. We have had some great talks and we are figuring out who we want to be and what we want to accomplish and have set some really good goals that we are excited to accomplish!

Update: Thanksgiving was really good! We had probably 3 dinners within 4 hours! We hung out with Jackson and Salisbury on Thanksgiving and road around in their car! Way nice to get from point A to point B in less that 5 minutes.

For Christmas we have a family (Pomazal's and Bernard's) that reserved us (Barlow), and Jackberry for the whole day and told us we can't leave! People have been asking us what we are doing and the Pomazal's and Bernard's tell them to "get lost because we already reserved the missionaries!" So that's where we will be all Christmas day... held hostage. Yeah it will be interesting. But I have to go now, the other missionaries just got here and they need to e-mail.

PS: I got the bike lights finally and they are awesome!

PSS: We are having a baptism on the Dec. 11th! Erin Castillo! The Castillo family is one of my favorite families by far! I don't know if I have mentioned them but they are way cool! Oh, yeah, I just remembered that I have! I did tell Sara about Abby and told her they should be pen pals! I gave her our address and hopefully you get something soon from Sara, Abby!

I love you all! Have a good week and I hope I can hear that song about grandpa sometime! ;)

Love, Elder Brady

---No Regrets---

Congratulations Lynds and Braden!

Thank you so much for your letters and pictures! They are awesome!  I want to be there to see Baby Elle so bad! CONGRATULATIONS!

So Abby never got my letter? What! I sent her one like at least a week ago! I feel like so many things are happening at home right and I can't keep up with all the events that are happening! Slow down!

All right so I have some updates for you guys! My new companion is a super cool guy! The differences between my two companions that I have had are night and day. Elder Kennard was super obedient ... a little overboard... but now Elder Ludlow is completely opposite. Yeah, our apartment is a little off the hook now and it's been a super crazy week. It's Brady/ Ludlow and Jackson /Salisbury. Jackson is the District leader. So basically, there is no structure any more and it's kind of scary. 

President Martin had a talk with me and wants me to be a leader without a title, so that's what I have been working on... keeping everyone somewhat on task, not going downhill and keeping everyone focused on why we are out here. Everyone always comes over to our pad because it is "the coolest." But it has been getting out of control this last week and kind of annoying. So this is what I am going to be doing, trying to keep the work going and motivating others to work, and you know me, I don't like to pry into other people's space so I am going to try to lead by example and focusing on the work.

We are like the Fantastic Four. We get along so well and all love each other, unlike in the past... yeah. It's hard to go to bed on time because of the fun we have but I am going to try my hardest to keep them focused even though I am the youngest one in here. So this is my mission lately.

Now as for Ludlow, it is way funny when we go to members houses because of course they already know him! They say, "Hey look it's old school with new school!" (Aka. Ludlow and me) Pretty much everyone we are teaching is new and Ludlow doesn't know them but we figured he came back here for a reason, so we stopped by some of the people that he used to visit and we got back with a person he used to teach before Kennard and now we are meeting with her everyday! We have a lot of investigators around here now with many more to come, I can feel it. As long as we get out there and stay focused which will be interesting. I know I am going to learn a lot this transfer and from Ludlow, and I’m thinking "someone" might be wanting me to work on my leadership skills... Being in the "super busy" El Dorado ward, with all this work going on, in this situation, only having a couple months of experience under my belt, being senior companion, in an apostate apartment, with an unmotivated to do missionary work companion and district leader, = pressure off the wahzoo. And I say....BRING. IT. ON.

I love you guys so much and I am so glad everything went well with Baby Elle and Abby is okay from passing out. You guys are the best family ever!

Sorry if I said too much about nothing... I haven't written in my journal this week and it all kind of came out in this letter to you guys... ha-ha well I have to go now but if you have any questions that I haven't answered or want me to answer please write them in BOLD LETTERS so I can remember and see quickly. I wish I had more time but I have like a half hour once a week to read the letters and hurry and write something back.

Have a good Thanksgiving! Don't die at black Friday!

Love, Elder Brady

---NO REGRETS---

Transfer #4

Hello Family! Thank you for keeping me updated on all that is going on at home! I love hearing about all these experiences! I get a feeling like I am there with you guys. 


Well, now it's my turn to fill you in on all that is going on here! Let's see where to start? First off, transfers are happening like right at this moment. These are my last couple minutes with Elder Kennard. I am staying here in Lancaster and taking over the area and he is going down to the Valley in Burbank (where I flew into the mission)! I am happy that I am staying here; I love the people here so much and have bonded/connected with so many people out here. The El Dorado Ward is now feeling like a home to me because of the great relationships and knowing EVERYONE. It's great! 
Elder Jackson is staying in the STRIPLING WARRIORS HIDEOUT (AKA the missionary Pad (apartment) in East Lancaster) with me. Elder Emery is going out to Palmdale. So this means that I am going to have spent the most time in the SWH out of everyone. Ha-ha at the end of this transfer, I will have been in this Pad/Area for over HALF A YEAR! 
So my new Companion is someone I already know! His name is Elder Ludlow! He is from Salt Lake. He is an awesome guy! The funny thing is, is that he was already in this area before and showed Elder Kennard around the area right before he got me! Ha-ha small world. Now he is coming back and the person that I replaced in this pad is now my new companion! We are going to tear it up out here. Both of us have spent quiet some time out here and now we can combine everyone we know and DO WORK. The work of the Lord that is. Find, Teach, and Baptize! HOORAY! 



HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAD!!! 
HAPPY BIRTHDAY G-PA BRADY! 



Awesome experience this week: We got two of our investigators to come out to church this week! 1) Jade 18yr old girl 2) Armando 19yr old boy. We have been teaching Armando for like 3 months and he is what you call a "gang member" but he says he has never had "real friends like us before" We have connected with him in so many ways and he finally came out yesterday! Jade feels like my sister and we are very close with her and the way we met was destiny and the Lord has definitely prepared her and her family. 
-The Castillo family is one of the best families I have met out here. Jeremy is the dad (Member) Erin, wife. Ben, son (10 yrs old) Sarah, daughter (7yrs old and her birthday is May 13th!) Erin and Ben are SUPER SOLID and they are getting baptized on the 11th of December! Then, Sarah, when she turns 8! They all know it's true and have been coming to church every week for the last month and a half! This is another reason that I am happy to stay, to see them get baptized! 


P.S. Call of Duty MW 3 came out this last week and we talked to a lot of people who were camped out for days to get it and everyone has been playing it. It has been driving me nuts!!! Pretty much all of our investigators love it and they know how much I love it too and I told them that we can't play them, so, they let me hold the case of the game and laugh... RUDE! Ha-ha nah it's all good. I have never had more joy in my life doing missionary work and wouldn't want anything to jeopardize this. I will have opportunities for the rest of my life to play Call of Duty 3... and 4... and probably 5... but only 2 years to serve a mission!

 
Thank you all for everything! I have got to go now and get my new companion and say bye to Elder Kennard! Talk to you all soon!

No Regrets... Elder Brady!

Nike (Just do it)

Hello Family!

Thank you for all the letters! They were awesome! This week I also got some letters from the Bishopric/ Brad Simons/ Logan's 1st birthday card/ and a letter from Elder Golden! Great week for letters. Thank you so much.

I am doing really good. Things are going well and Elder Kennard and I have made a complete 180 and are super best friends now and don't want to be separated. Now we think that things are going so well that things will change. We have learned the lessons that we were supposed to learn and now it's time to move on? Heavenly Father definitely knows what he is doing up there and it impresses me how things are working out so well. Transfers are next Monday and we will find out this week what is going to happen. I am excited to see what Heavenly Father has in store for me and the lessons that I need to learn with my next companion. Goody!

This past week we had interviews with Pres. Martin and that was a great morale boost! We also had Combined District meeting and our Zone leaders made us a video of our zone and all the great times we have had so far. The video was hilarious and it was fun to see how many things we have accomplished already! Some things feel like so long ago only because we have done so much!

We were shopping at Wal-Mart and heard the Christmas music too! I LOVE CHRISTMAS! It has gotten a lot colder and we have been bundling up lately. Some members gave us hot chocolate the other day as they saw us ride by! Tender Mercies from the Lord. ---Seek ye not what ye shall eat, drink, or be clothed. For seek ye, fist, the kingdom of God and all else shall be added unto you. --- Very true! I see it everyday!

Christmas... Hummm. Like always, I have no idea. Things that would be nice off of the top of my head would be PLEASE: 1) Lights for bike (Back and Front) 2) Gloves, those nice black ones, in my truck I believe, that we got from Kohl's.... and that's about it? Thank you so much

I have been getting all your emails but I don't have enough time to respond to each, so I try to include it all in this one.  I will try to be faster and get back to each of them the best I can.

Have a great week!

I just want you all to know that I know that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day-Saints is God's church once again establish on the earth today. We are so blessed to have the opportunity to receive the FULLNESS of Christ's Gospel and to apply it into our everyday lives! "The True doctrine, understood, changes attitudes and behavior. The study of the doctrines of the gospel will improve behavior quicker than a study of behavior will improve behavior."-Pres. Boyd K. Packer

ACTING on what we have learned will bring greater knowledge of the Gospel (John 7:16-17) DO the will of the Father and you will know the doctrine.

I love you all and I feel your love.

Love, Elder Brady

---No Regrets---