Happy Halloween

Hello Family! I love you guys soooo much!

Our ward is Dynamite ever since the Sisters got here! The Sisters are awesome, and us four make a great team. Before, we would be getting around 20 lessons in the El Dorado ward boundaries and have a lot of area to cover and not enough time. Now, every week we have been teaching somewhere around 50 lessons a week! (Around 25 lessons per companionship on opposite sides of Ave. J) It's awesome. Also, basically the entire ward council has changes since we have been here and we have a new ward mission leader who is way cool and he is helping us out a ton with rides and lessons lately! I think it's safe to say that Elder Kennard and I know everyone in the El Dorado Ward now. The ward is super cool and we have a member feed almost every night! We look forward to it ha-ha. We are not the best at making meals but we are trying! I have now mastered making hash browns! Yeeeah Sonnn! Anyways though, we also have some youth in this ward that are getting ready to go serve their missions sometime next year and we take them out with us pretty frequently during the week. Their names are Angel and LJ. They are way cool and we have become super close friends and have a ton of fun. They drive us around which is nice. :)

I am glad to hear that Elder Golden wrote you guys! What a nice surprise! He is such a great guy and I really enjoyed getting to know him. We also have interviews with President Martin this week, which I am looking forward to. I am also very curious to find out what is going to happen this next transfer.

Elder Kennard and I have become closer than ever this past transfer and we are basically one person. We experience the same things, think about the same things, finish each other's sentences, know all the same people, basically we know EVERYTHING about each other now. It will be weird to have another companion and start from scratch again. Ha-ha it was funny, the other day, I was in the next room with Elder Jackson and we weren't even talking, but I was thinking about one of our investigators, Armando. And then Elder Kennard runs in and says," What did you say about Armando Elder Brady?” I couldn't believe it. We have now gotten to the point where we can read each other’s minds... nuff said.

Well, yes, today is Halloween and we have no idea what we are going to do tonight. Probably go hit up some nightclub and see if we can find any new investigators? Yeah? Definitely not. Just making sure you're paying attention. Ha-ha but seriously, no clue, but we're missionaries, with the imaginations we have, we will probably come up with something Absolutely AMAZING to do. Besides Lancaster is scary enough as it is. Every night by itself is a nightmare. Lancaster+Halloween=_______, who even knows? I don't even think there is a word to describe it...

Last Saturday we had a Halloween activity/trunk or treat thing and everyone dressed up in the ward and decorated their cars. There was also a Chili Cook off and the Sister, Elder Kennard and I were the judges that had to taste all the chili and come up with creative awards for all 30 of them! It was truly hilarious the awards that we came up with. "The Chili that feels like a Hot air balloon ride, during a sunset, in your mouth award!" Way fun. There was a huge turnout and like 20 of our investigators came! Even though it was a total of like 3 families... It was way good!

My quote of the day: "If your friends talked to you the same you talk to yourself, how long would they remain your friends?"

I hope you guys have a Great day and have a Happy Halloween! Get lots of candy! And remember Abby if you don't get enough there is always more loads in my drawer!

Okay we are going to get creative and have some good clean fun! Ha-ha

Love, Elder Brady

---NO REGRETS---

If you are tired of the same old story, turn some pages

LIFE IS GOOD!

I am really loving life today and this last week was very hard and to be honest I was not in the mood for missionary work. I was seriously thinking, "I am missionary, I am doing everything right, I'm trying my hardest, then Why don't I feel happy? I was struggling with this and faking a good mood left and right. I began to think it was from my sickness last week that was lingering, but I wasn't sure. Then a couple days ago as I was reading my scriptures, I came across 2 Nephi 10:23.    (I have started from the begging of the scriptures again and I have seriously been dissecting them this time with notes/highlights. it's awesome, I’ve never gotten so much out of the scriptures before... simply just pray before and ask for understanding and let the miracles and Holy Ghost teach you. It really works!!!)    But anyways, back to my story. So as I was reading chapter 10, I got to verse 23, and it literally just slapped me in the face! I don't know what happened but that was my answer for sure. At that moment I felt like that scripture was written just for me and Heavenly Father read it to me.  I just sat there in amazement. Scriptures and the Spirit they carry is the BOMB!

So, to make a long story short, my Spiritual experience for this week was yesterday at church. Elder Kennard and I were teaching the Gospel Essentials class like always and we had another amazing group discussion with the class. There were probably 12 in there this time, the biggest we've ever had! The spirit was so strong in that classroom and everyone was very into it. I then felt prompted to share my new favorite scripture that I just discovered! Yes 2 Nephi 10:23. I gave the class a background of how I was feeling this past week and then shared the scripture. I don't know how, but the Spirit got even stronger somehow and I started crying and couldn't even finish reading it. It took me a good 1 whole minute to read a couple sentences. I finally got over it and bore my testimony and everyone was getting teary eyed as I told them that WE ARE FREE TO CHOOSE FOR OURSELVES. It's that easy. Just simply choose Eternal Life, and DO IT! This is why we are here on Earth. God gave us Agency for a reason. It's 100% up to us what we do with it and where we want to end up in the next life. It's this test that we are in Right Now that will determine where we go for the Eternities.

If we just keep this in mind, (at least for me) it's very hard to let someone peer pressure me into doing something wrong, because I know where I stand, the decision has been made. I am a disciple of Jesus Christ. I won't look back, let up, slow down, back away, or be still. My past is redeemed, my present makes sense, and my future is secure. I am a disciple of Jesus Christ. I must go until Heaven returns, give until I drop, preach until all know and work until he stops me.

Everyone thanked us so much for the lesson but we all knew that it wasn't us that was teaching in there yesterday. Thank you so much Heavenly Father and the Holy Ghost for helping us all out yesterday!

I love being a missionary and literally being God's hands around here in Lancaster California.

Thank you so much for all your love and support. I am also very grateful for all the learning experiences that I have been having out here and to have these EXPERIENCES (I don't like to call them trials) because it's all about attitude and how we overcome and learn from these experiences. It's because of these experiences that make us who we are today. Well, this is my thought for this week I hope you liked it, because this has been my life lately...

I LOVE YOU ALL!

PEACE OUT, Living my life Celestial.

Love, Elder Brady

Your son

Here is a fun letter we received from the Bishop's wife in the ward Ty is serving in...

My hubby and I really enjoy your son in our ward.  He is just so sweet and down to earth.  The other night we had them over for dinner and we can't remember what he said, but my husband's response was " are you running for office Elder Brady?"  I wonder if he just had a sweet way of complimenting us about soMy hubby and I really enjoy your son in our ward.  He is just so sweet and down to earth.  The other night we had them over for dinner and we can't remember what he said, but my husband's response was " are you running for office Elder Brady?"  I wonder if he just had a sweet way of complimenting us about something.  Tonight they were over again, there was much discussion about missionary work with my husband, myself and Elder Kennard.  Your son was quiet throughout most of the discussion, which was just fine.  Sometimes that just happens, especially with newer missionaries.  Anyways my husband tried to involve Elder Brady and asked if he had anything to say, and he said "So we are switching nights of eating dinner with you guys from Wed to Thurs this week?"  We all had a good chuckle over that and said how Elder Brady talks about the important stuff!!  He is very kind and loving yet at the same time has a sense of adventure and ready to do what ever is expected of him.  Thank you for raising such a great kid!!  Enjoy PDay!!  I know I will!!  :)  Jackie Whitemething.  Tonight they were over again, there was much discussion about missionary work with my husband, myself and Elder Kennard.  Your son was quiet throughout most of the discussion, which was just fine.  Sometimes that just happens, especially with newer missionaries.  Anyways my husband tried to involve Elder Brady and asked if he had anything to say, and he said "So we are switching nights of eating dinner with you guys from Wed to Thurs this week?"  We all had a good chuckle over that and said how Elder Brady talks about the important stuff!!  He is very kind and loving yet at the same time has a sense of adventure and ready to do what ever is expected of him.  Thank you for raising such a great kid!!  Enjoy PDay!!  I know I will!!  :)  Jackie White

1st Baptism

YESSSS! JUAN SANCHEZ got baptized last Thursday! Such a cool experience!

This was definitely the highlight of this past week. We have been working with him ever since I got here and he has been ready for a while. He just got off parole last week and so we could finally baptize him! His whole family is now a part of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day-Saints! We are now going to start the new member lessons with them and they are striving to prepare to go through the temple and get sealed together as a family!!!! Fantastically awesome. It makes me feel so good helping others to achieve this eternal goal and accomplishing the best thing we could ever do in this life! I LOVE being so close with these awesome families and helping them out in any way I can. This IS true happiness.

 

 I love you guys so much and yes last week was pretty action packed and that is usually how every week goes! Stuff is always happening everyday when you are out there talking to random people in the streets and knocking on unknown houses all day long. You never know what kind of surprises that you are going to get and crazy stories that you are going to hear. Every person/house we approach is usually pretty exciting and very... different?  The weather is getting quite cold around here also! Even though it's nothing compared to Utah it is still considered "cold" to having triple digits every day. It's probably around the high 60's low 70's the past couple days and it's been freezing and everyone is wearing jackets now. Ha

HAPPY 40th BIRTHDAY UNCLE PAUL!!!

2nd biggest news this week: WE HAVE SISTERS in our area now.... yeah sisters. Our ward got split in half this transfer and we have sister missionaries in our ward now. Pretty different, and from what I hear, this is unheard of. But anyways we have been showing them around this week and introducing them to our investigators that are way sweet. I guess it's a pretty big culture shock from where they came from and they are scared at how sketchy this area is. We have just been trying to help them out and make them feel comfortable this past week the best we can.  There is a main road in our area (called Ave. J) and they are taking over the South side of J and we are covering the North side of J. I am now realizing that I love so many of our investigators and have become super close with the people that we visit regularly. We had to give all our people on the South side to the sisters which were very hard. I felt bad for them though. A lot of people would say, "Wait! What?! You're taking my boys away from me! That’s it, I'm moving to the North side..." (Stuff like that) We tried our hardest to talk them up and make the sisters sound really good but on the inside we don't want to leave them too. Oh well, if that's what Heavenly Father wants, it's for the best, and so it is. But any who, besides the sisters coming in and taking half our people, they are really cool! Ha-ha VERY friendly and will definitely make this transfer different! (Which is what I wanted...be careful what you wish for!)

Well I have to go now and I just wanted to say that everything is going really well! I wanted to send you guys a letter, I'm not sure if it got to you... but anyways I just tell you again while I am writing this. Could you please (no rush though) send me one of those USB memory sticks that has a lot of memory that I could store all my pictures on for the rest of the mission just in case something happens or when I send it in the mail and it gets lost. I was going to buy one but found out that they are really expensive and I have one at home anyways... If you could please do this, it would be much appreciated and I will then send my pictures home to you guys once I get them transferred. Sounds like everything is going well around there. Thank you so much for all the details! I love reading them. You guys are all awesome!

p.s. Elder Jackson and I are making up a way cool song on the guitar called "Living my life Celestial" It's super cool! I'll have to make a video of it sometime and send it home.

-Living my life celestial-

-NO REGRETS-

Love, Elder Brady

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints

I LOVE YOU FAMILY!! I love General Conference! Thank you so much for all the support and the PACKAGE! That was AWESOME! It seriously felt like Christmas already... ha.

This week was really good. Where to start? Ok let's just start on Monday. We were walking back to our apartment after visiting a couple investigators that lived in nearby apartments around 9:00 when a car that was parked next to us started throwing eggs at us! Knowing us and our ninja skills, we dodged all of them then I raised my scriptures up into the air and they drove away!!! Ha-ha priceless. Then as we were walking down the next street, they did a drive by and came up behind us and one of them drilled me right in the leg! I took the bullet for Elder Kennard because he was hiding behind me. I then just raised my scriptures in the air again and they hurried and peeled away! Love it. Once we got home, we had a surprise in our apartment. President Martin and his wife were waiting for us while talking to Elders Jackson and Emery! They wanted to see how we were doing. I then walked in with an egg all over my pants and said, "PRESIDENT, I LOVE THE MISSION AND BEING A MISSIONARY! Everyone got a pretty good laugh.

Then Tuesday, we were knocking in a neighborhood right behind Wal-Mart when all of the sudden cop cars started flying up and down the streets with officers running through. We were so confused, then a cop asked us if we had seen a black male wearing all black running through this neighborhood because he just attempted to rob Wal-Mart? And in the process stabbed someone 3 times! What!!! It was so intense. We just stayed on the front porch of someone’s house and waited for them to catch this guy. There were THIRTEEN, yes, 13! Cop cars and at least 20+ officers patrolling in this neighborhood. They were everywhere! Finally they located this guy in the backyard of the house across the street from us! They started braking down the fences and getting back there and chasing this guy down and arresting him… it was EPIC.

Then I had a companion exchange with Elder Bennett Thursday and Friday! He is our Zone Leader and goes home tomorrow! NOOO! We have become super close and we wanted to hang out before he left so he requested me for 2 days! It was so much fun. Elder Kennard was not very happy about it. He has a hard time getting along with anyone in our District and I feel like I’m the mediator between him and his own District. As I was talking to Elder Bennett he said that so far I have been a Mop Elder and probably will be for the rest of my mission... (Mop Elder as in cleaning up every one's messes) I really do feel like the therapist around here. But speaking of this, we got transfer calls and everyone thought I was going to take Elder Kennard spot at District Leader but come to find out, NOTHING. Nothing is changing again! WHAT! I want to see something new and experience something different! I feel too comfortable here now. But here we go! Bring it on. I know this is part of Heavenly Father's plan so I will go and do.

Conference was awesome! We got to watch all the sessions in our church building! It was so much different. Us missionaries were the only ones in there and we brought some investigators to watch it with us. At the Priesthood session, there were only like 30 people in there! Compared to having a full house and it being completely packed back at home.

I don't think I have ever watched ALL the sessions before... I LOVED IT SO MUCH! I couldn't get enough. Elder Jackson and were blown away by how fast it was over. I love Elder Jackson. He is awesome. He reminds me a lot of Andy and his mannerisms. He is hilarious and super cool. We spend a lot of time together at the apartment. Definitely makes life a lot more fun.

WE SHOULD BE HAVING OUR FIRST BAPTISM THIS THURSDAY!!! Juan Sanchez. He gets off parole either today or tomorrow and we have been working with him for a while now and he is super ready! Hopefully everything goes according to plan! So exciting!

My Pre-Earth friends: We met with Carrina Cruz and her son Dillon Stafford (14yrs old) and we taught them for the first time yesterday morning and brought them out to conference with us for the 1-3 afternoon session. They loved it and Dillon asked me during Randall K. Bennett's talk what he has to do to gain this Eternal Life. And so I told him and they both decided and said they want to get baptized!! We went over again after conference last night and they fed us dinner! We laughed a ton and I have never connected with anyone so QUICKLY and so well before in my life! We taught them some more and had a great time with them last night! Right before we left they wanted to give us a hug because we had already established this super strong love for each other. Then we talked about how we didn't even know each other on Saturday! It was such a crazy feeling and I know that I knew them before somewhere :) :) :)  

As you can tell, we had some extra time today to e-mail. I wish I always had this much time.

My last thought and testimony for you guys is that God DOES ANSWER OUR PRAYERS and he answers them perfectly. He knows us better than we do and knows our potential and will put the obstacles/trials/experiences that we need to have in order to push us to our full potential! What I have been trying to figure out lately, and what we should all try to figure out, is who we were before this life and why we were saved and chosen/chose to come to this world in these last days. We are the strongest and chosen generation. INDIVIDUALLY figure out our duties and Destinies to help bring to pass God's great and marvelous work. We are God's hands, so we should act like and serve each other. Don't get caught up in these worldly things and materials. All the riches in the whole world would not even be able to purchase a loaf of bread in Heaven. Worldly possessions will get you nowhere. God loves the humble and meek and they will be the richest in Heaven! Set your heart upon the things of Heaven and not of this world. For where your treasure is, there will be your heart also.

I LOVE YOU ALL SO MUCH and think about each of you all the time! Thank you so much for everything and the great examples you are to me!

P.S. don't get used to lengthy letters like this because I usually am really short on time ha :) Love ya

<><><>ELDER BRADY<><><>

          ---NO REGRETS---

2nd Transfer down...

So this is the last week of the transfer and we will find out if things are changing or not. Pretty exciting! Whelp, thank you so much for all the letters this week, Grandma Erickson, Grandma/Grandpa Brady, Brade, Lynds, Mom/Family! I love you guys! I have not yet received the "package" but I am super excited! Thank you!

This week has been pretty good. I went on companion exchanges with Elder Ruiz this week which was a blast! It's nice to be with other missionaries once in a while considering Elder Kennard and I have been together for 12 weeks! But yeah it was great, we ran into a VERY interesting guy as we were knocking... George... an Atheist! He does not believe in God. Crazy, I know. Poor guy. We had a very deep conversation and Elder Ruiz and George was going to get in a fight and I was trying to calm the situation... It got pretty ugly and I finally just said, "What would it take for you to believe there is a God, George?" then he said he needed some evidence and not to get brainwashed like we have been... Then we sat there in silence, then I slowly reached into my backpack and pulled out a Book of Mormon all Epic like and pushed it towards him across the table and said, "Here's you evidence, George" ......ha-ha he sat there stunned and was speechless. After a while, he finally kicked us out/ we ran away, but the Book of Mormon is still sitting on his table in his house. MISSION ACCOMPISHED. ;) After that experience, Elder Ruiz and I were a little shaken up, but experiences like these only make us stronger!!! I love it!

This week the Spanish Elders had a baptism!! And I was asked by Darleen (the one getting baptized) to participate in her baptism and give a talk, and I said yes. Then come to find out I was supposed to give a talk in Spanish...? Whoa, Como estas? What? Ha-ha so yeah we all know I don't know Spanish and I was about to give it in English but then we all decided it would be best if Arrieta gave it. Bummer, I know, Darleen is awesome and just turned 18 on Friday. Our whole District threw her a party and gave her a cake on Friday. It eventually turned out to be a disaster. Cake flying everywhere and smearing it in each other’s faces. 8 Whites shirts, Ruined. ha-ha nah jk it was awesome though. Darleen said it was the best party she has ever had! MISSION ACCOMPISHED. Anyways, about the baptism. We brought an investigator, Armando, (who plays soccer with us on Saturday morning) to Darleen's baptism. He thought she was sooo pretty and wanted to get baptized right then and there! Ha-ha very funny experience. Then I introduced them to each other and she bore her testimony (WHICH WAS AMAZINGLY AWESOME!) about baptism and how she felt so clean and pure and gets to start a new life sin free along with the commitment to follow God's plan. It hit Armando so hard and he really wants to change and follow through with this so we are all very excited about that!

Alright well I have to go now. I have become super close with Elder Bennett and he goes home in ONE WEEK! What? Noooo! So we are going to have one last companionship exchange and Do Work together on Thursday! Pretty excited for that. But besides that, Enjoy General Conference and sorry I won't be providing the treats at Priesthood this year...

Love you guys and thank you so much for all the motivation, thoughts, and Prayers! I can really feel it and I feel so blessed! Talk to you next week!

Love, ELDER BRADY

Homie G/L-Unit came to church!

Wow! Super crazy week! Not a lot of success on paper, but we sure improved a lot this week!  We had many meetings this week! First we had Zone Conference, then the adult session, ZDM, District Meeting, Stake Conference... yeah, a lot of meetings. It was awesome though! At Zone Conference, we had all the missionaries in our entire zone come up to Lancaster (about 75-100 missionaries)! We heard that a General Authority was going to come speak to us! We got there and it was Elder Golden. He is such a great guy.  We started out the meeting with zone reports and stuff and then out of the blue, they called on a couple random missionaries to bear their testimonies and share some words with everyone.  Talk about Pressure! After testimonies, Elder Golden talked to us for probably 2 hours! It was a very good meeting! Everyone was in Awe. Then at the end of the meeting, President Martin said," We will now have a couple of missionaries interview with Elder Golden." He called on 4 missionaries and... Yes... Wait... What? He called my name?? Wait, Elder Brady..? Yes. It was me! He was interviewing some zone leaders and then, there's me... ha-ha probably one of the youngest ones there. So we each got to have a personal interview with Elder Golden. It was awesome and very inspiring! An interview with a General Authority... nuff said.

Then, yesterday we were getting ready to go to stake conference which was at 10 instead of 9 am. We walked over to some investigators apartments and knocked on their doors to wake them up for church like we always do, and Jasmine and Larry came to the door dead tired.  We visited with them and told them that church started in an hour and they said yes they would come! It was very complicated getting them a ride and getting us there with them as well. But we did it! Larry, Jasmine and their 2 kids came to church!!! First investigators we have had make it there! It was an amazing experience watching them as they entered for the first time and just observing them throughout the meeting. It was so much different and totally opposite from what they are usually around. They were amazed! We introduced them to a ton of ward members, showed them around the building, and answered some questions. Larry and Jasmine said, "These were the nicest people they have ever met!" They were excited and decided that they were going to come every week!! Hallelujah!! I feel like somehow I knew that they were going to say that (smart-alike) Ha-ha it was funny though watching Larry walk in for the first time wearing Sweats, a pair of high top Nikes, Tall white Tee, and a backwards baseball cap while holding his two daughters in his arms. Absolutely priceless. Different, but hey they made it and that's all that matters! Awesome experience.

Hey I actually do have a request this time! When you decide to send me a little something, something, could you send me one of those Plan of Salvation puzzles that they have at the missionary mall please?  Elder Kennard has one and it is awesome for teaching that lesson to little kids! Thank you so much! I love you guys so much!  Thank you so much all that you have done for me. You guys have made me who I am today and without you I wouldn't be at this point. I am very grateful to be on a mission and to learn so much everyday and strive to be better continually. Also to be raised in such an awesome family because I see every day out here how difficult it can be without one. We are here on Earth to Learn, Grow, gain experience, be happy, and PREPARE ourselves to me God. In order to reach the Celestial Kingdom, we need to be Celestial material! (D&C 88:22ish... I think) so let's live Celestial Lives now! The sooner the better EVERYONE always say!

P.S. we have been eating "Ghetto Cheesecake" (simply an Oreo with Easy cheese sprayed on top) Amazing... you should try it, ha-ha. I have been introduced to so many crazy things out here.

Love you guys!

Love, ELDER BRADY

--NO REGRETS--