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---

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