5 Week Transfer

Sup Fam!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY GRANDMA ERICKSON!

Thank you mom and dad for those awesome letters this week! That is exactly what i needed. Things are going very well with us, but as far as the ward goes, we still don't have any new investigators for the Northridge 1st family ward... Although, the members here are some of my favorites! The Meza family has now officially adopted us haha, now making my 3rd mission mom... (Mother Helaman, sister Sarmiento, and now sister Meza!)

probably even more than that now that i come to think about it. Also, at least two Grandma's! (Grandma Tripp, and Grandma Kabel!) While I'm at it, a ton of new best friends too! (All of my companions!)

Anyways, i think it's safe to say that i have made a lot of friends/family here in California!

You wouldn't believe it, I always talk highly of my past companions, and i got Johnson and Norton to request each other and they got it!  Now they are serving together not too far from us in Woodland Hills! Hopefully they are doing well and it's turning out as good as i thought it would. Elder Holm got called to train a new missionary so we have been helping him out with that as well. Seeing this new stunned missionary fresh off the plane took me back and i still feel like i just did that a couple months ago, not 20 months ago! Mission time goes by so darn fast. Sorry to say, but right now, i don't feel ready to come home yet... I still have no idea what i want to do in life or where i want to go to school etc. I thought all that stuff would just come to me and i would have time to figure that out, but here i am, and still don't know!... The mission definitely knows how to keep every minute of the day busy and no room to think/research any of that kind of stuff. Basically, i think it would be cool to go to BYU, but UVU was super fun and i liked that... Honestly, i would just like to stay somewhere in the Provo atmosphere... So yeah, i don't know if that answers your question about school mom? But there it is. Elder Yovanno has made his decision of what he wants to do in life... follow me wherever i go... haha and he's pretty serious so i think i have found a permanent roommate for the rest of my life. lol

Oh i don't know if i told you this yet or not, but this transfer is the transfer that is only 5 weeks. So this transfer is also why everyone after this transfer will be going home a week early :(  So basically we only have 4 weeks left together already. We went a whole week with just walking/getting rides from people, now as of Saturday, we got two bikes! We are borrowing two other missionary bikes so we don't have to buy new ones, thank goodness! Elder Ludlow and Yovanno are super unmotivated by the whole bike idea so going around finding some new investigators is pretty tricky with zero motivation... but I'm working on that one now, it's my new game scenario. Wish us luck!

Got to get going now, Love you all!

Love, Elder Brady

NO REGRETS

Transfer 15

Hello!

Big News!

We got transfer calls!

So president doesn't like trios at all but he told us that we were doing very well and basically told us he doesn't want to fix something that's not broken... So yes we get to stay together another transfer! Ludlow called up Pres and told him that it would be his dying(last transfer) wish to have us stay together to help him finish strong! Same with Yovanno, and it looks like the phone calls worked! So they are super pumped right now! And they are finally splitting up the wards! All three of us got moved over to the family ward and two sister missionaries will be going to the YSA ward for now on. We'll find out who it is on Tuesday! Hopefully it's sister Ngalu and Fili, they're our favorite, super chill, Tongan sisters!

Anyways, the only down side to this is that we are giving up our car to the sisters in the YSA ward and they are putting us on bike! Noooo! Elder Yovanno is the only who actually has a bike still... Ludlow's got borrowed/broken/lost and mine was stolen in Valencia. So we are currently trying to figure out the bike situation now without buying one with so little mission time left. We were thinking we would just put some back wheel pegs on Yoko's bike with a handlebar basket and have all three of us ride it :) ha jk.

Sadly, Elder Johnson is getting transferred out of Van Nuys, finally, which will be hard to see him go!

We just accomplished our big transfer goal and finished the Book of Mormon last Thursday! Pres called us and congratulated us but is too busy to take us out to lunch because of the crazy transfer stuff going on right now.

We are going to have to start working extra hard now because ALL of our investigators progressing towards baptism are YSA's. So whoever the sisters are going there are going to walk into a couple baptisms and a golden area that we built up. However, the 1st ward is not so hot... so basically even though we are all staying together, this transfer is not going to be anything like our last one. Franco is trying to move into the Northridge family ward boundaries so that we can continue to teach him haha. We'll see how that goes, fingers crossed!

Well I've got to go! Love you all!

Love, Elder Brady

no regrets 

Finishing Strong

Hey Family!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY LYNDSEY! I LOVE YOUUUU!!!!

This week was a great week! Still experiencing the little miracles all around us. With the exchanges, we had some really great experiences dedicating an entire day to straight up finding! We ran into numerous people who were looking for us and we got some numbers to contact them. For example, we had really cool experiences talking with people who told us they were actually already a member but have been having some trouble sharing the gospel with their neighbor so they actually prayed for a missionary experience a couple days ago, then we show up at their house! Amazing! Coincidence? I think not!

So President wanted to do his checkup with Elder Yovanno and Ludlow, so i got to talk to him as well. I talked to him about going to Newhall 2nd to baptize Brett, and there is a new rule that he is no longer letting missionaries go back to previous areas to baptize... After talking with him for a while, Pres Hall is basically cracking down on a lot of things trying to change this mission to an exactly obedient mission, so when the new missionaries come, that is all they will know and will be okay with it. But as for me, he said since i have been around for a while that he can let this one slide! So i already got permission to baptize Brett on the 24th of March! Then we will also be baptizing Franco March 10th in the YSA ward! Franco found out that we get transferred as missionaries and he got super sad talking about how he has been telling everyone that he has a strong bond with his missionaries! We play basketball with him every Wednesday and we have an official team! It's us three, Franco, and his non member cousin, Allen! It's so much fun and hopefully we will be able to start teaching Allen because Franco keeps talking us up to his friends to meet with us. Franco is probably one of our best friends and has been one of the coolest experiences i have had teaching someone on my mission. We are hoping that we will all still be here next transfer for when he gets baptized.

We will find out what is happening this weekend and the actual transfer day will take place next Tuesday. Next transfer is only 5 weeks long. And that's Ludlow's last one! Crazy! Then Johnson goes home the transfer after that, then comes my time! In the interview with President, he thanked me for everything i have been doing and the "special assignments" he's given me. He asked me what i wanted to do with my last couple transfers and i had no idea what to tell him... Haven't really thought about it too much and he wants me to think about how i would like to finish and he'll make it happen. So i was pretty stoked to hear i can pick whatever i want to do, but i told him i don't think i will. My plan is to continue giving up my will so i can "finish strong". He said i knew you were going to say that but let me know what if you decide what you want and I'll walk through walls for you for what you have done for me. It was a very touching/eye opening experience and Pres got teary eyed and i thought i was going to cry too! We have been partners in crime for some time now and accomplished a lot together these past couple transfers.

Anyways though this is the update for this week, I've got to go now but love you all!

P.s. we should be finishing the Book Of Mormon this Thursday and President wanted to take us out to lunch for such a great accomplishment. Good job Dad! Keep up the diligent reading!

Love, Elder Brady

                                                        no regrets

Confirmation of James

So i have a short e-mail for you this week. Things are still going well, still learning life long lessons every single week, and working miracles. I did get your e-mail mom and dad, thank you so much!

This transfer has gone by super fast! We are getting nervous to see what happens in two weeks when the transfer calls come. Only time will tell.

We have another exchange this week that is taking place tonight and all day tomorrow we are just going to do some spiritual tracting! Just pray and go where the wind takes us all day, contacting whomever God places in our path, we have the faith that we will find someone else who wants to be baptized! Yesterday in church, in the family ward, James got confirmed a member and received the Holy Ghost and was just glowing all day! Then during the YSA ward, Franco, one of our solid investigators who we have been teaching was fasting and got his answer to set a baptismal date for March 10th! So we are super excited about that as well! Oh and big news!!! Remember Brett and Jen? Brian Tavelli, who i baptized in Newhall 2nd, his dad and girlfriend are now getting married in March 16th and Brett is getting baptized March 24th and he called me and wants me to baptize him! I was so stoked when he told me that! So this is all the big news for this week! I love you all! Have a great week!

Love, Elder Brady

no regrets

Three Nephites

Hey Fam!

Things are going super good right now!

We have been tearing it up lately! We had James's baptism yesterday and it went perfectly! It was amazing! All three of us got dressed up and got in the font with James to help comfort him with his fear of water! It was so epic having all of us in the font! Right after the baptism they closed the curtain and we gave each other a hug in there and could feel the spirit so strong and all of us were super happy! Everything is turning up! President has written me some awesome (big headed) e-mails and is super proud how on fire we are right now. Also the Bishops of each of our wards thanked us for everything we have been doing and say that the missionary efforts have increased 10X around here in Northridge! Miracles! Also our dinner calender is full for the month of February already! Incredible! We definitely are gaining the trust of the members around here as well! haha They call us the 3 Nephites because we're working miracles! Great area, Awesome companions, Legit friends(Elders Johnson and Holm), and Fantastic experiences! What more could you ask for? Oh and Sis/Grandma Tripp is taking us 5 out to lunch today again! She also asked me for a picture of me because she wants to sew a portrait for me!

We also picked up some new investigators again this week and we are seeing a trend going on around here. 4 of our progressing investigators are Chinese! We bring them to church and they fellowship each other by teaching each other and talking in Chinese! We're thinking about starting a Chinese branch :)

Besides this, We also have the best district in the mission! They call me the relief society president because our District is all sisters... So I'm right there with you mom! I think growing up with nothing but sisters has prepared me for this moment! ;)

P.s. we are half way done with the Book of Mormon and President has been using us as an example and wants to take us out to lunch to celebrate when we finish!

Well I've got to go, Love you guys soooooooooooo much!

PeAcE!!!

Love, Elder Brady

NNNNNNoooooooo   RRRRRRRReeeeeeggggggggrrrrrrrreeeeeeeettttttttttttssssssssss!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Little Miracles

Sup Fam!

So i'm just sitting here chillin', shootin the breeze, trying to figure out how to write a so totally radical e-mail to you peeps...

Jk. I don't actually talk like that,,,,yet ;) But anyways, this past week has been awesome! Unfortunately, James's baptism got pushed back to next week because they moved to a different apartment and it felt too rushed so hopefully things have settled down and they will be ready this Sunday. Besides this, we had some more miracles this week! We gave one of the sister missionaries investigators a blessing and he has been investigating the church for about 7 years and still hasn't received an answer about baptism... Elder Ludlow gave the blessing and right after he felt the spirit super strong and we talked about baptism then left and went on with the rest of our day not thinking too much about it. Then that night the sister missionaries in our district called us and told us that he got his answer from the blessing earlier and he wants to get dunked now! So the sisters went back over the next day and set a date with him for Feb. 3rd! The priesthood is real!!!

We also picked up 3 more awesome investigators this past week.  We have been becoming very good friends with, Franco, a 27 year old Filipino guy. We started up playing basketball on Wednesdays again! He has been coming to church every week for the past 4 weeks! We are thinking about setting a date with him as well when we meet with him tonight. He is going to Utah tomorrow to visit his girlfriend and i told him to say hi to you guys! You guys would love him, he's so legit.

We have also just been trying to exercise more faith and pay attention to the little miracles around us, they're everywhere! Whenever we are led to an apartment complex where we can't get in, because it has a security gate, we know we ended up there for a reason so we decide to pray for a miracle! Just then, as we begin to pray we get interrupted by someone on the inside getting the prompting to check their mail or something and let us in! Coincidence? I think not! So just cool miracles like that :) haha

Lastly, one more "miracle" i witnessed this past week was when we went bowling as a zone and i definitely bowled the best game of my life! 180 you say? nope, higher!.... 200 you say? nope, higher!..... 220 you say? HIGHER! .... 233 you say? ding ding ding we have a winner! The miracles you witness that only seem to happen as a missionary make me laugh :)

Anyways, things are still going great in our little Trio! They met with President this week and President said they were doing fantastic! And it made his week with the improvements he saw in them. We didn't notice because these changes seem very gradual to us so it was nice to get an outside perspective! I didn't get to meet with him because i was on exchanges that day working in Encino with the ZL's... It's hilarious though how attached us three have gotten to each other. Right when i returned back the next day i was so happy to see them, and they ran up to me and hugged me saying,"Brady! Don't ever leave us again!"

 

Thank you so much for you letter Grandma and Grandpa Brady! You guys are awesome! And to answer some questions, we attend church from about 7:30- 3:00 in and out on average covering both wards. The 1st ward starts at 9, and the YSA ward usually starts at 11:30 depending on how many show up haha... It's a big day! The address to our church building is

17101 Plummer St.

Northridge, CA 91325

Love you all!

Love Elder Brady

no regrets

Best Trio Ever!

Hey Fam!

Sorry to hear about the "news" this week... i wanted to call you guys and President Hall told me i could but i decided it would be better not to... Elder Yovanno and I have become really close in this past month together and now Elder Ludlow is with us and as you know we are already super close and it is so good to be serving with him again. When people heard about our Trio that we have going on here, the rumors have spread throughout the mission like wildfire and missionaries are calling us with jealousy saying that it's not fair we all get to be together and now have the funnest companionship in the mission...haha. I believe that statement is true as well! We are having a blast and i am happy to say that they don't want to go home anymore! I just feel like we could do a lot better on the missionary work side of things. We are making improvements though! We sat down and set some goals of what we want to accomplish and we are all going to read the book of Mormon this transfer together. We read 15 pages a day and have awesome discussions on what we read, the book of mormon is working miracles for us right now! This stuff is pretty personal stuff that i am telling you, but this will be the first time they have finished the entire book of mormon so we are all super excited! So as hard as it is for me to not be finding all those new investigators out there as i could be, i am at least glad to say that i am helping my companions become more converted to Jesus Christ. Which leads back to another one of my favorite quotes, "no matter how many sheep you find, don't lose any of the shepherds!" I have seen some great things just this past week with Elders Yovanno and Ludlow, they are on fire right now and we are all just feeding off of each others energy. Oh! Also, the package came! It was in our leasing office for a couple days! Elder Yovanno says thank you so much! He loves you guys! I told him, yeah they're pretty awesome, i love them too :)

I also sent the shorts and shirt back last Thursday-ish and placed the sizes that i think would work best in the package. Hopefully that makes it there! I am so sick of Post office drama!

P.s. i bought a Bocce set that was on sale for $20! The missionaries are definitely starting to like playing it!

I love you guys! have a great week and focus on the positives! It works! :)

Love, Elder Brady

ooooooNoRegretsooooooo