July 14th 2014

Hi mom and dad!

I keep having CRAZY dreams! They're kind of scary!

For workouts I will run for ten minutes, do some crunches and
lunges/squats, and then Lift weights. (I am getting some muscles in my
arms!!!) whoooo!!

I LOVE seeing people from the MTC around the area. I am always running
into sister s****** and she is just a sweetheart!

I also LOVE getting letters from everyone. Thank you for your tips on
artichokes! Can you send recipes for scotcharoos please? Also can you
ask around to see if anyone has access to handles messiah? I would
love to be able to listen to that! But I don't want you to have to buy
it cause it would probably be expensive. I don't know how it works for
music, but I know for books once they've been around for a certain
amount of time they are free to the public... But I'll let you look
into all that please :)

I am starting personal progress over again! The relief society women
in my ward are doing it and I wanted to support them! Also my
companion has never done it so I am kind of doing it with her. I
started with the first value in faith and I LOVE IT! Read alma
32:17-43. It's great!! Is Emma still doing personal progress? She
still hasn't written me about girls camp... ;)

What does Emmy have to read for honors English? Does she like the
books on the list? If I were an English teacher I would have my kids
read Orson Scott Card and jk Rowling. Always.

Okay. New York is kiiinnndd of a big deal. How long have you been
planning the trip? Why haven't I heard about it until now? If I had
billions of dollars I would send you all to Broadway shows! Will you
at least buy a hot dog from the street vendor? I loved going to the
American girls store. It was great!

Also technically, if my memory serves, I too have never seen the hill
Comoran pageant because five old ladies sat directly in front of us
and opened up there huge umbrellas blocking the entire thing from
view. But I'm super excited for Emily to see it! In Easter I will be
able to see the Mesa temple Easter pageant! And someday I will be in
both pageants.

Have fun at uncle Chris and aunt Rosanna's!! I still need to meet my
cousins!! Tell them I say hello and I love them and I LOVE aunt
Rosanna's comments on FB!!

Have fun painting the house! What color are you painting it?

I will leave you with one last thing. I was reading Neil L. Anderson's
talk "trial of your faith" from the October 2012 general conference
this morning. Here are some of the quotes I loved.

"fiery trials are designed to make you stronger, but they have the
potential to diminish or even destroy your trust in the Son of God and
to weaken your resolve to keep your promises to Him...
How do you remain “steadfast and immovable”during a trial of faith?
You immerse yourself in the very things that helped build your core of
faith: you exercise faith in Christ, you pray, you ponder the
scriptures, you repent, you keep the commandments, and you serve
others.... whatever you do, you don’t step away from the Church!...
By definition, trials will be trying. There may be anguish, confusion,
sleepless nights, and pillows wet with tears. But our trials need not
be spiritually fatal. They need not take us from our covenants or from
the household of God...
Like the intense fire that transforms iron into steel, as we remain
faithful during the fiery trial of our faith, we are spiritually
refined and strengthened....
With faith come trials of faith, bringing increased faith. The Lord’s
comforting assurance to the Prophet Joseph Smith is the very same
promise He makes to you in your trial of faith: 'Hold on … , fear not
… , for God shall be with you forever and ever.'"

These were my favorite parts of the talk. We go through trials to make
us stronger. We will be given hard, "fiery" trials. But as we turn to
The Lord we will grow from them!! And the church can help us through
our trials! We can receive strength from our bishop and friends we
have in the ward. We receive peace and comfort when we go to church.
That's why elder Nelson exhorts us to not step away from the church!
And god will always be with us if we allow his spirit to abide within
us. This talk was amazing!! Read the whole thing! I love studying the
scriptures and the words of our prophets and apostles. I'm so grateful
for the gospel. And I am so grateful to be serving a mission.

Love,
Sister Brady

P.s. Pass this on, it's very important. ask the missionaries in the
ward how you can help. Make yourselves as available as possible to
help them. We are talking about the salvation of people's souls here!!
Whether it means becoming a reliable friend to an investigator or new
convert, or going with the missionaries on splits, this work is
ssssooooo important!! And I'm not the first person to be saying this!
Read the prophets quotes on missionary work in the first chapter of
preach my gospel! There is almost always a whole talk on missionary
work in each conference, if not at least some mention of it! We full
time missionaries can not do this work without the members! And as you
help us, your faith and testimony will be strengthened!! Do your part!