Erica's Missionary Adventures

Erica's Missionary Adventures
Merry Christmas from Mesa!

Thursday, March 26, 2015

March 23, 2015



I met Natalie Portman!! Jk... It's just a laurel.


Dear Mommy and Daddy!!!

Katrina is having a baby boy!!! Bah-- I am so excited!!! I love babies!! I can't wait to have another Nephew!!!

Also, Happy Birthday to Grandma Ferre!!! Whooo!! Is she in Oregon or Hawaii right now? I love Grandma so much!! She is one of the most generous and charitable person that I know. I want to be like her!!

Friends!!

Life is great!! Being a missionary is the best thing in the whole wide world!! We have had some miracles this week!

B***** (who we haven't heard from in almost two weeks!!) messaged us on Saturday morning and said we could stop by!! She has been going rough some crazy stuff, which is why she hadn't been able to respond to our calls and texts. We shared the Mormon message "Because of Him" and she really loved how humble Christ's life was. She then wanted to know all about Christ's ministry and life and how His ministry started. We were answering her questions and talking about Christ and how prophets have always prophesied and testified of him. And then Sister R***** and I both had the spirit hit us like a brick wall and we both said "you should come to the Easter pageant!!!!" Because it's all about Christ's birth and ministry!! And so she is going to come to the Easter pageant this week!! Yayyy!!!

Mesa Temple

We also had the greatest members in the world purchase food for us for the next TWO weeks. Food and toilet paper is the best gift you can give to a missionary. Actually, you guys should give the Elders in your ward a whole package of toilet paper... They will love you for it.

We sang “Sit Down You're Rocking the Boat” for Broadway cabaret. I think you must have watched us practice it when you came to surprise me in Hawaii. Remember that? That was sooo awesome!! Remember how I just burst into tears when I saw you? Yeah, “Sit Down” would be a a great group musical!! What did Emma do for group musical this year?

Hahaha... Does Talia like my hair?...

Oh that picture of Willie Wonka looks so great!!! How fun!!! I love acting!!! I really do look forward to being in a play/musical again.

Yes the Jenkins will be here for my whole mission.

Me mimicking and Elder!
What are your plans for spring break?

Oh. Can we go to Disneyland when I get back? Please? If not, it's okay.

Does Emma still have braces?!?? Is she even going to get them off while I am on my mission???

Haha -- this morning we played dodge ball with one of the zones (we live super far from our zone/area so we just piggyback on other zones that are closer to where we live). But it was so much fun!!

Next week we are going to play quidditch!!!! I am sooooo excited!!!

I am SO glad that Gordon is okay!! [Gordon was in a car accident and is OK – but the car is totaled – :( ]Did he get hurt at all?

Mom, it is impossible for my future in-laws to have given Emily a ride anywhere because Bruce Wayne's family is all dead....

Sister R******* and I had a good conversation with two of our members about the foster system. It made me cry. I will foster and adopt all of the children.

It's fine [that the Willie Wonka lead actors had head mics]. I will have head mics when I am on Broadway.

Will you email me all of Sandra Turley's story? 

Oh Hank Smith sounds like he was a really great speaker. I love that thought!!

So I can't remember if I told you, but by 2019 the brethren of the church want to have 100,000 full time missionaries serving!!!


I love you mom and dad!!

Love, Erica

March 16, 2015


Me and Sister R

Dear Mom and Dad

Best News of the week!!!!! I GOT A SIGN NAME FROM ELDER J*************!!!!!! Do you realize how awesome that is?! Only deaf people can give you a sign name! And you have to really know that person too. You cant just walk up to a deaf person and say "Hey, give me a sign name". They have to know you and give you one based on your personality. Anyway. So my sign name is "Sister Sweet.”
 
..... ?

I'll send a video of me signing it. I'm super stoked.

Baby Chair!
Okay so I changed my mind about sending a package home for now. I will probably send one the next time I get transferred.

This morning we went on a hike to Weaver's Needle !! It was so fun! On the hike up I was up in the front hiking so fast and then I looked around.... And realized..... I was alone with five Elders!!!!!!! So we all stopped until two other sisters met up with us. And then I had to slow down so that they could keep up with me. And then President Jenkins caught up with us (cause he is an awesome hiker) and we all hiked the rest of the way together. When we got back down from the mountain, President said to me "wow, you are quite the hiker!" And he turned to someone who walked by and said "she was the first female up there!" ?

Also on the hike back down, I hiked with Sister B******* and the ASL Elders and Elder J****(the deaf elder) actually said my name!! Out loud!! It was so awesome!!

Wait, what? Che got married? I didn't even know he was dating someone, or engaged..
Dad, I think the color of the bathroom sounds like a perfect color!! I look forward to seeing it!

Baby Chick

Sister Sweet is so sweet!
(confession - mom wrote that caption)

I have never seen the play Guys and Dolls. I don't even know the story. I only know the song "Sit Down You're Rocking the Boat" because Chris sang it once.

I haaaaaatttteeee it when people sing/hum during performances.... Biggest pet peeve EVER.

Hahahaha I'm sorry about you getting paint in your hair!! And I sang in a trio at a stake conference on Saturday night... It wasn't even for the stake I'm serving in...

And I helped paint a house for four hours on Saturday morning!!! We are twins!!

President Jenkins is the most amazing mission president in the world. He is super inspired and super awesome. Just wanted to let you both know!

Lazer Tag

More Lazer Tag
Anyway I'm sorry that the emails came so late. We had to write them out of wi-fi so they didn't send until we got into wi-fi (which happened to be after 6) ?

Okay I love you both so much!! Pray for us to find some new investigators in this area!!

Love,

Sister Brady

It's a Twister!


Tuesday, March 17, 2015

March 9, 2015

Me And My Companion!!

Dear Mom and Dad,

Wut? My [college] applications have been sent? Wow that was super fast. I'm glad. Now we don't have to talk about it anymore :) thank you so much for helping me with those!!

I want to buy dads car (or the red car) when dad finally decides to get a new car... Yeah? [Yeah, not in our plans . . . ]

I love Emily sooooo much!! Right now one of my goals is to do everything I can to help her get to the temple. It's my dream to have all of my siblings there when I get sealed/married (or for all of us to be there when Emily gets sealed/married... Cause there is a small chance I miiighhhttt get sealed/married before her. :))

Please keep me in your prayers a lot this week.

Thank you so much for the iPad!!! [Missionaries had to purchase their own iPads – Happy birthday, Easter, Christmas . . . ]

Oh hey, this is important!! Don't send me anything for Easter (I don't know if you were planning to or not haha) but don't do it if you were!!! Also, just so you know for future references... I can't read anything unless its on the mission library or on the gospel library app... So please no books :) 

Actually I think I am going to send a package home of some of my stuff that I have acquired. They are things I want to keep but I really don't need as a missionary and I don't want to keep lugging it around... I kind of figured since I've been out for a certain amount of time this would be a good time to send a few items home. So keep an eye out for that.

Sister R**** is from south Carolina. She has been out about 5 months and she is going to Provo after her mission (everyone is going to Provo after their mission)!

That is a cute story about you being the favorite prophet!!! Bahaha!! That is hilarious!! I would LOVE that calling!!! [One of the primary children raised their hand and said that Sister Brady was their favorite Prophet . . . we were looking for answers like Danial, Adam, Moses, Jonah and so on . . .].

I think I might start practicing some EFY songs and Strength of Youth songs that I can belt. And then I will belt those songs for F**** the Broadway dancer.

Batman and Loki are real to me. [Don't ask.]
We were meeting some new members in the ward and I used one of the spiritual thoughts you had sent me a few weeks ago. So thank you for sending those!!

Today we played laser tag with our zone and with some extra missionaries that we invited (the APs and the ASL Elders) There was about 30 of us. It was AWESOME! We played three games and on the last game I got 4th place!!!!! The top three were all Elders which means I was the best Sister... Haha not that I'm competitive... And our team (team blue) won all three times!!

And Elder J***** (the deaf elder) decided to do the "hurricane machine" but he thought it would be better if a Sister did it because the hair would blow around. So I jumped in. (I will send the videos)

Hahaha I'm sorry about the justserve project! You will be blessed for your service!! [we are pretty sure all the plants we planted got dug up – they were little tiny plants that no one could see – may have to be subject matter for our Christmas letter . . . ]

I love Disneyland. Let's go to Disneyland mmkay?

Me and My Companion!


I love the book of Mosiah. That is the book I am studying right now!!

I love being a missionary. Nothing has made me happier. I wish I could do this for the rest of my life. Oh that I were an angel.

This church is so true. I want you both to know that I have such a strong testimony of the gospel. I know that our savior lives. I know that through the atonement of Jesus Christ we can all be forgiven and become better. I know that because of the atonement we can find peace in a troubling world. I know that Thomas S. Monson is our living prophet and he leads the church. I sustain him and I will follow him because I know that God will never let him lead us astray. I know that Joseph Smith was called to be a prophet of God and that it was through him that the gospel was restored. I know that the Book of Mormon is the word of God. It is so good and so true!! I feel spiritual strength come to me as I read it. Those prophets and people are real! And I cant wait to meet and thank all those who helped to keep those records!! I love the gospel. I love the plan of salvation. I love that I have a loving Heavenly Father. He is real. He is there. I know it. I cannot doubt it. And I will always proclaim this truth to everyone that I meet.

I love you mom and dad.

Love,

Your Missionary Daughter
Sister Brady


Wednesday, March 4, 2015

March 2, 2015



My new companion!!
Me and sister R****!!! We love each other!!!


Dear Sister Brady ;) [Emily]

Congratulations!!!! I am so excited for you that you are driving!!! [Emily got her permit.] That is going to be soooo nice when you can drive yourself to voice lessons and play rehearsals, etc. I used to listen to Jack Wayland books in the red car (cause we had a few of them on cassette tape) those were the best stories. Yeah you should hit up the thrift shop and buy some $1 cassette tapes...... Oh, wait, you might be driving dads car [dad's car is over 15 years old and none of the other children ever got to drive it and we all joked that Emily would probably get to], so whatever ... you might not even need cassette tapes :p lucky bum!! :D

I never actually did district solo competition (is that the classical one?) [Emily just competed in the Classical Music High School Competition - yes it was the classical one. She did very nicely for a freshman.]

Sorry you missed out on the pajama party. The best school event I ever went to in high school was the drama lock-in. So much fun!!

I love you Emma and I am so proud of you!! Keep praying and reading the scriptures. It will build your faith every day and help you to fight the tough battles of life.

Love,
Sister Brady

One man's trash ...
We found this in the closet of my new apartment... 

I was seriously going to stop sending pictures of the beard
but i was really excited 
about my arm muscle...
I wanted to show all of you :)

Dear Dad,

Wow, thanks. I didn't know he was going to send out a letter. Was it hand written? [Erica's mission President sent us an email letter letting us know that Erica had a new calling as a Sister Training Leader!]

I am serving two sisters and my companion as a sister training leader. I will go on exchanges with the other two sisters and we will learn from each other. And I get to attend the mission leadership councils. Its a little overwhelming. Keep me in your prayers (even though i know you already are :))

I'm glad the blessing went well!! I look forward to having kids and getting to hear their patriarchal blessings. And don't you get to bless them?

I love you dad!!

Love,
Sister Brady :)

We received the Buddah . . .
And so we had to pass it on...
(See the rules) also, that is my game face.. :)

Dear Mom,
Okay, we are getting new iPads this week, so I had to spend most of my time clearing off my old iPad which means I only have 10 minutes!!!!

Yeah, please put "Sister Training Leader" on my college application.

MY NEW COMPANION IS SO AWESOME I LOVE HER TO PIECES!!! We have bonded soooo much and so quickly. We tell funny stories and we laugh and are always happy and she is so amazing. She was adopted when she was 16 years old (she and her little sister where adopted together) and she joined the church about a year before that. And so she loves that I want to do foster care and adopt because she knows first hand that children and teenagers NEED good places to go. Even though they can be a struggle and it can be REALLY REALLY hard to house foster kids (especially teens), she would be SO lost right now if it hadn't been for her foster (now adoptive) parents. Also she is just amazing. I love her. We will be best friends for life. And we are already planning on coming to see each other after the mission.

The new ward is great! One of our investigators was ON BROADWAY!!! 

I feel sooooo overwhelmed and a little lost with the whole sister training leader thing.

I mean, I'm not stressed out, I just feel a lot inadequate... I guess I'm still learning, but I know there are a lot of other missionaries who are better for the job. And I'm happy to just be the music coordinator. And I think we can all remember what happened the previous times I've been on council's before (*me pulling out the handbook 2... oh wait, I didn't even need to, I had it memorized* *also me fighting for the right to wear jeans to dances*) Haha! I am just so not the right person for being on a missionary/church council. [Yes, she is :)]

Okay, I'm going to email you the rest on my iPad, cause I have to move places. so I will write more in a second.
Love,
Sister Brady



Dear Mom and Dad,

9 Months. Wut. 

Yeah, I had to mention that juuussst once. I cant believe how far I've come and how fast its gone. I'm both proud of myself and soooo sad that the first half went so quick. Life needs to slow down a little. I will allow one email each from both you and dad about this topic next week, but that is all please.

BYU-Hawaii should just do Millie again. Actually, Chris told me all the musical they are thinking about and none of them are Millie :(.

Did I fall down and cry in Costco? Wat? I mean, I wouldn't put it past me...
Hey, get better soon. Seriously.
Life is so amazing!! I love being a missionary!! I love my new companion and area. And I love that the priesthood is restored. I AM SO HAPPY!!! And I am sooooooooo sorry that my emails are so short today :(
I love you mom and dad!!
Love,
Sister Brady



P.S. I was thinking about HOW MUCH I love you and dad. I mean, I remember just sitting in the car while one of you would be driving, and I would look over and think "wow, I love them so much." That's how much I love you both.


February 23, 2015

I got transfer news . . . 

And I'm leaving the saguaro zone for the first time in my mission. 

spent half my mission here and they are kicking me out!! 

I am Soooooooooo sad :( I love this group so much!! 

(Even though most of them have moved out of the zone
since I first got here, haha) but it 
is still sad!!

Letter from Erica (to Mom)

Dear Mom

Well, I'm getting transferred. We got news from President, and both Sister T*** and I burst into tears.

But something really cool is that I had a dream that I would be companions with Sister R*** (my new companion). I don't know a ton about her, but when President said I would be companions with her, my heart skipped a beat! I could hardly believe that my dream had come true! President is so inspired!!

WhoHoo Happy Birthday to Kevin!! 

Me and Sister C***

Being a missionary is the best. I am so happy all the time. Except when I get transferred.

I want to do foster care!! How cool that President and Sister Linn are doing that! You and dad should do that!!! Do it before Emily leaves so that she can have siblings again and so that when Emma leaves you guys can stop doing foster care and then go on a couples mission :)!

Remember that time that I cried when I found out that you would not get to be my unit leader ever because you were called into the stake young women presidency. I was so mad. I wanted you to be my 4th and 6th year leader SO BAD!!

Sister C and Me again :)

Thoroughly Modern Millie is my all time favorite. I want to be in that musical again.
Happy birthday to Grandpa Ferre this week!!

Bahahahahahahaha Fit Mom's workout class!!! Bahhhhhhhaaaaaaaahhhhhhh!! That was the funniest story I've heard all day!! Dad and Fit Mom's!! I am glad you had a good time at Tessa's!!

Oh poor Nick!! That is so sad and scary!! Poor thing! [Nick was sick].

Ha, remember when I sang at the district wrestling match? Ha....... :/

So we are outside waiting for our dinner appointment to arrive and
sister T**** says "lets take pictures!!"

We start with a normal selfie ...

Sister T*** LOVES the game ticket to ride!! I've never played it though.

Okay, so this week we taught *** and ****. They are both progressing SO fast!! And they are both so excited to be baptized. *** was sad when I told him I was being transferred, but he said he knew it was God's plan for me. And I haven't told *** yet. *** bore a powerful testimony in his lesson and in gospel principles this week. And **** gets SO excited to show us everything he is doing or working on (family history, listening to the Book of Mormon). I love the people I am working with. I will still get to go to their baptisms because I have some parts in the program. Yay :)

And then . . . 

Oh, I love those spiritual thoughts!! I have also have always wanted to know more about Jesus as a boy and teenager. Especially when i was a child!! I wanted to relate to him in those ways, but I am satisfied hearing the stories of his ministries.

Man, I am soooooo sad to be leaving my area, my companion, my roommates and my zone :(

I have been reading in the Book of Mosiah recently and it is INCREDIBLE!!! It kind of goes all over the place! They should make it into a movie or a mini series.


I love you mom!!!

Love,

Sister Brady

P.S. Will you tell Jamie painter that I say happy birthday (it was her birthday this last week)!

The return of the beard!!

Letter to Dad

Dear Dad,

This has been a good week! It started off a little rough, but I got a blessing and everything since then has been wonderful!! I am so grateful for priesthood power!!

I don't think I've ever played the game Rage. I've actually never heard of that game.

Thank you for your thoughts on patriarchal blessings. I read mine this morning and had a few things confirmed (some questions that I have received answers to), and I was also able to recognize some of the blessings that I've recently received in my life. I love my patriarchal blessing.

I have been exercising more and eating healthier too!! No more sugar for me!

I am SOOOO happy :)! Life is wonderful.

I love you dad!

Love,
Sister Brady


Candid Camera

Photo-cred: sister Henretty

#IAmWayToExcitedAboutThatBeard