Erica's Missionary Adventures

Erica's Missionary Adventures
Merry Christmas from Mesa!

Tuesday, April 21, 2015

April 20, 2015

Me and Sister S****

On a tandem bike!!

Dear Dad,

Hi! How are you?! Hahahaha remember when I always used to say that on the phone?!

Dad you are just the best!! I did eat most of that Pizza!! Hahaaaaaaa....

Wow!!! I love amazing stories like that!!! Good job for Brother Gaziano acting on a missionary moment!!!

What did you tell the Spanish youth about patriarchal blessings? One of my recent converts is going to get his patriarchal blessing in a month or two!! Yay!!

I love you dad!! So much!!! Be happy!

Love,
Sister Brady



Me and Sister R*** (from Pakistan!!) 

Celebrating Sister
S*****'s birthday!



Dear Mom,

Bahahaha Tali cracks me up! What does her hair look like?

What did Ellie sing at state?!? Congratulations Ellie!!! I love her! Also, I can't wait to hear about state from Emily!

Okay, will you please look up the side effects if using Hydrogen Peroxide to whiten your teeth?

I am so glad you are safe while painting!! [John and I painted our high entryway this past weekend. Scary – but we survived!] That made me nervous for you while reading that paragraph!

Tell me about the Alamo. The only thing I know about it is that it doesn't have a basement.

I look forward to hearing Emma's voice!!!!!!! I look forward to belting again!! But I would sing hymns for the rest of my life if it meant getting to be a full time missionary for the rest of my life.

Jana Lee has a baby boy?! Cute!!

Why does Charlotte put up with her brothers' abuse [not really “abuse!” Nick – age 2 likes to wrestle or “fight” as he calls it] ? Haha why is she so perfect and sweet? But seriously, she needs to stand up for herself....

Wow!!!!! I am so excited about the new living room carpet!!! That will look amazing!!! Take before and after pictures.

Someone here tried to tell me that I was from Beaverton. I don't even know where Beaverton is.

Me and Sister S**** (my old roommate,
also she was in my MTC zone) 
on exchanges.

EMILY HINTON AND JORDAN GOT MARRIED?!???!!???!!??! What!!! I am so excited!! I love Emily Hinton! And Jordan is great! Tell Emily that I love her and tell them both congratulations from me!!

Sorry that my emails have been coming late :( we end up just writing them in the apartment (where there is no WiFi) and so they don't get sent until we get somewhere where it has WiFi. And I'm currently writing this in my apartment, so I apologize ahead of time that you won't get this till later.

Here's what happened this week:

- our relief society did "journey through the life of Christ" where they blindfold you and out things in your hand for you to feel. It was pretty cool. The young women at home should do that for girls camp next year (2016 so i can be home to help) :)

- people keep calling Sister S***** "the Tongan sister." She is Samoan. Haha! Good thing she has an amazing sense of humor. We laugh every day.

- I gave a talk in district meeting about how through Christ we can be cleansed from sin. I focused on David A. Bednar's talk "be ye born again" from the April 2007 general conference talk. It is the talk that goes through the process of a cucumber becoming a pickle. I call it the pickle parable!!! It is so good!! It is one of my new favorite talks! I then used that same talk to give a last minute talk in sacrament meeting. The congregation thought it was really funny that I was talking about pickles. I pointed out several times that it was David A. Bednar's comparison and not mine. I love that talk though. It's so perfect.

-seriously, Sister S**** is sooooo funny. I feel like I am constantly laughing!! She told me I'm really funny too. I think she is just saying that. She is kind.

-I have another new favorite talk. Jeffrey R. Holland. general conference. October 2011. "We are all Enlisted". IT'S AMAZING!!! Jeffrey R. Holland is such a passionate speaker. And he is so eloquent with his words. Every talk he gives is like a kick in the stomach. It makes me want to be better.

Okay I love you mom!!! You are so amazing and incredible!! Thank you for your emails every week!! They are so important to me!

Love,
Sister Brady





Sunday, April 19, 2015

April 13, 2015

Pizza Challenge Winners!

Our Picture on the Wall of Winners!


Dear Mom and Dad,

Could you send me a copy of my mission call please? I want to read it.

Our investigator showing us the rattlesnake skin
that she is making 
into a belt.

We had transfers this week!!! It was an awesome meeting. President talked about having a personal re-set and re-start this transfer. He asked us all what we learned from miracle March (By the way, did I tell you that we passed our goal of 100 baptisms for the month of march? We had 110 baptisms!!). He also asked what we learned in general conference. It was a great meeting. I feel like everything that he said was directly for me. I know it wasn't, but it sure felt like that.

Me and sister smith trying on vests at the thrift shop.
360 Thrift!

Oh!! And Sister S**** (my new companion) is related Ida Connell!!! She told me that on Christmas, but I had forgotten about that! What a cool connection! I think it's like Sister S*****'s Grandma's niece is Ida Connell. Something like that..... You should ask Ida Connell about that!!! Sister S***** is Samoan, and she was born and raised in Hawaii. Her parents moved to Utah when she was a kid, but she spent her summers in Hawaii (her dad works for SkyWest airlines!! So she gets free flights!) and she got to move back to Hawaii for high school, so she graduated from Kahuku High! It's pretty cool that we have the Hawaii connection!! We have so much to talk about!! So far we haven't found any mutual friends (we still don't have Facebook, so it's not as easy to find out).

Do you guys still watch Survivor? I had a dream that I sat down and watched it with a member here, and then I woke up and felt really guilty...

Me and a little boy who loves me!

I don't want any birthday packages because it isn't cost effective. And I don't need anything from home. I'd rather just get letters :) but I did buy some sheet music and some much needed face wash today! So I would love a little extra money for that if you still want to get me a birthday gift! But yeah, I really don't want any package.

Me in Mesa!
Hahaha! I am glad you shared my video on Facebook and that 220 people have seen it! Ha that's hilarious! Speaking of Facebook, I think we are going to get it back this month. But I don't know if I will get back on. I have really loved not being on it.

I hope Emma does well at state!!! I never did experience state... Maybe someday I'll be a judge at it!

I've started to use baking soda to whiten my teeth. Will you look up the side affects so that I don't ruin my teeth?

Speaking of baking soda, I had a dream that I was trying to convince dad that baking soda could be used as a substitute for sugar in any recipe. And he was like "No! Not baking soda! You're thinking of baking powder!" Bahahahaha.....

Okay I love you Mom and Dad!!

Love,

Sister Brady

Saying Good-bye to Sister R** :(.

I love her!!! And we got matching shoes :)!

Wednesday, April 8, 2015

April 6, 2015





Me and Sister R********. She is holding me in the picture, but the
photographer only photographed the top half of us....
Haha - that's why 
my arms look so awkward....

Dad!!!! Thank you for your testimony about Christ!!! I love you so much and I am grateful for the things you have taught me!

The most beautiful picture.


Are you so excited about the Bangkok Thailand temple!?!!!?! :D can we all plan a family reunion there in 20 years when they finish it? Lets start planning now!!

Also, do you know why Thomas S. Monson didn't open or close the conference? Or why Richard g. Scott didn't speak?

I love you dad!!

Love,
Sister Brady

Sent from my iPad
Easter Pageant. That kid let me wear his hat.
I really hope he 
doesn't have lice...


A picture of the apostles and of the two Men who play Christ.
(I 
shook the hand of the one on the left!!!
Does he look familiar to any 
of you?? :) ;))

Mom and Dad I love you so much!!!!!!!!!!!!!

My eye is beautiful again!!!

Wow tell Grandma Brady that she is amazing and such an incredible lady!!!! I love her and I am soooo grateful for that money. $20 is a lot of money!!!

I got grandma Ferre's letter in the mail today!!!!!! Tell her thank you and that she is a sweetheart!!! She bought my groceries today!!!!! Yay Happy Easter!!!!! I sure love my grandma!!!!

Grandpa [Ferre} won teacher of the year award?! Wow, what does that entail? That is awesome!!! I think he is the best teacher of every year!!! I am so sorry for his loss :( tell him and grandma that I love them!!

I want to go on a European cruise...

Thank you for not sending a package for Easter!! I also do not want one for my birthday please!!!  I do not need or want anything.

Can we talk about the opposing vote at general conference?!? I cried. But I also have to remember that God's church is all about having free agency and we always let people voice their opinion. It's why we ask if there are any who oppose! But I still cried a tiny bit. (I loved seeing the apostles faces after it happened. Half the apostles had sad smiles on their faces and the other half had poker faces... But Holland just had this face that said "are you kidding me?")

Anyway, all of General conference was amazing!!!!!!! The Saturday morning session was a powerful start to conference. I loved all of them but my favorites were D. Todd Christopherson's, and some the people in the Seventy. It was a great conference!!

Last Monday, Sister R**** and I did the Venezia's Pizza challenge. You have one hour to eat a two foot diameter pizza between two people. We did it. I was in so much pain. But on the plus side, we got T-shirts and our picture on the wall!!! The first Sister missionaries ever!!!!!! I will take you there when you come visit with me. Its actually pretty good pizza...........................

Two people. (Me and Sister R*******)
One hour.
One Massive Pizza. (2 feet in diameter. Sick.)

We took down the big one.
This was me being a #winning with beautiful ballerina style.

Yesterday night we got transfer news and I am staying and getting sister S***** (she lives in Hawaii!!!! I get another Poly companion!!!! But she is not Hawaiian. I can't remember what she is...) anyway, so Sister R***** and I are both devastated since we've only been together SIX WEEKS, and we were going around last night saying goodbye to investigators and members and we knock on one of the doors of a part-member family and the sis H. (The member) just burst into tears and said "you two are angels and an answer to my prayers!" She is going through a really rough time and so we said a prayer together (the Spirit was so powerful and it was witnessing to us that the atonement is real!!) and then we asked her if she would like a priesthood blessing. She said yes so we took her to the ward mission leader who gave her a beautiful blessing and the night was incredible.

I know that this gospel is true. I know that God lives and that He knows us. He is our Father. I know that Jesus Christ is His son and our Savior and Redeemer. I know that the atonement is real and that it works. I love this gospel. I love my Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. I love being a missionary. It's the best.

I love you mom and dad!!!!

Love,
Sister Brady


Monday, April 6, 2015

March 30th, 2015

Me and Sister R

With Baby Turtles!


Dear mom and dad,

So last Monday we had the scariest thing happen to us. We were eating dinner with some of our members on Monday night. It was Brother and Sister M***** and also brother M*****'s parents (grandma and poppa M*****). While Brother and Sister M***** were cleaning up/washing dishes (they refused to let us help) suddenly poppa started to talk to us... But he wasn't making any sense and his speech was very mumbled and slow, and his mouth was pulling to his left side... And I wanted soooo much for it not to be a stroke, but Sister R****** looked at me and said "I think something's wrong with poppa" and I responded with "yeah, it looks like he's having a stroke...." So we both immediately got up and pulled brother M***** aside (we didn't want to frighten grandma) and said, "you need to call 911, we think poppa's having a stroke." (Good thing we were still in the room, right!? And good thing I recognized the signs of stroke!) So Brother and Sister M***** went into the dinning room and tried to get poppa to talk to him but it was hard for him to respond (and grandma was very, very upset with all of this because poppa is a very healthy person and he has always taking food care of grandma who is not so healthy)... So they called 911 and the firemen came and confirmed that he was having a stroke and the ambulance came and got him.

The whole thing was spiritually and emotionally exhausting. So many small miracles took place that night!!

I was tired . . . 


But poppa is doing MUCH better and he is expected to come home either today or tomorrow!! Yayy!!!

Okay, now to tell you about the rest if my week...

Last Monday we also played basketball with some Elders! Can you believe that!? Me playing Basketball?! I even made a few three-pointers!! Yay!!

Oh! And on Wednesday morning I woke up and my right eye started to hurt immensely!!! So I ask Sister R***** "is there anything in my eye?" And she goes "nope I don't see anything, but your eye is suuppeerr red".

And so we just continue on our merry way (I had her drive since my eye was bugging out)... And then we're at our zone training meeting a few hours later and I say "Sister R... Are you SURE you can't see anything in it? So I show her my eye and she goes "oh hold up! There's some nasty clear gunk in your eye, lets go to the bathroom and I'll get it out!"

So we go into the bathroom and she uses her freshly washed hand to attempt to get my clear eye gunk out..... But then she says "Sister, it's stuck to your eye... I think it might be a contact lens..." And I'm
like "no I definitely took those out last night..." And then I start having a panic attack because I think there's some weird growth on my eye so we call the mission nurse and guess what it was...?!

ALLERGIES!!! What?!? I have a clear BUBBLE on my EYEBALL. SICK RIGHT?! And it hurt for a few more days. It doesn't hurt anymore, but its still kind of there. Its gross.

Trying on lipstick with
Sister S****** and Sister R*****
(She is 
from Pakistan!!)


Can we please go to Disneyland?

Will you buy me some goodwill shoes? Light pink ones? Also a superhero coloring book? Haha jk. Don't ship me shoes or coloring books please. I don't want anymore packages.

I want to go shopping.... SO BAD!!!!

One time dad raised his voice at me when he taught me to drive that first time. Consequently, I avoided driving for the rest of the summer and for the first half of the school year. I hated driving with a permit. Also, I think dad was the one who had me drive on the freeway for the first time. He said "okay you are going to drive me to such and such place." And I said "okay" not realizing that it required me to drive on the freeway... And then suddenly he said "turn right" so I turned right and.... IT WAS THE ENTRANCE TO THE FREEWAY!! And I started saying "I'm not ready!! I'M NOT READY!!!!" But then I made it on to the freeway! Yay!! Good teaching dad!! I did the same thing when he had me drive on highland.

I want to watch Jesus of Nazareth! Do you think I could get permission :)

We took B*** to Easter pageant and she loved it!! And we got front row seats!! Front and center!!! AND we were saving seats for some elders and their investigators, but their investigators bailed last
minute (so the elders couldn't come either) so we had about 11 extra seats in the front row...... And then guess who bumped into me?!? You already know... Garrett Thornton and his wife, Nicole!! And so we're like, wanna sit up front?! So they got to sit with us and it was awesome!!

Brother S***** is our ward mission leader
and he plays James in the pageant!!!

Easter Pageant

More Easter Pagaent


On Sunday, we were supposed to have a gospel principles lesson in service, but one of our investigators wanted to know why they don't postpone general conference when it falls on an Easter Sunday? But then we got into a wonderful discussion about the atonement of Jesus Christ and that's what our whole lesson ended up being about! It was great! Teach people, not lessons, right? And near the end we asked if we could share the new video that church came out with (Because He Lives... You should watch it!!) and after we shared it, our investigator shared the most beautiful testimony about Jesus Christ and how He is our Savior and how we can receive peace from him!! He talked about how he knew this was Christ's church because the people in it have always been so good and kind to him, and that they have always served him just as Christ served people when he was on the earth!! (he has been meeting with missionaries and going to church for about 12 years). His testimony made me cry!!

Okay my challenge for you all as we prepare for conference is to:


1. Go to conference!! Not all the way to Utah (unless you were already planning in that), but spiritually and mentally (and physically! Get good sleep so that you don't fall asleep!) prepare yourself to attend
conference!!

And
2. Come with a question!!! I had quite a few questions for this general conference, and most of them were answered in the general women's broadcast!! How awesome, right?!

I love everything!!! I am so happy always!! I love you guys soooooooo much and I love my family and I love my mission and I love the Lord and the gospel!! I love the Book of Mormon!!! Everything is beautiful and wonderful!!!

Have a great week parents!!

Love,
Sister Brady

Remember that picture you sent me of me and Emily?

Remember that funny picture of my zone?
And that one Elder?

Do you see any resemblance?
It is a fair question . . .

To Emily:

HI EMMA!!!

I love you, ya know?

I seriously think you are the greatest!!

Do you love me too?? Did I ever tell you HOW MUCH i loved those poems you wrote for me?! I look at them often.

How fun for Hank, Chuck and Nick to get to spend time with you [during spring break Katrina's children were here]!! I just love those guys!!

Congrats on getting to go to state!!! Yay!! I never did get to experience state... :/ make sure you take notes and give me lots of details so that I can live vicariously through you!! Good luck!!

I have still never been in a Shakespeare play... What? Yeah, i will find one to audition for sometime in my near future... Or maybe I can just be in one of Susan's plays again :)

I love you Emma!!!

Love,
Sister Brady