September 1, 2014

Dear dear dear Mom and dad,

I have not gotten any letters this past week :) but that's okay, it
will be a wonderful treat for this week!

That is crazy that a year has already gone by since Emily sang at the
fair last year! Remember how Dennis [PTI producer} staged it so that it looked like it
was unplanned for me to sing too!! Haha so fun! Also Emily is so
awesome and I love telling everyone that my little sister was Portland
Teen Idol.

The weather has gotten a little bit warmer again. ?

My stomach was still crazy sick all last week (without the lactose) so
I talked to president Jenkins on Friday and he thinks that I may not
actually be lactose intolerant, but rather it is my body's way if
dealing with the stress that I have been feeling since being in the
mission field. He gave me a blessing this afternoon, and he gave me
some words of encouragement and comfort. He also encouraged me to
re-read 1 Nephi 3-4 and ask myself "why Nephi was asked to go back to
Jerusalem 3 times and what things did he learn in going to and from?"
He also said no more sugar and I need to exercise more.

That is awesome that Kevin got that job!!! And I can't believe Kara is
almost done with school!! And they're gonna get married!!! :D I'm so
excited!!!

So what is the job offer dad got in la? Who would he be working for?
What would he be doing? Would you apply for Disneyland if he got the
job there?

I cannot wait to watch that video of grandpa!!!! That will be so cool to watch!!

That is just really amazing that grandpa is still alive after having
such a big stroke. Everything that I read about grandpa seems so
surreal because I'm only reading about it. I do appreciate the updates
and I love to know that he still has his awesome sense of humor. Tell
grandma and grandpa that I am going to get to go see uncle Keith and
aunt Shirley this week!! I told president Jenkins about how grandpa is
not doing well, and that I was feeling prompted to ask for permission
to call uncle Keith sooner rather than later, and president Jenkins
told me I should of course go visit him, and that I could make
multiple visits! He also told me to keep him updated on everything
that's going on.

I love your new calling!!! It would be awesome if I was transferred to
a ysa ward and then we would both be working with the YSA!!! We will
find out transfer news on Saturday.

That's really cool insight on Alma the younger mom. I also love he
point you made about Alma being Abinidi's only convert. That's crazy
considering how many people were thereafter saved!

Question: can you send me Michelle's mission emails each week? Also,
my blog is so slow moving (I think we went online once this week) so I
probably don't need any pictures right now :) I will email you when I
can think of specific picture I need though. Thank you so much mom!!!

Other question: you know my candy cane Christmas nightgown? And my
Rudolph sweater? If you decide to send me my Christmas package like
maybe at the end of November, I would greatly appreciate if those two
items were also in there. And then I promise I wouldn't open what else
was in there until Christmas morning, I know it's a looonnngg ways
away, but I wanted to remind you now. Maybe you can write it down
somewhere? Or even better you could grab the two clothing items now,
and set them where you won't forget to send them. And I was hoping to
get those two specific items before Christmas just cause they would be
fun to wear in December :)

There is a lady in our ward who writes books! You should look for them
at Deseret. Her name is Jean Mathews. One of the books is set in
Mesa!! I think the title of that book has the word "run" in it or
something... Tell me if they are good!!

I get to sing for elder Nelson in a quartet this September!! It was
going to be a choir, but elder Nelson requested a quartet, and so I am
singing soprano!! Yay :D I can't wait!!

Also, I don't know if he is already on the email list for my letters
(if you do that), but can you add brother Belnap to the list? His
email is belnapm@byuh.edu

Spiritual thought:

Okay, so this comes from the January 2007 new era:
The quest for spiritual knowledge (Boyd k packer)

"Oh, if I could teach you this one principle: a testimony is to be
found in the bearing of it!

"Somewhere in your quest for spiritual knowledge, there is that “leap
of faith,” as the philosophers call it. It is the moment when you have
gone to the edge of the light and stepped into the darkness to
discover that the way is lighted ahead for just a footstep or two.
“The spirit of man is,” as the scripture says, indeed “the candle of
the Lord” (Proverbs 20:27).

"It is one thing to receive a witness from what you have read or what
another has said; and that is a necessary beginning. It is quite
another to have the Spirit confirm to you in your bosom that what you
have testified is true. Can you not see that it will be supplied as
you share it? As you give that which you have, there is a replacement,
with increase!

"To speak out is the test of your faith.

"Bear testimony of the things that you hope are true, as an act of
faith. It is something of an experiment, like the experiment that the
prophet Alma proposed to his followers. We begin with faith--not with
a perfect knowledge of things. That sermon in the 32nd chapter of Alma
is one of the greatest messages in holy writ, for it is addressed to
the beginner, to the humble seeker. And it holds a key to a witness of
the truth."

I know I've shared some of this with you before, but then I found the
whole article and I wanted to share more with you. Sometimes it can be
scary to share your testimony because you might be afraid of someone
mocking it or treating it like garbage. But I know now that it is when
we share our testimony, that the Holy Ghost can bare testimony that we
are saying is true.

I love you so much!

Love,
Sister Brady