January 26, 2015

Tumbleweed!

We went hiking to the wind caves. the wind was strong that day...

Letter #1

Dear Mom,

Okay so have you ever asked the Elders who taught you what their experience was in teaching you? Like, what was there side of the story? I would love to hear that as a missionary!! I mean, maybe they had been praying and fasting for a family to teach and then suddenly this golden 12-year-old girl started coming to mutual every week and suddenly, a few months later, the entire family was baptized!! Maybe they had to face some trials of faith before or while they taught you and your family. Maybe a previous investigator that was so close to baptism had fallen into some anti stuff and dropped the lessons (that can be a hard blow and trial of faith). Or maybe they have a story where they almost didn't make it to a lesson of yours because one of the elders was struggling to stay motivated. Or perhaps you and your family were just perfect investigators and you were literally a miracle family!

Haha, who knows, but I would love to hear from both or at least one of the elders who taught you!!! Do you still keep in contact? Can I get their email? Or can you forward my request to hear from them?

Okay also can you ask Garrett Thornton what areas he served in while he was here? (He did serve in Arizona, yeah?) I want to know if I have served in any of his areas! I know the mission was a lot different then, and way bigger, but that would be so cool if he knows some of the people I'm working with!!

I am feeling all better now! Yay!! Thank you for the prayers!

Thank you for the package!!!! I loved the letters and I am so excited to read Grandmas story!!!! How awesome!!! 

I love Mrs. Schwindt!!!!! Oh my goodness!!! Hahaha!!! That is the cutest note ever!! I should volunteer for her again in the classroom :)

Oh my goodness, do you remember when I used to fight Personal Progress like the plague? And then I finally only started doing it because you took away Harry Potter and said I couldn't have it back until I had done at least 5 experiences... haha.

Make sure you drink a LOT of water. That will help your voice miost! Also make sure you warm up. I will send you a video of me  doing a warm up that you can practice, so that your voice will be more relaxed. And if your throat starts hurting, STOP singing (unless you're actually in class) and drink some hot tea or just hot water with some essential oil drops in it.

I like to tell the ward members about bills story, and I try to convince them to watch the movie. Most people say they will watch it (I don't know how many have), but one person said they've already seen it!!! and then they asked me how bill was doing.... 

Hey!! I loved one acts!!! I directed one at BYU Hawaii called "Check Please". People thought it was hilarious! Chris was in it :)

How did Hanks basketball game go? Did he win? I love the pictures!! I have the cutest nephews (and nieces) in the world!!!

Thank you for Nicks story!! I didn't know most of that!! Wow!

Tell me your dream!!! I had a dream last night that I had just gotten home and you and dad had moved to a new home while I was gone, so when I came home you were still unpacking.... and you were SO STRESSED!!! and It was stressing me out!!! And you were trying to put cups away, and I was helping, and you were getting so frustrated and I was feeling high levels of stress, and then I asked you to not be so stressed because you were stressing me out, and you said "you can't just ask someone to not be stressed when they're stressed. It doesn't help" and you made some comment about how I didn't really want to be home, but how I really just wanted to be back out on the field, and then we both burst into tears, and I told you how much I loved you and you said you were sorry and you didn't mean it, and then dad walked in from the garage (driving a fancy red truck) and he made some comment about how us women were always crying, and then the dream kind of faded away... haha it was a very stressful and funny dream!

Okay, I love you mom!!! 

Love,

Sister Brady

Letter #2

Dear DAD,

hahahahaha... haha.. ha. ;p very funny with the "grandmas painting", dad :)

This is the picture that John sent to Erica.
Grandmas painting . . .

Here is a real picture of Grandma's painting!
Painting by Harriette Hankel Ferre
(Erica's Grandma)

We had an awesome ward conference in the M***** ward yesterday. While President B**** was teaching the lesson, he was pacing about the room and it just reminded me so much of you!!! I loved getting to go to most of the ward conferences. It was always the same topic and lesson plan, but it always generated new and different ideas, and I always would come away with something different.

We talked a little bit about patriarchal blessings. He asked everyone to invite their youth age children to pray and learn about patriarchal blessings to find out if it was their time to receive one. He also told a story about a boy who had three specific questions that he had never discussed with anyone before. He talked to his stake patriarch about them before his blessing, and in the blessing God had addressed those questions very specifically to this young man. HOW BEAUTIFUL!! God hears our prayers and knows the desires of our hearts!!!

I want to teach my kids everything that I can!! And that makes me want to learn everything that I can!! I want my kids to be able to come to me with questions about their math and science homework, as well as questions about spiritual subjects, and I want to be able to answer them! Education is soooo important!! Especially because it not only blesses your personal life, but it will bless the lives of those
around you!!!

Yeah, I shared the handcart boy, but also the story about Great Grandpa and the bushels of wheat. And I told some of your childhood stories that you've told growing up (you and Kevin ripping the homework page, and the story about you buying the milk duds... hahah) Will you send those stories, I'm pretty sure I am forgetting parts of them. They are sooo funny!!!!

I love you dad!!! I still need to use the word rip snorter in a sentence. I am working on it :)

Love,

Sister Brady

Me and Sister C!
It was her birthday :)!!

Letter #3

Dear Family,

MIRACLES!! 

Every single day there have been miracles!!!!

On Friday we had dinner with a potential investigator. When I first got in the area he made it clear (and the members did too) that he was not interested right now, and did not want to be pushed. We started praying for him right away. We knocked on his door (his wife is a member) with cookies in December and he was very happy to talk with us for almost an hour (not about church stuff) and then we were invited to his granddaughters baptism and we were asked to speak on baptism. That was on Jan 10. And he felt the spirit and was crying. Then he personally invited us to his house afterwards for some light refreshments. 

And then we were invited to dinner with him on Friday. We were planning on inviting him to take the lessons. After dinner Sister T**** and I sang, and then we went around the room talking about some of the times we have felt God's love  in our life. When we got to him he said "I don't think I've experienced his love yet. But I think I would like to take some classes".............................. !!!!

He was crying. We were crying. His wife was shocked. The spirit was strong. We are having our first lesson with him this Wednesday.

In these last 3 days alone we have found 6 new investigators. Miracles!!

We had an awesome ward conference yesterday. We talked about how your thoughts will influence your actions and your actions will influence your thoughts. Which is so true!! President shared this scripture from proverbs "Commit thy works unto the lord and thy thoughts shall be established" and how this can be applied to ANY situation!

Also, this quote was fro President B*** and it is so true!!!

"One of the ways Satan seeks to destroy our agency is by making us feel like victims"

Don't let Satan fool you into thinking that someone else has to do something different in order for you to find happiness or receive blessings. Act today and depend upon the atonement of Jesus Christ!

I love you all!!!

Love,

Sister Brady

The hour between daily planning and bedtime.

Letter #4

Dear Emily,

Good job on the show!! What was your one act about?? Did you have to kiss anyone????!!!

Good job at your homecoming freshman skit!! You are the best!!! Also hahahaha about your dress. Oh well, nothing can be worse than the time that I lost my wig on stage :) bahahahahahahaha! #awkward #neverletitgo

Okay, go watch something fun and make sure you practice singing and piano everyday. Also, remember that High School is a great time to be social, so make sure you do that, but also make sure you are learning things in your classes and not just working to get A's. I got A's in all my classes, but I still feel like I missed out on so much learning. :/ Maybe I should go back to high school :)

I love you!

Love,

Sister Brady

p.s. nice shoes :)

[Emily sent a picture to Erica . . . but she was wearing a pair of Erica's shoes that Erica left here! Haha!]

Sister S***, Sister T****, and Me :) This was made up on the spot.