The 4th Chronicle

Hello Family & Friends!

I'm officially out in the field! I just realized how cool it is that we call it "the field' cause what we do as missionaries is follow the words of D&C 4 by "harvesting". I get to harvest in the Lord's cornfield of Nebraska =)

This week has been like... WOW! I must say that I've learned a few very important things and one of those things is that whenever you make a huge change in your life you gotta have patience with yourself. So for example, say that perhaps you made a big change in your life starting today. This change could be either the fact that you...

#1 - Moved across the country (and planned on moving again every couple months).
#2 - Gave up all social media for two years.
#3 - Stopped wearing skinny jeans and started wearing Sunday clothes all the time.
#4 - Started to study the gospel for a COUPLE HOURS everyday.
#5 - Began to schedule every minute of your day to be effective.
#6 - Decided to meet about 50+ new people everyday.
#7 - Gave up "alone time" to be with someone constantly.

Etc. etc. etc. Those are some big changes! Well I'm sure that we could assume that any of those might take a bit of adjusting to do. Welp, say that you did all of those at once just for fun of it XD  That right there is some direct insight into the life of a missionary. Is it hard? Yes. Am I complaining about giving up those things and the difficulty? Not at all. It has been one of the most amazing things as I've tried to become acclimated to the life of a missionary. It's not easy. Yet, as I've begun to get used to these changes I've had the most incredible studies in the scriptures. I've had the chance to share the gospel with everyone we meet. I've felt the Spirit in lessons as we testify of truth. It'll take time to adjust, but it's worth it. The biggest thing for me is that I just realized that I've made some HUGE changes and need to be patient with myself as I get used to it all. It's okay if it's hard.

First couple days were great. Got some orientation and met my Mission President and his wife. LOVE THEM!!! They are the amazing-est! Sister Gardner loves taking pictures... all the time. It made my photographer heart happy =)

I got to see the Winter Quarters Temple, the Winter Quarters Cemetery, and go through the Winter Quarters Visitors Center.

My favorite part was testimony meeting at the Mission Home on Tuesday. So powerful! Spirit was strong. We opened "Call Letters" to find out where we were assigned and who our trainers were (I came out with five other missionaries) 

Transfer Day was on Wednesday! Wow, I love my mission! All the missionaries there at transfer point sang to us as we walked in and then we got to introduce ourselves and announce our trainers one at a time. Right after each missionary everyone cheered and our trainers ran up and gave us the biggest hugs XD We sang as a whole group and ended with everyone shouting "Hurrah, Hurrah, Hurrah for Israel!!!"

For those that don't know about mission pedigrees who ever trains you is your Dad and who ever trained him is your Grandpa etc. etc. Turns out one of the AP's is my Great-Grandpa XD

So my trainer (and Dad) is Elder Durocher and we are now out in Logan, Iowa. From Logan to Logan I tell people when they ask where I'm from =P Very small town and rural. Lots of run down sidewalks and homes. Everyone has a covered porch, a dog, and a faith they already belong to. It's great cause everyone is Christian and loves Christ but at the same time they'll tell you when you try to talk to them is... "Oh I'm Catholic!" or "Oh I'm Methodist!" or "We already go to the Christian church in town".

One fun note is last week Elder Durocher and I were trying to decide where to go that day and we saw on the map we had (passed down by other companionships who had been in the area before) a road that was marked as "Very Pretty - Dry Route Only". So we saw it was on the way to the town we wanted to go too. Turned out to be absolutely gorgeous and very sketchy XD Never going that way again... but oh boy it was fun =)

Most people have been very nice and kind, a couple have been considerate but firm that they weren't interested, and the last group of people include one lady that yelled "Go away! Get out of here!" while waving scissors. Good times!

One lady riding on a motorcycle yelled "Hey, Mormons!" and another little girl rolled her window down while passing us and "Hey, Missionaries!" It made me happy =)

They've got every religion you can think of down here... Community of Christ (RLDS), Baptist, Catholic, Christian, Non-Denominational, Lutheran, Methodist, Protestant, etc.

Even though my clean-freak and perfecting nature was dying when I saw the apartment it really is nice considering. We're very blessed. We also have a nice "2016 Rouge" to drive which is amazing! I'm co-pilot and communications specialist (i.e. Shotgun with the phone) 

It's so hard to share all the experiences I've had and share about every investigator we get to teach! I will share one though this week. My very first day out in Logan, Iowa we taught a lesson to a RLDS Pastor. He was amazing. Strong faith in God, Christ, and the Spirit. Really the Community of Christ (RLDS) and us believe very similarly. They believe Joseph Smith was a prophet and they also believe in the Book of Mormon (thought they are straying from that now so they'll be more "accepted" into Christian circles). He and his wife are amazing! He tries to study from the Book of Mormon and doesn't drink by his own choice. They are trying to do what is right. They shared with us afterwards that we brought in a great spirit. I really hope as they are able to study and pray to know, that they'll come to know that our differences aren't that huge and that what we shared was true.

If you want to send me letters (please do!) My new mailing address is...

Elder Austin K Brady
11027 Martha St
Omaha, NE 68144

That'll send them to the mission office which you can do my whole mission.  If you want me to get them sooner than you can use this address, but beware it'll change every couple months (so just check with me)...

Elder Austin K Brady

404 1/2 N 4th Ave

Logan, Iowa 51546

Quick additional spiritual thought... UNDERSTANDING INCREASES DESIRE. This concept is so cool to me and it's everywhere in the scriptures. When we know the why, when we are aware of the importance, when we realize the meaning behind the Doctrine of Christ or anything else it increases our desire to act, to learn more, and to become.

Kia Kaha,

Elder Brady

Never been so grateful that Austin was tall!  You can see his head there a little off of center.

There he is again, dead center, under the basketball hoop, facing us...

"Hurrah! Hurrah! Hurrah for Israel!"