The 33rd Chronicle

Elder Austin K Brady
Mission Address: 11027 Martha St, Omaha, NE 68144  
Direct Address: 3020 Park Lane Dr #11 Hastings, Nebraska 68901

Email Address: abrady@myldsmail.net  

Blog: https://elderaustinbrady.blogspot.com/  

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/austinkbrady

 Hello Family & Friends!

It's Christmas Eve y'all! I seriously love this time of year. I feel like out on the mission holidays and special events become more meaningful. It's as if you finally realize how much time, money, and effort it takes. You realize how important family and friends are to making those events joyful. I want to share my gratitude to all who have sent me letters, packages, and notes over the last couple weeks! They have truly made me feel loved during this Christmas season. Nothing like people remembering you! If you didn't send anything, no worries. There is always repentance (and my birthday on Jan 15th) =P. With that, I also want to give a special thank you to my ward for all your support and kind words. You guys rock! I read every note and hung them up on the wall. Simple gestures of kindness can go a long long way.

People love supporting those who have obsessions or passions...

Example #1: Elder Norman LOVES his Mountain Dew. He talks about it ALL the time. In fact, his previous bosses would buy him a couple Mountain Dews a week, just because. Why? Because he loved it and they knew he loved it. It's hard to forget! If you know someone that likes something THAT much you want to help them out. You want to give them a gift they'll love and appreciate. So, it is an easy choice. For Elder Norman that gift is his orange-spiked, yellow-colored, caffeine-injected, sugar-loaded, carbonated soda =)

Example #2: I have a friend that is super passionate about photography. She talks about it ALL the time, and she is always sending me pictures/posts of new cameras, poses, locations, tips, etc. Every time we talk about photography she just lights up and gets super excited. As a result, every time I see something about photography I'd want to share it with her. Why? She loves it! It makes her happy. Making someone happy makes you happy too. It's a solid win-win! Who wouldn't want to do that?

Example #3: I'm semi-obsessed with Iceland. Every time someone talks about traveling or vacations I mention Iceland. I talk about Iceland A LOT. Every time I see something about Iceland... I practically squeal! About a year ago I posted something about my future plans to visit Iceland. One of my good friends texted me flight plans the next day (because they had seen an ad for them and thought of me). They knew I was passionate about it and would appreciate the thoughtful gesture.

Sometimes it is hard to stand or be passionate about something. Many will ridicule you for it. Many will tease you for it. Some may put you down and be just nasty. Don't let that stop you. If you stand firm enough and long enough, people will begin to support you. They will be inspired by your courage and tenacity. They will be excited and willing to assist you. They will want to help you with anything you need to achieve or feed that. So, whatever are you passionate about... keep it up!

Funny story of the week! We had just finished dinner (at a member's place) and were headed home. I had used the restroom before we left... 'cause that's the smart thing to do. Well, Elder Norman didn't. As we drove home he told me he had go pretty bad. Not knowing the speed limit (and wanting to make it home before things got interesting) we were cruising down the road about 35 mph. That was when some pretty red, white, and blue Christmas lights flashed in our rear view mirror. Haha, I got pulled over! How embarrassing. The officer was super nice and asked for my 'license and registration'. I said, "Yes, sir!". Elder Norman on the other hand was DYING. I felt so bad. He contemplated stepping out of the vehicle and taking care of business right then and there. We decided that might be against some kind of public decency law and didn't want to complicate things--he stayed put. Good thing it didn't take too long before I received a kind warning and the info that most roads in town are 25 mph (except two). With my new-fangled knowledge and Elder Norman's encouragement we drove directly home at exactly 24 mph. The good news is he made it safe! Moral of the Story: Don't try to drive faster because it may end up taking you longer.

Kia Kaha!

Elder Brady