The 89th Chronicle

Hello family and friends! 

I had a really meaningful experience this week that I wanted to share. Our mission has started doing member lessons every night from 8-9pm to help us get to know the members, build trust with them, edify their families, and help them share the gospel. (Not to mention, it's more productive then freezing our keisters off in almost zero temps when it's dark and late;) This week we visited one particular family that I love. He is a recent convert of a couple years and his wife grew up in the church and has recently returned to activity. They are an amazing family with strong testimonies. Our lesson went well but it wasn't anything crazy special. Our conversation was enjoyable but nothing super notable. It wasn't until the closing prayer that I perked up. The brother asked his wife to offer the prayer and as she prayed, I realized she was praying specifically for us. She asked the Lord for our protection, she asked for us to stay warm, she asked for us to be successful, she asked for her family to have strength to assist us, and she prayed for us as individuals. I felt the spirit touch my heart. Her prayer helped me feel my Father's love and I am grateful for that. It reminded me that we, as missionaries, are some of the most prayed for people in the world. I guess I had forgotten that. Those prayers are actually something I can attribute much of our success to. I know that many of you pray for me, for my companion, and for many of God's servants around the world. Thank you for those prayers. We need them!

Winter finally hit! On Christmas I was wearing a Santa hat and short sleeves. Now I'm a bundled marshmallow that waddles in the cold for fear of slipping on the ice. In fact we helped one unfortunate gentleman who had taken his motor chair (since he can't walk well) down his driveway to check the mail. The ice on his sloped driveway was so bad, the angle so steep, his legs so weak, and the chair's wheels so slick that he was stuck. The wheels just spun as he struggled to get traction. We hopped out of our car to help and as we hurried over my comp got laid out by slipping on the ice. (Poor Elder even ripped open his hand on a rock as he fell.) Don't worry. The motor chair gentlemen is safe and sound with the help of a little friendly push!

I don't know if any of you remember, but back when I was in the Winter Quarter's YSA ward (in Omaha) I had the opportunity to work with a guy named Blake. This guy is so sweet. We would meet at the institute to play pool over lessons. He took us out to eat multiple times, and he even hooked us up with some sweet stickers. Besides the good memories what's more important to me is his spiritual journey. He was taught over a long period of time and as a result knew much of the ins-and-outs of missionary life. He knew the lessons well, he was always one step ahead of us with commitments, and he knew what he needed to do to be baptized. Despite all this, something kept holding him back. He wanted to be baptized so bad, he set many dates to work towards, and he even got interviewed at one point but still didn't make it. Set after set of missionaries taught him and he continued to pray as he strived to be obedient. You can imagine how I felt when almost 9 months after I got transferred from WQ YSA I got a picture from Blake this week. It was of him wearing white in Utah. SO PUMPED. I was smiling all day afterwards. I know how much this means for him and look forward to congratulating him in person. This work is to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man. I seriously love what I do!

Quote of the Week: "...this is my glory, that perhaps I may be an instrument in the hands of God to bring some soul to repentance; and this is my joy. And behold, when I see many of my brethren truly penitent, and coming to the Lord their God, then is my soul filled with joy;" (Alma 29:9-10)

Kia Kaha!

Elder Brady