Return and Report

Hello Family,
This week has been an amazing week! Everyweek is an amazing week here in Steilacoom. We were able to teach Jakki and set her baptism date! She'll be baptized on March 7th. The ward is so amazing at being involved in the work. This last Saturday was really neat. The stake put on a huge youth mission prep course for the priests and laurels that lasted half the day and my zone and comp and I helped out with teaching and then we took all of them on splits. The elders had no problem but their were 12 laurels and just me and my comp. We sent half of them to the sisters in Puyallup and then I took three out and Sis. Jang took three and we went tracting. It was a really good experience. Its good for me to go out with them because then I'm forced to take the lead when I normally let Sis. Jang. I'm learning so much. She is an amazing person to learn from. Not to mention she is getting me to eat all sorts of Korean food! I eat Korean food more than anything. Alyse Marchant is going to be just fine in Korea, the food is delicious, other than Kimchi, that stuff is nasty. But everything else I've tried is amazing, especially Bulgogi! Sis. Jang and I are also teaching a man who we just call Mr. Obrien, I don't even know his first name. His wife is Hawaiian and been a member all her life. He's moving slow, but I really think he's starting to warm up to us. I don't think previous missionaries have really tried with him. There are actually three people in the ward (elderly couples) where one spouse is a member and one is not. We're really working hard with all of them. Thats been something I didn't really expect. Its hard! People don't just believe you after you testify. I don't know why I thought they would. The change is slow and steady, but it is a miracle when you look from the begining to the end and do see the change. Everyday I have at least one moment where I say "this is why I came on a mission" I want to say that everyday until I leave Washington. I also had my first return and report. Which is where we get together as a zone and Pres. Bowen comes and interviews us. I was slightly intimidated, sis. Jang said that I shouldn't be upset when all we talk about is numbers, but when I went in we didn't talk numbers at all. He asked me what I was doing in Steilacoom and then asked me if I've had the opportunity to teach all the lessons. I told him I still hadn't taught lessons four or five and he said that I needed to do that THIS week! Then he asked me if I was ready to train! I laughed out loud and he just looked at me completely serious. Pres. Criddlbaugh (a member of the mission presidency) is in our ward and I guess he's told pres. that we've been doing great things and we get five new sisters next transfer! So keep me in your prayers that I don't train on my second transfer. I'm still in training! I'd like to be in training my whole mission if possible. Today on P day our whole zone got together and played ultimate freesbe which was alot of fun. It was the pretties day I've seen in Washington. A cloudless day in the fifties and we played at a park right on the edge of the Puget Sound. Even though its not the ocean it smells like it and it makes me feel like I'm in California. I LOVE it! This place is more beautiful than I can ever say in words. It hasn't even rained in the last 3 days! Yesterday one of the laurels (Brooke) in the ward came up and said she had a friend that wanted to go to church and wanted to meet with us! I don't think I'd ever been so excited! I'm excited everyday, missionary work is just exciting work! Anyway, we are meeting with him this week and are giving him a church tour! I never realized how important the members are! I wish I had been a better member missionary at home, its so much easier if the members bring us the investigators than if we go out looking for them. I didn't understand how much easier it was until I got out here. My challenge to all of you is to find someone that you can invite over and have the missionaries come over and have them teach. Hartzells maybe... or someone, I don't know. I thought being a member missionary was hard until I came out here and realized being a member missionary is easy being a fulltime missionary is whats hard. Not too many doors are slammed in our face though. People are pretty nice, just not interested. Elder Zitati of the Seventy is coming next week and he is checking all of our area books, planners, appartments etc. We're really working hard to make sure that they are all looking good. We need to work harder on our finding. Its hard to find people that want to listen to us. But I know there out there! Pray that we can continue to find those people who are looking for us! I love you all! Please tell me how Ethans blessing goes. Give everyone a hug for me!
Love, Sister Bradley