Tuesday, April 13, 2010

Baptism is the Way

Dear Family,
I've been going crazy since Wednesday waiting for the news of Elyse's call! The Domincan Republic! AH! I'm so excited for her! I'm sad she has to wait til July to leave. That was the hardest part, waiting. I can't believe Kevin Curtis is already going! Time is a crazy thing, it seems to go by faster and faster. This past week has been an AMAZING week in Steilacoom Washington! Although I'm slightly bias, I do feel like any week in Steilacoom is an amazing week, but thats because I'm starting to realize that my days are numbered here with these people. Transfers are in two weeks and I'm working feverishly to accomplish all that the Lord wants. I may be staying I may be going, I won't know til the Saturday before transfer day, but I'm already nervous. I want to go wherever the Lord needs be, it will just be hard to leave the people here, they've become home and family. My stake president is an uncanny twin of Uncle Matt and every time I see him I just want to give him a big hug... but alas I can't. Give Uncle Matt a hug for me! Elisia Atlas Tuilagi was baptized this last Saturday! It was an amazing service. We've been working with Elisia for several weeks now. He is amazing. He is 19 and a week before his baptism we gave him a copy of preach my gospel and he was so excited about it that he just couldn't listen to the lesson we had planned. Note to self: don't give out anything exciting prior to the lesson :) When he bore his testimony at his baptism he said he was already working to go on a mission in a year and that he couldn't wait. This last Sunday he was ordained to the Aaronic Priesthood and sustained to the office of Priest! I'm so excited to hear him bless the sacrament! This thursday he is going with the ward on a temple baptisms trip up in Seattle! He's such an amazing example to me. His parents didn't come to his baptism and aren't speaking with him. But Saia is determined. I wish I could explain in words how amazing he is. The miracles continue to pour in. On Sunday, Milton, an 81 year old investigator that I've been meeting with since my first week in Washington, finally came to church this last Sunday! His wife has been inactive all her life and we've been teaching him the lessons for weeks now. We finally got the courage and asked him to be baptized on the 18th of this month and he actually came to church! Sometimes people just need the goal in front of them and no matter how impossible it may seem to you, they go for it. I can't tell you how much I adore and love this couple they've become family to me. To see him come to church for the first time was more than words can describe. Ariana is a nine year old little girl and the grandaughter of a less active Hawaiin women in the ward. We started meeting with her a few weeks ago and Arianna came to church with her grandma for the first time in months. While sitting next to Ariana I asked her how her book of mormon reading was going. She leaned over excited and said she only have five chapters left! She has read the whole childrens book of mormon in a matter of weeks. We're going to have her start reading the real BOM this week. She's so smart and remembers everything we teach! I wish I had her capacity to learn! She is set to be baptized this Sunday (18th) as well! My companion has been hit with a cold of death and has been such a sport through all of it. We just hope its not strep, but she's been sick for a whole week now. Keep Sis. Conger in your prayers. We're seeing amazing things happen as we work hard. We're really struggling to find new people to teach, but we're barely able to handle the teaching appointments we have now, so we're not really sure what to do. I'm finding new ways each day to more fully apply the atonement of Jesus Christ into my life. We've been studying the atonement as a mission the past couple weeks, and I've grown so much. I think I will study it all my life. There are great blessings in understanding what our Savior has truely done for us. I'm finding greater strength to tract, teach, and find as I apply the atonement in my life. I know Easter has just gone by, but I would encourage all of you to study some part of the atonement this week. We can never fully understand, but there are wonderful blessings as we strive to learn more. I'm running out of time but, I love you all and am so grateful for all that you do. Thank you for your personal emails, letters and prayers. They do SO much for me. Thank the ward for their support as well! Give everyone a hug from me! Love you all!
Sister Bradley

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