Aug. 23, 2010

Dear family,

It's been a crazy pday, so this won't be a long email. So I'll apologize in advance. What a week it has been! We've continued to meet with Bo and she came to church this sunday. Unfortunately her children didn't come, so she'll be getting baptized alone this Saturday, but we hope that her children will follow in the comming weeks, sometimes its easier after they see they're mom or dad go first. Bo is already so integrated into the ward that half the people think she's already a member. I love people like that! Transfers are coming up this Monday, so I'll let you know what happens, but its likely that I'll be staying still her in Tacoma, but you never really know with President Bowen.

Thanks for all your letters and emails, I feel like I've got a ton in the last few weeks. Things are going really well. The weather has cooled down a LOT, I'm excited for fall/winter/really its just rain. I don't know how I would survive in the DR, way to go Elyse! I'm learning and growing so much more than I ever thought I could. You know how when you're in the temple and everything is clear and you just know how to work things out. I feel like there is a lot of clarity in my mind right now. I know exactly what I want to do and who I want to be, which is a real blessing. I've been missing the temple because of the peace and clarity it brings and the Lord is blessing me. I love you all and promise to make up for the short email next week! (actually probably in 2 weeks as next week will be transfer day, which totally kills our pday, forgive me ;)

Love Sister Bradley

No unhallowed Hand

Dear Family,

The end of the summer is coming to a near, but the tempuratures have spiked here in Tacoma. We've been in the 90's the past five days! I've acclimated to Washington that the 90's make me feel like I'm going to have a heat stroke, and no one has air conditioning, except for the church, so we try to bribe people there sometimes with cold water fountains and air conditioned rooms lol. Whatever gets them there right?

This week was mixed with high's and lows. Our investigator Craig was supposed to get baptized yesterday, but because of some mistakes he's been pushed back til next week or possibly the latter. Aireana was confirmed in Sacrament meeting on Sunday, which was really neat, she told me and Sister Fox that she wanted to serve a mission! Bo Chambers a woman I tracted into on splits a few weeks ago came on a church tour and brought her daughter to church this sunday. They're both set for baptism for the 29th of this month. She's so sweet. She asked us if she could make us quilts lol. This woman is going to be amazing in the relief society! She has a fifteen year old son that we havent' met yet that we hope will get baptized soon as well. She's such a prepared person, her brother is a member and she looked into the church thirty years ago, but is only now ready to make the commitment, but she is so ready. She will be my first baptism that I've actually tracted into and found and baptized.

It's amazing to see the Lord's work unfold. "No unhallowed hand can stop the work from progressing!" I've seen that! The work pushes forward uninterupted. I've been able to me an instrument in His hands. The task, is finding how we can be even more effective in the Lord's symphony. The trick is that if everyone has mastered their own part, that there are no solo's but a perfect orchestra working as one. I love this work!

Love Sister Bradley

August 9, 2010

Fam,

This week was pretty amazing. Airianna was baptized this last Sunday. She was the last one in her family to be baptized and it was really neat. She said that she felt like she was completeing her family, and I had to agree. She's fifteen and her family was baptized in April. She wanted to wait until she was sure. I admire her a lot for wanting to gain her own testimony first. She went to girls camp and I think that really made all the difference. I'm excited for her to go do temple baptisms.

We had several investigators at church. Amanda came, she's been doing really well and is now working at getting married before her baptism. Which is always a hard thing. She's felt the spirit so much since we've been working with her but still struggles to be certain that this church is the only church with the fulness of the gospel of Christ. Josh also came. He looked really sharp. He's been dating a less active member. He's in his twenties and a son of a pastor in the penticostal? faith. He really struggles with the authority that we claim to have. But he's willing to come to church and pray and learn, so he'll get there.

Craig is another one of our investigators that came to church! We're way excited about him. He met missionaires several months ago but came to church for the first time this last sunday and is set for baptism on the 22nd. He also came to Airianna's baptims and loved it and told us he felt like this was where he was supposed to be. The ward has been amazing at fellowshipping our investigators. They've all been really brought into the churuch socially.

Things are going great and I'm loving every second of being here. I'm continuing to learn a lot. I love you all and will write more next week.

Love Sister Bradley

growth through opposition

Dear Family,

I about died when I saw the picture of Dad, Grandpa, Mark, and Ethan! I can't believe how big he is! How old is he now? He's going to be all grown up when I get back! I would love a copy of that picture.

Things here in Tacoma are going well. It's really wierd weather here, but I LOVE it. Because we are literally right next to the sound int Tacoma we wake up everyday to complete fog. Some days it burns off and other days it just stays, but its always pretty cool. Its in the fifties in the morning and no hotter than 80 in the afternoon and its gets way cool in the evening. I think I might have to move here. I love the weather.

Tracting in Tacoma is pretty much the best thing ever. There are appartment complexes everywhere and we're able to set up church tours just about everyday. Just last week we were able to set up a tour with a woman named Latasha, she's 6'1 and wants to play basketball with me lol! I'm pretty excited, although I have a feeling I'm going to get worked. We're working with a man named Craig right now who's been an eternal investigator, but now is finally coming around. On sunday we went to go make sure he was coming to church but there was no answer at his door. I was pretty angry actually. He promised he was going to be there, but then when we swung by after church we found out that he had broken his ankle the night before, it wasn't casted yet because the swellin was literally out of controll, Roughly the size of a volley ball. Hopefully we can still make his baptism happen some how. He's so ready.

We're also working with a woman named Amanda, she has five children and has been investigating for a few months now, but she we just learned that her boyfriend and her have to get married. She has SO many questions and comes from a southern baptist background, her dad is actually a preacher in the south. She's come to church several times, but still isn't sure. She just needs to take that leap of faith, but she's on her way.

Ariana, our 14 year old investigator is getting baptized this weekend. She's doing it the day after her birthday and is pretty excited. She's the last one in her family to get baptized so we're excited for her. She has a strong testimony of the church, which was really strengthened at girls camp this summer. I'll write more about her next week.

Despite the fact that this week was really hard I'm learning a lot through the rough times. I'm learning that I grow so much more through opposition than through success. Andrew Newton wrote about this a long time ago and I always remembered it, but I think I'm now only just begining to really understand what he meant. I'm grateful for my challanging weeks where everything doesn't work out, because I learn so much more than when it all works out. When things don't work out I'm motivated to try harder to make it work and I grow instead of staying complacant. I love it, or at least I'm learning to love it. Thanks for all your prayers and emails! Love you!

Love Sister Bradley