Wednesday, February 23, 2011

Adventures in Aberdeen

Family

There's so much to tell you about Aberdeen! There are actually three cities we cover, Aberdeen, Cosmopolis (which is called "Cauzy" by everyone here) and Hoquiam. We cover a lot of ground! There are so many people and doors to knock that I think I could have served my whole mission in this town and never reached them all. There is only one ward here and it is bigger than any other ward I've served over... seriously the ward list is about two of my last wards put together. There are lots and lots of part member families and a lot of members who are less active.

Right now were not working with too many people, cause we hardly know anyone yet, but we're getting there. We're working with a recent converts teenage daughters, Hunter and Chandler. They both came to church on Sunday and we had a powerful lesson in there home about what it means to be converted. The little one, Chandler had a way cool experience with getting an answer to her prayers, but Hunter still doesn't know that she has a Heavenly Father. She'll get there though, if she wants to.

It was pretty amazing to see some of the miracles the Lord has let us see. The other night after dinner we were heading to our tracting spot, I had spent a good amount of time looking at the map the night before and finally came to Morgan St. I didn't really know how to get there, so the Spanish Elders actually let us follow them there. They stopped right in front of a house in the middle of the street. Sister Oehler and I thought it was a bit strange, but they were going to see someone accross the street so we said a quick prayer and got out to knock on the first door in the middle of the street. We met 19 year old Alberto, a young kid who just barely enlisted in the Marines. He came with us on a church tour right then. He definitely felt the spirit in the chapel. Unfortunately, his brother told him not to come, but we still have hope for him. It's amazing to see how the Lord puts us right where we are supposed to be, if we had knocked on Alberto's door any later he wouldn't have been able to come, he had to pick up his brother in just a half an hour. God is SO aware of each of us individually.

I have to end with something funny thing that happened to Sister O and I this week. We were out in Hoquiam looking for a partmember family in the ward. We were on the right street but couldn't seem to find the right number, (not everyone here feels the need to have their address on their actual house) we picked a numberless house in the middle of the street that appeared to be the one we were looking for. We knocked on the door with no answer. I looked in the side window to see it wasn't a house at all, but a storage unit that used to be a house... a long... long... time ago. All of a sudden I hear a loud thud and turn around to find Sister Oehler waist deep in their front porch. I was in so much shock that it took me a second to realize what had just happened, between trying not to laugh I did my best to pull her out of the deck when the wood beneath me gave way and I went down with her. So there we are standing in two rather large holes that we created in their porch, both of us waist deep. We finally got out and between laughter and pictures carefully crawled our way off their front porch. Moral of the story... there is A TON of rain in Aberdeen and along with the wet rain comes rotting wood. I have a lovely scar on my shin that I'll be able to forever remember the moment by.

My time here Aberdeen and in Washington this past year has been full of priceless memories. I honestly don't know if I'll be able to leave it all. I love it with everything. But I still love and miss you all! Hope you are all well :)

Love Sister Bradley

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