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

Dear Family,

Tacoma is basically the Meca of my mission and I didn't know why until this past week. We were able to tract every day and we were able to find four new investigators that way! The people here are really humble and prepared. My area has a rough part of town and a pretty nice part, so we have to be way careful where we park the car and what we leave in sight of the windows. Smashed windows are an everyday occurence here, and actually happend three weeks ago to our car when I was out here on a split with sister Crowley.

I was able to go to the house dad was born in! Its actually just right outside of my area. I'll have to go take a picture of it sometime soon so I can send it to you. He actually lives really close to Sue Horgan.

Ariana is doing great and is actually getting baptized this next weekend. We're super excited for her. Amanda didn't make it to church, but she's actually about to go through an intense legal battle for her two little girls, which is really sad. Keep them both in your prayers. I'm learning that the prayers of others really do make a world of difference. This last week we made a deal with two elders in our zone that if they prayed specifically for us, than we would pray specifically for them. It's been amazing, and I wish I had the time to write all the miracles that both our companionship and their companionship saw. I've pondered on why that is and I think I've had some personal revelation. It combines some of the most important principles of the gospel. First Faith. Without it we learn in Ether 12 as well as in Moroni 7 that "Miracles are wrought by faith" and not through any other way. Second selfless service. We put someone else needs above our own and the windows of heaven seem to open. I'm grateful for their willingness to pray for us.

The work is going great here. My testimony of the Gospel of Jesus Christ is strengthened everyday as I share it with these wonderful people. There is no better way to strenghten your testimony than to share it. Thats why missionaries testimonies grow so rapidly, thats all we do. It's an amazing blessing and privelage to be able to do so. I love you all.

Love Sister Bradley

Doubt not Fear not

Family,

How is everybody! So crazy things happen on your mission! You just never know what the Lord is going to do for you. Transfers were this Monday, and for the first time since I arrived in Steilacoom six months ago I was transferred! I'm now serving in the Skyline Tacoma area, which is quite literally down town Tacoma! I LOVE it. Tracting is SO effective. People everywhere want to come on tours of the church. I can already tell that its going to be an amazing 6 weeks here. Funny part is I'm back with Sister Fox, which we were just together two transfers ago, but we're SO excited to be back together. We know how the other works and are really able to teach well together, so we're super excited to be put in such a prepared area. There are a lot of part member families that we're excited to work with!

Today we met with two people. The first is Amanda, she is 29 and she has five children. She has been investigating the church for forever, but has SO many questions. Today we talked about how ulitmately it all depends on three things. Is Jesus Christ the son of God, Is Joseph Smith a prophet of God, and is the Book of Mormon the word of God. She committed to pray specifically about these three things and I took the same challange and invite you to do the same. I sincerely believe that any concern can be solved if you have a steadfast testimony in these three things.

We also met with Ariana whose family was baptized three months ago, but she is the oldest of 6 siblings(she's 14) and decided to wait until she knew for certain. I've just met her but she told us that she is ready and wants to but that she has a lot of doubts after she decides. I told her what I did when I had doubts about my purpose out here on a mission. I shared Doctrine Covenents 6 "Look unto me in every thought, doubt not, fear not" And told her that the second any doubts or fears came to my mind, I litterally look to my Savior, whether through prayer, scriptures or just closing my eyes and thinking of Him. All doubts and fears are silenced by just the thought of his face. She's planning on getting baptized this Sunday! We're excited for her. I've got to run, but I love you all and pray for you!

Love Sister Bradley

I prayed about it

Dear Family,

It's been a hard week and a great week here in Steilacoom. It started out really slow and didn't really pick up til the end of the week. I think I told you about Carey last week, well I have an amazing update one here and on some personal revelation. So we met with Carey early last week and we asked her how she felt about her baptism on the 11th of July, she said that she wanted to talk to Elicia about it ( her 10 year old daughter who is in Kentucky for the next 2 months). I felt so discouraged that she'd want to wait for her to come home. So we left her with the commitment to pray about it and be willing to act on the Lords answer. But a few days later we went and taught her lesson four about all the commandments and I couldn't believe what I saw. We taught her everything and when we got to the Word of Wisdom we weren't too nervous other than we knew that she drank sweet tea, so when we talked about it she asked us a lot of questions and we talked a lot about D and C 89 and then she got right up from her table opened her refridgerator and pulled out a gallon of home made sweet tea and poured down her drain. She said "That doesn't bother me one bit to give that up" This woman is from Alabama and has been drinking sweet tea all her life! The next day at church I was introducing her to some of the Senior Missionaries that work on the military base when Elder Maughn asked her when her baptism was, she looked him straight in the eye and with out skipping a beat said "July 11th" and then turned to my companion and I and said "I prayed about it." It was a miracle to see Carey's conversion. In two weeks I saw her go from merely initerested to having an incredibly strong testimony. She's a tender mercy of the Lord.

I was also able to bear my testimony in sacrament meeting with my companion and it was an amazing meeting! I'm always nervous what people might get up there and say, but it was a really good meeting and just what Carey needed. Her baptism is this Sunday at 5pm :D I hope you all had a wonderful fourth of July. Steilacoom makes a pretty big deal out of it and closes the whole town for a street fair and then they set off fire works over the Sound, it was pretty neat. This week should be exciting. I'm going on an exchange in Tacoma for the next four days with Sister Crowley! I'm pretty excited to see a new area! I'll let you know how it goes next week. Transfers are only two weeks away! Can you believe how fast six weeks goes by! I want to stay with Sister Fisher longer, but I don't think I'll be staying in Steilacoom, I've already been here for a while, but she'll do great things here! I've got to run, but I love you all! Thanks for all your emails and letters!

Love Sister Bradley

Members are the Means...still

Dear Family,

What a week! I feel like so much has happened that it has to have been more than a week. I'll do my best to not forget anything. The week started out with an amazing miracle. On Monday after our p-day we went out tracting, which was turning out rather unproductive when Sister Quigley, a single mom in our ward invited us over for a bbq and told us she had invited her non-member neighbor Carey and her daughter Elicia. So we dutifully finished our 5 to 7 tracting and went over to have dinner and a family home evening with the Quigley family. It was amazing to find that when we got there we knew Elicia. Just two weeks prior Sister Fox and I had knocked on her door. But she told us they weren't interested and we left. But when we really got to know them in a members home Carey opened up and said they had been looking for a church that had her same morals! So we set up to give them a tour of the church the next day. After we had talked to Carey for a little bit at the church she told us that she felt an overwhelming sense of peace as she drove in to the parking lot. When we showed her the chaple and talked about the ward and the sense of always having a home wherever you were, she again said, "I feel like I'm at home"! It was an amazing tour! She and Elicia came to church and to the Paul Cardall fireside later that week. Elicia is leaving for 2 months this Wednesday, but Carey is set for baptism on July 11th! I can't stress how much of a difference it makes to have members get involved! WE had ALREADY met this woman and for whatever reason she told us she wasn't interested! But when a neighbor had the courage to invite us over and to introduce us she felt comfortable to tell us that she really was looking! If it hadn't been for Sister Quigley, this woman could still be searching forever! As missionaries, we play such a small role in this plan, the members are the real heros! Sister Quigley didn't ask this woman if she was interested in looking into the church, she just invited the missionaries over! I'm excited to be able to do the same for my friends when I get home. Please do the same now, I wish I could express in words how big of a difference it makes to have members involved.

You may have noticed I slipped in something about a Paul Cardall fireside. It was AMAZING one of the members in our stake served his mission with Paul and had him come to do a fireside/concert. It was funny because the day before the concert was the day we were giving Elicia and Carey a tour of the church, naturally it was empty on a weekday so Sister Fox and I were turning on lights in the chapel when two men walked in talking, neither of which we recognized. The piano was lifted onto the stage for the fireside and one of the men said "thats an interesting way to do it" I piped up and said "Oh thats for a paul cardall fireside tomorrow" Both the men silently chuckled and the one said, "This is actually Brother Cardall"! My jaw dropped and I was star struck for a few seconds. I was able to get a picture with him and he actually was amazing fellowship for Elicia and Carey! He mentioned them in the fireside the following evening which really touched Carey. Do you know that Paul Cardall grew up in our stake? He went to Olympus High School!

Sister Fox is back here in Steilacoom with me for a week or two on an exchange, she hasn't been feeling well and president was worried about her so he sent Sister Fisher to Tacoma and sent Sister Fox back for a little while. Please keep them both in your prayers. I'm really worried about the both of them. I'm doing well, the weather is getting warmer but it cools off every evening into the 60's, I love this place. I was so excited to hear about Elyse's farewell and was sad to have missed it! I can't believe she leaves in two weeks! Tell all the family I love and miss them! Have a BBQ and invite some neighbors! Invite the missionaries! You never know if there interested unless you ask! I love you all! Talk to you soon!

Love Sister Bradley

A Quick One

Hello family,
Do you tire of me telling you about Steilacoom? I love this place. I'm really nervous to ever have to leave. This was a great week. We met a young girl by the name of Deanna. She's back for the summer from school in Seattle. We've started teaching her and she's amazing. She's already such a strong Christian, she's super excited about the church and activites are were hoping to see her be baptized this transfer. People are waiting everywhere. It just makes me want to talk to everyone! I wish I could write more, but my time is up. I'll make up for such a short email next week I promise :) The weather hasn't changed much, its still in the 60's with lots and lots of rain. I love it. People are actually a lot nicer to us when were tracting in the rain. Being girls in skirts I think people take pitty on us. I'll write again soon! Love you!
Love Sister Bradley

Summer is here...sort of

Dear Family,

Its been an interesting week here in Steilacoom. I know the area and the ward really well so I sometimes feel like some of the less active families are sick of me just knocking on their door. Sister Fisher and I are learning that we're going to have to be very creative this transfer to use our time well. We're excited to go street contacting at the Farmers Market on Wednesdays for an hour or two. We've been looking for any sort of service opportunity in Steilacoom, but out side of schools there really isn't much we can do and because of legal complexities we aren't aloud to serve in schools, any ideas? The Adkins family is doing great. Matt has been away for the past two weeks for military training in So. Carolina but should be back this weekend, but the rest of the family came to church. We met a really neat woman named Sarai this last week while tracting in the only appartment complex I haven't knocked. She used to be a Jehovah's Witness, but hasn't been practicing in years. We taught her the message of the restoration on her door step and our excited to continue teaching her this week. We're really struggling to find people to teach. Our teaching pool is somehow on empty again... (we just need to stop baptizing all of them lol) and were working hard to find more people which is harder than you think when you consider that I've almost knocked on every door out here. But the Lord is still in charch of this work and I have complete trust that we'll continue to find through our owwn efforts and the wards. I've started reading the New Testament and will attempt to finish by mid July as a mission goal. It's amazing! Sister Fisher and I have also taken up Elder Pearson's (former mission pres, but now a seventy) challange to read all of Preach My Gospel in the transfer, its something like five pages a day. Sister Fisher and I have started to run together in the mornings which is a lot of fun. The weather is perfect here, Dad's ideal golfing tempuratures, in the high 60's low 70's with a nice breeze. I think of him and Mark and Jared whenever I pass the Oakbrook Golf Course, I think its a club so its not like I could ever play there but it looks way nice. I loved all the pictures you sent me mom! I can't believe how big the girls are looking. My companion saw the pic of the three of you on the water fountain and asked how tall and old Lia was, it looks like she's got legs for days in that pic. We're still working with Daisha, the daughter of one of our recent converts, but she seems content to move at her own pace. I wonder if Moriya might send me a letter to give to her, just sharing your testimony? Your the same age! :) Hopefully she'll be getting baptized within the next 3 weeks. The Steilacoom ward has been thinking about transferring my records here permanently (JK) :) It will be hard to leave this place, its become home. I'm excited to be here with Sister Fisher, she's pretty amazing and we expect to see a lot of miracles this transfer as we work hard and are obedient. I love you all!

Love Sister Bradley

Round Four in Steilacoom

Hello Family,
Transfers came and went and I'm yet again blessed to be in the city of Steilacoom. I feel like this has become my home. Its going to be really hard to have to leave here. Sister Fox was sent to Tacoma, so she's only 15 minutes away but I was sad to see her go. I'm now with the wonderful Sister Fisher, she is from Fallin Nevada and just got to Tacoma Washington on Monday. She's exceptional and I feel like she's training me instead of the other way around. She's part Hawaiin and part Puerto Rican. There is only one elder left in the zone thats been here as long as I have, its been sad to say goodbye to a lot of good friends, but good to make new ones. Steilacoom is doing wonderful, I don't know if I mentioned this last week but we had a baptism this last Saturday! Do you tire of me telling yout that it was a miracle...? because it was a complete miracle. We've been meeting with the Adkins family for about 2 and a half months now. It started as a referral from the military missionaries. When we went to meet the family Amanda, the mom immediately said she wanted to get Max (her 8 year old son) ready for baptism. Because he wouldn't be a convert baptism we didn't really have permission to teach him, until we found out that Matt, the dad wasn't a member. So we started teaching the lessons to "Max", but Matt was there for every lesson and Max was baptized three weeks later. We continued to go over to the Adkins, but now with the focus on Matt. Since the begining he just kept telling us that he didn't have the faith, but that he was willing to come to church and to read any scripture assignments we gave him. To be honest, I didn't think I would ever see Matt get baptized. Every time we thought we were progressing he would just tell us he still didn't have the faith. The weeks went by and two weeks ago a miracle happened as we watched the Joseph Smith: The Prophet of the Restoration with Matt. Through some inspired homework assignments we saw a light go on, I felt like I physically saw this young father gain a testimony of the prophet Joseph Smith. He was baptized on Saturday but has left for two weeks for military training in South Carolina. Amanda and Matt are already talking about going to the temple in a year. I'm a little nervous to be in Steilacoom still. I LOVE this place and I love the people, but I just don't want to become complacent. I'll hit my six month mark in my first area! I feel like I've knocked all the doors and know all the less active families, but I know I'm here because its where the Lord wants me, so I know that we can see more success here. We're especially excited for the Agor family. They are a less active and part member family from Hawaii. The grandparents are members and live in a home with there three children and there spouses and their ten unbaptized grandchildren all over the age of 8. Last weekend some of their cousins were baptized in Tacoma and we're excited to work with them. Since I've met this family I've been amazed at the unity and love you can feel in there home, currently Bro. Agor, the grandfather is battling esophigeal? cancer. He's such a sweet man. The other night I dreamed that I saw all of the grandchildren dressed in white. We're going to work hard to see that become a reality this transfer. I loved reading Alyse's letter. I can't believe She's serving with Elder Wade in Korea! Small world. This week we have zone conference, so its going to be a busy week. Thanks for all the emails and prayers. I was especially grateful for the letter that had a letter from Moriya, Lia, mom and dad! That was a good day :) I love you all!
Love Sister Bradley

Miracles are Everywhere

Hello Family,
It's been a truely miraculous week here in Steilacoom. I don't know if I told you about Heather yet, but we've been meeting with her for some time now, about 6 weeks. She's been coming to church since September but because of a really scary situation with her ex boyfriend whose physically abusive, she hasn't been able to get baptized. About three weeks ago we knelt in prayer with her and Sister Johnson a sister from the ward. We said four prayers. First I said one, then Sister Fox, then Sister Johnson (who is German, so she said it in German) and than Heather, one after the other. We were all praying to know when Heather could get baptized. As my companion and I sat in a small classroom in the church with these two women I felt spirit fill the room. When Heather finished her prayer I asked her if she knew when she could be baptized and through tears all she could say was "I just feel like right now." Sister Fox and I looked at eachother and knew the 23rd of May was the soonest. So with faith filled prayers we sent Heather to look for an appartment on a meager salary, with two children to provide for. The Lord loves his children. Heather went through a valley of trials to get to this weekend and just four days ago we decided to push her baptism to the 29th, because she was unable to move out in time. With great faith Heather pushed forward and just two days ago she moved out of her ex's home with not much more than the clothes on her back and her two children with no place to go. Her first question as soon as she saw us was "Can I still be baptized on the 23rd?" She now has an appartment and is moving in on the first of the month. The ward has just taken her in and has basically provided the furnishings of her whole appartment. As I watched her be baptized yesterday I couldn't help but smile as I watched this woman, who has sacrificed so much, enter into the water, happier than anyone I've ever seen. She has a great understanding of sacrifice and what really matters in life. I'm finding her faith is strengthening my own. I learned a valuable lesson. When we ask the Lord for a miracle, we have to continue to press forward in faith not just believeing it will happen, but knowing it will. That's what hope is! Hope is trust that the promises we've made with the Lord will be honored. It's believing that despite how impossible it may be, trusting Him to the very end. Heather did just that! She is so amazing. I wish I could bottle up her faith and save it for when days get hard. I love this work! I love being in Washington and especially here in Steilacoom. I hope you're all doing well. I love you!
Love Sister Bradley

Moving Forward

Family,

I can't believe another week has gone by . This week has been a little bit crazy but good. We're kind of in a rebuilding stage in Steilacoom right now. Our teaching pool seemed to evaporate in a matter of days. We're still working with Heather, she's on date for the 29th of May. Its been a long road for her. She's been coming to church since last September. We put her 14 year old daughter on date for the first weekend in June just this past week. We are excited for them. We have an appointment with Nicole this Tuesday for the first time since she pushed back her baptism so we're hoping to put her back on date for the 29th of May. Please keep her in your prayers. I was able to borrow a copy of the Miracle of Forgivness from one of the sisters in the ward and am trying to race through it. I should have read it years ago, but I'm grateful to be reading it now. I feel like it lifts my spirits every evening when I can actually get into it. I was able to get my own copy of the Ensign for conference and have been reading it everyday. I love the conference issues of the ensign. I'm so glad I brought the last couple of years with me. I use them often in teaching lessons. Sister Fox and I are doing marvelous, were both still healthy and working hard. We're excited for the coming weeks, we really feel some great miracles are going to happen as we pray for them. I've been learning alot about faith and miracles. I especially love D and C 63:8-10. Faith has to come first. Miracles don't happen to strengthen faith, but are caused by faith, and by cause and effect also strenghten it. We're working hard to strenghten our faith to see those miracles. Tell Amelia Rose happy Birthday from me! HAPPY BIRTHDAY LIA! There should be something coming in the mail just for you this week. (Still waiting on a b-day calandar mom, I can only remember so many birthdays ;) I love you all thanks for your prayers and support. Til next Monday :D

Love Sister Bradley

Steilacoom is Amazing

Dear Family,
This will be a short one, I only have ten minutes! It was so good to get to hear all of your voices on Sunday! I can't believe we're already well into May! I'm worried that I'll be headed home before I know it. People don't even think of me as new anymore and it feels like I just got here. This week was a re-building week. Nicole's baptism fell through, but I'm hopeful that she'll be ready in a few weeks. We had one of our investigators come for the first time in about 10 weeks this last Sunday which was really good. He's actually a youth teacher at a Lutheran church and is very active in his faith. He has a testimony of the Book of Mormon, but he wants to know more before he's baptized. I can't tell you how many times we've gone over Alma 32 with him. He just needs to feel it. We should have several baptisms on the 23rd. We're super excited for Heather and her daughter Daysha! They are so ready to be baptized and have been coming to church for months and months but are just now making the changes for baptism! This week we found a women named Marie who has just adopted a little Chinese baby named Annali, she is SO adorable and the woman is so excited to learn more she even invited us over for lunch and asked us if she could have a Book of Mormon before we could even offer. She's an amazing woman and wants to adopt even more babies from China! I just love her and am so excited to see her accept the gospel, for some reason I can already picture her with her husband and that little baby girl getting sealed in the temple. I could see it so clearly! I'm so excited! I just got the Ensign conference issue and am SO excited to start reading it and to mark it up! I suggest you all do the same! Go get your own copy, and cover it if you can! I love reading through all the ones I brought and often use them when teaching lessons to recent converts! That is scriptrue! And its more frequently than not exactly what I need to hear. I especially loved Hollands talk from the May ensign! Read it it is so powerful! Love you all!
Love Sister Bradley

Talk to EVERYBODY

Dear Family,

Its been another great week in Steilacoom! We had a baptism this Saturday. Ariana Aiulopotea-Fisaga was baptized with two other kids from the ward. Ariana is the nine year old that Sister Conger and I started teaching 6 weeks ago. It was a lot of work and stress leading up to the baptism but it all went through great. A lot of Ariana's family are not members or less active so it was really neat to see them all come as she was confirmed in Sacrament Meeting this week. We've also been teaching another part member family in the ward, the Adkins. The dad isn't a member but as we've been working with the mom and Max the 8 year old to prepare him for baptism the dad has been coming to church and is so supportive of Max. We hope to see him baptized later this month. We had a really neat experience with Nicole this week. She's still set to be baptized this next weekend, we're thinkin we'll do it on Saturday though so it doesn't interfere with Mothers day stuff for the ward and individual families. Saia has been doing GREAT and actually blessed the sacrament this last Sunday! That was really neat to listen to and watch, and he did a great job. He was also able to baptize Max Adkins because his dad coudln't. It has been really neat to see him just taken in by the ward and using the priesthood as often as he can. I'm so excited for him. He goes out on splits with the Elders in the Lake City ward every week. He is going to be so prepared going into the MTC. His conversion story is a powerful one too. Today we had the opportunity to actually go to a park right on the beach of the Puget sound. It was CRAZY windy, but we were able to place a few cards. We even stopped the car in the middle of the road to talk to a woman who was walking her dog and she seemed so touched and told us that she had been looking for a church. It was just crazy. We had to stop the car right in the middle of a turn pike of sorts to talk to this woman and she gave us her address and told us to come by. The funny thing is she did not look like someone who would be interested. Sister Fox and I have just been working on talking to EVERYBODY which is really scary at first, even with a name tag. But my testimony is strengthened everyday as I see the people that Lord puts in our path. I wonder how many opportunites of prepared people pass us by because we're too scared to just open our mouths. The Lord is doing the same thing for you all. As a missionary we're more aware of it, but He is preparing people all over the world and all we have to do is just speak up and share what makes us happy. We get to go to the Bellvue temple this Wednesday and I couldn't be more excited! I've missed the temple. Take advantage that you have so many so close to you. There is spirtual strength to be gained as you go and serve for others no longer in this world. Its missionary work! I'm looking forward to calling home this Sunday (May 9th)! We'll be calling around 7pm your time, but it just depends on which one of us calls first! We get 40 whole minutes to talk so be ready! Thanks for all your love and support! I love you all!

Love Sister Bradley

April Showers Bring May Flowers

Family!

How are you all? Things are as wonderful as ever here in Steilacoom. Transfers did indeed come and go! Sadly Sister Conger was sent to Centralia and that was a sad goodbye. Gratefully I did get to stay in Steilacoom. My new companion is Sister Fox, she is from North Salt Lake and just arrived in Washington on Monday! She was the only sister to come in with 5 other Elders but she was a trooper through it all. She is ready to work and Steilacoom is the place to be to learn how. This week was really good! Do you remember Nicole? I think I've mentioned her before. We've been working with her since I got to Steilacoom 12 weeks ago. She is 29 and has a sweet 3 year old daughter named Kaila. She is from Hawaii and married a member but he is no longer active in the church and they are going through a seperation. I instantly loved Nicole. I don't know what it was but I had such a desire to see her accept the gospel. But my past companions have all been doubtful, She's been meeting with missionaries since last summer and had yet to come to church or keep any commitments! This last transfer she finally came to church TWICE! And she set her own date for her baptism on Mothers Day! I'm so excited for her. That will be an amazing day for me as I've been here for some time working with her for what seemed impossible. At transfer meeting, my departing district leader bore his testimony and taught me a beautiful lesson. He quoted amazing grace "I once was blind, but now can see." He said that his mission was a constant battle of trying to see things as How they really are. I learned that the most important thing we can pray for is the Lord to help US see things as they REALLY are and then to ask how we can do whats best. I'll have to send you his final report, it was really good. I'm in a constant state of learning as I'm always with new missionaries. I have yet to have a transfer where one of us isn't a greenie! But I think I'm learning best that way. I love the energy that missionaries have when they get here there first transfer. My favorite thing to do is work hard. I don't know how to do everything, I'm not the best teacher, and definitely have a lot to work on, but I LOVE to work hard and the Lord is blessing Steilacoom as we do just that. Thank you so much for all your letters and prayers. I'll be calling home on Mothers Day, probably in the evening, I'll give you a time next week. Keep praying for missionary opportunites, they are everywhere. I love you all!

Love Sister Bradley

Albertson's Miracle

Dear Family,

This is going to have to be a short one, I don't have a lot of time. But I want to share the most amazing miracle! They seem to be a constant occurance here. So the other day Sister Conger and I ran into Albertson's to go pick up a few things for some kids that we were meeting with that night, when we walked in we saw an older couple looking at the flowers. We went up and talked to them and introduced ourselves. We learned that Maria was german and her husband was military. He didn't like us at all and walked away almost as soon as we started talking to Maria. She was kind and we offered to help her plant flowers and left her with our card. The next day Sister Conger really felt like we should go tracting in a certain area and that we should start with the Gamez family and that we should have them pray for us to find some one. So we started at their home with a great prayer of faith and went off to knock doors. The people were so kind and we were able to leave our card, but no one really seemed to interested. We were so busy knocking doors that we completely lost track of time and were 10 minutes late for an appointment, so I took the keys and started to run down the street back to get the car so we wouldn't be too late. (Of course staying with in sight at sound of my companion ;) We got in the car and ran to our next appointment. The next day the Gamez family had us over for dinner and asked us about tracting in their neighborhood and we were able to tell them a little of our success. After dinner they gave us a plate of brownies and said we should go visit there neighbor across the street. We took the plate of brownies and a finding faith dvd and went to knock there door. When who else answered the door, but sweet Maria's (Nice women from Albertsons) husband Jim. He said "We already know you!" and wasn't too excited to see us, but miraculously Bro. Gamez was walking over to bring Sis. Conger her scriptures that she had forgotten. Apparently Jim LOVES Bro. Gamez and was soon out on his front step talking to us as if we were his own grand children. We gave him the plate of brownies and finding faith, which he said he was excited to watch and confessed that he saw me running down the street the other day and thought that we had followed him hom from Albertsons! CRAZY! The Lord was working miracles left and right and no one was aware of it. Jim did say that he was impressed with how fast I could run. We were able to set up to give them a tour of the church this week with the Gamez family! How AMAZING is that! There was no way Jim would have ever listened to us had things not gone EXACTLY the way the Lord planned it to. I'm so grateful that Sis. Conger was listening to the spirit and knowing WHERE we should tract! This work is so important and the Lord is preparing people everywhere, even back home! Be prepared to share the gospel when the Lord prepares others to listen! I love this work! Transfers are next Monday, so I won't be emailing til Tuesday! I could be anywhere! Love you all so much thank you for all your support and prayers!