October 25, 2010

Translados and a Rat

¡Hola Familia!

Lots of things to report this week. Firstly, I received my transfer call last night...and I will be staying here in Gazcue with Hermana Mejia! However, the new sister from the CCM will be joining us to make a nice little trio. I´m excited for the change...and maybe a little excited to have someone to speak English to haha. I´ve felt a little stifled in being restricted to only Spanish for the last 6 weeks. She´ll arrive tomorrow afternoon and then we´ll get straight to work.

As for the work...things are good. Hard, but good. We had two new investigators come to church yesterday, but two of our progressing investigators failed to make it, which is always discouraging. Church here is always at 9am and most people don´t like to get up before 11am on the weekends, so church on Sunday is a sacrifice. But sacrifice brings forth blessings and we´re trying to remember that as we wait on our investigators. Last monday we had a neat experience as we participated in a noche de hogar with a less active family we tracted in to that is from Peru. One of the stake presidency families hosted and the Spirit was so strong as we listened to a simple lesson about how we are all children of God.

Currently we are working with a gentleman named Juan who attended church last week and has really shown a willingness to change his life. However, he has alot of trials to overcome as he prepares for baptism. Last night we taught him and his good friend Rudy about the word of wisdom, and it was so neat to see these two friends commit to keep this commandment and also to helping eachother. The Lord truly does bless us with support as we express righteous desires to follow His will

Hna Mejia and I had quite the adventure this week as well. I decided to fish my English hymn book out of my suitcase so we could practice for language study, only to find that the edges had all been nibbled away on my leather cover...which led to the discovery of a mouse in my suitcase. That was fun. Actually, it really wasn´t haha. But I´ve now learned the important lesson of not leaving things open including windows for mice and rats to crawl up. Living on the third floor of a building apparently isn´t enough of a deterrent for Dominican rats lol.

Anyways, things are good and finally cooling down...slightly. Well, I still sweat, but not as much lol. I´m trying to work hard and keep my mind focused on the Lord´s children and how I can help them. Hope you all have a great week and Happy Halloween!

Love,
Hermana Bradley

October 18, 2010

LIKE A FIRE IS BURNING

Dearest Family and Friends,
I'm short on time this week because yet again my email time got cheated. Gah. Trying to master patience over things that are beyond my control. Patience is going to be the theme of my mission haha. Anyways, this week was marked by my first baptism, Grace. Wow. So amazing. The ward here in Gazcue really has embraced her and I am so excited to see her continue to progress. After the baptism I was on one of those spiritual highs that feels like fire and wishing I could feel like that always. So awesome. Sunday we also had 3 different investigators attend church, which is the most we've had since I've been here, so that was really neat. Transfers are next Tuesday so we'll see what happens, but I'm content knowing that the Lord is in charge. Today we went and visited the national botanical gardens and I felt like I was at Disneyland on the jungle cruise ride...except it wasn't as cool because there wasn't indians or alligators here lol. Pictures will come, eventually, hopefully. The work continues to roll forth and I'm learning more everyday. My spanish is improving, especially when I remind myself that I can't learn it on my own merits, but only through the Spirit. I've decided that my theme for this next week is going to be gratitude. I've been studying in Nephi lately and wow, what an example. If Nephi can do THAT, then I can surely do this. All things are possible with the help of the Lord! Oh and I finally got the family reunion pic! So fun! And thanks for the stamps mom! Anyways, hope everyone is happy and well at home. Love and miss all of you!
Love,
Hermana Bradley

October 12, 2010

package address
Sister Elyse Bradley
AP000914
8532 NW 66th St.
Miami, FL 33166

October 11, 2010

What's my name?

Saludo Familia y Amigos!

So yet another week has passed me by here in the lovely tropics of the D.R....and indeed they are tropics as I still have a dozen bug bites on my legs to prove it. Ugly. I hope you all still love me even if I come home with hideously scarred legs haha. One elder today told me that every time he gets into a new area he is bitten for the first 3 weeks, then they stop. But if you get transferred every 6 weeks... Anyways, I'll just hope I don't get dengue.

Anywho, this week. This week was really neat. Yesterday we finally got Grace to church and she is now set firmly for baptism this coming Saturday. So excited. I cannot even tell you how amazing it has been to watch the change come over her life through the gospel. Before, she had problems with so many things, but now you can just see the peace and light of Christ in her face. I love it! Our other investigator Ronaldo that was set for baptism this past week has struggled to commit to it. He knows it's true and wants to be baptized, but thinks he needs to learn more still. But we're all still learning. He was very disconcerted though when we explained that we might be transferred in the next 2 weeks and unable to attend his baptism. So we will see.

Yesterday after church Hna Mejia and I went out tracting with Jose Alfonso, one of the young single adults in the ward. As we were walking to an appointment we passed by a woman sitting on her porch and waved, and in her infinite wisdom to follow the Spirit Hna Mejia stopped, walked back, and started talking with this woman. Soraya then invited us in and we were able to teach her about the Holy Ghost and a little of the gospel. I have never been in a lesson yet where someone was so loving and receptive. We're planning on another visit on thursday, so we're excited to see.

Now for the funny moment of the week. For some reason I have a problem with introducing myself. On occasion in the MTC I would almost introduce myself as my companion. I never actually did it because I always caught myself, but this week I finally succumbed. We were contacting on the street and I just said "Hola! Soy Hermana Mejia....oh....espera....ella es Hermana Mejia....Soy Hermana Bradley." Haha. What a struggler I am! We had a good laugh though.

Thanks for all the birthday wishes I've been getting! I feel so loved! And I feel old. Although apparently I look like I'm 12 because everyone here things I'm lying when I tell them I'm 23 (almost 24 now). Maybe it's because I speak Spanish like an infant lol. I hope you all have a wonderful week! By the way mom if you could forward my emails to these people each week I'd love it. :-) Also, I've attached my two Miami addresses, both are cheaper and fatster to send to, but one's for packages and one for letters.



Letters
Hermana Elyse Bradley
Dominican Republic Santo Domingo East Mission
SDQ NW 114th Ave. Unit 1A
Miami, FL 33172

October 5, 2010

Elyse has an address in Miami where letters can be sent and she will receive them in a timely manner it is:


Hermana Elyse Bradley
SDQ 4102
2260 NW 114th Ave Unit 1A
Miami, 33172

October 4, 2010

Such is Life

Querida Familia y Amigos,

Another week come and gone, and this one really did fly by. So how did everyone like conference? I love hearing the words of the prophets!! Especially when it´s in English lol...yes I got to watch in English even though I missed some parts because we were late. Dominicans tend to run late in everything...if you thought mormon standard time was bad...I´m trying to cope with the adjustment though lol. But anyways, I especially loved Elder Oaks and Andersen´s addresses. And of course President Monson, we are so blessed to have a living prophet. It was also neat to bring some of our investigators to the sessions. One investigator, Ronaldo, who´s from Haiti and doesn´t speak alot of Spanish, came and said he felt the spirit so strongly that he feels confident baptism is the right decision. He´s set for baptism next sunday, so we´ll see. Time for more prayer!

Hna Mejia and I started teaching a family that lives right by us, Keiry and Rafael and their little girl Keira. They are so sweet and we are really hoping to make headway with them, but timing always seems to be off. Satan has a way of using time against us. But the Lord´s way is always best, so we will rely on Him.

Last night we taught one of our investigators Alejandro on the doorsteps of an apartment complex about the articles of faith. He´s shown interest as we´ve taught his brother Estalen and asked questions, but you can tell he´s been holding out a little bit. However, under the street light on the sidewalk last night, Hna Mejia and I bore our simple testimonies and we felt the spirit so strongly. I often struggle with my inability to express myself in Spanish, but the more I trust in the Lord the more I realize that what I say has nothing to do with it, but rather what Spirit I invite through my words and feelings. We have to love and care about our investigators and want to the Lord´s will before anything can truly be achieved.

I learn more everyday about how imperfect and lame I am...and how much better I can be if I just put my faith and trust in the Lord. He shows me His love through so many ways and yet I still find things to gripe about. I´ve been humbled alot this week by just opening my eyes and recognizing all the things I have to be grateful for. If ever we´re struggling with something, we should stop and count our blessings, just like the hymn says. Love you all!

Hermana Bradley