HELLO AGAIN

Buenas Tardes Familia!
Well, I don´t really know what to say because I feel like I just barely wrote ya´ll, but oh well. We had a good weekend and lots of lessons to finish out the week, so that´s great. Kenia and Elsa also were at church with us on Sunday and we´re really excited for their baptisms in the coming weeks. Today and yesterday our companionship has had some stellar study sessions and I am blown away by how amazing the new program is for new missionaries in the field. I feel very blessed to have the opportunity to learn from it with Hna McEntire. This week we started to focus alot on finding new investigators and simply sharing short messages with contacts that were willing to give us a few minutes. What amazing results! One thing I love about the people here is that they are always willing to talk about God. But it can be a double edged sword because alot of times they just want to ¨listen to the word¨ without committing to do anything. Every mission has their trials. Speaking of trials...believe it or not we don´t have water in our apartment again. I won´t bore you with the details, but suffice it to say we could use some prayers! LoL. On the bright side, today we had a great pday together with our zone. We played volleyball again (btw I´ll probably be coming home browner than a brownie, hope you can all recognize me lol), ate some good food, and for the first time in my mission I succumbed to playing the official game of the DR...dominoes. Of course considering my partner was Elder Green from England, we didn´t do so well. Dominicans definitely have more skills in that game. Haha. But it was good to play for a day. Basically, I´m just trying to make every day count instead of counting the days. Each day is filled with new trials, but at the same time the Lord is constantly reminding me of all the wonderful blessings He has given and continues to give me. Some of the new missionaries were talking about the trials of adjustment today, and as I listened, I realized that really, none of the trials can even compare with all of the blessings. Watching people you grow to love embrace the gospel and change their lives is priceless. No matter how much sweat or tears come as a result, the gospel is still is true, and mission work is still the best kind of work any of us can do. Thank you so much to all of you for your love and support. Now go out and do a good missionary deed!
Love,
Hermana Bradley

Hooola!
So my first week training has been amazing and I am loving the work! Even though the trio has trials, Hna Vera, Hna McEntire, and I are seeing amazing miracles! Hna McEntire is from Richfield, UT and learning so fast! It´s so easy to train someone who is so willing to work hard and learn! I feel so blessed, and most of the time she teaches me things, so it´s pretty neat. We are also now doing the new 12 week study program for new missionaries, and it is incredible! Such an inspired program! We can already see the results in our area and we´re determined to keep working hard. This week we put baptismal dates with Elsa and Kenia, both of which made it to church on Sunday to round of a nice number of 7 investigators. I was especially floored when Felicia, a contact from a few weeks ago, walked in right before the meeting started. The night we contacted her I remember I was sick with a really bad migraine, but we were determined to finish our contacts. So I sat down beside her on the park bench and invited her to church. It was kind of funny because she answered my invitation with ¨Can´t you see I´m really irritated right now¨, but I think my confused and slightly nauseous face softened her heart lol. So she came to church and really liked it! So neat! Elsa is another contact from a few weeks ago that told us she´s always wanted to be a member of the church because of the example her older sister set as they were growing up together. She is already making sacrifices and changes in her life and is preparing for September 10th, so we´re really excited. On a funny note, Hna Vera surprised me the other day when we left an appointment and I jokingly said that Satan interrupted the Spirit while we were teaching by making the phone ring. Out of nowhere Hna Vera responded in English ¨Freaking Satan!¨ and both Hna McEntire and I just burst out laughing and asked where on earth she learned that. It was so funny. Anyways, today has been a wonderful pday with the temple visit in the morning and megacentro here in the afternoon. I LOVE THE TEMPLE! Can´t wait to go more often when I get home. We also got to meet some newbies who are coming in next transfer. So crazy how fast time is going by! Well, love and miss you all, hope you have a wonderful week!
Love,
Hermana Bradley

Just a Little Change

Buenas Tardes!
Hope everyone had a good week, especially loved hearing about the reunion at Paul and Pat´s for Tannon´s farewell, wish I could´ve been there! He´ll be a great missionary! Anyways, things this week are looking to change as we got transfer calls and even though I´ll be staying in Villa Carmen with Hermana Vera, we´ll be going to get a new sister tomorrow as I´m going to train! So crazy! Honestly, I´m a little bit nervous as being in a trio has never been a pleasant experience for me, but I´m determined to make the best of it and I know the Lord will help us work efficiently as long as we dedicate our all. Our zone is having almost a complete turnaround as half are finishing their missions, so things will be interesting. I´ve also heard that training is now a very rigid program so we will be doing things alot differently. As long as the work moves forward, I´ll be happy! This past week we put a baptismal date with Elicia, the mother of Celeste, our most recent convert. Elicia is a very special old woman that has a heart of gold. The ward has really begun to reach out to her and we are excited for her baptism on the 27th. We also received a few member references this week and are looking forward to working with some new investigators including a young single adult named Lisbeth and another young man named Guevert who is full of questions and a desire to change his life. I love finding people that have a thirst for the gospel! Other than that, not much else has changed. Just lots of working, walking, and sweating! Haha. Today we finished the transfer off with another zone activity playing ping pong, eating ice cream, and hunting down Chinese food for lunch, all of which I thoroughly enjoyed. It appears that the mission hasn´t rusted my ping pong skills as I still kicked every elder´s trash...well Elder Castro beat me once, but only once! (As you can tell I´m still very humble about it lol) Anyways, have a wonderful week and remember I love and miss all of you!
Love,
Hermana Bradley

Forgetting My NativeTongue

Que tal Familia?
Wow, I almost started typing this email in Spanish without even thinking about it! Ya´ll are going to have to help me assimilate back to English when I get home lol. Anyways, this week was great as we got to see the baptism of Celeste. President Hernandez and his wife even attended the service, so that was pretty neat. Little by little we´ve been gaining the confidence of the ward and especially the bishop through our hard work here in Villa Carmen, and things are really starting to turn around. I love being able to see changes like that. On Sunday we also had a huge blessing as Penelope finally came to church after 6 weeks of our Thursday afternoon appointments. I think she really felt the difference in Spirit as it was fast and testimony meeting. I can´t wait to see her continue to progress. Each day I grow to love these people more and more and it just makes me impatient to help them receive the blessings I know they can receive through the gospel. One thing I´ve had to learn over and over again in my mission is that TIMING is everything, and the Lord´s timing is always better than our own. Hermana Vera and I are also excited for the coming weeks as Kenia, Felix´s mom our next door neighbor and recent convert, told us she wants to be baptized. Felix got baptized a few months back by himself and now his whole family is sharing with us. What a wonderful blessing a good example can be in a family!
We also had a good laugh this week when we went out one afternoon with Michael, one of the single adults in our ward. As we were walking in the street past a bunch of teenage boys playing basketball and purposely ignoring them as they were all staring and whistling, one of them very loudly and bitterly told his friend ¨Ellas no se casan¨ (They don´t marry.) I had to strongly resist the urge to turn around and yell ¨Of course we do! Just not to little boys who play in the streets¨ ... but I decided to hold my tongue and just laugh. I can´t lie though, I´m very much looking forward to returning to my own country where I am largely ignored by the opposite sex. A blessing I used to take for granted.
Today has also been full of laughs and fun as we FINALLY had a zone activity. After playing some volleyball and bruising up our arms good, we played some games and ate lots of food. I made truffles as a dessert and they were a big hit. Although some doubts arose when one of the Elders asked me what the secret ingredient was and I, thinking of the process of making them in our hot kitchen, responded quickly ¨Sweat!¨ Hahaha. But anyways, things are going well and we are working hard and trying to aguantar...yet another word I can´t remember in English...the heat and sun. Hope you all have a fantastic week!
Love,
Hermana Bradley

Little Miracles

Hi There Family!
So it has been a week of work in Villa Carmen! Gustavo was FINALLY baptized on Saturday after lots prayers and trials...including the baptismal font overflowing and flooding the front doors of the chapel. Good thing all the chapels have tile floors! The service went well though and it´s been great to see how Gustavo´s countenance has changed through the process and how the ward is bringing him into the fold. Celeste also made it to church on Sunday so we could announce her baptism, so we´re planning that for this next Saturday, and after that hopefully Cesar´s the following week! I am so amazed at the progress I´ve seen in this area in just the few short weeks I´ve been here. My testimony of how the Lord prepares people continues to grow with each transfer. This week we taught Armando, who we´ve been visiting for a few weeks and always has these great big doubts when we arrive and by the time we leave has a big smile on his face. This week he committed to coming to church and praying specifically about the Book of Mormon, so we are excited to see his progress. We are also still visiting with Penelope, who was a contact from my first week here. Penelope is one special woman. She currently visits an evangelical church, but is searching for the truth and is visiting with missionaries of various faiths. However, yesterday we saw a miracle as we shared about the law of chastity and eternal families. Her husband left her a few years ago and she´s been struggling as a single mom ever since. However, we made yesterday´s visit with Felix, a new convert of about 7 months, and his testimony was JUST what she needed to hear, and is now committed to attending church with us next Sunday. I feel so much love for her and can´t wait for her to feel the Spirit at church! As far as the weather goes...it´s been pretty nutty lately. Lots of sun and heat in the mornings, and then torrential downpour in the afternoons. There is supposedly a hurricane moving our way, so who knows? Nonetheless, the work of the Lord moves forward and I am loving it! Thank you so much for all your love and prayers. Oh and Happy August!!!!!
Love,
Hermana Bradley

A Rainy Drought

Querida Familia y Amigos,

Que tal? Hope you all had a nice 24th full of barbeques and fireworks...the land of the DR unfortunately does not celebrate our dear pioneers. I actually forgot about it until ironically Elder Castro, who's in my district and is from El Salvador, wished me a happy pioneer day. What has happened to my Utah pride? I am ashamed...lol. Anyways, this weekend has been yet another long one of trial as we've been living without water for the last 4 days. Can I tell you all the honest truth? I am STINKING tired of not having water in my apartment. No matter what area I am in...what house I live in...what companion I have...I always have to pass through at least a few days without water. Heavenly Father must really want to try me, because I am about ready to throw a giant tantrum. LoL. Supposedly they're fixing the water today, but we will see. Ironically enough it's been raining lots and I'm pretty sure the plants in front of our apartment building have received a better bath than me in the past week. Haha. Ok enough complaining...on to the good news.

This weekend we had the baptism of Yanell and it went great. A good number of members showed up despite the rain and we had a nice spiritual service. I'm sad though as she is moving out of the ward with her mother to the other side of the city, but I know her and her family will greatly strengthen the church wherever they go. Also have a good anecdote this week from contacting. Hermana Vera and I were knocking doors when an elderly woman opened her door and insisted we enter when we said repeatedly that we were just passing by. She then told us "Oh Clara is in the back in her bed, recooperating, go and see her", assuming that we were friends of Clara's. Well my companion just burst out with "Oh Clara, is she still recooperating from her operation?" as if we had known her for ages. Haha. So the family all shooed us to the back to meet Clara, supposing we were old friends. It was slightly awkward...but we got a return visit out of it so I can't complain!

Next weekend we have Gustavo's baptism planned, FINALLY, as he got to church yesterday, dressed up in his white shirt and tie like he's been a member for ages. Celeste is also set to get baptized within the next few weeks, and we are working hard with a few young single adults as well. The ward of Villa Carmen has some really wonderful members that go out with us on a weekly basis and I am again reminded of how much better of a member missionary I need to be when I get home. Anyways, hope you all have a great week, love and miss you!
Hermana Bradley

ALL SMILES

Hello!
So this week was a wonderful blessing as I not only got to meet my new mission president and his wife, but also see the baptism and confirmation of Elix! Interviews with President and Hermana Hernandez were wonderful and I am really excited to work with them for this last part of my mission. There are lots of things to put into practice, and the first is a focus on the attributes of Christ and how we can cultivate them to better meet the need of our investigators. Elix´s baptism on Saturday was great and we had a good number of people show up, some of which were from the English Class and saw a baptism for the first time. Then on Sunday, it was great to see her confirmed. Afterwards she came and sat down beside me and leaned over very seriously to ask me ¨Is it alright for me to take the sacrament now?¨ Of course!!!! LoL. Then she went out with us in the afternoon to visit some investigators and we had an incredible visit with Ana, the investigator that Felix met the other week on her porch and brought her to church. It´s amazing to see how much she´s changed in just the 2 weeks we´ve known her. She has lots of trials to overcome, but she´s excited to make the church part of her life and is praying about the Book of Mormon. Yanell received her interview yesterday and will be baptized next week, and the week after that we have more baptisms planned. The work is moving forward and we´re just trying to keep up. I love seeing the gospel light up the lives of these people and my testimony grows stronger each day as I see their examples of faith and determination. I hope you all have a wonderful week!
Love,
Hermana Bradley
P.S. Happy One Year Mark To Me!!!!!! (Don´t worry though...I´m not trunky or anything lol)