Alrighty :) I have another week to talk about! This week was pretty exciting... there were a lot of things that happened. Ill start with Tuesday
Tuesday- The day after our games with president... my companion was super super sore so we had to work really slowly on tuesday. We started off with my companions first ever district meeting, and it actually went pretty well. I enjoyred it. We had a few appointments fall through later in, but we had 1 really cool one :)
Basically, this lady named Bianca, has been living with a return missionary for 6 months waiting for their marriage papers. I didnt even know she was an investigator who needed the lessons... so we started teaching her this week :) She is super cool and basically already knows everything.. she has been going to church every sunday for over 6 months. so things are going really positive with her :)
Wednesday- well... all the district leaders had to go to the city... sooo... we did divisions Tuesday night with another district leader so that us non leaders could hand out and still study the next day. I was put with Elder Gibby from the MTC :) it was super fun XD we bought a gallon of ice cream for dinner, and a bunch of cookies. We talked for a while. Another Elder, Elder Figueroa arrived at our house at 430 AM... so... we all decided we were hungry. We walked to a supermarket near the house, and Elder Gibby had the genius idea of buying a huge 3 gallon bucket of ice cream... and i had the genius idea of supprting the idea and convincing elder figueroa. Soooo... between the hours of 5 am and 2 pm with ate 3 gallons of ice cream and 2 packages of oreos... I think I still feel sick.
Our companions got back at around 3 or 4, and my companion felt really bad so we went home to rest for a while. We left later to have ward correlation, but our ward mission leader wasnt there. We went to search for him in his house, and hes been really down lately and didnt want to go. so we left him with a message and I bore my testimony about how sometimes we go through hard times, but the Lord brings us
knowledge and blessing and strengthens our testimonies through our challenges.
Thursday- started off the day with 3 hours of service :) super cool, and the rest of the day we spent at lunch, and doing weekly planning. so there isnt a whole lot to talk about.
Friday- We got no work done, but it was a cool day. Guadalupe Elders needed help cleaning their chapel because their members dont do the weekly cleaning.. So we went and cleaned a very dirty chapel and swept, mopped, and cleaned all the windows and bathrooms. 6 and a half hours of service. We then went to lunch, and the zone leaders called at 3 (during lunch) to tell us we had a zone day of service at 4. so we went back home, to change, and went to more service. We lost the entire day of work, but it was super fun :)
Saturday!!! The day started off with a Zone Meeting. It went pretty well and I felt the spirit. Me and Elder Ah Sue went on divisions to our area for 2 hours after the meeting, and we were told again 1 hour before that we were needed for another night of service... so.. we canceled all our plans.. again. oh well. It was fun :)
Sunday- Sunday was a really good day. I always love going to church. We set up a family home evening for that night but it fell through :/
We did our numbers that night and had to go home early to recieve the numbers of the rest of the district... it takes like 3 hours every sunday night to get ahold of everyone and get all the numbers. Yikes. but its all good :) I got to go to bed early while my comp collected the numbers ;) life is good as a normal missionary
Monday- Today we really just hung out together as a zone in the stake center :) it was super fun and I always love hanging out with the other missionaries :)
Well... The main thing that I learned this week... In our lives, especially in our missions, its very easy to follow the crowd and do things you know are wrong. Ive learned that it is important to realize who you want to be, and what you need to do and change to get there, and do not give in to peer pressure for any reason! Jospeh Smith said "we teach the brethren correct doctrine, and leave them to govern themselves" and DC 29:35 says that the lord leaves us to be our own agents... We have so many good influences in our lives, but too often we choose to listen to the wrong voice. We all know what is right- we all know what we need to do- we just have to make the decision to follow and choose the right. I am committing to be more obedient as a misssionary, that I might be an example to those around me. Because even in the mission field, nobody is perfect.
Anyways :) Thats it for this week! I love you all!
Seguir el adelante
Dios Les Bendiga
April 6
hey! This week I completed 6 months! I cant believe I have been serving for a total of 6 months! haha! and yes.. for all those asking.. I DID burn a tie. Its actually not as easy to burn a tie as youd think. I also realized that every conference will mark 6 months in my mission... the next ones will be my year mark, and 18 month mark. super cool.
Tuesday: Me and Elder Romero did divisions! It was fun :) We went to the doctor to get him a check up for his heart, and then We worked hard during the day, and taught a few lessons to some cool progressing investigators we have. super cool :) and later... we went for ice cream and mangos. Ice cream has officially been made a divisions tradition...
Wednesday: We finished up divisions in the morning, and my companion, being a clean freak, immediately went on a cleaning spree of the house. so the house is super clean again XD I was a little upset at my companion later in the day, and we went to teach a lesson. The lesson did not go well at all and I really didnt feel the spirit. It reminds me of a quote from Joseph Smith when he was made at his wife and couldnt translate the Book of Mormon until he went and appologized to his wife- the spirit of contention is not conducive to the spirit- especially not as missionaries
Thursday- My 6 month mark!! woooooh! I sat at my desk that morning, and put down 4 quarters in a square on the table... and i stared... and then I took one of them away... and stared... and then continued the day as normal XD. We had a Zone Meeting that morning :) and then weekly planning. I always feel a little stressed after weekly planning, so I wasnt feeling so well. We went a little early to dinner with the family Escobar :) Man they always pick me up. I think in every area, every missionary has a family that they get along really will with and always make them feel better- for me, thats the Escobar family :) they are amazing man.
On the way to dinner, we contacted a man and taught him about general conference, and invited him. He was so eager to hear from a modern prophet, that he asked us to come by his house before conference to go with him- more on that later... (sautrday morning)
and that night... I burned my tie XD woooh! ties arent as easy to burn as you think.. happy 6 months!
Friday- We had 4 hours of service that morning :) we went to our ward mission leaders house to help him clean up his yard.. which involved me cutting his grass with a machete (they dont use lawn mowers here... they use machetes) and accidentally killing his watermelon vine... I didnt know what it was, it didnt have watermelons on it XD oops. Even servants of the Lord made mistakes haha. After that, and lunch, we killed the rest of the day in the doctors office. My comp hasnt been feeling well and got permission to go to the doctors office. so.. we waited all day for them to tell us to come back sunday.
Saturday- mannnnn. We went searching for that man we contacted, but couldnt find him anywhere. All he said was that his name was Sedeno. and the street he lives on, there are 5 different and unrelated Sedeno families. how is that possible?? but, we found an amazing family of old investigators (familia sedeno) that is very interested again :) so we are going to come back and start teaching them again :) they are super positive and I really like the family.
anways.. we rushed to conference. The gringos got a special room to listen in english XD and we all got to bring snacks and stuff because it wasnt in the chapel XD So I have a picture of all my conference cookies and ice cream... haha XD i eat too much ice cream.
Sunday- Coinference again! and all of our meals getting cancelled on a day we cant buy food! shoot man XD that was hard. But I was nourished by the word of God :) I love conference and I recieved a lot of answers to personal questions, both that I had, and didnt know I had.
Anyways.. we went to the doctors.. and my comp needs to take it easy for the next week. We can work, but he has to take it slow, and take a lot of breaks. so its going to be a slow week but its all good :)
Monday- Today we went to Airrejan to play soccer against their zone :) super fun! I loved itt... also... i bought mangos.. their was this lady selling really sweet ripe mangos for really cheap.. I bought 12 good size mangos for 75 cents.. I have my breakfast for the nextfew days XD
Anyways... I am so thankful for general conference :) I know that we have a Prophet who leads and guides our church. A prophet who really can recieve revelation from God to guide the church. Im so very thankful for this knowledge! Im thankful that I have the opportunity to be a missionary... as hard as this is... I know that it is turning me into who the Lord needs me to be for the rest of my life. I encourage everyone to go to LDS.org and watch some of the conference talks :) members or non members :) watch any of the talks you missed, because there were good messages in every session of conference.
Anyways, Im out for this week :) Chauuuuuu
-Elder Blake Travis Bradburn
-Dios Les Bendiga
-Seguir el adelante
-haz lo justo
April 13
This week has been a little bit rough... we had everything from immigrations to divisions to no water.. so lets start the tale of the crazy week...
Tuesday- Tuesday was fairly normal. We had a district meeting and killed alot of time trying to find a couple of refferrals. we sadly couldnt find them :/ I was invited monday night to help out at the local community college, so we went to the community college after pday was over. It was a super cool experience! I just sat and talked with the students in english. At the end they asked me a bunch of questions about being a missioanry and the teacher gave us 5 minutes at the end to bear our testimonies and stuff. We didnt get any immediate refferals but I could tell we sparked interest and everyone wrote down our phone number. The teacher said that he loved that experience and asked us to come back, and asked us to invite his class to a church activity. super cool!
Also.. tuesday night we looked at the areas... our ward is split between us and a companionship of sisters.. so we resplit the areas. we now have ahuge section called Raudal.. but I dont even know how to get htere XD
Wednesday.. We had to get up INSANLEY early to make it to the city on time for immigrations... We were wasted by the time we got home. but i now have an official panama ID! super cool :)
Thursday- divisions with elder ah sue! Super fun :) We bought way too much ice cream (as usual) and had some really cool lessons in his area. We had some really amazing lessons. like seriuosly probably the most spiritual lessons ive been a part of in my entire mission.. im so very thankful for that. I needed to feel the spirit like that. .
Friday.. Weekly planning. and then later... our water went out!! the rumor was that the water would go for 4 days... so we got ready for the long haul. the worst part is we used to have water storage but we gave it to the hermanas when their water went out. This time was super bad because water went out in ALL of chorrera.
Saturday. We helped a member change their roof... we were in the service close to all day.. which was fine because my companion refused to work normal if we couldnt shower. So that was fun :) The sisters had a baptism.. I really really wanted to go, because there was no water, they had to do the baptism in a river! I wish i could have been there. the sisters said it was really pretty.. they could only take 5 pèople in one car (most members dont have cars here)
A MIRACLE- the water came back that night :)
Sunday- Well.. not much happened. we went to church, and later I went on divisions with a member so I could work while my companion helped cook lunch. It was an interesting situation.. I dont really have much time to explain. but that pretty much sums up sunday :) and then we went and hada family home evening with our dinner family :)
Monday- well.. today we just went to play soccer again in the stake center :) it was super fun :)
anyways... I love you all! Thanks for loving me enough to keep up with whats going on in my life :) Being a missionary is hard.. its definitely the hardest thing ive ever done... But I wouldnt trade it for anything. One day Ill look back and miss these rough times I have... Just remember that! Be greatful for every moment you have. Even if its difficult, because one day youll look back at everything you learned and how much you grew in those times. Although its not super fun to deal with in that moment.
Anyways :) Ill talk to yall next week! love ya
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