Tuesday, March 26, 2013

March 25, 2013


Hi guys!

So, this week had it's ups and downs.  Unfortunately, it appears that there will be no baptism within the next three weeks (which is the end of the transfer); however, the good news is our investigators are slowly progressing.  A few have stated that they do not want any more lessons but they do still want to be friends.  That is sad, but acceptable.  I am certain in the future there will be missionaries who will come in to reap from the harvest here.  That is what President Uchtdorf stated, that we missionaries are constantly planting seeds.

Anyway, we have one family that we are working with that is a part member family.  We will actually visit them tonight and teach them about the restoration.  The father left the church many years ago but now wants to come back and the wife is interested in becoming a member.  I have high hopes for them as I do with all of my investigators.

We found another family that is from The Church of God. This church follows many of the Mosaic laws yet they have invited us to come over and hear our message.  This will be a difficult lesson since they have asked us to not use the book of mormon in our message.  This is extremely different than what we are used to and I pray that it does not just become a "Bible bashing" meeting as that only leads to contention.  We will find out what happens on Friday.

Time is flying by really fast, though I am trying to keep my mind focused on the mission.  The closer I get to coming home the more anxious I get.  I am constantly wondering what it will be like when I get back.  I am trying not to think about it though.

When it comes to shaving, no matter what I put on my face it still itches and burns and I get a bunch of zits all over my face.  I am even using some stuff to get rid of the zits and it is not working.  I really think that I am "allergic" to shaving.  It is really getting on my nerves how annoying shaving is.  
Anyway that was my week.  

I love you guys have a great week.

Love,
Elder Kevin Brady

March 18, 2013


Hey family and friends,

Well another week has gone by on the mission.  Today I just got an email with my plane ticket and everything.  Or something like that.  Maybe it's just information.  Anyway, it says that I will arrive in Portland at 11:59 AM on the 22nd of may and that I will be traveling for 15 hours and 14 minutes.  [A long ride!]  So that is the exciting news of this week.  Other than that, it is just a week filled with normal missionary stuff.

We did a few contacts this week and we are trying to find people to teach.  Some of them look like they have potential but others don't have any interest in what we have to teach.  But my companion doesn't give up.  That is a good thing that I am learning from him.  We have just got to go and do all that we can and never quit.

On Thursday we had a conference with the member of the Seventy and that was great to see all of my good friends in the mission field.  The member of the seventy said a lot of stuff that was helpful for us on the mission and gave us things to apply in our lives.  Some were tips on making contacts and finding references.  My companion and I tried a few. They haven't worked yet but maybe with other people we will have different results.

We had a new mission leader called in the ward.  Many members are excited, saying that this guy is a guy that works hard.  We set up a meeting with him on Thursday so he is ready to get started.

Our investigators are excited to learn about the gospel, but it is difficult to reach them since they all work a lot and also they live far from the church.  The people that live closer to the church aren't really interested. but we hope for them. so we work with the people that are accepting our messages.  We can't just stay at the place where no one will accept us.  Our job is to find those who will accept our message and then teach them.  But I also know that somewhere in the difficult areas there is someone that does want to hear our message.  For this reason, we must go to all areas of the mission.  Wow, that was confusing.

Anyway.  I hope that this week will be better.  I love you guys.  Have a good week.

Love,
Elder Kevin Brady

PS From Kevin
Monday March 18, 2013

P.S.  J****** is going to Teresina?!  That is the hottest place in Brazil.  Good luck to him.  Also, it will foil the plans that B****** and I had. We were looking forward to the fact that our families will not be able to understand what we are saying once we get home from our missions.  I guess we inevitably have to let J*** join us.  I'll see what B*** thinks.

Thursday, March 14, 2013

March 11, 2013


Dear Family and Friends,

I am always glad to hear that everything is going well back at home.  And yes I enjoy all of your letters, both emails and handwritten.  It's interesting to hear about the different weeks that people can have while all living in the same house.

This week was crazy.  Tuesday we had to get up early to go to Florianopolis to pick up my new companion Elder C*****.  Then we went back and had lunch, all three of us.  We then returned again to F**** because Elder A****** had a meeting for those who will train. We got back at 7:30 PM and then headed over to a recent converts house.  We got home late.  

Wednesday, we didn't have much going on. The only thing different was that it was three of us doing everything instead of two of us.  I am trying to recall exactly what it was, but it wasn't much.  We had to go to the store to get more detergent and stuff.  

Thursday we had to go to Florianopolis in the morning because Elder A****** had a leadership training meeting.  Elder C***** and I went back home to have lunch and then we went back to Florianopolis to pick up Elder A******.  As we were waiting, I saw my old companion Elder F******.  He is leaving tomorrow and we caught up and talked about crazy mission stories and how we will hang out most likely after the mission.  I also saw Elder B*******.  We talked as well and caught up.  It was good to see them again.  Then we went home.

Friday we went back to Florianopolis in the morning to drop off Elder A***** so he could catch his bus.  He had to go to the other side of the state.  We then went home and started to live a normal missionary life of just two in a companionship rather than three.  Later, we went to k**** to see the wedding of some of our investigators.  We then had a Burger King and sea food wedding dinner.  I did not eat any of the sea food and I am glad I didn't because my companion ended up having diarrhea and threw up.  And people ask why I don't eat sea food...

So, it has been a very hectic week and not exactly productive but that is sometimes part of missionary's life.  Sometimes there are just fast paced weeks of nothing.  I am not complaining or anything.  I thought it was fun to see all my friends again.  Good times.

This week we will have a conference with President ******** (or something like that) who is in the presidency of the area of Brazil.  I think the second quorum of the seventy.  He will come over and talk to us.  Not exactly sure about what but it will be exactly what our mission needs to hear.  I am sure it will help a lot.  I am excited to hear what he has to say.

The work is progressing here in ******** and will continue to progress.  We plan on marking some baptismal dates with investigators for this month.  I feel that we have found three investigators who really want to learn more about the gospel.  We will work hard with them.

Thank you all for your letters and support.  I love you all very much.  Have a great week.

Love,
Elder Kevin Brady

March 4, 2013


Hi Family and Friends,

Well, isn't that all fine and dandy that you all celebrated my birthday in Hawaii?  I remember the days when I was in middle school and high school and you guys would just go to Hawaii on my birthday without me.  Oh and maybe send me a picture of the beach.  Good times.  My life in a nutshell. haha just kidding.

We had a baptism on Saturday and it was great.  I felt the spirit very strongly.  The girl is nine years old and she kind of had fear of the water when my companion was baptizing her.  The witnesses had him do the baptism three times because her feet popped out of the water when she was immersed. Poor girl.  Anyway, she and her mom came to sacrament meeting and we did the confirmation.

This week is going to be chaotic because my companion is leaving, but before he leaves he has five different meetings that he has to go to.  My new companion will be Elder C*****. 

I will be catching a plane home May 21st in the morning.  I do not know when I will arrive in Oregon but they are buying the tickets right now and everything.  I was just asked which airport I wanted to arrive at and I told them the New York airport.  I am excited.  I will run across the country to you guys after that.  I'm just kidding I told them the Portland airport.  I hope he didn't choose Portland, Maine.

So that is all for this week.  I will be staying in the same area and teaching the same investigators.  I am looking forward to some great stuff. 

I love you guys.  Have a good week.

Love
Elder Kevin Brady

February 25, 2013 "My Birthday"


Hi Family and Friends,

So finally we got electricity in the apartment again after more than a month without it.  Now I can wash my clothes and take a warm shower.  And drink cold water instead of lukewarm water.  Congrats to Erica in the play.  Sounds like they did a great job.

Today is my birthday, and thankfully it's on a P-day [preparation day] so i can relax on my birthday.  Not sure though exactly what I will do.  Not much to do anyway since we aren't authorized to do pretty much anything other than missionary work. But that is OK, I'll figure something out.

This Sunday we had three investigators at church and we marked a baptism for this Saturday with one of them.  It was announced at church and the investigator, her name is E******, is really excited.  The other investigators were a couple that we started to teach on Thursday and they were referred to us from a member of the ward. They really enjoyed the meetings.  Hopes are high for them.

Another family we were teaching is now rejecting us and running away every time we walk by their house.  I'm not really sure what we did or what they heard but they just don't want to hear from us.  A family scheduled a family home evening with them for today with us, but I am not sure that they actually explained that us missionaries are going to be there.  I hope that the family won't get angry about that fact.

So, I am still with my companion from Argentina but president said that it was very likely for me next week to be transfered to my last area.  So I will probably have one more companion after this and I am not sure if he will be American or Brazilian or from another country.

That was all for this week.  I love you guys and I hope you have a good week.  I'll see you all soon.

Love,
Elder Kevin Brady