Mexico Week 26: The Lord Preparing Me for Something Harder and Bigger

Hey there everyone!!

Well this letter is going to be a short one because I have like 40 minutes to read everything from you guys and write. No Mom I still haven't gotten your June package and thank you for your letter. Get more sleep!! That was cool what Bishop Alston said in your blessing and I hope it will happen :) Thank you for all your letters kids :) Dad thanks for your letter I really enjoyed it. Seems like you guys had alot of fun this past month.

Well this past week was yet another hard week with Elder Rojas. Sometimes things look like they are getting better and we are good friends but then he gets really lazy. He needs to change really but there is nothing I can do. I really just need to lock down and keep working my patience. It's been a really hard 8 weeks with this guy hahaha! I know that the Lord is preparing me for something harder and bigger in my future though :)

This past week the work got a little better with the members. We attempted to make a ward mission plan but the meeting was postponed until tomorrow. I really hope we start working hard with the members of the ward because maybe its the way to build more unity between my comp and I.

So in the past week we had a boy and his dad come to Church to learn about it and they ended up accepting an appointment with us. Only the 17 year old son came, Enrique, and we taught him the Restoration and invited him to be Baptized and he accepted! He has been really in with the activities and stuff with the youth in our ward, and he came to play soccer with us today, so we are going to try to put a Baptismal date for the 6th of August.

Also this past week, as my comp and I were planning in the evening, I felt that we should go to visit a certain inactive member, who was a reference from another member. Her name is Hermana Alejandra Leon and it's been about a year since she has been to Church. Well we went to visit her and she was a little shy at first but then after we talked and shared a lesson, and she really opened up and shared her feelings. We found out that her husband works every now and then in the US and really loves the NBA basketball. She also has two young boys who are not Baptized and want to get Baptized. The Lord really poured out His blessings that day :) We really feel that they will accept Baptism and be Baptized soon :)

Well that is about all :(  Later today we are going to play baseball with some other Elders!!! I can't wait for that :) I really miss baseball! Well I miss all of you and love each of you a ton! You are in my prayers and please keep me in yours :)

Love,

Elder Brady Lester

Mexico Week 25: Rain, Ward Mission Plan, Showering from a Bucket, Companion Lessons

Dear Family and other people who get this letter,


Well I officially have 8 months in the mission and wow has time passed so fast. I really feel like I am still a new Missionary and just left the MTC. Well this past week things were really interesting. For the past like 15 days it has rained which has been awesome! Thursday it was raining so so hard from like 3-9 in the afternoon and night! We got soaked!! My shoes are still wet hahaha!! My pants got covered in muddy water because some car drove by me fast and all the water in the street just drenched me hahaha! It was fun :) I love the rain!

Well in the past week we didn't get alot of lessons in. We have been working really hard on a mission plan for the ward. Tuesday evening after our meeting with our ward mission leader in the church, the Bishop called us into his office and said he had something really important for us to talk about. After he told us that he wanted us to make a mission plan for the ward because he wants us to work with the members more. I was so happy to hear that from him! So this past week we made a plan for the ward! It includes goals and plans to FIND, TEACH, and REACTIVATE. We really want to improve our numbers and feel also that we can have more success with the members working with us. I really am excited to put this plan into action.


Well also in the past week we got kicked out of the house on Thursday. The owner sold the house and said we needed to be out by today, Monday. So also last week we had to find a house really fast and there was only one that we found and its kinda gross hahaha. We moved in all of our stuff on Saturday when we found the house and cleaned out the other one, but since the toilet, sink, and shower don't work in the new house, we stayed in our other house for the past couple of nights on the floor so that we could have a place to shower and go to the bathroom. Well now we don't live there anymore and the owner of the new house is installing the new toilet, sink, and shower tomorrow and Wednesday, so I will be showering from a bucket for the next two days :) Hahahaha I am excited lol ;) In the next month when we have money we are going to buy some cheap paint to paint the place lol because the walls are ugly and gross.


Well this past Saturday Hermana Karla could not get Baptized because we still have some stuff to teach her, so it looks like this Saturday she will get Baptized :) We also have been working with a young lady, Hermana Ana, who really wants to get Baptized but wants to wait a bit. She is not religous and knows nothing about God and Jesus Christ so we had to start with the basics, but she wants to be religous and be closer to God, so she has accepted Baptism but with no date. She came to Church yesterday which was awesome!! So we are going to be helping her to get ready by the 30th of July so that she gets Baptized then :)


Well this past week Elder Rojas changed very little. He is still doing his normal things but President Reeves called us to see what he could do to help. I told President my feelings and he listened. He talked to my comp but I don't know what was said. I know we are together for this change still but I am going to be different in this change. I am going to be patient. I am going to pray for more guidance because maybe I am with him for another reason, and to help him out in another way besides just working. It's going to be hard but I feel like it's the right thing to do. One thing I will be hard on him though, and that is his money. I have taken so much out of the home account because he spends all of his money the day he gets it. He has nothing again for this month like last month and I am having to pay for things for him. I really need him to be smarter next month with his money because I have almost nothing and don't want to keep taking out tons of money from the house just to pay for him and me to live hahaha. I just need to be the example and be obedient.


Well I gotta go! I want reports next week on how you all have been sharing the gospel with your friends and everyone!! I love and miss you all! I can't wait for your next letters!


Love,
Elder Brady Lester


PS: Tell Eric Trott thank you for the email. It really helped me out and I will take his advice. I just don't have time to write him :(


Tell Sister McCarthur that she is awesome and that I love her so much!! I have had no time to write her but I am thankful for all of her support and know that the Lord is blessing her :) 

Mexico Week 24: Conversion to Missionary Work

Hey there!!

Well this past week started off great as we got to know President Reeves on Tuesday! Last Tuesday we had a multi-zone meeting in the mission offices and got to meet President Reeves, his wife, and his 17 year old son Bryan. It was cool to meet them and they said that they have been waiting to meet me which was nice to hear. His son Bryan went to Mesquite High and knows a bit of people who went to Highland. That conference was nice as we learned how to convert ourselves to Missionary work and being better Missionaries. We also learned how to work better with the members in our wards and branches. Also selected Missionaries gave there testimonies and it was nice to feel the Spirit there with us during that meeting :) That day I got my package, so thank you mom and kids for that :) I have nothing left from it hahahahahaha since I ate all the food :)

Well I didn't have transfers yesterday so Elder Rojas is still with me which is a big surprise to everyone! He really doesn't want to be here with me but I told him last night that we are together for a reason. I really just told him all my feelings about the last change and how I felt like we did very little and he was mad, but today has been a little better....but it is Pday hahaha. If things don't get better then I will call President, but I just feel like things are going to be hard in this change. He told me that he doesn't want to be my friend or comp. I will try my hardest with him though. I have decided that I am going to be really really hard with him. I just really hope that we work good together and have success. 

Well the past week was a hard week. I didn't really work with my companion at all because we had divisions with young boys in our ward because my comp did not want to work with me. We also did have divisions with the DL too which went well. His name is Elder Riggin and is from Washington. I learned alot from him this past transfer! He is a great missionary!!

Well in the past week we had to drop two of our investigators because they were not progressing which is always sad. Hermana Imelda we dropped because she told us that she feels that her Catholic ways are the truth and I really thought she was going to get Baptized!! This week, hopefully Saturday though, we will be Baptizing a little 11 year old girl Karla. She is the daughter of Hermana Isabel who just got Baptized! Today we are going to visit her and ask her to be Baptized on this date :)

Not much else happened this past week so I don't have more hahaha. I am glad you boys are doing great!! Kasey please be careful and take it easy if you are having trouble breathing. You are in my prayers! Ask for a Priesthood blessing :)  Brinkley thank you for your letter :) Hahahaha the pictures of Daisy were cute! I can't believe she is 1 years old!! That is crazy! Well I gotta go! Love you tons!! Stay safe and have fun!

Love,
Elder Brady Lester

July Package

Mini Oreos, Granola Thins (they have chocolate on the bottoms - yum!), Propel Zero to add a little flavor to his water, Pepto Bismol tablets for those times of diahhreah :(  Lemon Drops, Chapstick, Dove and Lindt Chocolate bars, Hot Fries (every package has to have a bag or two :), Temple Ensign magazine in Spanish, Cliff Bars (Brady says he likes these :)

 Spanish book by Gordon B. Hinckley, Coconut candy, Chocolate Chip Cookies, Black Pepper & Sea Salt Chips, Beef Jerkey, Lemon Heads

 Found this power mix at Costco. Brady can add it to water for some extra vitamins and nutrients

 All packed up and ready to go!

Mexico Week 23: Teaching Baptism, Learning Promptings of the Spirit

Hey there everyone!!

Well this week has been a pretty good one!! We worked really really hard and got alot done! In this week we lost one of our investigators, Oscar, because he didn't do good in school so he is grounded the whole summer, so he is not allowed to get Baptized now, which stinks hahaha. This past week it has rained alot because apparently there was a hurricane in Vera Cruz and also a cold front. It has gotten really cold here really fast!! I hear that the rain will just get worse starting in a couple of weeks hahaha so I cant wait :)


So this past week was an interesting one with this investigator Hermana Juana. She is the one who has listened to the lessons before but 15 years ago! She loves the lessons but does not want to get Baptized. Well my comp and I really thought it was because she had no testimony of the BOM. We really worked hard on her getting to read and pray about the BOM. Well she did it, and the last time that I went to visit her we were on divisions with other Elders, and she said that she knew it was true but she still turned down Baptism!!  Well I gave an example about how to enter into the door to heaven...we need a key. That key is Baptism. If you are Baptized without the proper authority or in the wrong form, you have a key but the wrong one. She still turned it down. I ask if she loved her husband and wanted to live with him forever, she said yes! But she turned it down again. Then I asked "If God Himself was here right now and commanded you to be Baptized, would you do it?" She said yes! Then I told her that He is here in the form of two young boys and that He called us by a Prophet to help people take upon themselves this Covenent. Well she turned it down again. It was depressing after that lesson but I feel that she will get Baptized at some point. She only wants to learn but nothing else. Well I just want her to get Baptized and nothing else, so we shall see who wins hahaha ;) JK JK! We have a lesson with her tomorrrow so we will see what happens.

Well with Hermana Imelda, well she came to church yesterday and liked it. She asks alot of questions and really understands everything and reads and prays but she still doesn't know it its true. Well we ask her if she feels different when she reads and prays, and she says that she really feels peaceful and wants to keep reading. Well we keep telling her that that is her answer. Well she wants something a little stronger and more sure before she changes. She is willing to change but only with an answer because she is really Catholic haha. We also have an appt with her tomorrow.

Well this past week I have really studied alot about how I can better understand the promptings of the Spirit so that I can follow them. I have learned that personal revelation is a process. The Lord teaches us here a little and there a little. Line upon line. He just asks that we are worthy, prayerful, and diligent in following, not trying, but following the promptings AND looking for them. This past week I have learned alot from the Spirit and look forward to feeling it more in my life so that I may help the people who need this message. Hahaha and I have been having constant dreams about me being district leader in the next change. I don't know if that is revelation, but we shall see next Monday when we have changes hahaha!

This past Friday we had a ward activity which was fun! It was a night of talents and dancing, but not for us. It was a night of teaching and contacting all the visitors who came and we got some appts so I am really excited about that!! Speaking of that I want to know how you guys are doing on your Missionary work? Do you guys talk to friends and neighbors about the gospel and then give these references to the Missionaries? If not then DO IT! It is a commandment from the Lord (D&C 18:29) Without members, Missionaries can't do a thing. I urge you to do your Missionary work. In the past month we have gotten 18 references from the members. What do you guys think about that? I think it is not sufficient in the work of the Lord. WE NEED MORE! So I hope you guys are doing better than this ward! SHARE THE GOSPEL! Christ did not just teach by example but He opened His mouth and testified! DO THE SAME! But you must talk to your friends. A reference is someone who WANTS to listen, not someone you THINK wants to listen. There is a difference in the word reference and suggestion. I would like to check on this homework every 2 weeks so let me know :) And yes, I meant to be direct in that topic :)

Well I love and miss you all!! I hope all is well! Remember the Lord loves you all and is blessing you for all that you do! :)

Love,
Elder Brady Lester