Mexico Week 61: Work as a Missionary Branch President

Hey Everyone,

Well I want to wish a very happy birthday to my brother Kasey!! I can’t believe you are going to be 16 tomorrow, that’s crazy!!! I hope you don’t keep growing, hahaha. I would also like to congratulate Maggie and Dad on their wedding. Hahahaha, I love the cardboard Elder Lester and the letter to the President. Hahahaha, did you really send that to him?

Thank you all for writing me :) Thank you for the money Mom. You could send me a package and I could get it. I will go to Puebla more with this calling.

Well, as you all know, I am a Branch President.  I am actually the only Branch President in the entire Mission. It’s a hard calling and I have so much respect for Bishop´s now. It’s pretty much the same calling just with less members. We have 83 members on the list and about 40 come each Sunday. This week I have had to interview for giving the Priesthood, Patriarchal Blessings, callings, worthiness, needing money from the church, and helping a sister go through a divorce. IT’S ONLY MY FIRST WEEK!!! 

Hahahaha, I don’t know how long I will be here but I will be here for at least 12 weeks and maybe more. I feel like we are starting up the Branch. One of my goals is to start up the Young Women’s and Young Men’s program. There is youth but there is not any program, so I called a Young Women’s President and a Deacon’s Quorum President named Jesus Huerta. He is great. We are going to start mutual pretty soon and get them working on their Duty to God and Personal Progress. I would also love to start a Boy Scouts program.

I am also in the process of helping some brothers be worthy to receive the Higher Priesthood. One brother, Hno Hector, helps us out a ton and he is really working hard to be ready and worthy. I am going to call him to be my second counselor but Pres. Reeves needs to interview him first. I would like to be the last Missionary Branch President and I would like to have Hector be the branch president in about 12-18 weeks. That is another goal of mine. I am very excited but also I have never been so tired and stressed out. I have a lot of things in mind and we are going to start making some changes in the Branch so that the members work, and so that we can work hard in the field.

We don’t work everyday as Missionaries. There are some days that I have interviews or my comp, who is my first counselor, and days where we have to travel to a bank to manage the Tithing and Fast Offerings. Hahahaha, I have a lot on my plate.

Well today we went to a waterfall place and it was beautiful. Next week I will send you pics. I love the area. It’s really pretty. I am in the mountains, hahaha, and it’s freezing at night. I am really liking it here. My companion is Elder Cano. He is from Sinaloa. I thought I was going to get an American because I have not had one yet, but it will probably be later in the Mission. He is really cool. He kinda does the work a little different so I will have to get used to that but he is really great.

Well I gotta go. I love you all and hope you have a great week!!


Love,
Elder Brady Lester