Mexcio Week 95: Final Week

Hey Everybody! 

Well I am entering into my last week in the Mission. It's gone by fast. I would like to mention some of my experiences and talk about how great of a Mission it has been and what I have learned. I hope that it might be of great worth to the boys since they all want to be going on a Mission. 

The Mission has been the best yet most difficult experience that I have had in my life. I think that because it was difficult it was great. I remember when I first came to Mexico I wanted to go home. I remember wanting to just give up but I was inspired to go on and finish. Hahaha, I remember hating the food and feeling lonely since my companion wasn't the best and the members were a little mean. I realized that it was just culture shock. Hahaha, since then I have had a lot of difficult times but I have put them behind trying to learn from them. I remember when I was a Branch President, things were really hard and I thought that I was losing faith. Afterwards I learned that my testimony grew and was strengthened from the trials that took place in Chignahuapan. I remember the members and the things that I learned from them as I tried to help them with the spiritual and temporal needs.

I learned alot in Castillotla about Missionary Work and how to really do it. Elder Escamilla and I had great times and a lot of success and I will always remember my time with him. I really enjoyed training Elder Escamilla and also learning from him. He is a great friend. I learned a lot about leadership in Loma Florida (Apizaco) when I was a DL and I had a struggling district with struggling wards. We ended up doing miracles for the Lord there in that district.

 

I remember that I learned the importance of working with members in Totolac (Tlaxcala). Wow, we did some great stuff there Elder Nuncio, Elder Lopez, and I with the members. We ended up having success for the members. They are great there.

 

Now as an AP I have learned a lot of everything. Having to run a Mission of over 100 Missionaries is not an easy task and I have so much respect for the President. He is a great man and has taught me a lot, especially about the future after the Mission and how to apply everything I have learned here, there in the real world. 

I have learned a lot in the Mission and I know that it will help me throughout my life, but I believe that the most valuable thing that I have learned here, that I will always treasure is understanding how and why to apply the Atonement in my life. I really understand that it is more than just repenting everyday. I have learned that it is essential for us to experiment it everyday. I have learned that to be able to experiment it each day we must be obedient. It's impossible to understand the Atonement or even experiment it if we are not obedient. Most people think that you must be a sinner and sin to understand it, but I believe that you must be obedient to understand it because the obedient repent....sinners might not. I have learned that the Atonement has a divine power that can set us apart from reaching our potential....yet it allows us to go beyond that if it is required, and more times than not, God needs us to go past our potential so that we may help Him establish His Kingdom and we do it through the atonement. 

I have learned that really we must understand the importance of the Atonement because it is the center of all we do. We could study the Book of Mormon and find that a lot of scriptures that maybe we don't see very well talk about the Atonement. The Bible actually only refers to the word Atonement one time were as the Book of Mormon refers to it 39 times. Besides the fact that it mentions the word more in the Book of Mormon, helps us understand at a broader view what the Atonement is through personal experiences of the Nephite and Lamanite people. 

I know that the Atonement is important. I know that it is essential for us to apply it to our lives each day. We must experiment at some point in our lives a little what He experienced. I testify as His representative that Christ lives! He loves us. He wants us to be like him and through His Atonement we can do it. 

With Love,

Elder Brady Lester

Areas and Companions

ELDER BRADY LESTER – AREAS AND COMPANIONS

1^st Area:  Huacaltzingo :  January 28, 2011 – May 30, 2011

1^st Companion and Trainer:  Elder Villaba, from Chihuahua Mexico – January 28^th - March 7^th

2^nd Companion:  Elder Lumbreras, from Mexico - March 7^th – May 30^th

2^nd Area:  Castillotla:  May 31, 2011 – December 2, 2011

3^rd Companion:  Elder Rojas, from Peru - May 31^st – August 22^nd

4^th Companion:  Became Senior Companion to: Elder Escamilla, from Sonora Mexico - August 22^nd – December 19^th

3^rd Area:  Centro – Center of Puebla:  Elder’s Lester and Escamilla were transferred on December 3, 2011 – December 19, 2011

4^th Area:  Apizaco – District Leader: December 19, 2011 – March 20, 2012

5^th Companion: Elder Estevez, from Tijuana Mexico

5^th Area:  Chignahuapan – Branch President:  March 20, 2012 –  June 18, 2012

6^th Companion: Elder Cano, from Sinaloa Mexico – March 20^th – May 7^th

7^th Companion:  Elder Rojas, from Peru - May 7^th – June 18^th (not the same Elder Rojas from Castillotla)

6^th Area: Tlaxcala – Zone Leader:  June 18, 2012 – September 2, 2012

8^th Companion:  Elder Nuncio, from Mexico - June 18^th – July 23^rd  

9^th Companion:  Elder Lopez, from Ecuador - July 23^rd – September 2^nd

7^th Area:  Puebla – Assistant to the President, AP, with Elder Lopez:   September 3, 2012 – Present

Mexico Week 72: Transfers

Hey there Everyone!

Thanks for writng me. I loved your letters. Brink I have written Sean but it seems to me that it didn't get to him because I got an email telling me that the address was wrong, so if you could send it to me again that would be awesome. Hahaha, well Kolby, I think that the Heat will win, but I want the Thunder to win. Shame that Boston lost. Things sound great at home! Grandma you should tell your boss to start a school in Mexico or Panama. He would make alot of money especially for the English. Brasil will be a cool place though.

Well just to let everyone know because I know that you are all anxious to know hahaha, I do have transfers. I am happy about it. I would like to stay one more transfer but I am willing to follow the Lord. I am happy for my companion Elder Rojas because he will be the next president and he is going to do great. He has been a blessing to the branch and will help even more.  Exciting things are happening in the branch and I really love this place. I think that it's my favorite area hahaha, more than Castillotla even though Elder Escamilla and I had alot of success there. There is just something about Chignahuapan that I love. Who knows where I will go and who will be my comp but tomorrow I will find out! There are 3 places, Tlaxcala, Amalucan (which is my first zone and I could visit Hualcatzingo, and if he doesn't have changes Elder Walker would be my comp, hahaha) or Angelopolis, which is like the US hahaha, because everyone has money. It's kinda like Gilbert. I have to send the pics still but Elder Escamilla, Elder Cano, and I went to eat at Applebees there :) Hahaha there is a Mac store and everything is just like at home. That would be a sweet area but who knows. I would just love an American comp now hahaha. But its possible that my next area is my last but who knows.

Elder Riggin is going home today and Elder Rojas, the lazy one. Hahaha I talked to Elder Riggin. He is going to find you on Facebook Mom so that you guys plan out the day when I get home, he wants to be there and loves you all so much. He is really a great friend. I think that he will stay in Washington for a while and study and work because one of his comps that is from Ecuador is going to live with him up there for a year. Hahaha he does have a girl who is studying though, Elder Riggin, at UoA in Tucson. Apparently she is a Mexican and speaks Spanish hahaha. He is excited about it but is really wanting to go to AZ.

Well things are going great. I love the Mission and really am Happy. I am happy to know be able to work as a normal missionary. I am really excited to get back out to teaching and contacting all the time and working with the leaders of the wards and not being one hahaha. I have alot of respect for them, like Bishop Turner. They really are called of God and everything that they do is by revelation. It's been a great learning experience to be here. It will help me be a great leader in the church and help me raise my family in the future.

Well I hope that you have a great week. I love you all so much and miss you tons!! I will let you know next week where I am and who is my comp :)

Love,
Elder Brady Lester

Mexico Week 18: Cambios - Castillotla!

Hola Todos!

Well today we had transfers and I left Huacaltzingo.

 District Meeting

Special Family in Huacaltzingo

 It was a great time I had there and was extremely tough, but all that I learned I know will really really help me in the future in my mission. I also hope and pray for the best there in Huacaltzingo. Today, and for the next 6 weeks at least, I am in Castillotla, hahaha. It's half city and half village. My companion, Elder Rojas, has one year in the mission and is from Peru!! Sweet eh haha?

Elder Rojas

Well I will tell you about today and my new area first and then about the week. Well this area is huge and my comp tells me it's tough and the members don't really help us out. Sounds familiar haha :)  My house, well is tiny, we don't have a working toilet, we will shower in cold water, and there are cockroaches hahaha :) Sounds fun eh hahaha!! Well I will be fine don't worry about it. I am just excited to be here. My comp seems a little lazy and President Rex told me personally to take care of him hahaha, so we will see what happens, lol. I am just ready to work and am excited :)

This is Brady's apartment in Castillotla

Well in the past week we didn't have much success. It was another tough week in Huacaltzingo, but we did have some interesting experiences. Tuesday was a good day. We were out working and stuff and I had the impression to visit a specific Hermano and Hermana to ask them for a reference. Well my comp and I went and when we arrived the Hermano told us that his wife was really really sick and couldn't move or get up. Well we ended up giving him and her blessings. The spirit really directed our words and you could feel it's presence there. Well two days later she was up and walking :) It was sweet :) Well yesterday was a very strange day in the mission for me. We got up and headed for church and nobody was there. Everyone showed up late hahaha everyone! We finally found out why...apparently at 3 in the morning two young men killed a woman of 30 years with rocks not too far from the church on a hill. She happened to be an investigator that Elder Villalba and I taught. She was loved much by the members so it shook them up too. Yesterday we only had Sacrament meeting and I gave a talk on the Atonement and how Christ suffers with us and is always there calling, we just need to accept the call and come unto Him. I really hope that it helped.


Well thats all the news for this week. Brinkley CONGRATS on your graduation :) How do you feel? :)


Well I am excited to see what is going to happen in this change. I really think we will have success :) I am excited and ready to work! I hope the Lord blesses us :) I love you all and are all in my prayers everyday!


Love,
Elder Brady Lester

News from Mexico

Hey everybody!!! 

So I only have a little time because we have been going everywhere trying to find internet that works and we have an appointment in 30min. Anyways, I am in Huacaltzingo Puebla. It is two hours away from the city of Puebla. It's a farming town. Everybody here is so loving and so humble even though they have nothing!!!! I am about 2 hours away from the city of Puebla, and only every Wednesday do we go into Puebla for meetings. Life here is good though! I don´t understand a thing which is sad because I really want to help the people here. Hopefully soon I will be able to :)

The first night here, when we arrived, we all went to the mission home and ate sloppy joes and potato chips that Sister Rex made. They were yummy!! Anyways we just ate and went straight to bed that night. That was the last night with the Elders I have been with for 2 months, haha.

Anyways the next day we got up had pancakes and went to the mission offices. We received some training and President Rex interviewed us :) He and his wife are great people!!

First look at Puebla Mexico - January 29, 2011

So we got our JP Morgan Chase cards and learned about that. Today we went to the bank and I got my first pesos!!! Cool looking money, haha. Anyways that day we got our trainers. My trainer is Elder Villalba and he is from Chihuahua Mexico. He is way cool!! He speaks a little bit of English which is nice. He is a hard worker, so loving, very patient, and just fun!!

Elder Villalba - Trainer Companion

So the first night we went to our house and then left to go talk to people! We went to Hermana Dolores house and I met her and we ate. She is the Relief Society president in the branch here. Here in Huacaltzingo 600 people live here and about 250 are members, but only about 70 are active. I hope we can change that soon!! Anyways my first meal was some spinach in some tomato broth, then we had this soup with chicken in it. I could not eat it. It was so HOT!!!!!!!!!!!!! They felt bad but I tried saying it was ok :) Anyways I just ate beans and the best tortillas in the world!!! So good!! After that we just went around talking to other members and inviting them to church. 

Yesterday was Sunday and we went to Church after our studies. I have church at 10:00 AM but we leave at 9:00 AM because it takes about 20 minutes to walk there, haha. We walk far!!!!!!! When we go really far we take a bus (which is a charter bus). One time the bus driver stopped, got out, and bought a coke on the side of the street, and then kept going. Hahaha it was weird but funny!

Anyways church was nice! President Rex and his wife came which was a surprise to all. After Church we went and ate with the ward mission leaders family Hermano Guadalupe. Great food! Best rice ever, and the tortillas here are great! We had some soup with chicken again, but it wasn´t as hot, but still hot. At least I could eat it. After that we taught some investigators the Plan of Salvation and they seemed very receptive. So far we have three Baptism dates for February 12th, but they need to come to church before they can be Baptized. Hopefully this week we work hard with them.

Last night we went to Fernando´s house, a member, and role played with him on how to invite his friends to hear a message from us. I was his friend and I understood almost everything he said which is a miracle because I can´t understand anyone here. They all speak so fast!!! Anyways some of the members, including Fernando, want to learn English so they are happy an American is here. I helped Fernando for about 30 min last night and he is very good. When we go to Puebla tomorrow I am going to get him an English Book of Mormon. 

Anyways, yeah life is good here...I am home sick though. I don´t understand a thing and everything is so dirty and nasty. I feel bad for these people. All they have are a couch, table, tv, stove, and beds. Which is pretty much the same that I have, haha. I do have a shower...concrete wall with a shower head. Sometimes the gas doesn´t work so like this morning when that happens we can´t take a shower, hahaha. Today we went shopping after our studies. We got some food and supplies.

We do wash laundry at a members home who has a washing machine, but after the cycle we have to ring out the water and hang dry our clothes. Yes we do have purified water. The members all give us good water or soda, hahaha. They feed us really good. We always have food in our bellies. The houses here are pretty much a square brick/concrete house with a concrete floor. There are tons of bugs and spiders in the houses and it always smells. I am really really glad we live in America and I am missing it right now. Hopefully once I understand a little of what they say I will be fine, haha. Some people here don´t like me as much since I am from Arizona and we passed a law that they all hate here. Hopefully I don´t get in trouble with that, haha. 

Anyways I think I answered all the questions? Can't wait to hear from you and I miss and love you all!!!!! :)

First Home in Haucaltzingo, Puebla Mexico

Elder Lester's Desk

Elder Lester's bed has the tan blanket

Love, 

Elder Brady Lester

Mission President Arrival Letter

Dear Sister Lester,

It has been a great pleasure for Sister Rex and me to have met your missionary son, Elder Lester, on his arrival here in Puebla, Mexico.  We had a good opportunity to get to know him and feel his enthusiasm and eagerness to serve our Father in Heaven.  Elder Lester has been assigned, with his companion, Elder Villalba, to labor in the Huacaltzingo area.

Missionary work is very difficult and challenging.  We have asked Elder Lester to write to you each week, and ask that you write your missionary each week as well.  Please make sure that all of your letters are encouraging and uplifting.  Plan on receiving two phone calls each year; one at Christmas time and another on Mother’s Day.

We are vitally interested in his success and will do our best to assist in his training as a missionary.  We look forward to watching his progress over the next two years as he serves diligently and obediently.

We know that you will be richly blessed because of the sacrifices and service of your son.

Thank you again.

Respectfully,

Steven G. Rex, President