Mexico Week 83: Baptisms of Jaime Santacruz and Moises Paredes

Hey There Everyone!!

Well this week was an interesting one hahaha. I have had problems with my right knee, my tendon.  I have been in my house all week because the doctor told me I need to rest my knee for 1-2 weeks. It’s been very tiring.  My knee gets tired really fast.   

We did not work alot this week. We just went to the appointments that we had. We Baptized though, hahaha, two people, Jaime Santacruz and Moises Paredes.  Hahaha, I have never thought that it’s possible to Baptize when someone doesn’t work, hahaha but we did it.  God keeps blessing us. I did alot of reading in the scriptures and Jesus the Christ in bed hahahaha, while icing my knee. I also did alot of thinking about what I want to study and the business I want to start hahaha. I had kind of a week of resting, thinking, and eating, hahaha. It was kind of frustrating cuz I wanted to work but I received alot of revelation.

Thanks for writing me! I can’t believe that Kasey is dating now, hahaha, but Camille is a great choice :)  Hope that you have fun at the dance!  I want pictures. I am glad to hear that you are all doing great!  The time is going by so fast and soon I will be back home hahaha.  It’s going to be weird for the first couple of weeks but it’s going to be fun hahaha. 

Well I gotta go. I hope that in the afternoon I can upload some pics for you guys! We ate chiles enogadas the other day with our ward mission leader and we got pics!  It’s the best food of Puebla.   

Sorry my email is short...not alot happened this week to be honest. Not alot to say for being in bed.  Hahaha, actually I found out that an Elder who goes home in November with me got sent home with Honor for some knee problems, but when I heard that I told the President in my interview that I will tough it out for 3 more months, hahaha. I love you all! 

Con Amor,
Elder Lester

Mexico Week 75: July, Peña Nieto, President Christensen‏

Hey there family!

Well things have been very delightful in the Mission. I notice how old I am now because it hurts just to walk uphill everyday to our house. I am not excited to be 21, hahaha. As you all know Peña Nieto will be the new president of Mexico in January. Hahaha, I am happy that he won, I would have voted for him. I helped out some when I was in Chignahuapan, hahaha so good thing that it was worth it.

Today I am in Puebla, the center. The sweet thing about being a Zone Leader is I get to go anywhere I want in the whole mission, hahahahahaha. My comp and I have just been visiting some places and looking at some things. I am looking at gifts that I would like to buy for the family as well just before I go home. We also ate burritos today :) They were delicious, just like home hahaha.  It’s been a great P-day so far.

There was also a march going on with all the people who didn’t want Peña to win but hahaha he won so it doesn’t matter. Peña will fight against all the drug lords except for one, Chappo, who is the famous one. He is the number 1 on the wanted list in Mexico and the US but they won’t do anything to him unless he goes to the US or Mexico. He lives in Europe I think. Peña won’t fight him, but the good thing is that he will kill all the other ones. Things have been interesting though, hahaha.  

Well I don’t know that family Mom, but I will keep my eye out for them. Hahaha, were they visiting over there in Arizona?  That’s sweet!

Ouch! I am sorry for Brink.  I guess I was lucky when they took mine out. Braces, that will be nice :) Well Kolby, that is going to be great that now you are going to high school! You are getting big hahaha.  Hahaha, sounds like the family reunion of Maggie was fun with lots of food! I need to try your pozole dad and see how good it really is or if you just talk it up. Hahahaha, well it will be the 4th of July in 2 days. I think I will celebrate by teaching 3 lessons with a member and 2 others, and buy a nice cold Coke after, hahahahaha.

Well we have been working real hard.  I love Elder Nuncio.  He is so awesome!  He is really a good friend. We have been working hard and now we are seeing blessings. We are happy because we are going to have at least 3 Baptisms this month and hopefully 2 more, but if not, the other 2 will be in August. We have been working really hard with Elvia, Andres, and Andres, hahaha. They are great investigators and they are ready for Baptism. Andres who is an adult, has been waiting for 10 years to be Baptized! Andres is a 13 year old boy and has been waiting for over a year to be Baptized, and Elvia has been listening to the Missionaries for 7 months, hahahahahaha. We are trying to harvest the seeds that have been planted! The field is white for sure! :)

Well as you all know Peña Nieto is not the only new president in Mexico. There is another who has been called by a Prophet and not the people. We had a great Zone Conference Saturday with him in Puebla.  President Christensen is from Utah and talks way good in Spanish!! His wife talks pretty good.  She is learning real quick like Sister Reeves.  In the conference we learned alot from the President about Charity and Obedience. He totally taught us a life lesson about obedience. Usually they say to us in the Mission that we need to be obedient because we are Servants of the Lord. That is true but he also taught us that we need to have a goal first. For example, Return with Honor. That would be the goal, and to achieve it, we need to be obedient. So I learned that we should place goals first and not be obedient just to be obedient. Pretty sweet haha.

This week on Friday my comp and I will be coming again to Puebla for the Zone Leader Conference so I will let you all know how that goes. I am excited. Things are going to be great with him and I am excited to have about 5 months to work with him. It’s going to be a blessing.

Well that’s about it for now. I just want to let you know that I will not be able to send pics home. I am getting very inpatient with Picasa which does not work very well for me. If there is something else we can do, awesome, but I will keep all my pics on the camera for now. I hope that you all have a great week. I love you all and pray for you each day. Love ya!!

Love,

Elder Brady Lester

Mexico Week 52: WORK

Hello everyone!!


Well thank you for your letters and your kind words that really help me in the week. Each Monday is like the time to re-energize my spirits by reading your letters and emails. Things sound like they are going good. Are you thinking about wanting to move mom? I hope things keep going well in your lives and I know that the Lord is blessing you all. I only got like 9 1/2 months left in the mission and the time is just flying by. Before we know it I will be home and my life will have started. Meanwhile its on to WORK in the field of our Savior.


Well things have been getting better here in Loma Florida. We had a decent week this past week. It's been hard but I know that the Lord and the Mission President trust me alot when they send me to the hardest areas in the mission to get the work started (or maybe it's just punishment) hahahaha just kidding. This past week we really focused on teaching a family of 5 that we found. We had a great family night with a member family and we watched the movie of the Restoration. The dad in the family had a lot of questions about Joseph Smith and what he did so we felt it appropriate to watch the movie with them. It was a neat experience and the Spirit was very strong. This family always has alot of questions about the gospel and it really means that they are learning and wanting to know more. The other night we had a great lesson with them. They started talking about Baptism and wanted to know more about it. We started talking about the Priesthood and Baptism. It was a great lesson. We also felt impressed to talk about the Temple and we did. It was a great lesson and every time we talk with them the Spirit really guides the conversation and lesson. That night they accepted Baptism!! Now we just need to help the brother stop smoking and drinking because he does a little bit. It will be another family in the presence of God :) I cant wait!!


We have been contacting alot lately. Hey Alex, how many did you and your comp have to contact each week in Utah? Hahahaha the contacting is what has been hard for us. We will start up talks in the street and get an appointment but then we go by their house and they are not there, or it doesn't exist, and it's really hard because we have a ton of pueblos in our area!! So we are always taking buses and then they aren't home for the appointment. That is what has been hard for us right now. We keep working though. I have learned alot lately that WORK is what makes us happy. If we can learn how to do WORK we will have success in life, love our family and friends more, the Spirit will guide us, and we will feel the love of God in our lives. WORK is not fun all the time but it's what brings us satasfaction in our lives.


I have also learned a lot about Prayer. Every time we pray...we should receive revelation and guidance from the Lord. He really talks to us especially as we pray. Have you ever listened to what the Spirit has to say as you are praying?? He tells you what you need to say. Every prayer = Revelation. If we don't get it...it's because we don't know how to pray...because the Lord always answers. He loves us too much no to hahaha.


I love the mission and really the blessings of serving will come. I must be more humble to see them right now in my life, but I know that as we WORK the Lord always helps, guides, and bless us. If we give Him a crumb...He gives us the whole piece of bread!! I love you all and miss you all tons! Hope you all have a great and wonderful week!!


Love,
Elder Brady Lester

I uploaded more pictures!! Take a look at them!!

Mexico Week 38: 11 Months and Baptisms of Reina and Karina

Hey there everyone!!

Well first off I want to wish a very HAPPY BIRTHDAY to my wonderful Mother!! I really hope you have a great special day today ma and I love you tons!! Thank you everyone for you letters and emails :) I always love Mondays to be able to read them and write :) Well this past week was just a great week and I have been having alot of fun and the Lord really is blessing me. This past week we had a zone conference and I learned alot! I really learned how to listen to the Spirit and help our investigators feel it as well. I also saw Elder Rojas hahahaha, and he looks the same poor dude. I really hope that he gets things done! I have pictures to upload but forgot my camera to upload them so we will just have to wait till next week :(

Well yesterday two more daughters of God entered into His presence as they were Baptized yesterday! Hermana Reina and Hna Karina both got Baptized!! It was a wonderful day. In the morning when I woke up yesterday I had this feeling that I should give my chance to Baptize Hna Reina to someone else hahaha. Crazy I thought and I just shrugged it off. But all morning it was bugging me. Well I got to the church and I saw a young man, Jasiel, who is in our ward and again the impression came to me. Well I talked to Hna Reina and told her my feelings and asked her if it was alright that this young man Baptized her. She hesitated because really wanted me to do it but she finally said yes, so Jasiel Baptized her and my comp Baptized Hna Karina. It was a wonderful service and the Spirit was so strong. I almost cried hahaha because I really love them. I really love my investigators. They are like best friends or family.  This upcoming Saturday the husband of Cony and her daughter are going to be Baptized too!! I am so happy that finally they are going to be a united family in the church. Hermano Euloterio is his name, and all he wants to do is be sealed in the Temple with his family. He has told us that that is his goal and nobody is going to stop him!! Right now we are just working with our other investigators and we want to see some weddings here soon!! 

I am really loving the work here and we are so busy. I need to finish this letter because we have appointments but the work is great. I love missionary work. I love being here in Mexico serving the people and children of God. I know that this is the true church. The Book of Mormon is true and nobody can tell me other wise. I have such a testimony of that book. President Reeves just challenged us to read it by Christmas so if you want to join me that would be awesome! I know that we can learn so much from that book :) It is a blessing that we have it. I gotta go but I love you all. I am thankful for your support and I pray that the Lord will always bless you as long as you are obedient :) 

Love, 

Elder Brady Lester