Mexico Week 62: General Conference

Dear Family,


Well this past week was a decent week. It was very, well not so busy like the other week. I had some interviews with some members. We had to help out a sister with some medical issues and so we had to work a lot with Tithing and Fast Offerings this week. President Reeves also came this week to interview a wonderful brother, Hector, so that he could receive the Higher Priesthood, and I also called him to be my Second Counselor. I am very proud of him and that he has worked hard to repent and do what is right. Now I know that he will help us out a lot in the Branch.

Thank you for writing me. I can't believe that Taylor already finished his mission. Time is going by really fast. I am glad that Jacob will be home to see me. I really want to see him and talk to him. He really is a great friend. Mom, you know how to follow and act on your promptings. If not, read PMG chapter 4. It's really great. Actually it would be a great family night lesson and activity. How to recognize and follow the Spirit. My favorite talk was by Elder Bednar in Priesthood. It was awesome!! I hope the boys and dad loved it. By the way dad, I did read that letter just to let you know that you sent me. I always read everything from everyone, hahahaha. 

Well Kasey I am proud that you are going to be a Priest now. That is going to be awesome!! You could Baptize Grandma...talk to her about it. Grandma, you should get Baptized! I know that you know you should :) Braxley congrats on your honor band victory and experience. The band experiences that await you in the future are awesome. Don't stop playing and it will be a blessing for you :)

Well things are going great here. I am loving this place alot and how much I am learning. I hope that the Lord will continue to bless me. I am excited that Elder Bednar is coming. Hahahha, hopefully he doesn't send me home, hahahahah, jk jk jk. We are all joking around saying that he might send some Missionaries home. I hope not. I am in love with the Mission and I love Learning and Serving. I did not hear any new Temples?? That was a first. 

Well anyways I gotta go. I love and miss you all. I hope that you all have a great week. Keep smiling!!!

Love,
Elder Brady Lester 

Mexico Week 36: The Spirit and Happy in the Mission

Hey there everyone!

Well this week was just a great week! I am just happy here in the mission. Things are going great with Elder Escamilla and I. We are really working hard. In the last week we lead the mission in lessons taught to investigators! Things are going great and it looks like soon we will be Baptizing again. I feel like in my first change with him we pretty much opened the area again because Rojas and I got nothing done, but now that we are in the second change together, we feel like we are going to see the fruits of our labors. Things are smoothly going along. We finally have the support of the Bishop. and the leaders of the ward. I have always said that if we have a Ward Mission Leader and Ward Missionaries in this ward, we could Baptize every week, so hopefully the Bishop will get on that hahaha. I feel like finally it's an answer to a prayer that I have been praying for, for the past 4 months in this area. I always ask my Father in Heaven that one day the leaders will help us and He answered me!!

Well in this past week things got a little tougher with Hna Monica and Alicia. They want to get Baptized so bad but they won't not work on Sundays. They make most of their money Sundays because they sell things in the street, and people go out and buy on Saturday's and Sunday's here, so it's hard for them to drop it. I really don't want to Baptize just to Baptize. My goal is that they go to the Temple, and they need to go to Church to be able to go to the Temple. The last lesson we had with them we talked about Faith and putting the things of God first so that He can bless us, and they really liked it and said that they would commit to come to Church so we are working with them. Something that I have learned here in the mission is that as Missionaries we need to help them develop their Faith in Christ so that they are drawn to Baptism by the Spirit. There are alot of Missionaries who just drag them to Baptism. The thing is they don't stay active. I want my converts to be active!

In Missionary work finding by the Spirit is just as important as teaching by the Spirit. If we don't find somebody by the Spirit we don't have anyone to teach who is willing to make Convenants with the Lord. Elder Escamilla and I last week really focused on finding in our comp studies, and what we could do to find more people to teach but not just people...prepared people who are ready to listen to the Gospel of Jesus Christ. This past week we found 4 new investigators which is not alot, but all 4 we found through the Spirit and they are all ready to make Convenants with God. They all accepted Baptism and we just need to teach them. We have found 3 great sisters, Hna Reina, Carina, and Erica who have all accepted Baptism right after the first lesson. They all said in their lessons, I want to get Baptized right now hahaha. They still need to learn a bit more, but it was awesome to hear that after teaching them. We also started talking with Hna Coni´s husband. We started getting impressions that he is ready to listen and we went with it. He accepted and wants to follow Christ so that he has a better marriage with Coni :) I am grateful to be worthy to work through the Spirit as we are obedient and study each day. We are learning tons.

Well General Conference was awesome!! I have to say that my 3 favorite talks in order were, Elder Holland, Elder Packer, and Elder Christofferson. I really learned a ton and felt the spirit. I learned from Holland the importance of just being worthy Priesthood holders. It is true what he said. No missionary can teach the Law of Chastity and testify of it, and the blessings of it, if he doesn't live it himself, or repent for any action that he has commited. With Christofferson I really learned about the blessings of repenting. It's hard sometimes but the blessings are amazing! I have learned alot about the Sacrament in the mission. We take it for granted all the time. If we take it worthily and understanding why we can receive the full blessings. I learned alot about the importance of listening and acting on the Promptings of the Spirit from the talk of Packer. It is so true. If we don't listen to it, and make a little mistake, it could change the course of our lives. It's a commandment that we seek, listen, and follow. I watched all that in Spanish, hahaha which was cool. I understood everything and thought it would be a bit tougher because the Apostles always talk so perfectly and use big words, but the Spirit really helped me understand as it always does everyday.

Thank you for all your love and support! I hope you all have the best week!

Love,
Elder Brady Lester

Mexico Week 35: Baptism Commitments, Rabbit and Crickets!

Hey there family!

Well thank you again for all your letters! I really enjoy reading them all! Sounds like you are all making bank hahaha kids!! Make sure you are paying your tithing and the Lord will bless you with the wisdom of spending and saving your money wisely. I am glad you boys had fun on the campout, and Kolby thank you for sharing your thoughts on prayer. What you learned is exactly what we must do as we pray. We must ask what the Lord wants and not what we want. Wanna know how to do it? Something that I learned here personally on the mission is the importance of listening to the Spirit AS we pray. He will tell us what we must say and ask for. If we do that we can receive instant revelation and we will really feel that the Lord is answering our prayers. I invite all of you to do that as you pray. I promise it is hard the first couple times, but it's hard to listen to the Spirit in this world. Brinkley, thank you for sharing a part of Garrett´s talk. What he said is so true. It's something that I am slowly learning here in the mission...the importance to talk to everyone!! We will see blessings as we do it, and we will be able to bless others as well.

Well this week was a difficult week of work. Elder Escamilla and I were working really hard and we didn't have much success. We would pass by investigators homes and nobody would be there. We would then go and try to visit less active members and nobody! We taught hardly anybody this week. We have now a total of 5 Baptisms who are wanting to get Baptized but they need to get married. Stinkin Mexico hahahaha! We are just waiting until they can get married. We are trying to help with everything that we can but it is hard here because a Bishop can't marry someone here like in the US. They have to be married by the government even if they get sealed in the Temple.

This week we did have success with two new investigators that we found. Hna Alicia and Hna Monica. They are sweet ladies and accepted us into their home and they started talking really openly. Hna Alicia started talking about 2 paths in this life, good and bad. Well I took that as a way to start a lesson. I opened up the Book of Mormon to 3 Nephi 27:33 and we started to talk about Baptism. It was a great lesson. They really understood the importance of it and they both accepted Baptism. Now they have a problem with attending Church on Sunday because they sell stuff in the street and their best day of work is Sunday, so this week we are going to talk about that, commit them to go to Church every Sunday, and get a Baptism date going :) I am really excited!! They are just great loving ladies!

This week we also stared teaching alot to a lady named Hna Gina who talked to us in the street one day and said that she wanted to come to our Church. Well we invited her to Church, she came and we got a lesson with her. She is a member of the Hindu religion which is very weird and rare here. She has a ton of tatoos and earings but she loves to talk about the Bible. When we teach she takes notes!! Its awesome! As we teach she asks alot of questions which is great. The other lesson that we had just two days ago she told us that when she was like 4 or 5 she listened to the Missionaries because her dad let them in the house, but he rejected them after awhile. She said that when I was talking and bearing my testimony the first time, she said it reminded her of when she was a little girl and the things that she felt when the Missionaries were in her house. I thought that was sweet and it strengthened my testimony that the Lord really prepares people for us. That day she accepted Baptism but she needs to get married, so her Baptism date for her and her son Diego is the 12th of November. I really hope she gets married because I might be leaving this area on the 14th of November. Elder Escamilla and I are together for 2 changes/3 months. She is a sweet lady :)

Nothing else much happened this week. Yesterday Elder Escamilla Elder Lamb and Lopez and I went and ate with a lady in our ward who lives forever away and she gave us rabbit again. It was SOOOOOOOOOOO good! I really like rabbit meat. I also ate another bag of the crickets that they sell here. I love them...especially with salsa and lime :) This week we also reactivated another inactive member! I also lost another tie to my Bishop playing chess and losing hahaha. He loves ties and chess and so I have played him three times and lost 2 ties and won 1 hahah! I think I am going to stop playing him now lol. He also bought us tacos :) And he bought us some drink food thing called Esquite. What it is, is a soup with just corn and melted butter in a cup with mayonase chili powder and cheese. It's really good I loved it!!

Well this upcoming week is General Conference! If you have not had they chance yet to read President Uchtdorf´s talk in the Ensign for the month of September, READ IT!! It's awesome and it will help you prepare for conference because like he says "its no ordinary blessing." I love you all and hope that all your prayers will be answered this weekend as we listen to a Prophets voice. I just want to bear my testimony that I know President Monson is a Prophet of God. He knows us and loves us just like our Father in Heaven. May we seek his word always. I love you all! Until next week!

Love,

Elder Brady Lester

Mexico Week 10: Amazing Conferences and American Food!

Hey there everyone!

Well this week has been a decent week except most of our investigators changed their mind about Baptisms on the 9th so we are going to work for the 17th, the last day of the change. Lorena might want to get Baptized at the end of this month. We did however find a women who is interested in our message and we have an appointment with her on Wedneday. This week though I believe will be very hard to teach lessons. This week our little village is celebrating their birthday all week haha. No one will be in their house so we will be contacting alot.

Btw....there is a ton of Fanta down here including apple flavored which is amazing!! I don't know where I will be changed but I really want to leave my area. I think three months in one area is enough, haha. I really want to stay in the same zone, but in the city. I think I might mention it in my letter to President today.

Sorry it's really hard to answer all your questions, but guess what...in one month you get to call me!!! So I will be able to answer all of them then, haha.

Well today was the best P-day ever! We are here in Puebla because we stayed the weekend with our zone leaders. Yes we do sleep well :) I didn't pack a pillow but I bought a tiny one here, haha. I am fine though :)

Something I would like in the package is razor heads, if you could. They don't sell the ones I like here. The fusion gillete ones...I think they are orange. Anyways today is Elder Rios' birthday! He is one of our zone leaders and he turned 23!! So we bought him some of his favorite ice cream and a jersey of his favorite soccer team. He was so happy!! He is a great Elder and leader. After we went and bought breakfast. I treated myself to donuts since you can't find those in my area, haha, like I can find anything but cows and goats. I hear there is a Krispy Kreme in one area so I hope I serve there, hahaha. After we went and played soccer. I used my brand new Mexico jersey I just bought and I think because of that I scored two goals, hahahaha which are my first goals in Mexico!! I am slowly getting better at soccer. After we ate HAMBURGERS!!!!!!!!!! So delicious!! Then we played pool, hahaha, so great P-day today!! 

General Conference was amazing!! I got to watch it in English. I guess it is a rule that we have to watch it in our native tounge. So I got to take good notes but I can't wait until the Liahona comes out so I can study them even more. Between the first and second session on Saturday, Elder Johnson and I, he is in my generation and distict, went and bought DOMINOS PIZZA!!!!! My first pizza since the MTC!!! :) It was so good! But anyways Conference was amazing. My favorite talks in order 1) Elder Bednar and personal revelation (that talk was something I needed). 2) Elder Uchtdorfs talk in Priesthood which was amazing! 3) Elder Holland of course. 4) President Monson in Priesthood. I really enjoyed all the talks and learned so so much! I can't wait until the next one, haha, and by then I will have 11 months in the mission!! 

Oh, and our Zone Conference this past Tuesday was awesome! We all got to hear from President Rex and his wife which was awesome. We also learned alot about teaching skills and practiced, practiced and practiced some more. It left me with the spirit and I was so ready to work!!

Also this week I received my first case of diarreha...it's not bad but it's not fun either, hahaha. Once in a while I get a sick stomach but I hope all will end here soon. I keep drinking coke to kill whatever is there. I am beginning to like coke now, hahaha. 

Well not much else to say, hahaha. I just finished the Book of Mosiah in the Book of Mormon and I love that book!! I am excited to start Alma and receive more inspiration in my life. I love all you guys and your letters!! I can't wait to hear from you again! I can't wait to call you guys!!! Have a great week!!

Love,

Elder Brady Lester