Mexico Week 76: Zone Leader Conference & More Rain

Hey Family!!

Thank you all for writing. I love your letters.  Really Kasey...you broke my heart with that Steve Nash news but I am happy that he is going to be going to a team where he can win a championship. It will be fun to watch him play in LA.  Sounds like you boys are having a great time up in Utah camping and stuff. Sounds like a plan maggie...I will have to try those enchiladas and your pozole dad ;) Hahaha.  Thank you Mom and Grandma for the money. Tomorrow I will be buying my leather scripture cases.  Tomorrow we have a leadership training meeting in Puebla. Hahaha, we are traveling alot.  I am not a fan of the Zone Leader thing...I miss being a Branch President, hahahaha. 

Well the work has been good here. We got to go to the new mission home on Friday for the Zone Leader conference.  It’s really nice. The new president lives in the nicest neighborhood in Puebla. It looks like an American neighborhood but more modern. There is a golf course and everything there.  We got to eat breakfast.  Sister Christensen made us eggs, juice, and pancakes with whip cream!! I have not had whip cream for 20 months hahahaha. We had a great conference. I learned ALOT about A LOT, hahahahaha. Everything I learned really I can see how to apply it in my life after the mission and that is what President Christensen said that he wants.  Just so that you know the president a little more: 

He served a mission in California Spanish speaking.

He was the Vice President of Hallmark Cards (he is rich).

He quit his job because the First Presidency asked him to work as the Head Director of Finances of the Church (he is even more rich).

He had monthly meetings with the Twelve and the First Presidency. 

That is just a little background info about my new Mission President. I guess that I will have to have alot of money to be a Mission President someday, hahahaha.  In the conference he told us that Elder Bednar´s favorite scripture is 2 Nephi 2:14. Hahahahaha, all of us Zone Leaders just looked at each other like...wow...he knows the favorite scripture of an Apostle, hahahaha. He is very spiritual but he says things how they really are. On Friday we did something that I never thought that we would do. We started making the "culture" of this new Mission. We started talking about the Purpose, Processes, and Actions. We talked about how we could make sure that our Actions or Practices in the Mission are aligned with the Processes and the Purpose and throw out the bad Actions and Practices that have nothing to do with our Purpose. It was very cool.  Hahaha, then I think that I received revelation for my personal life in that moment. That formula is a great one to be able to start and better businesses (just a comment since you all know that I like business). Hahaha it was a great conference. I really felt the spirit and learned alot. 

Here in our area we have been working our tails off.  It has been raining like crazy and literally the rain has been up to our shins. We keep working hahaha. The other day we were working in the rain and it was just coming down and some members saw us and asked why we weren’t home since it was raining so hard. My comp just laughed and said...the work goes on. It’s true what he said. The work goes on. God keeps working and doesn’t rest if it’s raining. 

Today we played like 2-3 hours of basketball at the church with a team of a brother in our ward. They are real good. I had a great time but I have just lost all of my condition hahaha. I would just run up and down the court dying. It was really the best basketball that I have played in the Mission. 

Well I gotta go! I love you all and hope that you have a great week! Kasey I hope that you enjoy EFY! Miss you all tons!! OH!! Hahaha before I go I have some good news for you all. My date changed for going home. I was supposed to go home the 28th of November but President Christensen wants me to be home for Thanksgiving, so I will be going home the 20th of November, so you will all have me home a week early hahahaha. Love ya!!

 Elder Lester

Mexico Week 71: Learning alot as Branch President

Hey there!

Wow its June!! It’s crazy how the time flies. I totally forgot to tell you guys last Monday that a dog totally bit my finger and tore it up pretty bad hahaha. Everything is alright now. I cleaned it up and put a band aid on it hahaha. 

Just to let you know Mom I still haven’t gotten the package you sent. I hope that I will go to Puebla soon for it.
 
Thanks for your awesome emails. I love reading the funny ones from Brax hahaha. It sounds like you boys had a great time on the trek! I am so happy that you all had a great spiritual experience. I remember when Brink and I went on the trek. It was so awesome!! Sounds like everything is going great back at home. Wow I can’t believe that it’s so hot!! How is the weather in Puerto Rico dad? That’s awesome that you are getting some missionary work done over there! Hahaha the weather here has been pretty warm as of late but now we have been getting some rain :)
 
Well this week is the last week of this transfer. I asked President to leave me here hahaha, and he told me that he would think about it. I really hope that I stay here more time. We are starting a library in the branch!! It’s going to be awesome! I asked for a tons of stuff!! Scriptures, markers, manuals, books. It’s so sweet what we are doing. We also started up the single adults program. We planned activities for each week for the rest of the year. Activities like dances, games, sports, cooking, FHE, service, and camping!! It’s going to be a blast to see these members have tons a fun. They have never seen these things before. Hahahaha, you can say that I am changing this Mexican branch into an American ward, hahaha :)
 
Well nothing else much has happened. We are getting alot done in the branch. We were not able to go to the Temple on the 26th of May because the other branch canceled, and they rented the bus so it was lame, but now we are going to do it with just our branch on the 16th of June. Also the young women are going to have a campout on the 22-23 of June! These things are so new and so awesome!! Hahahahaha, it makes me Happy! But we have been struggling in the Missionary work. Everybody just says no and we have not been able to teach alot. I have learned alot here as Branch President, more than any other area, but I think that my teaching skills are going away, hahaha.
 
Well I gotta go. I love you all!! I heard that David Archuleta has made 2 CDs during my mission, one that just came out?? Hahaha, I wrote Sean just to let you know Brink. I love you tons everyone!! Grandma, I know it’s hot but you gotta get out!! Mom and you should go to lunch one day, hehehe.

Love,
Elder Brady Lester

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 44: Baptism of Mary and Learning A Lot

Hey there everyone!!

Thank you for writing me. I love you all and love your letters. 

Well this is going to be a short letter for time and lack of dinero hahaha. This past week we had another Baptism of the girl, Hna Mary, and it was a kind of a disappointment. The members were loud and walking in and out of the Baptism and it was hard for me to feel the Spirit. I was a little upset but the good thing is that Mary`s mom is not a member and she felt the Spirit somehow and was crying and really liked the Baptism. I hope that means that she will be willing to listen and accept Baptism too. Other than that Baptism we have just been working really hard with our investigators so that they go to Church and get Baptized. We still have not been able to start a Branch but we hope to have success here soon and we are really going to focus on reactiving more than Baptizing now so that we can get that started!

Things have been really good in the mission and I have learned a lot and keep learning tons. I really hope that the Lord is blessing you all. I love you all and can't wait to see you in one year and spend a little time with you all! You are all in my prayers and I know that I am in yours :) Have a great week!!

Love,

Elder Brady Lester 

Mexico Week 29: Blessings in Trials and Learning from the Scriptures

Hey there everyone!!

Well first off I want to start off by saying HAPPY BIRTHDAY BRAXLEY!  I can't believe that you are 11 years old now!! That is crazy because I really still remember when you were a little tiny kid hahaha. I hope you have a great birthday!! Kasey thank you so much for you letter and your advice. I am so glad that you are learning, so just apply it!! You are meant to be a leader in the kingdom of God but obedience, study, and prayer is required to take that spot. Brinkley congrats on getting another job!! SAVE your money and don't be stupid like I was with mine. Kolby....Baritone?? Really? Hahahaha cool! You are going to be really good! Mom, congrats on passing your test!! Dad thank you for your letter and for sharing your experiences. I really did learn something and I felt that I must really use the guidance of the Spirit more in that aspect of the work.

Well this last week was hard because my comp did not want to do anything and so he stayed in the house all week. I tried having a member to come over to be with him so that I could go work with other Elders but I didn't feel comfortable with it.

(This is Mom...since Elder Lester has spent a lot of time in the apartment with his companion that won't work, I thought I would show pictures of the new apartment in Castillotla that they moved to awhile back.)

 I think this is the view from Brady's apartment. I believe that's a volcano.

I studied a ton this past week hahaha. There are blessings in the trials. I really learned alot. This week I read 1 Nephi 8 and learned quite a bit of new things. Something new came to me as I was studying this chapter. I learned that the Rod of Iron is like the Doctrine of Jesus Christ which is Faith, Repentance, Baptism, and receiving the Gift of the Holy Ghost. If we as members and investigators live and follow that Rod, we will have the opportunity to partake of the fruit which we know from Nephi´s explanation in chapter 11 is the Love of God. I learned in my study that this fruit is Eternal Life. That is the gift that God offers us if we live His Gospel. The love part comes in from the Gospel that He gives us but more importantly His Son, Jesus Christ. Without Jesus Christ we can't partake of that fruit. We need His help. There are dirty rivers and great and spacious buildings in our lives, but we always have the chance to come back to the Rod and partake of the fruit through the Love of God, Jesus Christ.

This past week I also learned about the importance of being obedient. There is no way to have success in this work unless you are obedient. There are rules for our protection and for our learning. We can learn so much by the Spirit if we are worthy to learn from it. I believe that we must always remember our Covenants and these Commandments and have them in our hearts. If we really ponder them it will be easier to follow and live them I believe. We will understand the importance of these commandments and then have the desire to keep them. If we don't, we are offending God and can't learn or live great experiences. I love what Joseph Smith taught "When we are willing to come to Him, He will then be willing to come to us." I believe we do that by keeping Covenants and Commandments.

I also read Alma 17 and I love that chapter! It was written for Missionaries I believe! I learned about three things that we must do as Missionaries to have success. The Sons of Mosiah did these things and had alot of success Baptizing thousands for their 14 year mission. First is studying diligently in the scriptures. There is a difference in reading and studying. Studying is really pondering and trying to learn from the Spirit while reading. It takes alot of pondering I have learned. It takes me almost 40 minutes to read one chapter in the BoM because I ponder certain words, verses, and phrases. At home we call it "family scripture STUDY" so I invite you all to really study. The next thing that they did was pray alot. Prayer is the greatest blessing that God gives to all of His children, members or not. We can talk to Him and He will answer us! Its amazing! We just need to listen to the Spirit before, during, and after the prayer. This is one way to receive revelation. The next thing that they did was fast. Fasting is so important in our lives. First, we are more healthy physically. We need to not eat every once and awhile, as the prophets have taught. Second, we are spiritually fed. I have learned that the greatest blessings come from great service and sacrifice. For example, a Mom serves and sacrifices to give life to a child. The Savior served and sacrificed to give each of us the gift of life after death. Fasting is a way to sacrifice something that we all love and receive blessings for it. Then it is not such a sacrifice but something that we want to do because it's a blessing.

Those are some of the things that I learned in my personl studies all week and day long, hahaha. I really know that the Lord is preparing me for something with all these lessons and trials. I just can't wait for it to happen, hahaha. I really see success in the future! I love you all and hope you have a great week!

Love,
Elder Brady Lester

Mexico Week 27: Learning to Improve Teaching and Becoming a Disciple of Christ

Hi there!!

Well it's August!!! I will be hitting 9 months in the Mission this month...on the 17th hahaha. Time is just flying by! Thank you for all your letters and support :) I love you all! Things sound like they are going good back at home with all you guys :)

This past week was a good week :) I learned alot. I have been really studying and practicing the lessons that we teach to improve my teaching skills. I have come up with some examples to help the people understand better the Doctrine. I have two examples for Baptism. The first is simple. In John 3:5 it says basically that no one can enter into heaven without being Baptized. Well the example is a door and Baptism is the key to open this door to heaven. The thing is there are many keys because there are many ways to be Baptized now days so there is only one right key. So you need the right authority and proper Baptism to obtain this key. My other example I use more because it's better. Well we all sin, and sin is like mud on our hands. To clean this mud off we need two things to do it because we can't hug God with dirty hands. First we need soap, which is repentance and then water, which is Baptism. I have alot of other examples for other teachings but I really like using them hahaha. The people understand better.

I have also learned alot about becoming a true follower of Christ. There are two things that help us become more like Him. The first is love. We must love others and show it like Christ did. Service is the best way. Christ always served. Before He died, He cleaned the Apostles feet. We must serve people to show our love for them not just say "I love you." Love is a gift from God though and only with His help can we obatin it. We must follow the counsel of Mormon in Moroni 7:48 then. This is the only way we can come to truly love someone. The next thing that helps us is keeping our Covenants. We must keep all of our Convenants and study about the real importance of them. The Sacrament is the most important Ordinance that we do today as members of the church. We sometimes do realize how important it really is. If we understand, study, and achieve these two things we will become true Disciples of Christ. 

This past Wednesday I got to teach in our district meeting and I taught about the highest law that Christ taught. That law is found in 3 Nephi 27:27. I talked about the Christlike attributes and how those are the things that we must always study and live to really live and keep this higher law that Christ taught to His Apostles in the Americas. I would like to challenge all of you to study these attributes in Chapter 6 of PMG and make the goals and plans to live them.

 Well we did not have much success with investigators this past week. Hermana Sandra is an investigator who wants to get Baptized but she wants to wait just a bit more until she makes this decision. We are trying to figure out what we can do to help her. Her husband wants to get Baptized too but he wants to wait awhile because he is not ready, which is true haha. We watched the movie "The Moutain of the Lord" with them and they got really excited and want to be Sealed in the Temple, but still want to wait a bit until they get Baptized. If Hermana Sandra does not accept a date this week though we are going to drop her which is sad. I really love her, she is great! The other night she made me a traditional american breakfast with two sunny side up eggs, bacon, toast with jam, and orange juice. Hahaha it was really good and I was so happy. It's funny because everyone here thinks that's all we eat for breakfast! Lol, oh and her husband taught me a "mexican fry sauce." It's mayonaise and salsa chipotle mixed together. It is so good! You guys need to look to that salsa and make that :) You will all love it.

So my comp and I did something funny the other night. We were listening to a Spanish song that he has on his ipod called "Mientes" by Camila (you should all look it up its really good) and we took the tune and change the words as if we were teaching a lesson to investigators. It was hilarious hahaha! We didn't go to sleep until 12 that night so the next day I was so tired, but it was finally fun to laugh and relax with my comp for once. We also played UNO that night and made sandwhiches :)

Well it has not rained much lately which is sad, but the weather is still great :) I have not tried any new foods but something you guys can try that they do here is the people eat their pizza with hot sauce, which is now my new favorite, or ketchup! Its actually really good! You will have to try it some time. I really hope you all come down to get me when I finish so you can see how Mexico is and try the food :) Oh its sooooooo gooooooooooooooood!!!!! :)  I love the tacos :)

Well I gotta go! I love you all and can't wait to hear from you next week!

Love,

Elder Brady Lester

PS: I played the Bishop the other day in chess and lost, so I lost a tie :( But he did give me a cool one for trying to win hahaha. He is really good!

Mexico Week 13: Baptism of Lorena, Learning, and Testimony in Spanish

Dear...Everyone who gets this letter, 

Well this week was a very bad week number wise. Pretty much all of our appointments fell through and we had little success working and teaching. I feel like maybe the Lord is teaching us something. I want to figure it out so I will be praying and reading alot this week. I also feel like my comp is slowly dying. He is starting to get a little lazy. When our appointments fall through, he doesn't want to contact and he always wants to go visit the same member family everyday. We had a talk about it but of course he would not listen. I also had some ideas to see if we could get the members more involved but he just contradicts everything that I say so I will be just sitting back on that stuff this week and just do my job teaching and testifying of the truth we have. I also will repent for my bad thoughts towards him hahaha. 

This week was fun with the bicycles though!! Instead of walking the 30 minutes to the church building we get there in 5 with our bicicletas :) My legs and bum hurt though hahahahaha. That is so awesome that Kasey fixed the bikes! Mom, just get your bike fixed and you guys can take family rides together Sundays or something :) That is cool about the triatholon that you had too! I remember the two that I did when I was a Teacher and they were a blast! But we did it as a campout. 

So this past week Pedro, the man who walks to church for an hour, Baptized his wife Hermana Lorena that we have been teaching for 3 months hahaha!! Finally she got Baptized!!! You will see the pictures that I am uploading right now :)

Elder Lester, Pedro, Lorena, Elder Lumbreras

Also in my pictures you will see me and Elder Johnson eating something redish called a pitalla from a cactus. It wasn't bad but it wasn't good, hahaha. It was like a mushy dirty watermelon with alot of seeds hahaha. 

Elder Lester and Elder Johnson

Well Braxley your fortune is coming true because this morning I sent off letters to all you kids hahaha. I laughed so hard when I read that story lol!! I wrote a letter to all you kids individually but in one envelope so it gets there at the same time hahaha. I am glad to hear you are all doing well! I cant believe how fast the time is going but I am dying to see you guys!! Btw you guys get to call me May 8th :) I will get you info of when and what time :) I cant wait for that day!! 

Well I have enjoyed my studies this week and I learned in Alma 37:33-37 the Keys to Becoming a Successful Missionary (I think the scripture is right if I remember it). It talks about how we must teach Repentance and Faith, always thinking and looking towards Christ and using His Atonement everyday in our lives. I will be looking to apply that in this wonderful work of the Lord and hope the Lord will bless me with success the next 18 months!! I am like a new sister missionary now, hahaha. 

Pues, yo testifico que la obra misional es verdadera. Yo testifico que Jesucristo es nuestro Redentor y Salvador. El es La Piedra de nuestras vidas y solemente obtengamos salvacion por medio de El y Su Expiacion. Como podemos saber lo que tenemos que hacer para volver a Su presencia, leer El Libro de Mormon. YO TESTIFICO que El Libro de Mormon contiene la plenitud y es verdadero. Nadie puede entrar en los cielos a menos que lea este libro y medite la significa este libro tiene en su vida. Yo hablo sin temor por que se que mi doctrina, la doctrina de Cristo, es verdad. 

I miss you all and love you more!! Can't wait to hear from you, and you are all in my prayers everyday! I hope you are receiving many blessings!! 

Love, 

Elder Brady Lester

MTC Week 8: Teaching and Learning

Hey!!

Week 8 here at the MTC!! So I got some news the other day from my Branch President and the travel office here at the MTC. Our Visa's have not come yet, but they are working on them. They said we should have them between now and two months. So we will probably stay here until the 24th or the 30th of January, then get reassigned to Boise, Vegas, Seattle, and anywhere in Utah or Arizona. Crazy!! I really want to get to Mexico but I wouldn't mind going somewhere else for a bit in the states. I think it would be good practice for spanish and teaching :) I just want to go out and get started!! I am so excited!!

This week was another good week at the MTC. Elder Walker and I keep working harder everyday! We are trying really hard to speak Spanish all day but it is difficult. We can do better, and I have Faith that this week we will do great!


This week we got to be hosts for the new Missionaries again which was fun!! :)


So this week Elder Walker and I have been teaching, teaching, teaching, and teaching some more!! We keep teaching and we are getting better each time and learning so much everytime we teach!! It's amazing how much we learn. My favorite is when we have personal and companionship study. We learn so much and it helps us a ton with our teaching. This week Elder Walker and I had some really hard investigators. We had one who was gay, one who was 60 years old, and a 15 year old who has a  chastity problem, and a evil spirit problem. They were all true stories that our teachers had on their missions and they role played for us. It was insane!! Apparently in Mexico they have word of wisdom problems, chastity problems, and evil spirit problems often. It made me nervous but I am ready to help any of those people out!!

So today I had the most amazing experience in the temple today. I learned so much more and felt the spirit so much more than I ever have in the temple. 

So let me tell you about Elder Walker, my companion. He is from Pleasent Grove, Utah. He used to be in a band and used to do drugs and had that kind of life style. But he wanted to serve a mission. So for the past two years he has fixed his life up and repented for all his sins. He has had some wonderful experiences the past two years that have helped him get here today. I am so grateful for that because he is the best example of a man who knows his Savior Jesus Christ, and how He can help him. He knows what it is like to be at the lowest of lows and get back on top. He is the best example of a man who knows and uses the atonement effectively everyday. I hope I can take his example and be like him someday. :)

So let my tell you about my p-day schedule!! Every Friday I have p-day! We wake up at 6:30 AM and have personal study from 7-8:15. Then we have breakfast until 9:00, and from 9-10:00 we have companionship study. Then at 10:00 we go to the Temple until 1:00. Then from 1-3:30 we have prep time where we write letters and do whatever we need to do for the up coming week. Then at 3:30 we do laundry until 5:15ish, and the we e-mail home :)  That's how Elder Walker and I do things :)  We then have dinner from 6-6:45, and class from 7-9:00 and that's pretty much it!!

Well I love you all and miss you!! I love hearing from you and hope I can everyday if possible :)

Love, (Amor)

Elder Lester