Letter to Mom

Brady wrote me this letter on July 11, 2011.  The kids and I have only received a couple of hand written letters because Brady emails each week, but this was a special treat! Besides some special little emails he has personally sent me expressing how he's feeling and his feelings for me, this letter and the one here are just so meaningful.   I love and appreciate him so much!

A Letter for Mom

Dear Mom,

Well I want to write you personally because I didn't do so in the last letters I sent to the kids. I would like you to know how much I appreciate you as my Mom in my life. You are the reason I am here. You have taught me and raised me in the Gospel my whole life and always taught me the importance of Serving a Mission. This Mission is the hardest thing I have ever done. I cry when we don't have success, when the people don't understand me, or when I don't understand them, and because I am not with my Family.

But I always remember the things that you have gone through as a Mother. You gave birth to five kids, hahaha wow!!! I am glad I don't have to go through that but I really do think about it sometimes. How much pain a woman is willing to go through just to be a Mother. I also think about the divorces you went through and a child, and now as a Mother. You are still Faithful in the Gospel, raising your kids :)  I am sure it's hard. I don't know really how hard but I can imagine that it is. You are the example of a Faithful Mother and member of the Church always striving to do what is right.

Sometimes I think here in the mission...why am I here? This is so hard why don't I just go home? But I always think of you first, and the things that you have overcome in your life, and tell I myself...If she can go through that, I can do this! You always give and give and give and don't expect anything in return. I am really Grateful for you in my life Mom and I LOVE YOU SO MUCH :)

You are my example. You are my best friend. You are the best Mother ever :)

With all my love,
Elder Brady Lester

Setting Apart as a Missionary and a Letter from Mom

The setting apart for Brady was really special. President Peterson requested to be the one to set Brady apart. He and his wife came over to our home at 8:00 PM.  We also had the Handy family present. Jacob is one of Brady's best friends, and his family has been dear to our family for many years, and a second family for Brady. If he wasn't working, or at home, he was with Jacob. Brother Handy also set Brady apart in the office of an Elder in the Melchizedek Priesthood on his birthday, September 6th.  President Ferrell was also present. I am so grateful for these good men in our lives. The teaching that President Peterson gave before the blessing came from D&C 109. The Spirit was present and the blessing was absolutely beautiful, and of course as a mom, I was so touched at President Peterson's blessing as the Lord remembered our family as well and spoke directly about me, the Mom. There was so much more to the blessing, but Brinkley wasn't able to write everything down.

I included what we had in this letter that I gave Brady the night before he entered the MTC.

Dear Elder Lester,                                                                                                                           

                Well, here’s my first letter to you as a missionary. I can’t believe the time is here. We’ve waited so long and now the time has finally arrived.  I am so proud of you.  I want you to know that you mean more to me than words can express. You are my first born. We’ve been together for a very long time. I anticipated meeting you for the very first time when I went to the hospital to deliver you. I loved you before I ever met you and I have never stopped loving you. When I was pregnant with Brinkley I couldn’t imagine loving another child, but that love just expands and grows, and keeps growing as you get older, to almost overflowing that it’s hard to control the emotions sometimes. I am so proud and grateful to know and be a mother to the most amazing children. You and your siblings are such great people and examples to me in my life. You teach me everyday, and I look forward to learning more from you as you continue your preparations to serve the Lord and the people of Mexico. I can’t wait to go on this journey with you and experience all that you will be involved in. This will be a great time for our family and I’m so excited for you to share this with your brothers and sister. Share everything. Give us challenges. Stay close to your siblings and help instill in them the desire to serve as you are. You are loved and will be greatly missed. Our home is not the same without you. But as you can see, your picture is everywhere and there will be more pictures to come as you send them to us. Our home will be a missionary home and full of the love of the Gospel as it always has been. We have your brothers that will be prepared to follow in your footsteps and will be looking to you always as an example. Thank you for being such a great brother and example to them and to me. 

                I want you to have some of the words from your setting apart from President Peterson. Before he began, he talked about how you are now set apart from the world. You will go forth from this house armed with Thy power. Read D&C 109 and learn about this. In your blessing you were given:  

• The privileges and rights that go with this sacred calling
•  Capacity that God endows to his full time servants 
• Go forward with confidence that you are worthy 
• Special feelings of Reverence and Sacredness with this calling 
• Have Faith
•  Remember your Temple Endowments
•  Carry the Light of the Savior in your countenance 
• People’s hearts are being prepared right now to meet you 
• Be like Paul, how he always went about testifying
•  Have a special love with your companions, they will become your best friends for the rest of your life 
• Be perceptive with your companions and feel as one with your companion 
• Quickly love the people you serve 
• Want to help and lift them up and to help make families more united 
• Be diligent and obedient to the rules and laws 
• Be strict, aware of your adherence 
• Be diligent in your preparations 
• You will be called to leadership positions 
• The Lord will open your mind and your heart 
• Be at peace with your family 
• Strengthen your Mother 
• Remember her always in your letters 
• Make her a part of your mission experience 
• She has relied upon you for strength in the home 
• Know the Lord will be mindful of your family 
• Focus your mind and heart and give all you have 
• Angels will be near you 
• You will be guided 
• Have Gratitude 
• So many people have helped you get to this point and look to you 
• We send you forth on the Lord’s errand

     It was a beautiful blessing and I am so grateful to have been present.  You are now set apart from the world and have that special mantle as a representative of our Savior Jesus Christ. I know you have a strong testimony and I’m so proud and grateful that you know this for yourself, before you leave. I am so thankful to have found the Gospel and have been able to be worthy to be Baptized, receive the Holy Ghost, receive my Temple Endowment, Serve a Mission and raise a family in the True Gospel of Jesus Christ. I know it’s true. When I learned of the Gospel as a teenager, it was like all things came to my remembrance from when I was in the pre-existence. Your patriarchal blessing and my patriarchal blessing are similar in that way of how it discusses us being in the pre-existence and knowing, and coming to earth and remembering what we have been taught there. I have a great love and admiration for the Prophet Joseph and know that he saw God the Father and His Son Jesus Christ. They spoke to him. They knew him. They know us. I have seen the handiwork of God in my life so much. First because I am a mother and you are my child, and Brinkley, Kasey, Kolby and Braxley are also evidence of his love for me. He blesses me daily and has blessed our family tremendously. I am so grateful for the Gift of the Holy Ghost, and value it as my constant companion and know the importance of being worthy. Being worthy is everything. It keeps me with my children. It keeps me in the Temple. I love the scriptures and the church magazines and hearing from our Prophet and church leaders.  I know that Christ lives. I know this is His Gospel.

Go forth my son and serve. Remember you have been Called to Serve Him. Be obedient…always with exactness and you will be the most happy. Remember what President Hinckley said that his father told him during a rough patch on his mission, “forget yourself and go to work.” When we forget ourselves and focus on serving others we can see things more clearly. Rely on the Spirit. Pray. You will pray more than you ever have before and your relationship with your Heavenly Father and your Savior will grow. Be safe at all times. Take care of yourself so you will be healthy and strong, free of illness and injury. This is so important so you may do the work of the Lord. This is the most important work you will ever do in your life. Make it count…everyday. Believe in the power of D&C 4 and the Standard of Truth.

I look forward to your letters. Write, write, write and send those pictures! I am here for you always. Your family is here for you. We will be praying for you, your companions and the people you are teaching, every day and night.  Let us know what you need and we will pray, fast and go to the Temple.  Be the Leader and the Missionary that the Lord created you to be! I can’t wait to see your growth. Thank you for being my son. Thank you for being who you are. You are the love of my life.  I love you Brady.