Mexico Week 89: Conferences, Learning and Spiritual Feeding

Hey Family, 

Well again I don't have much time to sit down and write a legit letter. I have been in and out of the offices all day everyday. Last night we didn't get home until 11:00pm. We are working hard getting ready for the changes that we have on Tuesday. We have sent two more Elders home too so it's been very crazy here. We have been working hard and we feel like we are behind but I believe that we are more ready for these changes than the last time. We have a lot of new things going down. We are splitting a Zone into two Zones. Now every Stake in the Mission will have their own Zone and Zone Leaders which makes things a lot easier. We have been working hard to think about how to do the changes for the next change because my generation is going home a week early. Things just have been really crazy. 

Last week though we really had a great week. A lot of Conferences but a lot of Learning and Spiritual feeding. My topics went great. In the Leadership Training meeting I talked about judging righteously in our callings and correcting disobedience. It went very well. I share the example of Lehi in 1 Nephi 8:37-38 and how we need to judge righteously like Lehi did to his sons. I shared another example in D&C 101:2-5 as well. In the regular Zone Conference I talked about the Atonement and Gossip. It went very well and I have learned a lot about the Atonement while studying my topic. It has been great. I have really looked into the Scriptures and notice that the Atonement is on every page of the BoM. One example would be 1 Nephi 3:31 when Nephi and Sam are beaten by his brothers and then the angel comes. It's very interesting to see how it is talking about the Atonement. 

The Conferences have been great and we have been able to teach the Elders a lot of things. We really hit the importance of being Obedient and Repenting because we need to get onto other things in the Mission and not always talk about the Obedience issue that we have. The President has said that if we are not willing to live in a Mission of Obedience, we can go home. 

Well we have started to talk about other things. On Friday we had our ZL conference and we talked about a lot of things. We talked about Numbers of Excellence that my companion and I have been wanting to have. They are great numbers and really high norms for us. It really is going to change the Mission. Yesterday we saw how excited the Mission is as we went to a couple Zone Training meetings. The new culture is being placed and everyone is excited! 

Well I don't have much time. Hope everyone is doing just great! Love you all and hope that you all have a great week! 

Con Amor,

Mexico Week 73: Zona Tlaxcala‏

Hey Everyone! 

I hope everything is going great back at home!! Well I am now in Tlaxcala as a Zone Leader. My comp is Elder Nuncio, Mexican, and he is really awesome!!  I love him and am so happy to be with him. We are the Zone Leaders here and we are going to have a lot of work to do with the Mission splitting and stuff. We are going to be traveling a ton!!  I am way excited and ready to get to work.

Thanks for your letters. Just to let you know Grandma, there are not any taco bells here. Hahahaha, actually I think that I will never go to taco bell again after the Mission.  They are not tacos at all!!  Congrats Kasey and Kolby for getting your Eagle Scout awards!!  That’s awesome! Keep it up! I hope that you all have a great summer. Just to let you know Mom, I got your package and thank you tons!!  My comp and I already ate all the food hahahaha :)  Brink, I wrote Sean and he is doing good. He is going to be a great Missionary.

Well I don’t have much time to write. Things have been going great.  I am trying to get back into the routine of being a Missionary again hahaha, and not a Branch President.  I am back on track teaching and getting ready to Baptize alot.  It’s fun just being a normal Missionary working hard.  I have made the goal to be 100% obedient these last 5 months that I have in the Mission. It’s hard but it is so worth it. I am so glad to be in the Mission. I have learned alot.

I am grateful for the Atonement of Christ and am so grateful that here in the Mission I have really learned how to use it each day of my life.  I am so happy that He paid the price so that we can return to His house. He really really wants us just to work hard and do our best because He loves us. If we do our best we will return home again with Him.  He never leaves us alone if we fulfill what He has commanded us to do.

This week we have been teaching a sister, Elbia, and she is great.  We put a Baptism date for her for the 7th of July.  She didn’t want to accept so we were praying real hard so that she would feel that it is the right thing to do. On Sunday our prayers were answered.  The second counselor in the Stake Presidency gave a talk about receiving revelation and the importance to make goals and accept dates so that the adversary doesn’t tempt us hahaha.  It was exactly what Elbia needed and my comp and I just looked at each other like WOW!  Hahahaha, God answers prayers hahaha!!  I know He does.

Well I gotta go. I love you all and hope that you have a wonderful week!!

Love,
Elder Brady Lester

3 Nefi 5:13

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 33: Marriages and Baptism plans and Baptism of Coni

Hey everyone!


Well this past week was a pretty good one!! Elder Escamilla and I worked really hard and we had a lot of success!! Thank you for your letters and it sounds like the week was a decent week for you all. I am jealous that you got to go to the Dbacks game but I loved the pictures that you sent Mom :) I hope you guys had fun. That is great boys that you are getting things done with your Eagle Project.


Well in this past week some interesting things happened. Slowly we are still working with Hna Sandra so that she gets married here soon, so that she gets Baptized. It looks like this week she will be taking her blood tests so that her husband and her can get married. I really hope that happens soon so that she gets married and Baptized next week. Also in the past week Hno Yazzer told us that now him and his wife want to get married, so it looks like this week that will happen or the next. Hno Yazzer is an investigator who has two years with the Elders and wants to get Baptized so bad but his wife, who is a member, didn't want to get married for some reason. Now they do!! So we will be helping them with that as well. I am getting really excited for them because it's been a long time teaching them.


On Tuesday, my Birthday hahaha, we had a crazy day! It started off really bad. We were walking to Hna Coni´s house to teach her and make sure she was ready for Baptism and stuff, and as we were walking a ton of members saw us in the street and started freaking out at us for no reason and wanted a ton of help. I had to tell them another day because it was a packed day! Well as we were walking we saw Hna Coni in her car with her daughter and she told us that she was coming back in 1 hour and that she wanted to talk to us about her Baptism. It made us worry a ton and so we changed plans and worked for awhile in her neighborhood for about an hour. Well we went to her house after and she still was not there so we went to wait with a sister in the ward at her house. She was worried too for Coni because she is her best friend. Well we waited and she made us some quesadillas for breakfast which was yummy! Later a brother from the ward that is right next to ours called us and asked if we could go to the hospital and give him a blessing. I was freaking out at this point because the members were wanting our help, Coni wants to talk about her being Baptized, we still had to fill up the Baptismal font which takes about 2 hours, and now a blessing in a hospital that is forever away. I was just thinking to myself, why is all this happening on my Bday?!! Hahaha well I called Elder Lamb and told him to give the brother a blessing because he is from his ward anyways and we still had to fill up the font. After all of that, Hna Coni still did not show up so we went to the church to fill up the font. As it was filling up, we went and studied in the church, and later on went to eat close to the church. We went to some tiny little restaurant close by and I got myself soup, rice, a salad, beans, salsa (really good salsa!), and breaded chicken breast and a dessert for only 35 pesos!! Three bucks for all of that!!! Plus tortillas of course hahaha! It was delicious! After we went back to the church and started to study again because the font was still filling up, and then the same sister who gave us breakfast called and said to come to see Hna Coni fast because it was an emergency! After settling down a bit I started to stress again hahahaha and we went almost running to her house. We got there and she started to explain a story that is really long but basically her husband got drunk at a party and flirted with another girl. She got upset and wanted to talk to him but he got mad and hit her. For that she drank 3 beers and smoked a cigarrete!! I was so sad and frustrating that she didn't call us and was telling all this on the day of her Baptism!! It was terrible. We were thinking that we were not going to Baptize! After listening to her for a while we talked about Repentence and later felt, after talking with our leaders, that she was Repentant and could get Baptized!! I was so happy. So we went to the church to finish things and then had her Baptismal service as planned. It was a sweet service and I felt the Spirit so strong but when I went to Baptize her she kept lifting her foot out of the water hahaha, and so we had to do it 4 times!! The 4th time I just shoved her under the water hard hahaha! It was fun! After a sister bought me a cake and they all sang Happy Birthday to me in Spanish hahaha, and then after they wanted me to bite the cake, so I went for it and guess what...Hna Coni shoved my face in the cake hahaha!! It was so funny and I was so grateful for the members and that day. It ended up being great and my testimony was strengthened about the power of the Atonement and how God will forgive anyone who is willing to "come and see." It was a great day!

 Baptism of Coni

The rest of the week went good! We have two Baptisms on Sunday so I can't wait for that and I really feel that we are going to have alot of success Elder Escamilla and I, as long as we are obedient. We gotta keep working hard! I am just really excited! Well I gotta go, but thank you for all your support! I love you all, especially my Family :)


Love,
Elder Brady Lester

P.S. Yes Mom, I am pretty much fluent in Spanish hahaha. I can understand 95% of what's being said and I talk a ton hahaha, but I still have a ton of words to learn :) 

Mexcio Week 20: Baptism of Isabel, Work to do, and Giving Talks

Hola everyone!

Well this past week was a better week in my area and with my companion. He seems to have reacted better to wanting to work. I have tried everything and even talked to him about it, and he responded, for about 2 days hahaha. He is starting to get lazy again and mad at me for trying to do what is right, but apparently we will have divisions with the Zone Leaders soon, so hopefully that will help us out. He really is a great guy and an amazing teacher! I have learned to improve my teaching from what he has taught me, and I know it will help, but I just need to exercise more patience maybe, but still be strong and obedient.

Well I told you guys that the Mavs would win! Just because I am on a Mission doesn't mean I don't have my sports prediction skill and gift :)  Hahahaha but I am glad that they won. I have very little respect for Lebron hahaha. I hope the dbacks win it all this year but I am not predicting anything in baseball yet, lol.

Well this past week Hermana Isabel got Baptized.

The sweet lady who can't walk or move very well. We had to fill up the font at 7pm on Friday and heat it up because she could not get Baptized in cold water. Well after it filled up we left the church to go home. Saturday in the morning at 7 we went to stick in these metal heater things to heat up the water, but most of the water drained out, so we stayed another 2 hours filling up the font again, hahaha. After that we left and worked for the day, and at 5 was the Baptism. Well we got to the church very early, at like 3:30, to make sure everything was ready. Well it so happened that the electricity was out in the building for most of the day and the water did not heat up at all! So we rushed around trying to fix up the electricity, and finally it was working and just barely got the water hot enough for the Baptism. During the services I talked about the Holy Ghost and after was the Baptism. Elder Rojas performed the Baptism, and I had to get in to help get her into the font and Baptize her. We had to do it twice but it was still a sweet experience. This week we hope to Baptize her daughter Karla :)

Well Sunday I had to give a talk and I talked about Charity and Love. It went well I thought. I talked about how we are Diciples of Christ because we got Baptized and took upon His name...but without love, the Pure Love of Christ, we are nobody and definately not Diciples of Christ. Also Hermana Isabel was Confirmed. After, during the Gospel Principles class, a nonmember lady came and asked us how we all say that this Church is true and she wanted to know how she could know for herself! Hahaha golden I thought! Well we ending up teaching her the message of the Restoration and she accepted another visit in her house :) Her name is Hermana Sandra and I really hope that she will progress with us!

Well I have been learning alot in this new area. There is a lot of work...we just need to work hahaha!!

To answer your questions - I have tried new foods almost everyday. They eat much more chicken and soup here in the city. The food is way different from Huacaltzingo because they have more money here, hahaha. Yesterday I had this meatball thing after Church with a salsa and it was so so good!! How we wash our laundry...hahaha well we did wash with a Hermana in our ward but it was on Saturday's and we can't do that, so I told my comp we have to wash Monday's or find another way. Well she is not home Monday's and yesterday we asked the Relief Society President to ask some Hermanas but nobody wants to help, hahaha so we will be washing by hand in our apartment!!! :) hahaha.

Well I am sorry to here about Jonathon and Taylor. I really hope Jonathon gets back out. I am really sad of hearing about people going home hahaha. Taylor....well he is also in my prayers. I hope all will continue to be fine with him. And somebody please tell Jacob Handy to write me!! Little terd hahaha.

Well that is it for today! I love and miss you all!!

Love,
Elder Brady Lester

MTC Week 3: Obedience, Spanish, and the Spirit

Hey there fam!!

It's been another great week in the MTC :) I have enjoyed all your letters and goodies! So I got my first letters from Elder Helvig and Corrinn which was exciting to see!! :) I can't wait to write them back later today! Also I will be sending my memory card in the mail this week so look for that :)

Anyways, the week has been tough but great! Once again Elder Walker and I are doing great and working hard! We have taught at least 3 lessons everyday and try and contact and testify to people in spanish. It's way cool! We learn something new everytime :) It was a tough week as a DL though. I have a boy in my district, Elder Justensen, who has been way homesick and has alot of anxiety. He's been to urgent care twice and he is having a tough time. He really wants to go home. President Lloyd and I and the whole district have been helping him out a ton! He has a fabulous companion though and I know the Lord put them together for this reason. Unfortunately his companion leaves Dec 15th to the Peru MTC and same with another companionship, but Elder Justensen has to stay here cuz it's better for him.  I hope he gets put with Walker and I cuz I know we can encourage, love, and help him. It's also been a hard week for obedience in my district, so I felt impressed to teach a lesson on obedience. I had my lessons prepared for Faith but I felt like teaching something else. I was nervous, but once I got up there I was very bold, and just started talking and the Spirit was there. The scripture I used was John 14:21. I asked them to keep it in their minds as I was giving the lesson and at the end, I asked if we don't keep His commandments is it fair to say that we don't love Him? I think it really hit everyone and our obedience issue is gone!!

I have been able to learn so much so fast here! Elder Walker and I teach each other so much and each time we teach lessons we learn a tremendous amount. This week though we really focused on teaching a person, not a lesson, and using the spirit. We were able to focus on our purpose and let people know what they needed to hear, and then we really focused on baptism. It was amazing and I can't wait to get to Mexico to share my testimony for reals!

With spanish its been tough, but I am getting through it. I have memorized a ton of new vocab and now can conjugate in the present, past, imperfect, and future tenses. Now it's just learning vocab and a bit more grammer! I hope our whole district can pick up the language well!!

Yesterday in class, Hermano Cleek taught each of us how to polish our shoes. Haha it was awesome!! Now I have shiny black shoes to show off to the cute sisters, lol jk ;) Also today Elder Walker and I bought Spanish scripture cases for the other set of scriptures they gave us. They are way cool and you'll see them in a picture :)

Anyways, things are fabulous!! I am really having a blast even though its hard work! The spirit here is amazing and it helps us learn so much so fast. The things we learn are not just for those we go seek and find, but they are for our whole lives! I am just trying to focus, work hard, and soak up the spirit! I've been really learning how to be a better person by fullfilling my purpose. The Lord shapes each of His missionaries into strong, focused, diligent, obedient, loving men of God. It shows as each Elder diligently wants to learn and can't wait to help those in Mexico, Bolivia, Arizona, or wherever they are going. Its awesome!!

Anyways, I love hearing from you every week and can't wait to hear from you again! Please share what's going on and how everything is! I want to leave you with a challenge to read D&C 121 and Alma 32, and apply what's in there in your lives. I know that it will bless you. I know that you are being blessed and that the Lord loves each one of us :)

Thanks! I love you all!