Through the fire and the flames...

Hello all:

What a week! 

It was really good, and really bad, and really good, and really bad. 

SO I’ll start with the good, then mom can clip out the bad.

This week I saw two huge miracles.

We are teaching a less active man named Antonio.  He was the first missionary from the branch and is an awesome guy.  But after his mission, he messed up.  And now we are teaching him, and his wife (investigator, Ruth Helen).  He has been attending church and all, and its been good.  But its been hard for me to pass the sacrament to his wife, and not to him.  And this week, he went to give his testimony, and it was awesome.  After...during the second hour of church, he had a interview with Pres De Rama.  And when he entered the class after, he looked at everyone...smiled...then sat down with his wife.  After church, we went to his house, and then he told us...he has been cleared to use his priesthood, bless the sacrament, and everything!   And..........his wife wants to be baptized.......and Antonio can Baptize her!  I am so happy for them!  It really is the perfect situation.  I love them so much, and they already have goals to marry in the temple.  It really is just perfect.

Second,  we have an investigator who has been listening, reading, and praying for 6 months, but never has attended church.  And this week...he came !  I smiled so big when he entered. 

With my comp, things were good.  We were joking around, having a good time, and working, but then things took a turn yesterday, and now I am walking through a minefield.  In the dark.  With a blindfold.  Don’t know what to do. But I’ll figure it out. 

Do you ever get to see Michael Smith? 
I’ve seen him only one time.  I really want to talk with him, but he’s far away.  He’s training someone though, which is awesome.  I’m sure he's doing great.

Photos?
Nothing really awesome happened this week.

Service this week?
We continued with the construction with the house (that we worked on last week)....right before fasting.....I though I would die!

Any special mission activities?
Interviews!  ...which I love, on Wednesday.  And I think there may be something else coming up...find out Thursday.

Investigators? 
Were working to find some new ones.  We’ve got some great ones...but always need more.  Many people here are hard hearted....Like Nehor-hard.  We have talked with like 60 people in the past couple of weeks...and we have entered 2 houses.  

Spiritual time?
I have had some great study times.

This transfer,  I feel like I have taken a step back in some aspects, and huge steps forward in others.  My prayers have never been so powerful, or so answered, and yet...I have never felt so alone and tired.  I feel like I am spinning in circles, that my lessons are failing, and everything else is struggling.  It’s super frustrating,  ...BUT don’t worry,  I am working hard to be obediente, and to work...Just need some time and help,.

I found a couple of scriptures that I love....Ether 2:24, and DC 95:1.  The Lord is making me what he wants me to be.  It’s hard, and I am struggling, but I can feel His love and I can feel His purpose,  Just need a little more of His patience and His guidance.   There is really no other way to improve, unless its through the fire and flames.

Sorry its a boring letter. 

I love you so much! 

Elder Bradshaw