A Time to Train

Hey!

I can’t believe that you are almost all in Summer vacation now! It’s crazy to me because it just started getting a little bit cooler here...just a little bit...not too much.

It was a good week. I am tired, and have been running for like 7 days straight. But it was one of those real good, hard working kind of weeks...so I’m happy!

My companions name is Elder Butron. He is from Lima and is 24 years old. He is a wonderful person. He is so kind and loving and has lots of desires to keep on working and to help everyone. He is really really shy, but is slowly breaking out of that shell, especially with the investigators and people in the street. In this week, he has grown so much and I know he will really be a great missionary. I do love him, he is a great guy. I am excited to be able to be working with him.

Elder Bradshaw and his new companion Elder Butron, from Lima, Peru.

This week was a real successful week.....we found plenty of new people, and they are wonderful!!! I am so pumped. I try not to get over excited about a first visit, but we found another INCREDIBLE family.  Now we are teaching like 5 Families. and I am pretty sure we will baptize at least two of them in these two transfers. Super excited.

One of these families, la familia Roque Heche (pronounced Rocky)...is incredible! One day we were walking down the road, and started knocking random doors. We talked to a lady and ended up giving her a Book of Mormon. She seemed excited so we took out another appointment. We went back the next day, and her Husband was there.  Felix has never listened to missionaries from whatever church and we are the first ones he is listening too. He asked us a ton of questions about the different churches and how is the original church, and why there are so many, and said that he has never found an answer. We taught him and his wife the lesson and it went really well. His wife told us of a vision that she had a long time ago when she walked into a really old temple and a figure in white picked her up, and comforted her in her problems. After her vision, she talked to a pastor of another church and he told her that she needs to look for a church, and that it doesn't necessarily needs to be his own. She told us that she had been looking for a church for lots of years but has never found one that makes her feel good. The both received answers and light and the both felt the spirit. Elder Butron asked them to be baptized and they decided that they need to wait a little bit longer. I am so excited to teach them tomorrow. I hope it all goes well!  Pray for them!

The others are good, but not as prepared as the family Roque. We are still teaching the people I have told you about before, and one of those half-member families even went to Truijillo to the Open Doors in the Temple....so lets hope that that was a good experience for them....They just need to get married, they have the plans, but there goal is in September....and we really want them to get married in July......so we are working on that....jaja

The only problem with the 5 families that we are so excited about teaching...is that NONE of them are Married.....sigh....

K.  I don’t really know what more to write....

But I am super super super excited to keep working....I have never had a greater desire for a good baptism...And right now is the time to do it. The goal is two new families baptized before August.....Let’s see how it goes.

Now is the time to act with our branch. Whenever there is a change up in leadership, then people are ready to work hard.  So we are super super excited and the members and super super excited too.  And we are here, ready to work!

Of course...HOW’S THE TRAINING???
It’s going well.... I am learning a ton and reviewing these basic things helps me, as well as him, to be better companions and better missionaries We get a long well. He is a great dude.

What are some thoughts going through your head as you have this training experience again?
“His first 12 weeks are my last 12 weeks”...jk

Tender mercies this week?
I feel like my tender mercies were the families that we found.

How’s your personal Book of Mormon Challenge going?
I am doing well...A little bit behind where I thought I would be, but I’m in Jacob, and loving it!

Exercise?
Everyday with the jump rope that Sister Ihrke sent me. jaja

Pday fun?
We went to the beach.  We always go to the beach, and I'm glad.

Pday with Elder Butron at the beach.

LOVE YOU ALL And I hope that all goes well!

Have a great week!

Elder Bradshaw

Blue walls with pink edging...

Hey hey hey!

How’s it going? I’ve never understood questions like that in letters...because you won’t even answer it until a long time after I ask you it...then I won’t even read your answer for another week, so...jaja.

So....basically I told you everything in my life yesterday...but it was such a great time speaking with you all and seeing you through skype. I can’t believe that was my last call! It was so nice to see you all.  It didn’t destroy me like it did my first call. And I was fine after. I am still excited to keep going and I am doing well here! I love seeing how much you have all changed, especially Elli. What?  She’s grown like a foot since I have been home.

Today for pday, we went to a little beach/fishing town and kinda just walked around. We climbed a mountain with huge cliffs looking over the ocean which was super awesome. The beaches here are incredible beautiful, blue water, huge cliffs, beautiful sand....But no one takes care of the beach area, so they can be kinda ugly. But its been a nice time just being around the ocean. In the morning we played some Bball with the other gringos which was pretty fun.

Hanging over the cliffs at the beach hike today.

So a couple of awesome experiences I had....About a week ago, I was praying and while I was praying, I thought of a blue wall with pink edging. During that whole day, I kept looking for it, and we actually found it! We knocked on the door, but no one came out. So a week later, we were walking by the same place, and I decided to knock the door again. When we knocked on it, a guy opened it up, looked at us, smiled and let us in. Turns out he was an old investigator, and a brother of a good member. He let us in but didn’t have much time, so we just got to know him a bit. Also, it turns out that his dad was baptized just this weekend in another branch...And he’s one of two of the family that aren’t members....so I think it’s his time! We are going to keep looking for him.

We also found another family of less actives that has progressed a ton. so I am pretty excited about them....turns out that they are also family of the other guy we found....small world huh? They’ve recently read like 5 chapters in the BOM since the first time that we visited them, and they attended church AND the baptism of his dad! Pretty cool!  I hope they can progress. It was interesting, because right after we started visiting them, they didn’t have basically anything to eat....but after that, the lady won two huge raffle tickets and won two big baskets of food....Mosiah 2:41. jaja


 Mosiah 2:41 And moreover, I would desire that ye should consider on the blessed and happy state of those that keep the commandments of God. For behold, they are blessed in all things, both temporal and spiritual

This past week, a couple of eight year old girls asked us to baptize them, so that explains the picture. It was a fun experience.

Branch baptism this past weekend.

I am super excited for the dedication of Trujillo TEMPLE. It’s going to be so AWESOME!!!! I can’t wait! One month more!  We don’t get to go, but we get to see the transmission of the dedication AND the cultural celebration that the youth do.  I’m so glad that I’m here for that.

I’m sorry, it’s a little shorter letter, but I’m kinda brain-dead right now. And...like I said...I said it all yesterday!

Love you all a ton!

Elder Bradshaw

I'm A Rock in A Stream

Hey fam!

Well I am doing great! A little bit burnt, and a little tired, but thats how it is here in Piura.

I am actually doing pretty well. The week was a little bit tougher, but it all went well. I learned a lot. As I said the last week, my greatest joy comes from teaching the gospel! I can’t believe how fast the weeks pass. I swear that I close my eyes and when I open them it’s Monday again! And...I promise that I am not just sleeping the whole week.  :)

I was actually really discouraged this week until yesterday. Again, my companion was sick. Hes getting tested right now and we should know the cause today, but he seems to be getting better. But, due to the sickness, the week was just a little bit slower. I hope that starting tomorrow, he can be perfectly fine. That would be nice. It’s not his fault, I think hes got a parasite or something, because it
keeps coming back. The sickness discouraged my companion, and got me down a little bit. We couldn’t work as much as we wanted. But it’s all good.  I’ve had plenty of time to study, but it’s just so annoying when its 90 plus degrees in the room even with the fan on. (see pic). jaja

Zack proving how hot it is in his room.  93 degrees!

 So this week, everything was kinda just regular.

A couple of days ago, we were just walking down the street and I saw a little girl (3 years or so) run into her house where her dad was watching tv, I felt the need to talk with them, so we went and contacted the dad. He turned out to be a good guy and we took out an appointment for Sunday. Yesterday we went and started teaching him and his wife. They are so humble and so sincere. It was such a great lesson. I felt the Spirit so strongly, and it was such a great feeling to be with them last night. The name is la Familia Pazos Cordova. We have another appointment Wednesday. I hope they turn out to be ready.

With the other families there wasn’t too much progression with them. They both are sincere and have shown good fruits, and I am excited to work with them and am growing to love them more and more, but we could only teach them a couple of times this week, and there wasn’t any real incredible progress, but I am sure things will pick up and that they will progress more.

I really feel like I have continually been molded as a person while I have been here in the mission. I wasn't ever a real bad guy, or never did really bad things, but like a rock in a stream, the Lord has be carving and forming me little by little. I am so happy doing the things I do, and I know that all of these things that I am teaching here are true. I started the Book of Mormon a week ago, with the goal to look for different names of Christ, the Christlike attributes that He shows, and those attributes that other profets and people show. My goal is to finish before I go home. I am now in 1 Nephi 17. I am hauling! I love reading it and I have learned so much in these last few days.

Family updates? Going well?
Everything is going well, but nothing amazing. Not too many bad things happened this week, just not too many good things either.

Health and happiness update?
I am really healthy and happy!

Mission activities going on?
We have interviews with President Rowley (I’m sad because this will be my last one.  He goes home in July.)

Mother’s Day is in one week! Yay for me!........
So I will try calling at 4 (my time) but I am still looking for a place to do it. So if the time changes I will tell you.

Anything about school you want to talk about?
not too much

Tender Mercies this week?
The lesson with the new Famliy Pazos yesterday. It was a good time.

Best part of the week?
The lesson yesterday with the Familia Pazos.

Pday fun?
We played frisbee on the beach with a couple of other Elders.

The Baptism of Santos Silva...Zack's companion, Elder Nuñez, is the one dressed in white.

Well I am happy and all is going well. I am trying to be the best missionary that I can and I try my best everyday.  I am far from perfect but I am trying so hard!

Love you all!

Elder Bradshaw