Dec 11, 2023: Not a lot happened this week

I’m going to be honest this week not that much happened but I’ll give you the highlights. 

Tuesday we were invited to a party for one of our friends. We went early because they asked us to set up and then they also fed us some fire bbq. After we were talking to Victoria about her birthday (I think she turned 85) and she asked is she could come with us when they started serving the alcohol because she hates it. The exciting part is we haven’t even taught her the word of wisdom yet. Hopefully the reaction is the same with café. 

Wednesday we had the opportunity to serve some of the immigrants that pass through our area and give them food and water with the members the family group. It was a cool experience and we did it again Sunday. 

Friday we took a hour drive to a ranch to teach a family with the same members and it was a really good lesson! They didn’t really understand what I said but the padre said that he could feel something special when I talked. I am so grateful for the gift of the Holy Ghost.  I could not teach with out it. Anyway afterwards, all seven of us got back into the tuktuk or moto taxi and drove two hours back to Tres Picos. If you don’t know what a tuktuk or moto taxi is look up a picture.  I’ll give you a hint-it does not fit seven people so yeah that was a lit experience.

Oh also we had transfers this week but everything stayed the exact same for me in my area. Our district got two more new people so now every companionship except the ZL’s have someone in their first 3 transfers so thats lit. I guess we will see what we are supposed to learn here. 

I know its been said a lot, but a mission is a time where you learn so much in so little time. I have already learned so much and continue to learn a ton. 

To anyone that reads this and knows or is learning Spanish, please send me emails in Spanish so I can practice and learn more. 

I always love to hear and to read the emails so thank you to all for the emails.  Even if I don’t always have time to respond, but I will try to get to them when i can. 

Spiritual thought this weeks is about a missionary in the Book of Mormon.

Alma close to the start of his ministry, went to Ammonihah and work and prayed.  He had righteous desires for the people there but they chose to harden their hearts and kick him out. Basically he had a lot of challenges in life even though he was trying as hard as he could. So he was triste (sad).

14 And it came to pass that while he was journeying thither, being weighed down with sorrow, wading through much tribulation and anguish of soul, because of the wickedness of the people who were in the city of Ammonihah, it came to pass while Alma was thus weighed down with sorrow, behold an angel of the Lord appeared unto him, saying: 

15 Blessed art thou, Alma; therefore, lift up thy head and rejoice, for thou hast great cause to rejoice; for thou hast been faithful in keeping the commandments of God from the time which thou receivest thy first message from him. Behold, I am he that delivered it unto you.

I love the message that the angel gives to Alma here. He straight up asked him “Why are you sad? Remember who you were before this (not a good person at all).  Look at who you are now; look at what you have become through the power of Christ and rejoice.”

Whenever we are feeling sad or broken down or we feel we have worked as hard as we could but people still choose to turn away from the gospel, whether it be our friends, our family, our neighbors, our children, or our parents. Whoever it might be and whatever the challenge might be I want us to all remember the message from the angel as a message for all of us and to find joy in our own conversion. 

Love you all and hope you have a great week.  

Enjoy the cold, Utahns 

elder Bradshaw

1 sunset 

2 iguana 

3 more iguana 

4 sunset 

5 christmas tree thats traveled the world or at least the americas