Fam Bam,
What a week it has been. Miracles: we found a golden
investigator taught by the missionaries in the past that's gonna get baptized
this week! Everybody pray for Flavio. Also, it's almost General Conference
again!? What is this? I hope everybody is getting their questions ready for this
outpouring of modern revelation! I'm hyped in case y'all were wondering.
In other news, I got sick this week which was actually super
awful :/ and missed church for the first time in sooooo long! Bright side, our
ward was nice enough to bring us the sacrament :) but apparently everyone was
super warded out at church because it was probably the first time the sisters
weren't at church in literal years. I think we have a better attendance record
than the Branch President, but they were all very nicely concerned.
Anyways, I haven't got much else on my mind at the moment,
buuuut enjoy this letter that they asked me to write to the YW back in the home ward :)
To my dear young woman back home! :)
So it's been a while! When did you all grow up? It
literally makes me feel so old because just yesterday I was in your guy's
place! I don't know if a couple years ago I could've imagined being where I am
today. Obviously I wouldn't have guessed Africa but even serving a mission was
something I wasn't sure about for a long time. And my advice for you guys is
that that's okay if you don't have it all figured out yet. It's okay if you
don't know if you wanna serve a mission or where you want to go to college and
study etc. You've all still got some time. But what is important is that the
way you're living now leaves you with all the options and opportunities that you
might be guided in taking or choosing in the future. I love the talk given by
Pres. Dallin H. Oaks in this last general conference titled; "Where will
this lead?", This talk is about about how we might wisely use our time and
make choices that prepare us for essentially who we become. Lately I have found
myself often thinking about this question in relation to my past and present
decisions.
Perhaps you've yet to find yourselves at the stage of life
when you need to make major and life changing choices (mission, college, etc.)
or perhaps you have. But the more important preparatory state is right now and
it depends on all the little choices you make daily. To quote Elder Uchtdorf,
"decisions determine destiny". Just like the grades you get in
high school determines which colleges accept you and for which scholarships you
can receive, the moral and temporal decisions you make right now will determine
what kind of a person you become.
So make good ones, make the best of ones! Spend your time
the way it counts. If need be, do an inventory of your life, think about the
music you listen to, the tv you watch, with whom you spend you your time,
everything, and ask yourself: Where will this lead? Are these things you want to
be determining factor in creating and shaping you and your future? If not, just
replace them with something better til you fill your life will all the best of
things, the kinda things you want in the future. Prepare to serve a mission
even if it's not in your plans, prepare to enter into the temple even though it
may seem a long ways off. But be prepared for all the greatest of things you
may like to receive or do in this life. That way you never find yourself
limited in making these decisions when the time comes.
But overall the very very best advice I can give is to
simply continue growing your relationship with Jesus Christ and Heavenly
Father. Do the basics, read a little in the Book of Mormon everyday, say your
prayers and stay active at church. Then pay attention as you do these things,
thinking about how you feel, seek after the guiding voice of the Spirit and
learn how it is he communicates with you. If you learn to hear and understand
the Spirit, when the time comes to make the big or little decisions in your lives,
you'll know what to do because Heavenly Father will let you know.
Now for any of you who are thinking about a mission, keep
thinking about it! And for any of you who aren't, start thinking about it! A
mission is by no stretch of the imagination an easy or casual thing, but it is
one of the best and most important things you could possibly do. I'm so
grateful for this time I've had to be serving as a full time missionary for the
Church of Jesus Christ. It's been an amazing and life changing experience that
I wouldn't trade for anything. I love it here and I love these people and I know
without a doubt that the Book of Mormon is true, that this is Christ's church
restored and that President Nelson is a living and inspired prophet of God.
Remember always to pray and find these answers and answers for any other
questions you guys have, for yourselves. I love you cuties so much! Continue
lighting the world! See y'all in a few months!
--Sister
Bradley
And the pics!
1. The views
2. More views
3. Them views though
4. Hibiscus popsicles
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