"El CCM Mini" - Week 58

August 17th, 2015

     Not much time. This week we had a pretty awesome MTC experience for the Youth in our ward, we missionaries were the teachers. It was super fun, but also very frustrating to try and control a bunch of teenagers who won't shut up and learn something... I've found a great deal of respect for all my Young Mens leaders. It was really fun though.

     We had our monthly report meeting with the Stake Pres. again.... Boy are things a heck of a lot better with him. After many many family home evenings, service projects and teaching our investigators with him, President Abreu has become my good friend. And good friends don't bash on each other. He now see's things from both sides, and it's awesome. In July we had 10 baptisms, so that was a much better number to report than 2...

Any who, all is well! Thanks for everything! Love you all,

Elder Brady

The group!

Hermanas preparing for the activity. Love these missionaries!

We had some pretty awesome class room setups

Lunch break. Pizza time!

Water balloon fight at the end... No worries, I took my tie off

"Family Trees" - Week 57

August 10th, 2015

     Pretty good week all in all. We're being incredibly blessed right now with investigators that just pop up here and there. It's never happened in my mission, but we have more progressing investigators than we can handle. There just isn't enough time in a week to visit them all. It's kind of rough to have all that combined with the responsibilities of the calling. It's hard to find an equilibrium between spending time as Zone leader, or spending time in the area. And the first usually takes precedent. But all is well.

     This week after district meetings, we all gathered together and set up a black board at the front. In chalk, I had drawn two missionaries inside a seed-pod looking thing, underground with a bunch of roots spreading out from it. As we started asking questions and developing the topic, I drew a family with six children above the ground, then around them grew the tree trunk, dividing into six branches. We continued developing the idea and conclussion I wanted them to get to. Then I drew smaller branches off of the six, and even smaller branches off of those until the tree began to flourish with innumerable branches and leaves. We talked about how many generations of families we could touch just by spreading the seed. I drew a fruit on the tip of one of the branches, representing what could be a future leader or missionary of the church long after we've died. Eventually, that fruit will fall in it's time and spread the same seed, starting new a new tree. I began to draw a forest in the background. We shared Alma 26-22, talking about the possibility of bringing thousands of souls to salvation. It was then interesting to see an infinite network of roots connecting each other traced deep under the ground. It all started from a seed that was planted. We talked about how we're not just baptizing individuals here, rather entire families and generations that will grow and flourish, all traceable through family roots that grow far back. Everything is connected. We bagan to talk about the temple, and the work done therein. I drew the Santo Domingo Temple in the middle of the forest making such vicarious work and connections possible. Elder Romero shared D&C 64:33-34, about placing the cement of a great work, and what we're willing to do for the Lord.  It was a really cool discussion, and I think we all learned a bit more about the importance of finding and teaching families to build the kingdom of God on earth.

Anywho, The mish rocks. Peace out ya'll

Elder Brady

"La Freca" - Week 56

August 3rd, 2015

Dear People,

     The week was a good one. We had the assistants come to the zone this last Thursday to capacitate us leaders. It was really good, and learned a lot. We're getting excited for our next Noche Blanca, which is anticipated to be more successful than the last. It'll be good.

     We've been running around all over the zone this week, trying to solve both little and big problems all over the place. But I'd be lying if I said I didn't love it. Don't have much time this week, but I'd at least like to highlight a funny experience that happened to me this week.

     One day I was on an intercambio with Elder Daniels, and we got into one of the many route cars that pass by after having gotten out of a lesson. Elder Daniels entered the front and I into the back. Now, I'm no prince charming in the States, but down here, any guy with sapphire blue eyes is automatically an exotic gem. There was a girl in back already, and as soon as I got in she had her eyes fixed on me like white on rice. It was painfully obvious to see that she was interested in me, and in a very child like way. Every time I turned my head, she was there staring, smiling, and waving at me. I felt like Arthur in the old cartoon Sword in the Stone, when he's a squirrel, and has a friend he can't get rid of. I tried to start talking to her about the gospel, and soon Elder Daniels joined in. But then, as he was talking up front, her hand slowly started getting closer and closer to me until she was pinching the skin on my elbow... Weird right? Then she started to stroke my arm, and faster than you could think it, I said "Donde Pueda Chófer!" Signaling to the man driving the car to pull over. Well, she decided she had to get her licks in before I got out, almost literally, so she put her hand on my mouth, and then put that hand on her mouth and kissed it. Ladies and gentleman, that day I achieved a feat no human being in history has ever reached without mechanical aid. I flew. I flew out of that car faster than a speeding bullet. I was safe from the 17 yr. old dominican version of Potiphar's wife. Thats what's called a "Freca" here in the D.R. Basically a dominican word for floozy (I apologize for the strong wordage kids). When Elder Daniels asked me if this is where we were supposed to get out, I told him what happened, and he was blissfully unaware of the events that had just taken place. Oh the curse of my blue eyes and blonde hair...

 Anyway, all is well in Zion, and the Church is true.

Elder Brady

"Pherb, we´re going to Meca..." - Week 55

July 27th, 2015

     It was a great week here in Vista Bella. Right now we have 6 baptismal dates for our Noche Blanca, two of them being couples. We're focussing on preparing them for the 22nd, but also don't want to lose sight of finding new people to teach.
     This week we did another example. We filled the sink in the relief society room at the end of our meetings, and using little nerf darts (fish or investigators), a bucket filled with some water that had "Organizaciones Auxiliares del Barrio" written on the outside, and a clothes hanger bent into a circular shape. The objective was to get the "fish" into the bucket with the clothes hanger. After several people trying, it was apparent that it was difficult to do so. Three or four were able to get into the bucket, but there were still plenty in the water "the campo misional". So then we took out a net (really just a clothes hamper/sack) and connected it inside the circular hanger. Then, Elder Richardsen was very easily able to collect all of the fish and bring them to the bucket. We talked, and the zone caught on right away, that the net is the resource we have at our disposal of the members. It doesn't matter how diligent, obedient, or how hard we're working, if we aren't using the members, we won't be able to achieve as great of results as we could, baptizing family-references, along side the members of our ward. And as soon as we leave, those investigators will have a net to catch them if they fall. It was very interesting to see everyone come to those conclusions.
     We had one of the most interesting lessons of my mission yesterday. We met a muslim, and were able to share with him. You have to understand, these are more than extremely rare here. Everyone in the Dominican Republic is some type of christian. His name is Erkan, from Turkey. He speaks more English than Spanish, so we talked with him in English. We learned a ton about him and his religion! It was amazing. The more we talked, the more I began to fall in love and admire certain pinciples of the muslim faith, while at the same time increasing my testimony that this is without doubt the true church of God. It was an eye-opener for sure. His entire life, he was taught that christians are bad people, but doing some travel, he found out that that's not the case at all. There's probably a 99.9999 % chance that he'll never leave his religion, he's very devout. But he told us he'll come to church Sunday!
     All is well in Zion, and as Hermana Pichardo, a sister in our zone, would put it, "Pues, the church is true" (in a Dominican accent).  Thanks for everything, everyone!
Love,
Elder Brady

Goin to paint some walls at the Stake Presidents place!

Elder Brockbank, a former zone leader of mine,
came back to visit while we were playing around at the church today.

Look Ma! I can cook!

" Don't ever give me cake..." - Week 54

July 20th, 2015

Hola!

     Things are just fine and dandy in the DR. I wouldn't trade the missionaries in Vila Mella for anything. We have amazing missionaries in this mission, but I've truly grown to love these brothers and sisters as if they were my own. Perhaps we haven't had much success lately, but we're beginning to look at mission work through the eye of faith, and thus beginning to receive many blessings. So far we've had seven baptisms this month, and that's a notable improvement from the last two. In order to keep baptizing instead of having this "oh too common and familiar roller coaster" of highs and lows, we're planning another white night in August, and have several baptismal dates of families already. We have set a goal for every companionship to take a family to the temple and have a lesson there by the end of the month. That way, not only will the missionaries be starting with the end in mind, but their families aswell; seeing baptism only as a stepping stone to be able to enter the temple.

     Personally, we're seeing many miracles here in Vista Bella. Due to a new policy that makes it much harder to baptize underage children without their parents, we're able receive blessings that we wouldn't if we didn't have the same focus that we do now. One investigator in particular, named Padilla, wouldn't have a baptismal date otherwise. His daughter was baptized at the beginning of the last transfer, and his wife was going to be baptized, but she needed an operation done on her stomach. Due to that operation, the baptism was postponed, then came the new policy, and at first it seemed like just another barrier, for her and for us. But it was a blessing in disguise. Padilla, the husband, was a challenge from the beginning. But after his daughter and wife realized that she couldn't be baptized without her husband, they worked hard on getting him to lessons. And it worked. We had an amazing lesson in the temple, and the following lesson, his attitude toward taking the lessons had changed completely. We put a baptismal date for him and his wife. He committed to go to church the next Sunday, and sure enough, he went. If we had continued doing it our way, that couple wouldn't be getting baptized. We are all trying to focus more on doing the Lord's will and not our own.

     This last Thursday, after the district meetings, we gathered to close things up, and as everyone came back in, to their surprise, they found a beautiful, delicious cake ready to be served. We talked about our goal for the temple, and the white night, and then we asked if they would like some cake as a "welcome to the zone gesture". Of course they all wanted it, so we called on Hermana Hansen to start us off. As she held out her plate, ready to receive her cake, I asked her again if she wanted cake. When she replied yes, I took my hand, planted it in the cake, scooped out a piece, and plopped it on her plate. For lack of better words, everyone flipped out! "Elder Brady! Que hace?!!!" Their reactions were pretty darn funny. For some reason, Hermana Hansen didn't want to eat the cake anymore.  So Elder Romero neatly sliced up a piece with a knife, and served it nicely on another plate. She wanted that one. We asked some questions, and had a really good conversation about the way in which we present the gospel to our investigators. We even have certain tools that help us in this task (the knife) like the Spirit; scripture study, planning sessions, the members... We came to a lot of really cool conclussions as a zone. I think dramatizing ideas is key. Special shout out to my mom who gave me the idea!

Other than that, we had a pretty normal week. Love the mish, love you all. Peace out.

Elder Brady

"On Teb... On!..." - Week 53

July 13th, 2015

     Hey all, had a real good week, all was very full of meetings, and what not. Our monthly meeting with the Stake President went a million times better.  We came prepared for every question he had with numbers to back it up. We spent ten hours straight in an internet center making a form, and collecting data. It was one brutal day, but it was certainly worth it. Well, Elder Lanza is gone, and tomorrow I'll be receiving my new companion Elder Romero, from Honduras as well. I'm excited for the next transfer here. It may not be the zone with the most success in the mission, or very much cool "stuff" in the area, but I absolutely love these missionaries. I've had the best opportunities to get to know some of the best people in the world. We said bye to Elder Lanza, but he's movin on in his life, and so are we here in the mission field. He's been an incredible companion. We'll tell ya whats up next week. Have a good one!

Love,
Elder Brady

"Carlito" - Week 52

July 6th, 2015

     This week, after a zone meeting, while doing some shopping at the local "La Sirena" , I was standing outside, waiting as my companion took out money from his card, when a young boy comes up and asks me for ten pesos. He had dirty clothes filled with holes, and a lightning bolt shaved in his hair on the side of his head. ( a popular thing for the barber shops to do here) He looked just like one of the hundreds that come to public places begging for something, or wanting to shine your shoes, but this one I'll never forget.

     I told him I didn't have any change on me. I asked him his name, "Carlito". I told him to ask my friend dressed like me if he had any change. As he waited patiently behind him in the ATM line, I made funny faces at him across the way. I like making friends with the kids even though they just want my money. My companion didn't have any change on him either, so I promised him that when we left, I'd catch him on the way out. We shook hands and went in to shop. While shopping for cereal, we see a familar face. Little Carlito found us in the store. In an instant we had a quick friend, helping us chose which cereal to buy, pushing our cart, giving us high fives, and laughing at my dumb jokes.

     At this time it was around 1 o'clock, we asked him if he was hungry, and he said he hadn't eaten since 6, when his father and mother left for work and dropped he and his brother off at the super market. The money he gets from begging he takes back to his parents. We asked him how old he was, and he said he was 10. Then we asked him when his birthday was, and he didn't know. He couldn't remember when he was born, and had never had a birthday party. At this moment I was struck with emotion. I had to keep myself from tearing up right then and there, because for some reason in such an instant, I reflected upon my own fortunate life, and was filled with guilt for it. Carlito spends the entire day begging for money away from home while his parents work to put bread on the table. He's never celebrated a birthday, nor does he know when his is. I spent my childhood watching cartoons. I spent my days in school, obtaining an education. I've been blessed with 19 memorable birthdays, without having to beg daily. I've been more than blessed in my life circumstances, and to see my new ten year old friend hungry, and completely unaware of his misfortune, due to the normality of his situation rocked me to my core.

     We asked him where his parents lived, and he couldn't gives us directions to his house. We bought he and his brother lunch at the cafeteria, and he went on his way with a smile. I don't know if he'll ever remember the two guys in white shirts. I don't know if his parents will ever come in contact with the missionaries. I don't know if it will have an effect on his life, but it did on mine. There are millions of children and families in the world in the same or worse situation. One lunch for a day is nothing compared to the gift that family could receive from the eternal well of the Gospel of Christ. After that day I feel as though it is our solemn duty to lift where we stand and raise those around us. They are our brothers, and I'm grateful for the opportunity I have to serve a small portion of them here in the Dominican Republic.

Thanks for everything,
Elder Brady