December 15, 2014 Cerro Navia, Chile

Cerro Navia

Sector: Galvarino 2

Elder Brady y Elder Swan

This past week has been interesting. I ate so much weird stuff. This weak we ate cow stomach, Casuela with chicken feet, rabbit, and fish and shell fish and more shell fish. I had a hard time with the shell fish soup. There with some little things from the sea that i had no idea what i was eating they just told me that it was good for my heart. The shell fish had sand in it and that was really hard to get down! I hate sea food! There was another Elder who was gagging trying to eat the chicken foot soup and someone told him ¨Your an Elder come y cálla¨ -- Your and Elder...just shut up and eat it. One of the members saw that i was having a hard time eating cow stomach and asked how it was and if i liked it.. I tried not to offend her but i didnt want her to make it again so i just told her ¨Esta rico pero no es mi favorito¨. It was a really hard weak trying to eat.

We had cambios! I was called to train a newbie fresh from the CCM but something happened to him and i got a new companion and i am so excited!! I got called to be with Elder Swan, one of my good friends in the mision! We are so excited to work and get stuff done! 

We finally dropped Cecilia. She was apostatizing so much and calling us liars and telling us that she saw us in some area out side of our mission kissing girls and doing all this nasty stuff. She said she saw me and my compainion.. no other missionary it was just weird but sad. She was at the point of her baptism. All she had to do was go to chuch and she would have been baptized a month ago. Then Satan just attacked her. I have been wondering if there was anything more we could have done. Its hard fighting Satan. But I know that we were called in this time to come into the world at its worst to do combat with the devil. The coach saves his best runners for the last leg of the race. Our parents and all of us have been called to face the world and satan at the worst, to be missionaries to raise children and to build up the Kingdom of God right before Jesus comes. But it says in the scriptures that if we put our strength in Christ all things are possible. Pray as if everything depends on God... and then work, as if everything depends on us. 

Another thing that has been hard is that as a missionary there is a whole different look on the church, as missionaries we use numbers EVERY DAY! That has been hard for me.. I have felt like the church logo should be ¨Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints Inc. ¨ Like we as missionaries our purpose is to just keep the numbers at least consistent or raise them. This aspect of missionary work has been difficult. I know that numbers are required. They have to be to maintain order in the church. I had an interview with my president about it all and he had me look at a wall that has a photo of every missionary in the mission --209 missionaries. President asked me what i saw. I told him I saw all the missionaries and he said what else. I said there is 209 missionaries. Then he told me to look at every foto individually and asked me again ¨ Now what do you see Elder Brady?¨ I could see all my friends in the mission. My cousin Elder Dirkmaat, and I saw myself. He then told me that I could see it as 209 missionaries but if i look at each one it is more than a missionary or a number. He said he saw families eternal and future church leaders, friends, dads, celestial beings. He then told me that that is how i need to look at those who we are teaching. Our investigators... just everyone member or not we need to see who they are individually. I learned a lot from Presidente Videla esa dia. 

I also recieved a letter from a Returned Missionary named Corbin Stewart. :

Hey elder, how's it going?
You don't know me, but I recently came home from my mission in Argentina and while I traveled home, I found myself sitting beside your dad for 3 hours between Atlanta and Salt Lake City.
We chatted, he bought me lunch, and we got to know each other a bit and he mentioned that you're serving, something that makes him very well pleased and content.

He mentioned that you've been working hard, but don't feel happy with what you've accomplished until now. Let me tell you something that a companion told me when I felt that way. He said, "I think we'll see the results of our work AFTER our missions." Let me tell you elder, that that is true. Don't worry. Just keep working. When you receive letters from, see those you got to know, and connect with those you've left in other areas, you'll realize what you've done. Maybe you've left areas and you feel that you've left it weak or without results. Remember that your mere presence has a grand effect. If you're obedient, work diligently, and work with hope and faith in the future, you will help a GREAT number of people, whether you realize it or not. Don't expect recognition for your work, and just focus on their conversion and the rest will fall into place.
Le quiero mucho. Siga adelante no mas. No piense demasiado, ni se preocupe por lo que ellos piensan. Haga lo que Dios espera de usted. Esfuércese en lo bueno. Cuídese.

Atentamente,
Corbin Stewart

His letter really made me think and ponder on a lot of things. 

I am excited to work with Elder Swan, we are going to work like crazy!!

I love you all. Shout out to Tyson Lund. He has been a huge example to me and best friend. I am thankful for all my family and friends and their example to me. I hope you all enjoy the Chistmas Season and really ponder on what Christ did for us. I have been using the word Sacrifice... I think this word fits in well with the Chistmas season.  Sacrifice means to give up something that we value, for something of greater value. Jesus Christ sacrificed himself for each and every one of us. He truly knew the worth of a human soul and continues to give his love to each and every one of us.  

What is something this Christmas that you are willing to sacrifice for someone else?

- Elder Brady