Christmas Packages

We sent Brady two packages for Christmas because we couldn't fit everything in one box. It was fun putting these gifts together.

This is the first package that we sent in November so he could receive it in early December and decorate a bit for Christmas.

 Here is the second Christmas package:

 

 

Mexico Week 47: District Leader in Apizaco

Hello everyone!!


Well today the great rein of Elder Escamilla and Elder Lester ended! We had changes today, everyone in the mission, and I feel a little sad to leave my kid behind but I have a lot of work ahead of me here in the mission. Today I am in a small pueblo called Apizaco. My companion is Elder Estevez from Tijuana Mexico :) He is really a good guy and missionary. It looks like he really wants to work and get things done. It seems like he did not have a good relationship with his last comp and they did not get alot done. I really know that we are going to have a lot of success here and we are going to work hard. He really wants to work so we are going to get started today with our work. I have also been called as a District Leader, hahaha. Guess who is in my district!! Elder Riggin!!!!!! He is my Zone Leader but I am his District Leader!! I am so happy to be with him again. He is an awesome friend and missionary!! He is really excited to have me in the zone.


Well not much happened in the last week with Elder Escamilla. We just contacted and everyone there just gave us the door, hahahaha. I feel like here though we will have alot more success. We have alot of plans to get the work started here. I feel like it's my calling here in the mission - go to bad areas and get the work started, hahahaha. I know that the Lord has alot of plans for me in the future here in Puebla, so I need to just keep working and hopefully everything will go alright!!


Well there are no plans here for Christmas...just work. We are going to plan how we are going to call and do all of that on Christmas so I will let you know during the week what the plans are.


I love you all and hope that you all have a great week!! May the Lord always bless you!! I am sure I will have more to write soon now that we have work to do, hahaha. Love you all!!!


Love,
Elder Brady Lester

Mexico Week 46: Many Turn Downs

Hey everyone!!

Well this will be a short one because I gotta go. I know its late but I don't have much time anyways to write. I hope you are all doing well. You are all in my prayers. I hope you are all receiving alot of blessings. I am doing alright here. Really I just want to get out of this area and be in an area that is productive. This past week was hard for me. We contacted alot and I have never had so many turn downs. Never in the mission have I taught so little in the week. I feel like the Lord is really trying me, but I know that soon I will see the blessings for the work that we are doing here. I love you all and hope you have a great week!!

Elder Brady Lester

Mexico Week 45: Transferred to Centro - Center of Puebla

Hey there everyone!!

Well as some of you know, my companion and I had emergency transfers on Friday. The assistants called us in the morning at 9:30 and told us that we had to be in the mission home at 6:00 at night. So we packed up our things, said goodbye to some families, and we left. That night the President just moved us for no reason which was weird because we have been having a ton of success in Castillotla. The members were very sad and my comp and I cried because we love that ward and area so much. The President kept us together and we are here in Centro, the Center of Puebla. Here we have two wards to work in, in two different buildings :( Here in Centro are all of the historic sights and all the old Catholic churches and stuff. The Missionaries have not had success since August here in these two wards so the President sent the two powerhouses here together :) Hahaha the President told me that I will only be here for three weeks and then he will send me somewhere else, but here I am. I will be honest, it's hard to work. We don't know our area and its hard to get around. We are both really sad and we feel like we left our hearts and desires to work in Castillotla, but we are getting over it and in this week we have alot to do!!!

Well in the past week nothing really happened except for that. We talked to our investigators and we were just helping them get ready for baptism, but not anymore. They have the Elders in the area right next to Castillotla working there for 3 weeks until there are changes. This will probably be a short email because I am crying here in the internet because I am not in Castillotla, hahaha. I just need to keep working and moving forward.

Well I am in the last year of my mission. I have less than one year to complete hahaha, and I feel like the time is going to pass by really fast. Things sound like they are going good back at home. I miss you all and can't wait to talk to you on Christmas. I still need to find a internet place that will be open on Christmas but it looks like we will be talking in the afternoon night time again like on Mother's day. We just need to figure things out like who will call me first and stuff like that. I just have my two ward services in the morning.

Well I am really happy to be here in Puebla. I would like to live here hahaha because the food is great and the people are awesome!! I really hope you all can come down here with me sometime in the future or when I finish. You guys will love this place! Well I gotta go!! I hope you all have a wonderful day and week!!

Love,

Elder Brady Lester

Mexico Week 44: Baptism of Mary and Learning A Lot

Hey there everyone!!

Thank you for writing me. I love you all and love your letters. 

Well this is going to be a short letter for time and lack of dinero hahaha. This past week we had another Baptism of the girl, Hna Mary, and it was a kind of a disappointment. The members were loud and walking in and out of the Baptism and it was hard for me to feel the Spirit. I was a little upset but the good thing is that Mary`s mom is not a member and she felt the Spirit somehow and was crying and really liked the Baptism. I hope that means that she will be willing to listen and accept Baptism too. Other than that Baptism we have just been working really hard with our investigators so that they go to Church and get Baptized. We still have not been able to start a Branch but we hope to have success here soon and we are really going to focus on reactiving more than Baptizing now so that we can get that started!

Things have been really good in the mission and I have learned a lot and keep learning tons. I really hope that the Lord is blessing you all. I love you all and can't wait to see you in one year and spend a little time with you all! You are all in my prayers and I know that I am in yours :) Have a great week!!

Love,

Elder Brady Lester 

Mexico Week 43: Baptism of Alicia and Mastering the Language

Dear family and friends,

Thank you very much for all your letters and sweet words :) First of all I would like to wish a very HAPPY BIRTHDAY to my Grandma :) I love you tons!! I love you all! Kolby you are awesome!! Even though you didn't make the team you are staying positive and know that there is something that you need to work on. Find out what it is and work on it!! Ask your Father in Heaven to help you prepare and fix what you need to fix so that you make the team. We are taught in 2 Nephi 32:9 that we must pray before everything that we do. I think that includes basketball too :) Kasey are you going to try out for the high school team? Brinkley sounds like you are a busy bee!! Keep it up! Braxley, hahaha well you just like to read...keep reading but I hope that you are reading in the BOM too :) Mom I love you so much! You are the best Mom in the world. Thank you for sending the packages.  

Papá te felicito por cumplir con tu proceso en el arrepentimiento. Es dificil pero hay muchas bendiciones y es algo bonito. Sigue asi y haz lo bueno y acuerdate lo que el Señor hizo por ti. Él te ama y tu familia. Utiliza la expiacion en tu vida cada dia. 

Well this past week I have really understood and realized that it's not easy for me to talk or write in English hahaha. I have to really think about the words and sometimes I forget words in English so I have to look online or in the dictionary to be able to talk...and I only have 1 year!!! My goal actually is to go home speaking very little English hahaha. I really want to master this language. I really would like to learn more languages after the mission and continue studying Spanish. Hopefully Travis will help me with my Portugese hahaha. Oh just so that you know Alex Helvig is almost done with his mission!! It went by fast! He goes home on the 20th of December. His president is sending him home a little early so that he can be home for Christmas cool huh! Well just to let you all know...they don't celebrate Thanksgiving here in Mexico :( But on Thursday the sister told us that she was going to make us mole with turkey so I guess you could say that I will still be a little connected with the turkey and all :) 

Well in this past week we got a ton of references from the members!! It was awesome!! We got 8 and usually here we only get like 1-2 each week hahaha. We taught and got alot of new investigators which is what we were needing because they are all getting Baptized hahaha!! This past week Hna Alicia talked with a counselor of the Mission President (I love President Reeves) and she was considered repentative for what she did in her past and she got Baptized on Saturday!!!! The Bishop Baptized her and it was a sweet service. She was so happy after and is just loving being a member of the Church. On Sunday she got Confirmed. She is a great lady and has so much in store for her. Also yesterday in Church I taught the future missionaries in our ward with a former missionary and it was sweet. The Bishop wants me to teach that class and my companion to teach the class with the investigators. It's really cool. I have alot of sweet plans for the class. I want to invite members to be investigators so that they can teach. I want to go out and knock doors with them instead of being in the class. I am really excited. I love this area and ward. I really want to stay here for a long time hahahaaha. 

Well things with the Baptisms that fell through look alright. The crazy girl is never home during the week only really late at night and on the weekends so we don't have much time to meet with them. The other Baptisms will happen, it's just a matter of time. They will progress :) I know that they will.  

I would like to give my Testimony in Spanish. Se que la obra misional es la obra del Señor. Él nos ayuda a los misioneros todos los dias por medio de Su espiritu. La guia es maravillosa. Se que el Libro de Mormon es verdadero y no solo es la clave de nuestra religion pero la clave de la obra misional. Ninguna persona puede conocer a Jesucristo a menos que lea en el Libro de Mormon. Testifica de Su divinidad en cada hoja. El Libro de Mormon es el fudamento de nuestro testimonio. Se que Jesucristo murío por nosotros. Es nuestro Salvador y Redentor. Pero como representante de Él...testifico que Él vive y que nos ama. 

I gotta go but I love you all and can't wait to talk with you on Christmas Eve :) Have a great week!! 

Elder Brady Lester

One AÑO!

Today is Elder Lester's ONE YEAR mark in the Mission Field! 

I can't believe how fast the time has flown by. I can see clearly what we were doing before he left and it truly doesn't seem that a whole year has gone by. Brady has learned much this past year. It's evident in his letters. He is an Obedient Missionary with a great heart and love for the people of Puebla Mexico. He really loves the people. I have seen him strengthen in Testimony, Love, Patience, Charity, Knowledge

October 2010

A year later...a little thinner, hair is blonder from walking in the sun all day, and so Happy! 

Missionary Week 42: 1 AÑO‏ this Week!

Hello Everyone!!


Thank you everyone for your letters and kind uplifting words. I always love reading your emails. Well this week was a very interesting week and I was thinking alot about what was going to happen today with me hahaha. I cried alot yesterday in church because I really love the members in Castillotla and wanted to stay really bad. I have prayed like crazy so that I would stay....and God answered my prayers hahaha. I stayed in Castillotla with Elder Escamilla!!! Hahahaha we are together again for another 6 weeks so we have changes on Christmas! I am so happy hahaha and shocked! I had no idea that I was staying. My district leader called me and told me that I had changes and I was expecting that so all I said was ok. After he told me that it was a joke and that we were both staying, my comp and I. Really Elder Escamilla and I jumped for joy!! I really think we are going to keep doing good here :)


Well not alot happened this past week. We had 6 baptisms planned and they all fell!! All of them!! One investigator, Hna Alicia, had her interview and didn't pass. Apparently she did something really bad in her life so she couldn't get Baptized and has to wait to talk with President or his counselors. Well this week she has an interview with them and so we really hope that she can get Baptized. She is a sweet spirit and really wants to get Baptized. Another Baptism, Hna Maria who is 12 years old, fell. She wants to get Baptized but her mom wants to listen to us first so that she knows what we do and teach, so we planned her Baptism, and Baptism for her mom in 15 days hahaha. It kinda turned out better. Our other investigator, Hna Gabriela who is 18 and wants to get Baptized, went to the doctors and they told her that she was crazy and that she needed help haha so she had no time this past week to talk and so we had to cancel her Baptism. Another family that we have been teaching for about a week just moved to a new house and has not had time to go to church so we had to cancel their Baptism for a while but they will get Baptized :) We think we could Baptize 7 in this month even though our goal is 5. We are really working hard and things are going good.


This past week we have been trying to find ways to improve the work here in Castillotla. We have been thinking of ideas of contacting and finding more people and we have been trying to work with the priests in our ward and want to put up a stand on a corner with a bunch of pamphlets and Book of Mormons. The young men's president in our ward really wants us to start working tons with the young men so we are trying to find ways to work with them. We are also getting really close to opening up a branch in this little village that we have in our area hahaha and we have permision and everything. We are just wanting to wait a bit more so that we can get the work started up really good. I feel that things will take more than one change and I might not be here but I will try my hardest to keep the work going here. I really want to see my vision that I had when I got here come to life.


Well honestly I have nothing else going on so I will just have to wrap up hahaha. I am grateful for all your love and support and I hope things are going well for you all!! I will be completing 1 year in the mission this week and the time has just passed by flying!!!


Love,
Elder Brady Lester

Mexico Week 41: Changes and Miracles

Dear Family and Friends,

Thank you for all your wonderful letters. I love reading your letters each week because they always make me happy and ready for the week. Just want to let you know that I love you all even though I dont write much to each of you. I know that some of you are concerned about that, but I have 1 1/2 hours to write and I try to write everyone but never have the chance to. I am always busy writting letters to my converts as well, but please know that I love you all and hope that you all understand that you are in my prayers always.

Well this next Monday we might have transfers. I kinda feel like I am going but I hope not. I do have 6 months in this area but I would like 3 more. I have really fallen in love with this area. We are having alot of success and I just know that we will have more here pretty soon. I have grown to love Elder Escamilla like a brother, and really he is a great example and is the best Missionary in the Mission. I would love to continue working with him but we will see what the Lord wants from me. Some of my converts are sad and really don't want me to go. Hahahaha, Hermano Euloterio said that he doesn't want to go to Church and not see me, so he doesn't want to go, but I had to talk to him and let him know that I would see him again in one year and that he needs to stay strong in the Church. Hermana Cony opened up a hair cutting place and she wanted me to pick out the name (Cony`s Great Clips), and she dedicated the place to me hahahaha. So sweet. It made me cry.  

Well this past week on Wednesday, Elder Escamilla and I had the great opportunity of working with the Mission President in our area all day, hahaha!! How crazy!! It was a great experience and we learned alot. It was kinda scary at first but I loved the experience and the things that we learned. He really taught us the importance of working with the members. It really inspired me to keep working hard and with the members because that is how the investigators will progress more. Also we talked about how we could split the Ward and the importance of having Priesthood in the Ward. We took that to thought and we really want to start reactivating Priesthood and Baptizing men, hahaha so we are going to try and focus on that.

One lesson we taught with him was to one of our investigators, Hna Gabriela, and her family. We knocked on the door and the mom, Hna Gabriela, and her sister were all crying, yelling, and fighting. Well we started to just listen and it was about money and financial problems. We listened and listened and finally I opened my mouth and started talking about the Atonement and the importance of that in their lives. My companion testified of what I said, but Hna Gabriela said that she didn't want God in her life anymore and that He can't help her with her problems. Well when she said that the President spoked with power and really loud and testified as a Representative of Jesus Christ that they needed the Atonement, and that no one should put down that importance of Christ`s suffering in our lives. He started talking about happiness and the blessings that one can receive as they live according to the Atonement. When he spoke the Spirit was so strong. They all stopped crying, yelling, and fighting, and started listening. We ended with a prayer. The next day we talked with Hna Gabriela and she accepted a Baptism date. It was a great lesson. Today we have another lesson with her and we hope that all goes well with her and her family. 

This past week on Saturday, my companion started having stomach pains in the morning. In the afternoon we went and ate with a member and the pain was worse and he was screaming almost. He called the mission doctor and he told him to take medicine and only drink water and gatorade. Well he did that, and later the sister with whom we ate asked for a blessing. We gave her a blessing and when we left the house, my comp could hardly walk, so we walked quickly to a members house, Familia Ferrusca, because the sister is a nurse. We got there and he was screaming and crying with this pain, and so she sent him to a doctor in the pharmacy. They took us there in their car and the doctor said that it was really bad and gave him an oil shot in the butt, hahaha, and said that we needed to go to the hospital. I called the President and he told us which hospital to go. The good thing was that it was close to us. The members took us in their car and as we were driving I gave my companion a blessing and it was a wonderful experience. I knew that for his Faith, he would be alright. I also had a little mini vision of what he is going to do in the Mission. The Lord gave me that opportunity. Elder Escamilla really is going to do alot of good and work miracles here in Puebla. I just know it. Well we got to the hospital and we were there for 5 hours, and they would not let me in so I was all alone for 5 hours, hahaha. It was a little weird. I had to keep calling the President and my Bishop to let them know how things were. The doctors told me that we would have to spend the night and I was really worried for my comp and was crying for a bit for reals. I said a prayer and one hour later he walked out. I was so happy when I saw him and know that God really showed His hand in our lives.

I love my companion and really don't want anything to happen to him. After, we started walking around for a bit because my comp wanted to walk and I saw a Krispy Kreme!!!!!! In Puebla!!!!! I went running and bought myself 6 donuts and ate them all!!!! Hahahaha I love Krispy Kreme. 

Well I gotta go now! I love you all and hope you all have a great week!!   

Mexico Week 40: Reading the Book of Mormon

Happy Halloween!!

Well just so that you all know, yes Mexico celebrates Halloween hahaha, but instead of asking for candy they ask for money hahaha, so the people give little money and sometimes candy. The funny thing is that they do it with their parents hahaha!! Every little kid that asks me for money, I just tell them that in my country they ask for candy, you should do the same hahaha. It's probably mean but I really don't have millions to give out to the little kids hahaha. They hardly dress up! But it's a holiday here. I hope you all have a great Halloween this night!! Baseball here by the way is a popular sport so I heard that the Cardinals did win and I am happy that they did. I just want the Dbacks to go all the way again!

Thank you for all your emails! I enjoy reading everyone of them :) I am glad that you all had decent and good weeks!! Remember that you are all in my prayers and thoughts. In about 1 year we will all see each other again hahaha, how crazy is that!! Really my mission has been passing by so fast and I feel like this last year will just pass by faster! I am really loving it here and I really love the people here. They are really nice and the members are always willing to help anyone. I really love them here. They have given me clothes, money, blankets to keep warm, and food.

Well in this past week Elder Escamilla and I have been working hard. We found a sweet family of 4 who let us in their house to talk. Well we started talking about the Restoration and the Book of Mormon and they all loved it. There is a little boy of 10 years who in the lesson said "Mom we need to get Baptized again because the Catholic church doesn't have the Priesthood." Hahahahaha how cool is that!! That first lesson we all invited them to be Baptized and they accepted! This week this sweet boy has been reading the pamphlets and the Book of Mormon and is pushing his family to listen and read and progress. He really is a great example! This past week we have also found a couple more new investigators who have accepted Baptism and look like they are going to progress.

This past two weeks we have invited our recent converts to join us in reading the Book of Mormon before Christmas. In our visits this week they have all read a ton!! Hno Fidel and his son are in Alma 28 and read 20 chapters one day!!! Hna Cony and her family are in 3 Nephi after 2 weeks!!! They are beating us!! I asked Hna Cony "are you sure that you are not in 2 Nephi" she told me no but that she is reading in 3 Nephi. Well I asked her "so you read all of Alma?" and she responed "ohhh Alma is the best book so far in the Book of Mormon!" hahahaha!! I could not believe it! They are just strong and faithful members!! This past week we also have been working really hard reactivating members in the ward so that we can achieve our goal in splitting the ward soon. Well yesterday in Sacrament meeting there were members standing outside the room because there weren't any seats!! It was awesome!! Hahahaha the Bishop really feels that we can split the ward if we keep working hard and Baptizing.

Things are going great here in Castillotla and I am really loving Missionary work! I don't have much more to say. I have not tried anything new food wise. I have alot of pictures to send but I forgot my camera again so next week I will get them on :) I love you all and hope you have a great week everyone!! Stay safe!

Love,

Elder Brady Lester

Mexico Week 39: Working Hard & Baptisms of Euloterio and Rene

Hey everyone!!

Well I want to thank Mom and the kids for writing me, hahahaha and grandma too :) I felt a little sad when I opened up my email today because I usually have like 15 emails, but today only 4 hahaha. Kids I am glad that things are going great for you guys!! Sounds like you had fun last weekend with dad. Brinkley, your life seems really exciting and busy right now with school and work!! I am glad that you are busy hahaha....that way you don't get married before I get home, hahaha jk jk jk. I hear school is good and you are doing well. Keep it up!! And save your money!! That is how the Lord will bless you. I have learned something....5 dollar income 6 dollar expense...misery. 5 dollar income 4 dollar expense...eternal happiness. Keep that in mind everyone! I know that I wasn't the great example of that, hahaha and I will pay for my mistakes after the mission :(  Mom I heard from the kids that you had a great bday! They bought you a bike!! That's awesome!! I hope all your wishes come true :)

Well this past week things went really good. First off we had 2 more Baptisms on Saturday!! Hermano Euloterio, the husband of Hermana Cony, and Hna Rene, her daughter got Baptized!!! It was a great service!! The spirit was felt and they were even crying hahaha :) I promised them that in 1 year after my mission I am going to come back and go through the Temple with them to see them get Sealed as a family :) I really can't wait for that!! They are such a great family!

This past week Elder Escamilla and I had to drop alot of investigators that just were not progressing. We are trying to find new investigators in this week and we pray that we will be able to find more chosen people. This past week we actually found a new investigator named Gabriela. We decided to knock doors for an hour in a specific street in our area. Well we knocked her door and we started talking. She told us that she was Christan and that she knew a little bit about us. She said "you Mormons do weird things." Hahaha my comp and I laughed and we started to talk about some things but she didn't have much time, so we got an appointment with her. We went back for the appointment and we started talking...outside of her house hahaha about the Restoration. The whole time I felt uncomfortable and didn't know why. As we started talking about Joseph Smith and the BoM, she just looked at us weird and said that it was a crazy story hahaha. In that moment the Spirit told me to talk about the Plan of Salvation. I had no idea why, and I rejected it!! I kept talking about the BoM and the Spirit kept telling me to do it, so finally I just put down the BoM and said, "I feel like I need to tell you something." That is how I started talking about the Plan of Salvation. It was an ugly transition of things but it worked and it was because the Spirit was with us. My comp and I explained a little bit of the lesson. She completely changed and said that she wanted all of it to be true and that she might get Baptized if it's true, but she still has problems with the BoM and Joseph Smith. We challenged her to read and to pray. Today we have another appointment with her and I am excited to talk with her. I know that the Spirit helped us a ton in that lesson and really hope that we can continue to work with her and that she can accept all of this as the truth.

This past week my comp and I also worked really hard reactivating families hahaha. We really want to split the ward and start up another ward and a branch. In this ward there are over 650 members but only about 180 go. Well after a hard working week of visiting less active families, yesterday 216 members showed up!! We were really happy! Things are going great for us and I have never felt so happy in my mission. I really pray that I stay here for a while longer and that the Lord keeps blessing us.

Thank you for all your support and I love you all!! Hope you all have a great week!!

Love,

Elder Brady Lester

Mexico Week 38: 11 Months and Baptisms of Reina and Karina

Hey there everyone!!

Well first off I want to wish a very HAPPY BIRTHDAY to my wonderful Mother!! I really hope you have a great special day today ma and I love you tons!! Thank you everyone for you letters and emails :) I always love Mondays to be able to read them and write :) Well this past week was just a great week and I have been having alot of fun and the Lord really is blessing me. This past week we had a zone conference and I learned alot! I really learned how to listen to the Spirit and help our investigators feel it as well. I also saw Elder Rojas hahahaha, and he looks the same poor dude. I really hope that he gets things done! I have pictures to upload but forgot my camera to upload them so we will just have to wait till next week :(

Well yesterday two more daughters of God entered into His presence as they were Baptized yesterday! Hermana Reina and Hna Karina both got Baptized!! It was a wonderful day. In the morning when I woke up yesterday I had this feeling that I should give my chance to Baptize Hna Reina to someone else hahaha. Crazy I thought and I just shrugged it off. But all morning it was bugging me. Well I got to the church and I saw a young man, Jasiel, who is in our ward and again the impression came to me. Well I talked to Hna Reina and told her my feelings and asked her if it was alright that this young man Baptized her. She hesitated because really wanted me to do it but she finally said yes, so Jasiel Baptized her and my comp Baptized Hna Karina. It was a wonderful service and the Spirit was so strong. I almost cried hahaha because I really love them. I really love my investigators. They are like best friends or family.  This upcoming Saturday the husband of Cony and her daughter are going to be Baptized too!! I am so happy that finally they are going to be a united family in the church. Hermano Euloterio is his name, and all he wants to do is be sealed in the Temple with his family. He has told us that that is his goal and nobody is going to stop him!! Right now we are just working with our other investigators and we want to see some weddings here soon!! 

I am really loving the work here and we are so busy. I need to finish this letter because we have appointments but the work is great. I love missionary work. I love being here in Mexico serving the people and children of God. I know that this is the true church. The Book of Mormon is true and nobody can tell me other wise. I have such a testimony of that book. President Reeves just challenged us to read it by Christmas so if you want to join me that would be awesome! I know that we can learn so much from that book :) It is a blessing that we have it. I gotta go but I love you all. I am thankful for your support and I pray that the Lord will always bless you as long as you are obedient :) 

Love, 

Elder Brady Lester 

Mexico Week 37: Straight up Missionary Work

Hey everyone!!


Well this past week we got alot done as a companionship! We have been working really hard and we are seeing alot of success. This past week we got 5 Baptism dates for 5 investigators. We have been working really hard to help our investigators feel the need to accept Baptism. This past week Hna Reina and her sister in law accepted Baptism and they are getting Baptized on the 16th of this month!! I can't wait for it! They have been progressing like crazy!! In the past week we had a very sweet experience with them. On Tuesday we taught both of them in a members house and the lesson was going very well as we were reading 2 Nephi 31 in the Book of Mormon. After, we talked for a bit and read, and the Spirit really hit me hard and told me to invite them to be Baptized on the 16th of October. Well I did it and Hermana Carina said of course, and she kinda shared her testimony of why and how she felt as she started to learn and know all of this. After, I invited Hermana Reina and she said no. We talked for a bit and after I invited her to pray with us in that moment to receive an answer. She was hesitant but my companion promised her that she would receive an answer to her prayer if she prayed right then with faith. She did it, and in the prayer the Spirit was so strong. She started crying and so did Hna Carina. I even started crying, and after her prayer we all sat in silence for awhile. After about a minute or two she said that this is all true and she later accepted Baptism on the 16th. It was a great miracle that God did that day. My comp and I were so happy!


The next day we went and talked to the husband of Hna Coni - Euloterio. He was very different as we started to talk that evening. We started talking and he said that he had a dream that he wanted to share after he read the Book of Mormon and prayed. He started describing a place, a beautiful building with palm trees and water and flowers, and said that it was a gorgeous place. In his dream he wanted to go but someone told him that he had to get Baptized so he was not able to go. Well we started talking about the Temple and what goes on there. I had a picture of the Arizona Temple in my pocket and I showed it to him and he said that that was the place in his dream. He started saying that that is his goal, to go to the Temple so he accepted Baptism and just said that he would do anything to be sealed with his family in the Temple. That day him and one of his daughter accepted Baptism for the 22nd of October. We are working hard with his other daughter but she is tough because she is older. We are praying that she will accept.


This past week my comp and I led the disctrict in everything! We are having so much success!! Eight investigators showed up yesterday to church and it was just a wonderful day. I testified about Mothers. I believe that the calling of Mother is the most important calling in this world, more important than the Prophet. They have the responsibility of raising the children of God. That's not a small task. Without women the Plan of Salvation does not work. After I gave my testimony, I swear every single sister thanked me, hahaha. It was just a great day yesterday!


Well I gotta go now but love you all and hope you all have a great week. You are in my prayers!


Elder Lester

Mexico Week 36: The Spirit and Happy in the Mission

Hey there everyone!

Well this week was just a great week! I am just happy here in the mission. Things are going great with Elder Escamilla and I. We are really working hard. In the last week we lead the mission in lessons taught to investigators! Things are going great and it looks like soon we will be Baptizing again. I feel like in my first change with him we pretty much opened the area again because Rojas and I got nothing done, but now that we are in the second change together, we feel like we are going to see the fruits of our labors. Things are smoothly going along. We finally have the support of the Bishop. and the leaders of the ward. I have always said that if we have a Ward Mission Leader and Ward Missionaries in this ward, we could Baptize every week, so hopefully the Bishop will get on that hahaha. I feel like finally it's an answer to a prayer that I have been praying for, for the past 4 months in this area. I always ask my Father in Heaven that one day the leaders will help us and He answered me!!

Well in this past week things got a little tougher with Hna Monica and Alicia. They want to get Baptized so bad but they won't not work on Sundays. They make most of their money Sundays because they sell things in the street, and people go out and buy on Saturday's and Sunday's here, so it's hard for them to drop it. I really don't want to Baptize just to Baptize. My goal is that they go to the Temple, and they need to go to Church to be able to go to the Temple. The last lesson we had with them we talked about Faith and putting the things of God first so that He can bless us, and they really liked it and said that they would commit to come to Church so we are working with them. Something that I have learned here in the mission is that as Missionaries we need to help them develop their Faith in Christ so that they are drawn to Baptism by the Spirit. There are alot of Missionaries who just drag them to Baptism. The thing is they don't stay active. I want my converts to be active!

In Missionary work finding by the Spirit is just as important as teaching by the Spirit. If we don't find somebody by the Spirit we don't have anyone to teach who is willing to make Convenants with the Lord. Elder Escamilla and I last week really focused on finding in our comp studies, and what we could do to find more people to teach but not just people...prepared people who are ready to listen to the Gospel of Jesus Christ. This past week we found 4 new investigators which is not alot, but all 4 we found through the Spirit and they are all ready to make Convenants with God. They all accepted Baptism and we just need to teach them. We have found 3 great sisters, Hna Reina, Carina, and Erica who have all accepted Baptism right after the first lesson. They all said in their lessons, I want to get Baptized right now hahaha. They still need to learn a bit more, but it was awesome to hear that after teaching them. We also started talking with Hna Coni´s husband. We started getting impressions that he is ready to listen and we went with it. He accepted and wants to follow Christ so that he has a better marriage with Coni :) I am grateful to be worthy to work through the Spirit as we are obedient and study each day. We are learning tons.

Well General Conference was awesome!! I have to say that my 3 favorite talks in order were, Elder Holland, Elder Packer, and Elder Christofferson. I really learned a ton and felt the spirit. I learned from Holland the importance of just being worthy Priesthood holders. It is true what he said. No missionary can teach the Law of Chastity and testify of it, and the blessings of it, if he doesn't live it himself, or repent for any action that he has commited. With Christofferson I really learned about the blessings of repenting. It's hard sometimes but the blessings are amazing! I have learned alot about the Sacrament in the mission. We take it for granted all the time. If we take it worthily and understanding why we can receive the full blessings. I learned alot about the importance of listening and acting on the Promptings of the Spirit from the talk of Packer. It is so true. If we don't listen to it, and make a little mistake, it could change the course of our lives. It's a commandment that we seek, listen, and follow. I watched all that in Spanish, hahaha which was cool. I understood everything and thought it would be a bit tougher because the Apostles always talk so perfectly and use big words, but the Spirit really helped me understand as it always does everyday.

Thank you for all your love and support! I hope you all have the best week!

Love,
Elder Brady Lester

Fall Package

Here is Brady's Fall Package for October and November

 

  

These Ties and Bows were sent for gift for a family that Brady was close to Castillotla - 2 Ties and 3 Hair Bows.

 

 

 All packaged up and ready to go!