Happiness runs in a circular motion!‏

Well hola family and friends!!!

I hope y'all had a wonderful week full of happiness, joy, and fun!

Shoutout to RICK WINWARD my awesome Brother in law! HAPPY BIRTHDAY next Sunday! Have a great day!

 We did service for quite a few people this week. I really feel that by the time we are done doing service for the Christensen's in our ward I am going to know how to flip a house! We went over there this last week and helped. Dad, you will be so proud! I power washed their house and gutters. They didn't know how to work the power washer so I volunteered to do it. It was a lot of fun! I had to clean out their gutters too! It was quite an adventure! I will send pictures to show!

Last Monday we went over to a members an hour or so before P-day ended and we played hand and foot with them, Kara, and a nonmember. It was super fun! Sister Vikari and I also earlier that day played ticket to ride at this board game place! I love games on p-day! 

We had interviews this week! That was exciting! We had a great training from the assistants. President and Sister Brough are great! I love them! 

The work:

Wei- He is progressing more and more everyday. We had a few lessons with him this last week. His faith is growing! We read Ether 12 with him and he really understood it. The member that came with us to his lesson was completely on his level and helped a lot. It was wonderful to see Wei feel the spirit and grow his faith. He came to church again and loved it! He is great! We also after one of our lessons took him to ice cream because he was so down and out. It was super fun to make his day happier!

Heather- She is doing great as well! She came to church this week! She is cruising through the Book of Mormon and understands it very well! We hope that she will recognize her answer soon. She knows it is true and has to see that in herself. She is truly ready for baptism! 

The Lyon family- Well I have some great news with the Lyon family for you! After Roxy dropped us on Wednesday. ( YES a recent convert tried to drop us...hahaha)  she called on Saturday night and said she and the kids wanted to come to church. We were ecstatic and frantically found a ride for them. They came to church and seemed great! We are grateful that her non interest didn't last long.

Brittany- We were able to pick Brittany up as a new investigator this week. We had our first lesson with her, and she had visited mormon.org. Most people don't really visit that website when we invite them to. We were able to teach her the restoration with a member and she loved it! The spirit was strong and she committed to baptism for august 30th. She is truly one who we were lead to that is prepared for the gospel right now. She is fantastic! 

There were a few miracles this week that I wanted to tell you about. 

1- We went tracting in a place that I have felt prompted to tract. While we tracted we didn't gain any new investigators just potentials and a few referrals. We were on splits the next day and I went to try the referral that we hadn't contacted yet. Well, I am happy to say that we gained a new investigator. I know that it is a family, but we don't know how big or anything yet. We talked to the husband Tony and he was very open and wanted us to come back! I am excited to see him and his family this week! 

2- That same day on splits we were able to try a house of a former investigator who moved. Sister Vikari felt prompted to try it and see who had moved in. Well, We did and we gained another new investigator. We prayed with him and he said he was looking for a church. He is engaged, so we have an appointment with them on Wednesday. 

3- Also that same day while on splits we tried a potential that I had felt prompted to try, and sure enough another new investigator. He was awesome! His name is Kayleb and he already has a Book of Mormon. He is so ready for this great gospel! 

Those were all very exciting miracles that happened this week!  This is truly the Lords work as all of those were promptings that we were able to follow and Heavenly Father provided new people to teach! The moral of the story is always follow the spirit! 

It was a fabulous week in the life of Sister Bradley! Stay tuned next week as transfer calls are this Saturday...What will happen next...TO BE CONTINUED.

Prayer this week: Pray for Heather to recognize her answer!

Challenge: Everyone should pray specifically for the missionaries serving in your ward or area. Also pray for their investigators by name too!

I love you all and hope you have a splendid week! 

For the Bradley family...HAVE FUN AT THE TETONS!!! 

Love,

Sister Bradley

FOOD!

We had sooooooooooooooo much food these last 2 weeks! I don't want to eat out ever again. I don't want to eat ever again... just kidding! We really have had so much food though.  Members have taken us out to eat so much and we have been fed more than ever before. We ate with members  every day for either lunch, dinner, or both! CRAZY!  It was nice and I am super grateful, but it is so much food! haha...

Sister Vikari's birthday was this week! She had a wonderful birthday! I put up signs all over the house for her.  We went out to cracker barrel with a bunch of the woman from the ward. That was super fun! Another member took us out to dessert that day. We taught some super spiritual lessons and it was great!! 

Investigator, recent convert, and less-active time:

Carrie- She and her boyfriend Jose are amazing! We had a lesson with them, their neighbor Samantha, and her kids. It was five investigators with us and a member! We taught the plan of salvation! They all loved it and the spirit was strong! Carrie and Jose were going to come to church this week, but Carrie was sick unfortunately. 

Wei- He is doing well. We found out a lot more about him this week. He has three degrees. He is a doctor of medicine. He has a degree in microbiology, and in genetics. He is going to school right now for his masters in computer science. He went to John Hopkins for two of his degree's. He is so smart, which is great! We are working with him on faith, and how he can grow his faith. He is amazing! He will be baptized on August 2nd hopefully!

Heather- She is so great! She understands the Book of Mormon so well! She could get baptized any day, but she just has to recognize her testimony that she has! I love her, and she always does fun things with us on P-day! 

JEFF- He is back!!!!! He is back and better than ever! He is not going to let satan stop him from being happy anymore! I was so happy when he decided to come back! He is great! If you didn't know he was baptized in April. 

Mutai family- the mutai family is so cool! They are the ones from Kenya. They have two adorable little boys who are 7 and 3. We are working with them and they are starting to understand more and have more of a desire to learn. They are just so amazing! 

CRYSTAL- She is a member we have been working with. She lives across the lawn from us. She is the best! She came out with us to some lessons this last week, and sang to us amazing grace! It was hilarious! She is always making us laugh and she calls us her children! She is one awesome woman! She is going to come out to Utah next summer and I said that she can stay with me! I hope that is okay mom and dad! haha

We got to go to a fireside last night in Lexington! Those are always fun! Jeff and Jada came with us! They are awesome! The firesides are for investigators and recent converts. It is cool for all them to see that they aren't the only ones taking the lessons and going through trials. 

We did service at the Christensen's again this week. It was the classic cutting down trees and such! Yea, we cut down another forest! haha. 

The coolest thing happened in Sacrament meeting yesterday. There is a family who has four autistic boys. The mother was there alone without her husband yesterday because he was out of town. They were passing the water during the sacrament and they missed one of the boys who is 8 or 9. He starts crying and is super upset that he didn't get the water. They got it to him and he was so happy when they did. It was touching though because that is how we should all be when we don't get to partake of the sacrament. It is an ordinance that we get to have every week to help us renew our covenants, remember the Savior, and complete the repentance process. It made me that much more grateful for the sacrament and that I get to have it every week! Children are such great examples! 

We got this super cool red shelving thing that was on the side of the road from out neighbor that was getting rid of it. We decided to take it, so we could put all of our media in it! It looks so cool! I am sending a picture of it! 

I hope that everyone had a great week and is enjoying their summer! I can't believe TnT Nationals were in Louisville this last weekend and were so close to me! Cray cray! 

I love you all! 

Prayer: Please pray for Wei that he will recognize his testimony. Pray for Heather that she will as well. 

Challenge: This week I invite you all to read Alma 5, and ponder it. I read that this week and it is so powerful! How converted are you???

Love,

Sister Bradley 

 

Crazy, interesting, sad, awesome, etc... week!‏

HELLO MY WONDERFUL FAMILY AND FRIENDS!!!! Welcome to the best blog of your life where you get to read about the good ole mission life in Kentucky! 

SHOUT OUT: to ADDIE my adorable niece whose Birthday is this week!!! HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!! Nana Loves you!

Well let me tell you about my week....

Tuesday- We had zone conference in Lexington! I got to meet the new Mission President and his wife, President and Sister Brough. He is hilarious!!! They are so great!! We all stood in a line as they came in, so they could meet all of us. Sister Vikari and I think we are hilarious, so we decided to sing a song to him when he got to us. We sang the primary song "Hello Hello" we changed some of the lyrics though. He loved it! He has lived in many places around the world because he was in the air force. The training's were great, and of course I learned a lot! After zone conference was over President got a call from Sister Vikari's mom that her aunt had passed away. She was really close to her aunt. President let her talk to her mom, and they decided to take us home instead of the elders. It was really sad, and I just tried to comfort her. She is such a  strong sister!! President and Sister Brough drove us home and took us out to eat at Olive Garden. We got to know them and talk with them! They truly are amazing! Sister Vikari is doing well and is so strong!  

INVESTIGATORS:

Wei-   He is as amazing as ever! He came to church for the 4th time yesterday. He is still on track for Baptism on July 26th. He is praying about the date, but we know that he is ready for Baptism. He meets all of the requirements in D&C 20:37. It is amazing how much happier he has become as he has grown in the Gospel! We taught him a lesson on Faith, and that is the thing he is working on right now. He is a very logical and scientific thinker. He hasn't relied on faith much in his life. He believes that his faith can grow as he exercises it. We were able to read Alma 32 with him. Brother Simmons in our ward came with us. He was an asset to the lesson and was able to help Wei understand faith from a scientists perspective. It was fantastic! 

We also taught Tom Jackson! We had a great lesson with him about recognizing the spirit! It was a great lesson! 

Kelly- We weren't able to teach her  this week because of her crazy work schedule. We saw her briefly on Saturday evening to make sure she was coming to Church. She was and then Sunday morning her cat ruined her clothes, so she didn't come. I was devastated because I really want her to make her Baptismal date for August 2nd. She is still on track, but with her work it will be hard for her to come two Sundays in a row.  I know that the Lord can provide a miracle and make that happen! She was sad as well because she really wanted to come to church. She is still doing everything else though, and continuing to grow! She is amazing! I just love her!

Sam- Sam is back on board. He explained to us that he is working a night shift job from 10-10. That prevents him from coming to church for now. We are going to see if he would like to attend sacrament in the 11:00 a.m. ward. We will continue to work with him. He told us he still wants to be baptized and he wants to be baptized soon! 

Carrie- She was in a predicament this week that caused her to get injured pretty badly.  It was heartbreaking to see her in so much pain, but she was very positive about it. She said that all she did was pray! The elders were able to give her a blessing. She said that she felt the Spirit so strongly. She told us she had been reading and praying. She also said that she knew the Book of Mormon was true. She knows that she is on the right path, and is hopeful and excited about what the Lord has in store for her. I am so ecstatic to continue to teach her!

Chastity- We have been working with her for a few months. She is friends with a member in the ward. We have only met with her a few times because of her busy schedule. She has two children who are 9 and 4. They are great! We were blessed to be able to teach her the Plan of Salvation this week. She loved it, and it really made her think. I know that she is taking the things Heavenly Father is teaching her and really pondering them. She asks some of the best questions. Her desire is to just do what is right and what the Lord wants her to do. 

The Richmond ward is so AMAZING! They continue to be better member missionaries everyday! We might not receive a lot of referrals from them, but they are trying to share the Gospel. They are great at fellowshipping and coming out to lessons with us. They are so loving, and have so much charity!

We ate at members homes every single night this week! It was crazy! We had some great lessons with the members!! 

I tried Kentucky HOTBROWNS!! A Kentucky specialty! They were pretty good,but very thick and rich! It is toasted bread with turkey, ham, cheese sauce, bacon and tomato on them. 

Youth Conference was this week at EKU! We were walking on campus to an appointment and I got to see some members from Somerset!!! So exciting! I got to talk to the Cooks! It was great!! 

I hope you all have a fantabulous week! 

Love you! 

Love,

Sister Bradley

Fireworks, Flapjacks,Frisbee,Fun....Fourth of July!

Hello hello hello! How are my dearest family and friends this week??

Let me tell you about our week....

MONDAY- Was a great day! We had a wonderful picnic with the Bryner family! They are amazing! We also picked up a new investigator named Kasey! So exciting!

TUESDAY- We had an amazing lesson with Kelly and she told us that she knew the Book of Mormon was true! WOO HOO!!! She believes very strongly about her rights and freedoms, and belongs to groups with it. She was struggling with some things and we got to read about the Title of liberty with her. She loved it! I never thought I would read some thing from the war chapters of Alma with an investigator, but it was awesome! She loved it and wanted to post what we read on facebook! haha We also saw our investigator Heather! She is amazing as well! She is reading and praying about the Book of Mormon right now! We also met with Wei Chen! We ended up teaching him the Plan of Salvation and it was great! It made him really happy to know that he had more of a purpose in life! We also celebrated Sister Kidd's Birthday with her! She is a single woman in the ward who went on a mission to temple square. She is amazing! 

WEDNESDAY- We had a great lesson with Tom. He was taught by sisters last year and we started teaching him again. We had three members with us! It was awesome! Super spiritual lesson! We felt like we had an army with us teaching haha. We saw Roxy  and taught her about temples and eternal marriage! She loved it and wants to go to the temple!  We did our weekly service at the food bank! We had our M&MTC that night! It was amazing! We had everyone make a list of every person they know that isn't a member and pray about who on that list they feel like they should share the gospel with! It was awesome! We met with Bishop Sorenson after to discuss some things about our recent converts. He is one amazing Bishop! I am so grateful for him and all that he does for the ward! He cares so much about every single person. It is so great! 

THURSDAY- We gave Kelly a church tour and she loved it!!! She said she felt like she was home! AAHHH! So exciting! We had a few minutes to spare after our church tour with Kelly, before our district meeting and we had made all our calls, didn't have our bikes and weren't in our area, so Sister Vikari gave me a little singing lesson! It was great!  District meeting was great and we went out to eat after! We saw Nikki and Destiny with a member and had a great lesson with them! We then had dinner with the Samuels! They are a part member family in the ward! They have two boys and they are hilarious! We had a great time and lesson with them as well! We also saw our recent convert Jada! She is so amazing! She is very shy and quiet. We quizzed her on everything we have ever taught her and she got every answer right! It was amazing! 

FRIDAY- We had a pancake breakfast at a members home for the Fourth of July! We had some recent converts there and our investigator Heather came too! Sister Vikari sang the national anthem it was amazing of course! We had our weekly planning session and then saw a less-active named Crystal! She lives across the lawn from us. She is so great and is working her way to the temple! We weren't allowed to proselyte after 6 and we were allowed to stay out until 11. No one invited us over so all of us missionaries made our own party. We went to a place to eat called COOK OUT! It is amazing and super cheap. We thought it was fitting for the 4th of July and we wanted our "cook out." haha get it?? Then we went and played Kickball and ultimate frisbee! It was fun! Then we went and watched fireworks!! It was a fun night! I am proud to be an AMERICAN!! I am grateful for those who have served for this great country!!!

SATURDAY- We had a lesson with Wei! We taught him about Hope and Happiness through Christ! It was a great lesson! The spirit was strong! He is great! We taught this new family. the Mutai family from Kenya! They were great! I am excited for them to progress! We had ana amazing dinner and lesson with the Simmons family! I love them and they are from Idaho! They are so strong in the Gospel! 

SUNDAY- KELLY and WEI came to church! WOO HOO! SO exciting! They both loved church! Church was amazing! Testimony meeting was powerful and everything that was said was perfect for Wei and Kelly! We had a meeting after church and then we went and sang to the primary in the other ward. Then we went to a open house for a returned missionary that just got home! She is awesome and is going to come out with us! We went over to the Lyon's to see Sam and he wouldn't talk to us. Here is his story....

Sam - Once upon a time Sister Durfee and I were fasting, praying, and doing everything we could to find a family. We received a phone call from Sam saying that him and his family has just moved in to town from California, and that they wanted to meet with us. Well, we met with them and they received our phone number from a recent convert of about a week who gave him  one of our pass along cards! Super miracle!  Sam had taken the lessons in California, so he knew a lot of what we taught and believed. We started to teach him and his wife. The journey for Roxy, his wife,  was great! She gave up smoking, received her witness, and loved the Gospel! Well, Sam was all on board at first and then he picked and choosed when he wanted to be apart of lessons and didn't. Roxy was Baptized in June! We gave Sam some space because he said that he would tell us when he was ready to be baptized. One day we went over and he told us that he knew it was true and wanted to be Baptized. He asked when the soonest was that he could. He told us that he had quit smoking for two weeks already. We explained that he had to come to church a couple more times and then he could, so we set it for July 5th. Well, he has missed church, so we keep having to put it back. We hadn't seen him in about a week and half. Every time we went over he was asleep and Roxy wouldn't wake him up. Yesterday was the first day that he was awake. We asked Roxy if we could speak to him, and she said he wouldn't come out. She explained to us that he wasn't really interested anymore and didn't want to be Baptized. We were devastated, but really wanted  and needed him to tell us that in person. He wouldn't come out and Roxy said he would just yell at us if he did come out, and would tell us to get lost. She said he didn't want to hurt our feelings. We decided to lay low for this week and we will go by on Friday, because they are having a Birthday party for their son.  It is so devastating when we do all that we can, and people use their agency to make the wrong choice after they have received that witness of the truth. As I did personal study this morning I was studying  in Chapter 1 of Preach my Gospel about how to make sure that I am a successful missionary, and that I am doing all that I can. There was a part that stuck out to me that made me think of Sam. It says, " Remember that people have agency to choose whether to accept your message. Your responsibility is to teach clearly and powerfully so they can make a correct choice. Some may not accept your message even when they have received a spiritual witness that it is true." That is exactly what is Happening to Sam. We have done all that we can, and at this point we continue to pray for him and visit his family. Then he will eventually come around. I have so much hope that he will be Baptized. It might not be this month or this year, but I know he will!

Well the week was amazing! There were many more miracles!!! The members are simply fantastic and so is the work! I love RICHMOND KENTUCKY!!!

Have a fabulous week!

Prayer- That Sam will come around

Challenge- Write down a list of people you know that aren't members and see who you can share the Gospel with. The Holy Ghost loves lists! 

Scripture of the week- Omni 1:26! It is a good one!

Love,

Sister Bradley
 

New President, New transfer, New Investigators!

HELLO HELLO FROM RICHMOND KENTUCKY!! 

SHOUT OUT: HAPPY BIRTHDAY to my adorable niece ARI this week!!! Also, a shout out to MACIE and MIA who get Baptized on Saturday! I am so excited for you both!

There have been many wonderful miracles that have happened this week in Richmond! We are working with amazing people!

So...One day this week we got to go to a  wedding reception! haha. It was a Sister who got married and she was one of Sister Vikari's old companions. She is my grandma in the mission world posterity! It was fun and we got permission to go! Don't worry we wouldn't have gone without permission. Obedience in Key! haha. 

We did some great service projects this week! These members bought a new house, but it had been foreclosed for the last 4 years. Sister Vikari and I got the privilege of cutting down all the bushes around the house! They just let us go at it, and we had the bush clippers or choppers ( whatever they are called). We did that for two hours straight. We weren't prepared to do yard work because they said it would be in the house. Needless to say we had no gloves, we had capri's on, and we are in Kentucky. GOT EATEN ALIVE BY WHO KNOWS WHAT KIND OF BUGS, SPIDERS, CHIGGERS, THORNES, etc. It also downpoured in the middle of it, which was a nice cool off! I enjoyed every second of it and would do it again! It was very rewarding to see mounds and mounds of bushes gone BYE BYE!

That same day that we did the bushes we went over to see Destiny! Nikki wasn't home, so we decided it would be fun to surprise Nikki by cleaning! We cleaned the kitchen, and then we cleaned and organized Destiny's room! I loved it! Nikki really appreciated it as well! 

Sam - He is going to be baptized on July 19th! He is doing really well! His wife got baptized a few weeks ago and is doing great! Sam has already read the whole Book of Mormon and is going through it a second time. He truly has prayed and received that witness that the Book of Mormon is true! Him and his wife have three beautiful children and one on the way! I know that the Gospel will continue to bless their lives and that they can get sealed in the Temple one day! 

Kelly - We had an amazing lesson with her this week! We taught her the Doctrine of Christ by reading  2 Nephi 31! It was super powerful and she loved every second of it! She finally has work off and gets to come to church this Sunday! She is getting Baptized on July 26th

(NEW) Mckayla- She is an 11 year old who is the niece  to a less-active in the ward. She is going to be Baptized on July 30th. We taught her and her mom for little while back in March, but had to drop them due to them moving. She is reading the Book of Mormon and decided to come to church for the first time yesterday. She said she enjoyed it and wants to come again! We are excited to continue working with her! Hopefully we will start working with her mom again soon.  

(NEWish) Wei - He is this amazing guy that is from Shanghai  China! He is searching for the truth and has a strong desire to learn. We watched the hour long restoration DVD with him in a members home this week. He really enjoyed it and it touched him. He is slowly gaining a testimony, and it is fantastic to watch him grow! He is HILARIOUS! He told us this story about how he found a quarter on the ground and it was a UTAH quarter! It was a "sign" haha!

(NEW) Carrie  and Jose . They are a couple that we met this week! We were able to find and teach them for the first time this week. They are amazing! They are going to get married soon which will be great! She was so excited to read the Book of Mormon! 

(NEW) Judith and her family. We didn't get to meet her husband because he was working, but we met her two cute little boys! They moved here from Kenya 8 months ago. She is super cool! She speaks 3 languages. One of them being Swahili! We meet with them this week for the first lesson! SO EXCITED!

This week was great! With all great things there has to be opposition,but that didn't stop Sister Bradley and Sister Vikari! 

PRAYER: this week please pray that Sam can come to church, and the Wei will accept a Baptismal date! Thank you! 

INVITATION: I invite you all to watch the hour long Restoration DVD if you haven't in a while! It truly is an amazing video! 

"Shall we not go on in so great a cause!" 

Love you! 

Have a fabulous week!

Love,

Sister Bradley