It doesn't feel like this week is Christmas - Dec 23

So because I haven't heard what y'alls decision is about how I will get a hold of you I will choose for y'all. First let me give you the low down of what is going to happen. SO I will be calling about 4pm (Louisiana time...or Central time whatever you want to call it.) I will try to either skype you first if that doesn't work then I will facetime y'all. For skype just use mine or if one of you has one that you would like to use instead go right a head. . If I remember right the usernames is littlemissmo but I don't remember the passoword but the email that it is connected to is my thisgirlluvsmusic account. You will need to add the member that we are using her skype account which is Laurie.holbrook1. What we were thinking is having us call before we skype to make sure everything is set up and ready on both ends.

Anyways on to the more spiritual side of this week. We had the ward Christmas party on Saturday. We were all disappointed a bit because none of the people we invited had come. The Covington Elders had a less active that they were referred to came, which made it worth it a bit. It was a lot of fun though. Us missionaries sang in part of the live nativity that they did. Apparently we sounded good which is a relief because when we sing at district meeting it is an entirely different story. It was nerve wracking because I haven't done anything like that since I was 12 and sang for the ward Joseph Smith thing that I did with Sydney, Emily, Katie, and Meg. It was ok though. Also sacrament meeting and relief society were awesome! What they did for the speakers/lesson is they had people bear their testimony about Christ and then between each one we sang the Christmas Hymns! I just love the Christmas Hymns! The spirit that they bring is a lot different then all the other hymns. It was weird not singing the same old songs that they would sing back home (though that wasn't bad either) It was cool though because they used the organ and the piano for all of the songs for the meeting, minus the sacrament. It was cool though because in relief society I got to do my unofficial calling (relief society chorister...which reminds me I need to thank Sister Pinkston for teaching me that when I was in her activity days group.) I am one of a handful of sisters that know how to lead music and will be there every week so the relief society presidency knows that they can always ask me to lead if they need me to.

So picture descriptions.

The first is what presents we had as of last week.....we now have a lot more.

Second, is a sign that I found that bugs me every time I see it. (Yes, there are a lot of comma rules but that doesn't mean you can go placing them where ever you feel like.)

Third, is a shed thing in front of a members house. There are trees growing on top of it and even wheat and grassy stuff it is really odd.

Fourth is the temple cut out that was at the ward Christmas party.

Fifth is Mary and the baby Jesus...even though you can't really see them.

Sixth is what it looked like with all the lights, it was really cool.
Seventh is Sister Schmutz and I....yes I know shame on me for not wearing my glasses....and yes Ave I now own a sparkly skirt thanks to Sister Schmutz giving me clothes.

And the last one is my district. The one that is standing by me and looks angry is Elder Madsen.....I went to high school with him and he lives by Brad and Jeff, they are actually in the same home ward.....and the one on the other end is Elder Stewart who come to find out is a variation of Hunter aka liked a lot of the same music and geekery before the mission.

Well that is my report to y'all for the week. Love y'all and I can't wait to talk to y'all on Wednesday!

Love lots

Sister Brady

WITH THIS STORY YOU ARE NOT ALLOWED TO FREAK OUT BECAUSE I AM ALIVE - Dec 16

So this week was an interesting one. On Wednesday the Covington Elders and us were going out out to eat with a less active family for the last time (because we normally would have the two companionships but we aren't allowed to do that anymore). Well the elders were in the truck with the head of household and we were following behind about 30 feet in our car. Well we were going down the road and some lady swerved and hit the truck and pushed them back about 7 feet. Luckily nobody got hurt (there was a lot of divine intervention there). Well we stayed with the elders so that way they had a way to get home if needs be. Ya we were there for a good two hours or so waiting to find out who's jurisdiction the accident happened in. It was in Covington's but just barely. This made me realize just how much the Lord is watching out over us missionaries, because if they had got hit even the tiniest bit harder they would of rolled into a ditch. SO moral of this story is pray for the missionaries to be protected because God will protect us. So yes I am fine everyone is fine. It just smelt like burnt pineapple pizza afterwords. Oh I also found out how not sheltered I am because at one point standing in the street talking to the son who came to take his dad home asked if we smelt alcohol, no one else could smell it/knew what is smelt like but me (Ya I am not sure if that is a good thing or a bad thing)

 

Besides that nothing new.

Have a good week y'all, I love y'all bunches,

Sister Brady

I hate being a damsel in distress! - Dec 8

So I have a story for y'all this week and it reiterates something that mom and dad have raised us girls on thinking....being a damsel in distress is not worth it.  On Saturday we were super busy. We went to the ward's Relief Society breakfast and then went to the baptism for one of the Mandeville Elder's investigators. Well a member of the Relief Society presidency asked us to take the treat they had to some of the sisters we were planning on seeing that day, and so we told her that we would do it after the baptism. Well we were heading back to central Covington and decided that we were going to see a less active family that was over that way. Well I may or may not have told us to go in the opposite direction that they lived, so we went on a side street to turn around. Well earlier that day it had rained quite a bit so the ground way muddy, and so what do you think happened as we turned around on that street....We got stuck. Well one tire was stuck and the front end was stuck enough that digging us out would take forever and a half. Well so we sit in the car and laugh about it. I try pushing us out and didn't get anywhere. Well we text the elders to see were they were, well all the elders were at a members house after the baptism, so we ask them what they would do if we were stuck, and Elder Ciana, our wonderful district leader, calls and asks us if we are ok and if we're stuck, we tell him ya to both and he says that they would be there in 30 mins. Well after we got off the phone a truck stops by. It's dark and cold and so my first instinct is to be a bit apprehensive. The guy asks if we're stuck and if we need help. We told him that we were stuck and so he goes to his house to get the rope harness thing to pull us out. We let the elders know that we found a way out and if we don't text back in 15 mins to come and help us. To finish the story the guy got us out in just enough time before the elders would come to help us. Ya being a damsel in distress is to stressful of a job for me so I think I may stick with being as independent as I can.

Anyways besides the craziness of that I found out yesterday I GET TO STAY IN COVINGTON!! (insert happy dance here). I really do love it here, but I know at some point I will have to leave but that doesn't get to happen anytime in the for see able future....because there is the chance that I could get emergency transferred out..but happy thoughts.

Hope Y'all are doing alright and have an awesome week. Love y'all.

Sister Brady

Things that will make or break us are the things that we remember most - Dec 2

So this week was a hard one, with everyone leaving early for Thanksgiving we had to figure out other things to do, and we did. Here they get an entire week of for Thanksgiving, and so a lot of people leave early in the week. Thankfully we had our appointment for dinner on Thanksgiving, I am not sure how one of the elders didn't go into a food coma but when into an work out frenzy.

We did do quite a bit of service. The days leading up to Thanksgiving didn't feel like Thanksgiving possibly be because I wasn't home away from school, but the day after felt like the day after Thanksgiving because we helped a member who has cancer put up her Christmas tree and decorate a bit, which is what I would of been doing if I was home. Anyways it has been really cool as we have got to get to know the members and show them that we care about them and that we need their help. One of the ward missionaries said something that made me think. She said that part of the reason that she lets us come over as often as we can is so that her son will have the desire to go on a mission and that while he is serving she knows that he will be taken care of because she is taking care of someones sons and/or daughters. That made me realize that not only the success I have out here come from the members help and what I do but it also matters what is being done at home because those are blessings that go both ways.

Anyways here some of the pictures I have taken in the last two weeks or so.

The first is two of the elders in my district Elder White and Elder Madsen. I went to high school with Elder Madsen and graduated with his older brother, oh and they are in Brad and Jeff's home ward. Elder White is from southern Arizona. They are both awesome elders to work with . Elder White is in Covington and Elder Madsen is in Mandeville.

The second is the fuzzy socks that I bought because of how cold my feet were getting at night and in the morning.

Third is a birthday card that we did for Elder White and Elder Ciana (our new distirct leader) They loved it...and yes there are Twilight stickers around Elder White's name. He is one of the few guys I've met who liked them, and Elder Ciana got super heroes ( he likes the Hulk)

 the Fourth is them with the card.

Fifth is what the stairs looked like while we were cleaning our living room and rearranging it.
and last is the Christmas tree all decorated.(I've changed a few things on it since I took this picture.)

Well I love y'all lots and lots have a good week

Sister Brady

It's cold and I don't like it. - Nov 25

Hey y'all,

It is getting cold down here, and well it is colder then I thought it would be. Today when we went out to the car it was cold enough that I could see my breath. Days like this make me grateful that we have a car and a nice warm apartment.

This week has been one of adjustment. We have a new district leader, Elder Cianna, who was born in Peru but was living in California before the mission, he's been out a transfer longer then me, and was actually trained by our former district leader. It's weird though because he is a lot like Sister Schmutz and I, quite until we are comfortable with you then we will talk a lot.

Also we had exchanges with the Sister Training Leaders, and I was with Sister Tiller, yes my trainer. It was weird because I have never had to lead the area with her there before. Last time it was Sister Schmutz and Sister Tiller in Covington. Anyways it was weird leading my trainer who had spent three transfers in the area.

Oh we also helped from windows and take down some walls for a less active family.It was really funny because the house had a back porch shade like the one that Rita has and the people who were renting it never cleaned it off and so there was dirt and fire ants on top of it and the elders were asked to take it down, well they were beyond dirty by the time it was down. (I'll send you a picture them next week)

It's weird to think that Thanksgiving is on Thursday and that Ashery is 13...which means Christmas is almost here, which is a very weird thought because next week I will have been out for four months.

Well I think that is all for this week Hope y'all have a good Thanksgiving and a good week.

Love y'all

Sister Brady

Well, I don't know - Nov 18

So this week has been really good but a struggle. We found out on Saturday that our District Leader was getting emergency transferred out, and that he's going back to Kenner. Finding that out was hard for me because I felt like what I had envisioned for the area was now going to be shattered, but I am going to be a big girl and deal with it and work with the change. We have been teaching a lot more this week. Our recent convert that we have been trying to teach the new member lessons to since before I was here finally had time for us to teach her (all thanks to her home teacher).

So with the pictures one of them is one that I took while we were driving through downtown Covington. The others are part of service that we did this week, helping them set up for Court of Honor, which was a lot of fun. Cool thing was I remembered what order the scout advancements go (who knew that having parents being a part of scouts for so long could be useful?)

Anyways things are going good, we have a busy week of dinner appointments and trying to figure out when we are going to teach our new investigator (lucky for us she is pretty much always home)

Well hope all is well back home.

Love y'all lots.

Sister Brady

All is well in Covington - Nov 11

So yet another week has gone by and things are good, and I am good, no really I am good. We've been working hard and trying to figure out what to do when it get's dark because hardly anyone will let us in when it's dark. This email will also be a picture filled one because I have a lot.

So let me somewhat explain each of these pictures.

The first is what we did for Halloween. We couldn't be out tracting or contacting after 6 so a member gave us a brownie mix, and well we didn't have a mixing bowl, or a cake pan, or any oil but we made due with what we did have.

Ok so the next one is one of the elders in my zone who was also in my district at the MTC Elder Benson...who was playing with my camera as we were getting ready for the sisters picture.

Which explains the next picture. Those are all the sisters in my zone. Two of them were leaving, one just got her visa and the other is going back to Temple Square.

Next is part of our area that we hardly ever go and are thinking about going on a P-day at some point in time. It is the areas gator farm.

The next two are just part of the scnerey that we have in Covington/Abita Sprins area.

Ok so the first on this one is the sunset as we were on our way back to Covington from Abita Springs.

The second one is our bookshelf that we have so wonderfully orgainzed.

And the last is a flower arrangement that we did at our one of our service projects that we do; we go to a retirement home/assisted living and go help with their craft day which is always a lot of fun.

Well y'all I don't have much time this week but I hope y'all have a wonderful week. Love y'all.

Sister Brady