Concluding mission post

So this is the concluding post for my mission blog. I arrived home on Tuesday, March 25th. It was such a surreal experience. I remember when I was at the mission office on Monday at like, 3pm, just talking, joking with the mission secretaries and the other missionaries there, and suddenly our taxi pulled up the driveway. One of the secretaries came to me and told me that it was my ride. That’s when the silent panic started. I got light-headed.

After my bags were loaded up, I took my seat by the taxista and off we went. And it was in that moment that I think I finally realized that my mission was drawing to a close. I looked back as the mission office fell from view. My heart sunk as I will not see that building again as a missionary. And it`s not even the building that made my head whirl. That building, the mission office, represented a connection to all the missionaries in Campinas and to the mission itself. So when that building got cut off from view, to me that sort of meant that the mission, the dear missionaries I met, all my companions, President and Sister Perrotti, all the members in the eight areas I served, the routines, the lessons, the intensity of the work, the burden, the power, the memories - all of these were cut away from my life in that split second. I turned in my seat to face forward and chatted a little with the taxista but all the while I was surveying the avenues and great, tall buildings of downtown Campinas, trying to enjoy one last long look.

As myself and four other missionaries got to the rodoviaria [bus station] and took the bus to Sao Paulo, and then the flight to Atlanta and arrived at the airport there, my head was swirling. It got worse when I found myself alone in Atlanta - the other four missionaries had departed the plane and gone their separate ways and I hadn't said goodbye to any one of them. I went to my next gate and found a seat. I was there two hours early so it was almost empty. I just sat there for a few minutes and sipped the root beer I had just bought. I needed to say a prayer. I didn’t feel comfortable doing it at the gate even with so few people there, so I finished my drink and I went to the bathroom and locked myself in one of the stalls. I opened myself to God in prayer and told Him everything that I was feeling. I felt comforted. It’s interesting how sometimes we have to be put in situations that make us stressed or worried or desperate so that we can learn how to really pray - I mean, pray with real intent and with all your heart.

I returned and noticed a huge poster on the wall next to the gate that read “Let each man pass his days in that endeavor wherein his gift is greatest.” Two years ago, I was at the gate beside this when I met with another 30 or so nervous missionaries to take the plane to Sao Paulo. I had read this quote from Propertius and I had agreed with it. But this time, as I sat thinking, I saw it from another angle. I don’t know if I agree with that quote anymore. The scriptures teach us that we should search for the best gifts of the Spirit. They teach us that those who come unto Christ with humbleness will have their weaknesses made into strengths. Christ taught that we should even be perfect, as is God. It seems to me that God wants us to pass our days perfecting ourselves in all endeavors. And we can. If we want to. If we are not willing to let God modify a few things in our lives - our desires, our hopes, our dreams - then we will seemingly be much more happy spending our life doing only that which is more pleasing or wherein our gift is greatest. However, we will always from thereon live in a partial happiness because we are not, and do not choose to be, happy when we are forced into other less pleasing endeavors throughout our day-to-day experiences.

Choose to be happy. Choose to let God teach you how to be happy in all that you do. Choose to do all that you can to understand the Atonement of Jesus Christ. I know He is our Savior. I have seen some of my many weaknesses become strengths during this mission. Through repentance and understanding of His Atonement, I am free to vanquish my bad habits and my pride. Please take some time to study His Atonement, ponder it in your heart, and pray with all the desire of your heart to know that it is true and to understand it. I want you to feel the comfort and freedom that I feel.

Even though I will probably not see everyone that I met on the mission later in life, I know that I will meet them again at Judgment Day. I know that life is eternal and that our Heavenly Father has wonderful things in store for us, especially for those who do their honest best in this life.

Thank you so much all of you for reading my posts and I desire the best for all of you. If you'd like to get in contact with me please send me an email.

(Elder) AJ Bradford

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Snapshot at the airport we sent to AJ's sister, Taylor, to signal he was home (she's attending BYU in Provo)

AJ posing in front of poster his sisters (Lexi and Ellie) and Mom made to greet him at the airport

Picture taken by the dad of a sister missionary that was also returning home that afternoon 

AJ surveys a map we created of his mission, cities where he served, and list of missionary companions

AJ after his interview with (Stake) President Shafer,
who officially released him from missionary service

AJ shows off the shoes he wore home  

Certificate presented to AJ upon completing his mission service

Final letter from Brazil

Hey family,

So this is my last email (I think) because next Monday I will be taking the plane home! It's so weird. This email is going to be short because we are out in Vinhedo [AJ served in the area Feb-Jun 2013] and I'm going to visit some church members & friends today! Our mission president lets us visit one of our previous areas before going home. We're going to eat lunch with them and visit some others, it's going to be awesome!

Thank you for all your help during these two years! They flew by. They were incredible. They were the best two years of my life. I'll see you guys on Tuesday the 25th in Portland! LOVE YOU SO MUCH!!!!!

Elder Bradford

March 10th letter

Hey fam,

So today I have even LESS time to write you guys! Busy, busy, busy wrapping stuff up [AJ heads home on March 24th]. I'm still working through a scripture chart in Portuguese that I showed you last week and I finished up some stuff for our mission zone T-shirt (man that was a lot of work). Today we're going downtown to buy some stuff! I was thinking about going to the Dom Pedro shopping mall which is like one of the biggest in Latin America [about 85% the size of the Lloyd Center in Portland or University Mall in Orem], but there wouldn't be time and I think a lot of stuff there must be pretty expensive. There's a lot of stuff in downtown Campinas I can get.

Also I cut my toe pretty bad...just to get you guys worried...actually it's nothing serious. Okay have a great week!!! Thank you for the prayers! Keep praying!

Elder Bradford

March 3rd letter

Hey guys,

So this week was a little difficult. We made a list of all the less-active church members in the neighborhood. We went after the addresses, but we found very few people at home.  Some of them didn't want contact with the church. It was funny, as we spent time running after these addresses without any result, then at church there miraculously appeared some new people to teach. We also talked to some members and got word of some less-active church members who would accept our visits. We visited one of the families yesterday and they received us. So that was cool.

We're having a bit of trouble determining what exactly is the problem in our mission zone in regard to finding people to accept the gospel. We've tried so many things these last few weeks, and months, and nothing seems to work. We're going to have to try something that I've never done...I don't know what that is yet...

Unfortunately, I won't be able to send pictures on this computer, but I will send some next week! It seems that all the members and other missionaries are trying to get me trunky [as in packing a 'trunk' for a trip, as AJ will finish his mission in three weeks]. But that's not gonna work! I'm trying my best to focus on the mission stuff. Thank you for your prayers and love!

Elder Bradford

February 24th letter

Hey guys!!!

So this week we did our best with the two children I mentioned last week to see they were baptized, but it didn't work out. The family ended up having some serious problems and because of the situation right now, we aren't able to pass by their house. A church member that was helping us out is worried about I don't know what and she isn't able to help right now. Also, no one we've been teaching went to church! SOOO, we are going to work in a different neighborhood this coming week. I am excited! I always get excited when there is some change in the work, like a different neighborhood, area, companion, teaching pool - it's good stuff.

Hey mom, I was thinking about what you said, that you feel like it's on your shoulders to get the women excited about missionary work. I had an IDEA! Talk to the missionaries! Tell them you want to get the women excited about missionary work. I'm sure they will be more than happy to help. One of the things that missionaries want most for church members is that they develop the faith, vision, and excitement necessary to do missionary work. I don't know what I'd give to have one of our ward leaders come to me and ask me to help their members to develop these things and to give me all their support.

Well, unfortunately I had a lot to do today on the computer today so I wasn't able to write a lot, but I'm doing well, I'm healthy! I'm learning a ton! Yeah mormonism! I love you guys a WHOLE LOT!!! LIKE A LOT!! Thank you for your prayers!

Elder Bradford

February 17th letter

Yo peeps!

I am liking my new mission ward a lot. Yesterday we had our coordination meeting and I think it was the best one I've ever had on the mission. Probably because it was the first that had the participation of the bishopric and the auxiliary group leaders. When we talked about the difficulties of those we're teaching, they were ready to give an idea, or offer to make a phone call once in a while, or make a visit with us. Man, it was so much easier that having to run after each and every member trying to make visits. Make sure, Mom, that you have a representative of the Relief Society at the missionary coordination meeting because it will strengthen the link between the ward and the missionaries. Man, it was definitely one of the most positive and productive coordination meetings I've had on my mission! Most of the time in other areas it was just myself, my companion, and the ward mission leader in the meeting...and it was just for him to follow up with us and see if we were working. Now I understand a lot more about how to make that vital connection between the ward and the missionaries. I left the meeting really excited to work this week (a sign of an effective meeting)! It means a lot to a missionary to know that he/she isn't working alone.

Yesterday was New Beginnings (Novos Inícios) for the young women in the Bandeirantes ward. I had promised them I would help out by playing piano, so I did that yesterday and it went well. The meeting was small because the ward has only three active young women, but it was still good.

Something cool happened in church yesterday that I wanted to tell you about. We were in Gospel Principles class learning about the Holy Spirit when the thought came to my mind that we should try calling someone that we'd been teaching that hadn't yet showed up to church. I didn't want to interrupt the class, but the thought kept coming strong, so I went over and told Elder Miranda. So we left the classroom and went over to the bishops office to use the phone, but then we remembered we had left the phone number of the guy at home, so we went to go back to class and saw a brother sitting alone in a classroom. We walked by, but Elder Miranda decided to stop and talk to him. It turns out that he is going through some VERY tough stuff right now. We gave him a priesthood blessing and returned to class. At that point the church members were discussing experiences with the Spirit, and Elder Miranda said, "Interestingly enough, we had an example right this very moment of how the Spirit works" and he started to explain what had just happened. It was in that moment that I realized what the Spirit had done so that we could end up giving that brother a blessing. I think I overlook many times how much the Spirit helps me daily.

Please pray for Gabriel and his sister because we are working to baptize them this Saturday! I love you guys, thank you for your prayers!

Elder Bradford

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This is brigadeiro (have you guys made it yet???). Sometimes people put stuff in brigadeiro, so we put the Reese's Pieces you sent me - wow that was good stuff!

We bought pamonha from a street vendor. It's like mashed up corn with butter or something, but that's also some good stuff right there.

Elder Miranda enjoying some pamonha.

Cleaning the baptismal font!! There was a ward baptism of a boy named Felipe. It was a very good baptismal service and some people we're teaching came (yes!!!)

Transfer in Southwest Campinas (final mission transfer)

Hello family,

Man, we worked hard this week to get some people to attend church...we had a good group of folks, but they didn't make it out...AHHHHHH!! So, we'll be giving them another chance this week, as we really haven't had a chance to teach them much yet.

Also, I was transferred! My new ward is Ouro Verde, which is the other ward in Southwest Campinas that uses the same church building as the ward I've been in! I'm gonna be with Elder Miranda, who was already there, so now both of us will be together as mission zone leaders. It will help us out a lot to get things going in the zone. I'm staying in the same apartment, just moved to the other room. Elder Papenfuss is also staying and now he's going to have a different companion, but his dad (me) is gonna be here to help him out every step of the way! :P

Keep me in your prayers...even at the end of my mission I am growing and learning so much! I'm going to do my absolute best! Have a great blustery, snowy week! Here it's being the complete opposite. I love you guys sooooooooo much!

Elder Bradford

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Thank you so much for the cookies!!! Man I miss the CTM!!!! [the cookies are from Mr. Cheney's, which is a business that caters to American missionaries and is located next to the Brazil missionary training center, or CTM]. Also, the other package you shipped the beginning of October got here [finally] the same day...thank you so much!!!!

We made something called Pavê for our mission zone activity...it's creme or mousse layered with crackers...it's good stuff!!!

Corn popcicle - mmmmmmm!!! It's actually fairly popular here and it's not that bad!

These pics are from our mission zone activity. We played torta na cara (pie in the face). A scriptural question was posed, and the person that slaps the table first gets to respond. If he gets it right, he can land the pie in the other persons face - if he's wrong he gets it in his own face. It was pretty cool.

February 3rd letter

Hey my best friends!

So this week was interesting. We found some more people to teach, but unfortunately no one went to church! That seems to be one of the most difficult things here, is finding people who will actually go to church! We also had two Family Home Evenings with church members, we taught a pastor, an english school principal, an atheist, and a woman who is returning to church after about 3 years away from it. Yeah it's crazy stuff.

We went to a hamburger place on my [21st] birthday...it was COOL!

You might be surprised to see that I am writing today...the mission zone meeting I mentioned last week was canceled, so today is our preparation day. A missionary in our zone is stopping by the mission office today, so I asked him to pick up my package [for his birthday]. I AM SO EXCITED!!!

Also, today we're gonna do an activity with the missionaries in my zone...it's going to be sweeeet! Unfortunately my time is already up...I know it's probably annoying that I don't write a lot every week. I try my hardest to write the most to you guys, but I usually get caught up in stuff for the mission zone and the area, since we are only allowed and hour and a half on the computers per week.

I love you guys so much...please, please, please pray for me, as well as for opportunities for your friends to hear about the gospel!

Elder Bradford

AJ's 21st birthday

Hello sports fans!

Well, thank you so much for all the emails wishing me a happy birthday! I felt so good today! I felt like I was 21 years old! But just for a moment. I don't even believe that I'm 21. It's so weird. But anyway, I am still a missionary and I still have to work so that's what I'm a gonna do!

Elder Papenfuss's Portuguese is getting better...he's still talking with everyone he meets, so that's good. This very second he turned to the guy by him in this internet café and showed him mormon.org. Man I've never done that! What a splendid idea!

On Saturday, we went to contact a woman we had talked to earlier in the week. Unfortunately, she didn't live at the house number she passed to me, but we ended up talking with the family that did live at the house. We asked them if we could share a gospel message and they accepted (a bit reluctantly). They called all eleven (11) people that were in the house to participate. So, they gave us two chairs and everyone gathered around on the front porch. This isn't anything new for me, but I imagined how scary it must have been for Elder Papenfuss! We aren't able to follow-up with the majority of them because they live outside our mission boundaries, but it was good practice for Elder Papenfuss.

The family that attended church last week wasn't able to go this week (bleh). But I hope...really, really hope...they will attend this Sunday. We will do a Family Home Evening with them and another family in the church ward this week, it's gonna be GREAT!

We had a multi-zone mission conference and talked a little about some stuff from a book called 'Every Missionary Can Baptize'. It's a pretty good read, I recommend it. This book and a few others that I've read talk extensively about focusing completely on the work and the power of the mind.

Okay, my time's up. Thank you so much for the warm birthday wishes! I'm excited to see my mystery package next week! (OH HO HO what could it BE!?!?). I love you ALL and INDIVIDUALLY with all my heart!

Elder Bradford

January 20th letter

Hello famzam!

So this week was cool demais [as well]. We had a stake activity on Saturday where we invited church members that were former missionaries to meet together at a church and then go out and do street contacts in the region. We fasted the day before to help it be a success. We had just six members show up, so that part wasn't that much of a success. But, as it seems to always happen, our fast didn't go to waste...a family of four came to church as well as two of their friends, so that was awesome. They will be our focus this coming week. I would like so much to be able to baptize another family before my mission ends.

We are going to have a multi-zone missionary conference this week.  They have the tradition of having the missionaries who are going home soon give their 'last testimony' during the meeting. After spending a year and eight months seeing other missionaries do this, I can't believe that I'm going to be doing it this week. It's so weird. I'm trying not to get trunky (tranque in Portuguese).

I'm trying to work my butt off. I can see that I still have a lot of things that I could improve if I had a lot more time on the mission, but I know that as a person I have changed a bit and learned some lessons that I hope I will be able to apply during my life. I want to bare my testimony to you that I know that the Atonement of Jesus Christ is the key to our happiness. If we can understand the Atonement and what charity really means, we will have a happy life.

Thank you for all the prayers! And for your emails! Be strong!
Elder Bradford

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The other two missionaries that board with us

January 13th letter

Hi family,

Well, this week was fair. I'm still liking Elder Papenfuss a lot. His name is German by the way.

So, the situation here is that I am zone leader with Elder Miranda who is in Ouro Verde (another ward that shares the same chapel, and we share the same house). It's a little easier because we are in the same house. I am just now starting to understand the whole responsibility of being a mission zone leader. I think the hardest part of it all is knowing exactly what it is that the zone needs. Like, in what do they need to be trained? It's hard because we can't spend all day, every day in their areas. Which got me thinking...how is it that our Prophet determines what needs to be taught in general conference? I'm curious if any church leaders have made comments about this.

Thank you for looking up my previous questions and please keep me in your prayers! Unfortunately, my time has already ran out on the computer...I spent a bit of time making a ward list. We're gonna visit all the ward member's houses and see about getting some folks back to church! Thank you also for telling me how everyone is doing!

Elder Bradford

January 8th letter

Hello guys!!!!!

AJ and Elder Papenfuss

I am training a missionary again...my little son is Elder Papenfuss. He's from Bountiful, Utah. He has already served 6 months in the Boston mission. He speaks Portuguese real well and is pumped to work. He talks with literally everyone so he can to practice the language. I'm excited to work with him! I'm still here in the Bandeirantes Ward in Southwest Campinas.

So, our bishop here is going to take a trip to... guess where...Washington state!!! So I'm going to send a package with him to take to you! I'll send some English books that I don't want anymore as well as some Guaraná and Paçoca.

And, I was thinking about coming back here to Brasil to work during the World Cup...I'm thinking they'll be begging for people who speak English and Portuguese fluently to help with the tourists...maybe?

I love you guys soooo much! Keep praying for me! Keep reading the Book of Mormon!!
Elder Bradford

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A LOST MAN!

A DANGEROUS CROSSING!

A RANDOM HORSE!!

A LOVELY CLOUD!!

A POWERFUL MISSIONARY ZONE!!!