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! |
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| 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. |
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| Elder Miranda enjoying some pamonha. |
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| 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!!!) |
