This month really has just flown by! I'm amazed that September is already over! I'm glad to hear that everything is going well for you guys back home though. Here everything is going alright. My talk went well. I really think people understood it. I talked about how the people of Christ are a special people, and that we aren't and should not be like the world. Then I talked about some things that the people of Christ have to do and how we should act. I also talked about how there can't be divisions in us. Like in 4 Nephi where the almost everyone was converted to the church and there were no Lamanites or Nephites but they were all the people of the Lord. I talked about how as the people of Christ we have to keep the commandments, and that there are no exceptions to them. People also think that the commandments are for Americans and that they don't have to obey them in the same way. For example with tithing, they only pay it if they have extra money or don't use the 10 percent at the end of the month cuz they are just all "poor" and the Americans are all "rich" so they can do it. So as you can imagine, very few pay tithing. I talked a lot about how, if we really love the Lord we have to keep the commandments and sacrifice to keep them, not just keep them when it is convenient. I did tell everyone that I loved them and that was why I was saying the things I was saying. There are just a lot of problems and things that people are doing and no one has the guts to say what needs to be said. That's why I did what I did, missionaries are too nice sometimes so I always have to be the bad guy. I think I've given a talk like that in every branch I've served in so far except when I was a secretary. I don't mind doing it though, it just makes me feel like a missionary of old and in my opinion it would be better if more missionaries did it. Obviously we show love and care but when something needs to be said, it needs to be said, boldly, but always lovingly. Otherwise people will just keep doing things wrong until it becomes a habit that will be even harder to break.

Elder Chimica's leg is super bad so we stayed at the mission home all week. Sister Spendlove took care of him and I was a secretary again for a week. It was fun though, I missed the office! I got to drive, write letters, fight with the Angolan embassy again! It was pretty fun, but we did no work in our area and only 2 of our investigators came to church. Oh well, there isn't a whole lot I can do about it. Anyways, we did get to go home for a few days. I was designated to change his bandanges so I've been playing doctor for him. However, I told Sister Spendlove, "I don't know what I'm doing and I'm only going to make it worse." Sure enough, here we are again and we will probably be staying another week... oh well, she said it wasn't my fault but... yeah I'm pretty sure it was. Man!

I have grown on a lot of ways in my mission. First off, as much as I hate to admit it, I'm a softy.... I've turned into a soft hearted touchy feely guy! It sucks!!!! I use to not let anyone get away with crap when it came to me but now I do! Dang it! No it's a good thing, I'm not a door mat, but I have learned to forgive and give people the benefit of the doubt which is a good thing. I just feel like a softy everytime I do it ha ha! it really is a good thing though, I will be interested to take that personality test again. When I left I was a red/white, now I think I'm more of a blue which was my lowest ha ha! that should be interesting.

Anyways, it looks like I will be a secretary for another few days so that's good. I'm excited. There were a lot of things that I wanted to get done but just couldn't because I didn't have time with all the other things we had to do but now I can do all that stuff. It's good, I'm happy and everything is going well. Anyways I better get going, I love you and I'm so grateful to be a part of our family.

Love Brady