Hi mom! Well chirstmas was pretty good actually. I just hung out with all my mission buddies so it was fun. I've really become super close with a group of the missionaries here. We are pretty much brothers ha ha! Elder Peterson, Spaulding, Depew, and Featherstone. They are all champs and I love hanging out with them! That was what made Christmas good for me ha ha! We did a service project at a rest home at a hospital. It was alright. I was out workin in the little mashamba (vegetable garden) they have so I didn't spend a ton of time with the old people. But when we were getting ready to leave they started singing to us which was really cool and super funny!!!!!! These little old ladies were standing up and pounding the table, dancing and stuff ha ha! It was pretty funny. I got some film of it that I'll show you guys when I get back! We watched "It's a Wonderful Life" again. It was really good again! I like that movie a lot! We'll have to watch that every Christmas as a family too! It really was a great movie! Caroling actually wasn't that bad when it came to being on the streets. I thought we were going to do it until that night but we only did it till 7 so there wasn't tons of drunks out yet ha ha!

Well with transfers, i found out that for my last transfer I will be training again!!!! I wasn't expecting that! But I'm pretty excited. His name is Elder Burton from UT I can't remember where. But it should be good. He gets here on Thursday so i'll let you know next week how things are going. I'm excited though. Also Elder Brower is coming back to Maputo which was another surprise but it will be good to see him again!

We went with President to teach one of our inactive families yesterday. It was really good! We've been working with them for more than 6 months and they wouldn't budge. But yesterday they said that they would come to church that next sunday! It was super great! So now we are going to use them more offen ha ha! But ya other than that we couldn't really get a whole lot of teaching in because of christmas and this week's New Years so it will probably by about the same story.

Anyways, I better get going. Thanks again for everything! I love you and i'm super grateful for you. Everything is going good!!! Have a good week!! Love you!!!!

Love Brady

Questions:
1. How did the Christmas Caroling go?
We just walked around with santa hats on and sang to some members. It was alright. No drunks gave us any problems. I can't say that I enjoyed it ha ha sorry, you guys no how big of a fan I am of singing!

2. What did you eat for the Christmas party?
A bunch of breakfast stuff, kinda weird. but we had waffles, eggs and some other stuff. It was good though.


3. What did you give as a gift for the secret Santa thing? What did you get? What was the best gift of the event?
I bought a little wooden cup with Maputo written and some stuff carved on it and filled it with some candy. I got a little wooden elephant thing. I'm not sure what the best gift was. There was some soccer jerseys that everyone wanted there. So I guess it would be those.

4. Who is your new comp? Where is he from? What do you know about him? When is he coming?
Elder Burton is his name. He's from UT of I remember right but I don't remember where. He's at the MTC still but he will be here on Thursday I think.

5. What are you going to remember most from this Christmas?
Just hanging out with my missionary brothers. I love these guys to death! It was awesome to be able to just sit, relax, and hang out again.

Thanks fam!!!

We found out what we are doing for Christmas this year! On Christmas Eve we are going to a hospital to do some service, clean and as they put it "spread good cheer." Ya, last time I went to the hospital, there wasn't a whole lot of that. Then we are going to sing on the streets which I think is an ABSOLUTLY TERRIBLE IDEA!!!!!!! We're asking for it! At least if Christmas here is anything like it is in Beira!!! All anyone does is drink, beat each other up, and drink some more. I really do not feel comfortable going out the night before Christmas on the streets singing! But oh well. Sister Spendlove told me today that she was going to go with our district so I guess it will be alright. I hope at least.

Then on Christmas day, we are going to watch the devotional the church put on, then have a secret santa thing. After that we will watch a few movies I think and eat. After that we'll play board games for the rest of the night. It should be good. I just worry we will be left with too much free time to think about home and get trunky. Last year wasn't too bad, but this year it sounds like we are going to have a lot of time to just sit and think. Oh well, I'll be fine, it's the other missionaries I worry about. But I'm sure they will be fine too.

It's been kinda ruff in our new temporary house, we all sleep on the floor in the same room, it hasn't been fun ha ha. But our house is almost done. At least we think. Last time we went there there was water running down the stairs and sure enough, it was coming from our house. Our Mashamba Mama neighbor was yelling at the workers cuz water was filling up her house. It was pretty funny actually. Oh so I'll explain the name. Here they call farms Mashambas, and Mashamba Mamas are people who just have..... that look. I don't know, it's hard to explain. They are usually older, fat with HUGE arms from workin on the mashamba, and they always wear kapulanas. I'll show you some pics later that will explain ha ha! Anyways, we think we will be in there before new years.

We had something pretty cool happen yesterday, a car just pulled up to us on the road. Inside was a family of a husband, wife, and about 4 kids. He asked us if we spoke English, I told him we did and he said "Great! I want you to teach my kids to speak English!" So we got his number and explained about how we were missionaries and about our church. They said that they would come and visit on Sunday and that we could teach them the gospel too! They seem like a solid family! we haven't sat with them yet but I'll let you know how it goes.

So I've finally started buying stuff to take home. I bought a mask today which is pretty cool. If you guys have any specific requests, let me know and I'll see if I can find it. I will probably need money too. It's up to you guys how much. But ya let me know how much you want me to take out next week k!

Anyways, that's about all I have this week. Everything here is going well. I'm doin alright no worries. I hope everything is still ok with you guys. Anyways, you'll have to tell me all about the Christmas plans when you call! I hope you guys have a good Christmas!!! talk to you in a few days!!!!

Thanks Fam!! Love you!
Love Brady

This week has been kinda ruff. Well, I guess not a whole lot has changed, but sometimes I just let things get to me I guess. We just have so many inactives who just won't come back no matter what we do! They say they have school or tests that they have to study for and whatever. We promise them that if they go to church and read their scriptures that the Lord will bless them and they will do better on their tests! Just give the Lord 3 hours on Sunday!!!!! But they don't come. I don't understand. But maybe I never will. Oh well, it's their choice. I just wish they would make the right decisions, but I can't force them.

We did another family night at our BP's house, man his 2 twin girls are so freakin adorable!!!!!!!!! They always want us to feed them and stuff. They bring their little bowls and say "I don't know how to eat, can you help me?" ha ha ha! Man I love them! I'm going to ask if I can bring one home. It's funny to see them with their family, even their family can't tell them apart its pretty funny!

So this week we also moved out of our house. We've had water coming out of our wall for years now I guess and the owner finally said that he'd fix it after a few heated phone calls but it looks like we will be in our new house for xmas. A couple use to live there so it's super nice. Oh speaking of x mas, I got the package!!! Thanks so much!!!!! You wanted to know what I liked the most? Well I would have to say probably either the Oreos or the peanut m&m's, but I liked all of it! the crackers and canned easy cheese was great too thanks again!

Yesterday we had an AWESOME fast and testimony meeting! But ya there were some really good testimonies it was great! It's probably a good thing that I'm in a well established branch right before I get home. It's helping me get use to how church really used to be at home... or at least how I think it used to be ha ha I don't really remember to be honest! But ya everything is going good here.

Anyways everything in our area is going good. We have some investigators who are doing pretty good. I think President and Sister Spendlove are going to go with us to visit some of our investigators on Thursday, we'll see though. It shoud be good. I'll let you know how it goes though. Well I better get going but have a good week! Thanks again for the package and for all the love and support! I love you! Have a good week!

Love Brady

Everything here is going great. We had our district conference and it went well. We are still teaching Portuguese in exchange for food at the Taylor's ha ha man she makes amazing food!!!! And we are still working with inactives and the branch. Everything is going well, and I'm glad that everything is well with you guys too. We did have another thunderstorm, but this time we didn't go up as high as we did, the first time we went up on the water phlat, this time we stayed at the top of the stairs ha ha but it was still really cool. We got really wet but it was fun. I did get to see a lot of the people I taught in Matola because of the conference, that was great! I saw Galinda, Celso, Silvia, and their baby Crazy!!!! it was awesome! She has hair already!!! ha ha it was fun.

That's funny that you are counting the days ha ha! The flight plans haven't come yet but I'll let you know when they do and I'll send them too you. Man it's super werid seeing the mission come to an end. I'm not going to lie, I'm super excited to get home and get going on school, but at the same time I'll miss Africa. Today we played capture the flag on the beach, and while we were driving away, there were a ton of kids just playing in the shallow water on the beach, I just kinda sat and watched them as we drove away and realized that I won't be seeing that stuff everyday anymore. I'm kinda sad when I think about it. Hopefully I'll be able to come back.

This week as I said, we had our district conference and it was pretty good. President was awesome! He talked about the BOM and about Joseph Smith's quote that it was the most correct of any book, and that we can come closer to God by living its precepts. Then he talked about Nephi's saying about how there are only 2 churches, one is of the Lamb of God and the other of the devil. He talked about how Nephi wasn't talking about churches as we see them today. He said that we don't just become members of the church of the Lamb of God by baptism or confirmation, but by living the precepts of the church or the comandments, rules, counsels ect... He talked about how even people who are baptized aren't part of the church of the lamb, because they don't live the comandments, and if we don't belong to the church of the Lamb, we belong to the church of the devil. It was really good I enjoyed it.

This week we weren't able to get as much done as last week, we had zone conference and activities and stuff. But it was a good week. We are making some progress with inactives who haven't been showing much promise lately so we are pretty excited. It's really cool to see how the Lord's hand is in his work. People seem to have experiences that push them back to the church. It's really cool to see the spirit work in people. Anyways, ya everything is good here. I'm glad to hear that everything is good at home too. Thanks for everything! Love you!

Love BradyBrady with baby "Crazy" from Matola