Monday, January 31, 2011

Another week came and went here in Itaporanga, And it was rough.

Date: Jan. 31, 2011
Area: Itaporanga,Sergipe
Companion: Elder Smythe
From: San Fransisco, California


Hey Family!

Another week came and went here in Itaporanga, And it was rough. We don´t really have any good investigators, so we knocked doors all day, every day this week. We had almost no success. we did find one family and marked their baptism, but when we went the next day back they said that they didn´t want anything to do with us. and the people that said they'd go to church lied lol so yeah we´re getting a little discouraged, but we´ll hopefully be blessed this week. and this week people kept yelling stuff at us and trying to bible bash and stuff. it was kinda dumb but whatever.

We had 16 people total at church this week, and we taught both classes. the district president was there this week. but it was a pretty good Sunday.

We didn´t really do anything for p-day today, Elder Smythe and I just bought groceries, and chilled at home. were gonna make some chocolate chip cookies later tonight. there´s not a whole lot to do in this little town.

So McKay is a missionary! that's cool. I´ll email him once he leaves the MTC.  just get his address and tell me next week.

I´ve got a package to send, but I´m gonna have to wait till I'm in Aracaju to send it. but we might go there next p-day. I got a disk, some Brazilian money, and some bracelets for the kids. I´ll send it asap.

That's a bummer that Brookie's been sick, I hope she feels better!

So I´m trying again to read the Book of Mormon in Portuguese, I gave up last time lol  because it was too hard. but I´m reading a chapter per day. I´m understanding it a lot better this time. I can read and understand everything but the scriptures are hard sometimes. I´m learning a lot about the scriptures and I´m realizing how much I took them for granted before.

But yeah I´m doing okay here, how are the kids? are they doing anything cool or exciting? Tell Cody good luck in Russia freezing to death!  I´m getting enough sun for the both of us. haha

Have you talked to Elder Smythes Mom online again?

Well, not much else really going on. say hi to the family and the buddies for me! Is Brian still hanging out with Brad and Jordan a lot? Has he gone snowboarding a lot with his new board? He´s about to graduate! Has he taken the ACT test? He should as soon as he can. What else is going on back home?
Love you guys. Be safe!
Bradley

p.s. I literally think I'm using dial up. SO SLOW!!!!

Monday, January 24, 2011

8 Months

Date: Jan. 24, 2011
Area: Itaporanga,Sergipe
Companion: Elder Smythe
From: San Fransisco, California


January, 19 2011
 Hey guys!
How's everyone doing? How was everyone´s week?

That´s cool McKay had his farewell. I´m glad he did good on his talk.
Man, I can´t believe I´ve been out 8 months!
I´m 1/3 of the way done already!

This week was alright, we worked hard and taught a few people but nothing really worked out. We marked with a bunch of people to go to church but it rained so nobody went. Church was alright, the branch presidents wife drives me crazy she´s this cranky old lady and she like screams at the kids in the branch and at her husband and stuff in the middle of the talks.
But some of the district presidency was there so they taught Quorum and stuff.
I really want to help this branch expand. it's really struggling right now

Today for p-day we are here in a different area and we played ping pong at the church with the missionaries here it was pretty fun, even though I kinda suck at ping pong.

That's good Koda is okay, it was kind of only a matter of time until she got hit by a car. I hope she learns her lesson and mellows out a little bit.

I dunno, this area is kinda rough but I´m doing good here . My companion is a really good guy and so that makes it a hundred times better. I know that I´ll be blessed here if I keep working hard.

Well, I'm kinda  outta things to say... so I´ll bear my testimony.

I really know that this is the true church of Jesus Christ, that Thomas S Monson is called of God. I know that I´m here to bring people to Christ. and I´m really grateful to be here in Brazil.

I hope everybody´s week goes great and that everybody stays safe.
With love, Bradley

Monday, January 17, 2011

A mango almost landed on my head

Date: Jan. 17, 2011
Area: Itaporanga,Sergipe
Companion: Elder Smythe
From: San Fransisco, California

Hey!

That's really cool that Janette had her baby. I´m glad everything went well, and that's cool that we share the same birthday. the pics look really cute.

Thank grandma Hall for the money! That should really come in handy since we only have lunch with like 2 times a week in this area, and we have to take a bus to lunch every time.

Church was better this week, we went from 8 members to about 20. I taught Gospel Principles and Elder Smythe and I both spoke in Sacrament I feel like my talk went pretty good. I gave it on service to others. And we found out that were gonna have to start teaching Quorum.  It's kinda rough, there´s only 3 men in the branch, so we really need to baptize some leaders. The Branch President doesn't have counselors, so we kinda take over that role.

     But my companion is really cool, and he´s a great missionary. I´m really learning a lot from him. I like the way he teaches. We both got packages today so we´ll be feasting for the next little while. Thanks  for the Christmas package! Thanks  Brookie for the Christmas tree, we´ll set it up tonight even though its a little late. It is great to get a package!!! loved all of the little christmas toys and candy and stuff. and I really loved the calendar. Thanks so much I really do appreciate it!


January 17, 2011
      I´m glad koda´s okay... maybe she´ll learn her lesson and stop running away now. but who knows. I hope she heals up okay and everything is good with her. (Bradley's Husky ran into the road and got hit by a car)

     That's crazy that its so freezing there, I can't wait till it's winter here again, but then it´ll rain everyday. some parts of Brazil are flooding way bad right now. its all over the news here. Have you guys heard anything there? I guess a bunch of people have died and houses are being destroyed.

I'm trying to think of something cool that happened this week... we are teaching a pastor, and he is really tough. He doesn't believe in free agency or in works, its sad to see how confused people are.
We went mango hunting with this family after lunch one day, a mango almost landed on my head and my companion screamed lol.  It was cool this kid just climbed into the trees like a monkey. But I didn´t have my camera... an Elder got robbed last week so I´ve been kinda sketched to take it everywhere. He was coming home from the bank and lost like all the money he had.

Tell McKay good luck, he´ll love it.

Have a great week. Everyone is in my prayers. Be safe!
Elder Ludlow

Monday, January 10, 2011

HApPy BiRtHdAy!

Date: Jan. 10, 2011
Area: Itaporanga,Sergipe
Companion: Elder Smythe
From: San Fransisco, California



  Hey guys thanks for the birthday emails!!! It's weird that I'm 20 years old already I'm getting old!!! Today we went and ate at subway for my birthday/ pday.

      Man, my new area is kinda rough but pretty sick! I'm in the other state in Sergipe in a tiny little city called Itaporanga its a really cool looking place, its a nice, clean, green little city and there´s like a bunch of dirt huts and stuff. I feel like I'm in Africa sometimes.

     But the branch is tiny we generally have 15 or so people at church but yesterday it rained so we had 8. We have to teach Gospel Principles, bless the Sacrament, and we both spoke in Sacrament. and were speaking next week too. I dunno its way sweet here but at the same time it might be kinda hard the church is just a house, and we only have lunch once or twice a week.



Elder Smythe & Elder Ludlow
       But at least my companion is way tight his name is Elder Smythe he is from the bay area and is a cool surfer kid. man, another American!!! that's crazy!!! He´s a way good missionary and we already taught some really powerful lessons, He has like a year and 2 mos.

     We are teaching a lady, and she prayed about the church, that night she had an awesome dream. she dreamed that she was in this huge field, and there was like hundreds of churches, and this huge flood came and destroyed all of the other churches, but God put like this invisible wall around the church of Jesus Christ, and that's where her and her family were. and basically everyone died except the people in the church of Jesus Christ. It was really cool, but she's still not taking it that seriously. she knows its true but i think she´s gonna have a hard time changing. but I dunno I bet we baptize her.


     Man, on Friday we went to this place called the Matador, where they kill cows, cause Smythe said they let us watch them butcher the cows, but neither of us really knew what to expect. So we like walked in there and there was all this cow skin piled up and there were a bunch of guys gutting the bulls and stuff, and then we see this cage where they herd a cow into, and there's this guy standing on top of the cage with this huge spear like 10 ft long, and the tip of it was like a foot long. and then he just stabbed the bull in the head but he kinda missed so it was just bleeding everywhere, then he stabbed it again and the cow just dropped dead instantly. It kinda freaked us both out lol.

     But I'm excited for this transfer, this area isn´t really a baptizing area but we have some really good investigators. People hecka try and bible bash with us here, theres a ton of churches for how small the city is. and of course we live by an Assemblia of god again.. I'm really starting to not like that church.

     But yeah I really like Sergipe, its a lot nicer than Alagoas. I'm coming from the poorest to the second poorest state in Brasil, but its a huge difference, it actually has a curb and gutter with like plants and parks and stuff and there´s way less litter, and my zone has a lot of really cool Missionaries.

So I hope I get your package on Thurs for interviews.

     Thanks everyone for the birthday wishes.

     That's really cool that McKay went through the Temple. and Isaac is home, his mission went by fast!

     I´ll get a package ready for you guys.

Love you all, be safe!   Thanks for everything!!

Love, Bradley

Monday, January 3, 2011

Transferred

Date: Jan. 3, 2011
Area: Tabuliero, Alagoas
Companion: Elder Oborn
From Sacramento, California

Hey guys,

This week was pretty good, it was really hard to work because everybody was having parties because of new years and Christmas. Our neighbors had way loud music playing for like 3 days straight, it was pretty annoying all night the same songs. but oh well, haha

But yeah I'm getting transferred! I'm pretty glad lol, there's some really cool people that I've met but I´m just not having success here. We didn't move in to the house so whoever gets here will have to. I won't know where I'm going or who my companion is until Wednesday, so you guys won't know until next week. But I'm sure it will be a Brazilian, who knows where I´ll go I'm excited to find out. wish me luck!

I'm glad Nate's baptism went well the pics looked good, everyone´s getting so big! and that's cool grandma and grandpa came up, tell them thanks for the money and I´ll write them a letter.

That's cool that Brookie is re doing her room. I bet she´s excited!!! I wanna see a picture when its done. she´s gettin big! she´s gonna be way different when I get home she already seems way different.

That's a bummer that grandma hurt her knee, I hope that it won't affect her mission and she can still work. My back is still giving me problems, it's definitely better it's just stiff. I think its from sleeping on my crappy old mattress.

Wow, Isaac´s finished already!!! that's crazy!!! I bet Ted and Gail are way excited, that's cool I'm glad he loved the mish. that means Derrick and Brakston will come home soon. it goes by so fast!
When does Cody leave again? McKay leaves in just a few weeks! I hope he´s excited!

Man the snow looks so nice, the Sisters were asking why there wasn't snow on Christmas, and one week later everything is frozen! I hope you guys are enjoying it I'm getting some sun for you guys. I can't wait till it cools down again.
I feel like this is a pretty weak email but I can't think of anything to say, next week I´ll send pics of my new house and area and comp., I hope I like my next area! I'm sure it'll be great.

Well I love you guys be safe and be good!
I miss you,
Bradley