This will be the last week of this transfer

Date: March 16, 2011

Area: Itaporanga,Sergipe

Companion: Elder Smythe

From: San Fransisco, California



3-7-11

Thinking spot by the river - where we go when the going gets tough , haha



 Hey guys, how is everyone?
    This week was pretty good. We are working hard and we had 8 investigators at church on Sunday. We are gonna try and baptize a 17 year old girl on Saturday, she is definitely an elect... we´re not 100 percent for this Saturday, but she wants to be baptized. she just doesn´t really know when. Tomorrow we´ll try and get her excited and ready for this weekend. she´s living all the commandments, and has really no problems, and she´s talking about serving a mission already. So we´ll  just try and get her excited.
And ther´es a less active family that has been coming to church, they gotta get married, then we can baptize the wife and 3 kids, so if I do stay here at least finally we´ll have some decent people to work with. It kinda sucks that all of our success happened on the last week of the transfer.But as of now we have that family of 4, and also that José that really wanna get baptized but they need to get married. if I stay I might have to pay for part of the weddings, but we´re trying to find a free wedding they have them every once in a while.It sucks cuz almost nobody is civilly married here they just live together.

     But were almost positive that Elder Smythe will go, but the branch president hinted that we both will leave. But I dunno I´m not gonna get my hopes up I´m just preparing to stay in Itaparanga for  ROUND 3!!! But it´s a little better now cuz we actually have people that aren´t lazy and for sure we´ll baptize next transfer. I´ll probably be with a Brazilian. but yeah I´m chill with whatever happens.
My rash is a lot better, the pills are working and it´s a lot smaller.

That's cool Bri is playing the guitar. Elder Smythe has one and I´ve been practicing a little, it´s like impossible to learn during the mission though. I don´t really have time, but I really wanna learn.

That's cool that the kids are staying busy. Brooke is doing softball, and bubba´s lifting weights. I need to work out more, I have a fat gut. but I´ve lost a lot of weight in this area and my stomach is a lot smaller. when I eat I feel full way fast.

Yeah I saw the Japan earthquake, that's good the missionaries are safe.

I´m way excited for the package!!! I´m really needing one.

I'll send pics.

Love, b rad

eu amo voces!!!
(I Love You Guys!!!)




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3-7-11
Our Thinking Spot

 



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I´m doing good don´t worry about me

Date: March 9, 2011

Area: Itaporanga,Sergipe

Companion: Elder Smythe

From: San Fransisco, California

Hey family!

     How´s everything going? This week was pretty good. I thought that like nobody would go to church because of carnival, but we had 5 investigators at church, that was definitely a miracle. But we won´t be able to teach them till tomorrow and they live really far away on a ranch. We´re gonna have to take a bus then walk like an hour, an inactive member just decided to go to church and brought a bunch of neighbors and stuff.

     But so far this week the city is literally A ghost town, everything is closed and theirs no one in sight, everyone went to the beach, so we´ve been trying to work but we have just been kinda chillin. We went down by the river on Monday and hung out at our thinking spot. (where we go when the going gets tough. ha ha.) we tried to go hunting for birds with a slingshot, it was pretty funny.

     But yeah not a whole lot to say, I´m doing okay. This week was better than the last few. It sounds that the family is all doing good, that's crazy that theres snow still, its so hot in my area cause there's no wind here. I can´t wait till it starts to get to be bearable again...

     But yeah I´m outta things to say, just a pretty normal week, we don't really have any super great investigators, they all fell through. We´ll work hard this week now that carnival is over.

     Love you all very much, I´m doing good don´t worry about me, I know that even though things get hard, the Lord blesses me in so many ways, and I'm very grateful for this opportunity to serve a mission, I´m learning and growing so much and having a good time.!!!
Much love
Bradley

9 months!

Date: March 2, 2011

Area: Itaporanga,Sergipe

Companion: Elder Smythe

From: San Fransisco, California

Bradley has been out for 9 months! YAY, I can't wait until May when we get to talk to him and he hits the 1 year mark!

Hey Fam!
This week was good. This area is just really hard. basically all of our baptisms fell through and José was the only investigator at church. we haven´t really gotten a hold of Lú in a while, I think she´s kinda avoiding us so I dunno, hopefully we´ll talk to her this week and mark her baptism again and get her to church. the other three ladies fell through, they were on their porch and ran inside when they saw us coming and pretended like no one was home lol.

So yeah it´s a little bit rough here. I´m loving it with Elder Smythe though, he´s a really good guy.

But yeah we spoke again in church on Sunday, it went pretty good. I spoke about faith in Jesus Christ. but no one really pays attention besides the president and one other guy.

It would be really nice if you sent a package, especially if I stayed here for round 3. with some food and treats and stuff. this transfer is only 5 weeks so it´s like half way over already. I don't know if I´ll stay. Elder Smythe is for sure leaving because he´s been three here.

So I weighed myself and I´ve lost like around 10 pounds since I´ve been here in Itaporanga. we have lunch 2, maybe 3 times per week. we just make something easy in the house but its hard to eat for so cheap. I cant wait for my mom´s home cooked meals again!!!

McKay emailed me, he seems to be doing great! I told him how the mission flies by. sometimes theirs rough patches but you look back and realize how fast it goes by.

This week is carnival, like the biggest holiday of the year. Everybody just gets drunk and party for like a week. I think it´s kinda like mardi gras but a lot bigger. we have to be inside by eight this week. but we live in the busiest part of the city so its gonna be really loud all night.

Sorry guys, I still haven't taken pics, I´ll for sure take more and send them next week..

But yeah not a whole lot going on, we´re just doing our best to get this branch up and running again.
love you guys!! be safe,
Bradley

I´ve realized this week that I need to be a little more out going and excited with the investigators, and it´s really been working.

Date: February 23, 2011

Area: Itaporanga,Sergipe

Companion: Elder Smythe

From: San Fransisco, California

Hey Fam!


This week has been pretty good so far, not really anything new is going on... the work is going okay, Lú didn´t go to church this week so her baptism is pushed to a week from Saturday.
To get baptized they have to go to church at least two times. We found a lot of new people last week, but none of them went to church, that catholic family fell through, we went to their house and the wife was home alone so we said we´d come back, as we were walking away we saw the husband riding towards us on his motorcycle... once he saw us, he turned around and zoomed away. so we waited and a few minutes later he came around the block the other way. so basically he ran from us. lol they were actually married civilly which is rare. but besides them, we currently have 5 baptisms marked. we found 2 sisters and one of their friends and marked their baptisms. I dunno how firm they are but pray for them alright? Joelma is 35, Dione is 19, and Jacki  is 25ish. Also Jose 68, he´s really cool, he should get married/ baptized soon.  and Lú 23 (she´s so snakey). I dunno I feel like its easier to mark baptisms than to get people to church, they always have an excuse!
That´s cool that Cody´s a missionary and is in the MTC!
 and McKay emailed me really quick he´s got a week in the field! I hope he loves it!!!

On Monday we had zone conference, it was really good and got me really excited to get out and baptize. I´ve realized this week that I need to be a little more out going and excited with the investigators, and it´s really been working. before we were both kinda shy and quiet, but we decided to try and open up alot more towards the people that we meet.

That´s cool Brian went to the REV THEORY concert. I liked those guys!

The only one of my companios that I see is Elder Thomas. he´s my zone leader. the other ones are in Maceió. Elder Thomas goes home soon, in like 2 transfers or something, then I will be 11 mos behind him.

How was baby sitting Sadie and the boys?  Man I was thinkin and she´s gonna be big by the time I get home!

Yeah it sucks that we never get lunch here, the biggest reason that I have no money is because I´ve had this rash for like 5 weeks, and me and Sister Beynon can't figure out how to get rid of it. I kept forgetting to tell you about it, so yeah I´ve spent like 50 bucks on medicines, and we have to take a lot of buses. but that's all reimbursable, my reimbursement was like 130 reals of the 200 that they give us. so the allowance will come through on Monday and the reimbursement will be on next Thursday so I'll be fine next week, but I have had to use personal money a couple of times.

Thanks for the pic of the new president. that's gonna be wierd to have that change.
He looks really young and nice.

Well, I love you guys!
Be safe and read your scriptures everyday!
I know that I´m here in this area to help someone be baptized and that I´m being blessed for the hard times here and that after we are tested we receive great blessings...
for example, who knows, maybe my future wife signed up for a gym membership when I got assigned to Itaporanga lolol ha ha. just kidding!!

Love you all
Bradley

We're Pretty Broke, Losing weight

Date: February 16, 2011

Area: Itaporanga,Sergipe

Companion: Elder Smythe

From: San Fransisco, California

Hey guys,

Well another week came and went in Itaporanga. It was alright. We´ve been working with a girl named Lú and she´s hecka cool and we´re gonna try and baptize her next week. she´s a way excited person we still are just knocking doors all day, everyday. A family is going inactive so that´s one less lunch every week. we only have two times per week. We´re pretty broke and everyone says I look a lot skinnier when they see me, even though I still have a gut. lol but it´s going good.
(They should be eating at a members home one meal a day every day, but the ward is too small)

The old guy that we´re working with needs to get married before we can baptize him he´s cool I really wanna baptize him.

We had transfers and we both stayed here. The pics look cool from the St George trip. that's cool you met a Maceio missionary. I´m sure the elders are babied in the St George mission with good food and stuff. haha

That was  nice of dad to get you a nice valentines gift! congrats on the star Bubba! just get your Eagle asap. Brian, that's funny that you asked out a girl with a girlfriend.... haha I bet that was awkward! I can just picture you. we laughed so hard at that story. you should definitely go to prom dude.

I´ll take a lot of pics this week, I haven´t really been taking a lot lately I need to do better.

We did find one other family, their hecka catholic and their baby died of dengue fever about a year ago, she had 16 months. we taught the plan of salvation and it was really powerful. the mom was crying. I dunno it was a really good lesson, but their gonna be tough to get baptized. We´ll keep passing by this week, they seem like really great people and were excited to work with them.

I dunno this area is pretty tough but I feel like theirs some people that we can work withe here.

well, I love you all be safe.

Love Bradley

We definitely were blessed for our sufferings last week.

Date: February 9, 2011

Area: Itaporanga,Sergipe

Companion: Elder Smythe

From: San Fransisco, California



Elder Smythe and Elder Ludlow



Hey guys!!! How´s everybody doing? I´m doing okay, this week was pretty good, although Elder Smythe and I both got really sick for the first few days of the week, but we´re both feeling a lot better.

We had a miracle at church on Sunday!!! There´s this guy of about 70 years that's been going to church for a long time, but was never baptized because he didn´t want to get married, well he decided to get married and will be baptized (next transfer) we still haven´t been by to mark a date cause he lives in another city but I´m really excited with him. It´ll be really be cool to baptize an older guy.
We also did a division with my father Elder Thomas yesterday and it was way fun and we found some really solid people. We have a few rapazes of like 14 or 15 we could maybe baptize.
(rapazes means boys, I had to look that up, I don't think he meant to write it in Portuguese, how cute)

So yeah, sorry I didn´t email, p day is on Wednesday now. it´s really weird it feels like Monday today but it´s Wednesday já!!! I dunno I feel like I´m in a way better mood than last week. We definitely were blessed for our sufferings last week. lol.

Today for p-day a rich member from a neighboring area took us and 2 other elders  to a way nice restaurant right on the beach it was nice to chill in the salty air and I took some sweet pics, I´ll post them.

That´s sad that your friend Troy died mom and dad. I´m sure that he is in a place free of pain, where he is at peace. I thought a lot about this yesterday... we were on our way to district meeting in an area called Estançia and we saw a dead body. We drove right by him really slow and they had him laying right on the side of the road, he was on a motorcycle and got hit head on so his face was so messed up, I really wished that I hadn´t looked afterwards, you know how I am when I see blood and stuff. But it was weird to think that just a few minutes before there was a spirit there, and now his body was empty of life.

That's sick Derek got home, how does he seem? does he have an accent? (Derek just got home from theThe Belgium Brussels/Netherlands Mission) Wish Cody good luck, tell him that it flies by, especially after the MTC, Send my love to McKay too my red headed homie!

That's crazy that the Superbowl came and went... stupid packers. Brazil is playing I think like right now we might go and try and catch a little bit of the game at a members house lol when Brazil plays, the whole country shuts down!

I hope Brookie feels better, that's rough that shes been sick for days already. feel better sis!!!

I love all of you guys! be safe and have fun! I´m praying for you!
Bradley

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

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

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