April 28 // Sister Bradford: The dog whisperer and the worst door picker.

You're probably wondering what my title is for... Let me explain.

So... For some reason, I've become a dog whisperer. I can get any dog to be nice. Which is great because EVERYONE has dogs. And a lot of them are big too haha. Pit bulls, hound dogs, you name it and it'll be nice to me. A blessing from Heavenly Father I guess? And as for the doors.. Here in the south everyone has 2 or 3, sometimes 4 doors on their house and you never know which one to flippin knock on! Because a lot of the time people don't use their front door? They're just for decoration basically. So you generally look for the one with the welcome mat or something? Well sometimes every door has the welcome mat... So anyway, I generally decide on one door and the people come out of the other haha.

But the other day whilst deciding what door to knock on... Someone let their dogs out on us!! They come sprinting out of the door I apparently should've chosen and ran us down!!! They were some kind of shepherding dog that surprisingly didn't bite us. But I guess it's because Sis Hurst started praying really hard haha... And they probably just got my dog whisperer vibes.. Haha just kidding, Heavenly Father really does look out for his missionaries(:

But on a more spiritual note, this week has been wonderful!! We found the cutest new investigator! Her name is Ashley and she is SO nice! When we met her she didn't stop smiling the whole time haha. But we were talking and we asked if there was a time we could come back and she said "um tomorrow morning would be really good!" WHAT?! We never get that! Everyone is usually like "um... Day and evenings don't work and I'll be gone for the next month.. So next year, maybe?" ... That's an exaggeration.. But you get the gist haha. But we have been working SO hard lately. And I've been praying a lot! And we've been working on faith in tracting and it's been working! We've found a lot of success! It's crazy what a little faith can do(:

I've really been trying to emulate Alma and the sons of Mosiah lately... Haha. If they can go through all that they went through and still "go tracting"... I can. Haha sure it's super hot and I literally have sweat dripping down my back and the bugs are ridiculous and no one will let is in... But The Lord blesses us for our efforts and our faith and our diligence! Never give up, never surrender! Haha

I finally feel like I've gotten the hang of things. I've finally broken through a barrier and that everything will be ok. I know I'll still have hard moments. But to all those missionaries out there who are out or are going to be. Do. Not. Give. Up. I'm telling you. Every single person is going to have a period of time where they desperately want to go home. If say you don't, you're a liar haha. Some people just have a shorter time with that than others. But it will come haha. This week especially I've seen what blessings come through faith and diligence. Keeping an eye single to the glory of God. I've also seen how the Book of Mormon can change anyone's life and can help us through any situation. Read that book. All the time! Since I've been here we've been working with a less active sister. She has a really rough life. She's 27 and has 5 kids and lives in awful circumstances. Since she's started reading the Book of Mormon every day she's lost a bunch of weight, she treats her kids nicer than I have ever seen which is a huge improvement, she's got a job! And she's moving into a nicer apartment! Because now she's living with her ex husband in a horrible trailer infested with bugs... But her entire countenance has changed completely!! She's finally gotten up on her feet. The Book of Mormon can help anyone!

I love this gospel and missionary work with all of my heart!! I know the Book of Mormon is the word of God, that it invites the Spirit into your life and can change you. I know Jesus Christ is my savior and redeemer and that He lives and will help us through any trial. He will never leave us alone.

I love you all!

Love,

Sister Bradford 

April 21

Sorry I haven't been up to date with Jordan's letters. Here's today's though. I will get caught up eventually. :)

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OH MY GOODNESS. This week was a week of miracles!!

There's too much to even talk about so we'll just start with yesterday. Haha. So first we're walking into church and we see Sis J and her husband walking in! Her husband is SO anti. Like... She doesn't want us to come over when he's home haha. But we talked to him.. And he was nice! So there's 1. Then we walk into the chapel and Bro F walks in with Sis F!!! Whhhaaattt?!?!? And THEN R (a recent convert) was there with her daughter, who we've been trying to work with ffoorreevverr, and her three boys!!! She has not want to come to church at all... And she came yesterday and is coming next week too!! It was so good! Then one of  Nona's less active nephews came with his mom! Everyone just comes out of the woodworks on holidays. But then President And Sis Tilton, who are the Orlando temple president and matron that are from our ward, spoke. So then we had that amazing spiritual experience!! It was WONDERFUL! 

So Sis Hurst and I were a little sad though at the beginning of the day because no one had invited us over for dinner and Nona and her family had their shindig on Saturday... But then the Strickland's AND one of the many Tilton's invited us to their dinners. I love both those families SO much! And we ate reeaaalll good. Shrimp and grits (oh my gosh it is so good!) burgers, coconut pound cake, potato salad. That was just the Strickland's. Then we went to the Tilton's and they had desserts galore and baked beans and what not. But that family is so amazing! So the head of the family are Frances and Woody. Sis. Frances is the cutest little thing... Literally little, she's shorter than I am and weighs 75 pounds soaking wet haha. She's had different surgeries and she's been trying to out on some weight, but anywho. She is just so sweet! She's like another grandma. We were talking and she said "I'm gonna cry when y'all leave! We just get too attached!" It made me feel really loved(: their family is huge so it was nice to be in that setting on a holiday. They really make you feel right at home. 

But M (our investigator) was their because she's dating one of their grandsons, who's the bishops son (these relations get ridiculous haha) And we haven't seen her in a while so it was so good to be able to talk to her! She's my age and I just love her. We get along really well! But she's has some concerns that we've been trying to figure out and she finally opened up to us! So that was a miracle! Now we know how to best help her. I just want her to be able to have a happy eternal family!! Haha 

So all that goodness was JUST Sunday! Saturday we found 2 new investigators and had a member present lesson! Those... Don't happen as much as they should haha. 

We had trade offs this week and that was super fun! You always learn a bunch on those! I stayed here in Palatka, so I got to drive!!!!! Yyyeeesssss! It was so nice!!!! I haven't driven since before I left. (By the way I NEED my dmv records sent to me... Like asap. Could you do that? Much appreciated(: )  but the missionaries started volunteering at the Ravine Gardens, so we did service there. And for some reason.. No matter where I'm at.. I always manage to get fire ant bites... Those things are the spawn of all evil! They're tiny but they kill! And then they leave these zit like sores that you're not supposed to pop. They hurt. So I got a good few of those. Then, we're in the wilderness and I go to pick something up and I put my hand right where someone had spit!!! Where we were at no hikers go! GROSS! And then... Later... I got poop on my hands... Yep. It was splendid. I thought I should have some entertaining stuff thrown into this spiritually filled email haha. 

But really, over all this week was amazing! Heavenly Father was so good to us this week! And I know it's because we were making sure we were doing everything we were supposed to. Like golden hour... I hate it, but we do it because we know rewards will come from it... And they have!! 

The longer I'm here the more I love missionary work! I'm so grateful for the Savior and everything that He did for us. I LOVE the Book of Mormon. Don't know where I'd be without it. The Easter was wonderful. 

I love you all!!!!!!

Love,

Sister Bradford

I found a stick bug! 

A road we went tracting on.