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.

February 24

Yes I LOOOVVVVEEEEEEEEEEE my new area!! I'm technically in San Mateo and it's gorrrgggeeeooouuusss! It is farmland. Ffaarrmmm land haha. I can't get enough of this place. I love living in a place where there's people named Jim Bob and Peggy Sue, where you have to drive into town and EVERYONE is related somehow hahaha. My companion is the sweetest girl in the world! Sis Hurst she's great. There isn't a mean bone in her body. 

The weather has been rainy, but not too cold. Dad is hilarious. Haha. I can't believe march is next week!! That means kass goes to New York soon!!! That's exciting!! I spent the money at Walmart. I had to buy shampoo and what not. I also had to get this fancy brita water bottle, because the water here smells like sulfur... The tap water.. So yeah haha.

We live with a member. I just love her. She's 84 and still super lively. Her husband died at the end of 2012 and so that's when she started to house sisters. She is way too good to us. She always feeds us. I'm afraid of gaining more weight.... Because everything has butter on it or has been cooked in grease... Hahah 

The ward members are amazing and all of them have super super thick accents. True southerners. We have lunch at the ward mission leaders house every Sunday they are SO southern. Guess what we had for lunch? Cat fish! Salmon and crab legs. And rice. It was surprisingly good. They live on a farm and have horses and they are so cute! The two just had babies and they're only 2 weeks old! They have a hunting lodge and they were showing it to us. They have tons of deer heads, they hog hunt! I'll tell y'all the details of that later haha. And they had a gator too! They gator hunt. I love it. 

My first night we picked up a new investigator and he is so amazing! It's amazing how we met him. So Sis Hurst and Sis McCan met him last week. He was as working at Burger King when they went and they struck up a good conversation with him, but it kinda ended at that. But then, we went to go see a recent convert and he was like "Oh, let me introduce you to my friend." And it was him!! What are the odds right?! Just kidding it wasn't coincidence, it was The Lord. It's insane how much he prepares people. I love it. But anywho. We had a really great lesson with him and the next night he came to our scripture study class we have and we gave him a church tour and then invited him to be baptized. We'll see how that actually goes... But he has been SO prepared.

I know The Lord is SO mindful of his servants, I love Him so much. I LOVE the south. And I LOVE the Book of Mormon. And I love you all too(: 

Love,

Sis Bradford 

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More from Jordan that day:

My companion is too great. I love her. And the lady we live with is the best. I know she was definitely lonely before. They had been married for 64 years and had 9 kids. So to be in a completely empty house...I wouldn't be able to handle it. She has kids that live down the road.. But still. And I'll try [to eat smaller amounts and slower]. But it tastes so good!! Haha 

[On getting an accent.] Oh. It's bad. I started to get an accent before, but it's already getting worse. I naturally just kinda mimic people anyway... I do say y'all a lot and sometimes I'll be talking and say something and I'll stop and be like "did I just say it like that?"

We have wifi at the house so I can keep emailing throughout the day. Unless we go into town. My comp is going to cut my hair! She went to hair school and I've been desperately needing a trim haha. I'm so lucky.

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This is the house and yard of where I live:

This is my room:

This was the ice cream run for the day:

Me and Sis. Hurtz enjoying Southern Blackberry Cobbler ice cream. Mmmmmm.....

February 18

Jordan had a crazy day today. She emailed at a few different times. So I'll piece together the important stuff. :)

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So guess what.....

I'M GETTING TRANSFERRED!! WHAT?!! I'm going to Palatka 2nd ward!!! I'm freaking out! So I'll transferred out tomorrow. I'm so excited! I'm going to miss my ward.. But who knows? Maybe I'll serve there again. When they said my name on the transfer call yesterday I was SHOCKED. It was crazy haha. And Palatka is ccouunnnttrryyy. So country. Just what I wanted! haha 

But now I'm in the Jax South zone, which covers St Johns and St Augustine. So I could totally go to St. Augustine on a P day if I wanted. Sis Houtz served in Palatka 1st. So she knows a lot haha. But It's pretty crazy. I'm excited. 

With transfers everyone who is being transferred has to be at the Mandrin building at noon then we all swap. Everyone has cars for the most part so that's mostly how they get there. If not they'll get a ride with other missionaries or some members are super nice and drive them to and from.

My week has been up and down. I've been really trying to be positive.

I did get everything you sent me!! Thank you so much for that!! I loved it! I love mail! So.. I'll make sure to send you my new address as soon as I can! haha

And that's great with Zach and Kass that's so exciting!!! And that weather sounds just like here.... hahaha today is supposed to be warm. It's already 66.. but it's supposed to drop tomorrow. This weather here is NUTS. I can't even handle it anymore hahah. 

I haven't ready your other email yet, so give me a chance to check that. But that is SO funny that of all people grandpa is an exact match with Stephan Colbert! I laughed. hahaha 

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This is what we did for our bishop and his fam on valentines. We surprised them, we had a family friend come watch the kids and we kicked them out and made them go on a date and the decorated haha

I've been trying to buy more fruits and veggies. I eat like crap at members houses... and we got SO much stuff for valentines day... it was ridiculous. So.. No offense.. But all the candy you gave me... I gave to the Heywoods... hahaha when we decorated their house. So.. next package could you send me like.. Cliff bars or something on the healthier side? haha I appreciate it though! At least it went to good use, right?

The view from near the bishop's house.

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Photos just for fun.

This is what happens when you get an iPad in your hands. ;)

February 10

So this week has been super eventful! It was zone conference!!! SO WE GOT IPADS! Whhhaaaa??? They're so awesome. So all of our area book and our scheduling is all online now in this special app. It's great. So now we don't have to lug these huge binders around all the time and write a whole bunch of crap down. It's sssooooooooo nice! We're the 3rd mission in the WORLD to get them!! I guess the 1st presidency just trusts us a lot ;)

But anywho.. This week has been hectic.. We had trade off's which were super fun! I went with Sis McCleary. She was super helpful and gave me a lot of awesome advice about not comparing and there isn't one set way to do things. So that was great.

Something that I've decided while tracting... I HATE BEING MISTAKEN FOR JEHOVAH WITNESSES!!! Always. I went tracting in this neighborhood for the first time ever and this guy was like "Now y'all come by a lot.. like 3 or 4 times a month' (no we don't because the elders don't go there and we've never been there) "Y'all are Jehovah Witnesses right?" NO! I'm not.. I'm not. We're the Mormons. I don't know if that's any better in your eyes.. But whatever. haha. It seriously happens every single day. DO YOU NOT LISTEN TO WHAT CHURCH WE SAY?! Anyway... We correct them.. Always haha

Anyway. Awesome story. So we picked up an old investigator, Jane, a couple weeks ago and she came to church last Sunday and BORE HER TESTIMONY IN FRONT OF EVERYONE IN HER JEANS! Then she was invited to a play group that a bunch of ladies do and they were all so nice and anyway.. haha and then we've had a couple lessons. Anyway.. Our last lesson, I invited her to be baptized and she said yes!! WWWOOOOHHOOO!! My first bap invite and they said yes!! It was so good. I'm so excited for her! She'll probably get baptized 1st week in March. Yaaayyyyyy!!

We also had an awesome lesson with the Wall family at a members house the L fam. They're so great! It was the daughter in the wall family's birthday and so they bought a pie and put candles on it and had ice cream and everything and she just turned 12 so she went to young women's yesterday and loved it! yyyaaayyy! But yeah. I love the L fam. One of their daughters is my freaking favorite. She's hilarious.. and loves Taylor Swift. She's 10.. Almost 11. She was telling me all about her birthday party that she's having and how it's going to be olympics/ taylor swift because it's the 22nd winter olympics? And then T Swifts song 22.. anyway. She's a hoot haha

I just want to say thank you for the packages!! I got both of them! And I also got one from Misty haha. I'm going to be so spoiled. I'm going to expect tons of packages from now on... haha Just kidding.

Also next week is transfers!! WHAT?! I've already been out for that long?! Craaazzzyyy. But that means our P day is on Tuesday.. So I didn't want you to freak out when you don't get an email on Monday haha.

But this week has seriously been so much better! I loovveee reading the Book of Mormon. I seriously can't get enough. I've been in Alma for the past week ish and the past couple days I've been going through Alma 20-36... It's amazing! If you haven't read it lately.. Read it. Now. It's aammaazzinggg. I love love love the scriptures. READ THEM EVERY DAY! It makes your day so much better. I swear. I can't get enough of them. I'm serious. I read them for 40 minutes of my personal study haha.

But I love you all!! I seriously can't ask for a better family(: I love you guys so much! I'm going to be sending pictures... From my ipad(: hahahah So just wait for those! Love you!!

Love,

Sister Bradford

Here are some photos for the week:

There is this neighborhood called sutton lakes that each section has a British name and Bradford is one of them! Whoop whoop!

Confederate flags hanging on the carports.

Zone Conference

The ducks here are hideous! They look and act like the devil! And they follow you around. 

All these were driving to zone conference, which was in Fernandina Beach. It was gorgeous! Looked way more southern than the area I'm in now.. When we got closer the fog was INNSSAANNE. I didn't get a picture, but we do car inspections... So we all pulled into the parking lot and there were 3 rows of cars all lined up... But uh... No other outlet.. So every single car had to be backed out from the parking lot into the street haha. And Zach and maybe dad will know what that means... hahaha. 

February 3

Heeellloooo!

I love all those quotes! Thank you so much. I need to see if I can print them all. I'm sure I can? haha They have a printer here.

Well this week has kinda been slower. Yesterday was good though! The Wall family couldn't all make it to church, just the dad and the son. But they came. And another investigator Sis Houtz and Sis Toledo had been teaching, that they had dropped, who we visited this week... Came to church! And bore her testimony about how she knows that this is where she needs to be and how she knows all of this is true!!!! WHAT? And then she bore her testimony again in Relief Society!

Also this week... A lady we tracted into, she's Muslim but loves learning about religion.. We went and saw her again this week. She had read the first 100 pages of the Book of Mormon!! Golly gee. It was great! We had a good conversation about it. We're going back again this Wednesday. I'm so excited.

I don't know what else to post? I didn't sing this Sunday, I'm singing next Sunday.

How is Grandpa doing?? How's school going for Zach and Kass? How's your website doing? Is dad working for the church studios still?

You can ask me all the questions you want haha. And I'll call UPS.

I love you!!!

January 27

I KNEW IT!!! I FELT YOUR PRESENCE!!! 

I was literally was like "I bet you anything my family is in Florida right now... "

But that's crazy with HSN! How did everything sell? 

Yes, last week was kinda rough.. not gonna lie. I wasn't sleeping well even though I was taking this supposed miracle medicine called melatonin that's supposed to make you sleep super soundly... Still woke up. I was having some anxiety issues... Especially when it came to tracting... Like.. on the verge of tears sometimes.. But this week has been amazing! I had a phone call with President on Tuesday or something... That was really helpful. I'm not in trouble and I'm not coming home! haha I just need some help working through that. And I started praying really really hard that I wouldn't be anxious anymore because I wanted to be here and that I wanted to be able to work to the best of my abilities.. The next day... No anxiety.. Whatsoever. It's a miracle! Heavenly Father is so dang good to me. And then the other day.. I actually kind of enjoyed tracting.. What?! And so we always leave pass-a-long cards at every door if they don't answer saying like "Come to church!" with the church address and time.... SOMEONE CAME TO CHURCH ON SUNDAY BECAUSE OF OUR PASS-A-LONG CARD!!! That has never ever ever happened! Miracles everywhere!

Also, it was stake conference this weekend, so Saturday it was at the Hendricks building... Oh my gosh that area is freaking GORGEOUS. I want to serve there so so so so bad. It's all these amazing old homes! Look it up! But stake conference went... a half hour over... So it was from 7 to 9:30.. It was ridiculous. But Sunday was amazing! It was a broadcast through all the stakes in Florida, Georgia and South Carolina. Elder Gay and Kopischke from the 70, Sis McConkie from the general YW presidency and Elder Nelson spoke! It was fantastic! And our investigators were there and all the talks were exactly what they needed to hear and they were crying the whole time and it was just great. MIRACLE AGAIN!

This week I have seriously grown to love the Book of Mormon... Even more. I can't get enough... Most the time I study that for my entire personal study and nothing else. I've been in 2 Nephi and then Jacob, Omni whatever.. Then I just finished Mosiah! I love it so much! I have never learned so much from it in my entire life! I can't get enough! It seriously relates so much to our time now. I can't even begin to tell you how much it can relate to us personally. I love it so much. Read it. Every day. I'm telling you. It helps so much.

But other things that have been going on... We're still getting fed quite a bit. We got to go to the Cummer museum on Tuesday with the Relief society and it was awesome. I've been sick the past few days with this crappy cold... Because it's been SO cold here.. The other day, right before I got sick. It was 40 degrees with wind and humidity... It was freezing.. and I obviously don't have winter clothes. All the locals are freaking out about how cold this winter has been and they've never experienced a winter like this here... Of course that happens to me. And there's supposed to be another cold front coming through on Thursday?

But this week has been so much better! Next week I'll have been in Florida for a month! Weeeiiirrrrdddddddd. But I seriously love this gospel so much! I love being a missionary! Even though I get discouraged sometimes. I know that I'm supposed to be here and There's someone who needs me! I love this gospel with all my heart! I love you guys!!!

Love,

Sister Bradford