Prayers answered

Mom, I swear at least once a month I look like a weirdie and start crying in the middle of the library, ha-ha. While I was reading your e-mail I was filled with the joy and love that I know Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ have for all of us. It's great to hear how God answers prayers. I have been praying for those two things also. The power of prayer is great, because of it I have a new little nephew who will be running around kickin' all sorts of shins in a few years, ha-ha. Matt and Mickie will be great parents.

I'm so happy for Seth also! I'm grateful that prayer was answered too! It really wasn't hard for me to go on a mission, it was always just something that I knew I was going to do. I know Seth will love it. I know he'll enjoy every minute of it, the good and the bad. As Elder Holland said, the dearly beloved companions are the ones that pushed him to the 10th degree. It's the greatest thing I've ever done in my life. I know he'll feel the same. Tell him to work hard and be happy. If I were to give any advice to some one about to go on a mission, it would be to first work hard. Don't slack off, don't waste your time and more importantly don't waste the Lord's time. Represent the Savior, don't disrespect him. And the other is be happy, every one who is disobedient does it because they think it will make them happy. Well, it wont, you just wind up more depressed. Enjoy the work. It's fun if you make it fun. . .

Anyways sorry about the ramblings.... Tell Seth I love and miss him and to have fun.

Well I've got a go. We had a good week. We are working hard and building up the ward here. Love you all!!! (God does too!! ooooohhhhh) ha-ha.

LOVE!!!
Elder Bragg

thunder cats are go

mickies not dead so thats good. (Gave Birth)

tys not dead so thats good. (Healthy and Happy)

matts a father.

im an uncle even more now.

mom and dad are now super grandparents. . . (all you have are 2 kids left to get grand kids out of and your stuck with the title of oldies) haha

and i got bit by a cat this week. . .

there you go. a bunch of useless statements. . .

anyways. this week was a little crazy again. we've been working hard but a lot has been going on. getting the baptism ready. trying to get 20 lessons a week. trying to track all the hours we can to find new investigator. . . and we came outside Friday morning and someone had taken a baseball bat to our back window about a bazillion times haha. so we were on bikes for a while. but it was pretty funny coming out and there was no back window at all. we maybe had a 4 inch line of glass around still on but the rest was in the back seat haha. and it happened to no other cars on the street either and there were other cars that would have been better to break anyways. the cops said they probably knew who we were and did it on purpose hahaha. total chumpkins. oh how great it is to be persecuted for the lord! so yeah that was fun. we took a bunch of pictures and stuff so you'll see those soon enough.

but other then that things are going pretty well. we are finding lots of new investigators and things seem to be moving in an upward trend. not to bad at all!

but we've got to go deal with some jazz so im gonna have to sign off.

Let me know how things turn out with mickie!

Love you all
Elder Bragg

ps. mickie your the coolest for saying thunder cats are go!!!!

Zone Conference

This has been one of the craziest weeks of my mission by far. Last Monday we went to Denver, had a great meeting with President. We got a lot accomplished in the car with the district leaders on the drive over. Then we had doctors appointments all week. Elder White got in a car wreck so we've been going to a physical therapist. We have been running every other morning, good enough for me. So I had to get some new shoes with the money Zannie gave me cause my ankles both are bleeding, hahaha. Then we went to Denver again with President Atkinson ( second councilor in the presidency) and the whole way there we talked about leadership and how we can be better. When we got there, we had a 3 hour meeting with Elder Shumway of the 70. He was way funny and super up beat the whole time. I learned a lot and he gave us a lot of promises for the mission and for life. It was incredible. Then after a short lunch we drove the 4 hours back over the Vail Pass and over the Rocky's. . . I'm pretty thankful now for all those long/short trips to Utah and Portland and California. The Lord prepares us for different things in different ways. It's funny to see them all come into play. The whole way back President Atkinson told us how we can all grow and good plan for life and how to listen to the spirit better. Lets just say I'm gonna need to get some more note paper. . . ha-ha. The next morning we had to go set up for a Zone Conference with Elder Shumway and the Mission Presidency, 2 area 70's and 2 Stake Presidents. . . and all their wives, hahaha. Elder White was conducting, so I got all the Zone duties and he got to just sit on the stand, hahaha. We started at 9 30 and ended at 3, no breaks either. It was awesome though, everyone just sat and listened. I've had a lot of prayers answered the last couple days and my hand is super cramped from all the writing, haha. One thing I really liked was Elder Brimhall the area 70 said, "God the Father and his son Jesus Christ were the first companionship of this dispensation. . . and Joseph Smith was the first investigator." I loved that. It was just one of the many good quotes. That night at 8 we had interviews with President. It was sweet. Next week we are setting up a Zone Meeting and having an etiquette lesson, hahaha. Don't worry mom I'm doing well with it, ust some other missionaries really really aren't, haha. In between all of that we set Andrew Mathis with a date for baptism next Sunday! I know right, like I said, crazy week!

I hit a year out. . . WEIRD!!!! haha It doesn't seem like its been that long. But thanks everyone for your support!

If anyone wants to write me a letter. . .not that you have to. . . God gives us all agency! haha

Elder Bragg
C/O The Landes family167 29 1/2 rd.
Grand Junction, Co 81503

LOVE YOU ALL!!!
Love Elder Bragg