Dear Cody

Hey little bro I just want to write you and tell you congrates on all your achievements and feats in the pool. Mom has kept me up to date on it all, it's so good to hear it all. You are doing amazing. I also wanted to thank you for keeping me in mind when you went to swim at region that was really cool of you to wear my swim cap and use my towel at the pool. I hope it still brings you all the luck and skill you need for it all. Kido you are a great athlete and I am so proud of you. Your choice to take up swimming has kept us staying very close to each other. You have followed my footsteps even in the same events the same years of swimming; you are amazing I really look up to your ability at sports the way you look up to me. You will make it to state this year I know you will. My only advice I can give was something I did my senior year it helped me get to where I was at, was being a lane leader. My senior year I was in a slightly slower lane then Brady Wells but I lead it and it forces you to push through the water something you already do in the race. I can promise you if you are not already doing this that it will make you faster. Anyway bud I love you and miss you. I'm sad I can't see you swim but know I'm with you in my prayers.

Take care buddy

Brady

So this is the second email I have written you because the computer logged me off just as I was seriously sending it. But hello family

Well it's so cool to hear how the swim team is doing. I seriously love hearing about it and miss the water very much. In fact it's really funny because President Creer seems to think I'm going to go swimming on my mission. In our last interview the first thing he asked me was if I had gone swimming. I told him no, I'm not allowed to swim but I really miss it. Afterwards we talked for 5-10 minutes about how much we both miss the water. The way President was talking it sounds like he has done his fair share of swimming; something I really don't want to imagine is him in his swimming trunks at my pool. Gross! Anyways I'm so excited to hear we took seconds it sounds like both teams are doing awesome. I'm way excited that is a real accomplishment seriously. Dan always talked about how competitive our region was with Springville and us. And those two teams have always been thorns in each other's sides as we know. And Timpview has always had one good team then we have Mountain View, Provo. Not to mention the huge Lehi team our region is the most competitive region that's why the newspaper is always talking about us. So I'm so excited to hear about the team doing so well.

Well to talk about me right now. Things are going well I seem to be feeling a lot better now, I'm also doing things to try to keep me better like buying orange juice taking vitamin c and staying warmer those kinds of things and it so far seems to be working. Me and Byrnes are super good friends now, we love to talk to each other and really enjoy each other's company. We work hard and like I said the work is tough with all our investigators dropping us and stuff but we are replacing them. The cool spiritual story this week unfortunately I was not involved with, but on exchanges our DL and Elder Byrnes went to our new investigator Anu's home and her husband was in, who usually has nothing to do with us decided to sit in this time and listen, he was very touched by the first lesson and about Joseph Smith. He then said we were welcome to come by anytime and talk to them more about it all so that's really going well. So we are now working with a young couple I love to work with them, one cuz they are closer to my age and two because they are what we need - they are the kingdom builders, they help the church grow here in Ireland.

Well now for a really funny story. But heads up know that everything is fine. Well like I said we were on exchanges well when Elder Dinning (the DL) and Elder Bowman (DL's comp) where at our flat we were talking and the conversation turned to fighting. Not unusual because Elder Dinning is a UFC fighter and Byrnes was in a lot of street fights back home. Well they started to talk to me and I said I had never really been in any proper fight and had never punched anyone before. At that Byrnes said I had to punch him in the face, I said no but he continued to badger me saying some of his last comps did it and that all his best friends back home had punched each other. At this point the other two started in saying I had to do it. At this point I was cornered and they would not leave me alone until I did it. So we got the cameras and I punched my companion in the face. Only after he put a pillow to cover himself. Its super funny and I have it on camera so once I finally send you my stuff you can see it. By the way like I said Elder Byrnes and I are still super good friends he just has a sore jaw and knows I can throw a really good punch.

Well I don't know what else to say I love you all so much and miss you

Take care

Brades

Well we got moves call again and I'm staying with my comp Elder Byrnes his full names is Thomas Kyle Byrnes. He is from Bremerton Washington state next to Seattle. He is way chill like I said we get along really well and we get loads of work done we do some good stuff. We have gotten a new investigator named Tanya. She is an old referral we could never get a hold of. And then we decided that all of our investigators suck other than our brand new ones so we are dropping them. We are keeping only one and that's Jade. Because she is cool. We have to do loads of finding again which is gay but that's alright it comes with opening an area.

I really have no good stories this week because I got sick again this week and we got stuck in the flat. I'm so sick of being sick. Seriously I have been sick and stuck in the flat three times in the last 5 weeks.

That's really cool Cody is taking out Kelsie Wells she is such a cool girl. By the way all of those pictures opened up for me so I saw them all that's really cool tell Cody his hair is way long and that it looks good when I get home my hair is going to grow out again my look is going to be a surfer man with long golden locks and a tanned body. It's crazy how quick time is going by Cody is almost at region. I'm already getting sunlight back we have now gained an hour back so it gets dark at 5 now instead of 4. Which is very nice cuz once its dark work gets harder.

The air is usually cleaner here but you have to hold it in your mouth and wait for the air and the water to separate so you don't drown when you breathe.

Well sorry this email sucks so bad I really don't have much to say but I'm happy safe and getting better. I love you all so much

Brady

Hello

Thanks for the email that was a really good one. I feel like I know everything going on back home now. As for me I'm still in the same area. We are not sure if I will stay next moves (transfers) I really hope not. I really don't like this area it's so dead with nothing going on in it. But I'm with Elder Byrnes. Me and him really get along he is a great missionary. We both work really hard and do all that we are supposed to other then this morning we slept in a bit because we both woke up with really sore throats so we slept through morning exercise and got ready. Like I have said the mission has been getting sick this year even President is now sick which is too bad because today he was going to play basketball with us. That would have been really funny our 80 year old president in his old high school outfit or something. President Creer is one of the funniest characters ever. He was talking crap saying he would beat us if we were to play basketball so that's what we were going to do till he got sick.

That's too bad to hear about the cars I'm sorry about that. It seems like each year those cars have problems. That's really not good. Tell Cody he needs to be smarter about where he parks I never had that problem. Tell him also on top of snow piles is a really bad place to park. By the way I'm just kidding. All I keep hearing about home is it's a lot of snow. Which is the opposite here the weather this winter is the driest they have had in many years it's just very cold here.

Even I believe mom that time is fast. When Elder Dinning goes home (my DL) I will be 1 year out, at the end of the moves I will be 9 months out, and I'm already considered an older missionary crazy nuts. When I get home Cody will be graduating from school and then he will be preparing for a mission if he chooses.

Well the work has been tough most of our investigators have chosen to drop us over the holidays or now dodge us. So Byrnes and I have to find everyday almost all day. Derek the alcoholic we worked with is nowhere to be found. Joe can't be found Jade is too busy right now to see us and Richey and Virginia have dropped us. So we are struggling for teaching appointments. Also with cold weather street contacting is tough so it's left to tracting.

Well I love you all very much I'm out of time again. But much love I hope things look up for you all again. It's good to hear you're all healthy. That's a plus.

Much hugs and kisses

Brady boo

Emergency Moves Have hit Dublin.

Like it says we now have been affected by E moves and Elder Johnson and I are going to be directly affected by it. We are not the reason for them but we are being affected. Johnson will be moving to Newtownabby in the north it is right across the water from Bangor my first area and he will be serving with a Welsh Elder (the only other Welsh Elder in the mission) Elder Gilmore. I will be serving with an old friend Elder Byrnes as a fix up Elder because he has no motivation to work. President specifically wanted us, myself and Johnson, because we are both easy to get along with and we are hard workers. Direct side affect from our area. Johnson will also be acting as a fix up Elder to Gilmore because he does not want to work. From what we understand only 4 companionship's are affected by this move but still it sucks because we really didn't want to move just yet. This will all take place tomorrow. And we found out last night at 9:30.

In other news I have been very sick again! Yippee so I have been stuck in the flat a lot. I came down with a horrible cold, it got 4 elders in our district on Sunday. We did trios because only the 3 senior comps where the ones sick so the juniors went out and worked our area and did some finding. Johnson was the only successful one cuz he is to use to it. Then that night Dickerson got sick and joined us as well. On Monday Dinning and Dickerson felt better and Tuesday I was better. So that's now taken care of.

Once again because of New Years and things the work has been crap and so I have no good stories to tell and then me being sick is not anything exciting. I did get to do lots of service just before I got sick for Angela.

Okay I lied I have one funny story for New Year's Day. So Lisa the lady who cooked us Thanksgiving dinner, we finally came up with a way to pay her back so we decided to do it on New Year's Day cuz she would be in right?.... not.. So anyways we travel out thinking we would simply go out to her house and go to the closest shop and buy cookies and milk with a note saying thanks for the meal, unfortunately this is all we could come up with. Well it's New Years Day and everything was closed except Little Caesars Pizza!! (You can always count on America to be open! God bless the USA!) Well we buy it, take it over to leave (We think it's so creative cuz it's all we can do, we are laughing our heads off.) We get to the door, we door bell ditch and hide waiting. No answer, we ring it again, no answer, crap. We don't know what to do; so we ate the pizza cuz we can't keep it, the bad news was we each had to eat half a pizza and then go directly to a dinner appointment. Not a good deal on our part. But we laugh about it still.

Well I love you all, thanks for the prayers in my behalf. Life is going to be great. Elder Byrnes is a friend so we will get along well, I will just have to push him out the door, but it will be a great learning experience for me again. President must have loads of faith in me to do this.

Love you all so much take care.

Hugs :) and kisses

Brady

Well Hello my brother!

It was freaking awesome to get to talk to you. Right now, like you said, it is really difficult to do anything missionary work because of the holidays. So, we have been doing loads of service. Did you have to report service hours? If you did then you would understand this...Elder Johnson and I would be leading the mission in it. I have painted enough walls to know that is not what i want to do as a profession.

Right now we are super good friends with our boss from the charity shop, Angela and her family. Her daughter is Cody's age and has a crush on me. Her name is Lavinia, and she gave me a hug yesterday...oop's! She did a sneak attack, and gave it to me from behind. It was really funny because then she gave one to Elder Johnson while we where both in shock from the one she gave me. It was pretty funny after wards, and after all that she told me I look like Britney Spears. It was a strange day.

Tonight we get locked in our flatt again, and are not allowed out to do any proselyting, which can be fun, but we always run out of fun things to do in our flatt. I think i will end up writing some letters, and send off you Christmas package now that my money has come in. You should like it. At least I hope you do.

Well I love you bro, and will email you next week.

Boo

Hello Mom

Well life is still good from the last time I wrote you. I know I'm going to leave something out from the letter you wrote me, so sorry, heads up. To start tell Cody happy birthday for me and that he is getting old. Have Andie give him a birthday kiss for me. I know Andie won't mind.

Well the work has been going really slow with all the holidays. On the 26th of December the Irish celebrate a thing called St. Stevens's day. A day to get together eats loads of food get drunk and pass out. It's a good holiday for us cuz that means we get even more food. Then that night I was at a Nigerian party where our friend Emanuel from church proposed to his girl friend, it was really cool. Then Elder Johnson got food poisoning so he was sick. Yesterday we went to Angeles house and did service for her and her family, they are so cool, they now have us over to their house fairly often, it's loads of fun cuz they are such a cool family. We are hoping to teach them sometime soon but it's going to take some time.

Jacquie is a lady that I worked with in the north, not too often, but she had us teach her children once. But what I did was I would visit her once a month and do service for her twice. What she was really trying for us to do was get to know her husband. She was so cool and I loved her to death. She is recovering from the cancer that she had and is doing really well. Just before I left she had a good amount of hair on her head again. By the way that letter was amazing, I read it all the time, it felt so nice to know I made a difference in Bangor because I felt like I had done really nothing there because I was so new.

Today I get locked inside of our flat again because its new years eve and everybody is going to be drunk by 5 and dumb by 6 and so we need to be in the flat. I think I will be writing letters and playing card games. We also will probably clean the flat again cuz it could always use a cleaning. Elder Johnson and I are clean people so the flat never gets too bad but like I said the flat can always be cleaner.

Well I'm running out of time so I love ya and will leave ya

BOO