Hi Mum,
and everyone :)
I miss everyone a lot a lot a lot a lot. So i have to start off with an apology, Sunday before last, i believe it was, I emailed home about watching that video by Elder Bednar about light. I'm sorry for doing that because it was disobedient because our time to email home and write letters in only on P-day, Friday. I talked to my Branch President, Presidente Claybaugh, after i sent the email and basically what I got from our talk was to be obedient with exactness which I have been trying to be and will strive even harder to be. Only after obedience can we receive blessings. There is a law decreed in heaven and obedience to those laws is what all blessings are based off of (basically). Ask dad to try to find that scripture, his scripture is John 4: 35-36, it wasn't too hard to find because a couple weeks ago I memorized D&C 4 which references his scripture. I really love dad's letters a lot, reading the letters from home, and letters from Nicole, and getting a package every once in a while really makes my week so much better, so thank you. So one thing I forgot to mention last week was that a week before that i was doing some curling exercises and it was pretty tough and i did a lot but i forgot to stretch afterward... The nest day i could not open my arms past 90 degrees, it was crazy haha but seriously it hurt so bad. They are better now though. Last week while i was doing my laundry a Elder from the First Quorum of the Seventy came through the laundry room getting a tour of the MTC and he came up to me and told me i was doing a good job by hanging up my shirts after they were dry and not only buttoning the top button but the top two buttons, then he said my mom must have taught me well. I got pretty sad. Only because I miss everyone so much and i miss my mom so much. Then his wife, who barely speaks English, came up to me and was talking to me about how she always wanted her sons to do their laundry or hang up their shirts after they were dry, then she was like "Anyway i just wanted to tell you Congratulations" It was pretty funny, it made me smile. I wanted to challenge the family, although I know it's only mom dad and aaron, to have family prayer every night together. It's one of the commitments we have for our investigators entonces ("so" in Spanish) i think it will bless our family so much, don't forget, every night! Another thing i think i forgot to mention in my last letter was that Elder Kitchen and I were called as the Music Coordinators for our branch, we pick the songs and special musical numbers, one every week, teaching how to lead music and pick people for that and that kind of stuff. THEN, a couple days ago Elder Kitchen got called as our new District Leader! WHOOOO!! He is really awesome and great at talking to people so I know he'll do great. That leaves me as the solo music coordinator now haha. SO much power in my hands! haha i'm keeeeding. ( I just was about to take my laundry out and now i can't find my hangers... uh oh). I really liked Aaron's letter a lot. I liked his motto A LOT too! it is really good. Aaron, I challenge you to take it to the next level, Be the best and do the best. But you have to remember if you're going to have a motto you gotta live by it, i'm proud of you for being so awesome, you're going to be an awwwwwwwesome missionary i know it.
So some stuff about me here: We currently have 5 investigators, including 2 who are really progressing who we get to teach a bunch. Their names are Benjamin, Jose-Manuel, Irazema, Benjamin, and Manuel. The first two are our really actively progressing investigators. Benjamin is going to be baptized on the 5 of October and we are still deciding on a date for Jose to be baptized. Benjamin is a Barber with a lot of faith in Christ and loves church. Jose has been tougher but we, no Christ, has worked with him to overcome his concerns, he does want to be baptized though. Jose is a single father and wants to best for his son and we know Christ will help him get that for his son. It so exciting when our investigators begin to develop their faith and get a desire for the truth. To me the best part is being able to rely on Heavenly Father, we commit them to pray about our message, the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and then we leave it to them and the Lord to get their first steps, I love being a part of this work. I love being an instrument in the hands of the Lord already and I feel like i love every person on the Earth. I know i wouldnt be this happy if it wasn't for my help from the way I was raised, the home i lived in, and the people who helped me to get on my mission like everyone in our family, bishop, Nicole, and my Savior.
I love you all so much,
Elder Branden Carl Astle
Oh mum about your questions,
I'm doing well, thank you, how are you?
Nicole's birthday is on 26 of September, could you maybe still do something for her? I feel kind of helpless here :/
The elders going to Puebla are Yo, y Elder Kitchen, Dougherty, and Allred.
i didn't get new tennis shoes before i left but the ones i have are doing amazing and they are really good.
Thank you for telling me about everything going on at home i love it.
Could you send me ties? Just any that we have already, like the ones from my room, except skinny ties, our branch mom (branch pres's wife) said we should have a bunch because it is our only way of kind of expressing ourselves in that way.
finally, could you tell kimmy thank you for raising perfect daughters? I miss sadie and eloise so much it hurts, i cry when i think about them. Especially about Sadie saying she is excited to turn 6, one of the teachers said when he got back his little sister was something like 6 or 8 inches taller and he wanted to have his little sister back, and i know itll be similar for me, but i'm excited to see sadie and eloise more grown up when i get back.
Anyway time to hunt for some hangers to use.
PS. I heard about this one Meme, ask kimmy what that is, it said: "He trained Obe Won Kinobe... He trained Batman... He fought wolves with his bare hands in the snow... WHY would you think it's a good idea to take his daughter???"
