Happy New Year!

Hey everyone hows things goin? Doing good here in Tina. I am having a very hot Christmas. I am such a terrible writer with email. I dont know what to say other than everything is all good, that I love to be down here on a mission, and know this is the place where the Lord has called me to serve. I love it when I know the spirit is present in lessons, and sometimes I will say things that are surprising even to myself. The gift of tongues is fo reals. It was really hard to get to have the interest to be here at first until I learned to get lost in the work, make good friends with the other missionaries, and love the people, then I found a true desire to help the people by inviting them to come unto Christ by helping them receive the restored gospel by developing faith in Jesus Christ and His atonement through repentance, baptism, receiving the gift of the holy ghost, and enduring to the end. I am really enjoying it a lot. When I have this love for the people I dont even worry if it looks like a tough bunch of people or whatever, I am happy to share the knowledge we have and I know that we can receive the help of the Lord walks with us everyday and give us His spirit as we work our hardest. I know that we can receive the help of the Lord and that when it seems like there is no one else or you just cant do any more work for the day that he is always there to help guide you and know what to do. I am happy to be here in Tina serving the Lord, and I know that this is his work and that he really does love all His children! I am soo happy to be a part of this and I love an thank you all for the support in whatever form you give it! I wish you all a Happy New Year and hope you enjoy not having to peel your sweaty mattress off your back in the morning. Enjoy the cold weather, love you all!
Chau!
Elder Wikstrom

His email to us (his parents)

MOM AND DAD!

Hey mom and dad, is all good? I am still doing good. I am in a lot of heat and lots of humidity. Not even in the shade can you escape the heat, and we have two fans that spin real fast but dont put out any air. It was weird to email you guys, I havent seen you for like 5 months now, crazy huh? I remember when we first met Paulina at the school lunch at McKinley. Its weird that they are together now.
I played soccer earlier today at 11 til like 1. We then came back and are doing email. We usually buy the things we need for the week and play soccer, do email, get a haircut. I got my 2nd haircut in Tina today. I am sorry that you were waiting around for an email at 11 and you didnt receive anything. I hope I didnt break the bank when I took out another 300 pesos. I am buying a cole shirt today for 300 pesos. All is good, I feel good, and I am able to overcome OCD and all for the most part completely. I am not homesick and I love serving the mission. I miss you guys and the parties we have, but I am happy to be here in Tina doing a mission. Thank you soo much for the Christmas package, I love everything I got in it. I love reading that Ensign too. I am happy cause its in English and I like to read it sometimes in personal study. Grandmas nativity broke cause she threw the ball. Did she punch a present? haha! We kinda had 3 pdays this week. Monday was one day to do things you needed to do, Tuesday was the dinner and the game where they read the story and say right and left and you pass it till the story is over, then open the one you have at the end. I got a scarf but traded it for cereal cause it was a girls scarf, see through with flowers and stuff. I got some things from Hermana Ayre too! Like a tie, and socks, nerds, and popcorn. Only some people got it, I happened to be one of these people. And then on Wednesday we got another pday cause President thought we were confused about the whole pday situation so we got another one on Christmas Day.
It is terrible to sleep at night too cause of the heat. I sleep without covers on and wake up and I am all wet from sweat and my bed is wet too. It is so terrible. I dont remember the last time I wasnt sweating, like literally!
That is crazy how everyone is moving on with life like my buddys and stuff. I cant believe it. Well, I love you mom and dad. I forgot to tell you guys Merry Christmas on Skype so Happy New Year to you!
Chau!
Brady

Bradys Christmas sock and gifts.

Brady with a shirt we sent him. We thought it was funny since he went to a Spanish speaking mission.

Christmas Day! Best Day Ever!!

I am so thankful to live in an age where technology made it possible to see Brady on Christmas. He looked so good and was happy. Best gift ever! 

Elder Martinez and Elder Wikstrom on Skype.

Christmas Eve

Taryn and her kids were looking for Santa on the Santa Tracker and he was in Buenos Aires, Argentina!

Another email from today. This was sent out as a group email.

Como Estan Ustedes? I am doing good here, very hot but good! These past 2 weeks have been soooooo busy! I have been here and there, I have been everywhere like the Dr Seuss book! I got a new companion today, his name is Elder Martinez! he is from Santiago Chile and he is very good at speaking English, he can speak it clearly and without and accent.
My espanol is coming along really well and I am finally getting the hang of it. I still have troubles with explaning things, but I can understand just about everything being said. The word chabone is a word for guy in Spanish, but we as missionaries use it as fool. We call each other chabones sometimes, haha. Its pretty funny.
This week we had a baptism. We baptized a 9 year old, her name is Natali Sanchez Cuellar. It was awesome. Apparently no one wants to be in this zone cause it doesnt ever baptize or anything, but we finally got one! We have taught 25 lessons with a member this week. It is good, and I love Munro. I know the area pretty good! I am still practicing with my teaching skills. I am getting better though.
On the 24th we are having a Christmas dinner with all of the missionaries together! I am excited for this!
It is incredibly hot, whoever wants a hot Christmas can come visit cause man it is hot.
Another thing that I think is funny is that all the Spanish speakers know the word freaking and they use it like its Spanish. Theyll be talking really fast in Spanish and then all of a sudden you will hear the word freakin. hahaha it is hilarious!
I hope all is well con ustedes and that you all have a MERRY CHRISTMAS!
Chau,
Brady

His brother, Tyler, asked him if hes ever been mugged or threatened and he said: I havent been mugged or really threatened either, but this one guy was demanding our money and were like Bro, somos misioneros de la iglesia de Jesu Crist, ne tenemos plata, per podemos bautize usted (Translated it says: Bro, we are missionaries of the Church of Jesus Christ, we have no money, but we can baptize you). hahaha he left and we were fine.

Transfer Day. 4 months on his mission.

Hey Mom,
Im going to ask the familia Fernando Gomez Paz if I can use their house and computer and ipad to do skype.

I am still serving in Munro. I love Munro and a lot of the members here are great and I know the area pretty good, like the back of my hand (looks at the back of my hand...) Wow thats new. Haha, its hard to do a joke like that through email. This new elder is from Chile and his name is Elder Martinez. He speaks clear English, I am amazed! I will have to ask a member about the whole Christmas coso (thing) and skype. I am doing good here. I am sending this email so late because of the whole companion exchange earlier today. Things should be getting back to normal with the email thing now! I love you mom. I love your handwritten letters. I am happy to say that I miss you but dont have any homesickness like at all, but I dot miss things about home and I miss you guys. I miss Christmas music. I hear it every once in a while. My new companion has Christmas music on his ipod and instrumental music without words of the Red Hot Chile Peppers! They are a popular group with the Southern Americans. Todo bien con vos?
I am receiving all of the mail. I got the Christmas card today and another thing of handwritten mail. I dont have the package but I think the office is saving it for me til Christmas. I dont think they know that I know about it. I love yours and dads mail! What date do you want to skype? I will ask for the 25th. Tell dad I love his letters and that I feel very bad that he is the only one I dont have a direct conversation with. I will figure something out to get hand mail to you guys cause I want dad to have something of his own too. Tell dad to start an email! I love your letters mom and dad!
I still havent opened anything from the MTC or ate the skittles or laffy taffys in the Christmas sock. I found some Sweet n Crunchy peanuts down here in Tina! I still have some from the MTC too! I will make a Christmas plan this week. I got a baptism too! In the hardest area to get one I hear!
I havent got the stuff from Primary todovia (yet) but I will be sure to thank them. I have been saving the peanuts for a Christmas feast! I will have to send you a picture! I am happy to hear dad is progressing along in the electronic age (say it like a robot, its funner). I hope he knows I havent forgot about him and I love his mail and yours too! It means a lot to have hand written mail. I am so happy for Connor Hughes. I got hand mail from Trevor Mortimer in Agosta Georgia. Hes in the army. I was very surprised, hes like one of my best friends! Also, I am doing a lot better with everything. I dont think I really have OCD anymore, or at least not that bad. I thank you for praying for me!
I got to go mom. I love you!
Brady

Baptism! Elder Espinoza and Elder Wikstrom

 New companion

Elder Martinez and Elder Wikstrom

Hey Mom,
This week was hot and cold and busy. I didn't email at the usual time today cause we went to a place called Ballester and celebrated a birthday for an Elder Molina from Chile. His companion, Elder Roberts, lives in Draper and his brother taught me in the MTC. It was soo busy today. I feel bad cause I know that you are waiting for an email in the morning. I read all the mails you've sent me but no one else's. Pday is over at like 6 or 6:30 so I don't have time either this week to do much with the email. I am soo sorry. I haven't had any home sickness or anything like that anymore and I am doing good. I just want you to know that things here are all good. I don't get homesick. I love to see the pics you have sent to me and I love to read and send stuff to you.
We might be baptizing a little 9 year old girl this Saturday. She had already made the decision to be baptized but my companion did like most of the teaching cause my teaching skills aren't that good yet. I have a hard time explaining things simply and in order. I also don't like to be the one that is at fault or wrong so I need to work better on constructive criticism. I do think sometimes in Spanish, but not like a lot. I am getting to the point to where I can understand about everything that is being said but I don't know how to talk back in the correct form. I enjoy the lunches here but I am going to need to start running in the mornings because I need something to work off all this bread and pasta and pizza that I eat. I love serving here. I just wish that we could get a baptism.
I miss the Mountain Dew and the good doughnuts in Kent's Market. I miss all you guys and the snow and cold weather, but I am able to find a happy time here with all the work and the other missionaries and my companion. We will have transfers next week on Tuesday, so you wont get an email til Tuesday next week. I wish I had more time in the day to do things I need to do. We really need the whole day on pday to do things, but we only have til like 6 according to the white bible that the missionaries read of the rules of the mission. I was able to dedicate someones home the other day, it was pretty cool...and lots of people ask for blessings it seems like. I love you so much mom. I have not yet received the cards or mail til like next week. I got the band aids and I love them. My cup I use every night almost and I still have all 500 pesos I took out. I hope Carson's whole arm deal is ok. I love you guys and pray for you and I hope to skype you on Christmas. I don't know the plans, it seems like we don't know the plans of anything until the night before it happens, so I don't know how things work out. I love you so much mom. I don't see anything that will be stopping me from emailing you next week in the morning, maybe the whole transfers ordeal. I don't know how that works yet, but I will make sure if anyone gets any word from it it will be you. I love you , I am doing great, and I thank you for praying for me and that the whole family prays for me. I thank you.
hahaha I am emailing you here and the lady next to me asks if her child can have some of my coke for her child, so I said sure...and then she ask if she can have the coke and I said sure. I think its funny how here its like whats mine is yours. Dang old Argentina. I hope you have a good week and a great time listening to the Christmas music, that is something I really miss is the Christmas air and you guys, but I am really doing fine. Thanks mom, I love you with all my corazon.
Have a good week and a happy day! everyday! Love you mom!
Brady

Hey Everyone,
This week I am not able to email really. Its my companions bday and we've been all over and we're doing a BBQ with the other elders in the district. So really quickly I just want to say I am sorry for no email this week. This one is to let you all know that I am doing good and I love you all. I will explain things next week about how the missions is going and all. I had a good Thanksgiving. It was the birthday of Alejandro Sisco in the ward and he only invited the missionaries to his party. He is like 63 years old and he had a lot of sandwiches and 7 Up to drink. I hope you all had a good Thanksgiving. I hope the Dallas Cowboys won on Thanksgiving Day, haha (for those of you who dont know, they always play on Thanksgiving). I am genuinely sorry I dont have much time this week, but living with a bunch of Southern Americans, soccer make it high on the priority list so that is where I am headed to right now. I will make sure next week is better. I am doing good and I thank you for all of your prayers for me.
Love you all!
Brady Wikstrom

Christmas Card

This is the Christmas Card we sent out this year.