Valentine's Day/6 month package

This is the Valentine's Day/6 month package we sent to Brady.

*Lesson learned on this package...mail the letters separately. He has not received this package yet. I feel bad that he didn't get all the letters that I had friends write.
UPDATE: He received this package on June 3, 2014

Transfer Day

Hey MOM!
MOM how are you? I moved to the safest area in the mission, I was told. I am in SAN PEDRO now. It is very calm and more like home. I am in the northern most part of the mission where there is no city or anything. I am 2 hours by car away from the mission office, the furthest from anyone, or 6 hours with a bus. We have to take a 2 hour bus ride to do a zone conference. My new companion is from Roy, Utah and this is his last transfer. His name is Alex Wild. He is the district leader and he seems to be like a stud so far. I am sure we will have a lot of success in this area I am in, as long as I do all the little things the Lord asks of us. I am happy to hear about the response of the Gomez Paz family, and that it was very nice. I didn't go there much, but I talked to Gonzolo a lot. He is cool and so is all of his family. They're very nice to me! Thanks for thanking them. He told me you wrote them and he was happy to accept your friend request. I am happy that Carson is athlete of the week! That Cole is reading and going to get a Patriarchal Blessing! He is so awesome, and I hope that Tyler is doing good too. I don't hear much from or about him, but I love them all and hope they're all doing great. I love my new area. I think I will be here for a while. I arrived and haven't even unpacked. We went right to email. We only have cold water in the pension, so I will be wide awake in the mananas! haha. Thanks for all you do for me. Bro. Larson was the seminary teacher that had the greatest impact on me too! I am so glad that Cole is getting texted to read and participating in Seminary! He is such a capo for doing that. I am happy that dad and Nate are good friends like that and hang out. Do you go with him too sometimes? Melanie's response is really funny hahaha. I got a short, heartfelt letter from Dillon and it was so good to hear from him and it made me happy! Tell him we'll have to ride ripsticks together and play some Call of Duty Ghost and backyard football in the end of my mission when my 2 years have ended and I come back home. I really love you mom and I know you guys all love me too! Thanks for that and the prayers and everything. They're being answered here on my end and I can see on your end too! I love you mom and dad and I hope you have a great week! I will baptize like a boss here. In Munro (I forgot to tell you) we had this kid that was progressing soo fast and we're good buddies. Just thought I would tell you, he missed church so we couldn't baptize him, but he is awesome. I think he will be the next baptism in Munro! I love you mom and I hope you and dad have a good week!
LOVE ELDER BRADY J WIKSTROM

Hey There Fellers
I am enjoying the mission, things are going great. I have transfers next week on Tuesday and I will probably be leaving. I have been in my first area for 4 months now. I am the junior companion here with a senior companion who knows the area now mas o menos, so I will probably get transferred here soon. One thing I heard was that I am in one of the safest areas of the mission so I will be excited to tell you if I will be going somewhere like the Villa 31 or 1114 where poverty rules and the word nice was hit by a bus a long time ago, or so I hear. We will see what happens! I am excited to see how things happen. I have never loved living life as much as I love it right now. I am living at the peak of happiness and know that this is the work of the Lord. I challenge every member here that I meet to read the Book of Mormon this year, so I will challenge you all to do the same cause I know that it will bless and may even change your life as it did mine! Seriously, when I started reading the Book of Mormon I found answers to my prayers I got along with my family, I was protected from all the bad choices I could have made in school, all thanks to the Book of Mormon. Reading and praying are two things that go together. When we pray and read, it shows the Lord we are serious about our prayers, that we really want answers and then we will receive what the Lord wants to tell us. Even if you don't understand the words that are in the book, your desire to read it will grow every time you read it and your mind will be enlightened to new things every time, and it will always apply to your needs. Be Bold, Be humble, be Obedient, fearless to live and stand up for the Lord. He always has and will pull through for us, lets do the same for him and teach by example, live the gospel, and show the Lord we love him. He will bless you beyond measure, more than your mind could imagine. I have seen it too much on my mission to deny it and have experienced it in my own life. Usually I wouldn't type something like this, but I cant deny the truth, after all I am called to proclaim it right now. I love you guys and wish you the best. I pray for you and love you all. I know the Lord is watching over you!
Talk to you next Tuesday. Have a great week!
Elder Brady Wikstrom

5 months on his mission

I'm amazed at how much Brady has grown on his mission

HEY EVERYONE!

Hows things going? Life is on the run and things are going so fast. People here are always on the run and January is almost already over! I will have been out for 5 months this 14 of January. My Spanish has really improved a lot. I am surprised on my ability to understand and speak even now. My gringo accent has faded out of my Spanish a little bit better and I have problems talking sometimes in English. Its kinda weird too cause I will think in Spanish sometimes, and there are words that I know in Spanish that I don't know why but I don't know in English, and that doesn't make any sense I know.
I have been learning a lot down here in Tina. I had a cool experience with prayer this last week. We were on division and I was in Ballester with Elder Roberts. It was when we still had to be in the house at 8 at night because of people that like to rob at this time of the year. It was like 7:20 or 7:40, we didn't have that much time and it was the 31st of December and we weren't able to find anyone to talk to. I prayed in my heart that we would find a new person. Like literally 5 minutes later this lady says, :Hey, who you looking for?" We said who. She said to us, "hes my dad, he died on Thursday." I was amazed that she called our name out in the first place but I know it was an answer to my prayer. We gave her a pamphlet on the plan of salvation and went home that night with a new investigator! I realized the power of prayer that night, and with faith even when its hard to have  and it seems impossible to do more with short time that the Lord will answer. It was the Lords will and I know that it happened tonight because of prayer, a prayer that at first seemed hopeless with logic but with faith, possible! For this I know that the Lord has a hand in the lives of all his children and it watching over all of us and is guiding his work here! I know he is listening to my prayers and I feel a brighter hope in this! I thought this would be cool to share with you. Things are going good!
I wrote that to my president and copied it for you guys.
I have also realized this week how important it is to read the Book of Mormon everyday. It is like a spiritual armor that we have the privilege of putting on everyday to resist temptation, to have a happy life and to feel the Saviors love for us and receive those answers we've been praying for and waiting for. I have realized how much the Lord loves us and all the things he asks from us is for our benefit and protection. There is never anything asked of by the Lord that is impossible to do. I know that if we do the things the Lord asks of us we will be blessed beyond measure. I like to relate 3 Nephi 13: 31-34 in this experience.
I can see how it is hard for some missionaries to leave the mission and come back home after their 2 years are up. I am happy that I have a desire to serve and that I still have time to enjoy the work of the Lord and help the people I meet. Its like drinking a spiritual Mountain Dew, I don't ever want it to finish! haha. I have learned that with FAITH; EXACT OBEDIENCE; DILIGENCE; and HUMILITY we can accomplish the things the Lord desires of us. Only in and through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ is it possible to repent and return to live with our Padre Celestial again and with our family for eternity! That repentance IS a road and a path of joy, hope, freedom, and happiness NOT a road of shame and sorrow and more pain! We should all be actively involved in the scriptures. I make the same promise to you that I make to everyone else that if take the time to read the Book of Mormon every day you will experience life so much better, you will feel better, you will have the ability to resist temptation, and the words in there will grow to you heart and when you ask the Lord if these things are true you will know that they are! And follow the teachings of the Lord. We should use prayer and scripture study together. Very many times its through our scripture study that we will find the answers of our prayers that we have been waiting for.
I challenge you all to pray, open up your scriptures in whatever page and read a little. You will find an answer to the prayers that you have been saying to Father in Heaven. I sure as heck wouldn't be here if this wasn't true and I hope that by being on a mission testifies well enough that I know that this gospel is true, that Jesus Christ is our Savior. He loves each and every one of us, he looks out for us, and that Jesus Christ saw each of us when he suffered the atonement and he knows each and every single one of our pains and weaknesses. He knows how to succor his people, we are his people, its by His name and only through Him that we may obtains a remission of our sins and experience joy and happiness in this life and life eternal afterwards with our Father in Heaven! I can't express strongly enough these feelings I feel or how much the Lord loves each and every one of us. He asks very simple things of us and has gave his only begotten son Jesus Christ for us. He loves us more than we could imagine. I know this to be true and I am very happy for the atonement of Jesus Christ cause I most definitely wouldn't be here without it! These things I leave with you in the name of the Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.
I love you all and pray for you
Elder Brady J Wikstrom

Never have shame to stand up for what's right!

I didnt get much of an email this week, so this is taken from what he wrote his brothers:

The harder I work, the better I feel. The more I try to help others and worry less about my needs and wants the more I feel helped and loved by the Lord. I know that seems weird and illogical, and it is, but the Lord works by small and simple means which means are confusing to wise people. I have experienced the love of God out here more than I ever have. It is pretty humbling being away from you guys, not knowing the language or the people, or how to do anything.

I am doing soo good and I love you guys so much. I learn a lot every week on how to be better and I am thankful for the Lord in my life and I know that he is involved in your lives too!

Elder Brady Wikstrom

He took a picture of himself with his rent money and money to buy his soccer shirt. I guess he felt rich.

He sent me a picture of the soccer shirt he bought.