December 16th, 2013

Well had way good week, it was faster than last week and our next week is booked and seems to hopefully stay that way.  Its interesting, at that point were you think its all going down hill that is when you gotta just put your nose down and bust your hump and just go call every person, drop by start doing and stop thinking about how. I guess that's what I have noticed in missionary work, it is a lot of planning but more so doing, pretty much just like real life.

This week we did some service and a lot of sharing of the Christmas story with random people and tying it in to the atonement! Its worked pretty well, we have picked up a few new investigators and had a lot of good positive gospel conversations with people so if all were doing is planting seed then great, I am perfectly happy with that. 

Speaking of planting seeds, one of my investigators from my first area that we found and started teaching got baptized on Saturday.  She called me and said,  ''Mr Minnesota, guess what I am finally making that promise and cant wait to receive blessings!''  It was great to talk to her and listen to all the experiences shes had since I first met her. 

 This week we also butchered sheep.  Gutted, skinned, and halved with a saws-all and are letting them hang till this Thursday when we will go and package them up.  It was nice to do something that was normal and fun. 

Well by know most of you know I got staples and stitches, it was a fun experience it doesn't hurt or bleed much, healing up just fine!!  I think the dumbest part is for some one who can barely touch his toes it sucks to put socks on with out bending your knee!   On the bright side I can now touch my toes with ease.

With 9 days till Christmas I cant wait to talk to my family and friends and see their cute little homes and stare them right in  the eyeballs and say hi and tell them about stuff and that I love there faces.

Hopefully you all get the chance to call up or visit someone and share Christ's love with them whcih brings me to my challenge for you all!!!!   Dun Dun Dun!!  

I challenge you all  to at some point go to someone who needs the Gospel more frequently in there life and share your favorite Christmas Story.  Then tie it in to the true meaning of Christmas AND  last but not least tie it to the  Atonement and the love that God has for each and every one of us!!!  Keep the Gospel conversation going ask them what means the most to them what there hopes and dreams are and I know and promise something they say will highlight a Gospel  principal  which you can invite them to learn more about through the missionaries and dinner!!   let me know of any cool experiences and also it doesn't hurt to pray for them before hand.  Go get'em you crazy little missionaries!   And have fun doing it, too!

Well kids love ya'll.  Have a good week stay safe and remember Jesus loves you !!!

And in those hard times and such we can always pray for comfort strength and healing.  After all, He knows all and He knows what were going through and he knows exactly how to help us. Go right ahead and use those knees of yours nobody's stopping you but Satan.

Miss you all very much and hope you have a good holiday season.

Merry CHRISTmas!! 

Love Elder Braman   

 I fell on the ice while doing some service and hit a rock.  Cut my knee right open to the bone!

 Had stitches and staples. 

This picture shows when he hit a nerve! 

 Baaa!  Baaa! 

December 9th, 2013

Story behind this picture, He said he had a fake mustache, but it fell off right when they took this.... he made a store run today and decided he needed to buy a cowboy hat.. why? because why not..?

Classic Josh

"Snowy mountain, just a mountain , with sexy snow on it"

-Josh

Sunrise at Sherman pass at 6 in the morning.

Enough Ties? 

"Hello? Hey, hello?  Hello, is any one there?  Hello. Hello. HELLO?!  Holy cow, I hate this phone!!"  That has been me all week our phone is being so dumb!   It makes me angry and I want to throw it on the ground!   And not to be a weenie but because of that stupid phone we can't call people and set up appointments which saves the limited miles so now we are reduced to drop-bys and using the churches phone.  All in all that led to a slower week, don't get me wrong we still had a great week.  We did a lot of service, split wood for a guy who lived in a small cabin up on Sherman mountain and it was sweet looking and bone chilling cold so i am nice and at home.  We have done a lot of service shoveling snow and we even moved somebodies whole house.  Literally we pulled it with a truck down the road.  Actually it was a camper, either which way we had good times and such. 

Its pretty cold down here in the Valley, its been in the negatives and when we go up in to the mountains it hits down in the -20's and -30's so that's always fun and cold!

Well not to much today sorry girls and boys but I will get a better one next week.

 Enjoy the pics! 

Love Elder Josharina Braman 

*that last part... that's all him.  :) 

November 25th, 2013

Good afternoon ladies & gentleman! 

Well thanks to the 3 of you who wrote me....I always love hearing from ya!

 This week was crazy!  We had a conference down south and a foot of slick blowing snow on the mountain pass.  I held district meeting outside by a fire (it was sa-weet) gotta have fun right? We had great lessons with investigators and did tons of service, even took a back mountain road to a members house, that was seriously worse then driving though a plowed field (trust me, I've done it ) and that sucker was steep and narrow and the snow got to deep! We ended up just walking the rest of the way and when we got done visiting we had to walk back, do like a 90 point turn and drive back down.  It was sweet, and not to mention I got to drive on a snowy pass so I have been having some good fun!

We have been doing a lot of encouraging of members to invite their friends and family members to come to church.   With the first presidency broadcast coming up, we asked them to invite people.  The best part is that it's working!  Once one member invited, he just told every one that this family did and they came to church and now we are teaching them and now every one is jealous so they just went crazy and now every one is doing it and we had tons of nonmembers to church last week     

So the work is going great I love Republic who ever said this was a slow area, they were dumb because we're pretty busy with tons of things to still do and tons of people to still visit!!

Well kids have a good week, taker easy and stay safe!
Keep thinking of Jesus and read your scriptures.  

Love Ya'll 
Elder Braman   

November 18th, 2013

 My companion and I at the temple.

  Me doing "the Mullen".  It's what our mission president (President Mullen) does while he talks. 

 He talks with his hands, a lot!

 Good morning Ladies and Gentlemen!

Well well look who is writing a email finally! 

Ya its been a while but I assumed you all could make it a week or so with out hearing from my beautiful face, ya see.  

A lot has changed, we got our bathroom remodeled.  We did most of the work on a p-day (last week) and we finished some of it up on some free time.  We get to eat at the restaurant for free because we did their work for them so we get paid in food!  Yaaaay!! :) 

We were up in Canada recently and I must say it didn't feel different.  The people were normal it seems but they had some pretty darn good candy bars! My favorite were the "Mr Big" and the "Wonder Bar" ... man them suckers were so good!  We also had a few lessons up there and some street contacts all in all the exchange went good.  A Canadian even commented on my accent and said "Hmmm where are you from??"

We went to the temple, that's always a good experience. We got to see a ton of missionary there while we were in the valley, always nice to see old district and zone member's. 

We had some very good lessons this week with investigators and non members. 

Man this is hard I usually have a list of things to tell all you beautiful people of what happen during the week but like an idiot i didn't keep one this week!!

But with only two weeks until the end of the transfer I am hoping I get to stay here in Republic.  I love this place.  I have loved all the places I have served  but I hope I stay here mainly becasue I am sick of one and done's and just would like to stay in a area longer then six weeks and if I could pick somewhere to do that at then here wouldn't be to shabby.

All in all I am doing great, loving it and happy!!!

Until next week,  

God Bless! 

Love Elder Joshua Braman  

 These pictures were taken a couple of week ago but thought I'd include them as well for posterity sake. 

October 28th, 2013

Let me start off telling you some important stuff.

Only in Republic WA 

--People where boots Carhartt's and a white shirt and tie to church.

--The crowd looks more like a group of Loggers or people at a Farmers Association meeting. 

--They use first names rather than brother or sister, that's my favorite so far. 

-- Where in the church parking lot there are more trucks than mini vans.

A week in Republic.  So far its been amazing!  Good scenery, good people. We've done a lot a service and we have stayed somewhat busy ... not as busy as I was in Spokane Valley but still pretty dang busy. 

My companion is Elder Saunders he is from Palmer, Alaska.   Our first conversation blew my mind.  I gave him a hug, introduced myself and asked him where he was from.  He goes on to tell me and I ask if he hunted, fished, snowmobiled, ice fished, had wild bonfires, liked guns, or the opposite gender.... or eating steak or hiking .... and this is where i got desperate then i asked if he liked the out doors or cows or any animal... or if he liked sports... to which all of them he answered with a big fat "Nope".  

But, he does like Pokemon ...

So as you can tell the things he does like are none of what I like but oh well, right?  Although I must say the kid does work and he is not afraid to talk to people so those things are a huge benefit, especially when you're training. Don't worry though i love the kid even know he is messy.

Well on that note I will complain about one thing but before I do I will tell you I already got over it so again don't worry I am mentally normal. 

The first thing I said when I got into my new apartment was '' yup this ain't gonna fly. This place is freaking gross and it's a mess"  So for the first hour and a half I cleaned all the crap out of there like tons and tons of junk, garbage, clutter and just plain old JUNK . Four full garbage bags of crap then I spent the next couple lunch/dinner hours giving the place and ol' fashion thrashin!!!

Gave it the Reimer/Braman cleaning the way my mom taught me!  Now about 70 Gallons of elbow grease later the place looks good and I actually feel comfortable living in it and would even eat something that's been in the microwave.  Yeah.

Republic is on a scenic byway so its prettier than heck up here.  The town is also conveniently placed on the side of a mountain so that makes biking great.   The view I wake up to is amazing so I really don't have much to complain about I have include some picture so you can see what it looks like up here.

Sunday there was 63 people at church, its a small branch.. the bright side is there was only 63 peoples names to memorize and the down side is less member work and very few dinners but the bright side of that is I wont get fat.  The branch is a family and there all good people and very tight knit and they are good ol' country folk.  I have also included  some pictures of a service project we did swapping motors in a 97 grand am .. it was fun and a new experience for me. 

I had another neat experience you might say... I got pulled over going 55 in a 25.  In my defense I was over a mile from the school and the 55 mph sign was nonexistent so I didn't know the school zone kept going after the national forest started.  I told the cop that and he understood so I just got a warning .  Whew!

Well kids gotta run but I hope ya'll have a good week.  

I venture to say I will have another good week!  

I love you all and miss ya tons!!

Enjoy the pics and god bless ........ that was cheesy 

Anywho, later!

Love Elder Braman 

October 21st, 2013

Washington Spokane Temple

Hey ladies and gentle boys 

well its transfer day, woot! woot!  I don't have much time to email but I will tell ya quick I am going to Republic Washington!  Yay the boonies!!   Finally out of the valley so happy now I am off to a town of 900 people so I will feel right at home my new companion will be ............................. ya I don't know yet I get him on Tuesday so I will tell ya next p-day. 

-I did have a good week though, it is going to stink leaving this area, seriously every time I get to an area we get some baptisms scheduled then I leave but oh  well as long as they do it.  Anywho, ya good week lots of fun and hard work .. I tell ya what though at the same time I am almost going to miss the valley but then again I am glad to get out the the boonies!! 

 

Well gotta run and do some crazy stuff today.

 Take it easy kids & have a good one,  talk to ya next week.

Love ya'll 

Love Elder Braman   

I took this picture, thought it was funny... 

October 7th, 2013

 Well its been a great week !!!!!!!  I loved it!  We had a super busy week, I have said that before and we were busy then but this week like eight times that of the past. I have eaten food but I don't remember eating any lunches and very few dinners but that's alright.  Anywho.. its been great and I love the work. Its finally cooling down here in the 50's and 40's so its the best for just the t shirt its nice to not be hot and gross all the time.  Cant wait for a so-called winter here in Spokane!!

This week some of the people we taught were a family. Its great to watch them progress and learn about the gospel. Had a great lesson and then have another one tonight with them.  The new Companion is great good guy from Highland, UT.   The kid works hard and its been nice to have a companion that gives a rip and that I don't have to boss around or encourage to hurry up or get to work.   I love it and am sad at the same time cuz this transfer/exchange is only going last three weeks.  

I am having a blast and I am so glad I was pushed with love to serve a mission, its been great. I have learned so much and enjoyed the heck out of it. I do however miss you all and love you all and wish that you could be here experiencing this with me.  I have loved it so far and am looking forward to the next year and a half!! 

We helped the community library set up for a book sale this week and we moved literally thousands of books and then I swear we moved some more!  Long to the short, after a few gospel conversations and a good amount of donuts and hot coco they told us we could take any books we wanted so we went to the religion section and took all the anti-mormon books and burned them and dropped off ten Book of Mormon's!!

Well, I hope ya'll have a good week!

Love ya all, miss ya, take it easy and stay safe! 

God Bless!

Elder Braman

September 30th, 2013

Birthday cake on my birthday spent with Brad & Mindy & their family. (cousins) 

I saw my companion from the MTC.  Love this guy. 

I found a fellow Minnesotan!

Well kids thanks for all the Birthday packages and letters.  I loved them all and enjoyed my b-day very much thank you, thank you all very much. It doesn't feel to weird to be 20 but its definitely weird to say I am that old... not that that is old at all but its still nuts, eh.

This has been a crazy week we had a meeting or training everyday this week so we stayed very busy and we learned allllllllloooooooooooooootttttt so it was good to get those experiences and learn from those training's.  As far as teaching this week we didn't do much cuz we were at those training's but we worked a lot with less actives and recent converts and those are always great !!!! 

I got a lot for this week so  here is the list and then at the end I will share you my big announcement/only exciting news ya see. 

Thank you to all who put confetti and glitter in my b-day boxes!  I had a good laugh and when I vacuumed it all up I got to watch a confetti tornado in the vacuum... ahhh good memories.  

We biked a TON in the rain this week at least four good down pours hit us and a few good other rain storms. 

So on Tuesday we did service with the other Elders and we were riding in a mini van and their bishop was driving to the peoples house and while we were driving a car in the other lane smoked a deer and kicked it in to our lane and as we were closing in the deer tried to get up and well lets just say we didn't have much reaction time and we totally finished that thing off!  Crazy times now!  We also got a flat tire.

The assistants to the president made me a birthday cake (we video taped this by the way) but I figured instead of getting fat from the cake might as well have some fun with it so we planned a cake to face slam dunk :) so legit.  They sang happy b day and as I blew the candle out BANG I got cake in the nose and mouth and oh boy it was great and the video turned out sweet . Best part is that it doesn't look staged at all. My reaction was pretty well the best ever and well lets just say it looked real cool like :)  

If you remember a couple emails ago when I informed you of the sad story of my eating it on my bike face first because I took a corner with no hand?   Well I have been practicing ya see and as of my last count I have taken 291 corners's with out hand and with out crashing ....(and 2 whole weeks with out crashing ) but now I have stopped counting and I am just a plain ol' pro at no handle-baring it.   In fact, no to brag but yesterday I rode three miles with a pan of hot dish in one had and and a gallon of milk in the other and I didn't touch the handle bars once ... ya I to was impressed as you were :)

On a spiritual note we were biking to go see a less active member and seriously, this is so crazy its never happened like this or this strong, but as i was going along the Spirit was like 'Turn Around Now'......so I hit the brakes turned around told my companion we need to turn around and just go.   He gave me a weird look and said okay?  I felt like an idiot but we did it.  Put it in the onions gear and cooked it.  As we were flying down the road ahead there was not a soul on the side walk so we just kept going and, long to the short, we eventually came in contact with a lady and got to talking and such.  Turns out she was looking for our number and she wants to start meeting with us again! The Lord knows whats going on he has a plan and I realized I am his instrument and there's no two ways about that.  I cant do his work by myself and he is our guide on this hunting trip ... how did ya like that one hmm ??  Oh ya, came up with that one on the spot as I was typing :) 

Well now for my exciting wild news .  President called and told us we were going on exchanges for three weeks with the Zone Leaders, so that's the rest of this transfer so technically I am not in the Pines Ward with the Reimer's any more :( I am now serving in the Painted Hills Ward.   So what does this mean for all of you?  Pretty much nothing  just send your letters to the 820 S Pines RD Ste 101.

Ya sure,  it will be a neat three weeks  & hopefully I will learn a lot! 

Well kids gotta run have a good week take her easy and stay safe 
miss ya'll!

God Bless
Elder Braman

September 23rd, 2013

No letter today, just a picture.  Elder Braman said he would be spending his time catching up on writing some personal emails so maybe you'll be lucky enough to receive one which is likely if you have written him! 

HAPPY BIRTHDAY ELDER BRAMAN! 

Josh celebrates his 20th birthday tomorrow (9-24)!  

Hopefully he has a wonderful day & we get to hear more about it next week. 

September 16th, 2013

Elder Wallis & Elder Braman

Josh was just made a District Leader, he is over several other groups of missionaries in his area.  

His companion is a new to the mission and Josh is training him which he has never done before. 

They are also in a new area, new to both of them.  They don't know anyone or the area at all. 

All in all, Josh has a lot of new things to learn & a lot more responsibilities! 

Well first whole week in the anew area!  Overwhelming.   Kinda not really.   Busy? TOTALLY!!

 I have never filled my planner with so many address's and names.  We have learned much and by much I mean a lot like where people live how to get around the ward boundaries  but there's still lots we need to learn spiritually and mentally.

Okay spiritual time now. 

This week I have had to rely on the lord more than ever . More times than I would like to admit I have found my self feeling overwhelmed and you could put in better terms as "stress" but the beauty of the Atonement is that the Lord can strengthen us and lift us up if we rely on him and have faith that he will. I find myself having to take a deep breath and just pause and ask for strength. It's been great though, we had more street contacts and we've met more people ready for the gospel as we rely on the Lord and not on our own wits. we are nothing mere tools in the Lords hands so we need to stop trying to control this ride and let him take over and run the show.  I think that Carry Underwood says it best when she says "Jesus Take The Wheel".  I tell ya what that's no joke ya see, because I've noticed the more I use that theory the better the work goes.   Well kids that's the lesson I have learned this week hope you got something out of it,  if not then at least you got to listen to me ramble on .......... 

I only had two crashes this week the first was totally me being me .. stupid ..... any how my last word were "dude watch I'm gonna take this corner with out hands" (btw i did it like 9 times successfully) the next thing that happened was my noggin eating pavement and my back tire was sky high but all is fine and no major injury's.  

Second crash.  Well a miss placed telephone pole on the edge of the side walk jumped out and bit the edge of my handle bar and I was then laid out in some nicely manicured lawn. Still some how I walked away injury free.  Yay! 

Well, I am an old man now .. almost 20... jeepers!!   I feel so old just thinking about it. 

I had a good week and hopefully I will have another one!

Thanks for all the letters and emails, love them! 

 

Have a good week!

 Miss ya'll, love ya!

God Bless!

 Elder Braman  

 

September 9th, 2013

Hi Family and People! 

Transfers came and went, DUN DUN DUN!   I am sweep training and I am going to be a district leader, that means I am being white washed in to the Pines Ward and I am getting a brand new Missionary!  I get him on Tuesday so I have no idea who he is yet but he is just a baby (brand new missionary) so that will be neat ... my first son. (mission lingo )  

Between a new missionary and a new area and new responsibility's the next six weeks will either be hard and go by slow or by my predictions, super fast.  I am sad how ever to leave Sullivan Ward, they are awesome and have been super cool and I'll miss them.  I have family in the Pines Ward so that trumps everything!    

So there ya have it, that's my new cool super rad news, and to go with all this news and my nervous feelings sorta I have a quote to go along with it. "There's No Growth in the Comfort Zone and There's No Comfort in the Growth Zone."  So I venture to say that that means that if your comfortable then your not growing.  I am going to be out of my comfort zone so hopefully I will do some growing, too!

Well this last week has been good not much cool happened, I got to pet a real life cow that was sweet and I had some good times with my companion.  Sorry this was short but you got some cool news so be happy!

 Gotta run home and pack all my belongings!!  Keep me posted on everything! 

Love you all!

God Bless,

   Elder Braman

Pictures from Joshua 9-9-13

 Spokane Valley District hanging out on their preparation day. 

Josh's companion is the bottom left from Delta, Utah. 

 Frozen Jello.

Another one of Josh's creations.. 

 Some of his new ties.

They got two fish.  The brown one's name is cow.  

What else would Josh name it!?

September 3, 2013

To my fellow beings, 

This week was good and went by way to fast!  I met some Minnesotans the other day, I had said about three words and the lady asked where I was from and I had her guess and boy you guessed it, she said Minnesota!   Oddly enough she was from Grand Rapids  and she didn't even know where Milaca was so I still haven't met any one who knows exactly where I am from.

I learned a valuable lesson this week , when you have shaving cream on your ear DO NOT TRY to shave it off with the razor!  Your ear will be cut and blood will be spilled ..... so just use your finger

Another lesson I learned this week. When we as people pray we ask for many things like for the Lord to do this, or to bless us with this, or the Lord to do this's and that's.   The lesson I learned was that through faith  and asking the Lord to give you strength to over come challenges or weakness, He will strengthen you to do whatever it is you need to do ( as long as its a righteous desire).  Jesus died on the cross for each and everyone of us, Mormon and not Mormon, each of us he loves and cares for and he preformed the atonement so that each of us could repent and be clean so that we could again enter the presence of our Heavenly Father and live with him 

That is why we do missionary work , to help people access the Atonement, not to grow our churches number of members,  not for glory or for money, to help others come closer to Christ and access his atonement. 

I am doing great & loving the work.  I have a great companion and a great area unfortunately transfers are September 8th so I figure I am leaving but we will see how that works out ya see, as soon as ya get comfortable ya get transferred ... and well I am now finally comfortable so I venture to say I am leaving !

Miss you all!!
Take it easy & God Bless, 

 Elder Braman 

August 26th, 2013

 HELLO TO MY FELLOW AMERICANS

Hope fully you all had  good weeks, but I wouldn't know because only one of my loving sisters emailed me .... actually shes the only person who emailed me. 

Email me I have time because I print them out and then mail ya a reply in the mail.  Somehow someone told everyone that I don't have enough time to read them all and now I don't even worry about time because I don't get any.  I would love to hear from ya'll and about your crazy life's! 

I had a crazy good week the time flew by and we did tons of work we had lunch and dinner at members houses every day and most of them we had non members their as well.

AND JUST TO LET EVERY ONE KNOW NEXT WEEK TUESDAY IS MY P- DAY BECAUSE WE ARE GOING TO THE TEMPLE so I wont be email on Monday. 

I had another sweet experience on my bike this week .  We were flying down a hill and my back bearing blew out so that was a great time, I just held on for dear life and survived.  I also got a new rim and hub and that will be done tomorrow so that will be great. 

I made more spaghetti ramen this week still just as tasty and good as the first time! 

We did a lot of street contacting this week we found three more people to teach all three are super legit  so it will be great to see them progress.  Yesterday I ate elk and bear.  Not the first time I ate them but this time they tasted way better than the first time. 

The mission has changed me in some aspects like my legs are ripped and my slight belly disappeared thanks to the biking and running every morning. 

I have decided the mission has made me a quieter person but all the changes it's done are all for the good .... don't worry I am still Josh Braman and still the same person 

I have formed a motto that I am a person before I am a missionary and I wont be one of those fake missionaries and being your self is important because the Lord sent me here not to be someone I am not so I have to be myself.

 Ya lot of great things this week we talked to a lot of new people and all in all just a good week to be a missionary.  Time is flying by and I am safe and sound and healthy..... I think!

 Miss You ALL!

 Love ya & God Bless 

Elder Braman

August 19th, 2013

Hello friends and family!

Had a great week short and good.  

Not a super great or cool story this week I crashed pretty dog gone good, tore some pant and wrecked my hand but not really to bad, it was pretty sweet. 

(Emma this ones for you)  I tried another habanero pepper ...uffta those things are toasty now. 

We made some fairly legit spaghetti.   Chicken Ramen, meat Ragu and two cans of chicken and spaghetti noodles. Sounds gross but it was so good tasted like heaven... I dare you all to cook it, trust me you will like it!

I met this lady who seriously, if i told you all the things that have happened to her you would freak out.

Through all her trails and all the bad things and all the mean and terrible things people have said to her, she still has a strong testimony and continues to keep her faith and is positive about everything.  What an example to us all she always says, "worse things could happen!"  It strengthened me to sit and compare my life to hers and I thought how blessed I am and how I thought I was positive but she whoops my butt.  She said she has always  had to been able to rely on the Lord, it lifted me so much! the general sense of the story, we can always rely on the Lord no matter how bad, big or small of trails we are going through.

Take it easy,  miss ya all!

Love Elder Braman 

Both of these pictures  below were posted on the mission's website (www.washingtonspokanemission.wordpress.com) of Elder Braman at Zone Conference.  Thought it would be fun to share! 

Not much to say about this one but thought it would be a good laugh for everyone!  His companion took this of him.  Word is, he got the rainbow pillow pet from a girl in the last ward that he was serving in.  She had a crush on him & this was his parting gift when he left that area.  So funny!