January 13th, 2014

Another transfer came and went and I am staying here in Republic :) My new companion will be Elder Padilla. It's a Spanish name so  more like "Padia" but none the less that's my new companion, I have no idea where he is from but next week I will grace you all with pictures next week 

Elder Saunders is going not so far away just down to Riverside Ward, he will surely be missed but he needed to get out and experience some new things, ya see. 

This week we got to see and meet with Elder Neal L. Anderson one of the Twelve Apostle!   We had a super good training given by him he talked about the atonement  the power that it gives to each of us then he trained us on "mercy grace merits of Christ" which all of them blew are minds we took TONS of notes and we then asked some questions and then he talked to us as missionaries specifically.  Pretty much he was a boss, just loosened his tie told us to be ourselves but our best self's and to work our butts off and have fun this is the only two years we get to serve with 100% of our time, not exactly quoted in his words but it was great to hear an apostle say that .. he also said something, "God allows many different kinds of personality's to have a testimony" so since that's true don't get down on your self for not being perfect you don't have to be like someone else. Be yourself !!!   We don't have to go through life saying, man I wish I had as good a testimony as him or her or I wished I could be like her.  "like seriously, be yourself and try".  I loved that, best advice ever.

  

 Have a good week!!

Love you all-- Elder Braman

 Pictures of over the pass

--Apparently Josh's car for the area was a truck with bad tires.  He went into a ditch last week.  

He blamed the bad tires which I am sure they are.. but it's Josh, his driving record is a little less impressive!   ;)   He and his companion were just fine & have since gotten a new car. 

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Another Elder took these last two pictures and Josh forwarded them onto me.

"Republic Elders (Josh) have the same car as us now!  Their truck didn't get enough traction for Republic roads, and the tires were not worn enough for the church to get new ones, so they traded cars."

This last picture was also from that elder (Elder Rawson)

"Elder Braman's driving is scary"