Called To Serve. : January 27th, 2014

Well, I had another good week!! It was a little to warm for my liking! I mean come on lets be hones, winter should be at least in the negatives none of this wimpy 30's and such!

Poor little Elder Saunders left me for some one else .. haha. He was transferred to Riverside Ward about two and a half hours south of us but he's still in our zone so I see him. That kid was funny! My new companion is Elder Padilla, he is from Phoenix Arizona and let me tell you his body is not capable of producing heat! It's like 25 to 35 degrees up here on average and I let him wear my coat along with his! What to tell about Elder Padilla? He wants to become a comedian, he enjoyed video games and playing magic card (like Pokemon I guess( I just learned that )) he is a computer wiz! He has his own crock pot to use from area to area and insist on using it to cook meals! He falls asleep quickly and likes to snore and wake up in the morning and tell me about his crazy dreams. On the same hand, I don't sleep well, just about five hours and the rest of my night I write letters and whisper thoughts in to Padilla's ear while he sleeps.... and sometimes he reacts and such but usually his dreams are close to what I say so its entertaining ! But no fear he knows I do it, he just asked that I video tape it so when the funny stuff happens he can watch it.

We butchered sheep again this week, we are getting faster, all we had to do is brush up our skills but we did three into half's and hung in one hour so we boogied right along.

We also had to trim/grind the hoofs of the ram so I got to lasso him and wrestle him down and hog tie him, man just like home. Good Time's and good memories!!

Time to explain some pictures ! The first four are us as a district at Cascade Falls Canada B.C. The last couple are Washington in all her beautiful-ness!

We had a specialized training in Spokane which with travel there and back it took all day, we got home at 10:45 P.M (WITH SPECIAL PERMISSION) just so no one questions.

It was good and we learned a lot! We even got to see old companions and zones and district members! One of the things shared there was a quote from President Hinckley and it went "Lets all Try a Little Harder to be a Little Better" I loved that quote because in essence, we all do need to improve but we don't sometimes because we feel it to be to momentous, or its "not for me". But if we try to improve a little each day and make a goal to improve just a little at a time then before we know it we will be better than we ever imagined!!!

We as a mission are reading the Book of Mormon in 6 weeks! Kind of a speedy little challenge we have here, eh? I am reading it with a few specific questions on my mind as well as a better understanding of the chronology of it! The tiny blessings have already started to come like, we will be in a lesson and a question is asked of something, I would normally read one scripture and then talk or explain it but now I can give better answer with background of the story or scripture I am sharing... and such said things like that .. but all good things!!

Funny & awesome story! One of our investigators is a huge fan of most of the bands I adore and the other day we go over to the house quick to reschedule a appointment (because of the random Specialized Training) and we get out of the Subaru and BOOM I hear it, that sweet sweet sound of Rock! Not just any old rock but my favorite rock Disturbed, I was like "yaaaay, heck ya that's sweet!!!" Just saying we heard it outside and it was inside and it was very very audible!!!!! And not only was it my favorite band it was my favorite song "Prayer" so then we knock very loudly on the door but joyfully to no avail, another whole song plays and then a dog barks. But oh man it was great two whole songs! One could say I was giddy and such!

Soon we are moving in to a new apartment, just down the hall. It's cheaper for the church and it's smaller but really its perfect because the apartment we are in is huge way to much extra space and this one is newly refinished and all cute like, and not to mention CLEAN and germ free ... fresh carpet...mhmh tasty.

Well kids have a good week, take it easy, live life, have fun and enjoy it!
Love you all! Miss ya!!
Love Elder Braman

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I (Emma) wasn't able to update his blog last week which is why there are so many pictures to follow. That & his p-days got a little messed up last week. Here are a bunch of pictures, enjoy!

These next couple pictures are a just some random pictures that were sent.

Josh & the Sasquatch

Josh & Elder Padilla

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These next couple pictures were taken in Cascade Falls, British Columbia, Canada

This is where the water line used to be!

The Kettle River has a beautiful! This little part here is where it drops in to a really beautiful water fall! We hiked around the hillside to get to it , then took some cute pics and such then threw some snow balls down into the river and had a accuracy competition on who could hit a ice chunk! Definitely a place to put on the bucket list!

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These last set of pictures were sent after his most recent p-day where

they spent hiking again in the Cascade Falls area. The first couple are of the drive there, the last are of their hike, apparently it's their favorite place to go on their p-days!