I'm Home!!!

Elder Bradley Smith arrived home at 5 p.m. Wednesday, August 13th.

48 Hours and Done, Take Off

Well I've managed to secure just a bit of time to write one last email to you guys. I know you'll all see me on Wednesday so I'm not to worried about filling you all in on information that I can just tell you in person. I'm a bit nervous now that I've actually come to this point. I was working on putting my bags together this morning and it just kind of hit me that I'm actually coming home at this point. Two long years put away under the wet clouds and bright sun of England. I can definitely say it was a good experience, but I'm really excited to start regular life again. Just been to long since I've been able to see all of my friends and family. I've made so many friends over here and realize just how hard it is going to be to say goodbye to all of them, I've learned to love all of them.

Well yesterday I went to Stephen's baptism and baptized him good :) I have the photos on my camera, but I'm using a crappy computer to send this, so I'll just give them to you in person Mom. I had a great experience yesterday, and I couldn't have asked for a better way to spend my last Sabbath day in England participating in a Baptism that has been in the preparation for over seven months. I've been there to teach Stephen for the entire time he has been attending church, which is really exciting for me. I was called "The Jackson's Missionary" which is the last name of the family I baptized. I was a real privilege for me to be with them and whether you believe it or not I actually cried while I left them. Such an amazing family to me. Luckily and due to the modern miracle of technology I'm not to far away with skype and email except Utah is seven hours behind England, but we'll make it work somehow :) 

I'm excited for the plane flight again. I feel like I'm ok with heights at this point, and I might even go flying with Dad when I get back. Doesn't bother me to much, just a little uncomfortable but I think I can overcome it. Yep, I just need to make sure all my stuff fits and that I can get everything home. My companion is moving to Stratford for two weeks and he is moving out of the flat with me, so I have to carry all my luggage myself and that is going to be heavy as heck. So we are enlisting the help of the other Elders in our area to help us move everything from the flat to South Kensington in London. Should be fun moving that tomorrow... but we'll get it done. I also have dinner with President Jordan tomorrow evening and then I'll stay with the Assistants in there flat in London and then get driven to Heathrow around seven in the morning. Gotta be several hours early to get on my flight, but that's normal. After that, 12 hours of flying and then I'll see you guys. 

Thanks for all the support I've received while I've been out here. Can't wait to be back.

Elder Bradley Smith

Wedding Fest Back Home

Elder Koponen and I in black and white :)

On Mon, Aug 4, 2014 at 11:42 AM, Bradley Smith <ironmanbard@myldsmail.net> wrote:

It seems like a wedding fest over there my goodness. I just heard that my trainer Elder Hansen, or John, is engaged to be married in September. I think the pressure for return missionaries is just too much :) I suppose that's part of typical Mormon life. Well I'm glad to say I've survived another week here. I've got about 5 working days left, and the other four are pretty much preparation and a baptism on Sunday. It really is the end for me out here. There are a couple missionaries here in our zone that envy me, but I've said to them we've all got our time and mine has come. 

Yeah so I'll give you the run down for the moment. I got my travel Itinerary this wednesday, which you probably already know about, but I've been told to tell you the details anyway. I'll be leaving at 10:15 am, British time, from Heathrow airport and flying for eight and half hours to Chicago. First time I've ever been there. I've realized that I've never really seen the east coast :P Then from Chicago, I change planes and fly to Salt Lake where I'll meet you guys at 5:05 pm, Utah Time. Gives me a nice little bit to hang out before I need to go to bed. I'll be pretty much shattered because I'll have been on planes for 13 hours, but I'm not to bothered :) 

This Sunday I'll be attending a baptism of my good friend Stephen Jackson, who has asked me to Baptize him. What more could I ask for. A baptism at the very end of my mission. I'm really excited for that. I'm really going to miss the Jackson family here, they've been a huge part of my mission for me, and they are just amazing people. I'll have to skype them when I get back to keep in touch :) 

Well, I've got just a few days left to make a difference here. It's been difficult here in Enfield, but I don't have to deal with it much longer. I'm just missing the blessed land of Southend. It's just incredibly hot here because there is not wind or anything from the sea like in Southend. Makes sleeping a bit difficult :P

I don't know if Mark has moved out yet, but do you have a place where I can reside when I get home. I know we haven't talked about it alot but it seems to be a pretty practical question at the moment. Hopefully you haven't gotten rid of all my stuff... but I need a new wardrobe anyway when I get back. Besides my jeans size is 36 instead of 40 now, so it's quite a big difference. I'd like to hit 34 in a few months anyway... but I looked at my BYU schedule and since there is some big gaps between my morning and evening classes, I can hit the BYU gym and exercise for two hours or so. Plus I feel the motivation to do so :) Yes Mother, I'm a changed man. Shannon can teach me a thing or two about running :P 

Well I look forward to seeing all of you in a week, plus a bit. It's been unreal my experience out here. Plus I have a few more photos for you. I'll probably have one last time to email, but if I don't God Bless and I'll see you across the pond.

Love,

Elder Bradley Smith

These first three are from when I was leaving Southend. I'm holding two of my best friends. Tate is the guy in the purple shirt and Chyme is a jungle jag carpet python.

Stuffy Nose, Bad Hair Day and Lost Sheep

Well its been an alright week. I'm just a bit under the weather due to a nice cold that I caught a few days back and nice sore throat as well. Makes sleeping at night nearly impossible for the past few days, so I've been a bit grouchy... but I guess that could be expected from lack of a good sleep and then having to work the whole day again. Tends to make me extra tired, then I can't sleep the next night afterwards making me more tired... yeah, I'm in a great mood :P I had a go at one of our zone leaders who was annoying me greatly so things haven't been the best the past few days. Just been a bit on edge. Obviously I've apologized, but I'm not a perfect human being at the moment.

Yeah... I'll stop complaining so you guys don't get tired of this email. The transfer week is coming up next week, so you won't hear from me till next Tuesday, so we'll see what President decides to do with me when that happens. I'm thinking he'll put me into a trio companionship till I go home, since this is my last transfer calls here. I'll just drop out of the trio when August 12 roles around. I'll get to hang out with the Assistants till I get on the plane then after that. At least that's how it should happen, but President Jordan isn't the most consistent with what he says he is going to do. I'll just leave it to god. Hopefully I'll get to hang out here in Southend till I go home. That would be nice.

Well I'm hang on for the last five weeks here. Me being ill hasn't really helped for the past few days, so hopefully I can recover enough to have a good time for a few more weeks before being disposed of. Yep, I'm just going to relax today and make up for lost sleep. I almost said lost sheep, but I've been finding those chaps for nearly two years now :P

Sorry I'm not very entertaining at the moment, I've got a splitting headache and it's not encouraging me to be very creative at the moment. You can send some pity post to me or something if you really feel like it :P

Elder Smith

If you need the Garden done, I'm sure Mark or Shannon would love to help you. I'd love to do it myself, but I'm a bit out of reach at the moment. Hopefully I can just go hold a few of Tyrone's snakes today and that will make me quite happy. Yeah, that sounds like a good plan. We'll I'll talk to you later.

My beat up shoes and a bad hair day :P Yep, that's what 18 months does to a pair of shoes.

Random photo shoot in our flat... I like the hat though

A huge slug that I found while doing service at a member's house. We named him Gary.

Gary of SpongeBob Squarepants

This is the nickname that I keep getting from lots of the members. They call me "Smithy" and so we found a pub randomly with the name.