How Clean It Is

Hey, 

I'm actually chill’in in the mission office right now because we suddenly got called in to a do a mission choir, and my companion was invited to sing in it... but I wasn't :P Apparently I'm not good enough for them... but I get another day in London because of it.... so that's cool. So I'll tell you about my new companion. I actually love this kid sooooo much! My goodness, He's like an Angel. Praise the Lord.

He's such a cool guy. He comes from a small ward near Dundee Scotland. Plus I love his accent. Scottish is just so cool compared to boring American... sorry all you folks back home. But I'm quite enjoying are days together here. Things are going a lot better. Elder Jamieson loves to work real hard as well. Just always wanting to do something good. I quite enjoy his uplifting spirits. He's also really Clean!

Yes! A companion who actually will clean the toilet and help me keep the flat clean. The thing that bothered me about my previous companion is that he wouldn't treat the flat like it was his. He just thought he was temporarily living there so he wouldn't keep it clean. He just wanted to let the next person handle his problems. Now if everyone had an attitude like that... all the flats in the mission would be like crap. So we spent a while cleaning it last night and getting it ship shape. So that made me super happy.

I know this cleanliness thing is foreign to me because back home I didn't do to much to keep my room clean, but now I just like how everything is organized and tidy... it’s so nice :) I'll introduce my companion to you in our next movie which I will send either tonight or tomorrow... whenever I can. I'm glad that you guys are busy and doing well back home.

Dad, I'm glad you got a new computer. I just remember when you showed me it the first time a few years back and told me it had a quad core processor and stuff... I just remember looking at some computer models in a show in London here and seeing some Hexacore and Octacore model computers and laughing to myself. I hope some interesting stuff comes out before I get home :) Anyway I'll catch you guys later. I need to go make some experiences here in the huge city. 

TTFN,

Elder Bradley Smith

NOTE: Mom is being silly with the hairball in the toilet bowl photo, plus she's overjoyed to hear about this terrifically tidy side of Bradley. (Brad would love to have a pet! LOL)

Here Comes the Sun...Sometime...Soon...Maybe?

March 12, 2013

So we just got the blip from President Jordan. As of last night I'm going to be staying right where I am. I probably am going to be here in Luton for 6 months, so I guess I should have been prepared for it. Elder Affleck is leaving me and going to a funny place called Huntingdon. It’s one of the furthest areas from London in the mission but he gets a car, lucky guy. So tomorrow I'll be helping him carry his stuff to the train station and getting my new companion.

Kind of funny but I'll be getting another Scotsman. His name is Elder Jameson and apparently he is a really good missionary, super solid guy. I've only met him once or twice at Zone Conference and such, so I don't know too much about him. I'll send you a video and you guys can get to know him.

So far today I went and played basketball at St. Albans while my companion and his buddy Elder Fisher went and bought expensive shirts from a company called T.M. Lewin, which makes ridiculously nice stuff. Elder Affleck almost has all his stuff to go home with so he has just been blowing money left and right here. I'm just trying to hold on to mine so it doesn't go flying out of my hands :P After that we met up with our other Elders from Dunstable just down the road and went to lunch with them at a super posh all you can eat Buffet. It was on a cheaper menu because it was during a lunch time special so I didn't have to pay too much, thank goodness, but it was a really cool experience. Lots of neat food from all over the world. So that was fun.

Now all I have to do is survive till the sunshine decides to come out, which would be really nice. Things are going just fine and I'm really interested to see who this Elder Jameson is. From what I hear, I think things will work out just fine. I was also really impressed by that video of Whitney that you sent. Holy Cow, she's actually pretty good now. My companion was blown away by that just to let you know. Looks like good things are still happening over in Utah.

I'm finally getting used to how England works, but by the time that I will actually be used to it I'll have to go back to Utah anyway :P All good though. I hope you guys are taking care and I'll talk to you again soon.

Love your son and brother,

Elder Bradley Smith

Hot Lamborghini

So in all my genius and brilliance... I left my camera back at the flat before I came here >_< . Don't really know what I was thinking especially when I have two videos to send you guys. So I guess I'll have to do that tomorrow. I know you are all on bended knee waiting for these because you love them so much but I promise to upload them tomorrow. Besides that I just had another killer day in London.

Nothing like spending the day in the largest mall in Europe. We just hit Westfields... the brand new Olympic mall that was constructed just before the Olympics here. Man that thing is absolutely enormous. So many shops that you just shouldn't bring your wallet because it makes you want to spend money so bad. So we had a good time there meeting up with the Browns. He took us out for lunch which was amazing. This guy is a true American. He bought more food then we could eat. That is a first for fast food around here. I loved getting to meet them. The Browns return back home to Utah this next week and they live in Ogden. They are really cool people, haven't met anybody as nice as them for a long time.

After our meeting with them, we went with several of the London missionaries and hit the mall. Shoe shopping, all sorts of stuff... I've never actually been into shopping, but I actually had a lot of fun. Plus, with my savings from the last two months... with a bit of my own money... I picked up a new watch.  Dad knows I've been using his Kenneth Cole reaction watch but last week it ran out of batteries and I guess I still need to get them replaced. So now I have a working watch :)  So riding around on the tubes the whole day was fun. London is just such a fast paced place. I just don't know if I could handle living in a city like that. Everything just moves and goes and is constantly changing. We just met with a member from the church in the Hyde Park ward. Her name is Caroline. But she said she couldn't live anywhere that didn't move as fast as London or New York. I thought she was crazy, but if that’s how she likes it. So if I serve in London, the time goes by extremely fast from what the Elders here tell me. Besides our London trip, the rest of the week was just fine. Not much use in going into detail besides my videos will cover that part of the week anyway.  I'm glad everything is going all right. Looks like most of the animals have managed to stay alive during this winter which is good. I'm glad you guys are taking care of my fishies; apparently, they went for a polar bear plunge when the aquarium heater died. Umm... Yeah glad I'm able to catch up with you guys. As I said I'll upload those videos tomorrow, k.

Love your son and Brother, 

Elder Bradley Smith

PS I love this car....

Bargain-Hunting like a Boss

Brad mentioned in his video (family-only) that he ran out of money by the 10th of January last month; consequently, he is has been more frugal in February. He called it "bargain-hunting like a boss." He's lost about 1 1/2 stones = 20 lbs. He's looking great. --MOMOMOMMOM PS I added the foggy London photo from deviantart.com. No, Bradley hasn't suddenly become an amazing photographer:)

So I hope I filled you guys in with that last video so I guess I can talk about whatever now :) I just wrote two long letters to Trevor and Kyle. Man, Trevor leaves for the MTC this Wednesday. That is so crazy. I remember the few days before I left for that place... those were long days. Just crazy how fast things go, yet strangely while you are on the mission things take forever... This past week has been decent. My companion and I have been getting along a lot better. Sometimes he can be a little difficult to be with... but that's everyone every once in a while. I've been enjoying the freezing wind going in my face while I spend hours in town center... that is just fun stuff... 

We haven't had any new investigators this week which kind of stinks... so we've just spent hours trying to talk to people that are not interested in being talked to. Makes things a little difficult. I can't wait for summer. The Brilliant sun will be the most amazing thing I've ever seen once this dreary winter is over. I can't wait to see what this country looks like when the sun is out... probably a lot better :) I'm just going to keep plodding on, and do my best and things will get along just fine. I love you guys and I hope to hear from you soon.

I'm glad you are enjoying the video, I have like 30 seconds left so I'll talk to you guys next week. I'm doing alright... we actually just went bowling a few hours ago so kinda fun... just way to expensive holy cow. Everything here is expensive... so I'm learning to be thrifty with my money... kinda like what I say in the video :) I hope you get better mother, you seem to get beaten up a lot at racquetball :) so take care of yourself. Also I'll probably do a video for mark since He'll be heading to the big BYU here in the summer. Tell him I'm proud of him. He's a good kid. But don't let that go to his head :)

Love your son and brother,

Elder Bradley J. Smith

Video Man

Hey I've got a few more videos on the way, so you can download those ones :) This week has been pretty good. I don't have anything to complain about. I hope you guys enjoy the videos, they are the very essence of my life here :) I don't even feel like I have to write an email now... All I have to do is send a video once a week lol. Its unfortunate to here about Mark's friends and about Sydney Bruning. As I said last week, it left a bitter taste in my mouth. :( I hope you guys are doing well, and I hope that Grandpa Smith can recover as well. If there is anything I can do just let me know. I love you and take care :)

Love,

Elder Bradley Smith

On We Go...

     Wow, after reading what you said about Sydney Bruning just made me feel a little bit empty inside... That is so sad that something like that would happen to such a good family. Give them my condolences, if I spelled that right, and I will be praying for them. As for this week I've been doing really well. I'm trying to sort this google drive thing out, so at the moment I am uploading my videos to my drive and hopefully I can somehow email them to you or have you access them from my seriousbradsmith1 account which you should have the user name and password. 

     The time this week really flies, and I'm starting to enjoy the days. This transfer is a 7 week one because of the awkward shift in the number of missionaries so I get an extra week with Elder Affleck. And yes, I got all of your cards mom :) I love all of them , and Elder Affleck was stunned that you would send him a card, plus he absolutely loved the magnet :) Good thinking. I got to the library here extra late so I only have a half hour instead of a whole hours... so I'm trying to get everything finished... I might have to use a half hour tomorrow to send all the videos and stuff. 

     Things are going pretty well, I've been in post contact with Kyle now and we are sending letters to each other. He really appreciates my moral boost for him. We just had a zone p day in Stevenage playing basketball and stuff.. wow it feels so good to be able to play some sports again wow.  Just being able to run around and be normal for a few hours really does me good. I know valentines day is coming up and I'm glad I don't have a girlfriend :P because then I would just be using a bunch of money for dates and stuff... just kidding that stuff is awesome. Valentines day here is called the GREAT DAY of Lonliness :P Where every missionary mournes the that they cannot have their girlfriends here. Funny stuff. Also as you know its my companion's birthday and he loves the post you send. 

     I'll have to make a few more videos so you guys can see the flat and stuff. I'm really excited for this video stuff because it will make sending information and stuff so much easier :) I'll catch you in a bit and I hope that my videos go through and you can enjoy those for longer than this email :)

Love your son and Brother, 

Elder Bradley Smith

Madame Tussaud's Topped Off by the Slug & Lettuce

Hey Maties,

This week seemed to fly by. Wow I never realized when you work hard the time just flies out the window. We've been busy every day this week just out finding and talking to people and teaching and tons of stuff. It’s all really good right now. I feel the flow now, somewhat. As you said previously mom, I just hit my 5 month mark! I'm kind a nervous.  I've got the Bump coming up. So a way we describe the mission as you go along is at the first six months you hit the Bump, at the year mark you hit the Hump, and at the last six months you hit the Slump. Kind a funny. So the Bump is coming up at the end of this month. I can't believe... we actually I can, that it has almost been six months out here.

We just hit probably the best day of London yet! We went to Madame Tussaud's Wax Museum which had just tons of stuff in it. From Models to Actors to Football players, Madame Tussaud’s has just a ton of stuff. I'll send you some of the pictures but I'd be here all day if I sent all of them. We took over 300 photos. So I'll send you the best ones. Afterwards we took a stroll around town catching sights of pretty cars.

 I got pictures of a few Aston Martins and a Maserati and I saw a few Ferrari's, but I couldn't catch them on camera. Good day there. We spent a ton of time on the famous Oxford Street again. We walked the strip. Man I've never seen so many posh stores in one place. The most expensive stores actually have 2 or 3 of the same store on Oxford Street. That’s how big this road is. We also went to an awesome restaurant called the Slug and Lettuce. The food is super posh but all of it is half off on Mondays so usually after a district meeting or something we go to Slug and Lettuce for lunch and it doesn't cost us a fortune. Love that place.

I was just so tired after hitting London all day, but we got invited over to make some awesome curry last evening with our good member friend Adam Grey. He's a great guy who moved into the Ward about 3 weeks ago from Southend and he's an awesome guy. We spent the evening their eating food and having a good time.

Now it’s back to the regular day. Dang, it’s hard to go back after a day like yesterday. I hope you guys are taking care. It doesn't seem like too much is going on, just the usual. Mom getting injured in racquetball and stuff like that... nothing unordinary :) Well, I'll be dribbling on from here.

The sun has been out the past few days and I just love the sun now. I've missed it for several months now so I'll be sunbathing while we talk to investigators ;) I love you guys and I'll catch in you 19 months, guess what I'm out of the 20's. *high five*

Love your Son and Brother,

Elder Bradley Smith

This is where I fit in . . . with the nerds:)

Beyonce is kind of dodgy and she just played the Super Bowl , I've heard.

Leaders of the world-funny stuff.