Elder Brad Smith Across the Pond
Elder Brad Smith has been called to serve in the England London mission as a missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. These are his letters and photos--and Mom's editorializing.
Wednesday, August 13, 2014
Monday, August 11, 2014
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.
Monday, August 4, 2014
Wedding Fest Back Home
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
Tuesday, July 8, 2014
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. |
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