27 November 2017 ~ Week #18

Hey everyone!

I can't write much but I am super excited because I am finishing my training and I am going to a new area in Zona 18 in the city!!!! My new companion will be Elder Martinez from Honduras. I have heard he is super cool so I will report next week on how everything goes with him! I am feeling super ready, and I know that the promise that the Lord has made in Ether 12:27 has come true for me. I am so happy now, and I am ready for new challenges!

I hope everyone has a wonderful week this week, and I hope everyone is preparing for Christmas!!! If you have time each morning dureing December, look up the 25 days initiative on Mormon.org and try to follow it!

Love you all!

Elder Dredge

Elder Braden K. Dredge

Guatemala Guatemala City East Mission

Monday, 20 November 2017 ~ Week #17

Hey all!

I apparently only have 5 more minutes more, so unfortunately I forgot to add pictures and all, but I just want to inform everyone that I am doing okay and that I'm walking and I'm preaching, improving in all things.

We also had a wonderful Day of the Book of Mormon activity over here. If you are reading this and you note that you don't have a copy of a Book of Mormon, ask a seminary student, or any member friend, and get yourself a copy. I would not be here without that book. There is so much to learn from that book. Truly it is inspired scripture, and it testifies of Christ. It does not just include testimony, but shares how we can gain one for our own selves. How cool is that? How much love our ancestors had for us, that they would write as much as they did that we can have a testimony just like them.

I know that God watches over all of His children, and that he is the same yesterday, today, and forever. Come unto Christ, and he will bring you to the Father. And by His Spirit, we can become perfected, and experience His joy. I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

Remember what you are thankful for. I will do the same this week, counting the blessings at home, and counting the blessings where I am now.

Love you all!

Elder Dredge

Elder Braden K. Dredge

Guatemala Guatemala City East Mission

13th November 2017 ~ Week #16

¡Alo, buenas! I hope everyone has been safe this week. This Elder has not been the safest...

So, right after I wrote last week, the zone (10 missionaries) went out and played paintball. It was super fun. It was in fact my first time! But... I got a pretty bad injury. In fact, one of the most horrid I have seen in my life! Basically, all my inner upper thigh was cut open by a barricade to which I was descending as I was sliding down a hill for cover. It was not the greatest feeling. Thankfully, I received great care from the hospital. I now have twenty stitches on my inner upper thigh. All is disinfected. It is experiencing a little bit of inflammation but I am treating it with oils and taking my pills so all is healing. I wrote all of my experience on a few sheets of paper as a narrative, of the which I took some pictures. I have been in my house all week, which wasn't the most fun, but at least I have been safe.

I did however get encountered by a dog this past Saturday, which was running at me to bite me. It was coming out of a door of a neighbor's house of an investigator who we had just gave a priesthood blessing moments ago. Being a limping cripple, I decided to remove myself from the situation as fast as I could. I decided to jump into the lawn. I ended up falling like a statue into the dirt. I was afraid the stitches might have opened. Elder Cruz, having been understanding and hospitable to me all the week, and I, got a car back to our house. The leg is still okay. We are all good. Everything is cheque.

So this week I just want to share my thoughts on the healing power of the Atonement. I have experienced quite a few moments of pain this week. Seeing my flesh open in front of my eyes after examining was not fun, not the most comfortable, and just really terrible. Getting the shots for anesthesia was a level of pain of its own, during the which I was literally singing opera. And receiving antibiotics in my cheek was quite a profound pain too, which felt like they were literally inserting a marble, during the which process I was yelling into my pillow and banging my other leg against the surface. Lots of pain this week. But in each of these moments, I thought about my Savior. In Alma 7 it reads that in the Garden of Gethsemane, our Savior Jesus Christ suffered not just our sins, but also our pains and afflictions and infirmities. He therefore loved us so much that he was willing to suffer our pains too, and not just our sins. He did this, "that he might now how to succor his people."

And I think to myself, "And He suffered splitting his leg open, receiving injections of all sorts, that he might know how to succor Elder Dredge." Truly, my brother Jesus Christ knows what I have been going through. He has helped me throughout this whole process. He knows my pain. He has had the same urges to scream. He has endured the same discomfort. And he did this because He loves me.

So, if any of you are suffering, or are pain, or are sick, or are damaged in any way physically, emotionally, mentally or spiritually, just be aware that your Savior Jesus Christ suffered that the same. And remember that He lives. I say this in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

Elder Dredge

Elder Braden K. Dredge

Guatemala Guatemala City East Mission

War wound from Zone Paintball Game -- 20 stitches!

Ever the smiling Elder!

Passing the time away!  Letting the inner nerd out!!!

6 November 2017 ~ Week #15

Hello, hello, hello, everyone! I hope you have had a good week this past week!

This one of my best weeks in my mission. I had the special honor of befriending and teaching a wonderful father and son, Mario y Marito. They are super cool, super spiritual, and super amable. Elder Cruz and I love them to death. We pass by them almost every day and spend at least 10 minutes talking about life and they are already curious about the Gospel so they ask about it too while we are there. The first time we really contacted, Elder Cruz was breakdancing with 41 year old Mario and I was beatboxing with little nine year old Marito. It was the time of a lifetime. We met with them later at the church building, and we shared pizza and the such. We try to be a little more structured in lessons now but they are super special to us. We gave them a new copy of the Bible and each a triplet (Book of Mormon, DyC y PoGP), with personal messages in the inner pages. Marito will definitely be a future missionary, upon hearing the invitation to church, being his charismatic self, he started to ask his friends to come too. And Mario is already such a splendid example for him. We are so honored to be the missionaries that will teach them.

Other than that, Elder Cruz and I have been really strengthening our companionship, and we have been strengthening our relationships with the members. We had a wonderful meeting with a family last night who so happened to be talking about the why singers in conservatory should sing in solfege rather than lalalalala (Mr. Fletcher, or any member of the Newberg choir, if you are reading this, you should know my ears were stinkin' perked). So of course, I invited them to sing a couple hymns with me... in parts. Holy cow. It was chilerisimo.

Overall I feel like I am improving in my abilities to listen to others and to teach them that they might understand. And I am really developing a love for all these people.

I just want to share that the essence of the Gospel is sharing what you have. Jesus Christ suffered for us that we might follow Him. When we need providence, we can depend on Him and find the strength that we need. He can develop in us the love that we have for others. We can share that love with others thenceforth. We can poco a poco develop his attributes. We can learn patience, longsuffering, temperance, knowledge, faith, hope, and the most important charity, through His grace made possible by the Atonement, and upon living the Gospel we can receive these things by the Holy Spirit. I testify that these things are true. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

I hope you all have a wonderful week!

Elder Braden K. Dredge

Guatemala Guatemala City East Mission

30 October 2017 ~ Week #14

Hey yall!

I can't write much but this was the week where by far I was the most tired, but also the one where I at least felt like I have been closest to the missionary I want to be! I have been able to listen more and more to the people here and more and more to the Spirit. We have been handing out Book of Mormon copies like crazy. I just have to say that there is no question that you might have in your life that cannot be answered in the Book of Mormon. How can I find true happiness, or be an example to my friends? This is all I can write.

Have a wonderful week everyone!

Elder Dredge

Elder Braden K. Dredge

Guatemala Guatemala City East Mission