Monday, January 22, 2018 ~ Week #26

Hey folks! I hope everyone has had a wonderful week this week.

Elder Dredge is still struggling to sleep, this is for sure. I am also seeing clearly a few of the weaknesses I had before the mission, mostly in the social aspect. But I am honestly still happy. I am incredibly grateful to be serving a mission, and I love having this opportunity to learn. I love having the opportunity to learn about myself, my personal weaknesses and strengths. I love learning Spanish, and I would love speaking it, reading in it, and even writing it; listening to it is still tough at times, but thankfully not as much as before. I am thankful for the support and the encouragement that I have had before the mission to serve, from my mom and my dad, from my grandparents and uncles and aunts and cousins, from my sister, as well as from my friends, in the Church or not. After all the struggle, I am simply full of gratefulness to be able to serve.

After contemplating my situation a bit, and talking with my companion Elder Martinez, I realize that love for others is what helps the most. I have felt more happy on my mission when my focus has been on others and not on my own struggles. I feel more happy now upon thinking this, because I do not have to burden myself thinking about what I struggle with, and rather I can lighten myself up with the thought of helping others out with their struggles.

And I just want to extend a humble invitation to you, whoever is reading this, to strive to help others in ways that are within your ability. Our Heavenly Father has blessed each one of us with unique talents and abilities, that surely enough, we can help someone out in our own unique way. It doesn't matter if it is small type of service or a big type, it just matters to know what kind of service you are able to do, and to do it. And I know from personal experience, especially from my own musical gifts, that if you continually strive to use your talents and gifts and abilities and skills to serve others, and allow yourself to be open for these opportunities, these will undoubtedly increase unto you, by the hand of the Lord. I encourage you to ask for the gift of charity, the pure love of Christ, as directs Moroni in the Book of Mormon (Moroni 7:45-48), that you may always be willing to look for what others need help with and to help with these things. I encourage you to serve to the ability that you can, and to do more once you know you can. I promise the hand of the Lord to be upon you in your efforts to love others. I testify of these things in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

Have an awesome week, and be of good cheer!

Elder Dredge

P.S. I brought my camera to the computer I'm using but I forgot the extension to use to send photos so I will send photos next week.

Elder Braden K. Dredge

Guatemala Guatemala City East Mission

Monday, January 15, 2018 ~ Week #25

Hey folks!

I hope everyone has been getting lots of sleep and have been keeping warm every night and day. During the days I have been fine, but Elder Dredge has not been sleeping too well. I would wake up 2 or 3 times each night in the middle of the night or early in the morning, and shivering a ton. This has been going on for about a week. Thankfully I called the mission nurse with my companion Elder Martinez and she advised to do yoga, listen to nice and relaxing music, and eat a big dinner, but not too late in the night.

She also advised that I shouldn't worry. Preoccupation and worry and stress are things that one cannot sleep well with, and I have been having that every day, despite are increase in success in our area of proselyting. I have been getting a bit hard on myself, seeing that I am almost at 6 months in the mission and I am not at the level of conversion I want to be. I get stressed over the little things I do and think that I figure Jesus wouldn't do and think. I get hard on myself if I'm not being very social, and if sparking conversation or giving valuable input doesn't come naturally. I get hard on myself if I'm not talking to people very much in the streets, or in other places like in the buses and the markets and other waiting places. It just doesn't come naturally.

This has brought me to consider more deeply the Atonement and how I should view it. Truly conversion is a lifelong process. Naturally, there are certain things that people do that come more naturally for them than for others, the which things are things that Jesus would do. These selfsame things are things that perhaps everyone would like to have come natural. Being a goof leader, a good parent, a good friend, a good member of the family, being virtuous, being social, being strong and diligent. Doing the things that come from that. I think there are things we all do of the which come naturally for us which Jesus Christ would do. And I think there are other things that perhaps we would like to have come naturally for our own benefit or for the benefit of others. Whether these things are worrisome or not, I just want to extend the same suggestion that the nurse extended ultimately for me to sleep better after work: No se estrese. "Don't stress yourself."

This is why we have the Atonement. The Lord gave us this life so we could grow, thus He grants us the experiences we need so that we can do so. The Lord is patient with us as well, and because of this sees need for us to improve poco a poco, little by little. And our Savior already paid the price for what we lack, so we don't need to worry about perfection. Because of these things, let us improve little by little, but let us also be patient with ourselves. Let us make goals for things which are within our ability but challenge us. Let us repent everyday, and continue to have in our Savior Jesus Christ, believing that He will help us on our path back to Him. We are children of God, thus have we the potential to be like Him one day. And He being our Father, He is just as anxious to share His qualities and His wisdom and His counsel with us as our own father we have here on Earth. I have a personal testimony that Heavenly Father watches over me, because I have looked back at my experiences and how I've grown. And I know that my Heavenly Father has the power to cause a great change in me. He has a plan for me, of this I am sure. And though I don't know exactly what He has in plan, He has the power to put me in the path I should, and to serve others and the way that they need, in the way I can. Of these things I testify in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

I also just want to share a few scriptures from the Book of Mormon. Many people don't have a lot of time in Guatemala, because of working all day to support the family. Because of this, when I invite them to read the Book of Mormon, I invite them to read every day, at least FIVE verses. I have always known that even just five verses in the Book of Mormon can invite the Spirit into someone's day and bring the spiritual strength that one needs for one's day. But I haven't taken into account that there are very certain passages in the Book of Mormon, which only have five verses or less, which can be especially strong. Taking this into account, I decided to look through the great chapters of the Book of Mormon and find the gems that have helped me personally. In this process it came to me that the Book of Mormon is truly a precious and sacred book. It is a compilation of extremely special stories and examples of disciples of Christ and sermons, that it just cannot be denied. Truly it is divine book. In the process of compiling for myself just passages of five verses, I decided to limit the number of passages to twenty in total, leaving out portions that are perhaps less powerful without reading the whole chapter. (The accounts of the tree of life, Abinadi, and of Nephi in the Book of Helaman are all incredibly powerful accounts, but you just gotta read it all to feel it.) So here it is!

Passages in the Book of Mormon

(Passages that testify of Christ and show how I can be converted to Him.)

1 Nephi 3:4-8

2 Nephi 2:25-29

2 Nephi 25:22-26

Jacob 4:3-7

Enos 1:1-5

Mosiah 4:9-13

Alma 7:9-13

Alma 22:14-18

Alma 32:26-30

Alma 34:30-34

Alma 36:16-20

Helaman 5:8-12

3 Nephi 11:16-20

3 Nephi 13:30-34

3 Nephi 17:5-9

3 Nephi 27:17-21

Mormon 9:15-19

Ether 3:11-15

Moroni 7:45-48

Moroni 10:1-5

Now, if you don't have a Book of Mormon, I would highly encourage you to obtain one. They are free. Once you get it, these scriptures are simply my suggestion, limited to a list of only twenty passages of five verses, to read upon obtaining the book, and pray about them. However, my suggestion is not to only ever read these verses. The Book of Mormon is dense with knowledge of Christ and examples of excellent followers and disciples of Him. There is so much more that I could include in the list that I would rather just leave you to read. Now, it is possible that even upon just reading one of these verses that it can answer a question you have; if it be so, don't let this be a reason to not read more, but let it be the motivation to read more. I know that this book is true, because upon living its precepts I have become a better person. I have gained spiritual strength from reading this book which has helped me beyond the worst feelings of depression and fatigue and weariness. There has not been one question I have had about life to which I have not received a response, upon reading this book with a humble prayer to my Heavenly Father to understand how I can apply it. The Book of Mormon was compiled by revelation, and was written for our day (Mormon 8:34-35). If you can't get a book within the next 24 hours, copy paste a single reference and search it on Google to read it online, and don't hesitate to pray about the scripture. I know that the Book of Mormon is true. I testify of this in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

Have an amazing week!

P.S. If you come across my sister, wish her a happy birthday. :)

Elder Dredge

Week #24 ~ January 8, 2018

Hey folks! How is everyone going?

Speaking of saluting in English, can someone remind me how to do it? And when? Do people salute each other and say Good morning or Good afternoon when walking on the streets passing by? Is it weird? And if someone remembers how I called out to them from a distance, if I ever did, how did I do it? Was it weird? Do people do that in the first place? I am really starting to forget my English life and it is awesome but at the same time I feel like I'm not going to have certain basic social skills when I return. Nevertheless, I have no problem with being a little bit more like Mr. Rogers when that time comes.

I just want to express again how grateful I am to be serving a mission right now. I am overcoming some hard times in the work with new people to talk to and to help out, along with new methods to do so. We started using a USB to share messages with new folks to teach and less actives members of the Church, and apparently the people here love it!

But again, I cannot fully express my joy in being here right here and right now. Everyday, I think about how what I'm doing will help me in the future. I can be studying right now, or hanging out with my friends, or spending time with family, or playing a lot more piano, and these are all things I love, but I feel like what I am doing right now is helping me to prepare to do better and with more focus on the Lord literally anything I could imagine doing upon return. I want to come back a better friend, a better brother, a better son than I was before the mission, as well as a better student, worker, spouse and father than I would be had I not chose to serve a mission. I just love having the time to really focus on my own conversion to the Lord and helping others better their own.

My friends from the other side of the equator, I would encourage you to ponder about what you are doing in your life right now, and how it is helping you becoming (or how it can help you become) more converted to the Lord, no matter how familiar this question or concept is to you.

Studying in college to focus on your career might seem rather secular, depending on what your career is but speaking for the majority. Studying in high school as well, for that matter. Work too. Being a father, or a mother, or a sister, or a brother, or an aunt, or an uncle, or a cousin, or a grandfather or grandson, etcetera, is natural since we are born in families, but even more than our studies or our jobs or hobbies, being a member of a family is something that the Lord has endowed all of us for a reason. Every moment in our life, we are dedicating our time and our passions to help ourselves and to help other people. We are surrounded by choices. We are surrounded by our friends and family. We have special talents and abilities, those which are unique to us and those which we share with others. How can all of this not be part of a grand plan proposed by God?

It does not matter what path we are on, we are watched over and cared for by our loving Heavenly Father, and we have a loving Savior who knows our daily struggles and pains on a deep level due to his expiatory sacrifice, and wants us to overcome all that we struggle even as He did. So, why not we live each day of our lives, pondering these things, and how our Lord can help us. What power and ability does my Savior Jesus Christ have that has helped Him overcome my struggles and afflictions, associated with the things I do each day, when He personally suffered them for me in the Garden of Gethsemane? What attributes and qualities does He have that would help me in my own roles in my life if I had them? And what can I do to procure this ability that He has, these qualities that He has, that I might be able to fulfill my roles in my life more completely, and thereby come nigher unto Him?

Brothers and sisters, I can testify that it is simple. Learn the principles of the Gospel, and how to apply them - the which are faith in Jesus Christ and His Atonement, repentance, baptism, receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost, and enduring to the end. Apply the principles of the Gospel to your role in your life, and how the Atonement of Jesus Christ can help you. And if these principles are new to you, though the questions are familiar, ask the missionaries for help - and without hesitation. Go to that building or ask a Mormon friend, get that number, call them, set a time to visit, and let them help you apply these principles to your life. Do not put your salvation to the side, nor your desire to follow your Savior. (I would write with less urgency, but the truth is I have to do so because this is only a weekly blog and not daily.) I can only promise that that which you desire of your Savior to grant you, he will give. "Pedid, y recibiréis; llamad, y se os abrirá." Make it a personal option to pray when you need help, and use that option first every single time. And think about these things, the things that the Lord has given you, and thank your Lord for them upon realizing them. It is hard life, but we have a simple Gospel. It is an imperfect, cruel world, but we have a perfect, loving Savior. I testify of the love of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, in His sacred name, Amen.

Have a wonderful week!

Love,

Elder Dredge

Elder Braden K. Dredge

Guatemala Guatemala City East Mission

Monday, January 1, 2018 ~ Week #23

Hey everybody! Happy New Year!

Well, this has been a strange but very quaint feeling I have experienced. This morning, I realized something different about this year and the past. The past year, I was full time missionary only late July onward. This year, I'm a full time missionary all year. That means that while I had memories of the life before the mission in the same year the last year, this year I am starting completely new.

I am so, so thankful for the opportunity to serve a mission. It is so tough at times. Physically, intellectually, emotionally, spiritually. I feel wearied in two senses or more at once a lot. But I always start anew everyday. And I am learning more every day how to be a better missionary, and how to be a better disciple of Christ. And I feel a change very tangible, of which I can draw a line from last January to this January. I feel more in control of my thoughts, feelings and emotions. I have cried, but I have not yet wept sorely, in the time during which I have served. I have been able to laugh and make others laugh even during some hard days. I have been able to keep my faith, even when I see the same discouragements and failures happen every day. I just have yet to learn more, and continue to be more open to receive the grace of God.

My dear brothers and sisters, baptized in the Church or not, I hope that as I write, I don't sound to be a hypocrite. I write to my folks at home so that I can spread the message of cheer and hope to all that I know. I too struggle, and strive, through effort and failure, to more completely keep the commandments of the God of whom I confess. It is a glorious and wonderful message with a difficult commitment, the which as I extend to those with whom I speak I too strive each day to keep. But it is confirmed by the Spirit, because that which is truth, the Spirit testifies. And this selfsame Spirit helps us become stronger in every way.

This message is that Christ lives, and truly does speak to prophets today even as He has done before. He has bestowed upon the earth once again His power, and has given to all who are worthy to receive, that the kingdom of God might be built. We have a Heavenly Father who loves us and wants to speak to us, and we can speak to Him through constant prayer -- any time, any place, any where. He knows us personally and has a plan for all of us. The evidence that these things are true is in the Book of Mormon. If we read this book with faith, and pray with faith it is true, we will know thereby by the Holy Ghost (Moroni 10:3-5). And again, I say, Christ lives today. He awaits us to repent, that we might receive His forgiveness, and experience the miracle of His pardon. He has suffered what we suffered, and has payed the price for that which we have done wrong; and now all that he asks is that we come unto Him, bear His burden, and receive His rest. He asks us to have faith in Him, repent, be baptized in His name, receive the gift of the Holy Ghost and endure to the end. And this is the path htrough which He wants us to follow. A glorious message with a difficult commitment so it is, but the selfsame Savior I preach as His servant is the selfsame Savior that helps His people keep His covenant. As sons and daughters of God, we are all equally given the opportunity to change, drop the past and come unto Christ. It doesn't matter what family or background we are from, whatever race, whatever traditions or beliefs, whatever kind of person we are, the hands of God are extended constantly, and He awaits us to come back home. I know that these things are true, and I testify of them, in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

As we think about the New Year, allow me to share a video which my mom mentioned to me in her email. It is called Look Not Behind Thee, sharing the account of Lot's wife. I love this message because it is reminder that the Lord too wants us to look forward and move on. Here's the link: https://www.lds.org/media-library/video/2010-12-21-new-years-look-not-behind-thee?lang=eng

Folks, have a happy new year!

Elder Dredge

P.S. I am going to try to share a few videos of the fireworks from el Feliz Año Nuevo en Guatemala. Asi dice aqui en Guatemala, es super chilero, mis amigos. Yo pienso que es mas grande que yo he visto en todo mi vida.

Elder Braden K. Dredge

Guatemala Guatemala City East Mission

P.S.S. -- Unfortunately I was unable to add the video to the blog.  Sorry, still learning to work this blog thing.  <3 Debbie (Elder Dredge's mom)