Monday, 30 April 2018 ~ Week #40

Hey folks! How's it going?

I will try to be short this week. My comp Elder Sinto and I had lots to do because he won't have

a lot of time the next week, coming to a close on his mission. I have seen blessings of faith in

Christ this past week, and this is something which I would like to speak on.

Faith in Christ means we believe in Him. We recognize His desire for us to come back in live

with Him. We recognize that the has a plan for us to achieve that. We also know that we are part

of that plan, and that He wants us to help him. We are the family of God, and are here to help

each other to come back to Him. When we are learning about His plan, studying the scriptures

and looking for His hand in our lives, we are exercising faith in Him, and strengthening it. When

we are acting upon what we learn from the Scriptures and strive to be more like our Savior, we

are offering our hand to help in His plan and following it ourselves. It is a wondrous plan which

our Heavenly Father has set for us to live. It is the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

As a missionary, I am here to testify that whoever studies the Gospel and learns it, and seeks to

apply it, will indeed feel a sense of happiness and meaning that none other source can provide.

Jesus Christ loves us, and our Heavenly Father loves us. I have felt that love in my life, and I

hope to every soul I know to come to feel that love even more, even unto the perfect day. I say

these things in His sacred name, Jesus Christ, amen.

Have a wonderful week!

Elder Dredge (or Dread Hay)

Elder Braden K. Dredge

Guatemala Guatemala City East Mission

Monday, 23 April 2018 ~ Week #39

Looks like it's another letter from your friend here down in Mayan land! How've you been this week?

This week was pretty crazy. My companion got very sick and had some appointments with the doctor. He's been handling everything awesome, just has been vomiting a bit.... One day we actually had to go to Taco Bell right after leaving a hospital so that he could do his own exam.... and then go to a different hospital. That was wild, and I hope I never have to see him do that again. Or any of my future companions. It is a bit too easy to get sick here in Guatemala, especially when you're a North American, so you really have to be careful.

Because of that, we did not have very many appointments. Many appointments fell, which was hard to bear. But we did meet with a family whose father-in-law is ready to be baptized and has been ready for a while, only he needs to get married legally with his wife. Elder Sinto has been helping me with being more direct, a wonderful attribute he has to share with me, so I took his counsel, and I set the situation clear with this man. He recognizes the blessings of the Gospel, but he has been wanting his parents to give permission to be baptized. His parents live 4 hours away and only speak Kekchi, and have not had much chance to come here to Guatemala City in Zona 18. It is hard, but I was regardless sensitive to that at first, but I didn't take into account the eternal consequences until Elder Sinto explained to me. I realized that it is eternally more important to first procure the Salvation of one's own, then one's own family, then then "los demas" (everyone else). It is noble that he wants to be in accord with his parents, but it is more important that he is in accord with God. And as the head of his family, he has the God-given duty to preside over them. He already has the desire and worthiness to be baptized and to receive the Priesthood. He just needs to do what is within his ability to make it happen. And that was the decision we made clear to him.

What we need to remember is that we don't have to perfect in this life. However, we should never sit satisfied with being imperfect. We can be happy in this life even though we are imperfect, but we cannot be happy if we do not have a sincere desire to take into account our mistakes and to learn from them and to act so. We have a constant decision to draw us nearer to God or to estrange ourselves from him. We are always doing one of the two, in our actions and in our thoughts and desires.

But I do not speak of these things to make you feel culpable. I want to remind you that everything we do which is pleasing unto God will bring us more happiness, including sincere repentance of the things which are not pleasing unto Him. The prophets have always been strict and clear on the manner in which God's children need to repent, because if they do not clarify the things of which we need to repent, we do not know the things which we do which we need to change to be able to feel the abundance of God's love for us. And we are truly blessed in every effort we make to follow the teachings of our Savior.

And I just want to bear my testimony that, by the atoning blood of our Redeemer, we can become clean and pure. We can experience the blessings of possessing a changed heart, changed by the love of Jesus Christ. We can experience a happiness which no other source can bring but Jesus Himself. And we might at times be alone in our efforts to follow Him, but we can feel a sweet and assuring peace from our Lord, because He is pleased with those who follow Him even when others do not. I have felt this sweet and assuring peace in my life as I have strived to live His Gospel. The Gospel has given me a sense of meaning of joy which I have never found in anything else. I love what it feels like to forgive the faults of others, to notice my own weaknesses, to serve friends and strangers alike, and to minister unto them, because these are the things which our Savior has taught us to do, and are the things which, if we do them with real intent and love for our fellow men and for God, our Heavenly Father is pleased that we do. And we find the highest kind of happiness, a kind which is eternal, evergrowing and never-ending, when we are trying to strengthen our relationship with Him. I know that these things are true, in the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, amen.

Have a wonderful week. See the hand of God in your life, and count the ways in which you see it.

Tu amigo aqui en Guatemala,

Elder Dredge

P.S. I might have to change my last name to "Dread-hay."

Elder Braden K. Dredge

Guatemala Guatemala City East Mission

Elder Dredge and Elder Sinto (Guatemala)

Baptism of Otto

Monday, 16 April 2018 ~ Week #38

Hey folks! Why it has been quite a week over here, I hope you yourselves have found some

time to relax!

My comp Elder Sinto and I have basically been doing everything we could to move houses

swiftly and plan a lovely baptism. There was sickness, there was fatigue, there was much

stress, and some frustration, but at the end of the day, we were able to move to a much nicer

home by the Church in a very tranquil neighborhood, and, most importantly, we were able

to conduct the baptism of our little friend Otto Espinoza (9 years old) and have all his

family there. It was awesome.

And I don't think I could emphasize enough the importance of baptism. That is really what

I am here to do, every day. Every moment we doing something towards the baptism of a

friend of ours, whether we know them yet or not. We are ultimately inviting all to come

unto Christ, but it is our duty as missionaries to find those who need help to prepare for the

presence of God, to receive a remission of sins before him, and to strengthen their relationship

with him. We have made this covenant, and have felt more bountifully the love of God in our

lives, and are able to be led by his Holy Spirit which guides us every day. And we want to help

those who want to make that change in their lives, to do so and experience the special and

constant, overflowing plenitude of blessings which awaits them.

I would just like to remind all of you of the importance of the Atonement of Jesus Christ. Our

Savior has done all which needs be done so that we might come back home. Imagine Him, his

smile for you, accepting you in spite of your weaknesses and struggles. Imagine how much He

wants you to come back home to be in His presence, and in the presence of our Heavenly

Father. From time to time, reflect on the things you do during the day. Reflect on how He feels

when you are doing something nice for another one of God's children. Reflect on how He might

feel, on the other hand, if we are not treating another one of God's children with love, or if we

are not forgiving them. And imagine how sad He must feel when we struggle to pardon

ourselves, how we are resisting his great, loving sacrifice upon our own selves.

He made it possible so that we could be forgiven of our sins, and be strengthened by His

forgiveness from further temptation, if we come to Him, sincerely sorry for the things which

we have done to offend Him and our Father in Heaven. But nevertheless, He suffered the

unimaginably dolorous pain so that we might be able to come unto Him and return with Him.

He wants us ultimately to be completely clean of our sins, so that we could present ourselves

before our Father in the last day just like that.

And baptism, with the subsequent receiving of the Holy Ghost, is the way in which we receive

a remission of sins. Though Jesus was perfect, he suffered John the Baptist to offer Him the

ordinance that He might show an example unto us. When we are baptized, we show our Savior

our willingness to take upon His name, for there is no other name under which  can receive

salvation (Mosiah 5). We show our desire to follow Him, to always remember Him, to testify of

Him and his goodness, and to keep His commandments. And when we take the Sacrament, the

bread and water in remembrance of his body and blood which He gave for us, we renew that

covenant and receive a remission of sins again.

Let us seek to be willing to follow Him in this way, that we might be able to return to Him in

His presence, and in the presence of our loving Heavenly Father, who want us to come home.

I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

Have a wonderful week! And don't forget to always, always, always count your blessings.

Yours truly,

Elder Dredge

Elder Braden K. Dredge

Guatemala Guatemala City East Mission

Monday, 9 April 2018 ~ Week #37

Well hey there! How's your week been?

Well right now I am with Elder Sinto, who is from here in Guatemala (Quetzaltenango) and he is in his

last transfer,last 6 weeks, in the mission. But he is really using his time here to make progress! Most

missionaries would be a bit tired at this point in their mission, but he is working incredibly hard and

wants me to learn from him so I could have a happy and hardworking mission. He is truly an awesome

companion.

We had quite a few experiences this past week but there was a small one which I thought was pretty cool

which I'd like to share. Before receiving Elder Sinto, I was on the bus with Elder Reyes to a meeting and

saw a guy playing the left-hand ukulele. Those who know me well know that I have a little like in the

ukulele. We instantly started talking and he offered me to play. Instant buds. We only had 5 minutes to

talk but that was a cool little experience. I felt like I was reunited with a friend I had many years before.

Well anyway, I prayed to be able to meet with him again, because I felt something in our relationship we

started in those 5 minutes that makes me think that my Heavenly Father wants us to meet again. So my

companion and I were contacting a few houses trying to find some families to meet. We knocked a door,

asked if so-and-so lived in the house, and we were directed to one nearby. We opened the door we were

directed to, and it wasn't that family. It was my buddy from the bus! And he said he'd love to have us over

with his family to see his artwork (his hands had a bunch of paint so he's an artsy guy) and teach him. We

haven't met with him again yet, but that was just a small witness for me that Heavenly Father watches over

his children and knows how to put two of his children in one place.

So allow me to talk just a little on writing in a journal, because though I have been striving to do this every

day on the mission, my incentive was strengthened upon reading a few verses in the Book of Mormon.

1 And now, my son Helaman, I command you that ye take the records which have been entrusted with me;
2 And I also command you that ye keep a record of this people, according as I have done, upon the plates of

Nephi, and keep all these things sacred which I have kept, even as I have kept them; for it is for a wise

purpose that they are kept [...]
4 Behold, it has been prophesied by our fathers, that they should be kept and handed down from one

generation to another, and be kept and preserved by the hand of the Lord until they should go forth unto

every nation, kindred, tongue, and people, that they shall know of the mysteries contained thereon. [...]
6 Now ye may suppose that this is foolishness in me; but behold I say unto you, that by small and simple

things are great things brought to pass; and small means in many instances doth confound the wise.

Alma and Helaman were a father and son working together as missionaries. Alma at the time had

possession of the plates, which contains the writings from which Mormon compiled his book. He wrote

many things, but knew that at some point he had to die, so he gave his son Helaman the plates to write

upon them. Why? To bring their children and grandchildren and so on to a knowledge of Christ, to

know his source of joy. It might seem "foolishness", even as Helaman probably thought, that putting

in the time to write in this family journal would have such an effect on the generations to come. But

Alma affirmed that by the small and simple things (like writing in the family journal) great things

(like the salvation of many souls) are come to pass.

It is very interesting, because journal writing really is a simple thing. It might be our way to cope

with problems, or to keep a record of our life, or a chance to understand ourselves, whatever. We

might not see much of a need to do it if life just passes by and we should enjoy the moment while

we have it. But I think there is something very important about writing in a journal, especially if we

want to strengthen our relationship with our Savior. Every single day of our lives, our Heavenly

Father blesses us in many different ways. These things happen, but perhaps we don't consider.

We can thus try to keep a sharper eye on these little blessings that we see throughout the day.

Perhaps the little things that the Lord does for us on a consistent basis don't seem that significant,

and perhaps writing these little things down don't seem to add up much to a product, but what

happens then? After even just a week of doing it, writing a little bit (5, 10 minutes) every night

or morning about how the hand of the Lord was present in our lives, and how grateful we feel

for it, we see that these little things add up to great things. We see that our Heavenly Father has

a plan for us, and the very act of writing a few sentences of gratitude over the course of a few

days helps us see that plan right before our eyes.

And I would just like to say that after having kept a journal for a long time, though not consistently

and every day, I am impressed by what God has done for me. My Heavenly Father truly loves me

and is watching over me. I see that He has a plan for me, and helps me, through the acts of

exercising faith on Him, repenting of my sins, keeping covenants, and following His Spirit, and

striving to help others do the same.

 

And I know that He has a plan for you. He blesses your life every day, and every day gives a

nudge to develop a stronger relationship with Him. He has given you many gifts and talents

which He desires you to use for the blessing of His other children, your brothers and sisters.

He has given you also many weaknesses, that you might come unto Him and ask for help, to

have yet more opporunities to see His hand in your life (Ether 12:27). I know that our Savior

Jesus Christ is joint-engaged in our Heavenly Father's desire to bring us back home to Him. Let

us do what we can to do just that, and seek to remember the path we take unto Him, from

whatever point we are,by writing about it. I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

Have a spectacular week! And always count your blessings!

Elder Dredge

Elder Braden K. Dredge

Guatemala Guatemala City East Mission

Monday, 2 April 2018 ~ Week #36

Hey everybody! How was your week?

Not too much happened over here because it was la Semana Santa (the Holy Week). It is the
week to remember the week following the Resurrection of Jesus Christ up to Sunday. There
were processions going on this whole week in other parts of the city, so many were not home,
but this was still a very special week to spread the good news of the Gospel, and the firm
hope and joy that we can overcome sin and death.

I hope every one of you had a wonderful Easter, and had the opportunity to think about the
life of Jesus Christ deeply. And I hope that you all might remember Him throughout your week
in sincere thanks.

It is oftentimes much too easy to only remember Jesus Christ in the sense of imagining Him
and His sacrifice for us. For any Christian, we get into that mood once in a while, only thinking
about Him, but not remembering Him in sincere thanks. During the General Conference of the
Church this past weekend, President Uchtdorf exhorted us to not just "see Him," but to "behold
Him." There were many physical witnesses of the teaching, the ministry, and miracles, the
suffering, the death, and the Resurrection and ascension of Jesus Christ, but let us remember
that even among those who watched Him being crucified were many who did not care, or even
wanted him to be crucified. But there were others among that crowd who were weeping for Him,
and not just for the amount of suffering that He was experiencing, but also for the amount of
gratitude that they had towards Him.

Let's be like those who watched the life of Jesus Christ in front of them, and had faith in Him.
Do we get to see Him in person like they did? No. (Well, eventually. But not right now.)
Nevertheless, is Jesus Christ still ministering in the lives of others even to this day?

Yes, He is. Even in the same way He has done in his mortal life, and the life before.

Let us remember the pure love which He has for us, and the great desire He has for us, that we
might return in His presence, and in the presence of our Heavenly Father. Let us consider His
mortal ministry, His influence on the prophets even before His mortal life, and His influence on
our own lives this day. Think on these things often. I encourage you to do so, because there is
no sweeter thing to think about than the love Jesus Christ has for us.

I hope you all have a wonderful week, continuing to count the many blessings which are
wrought by the hand of our Redeemer, and praying unto Him, expressing thanks unto our
Heavenly Father in prayer for the things which He has done. In this is found constant,
eternal gratitude. I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

Elder Dredge

Elder Braden K. Dredge

Guatemala Guatemala City East Mission

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