Monday, August 25, 2014

PICTURES!! :)

 The Familia Cruz!!
This family was awesome and super hard to say goodbye to!!


Gypsy fair we went to in Coimbra

My new companion, Elder Davis

Bye bye Coimbra! :(

"If anyone out there is a little down just remember that the Savior will never. ever. forget you...ever!"

Hey everybody!  Well there went one more week!  This week went by a little longer but they always do at the beginning of the transfer!  I am really liking my area and I already just have a good feeling here!  I hope I can stay here for a while!  ONe of my favorite things to do is just when we walk along the side of the beach on our way to appoinments!  It just lets me relieve a lot of my stress that I have!:)  It is absolutely great!:)  It is also funny to think that you guys are all just on the other side of the water....  a lot and a lot of water, but still fun to think about!:)  But yeah my new companion is great!  We are a little different but it is definitely going to be a good transfer!  We have this family here and the Husbands name is David...  Their son is on a mission right now but the parents still aren't baptized.  But he loves the missionaires we will go over twice a week and talk with him and eat dinner and stuff I am really excited to get to know them really well and become really good friends with them!:)  But yeah this week in church I had to go up and give a little introduction of myself being the new missionary there and all and I got a lot of very nice compliments on my Portuguese.  I think it is probably one of those situations where it was so bad that people feel like they have to complement to to make you feel better;)  Haha just kidding. Like I have said before it realy feels different every day some days I feel great others I don't feel as confident and some days I feel back at day 1!  Haha it is definitely a roller coaster like everyone says!:)  But I am super excited to be in this area and I hope I can leave my mark here and make some sort of a difference.  that is something my bishop in my last area said, wherever you go you will leave your mark.  It is your decision what kind of mark that is.  I hope I can make it a good one!:)  But anywho this week has been a little longer and tiring like I said, we have a bigger area here and we walk a ton more!  Also when I was in training I had a few more study hours than I do now so I am getting adjusted to the regular schedule and what not.  But this week I found an awesome scirpture in DeC fica no versiculos 7-9 just some awesome scriptures that helped me when I was feeling a little down talking about how everything we endure is for our good and then saying that the Savior went below all are you greater than He?  Really a good question and something that we all need to remember is what the Atonement can do with it's enabling powers.  So if anyone out there is a little down just remember that The Savior will never. ever. forget you...ever.  He is there and the things he is putting you through today are preparing you to be the person he wants you to be tomorrow.  And if you let Him he will help you through it and when the clouds and storms clear you can look back and see just the kind of person that he has made you.  You can see how he was there throughout all the ups and downs encouraging you and cheering you.  I love my Savior more than anything and I hope you all remember Him in your daily thoughts.  What he did no other man could do and he did it for you.  Never forget that!  I love you all so much and I am so very very grateful for your strong support!  Have a great week and remember to be strong be courageous and be happy!:)  
With much love
Elder Eldredge!

Monday, August 18, 2014

Some pictures from the internet of Brandon's new area: Povoa de Varzim






Gave my first priesthood blessing in Portuguese!! Transfer time...I hate goodbyes!!

Hey there!  How goes things back in the great U.S of A?  Things here are great!  First Miracle Vasyl came to church finally and was able to be confirmed!  It was great and the first time I have ever given a priesthood blessing in Portuguese!  It was great, thank you for all of your prayers and support!  The ward is going to start providing meals so that he can attend sacrament meeting each week!  Awesome awesome!  Also this week was transfers as many of you know which means I don't have a lot of time to write and such but i left Coímbra and it was sad me and Elder Phillips actually became super good bros...  I called him today to check up on him he loved it haha, yeah it was hard to say goodbye.  Also we were at familia Cruz´s house last night (the first family I ever ate dinner with)  and They all started crying which made me cry... ugh it was rough I really loved that ward there and those people!  I HATE GOODBYE'S!!!!!!!   Anywho I got transfered to a city called Póvoa de Varzim!  It is right next to the beach and has a great feel to it here!  I am super stoked but sad at the same time...  My new comp's name is Elder Davis and he is from Provo Utah and he loves Lord of the rings so I think things will be just fine for us! Haha anywho I will be able to write more and stuff next week and I am so grateful for all of your prayers of love and support!  Also shout out to Cami for winning the soccer tournament!!!  You are awesome Cami!:)  Alrighty I love you all and we'll see ya next week!:)
Love 
Elder Eldredge!:) 


My new address is:
1 Andar Centro
Póvoa de Varzim, Porto District 4570-441
Portugal

Tuesday, August 12, 2014

Everyone is leaving for vacation so it is super dead here

Hey everyone!  This week has just kind of been another week!  It is getting super dead here in the city becuase everyone is leaving for vacation.  really it almost feels like I am in a ghost town!  BUt anywho so there hasn't been like anyone on the streets!  But anywho also my comp got sick again over the weekend so we didn't get very much done!  But yesterday Vasyl came again at the end of church and so we took  him into the office andpulled up google translalte and told hime that we will have lunch for him at the end of church but he needs to be here for sacrament meeting to get the Holy Ghost!  He said he would so he should be here next week on time!:)  He is awesome!:)  So this next week is the last week of the transfer here.  I am thinking that i will probably go since my training is over but we shall see.  I am honestly happy with anything that happens!  So I got a few questions about how the Portuguese is coming.  It is weird.. there will be days when I am like oh sweet I like know another language this is cool and than others it is just like... uhhh what the heck are you saying to me!  I hate it when I can't communicate I jst get so frustrated.  I think that this transfer I am learning the most about patience.  Something that I really need to work on!  But though the language and other things the Lord is definitely teaching me how to be patient!  But anywho you prayers are helping immesnly with the language and it comes better every day and I know I am where I am right now because of all my spiritual support back at home!:)  Holy cow can you all believe that summer is almost over!  Where in the world di that go?   Are all the kids ready to go back to school??  Weird!!  Anywhosorry this week I didn't have much to say!  This next week I will work super hard so I can have some awesome bear wrestling stories next week!:)  I love you all tons and make sure to be strong be courageous and be happy:)  Amo-vos!

Elder Brandon Eldredge

Monday, August 4, 2014

Baptism and birthday!! It was a great week!!

Vasyl with the shirt and tie we gave to him


My birthday!!


A duck we decided to make for dinner


My birthday! (Parabens means congratulations)

Vasyl's Baptism day!!!

Me & Vasyl

Vasyl's baptism

Vasyl's baptism

Birthday dinner!!

First baptism!

Hey everybody!  It seems like I get less and less time each week to write!  So anywho I will get right down to it!  So this week was good, we started teaching Vasyl this week and I am happy to say that He was baptised this past Satuday!  He is from ukraine and is living on the streets right now.  He is awesome and told us how he was praying to God to find something that would change his life, withing minutes he walked into our sacrament meeting on Sunday.  Miracles are real!  He doesn't really soeak super good Portuguese so it was hard at times to teach him but even with the language barrier he still showed his desire to enter into the water of baptism!:)  Unfortunately he was not confirmed on sunday because the time that he gets food from the charity center was during sacrament meeting and so he came late but we will talk to him and he will get confrimed this sunday:)  It was truly awesome!  Also as you know I am in sort of a college town.  The city it dead now, eveyone left for vacation and a lot of people won't be back until september!  We were talking to members on Sunday and they said it is always like that... The city dies during the month of August!  So yeah it is pretty weird not seeing many people in the street or park or things like that.  So yeah it is crazy that I only have like two more weeks left of this transfer!  Where does time go?  Haha it is awesome though and I am loving every minute!  There have been lots of challenges already and so I am learning a lot!  Just make sure that all of you are making good little habits every day like reading the sciprtues and prayer.  These two things alone if done every day bring you more spiritual protection than most other ways.  Whether you are young or old, General Authority or deacons quorum president, you need to feed yourself and strengthen youself spiritually every day.  There were a few times this week where I wasn't able to get a good morning study in....  Those days when I would try to talk the words wouln't come out and I didn't have the spirit with me super stong.  Always always always, feed youself spiritually!:)  Anywho this week will be a week more of pictures than anything when I get time to send them!  I hope everyone is doing great back at home and having a good summer!  Live it up while it lasts cause it will be over before you know it!  Be strong be courageous be happy:)  

Elder Brandon Eldredge