Happy New Year! Bring on 2013!

Dear Family, Well, It was wonderful to talk to you all last week. Jules I am so sorry you have been having problems with your kidneys! That is no bueno. Thanks for the Christmas Gifts. They made my day so special. We spent Christmas with a familly in the ward. They were so pleasant and sweet that I forgot all about not being home. The next day we went to presidents house and had a wonderful dinner with a special devotional. I loved it. He is a great president. His wife is very sweet too. We visited with several missionaries which is always nice. Sometimes you feel like no one is having weird things happen to them, however, as you visit them you realize they are. Haha We have a girl we are teaching who has cancer. Please pray for her. She needs every prayer a person can offer. However, although prayers can sometimes be what we want, it is more likely that our hearts will be changed to understand what God's purpose is. Prayer is an interesting, but powerful work we do as latter day saints. I have learned more in the kneeling position than i care to count. Yesterday, I was praying for somethings and the thought came to me...Sister Braten, do you love me? I thought for a second and responded as peter did, Yeah, Lord I love thee. and in thought I added, " feed my sheep." His answer was simple but poignant, "feed my sheep". Immediately, I understood what he was saying. When all is said and done in the day, did you love Heavenly Father by feeding his sheep. As you come to love and serve his children, you will understand the Love he has for you. At the end of the Day or in the middle, I have been asking myself the question, " Do I love him?" If I can answer that question in the affirmative, with the understanding of what that truly means, than I have had a successful day.

Saturday, Every appointment fell through. So, what do missionaries do...they trackt. We were freezing cold. The wind was biting my face, and just about everything else, still we trackted. Each person we trackted into that day, we felt the calm assurance that we were suppose to see them this day. I am learning very quickly that the Lord guides our footsteps very specifically when we are about his work. I absolutely know that to be true. We had some wonderful conversations where the spirit was present. Just so you know how diverse my area is, on one block I trackted into someone from the Phillipines, from sierrra Leon Africa, Nigeria Africa, Albania, and someone from south america. One block. Pretty intense. Another block, we met a guy who said he would read the book of Mormon if we would read the Koran. Why not? I don't have one so after my mission i sure will haha. He was super nice, but very strong in being muslim. Church was wonderful. We learned a lot about grace. I will admit, I didn't understand grace as well as I am starting to. Like the atonement, grace is infinte and eternal. I am so grateful for the atonement and grace. I am learning quickly that surely we can do nothing without Chirst. A scripture that I found this week made me realize how much we rely on him, "Yeah, and how is it that ye have forgotten that the Lord is able to do all things according to his will, for the Children of men, if it so be that they exercise faith in him? Wherefore, let us be faithful to him." that was in 1 nephi 7:12, the other scripture that stirred my conscious was in Isaiah 26:3-4, "Thou wilt keep in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee. Trust ye in the Lord forever: For in the Lord JEHOVAH is everlasting strength." Each day, as I ask for my Heavenly Father's strength, he gives it to me. A funny experience that happened this week was as we were out trackting, we placed a card in a door the door mysteriously opened, and the card was pulled inside. The door was then shut. HAHAHA some people kill me. Sister Calton was a little weirded out by this, but in the end we had to laugh. Also, paul put some jokes in the back of my binder, which has saved my life, and we had some good laughs at that. Well, I love you all so much. I hope to hear from you soon. Ben and Abe I need your address. Mom did you get that number from my phone? If not, my letter I am sending today has her address. Also, it is the first of the Year. Thus, my gifts will be coming to you soon. The first Gift is love....you should be getting the package this week. Mom, I didn't get an email from you today. Are you doing all right? Love you all. Love Sister Braten

Week 1 in CHICAGO!!!!!! WOOO!!!

Dear Family, How is everyone doing? Besides the General craziness of Christmas? I am so sorry to hear about Brother Teeples. However, yesterday in Church I felt like he was gone. Dad will do an awesome job dedicating the grave. Death is an interesting thing. I have seen a lot of it working in a nursing home, and to be honest it is never easy. However, the powerful message of the Gospel is that because of Jesus Christ we will see our loved ones again. We will be blessed to live with them forever, as we make covenants with Heavenly Father and are sealed to our families. The power and authority in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter day saints is the only way that we can be together forever. How blessed we are to have that assurance. Please give my love to Willie! I absolutely love her and brother Teeples. Mother thank you for the two emails. I always enjoy emails and letters. To be honest, they keep me going on days when I feel so alone. However, I always have the savior and his endless love to rely on as well. Well, I flew into Chicago on Monday, we boarded the subway and headed downtown. We had a wonderful opportunity to share the book of Mormon. However, I ended up sitting by a guy who spoke Chinese. I tried to say ne hao ma...obviously he speaks thia and not mandarin. Joyful experience. However, he took a pass along card and that was that. Ha! I loved visiting with him though in broken English. Than, I had the opportunity to speak to another lady who spoke only french. I contemplated singing "bajor" from beauty and the beast to her but seeing as I had a cold that probably wouldn't fly. We than headed to the presidents house and ate Deep Dish Pizza. It was no papa murphys but after MTC food just about anything tasted fabulous. We interviewed with the President, and went to bed. President Fenn is extremely powerful. He knows the scriptures like the back of his hand. I seriously sit in humble admiration of his knowledge. However, I did experience a lot of that humbling as I would sit and listen to you and dad teach me the gospel. President Fenn told me that the Lord recognized the sacrifices I was making, and that the Lord takes care of his missionaries. It was very kind of him to say. The next day we met our trainers and headed to our area. I am in a suburb known as naperville. My trainer is very patient. Her name is Sis Carlton and is from Kansas. She graduated from BYUI, and is a few years older than I. She's great and teaching me a lot. We had dinner with a family in the ward. They took me to a chicago style restaurant it was amazing. The rest of the week was spent in service and proselyting. We taught some amazing investigators. We trackted and had no success with that, however, it was pretty hysterical. I love it when people tell me they are to busy. We have the most important message in the entire world, and they are too busy. It actually has caused several tears to see the disbelief and lack of desire for the Gospel. Saturday, I was helping at a pantry and ended up having to come home and rest the rest of the day. I had the flu. Pretty rotten, however, I got a blessing from Elder Crosby and Sunday I was doing much better. The Lord has been pouring out tender mercies. A lady in my ward is a personal trainer and is writing workouts for me to do each day. Tender Mercy Check yes. The food is not making me sick, and everyone knows that sis. braten does not eat desert. However, I have been craving home made ice cream. Mother, I request that will be waiting for me in the front lawn when I return. haha. Also, if anyone sent me letters to the MTC for this past week, I did not get them. So, if you write me again, I will write back I promise. I also promise to send some pictures. I have a picture of a University of Nevada Volleyball player who spiked the volleyball into my face. Sister Braten had her sixth concussion in the MTC. My head was spinning for an hour, and I had to teach an investigator fifteen minutes after the fact. Glorious. My companions said it was the most disoriented lesson they had heard. I felt terrible. However, I am doing great now with no lasting problems. I seem to run into people from South Africa everywhere or People who went to portugal on their mission. It's pretty crazy. Mother, if you could ask sister steed who Elder Steed wanted me to contact I would sure appreciate it. Yesterday, a lady in my ward gave a talk, she had just gotten back from South Africa. Her parents are missionaries there. That was crazy. I was eating dinner with a family, and the husband had served in Cabo Verde and Portugal. Extremely crazy. I also seem to have connections with people. A man in our ward is related to Brad Myers and his wife Laurie. Over all, the members are super friendly and I enjoy them immensely. I am learning to be a consecrated missionary. It is not easy, but very worth it. One of the quotes I say daily in my head is this "when obedience ceases to be an irritant and becomes our quest, in that moment God endows us with Power." Sis. Braten is far from perfect. Imagine the very worst and you just about have her. However, I am giving my best. I am swallowing my pride, and in my prayers I daily plead for a way to be more obedient. Many times the Lord has blessed me. Many times I have seen his love. Many times he withdraws his spirit until I am humble enough to receive the inspiration he is trying to give me. He always answers. I testify of that. I know our Heavenly Father loves each one of you. I know he has answers to every question you might have. I love you dear family. I pray for you daily, and I plead that the Lord's blessings might be upon you. With all my love, Love, Sister Braten