Wrapping things up...

November 27th will be the day I give my homecoming talk in Bountiful Utah...

With love and dedication to the work,

Elder Sandberg

Service with a smile in Shiprock!

Saturday we helped clean up the yard for a woman in Shiprock. She is from Sri Lanka! She made us some wonderful food afterwards and took some fun pictures to send home. She is so sweet! She is a gem in the rough... I don't know how in the world it is possible to come into contact with someone like that all the way out here... 

Things have been so great lately.. I'm still growing a ton, but I've learned to learn.. It's an interesting concept, but I love it... Right now, I am on a schedule of waking up at 5 in the morning so that I can get an extra hour and a half of studies... I have LOVED it so much... I'm studying more than I ever have in my entire life. It's amazing to see how I can still have the desire to study even after that long... That didn't exist before!

Another cool thing is how much the path in front of me is starting to take shape... I'm really doing my best to give my all to the work, but time and time again, there are little tidbits of information that help me understand what I need to do upon returning home!

I love the mission....

Thanks for everything!

Elder Sandberg

Clowning around Sandberg style!

Waptism!

What a beautiful and powerful week it has been! This week has been full of nothing but the highs and lows of a roller coaster..

To start off we had the opportunity to see Brother McDonald and his wife get married on Saturday. After their wedding, we had the opportunity to help Brother McDonald and his daughter to enter the waters of baptism to become clean and qualify for the companionship of the Holy Ghost! I don't know why, but I feel that the most spiritually enlightening experience, was when the marriage occurred.. Some have said it is because I'm trunky for such a thing, but I think it is more so because of the fact these two individuals were showing an immense amount of faith with taking that step and making that change.. It was absolutely HUGE! I am so grateful they tied the knot, and I know their six kids are as well.. I have grown to love this family so very much and I am so grateful for them..

Lesson from this week can be found in 2 Nephi 4:20-21

"My God hath been my support; he hath led me through mine afflictions in the wilderness; and he hath preseverved me upon the waters of the great deep.
He hath filled me with his love, even unto the consuming of my flesh."

I have learned through my studies, that the principle of "flesh" as contained in the scriptures, typically relates to the natural man or the weaknesses of mortality. ​​
SO, for those of you who are looking for a greater change and a greater influence of God in your life to overcome your shortcomings, sins, weaknesses, and all else, do what's necessary to feel God's love more fully for you in your life..

Love the mission! It's the best! 

Elder Brayden James Sandberg

Bringing the SandAhCheeberg storm!

Beautiful people!

Since coming into this area, there has been ALL kinds of ups and downs. Everything from not knowing where we are, where people are, what we're doing, and everything in between.. Five weeks later, our groove is starting to be found and the area is on fire... Miracles happen everyday, but this week has been full of some bigger ones.. 

First, there is a family that we have been working with that the elders taught before we got here, and from the very first moment we met them, we just loved them.. The plan for the family was that the daughter would get baptized the weekend we got here.. She is only 9 years old, and upon evaluating the situation, we made a different decision.. The family has met with the missionaries for a while, and the kids have all got baptized at different points, BUT the father and mother have remained unmarried.. With that being the case the father, who is not a member, was unable to get baptized. 

So, instead of following the plan that was set up, we had different plans.. The plan was that we would do our best to help them understand that the Lord's kingdom is a family affair... Long story short, the parents have a marriage license, a baptismal date, and a deep desire to follow the Lord.. WAhoo!

Next miracle is deeply connected, or at least I think, with the family history work I have been doing.. With the very limited time we have on the mission, I have found at least 10 names to take to the temple! On Thursday, I was finding connections like crazy and felt really good about everything! As soon as we are done, we go to an appointment with the intention to teach this sister who is working on going to the temple, and in the process, we start teaching her son and daughter in law.. They are absolutely amazing! They are actually an answer to a prayer I had about wanting to teach someone who hasn't been taught by missionaries in the past.. They actually remind me of a couple in Tuba City.. So, they have been easy to love because of that connection.. The husband is super buff if that gives anyone a hint for who it might be.. Obviously you might not know if you're not from TUba! 

I love you all! The work is going great.. I'm doing my best to stay focused and work my tail off.. I love the mission so much and wouldn't trade it for anything in the entire world... Thank you for making it all it has been...  

Elder Sandberg

Week 84 ....

Good morning!

Shiprock is an absolutely amazing area.. I love it here so much. If anybody asks though, say I don't like it.. Reason why, is that you typically get transferred once you start getting attached to the people! For whatever reason, that's how it goes!

This week we had an opportunity to go over to a brothers house who's water heater had broken.. He had already taken the old one out and was needing to change out some of the parts on it so it would be a propane water heater instead of a natural gas one.. I asked if I could help, then acted like I knew what I was doing and switched out some of the parts! The whole time he figured I knew what I was doing, but I had no clue.. The joys of doing the things you didn't know you knew!

Message for this past week comes from a brother who we visited who has not been to church for quite some time.. He and his wife are converts, and have had a whole life time of learning and knowledge of the Gospel restored in its fullness.. This brother has had general authorites, stake presidents, and loads of elders come by his house. They have all tried their best to persuade him to come back..

Some of the missionaries have gone in there to meet with him and said that they would like to start from the beginning with the lessons. To just start square one and move forward.. This idea sounds reasonable, but that's not what he needs! The lesson this week is about helping others build their faith.. Without going to into detail, the opposite of faith would be fear or doubt.. One of the greatest, and oft unused ways to build someones faith is to sincerely, strategically, and lovingly compliment someone.. True compliments build faith because it helps someone to have the confidence that "the path they are on is according to God's will". Given, these compliments are best given when recognizing the things they are doing that are actually a good thing!

This week has been a learning one, but I am so grateful to be out here.. I know I'm exactly where I need to be, and know there are great things coming..

Love you all

Elder Sandberg

News from Shiprock!

First official day in Shiprock! Just applying the cleaning skills me motha taught me! 

Last week all we heard from Elder Sandberg was that he got to Shiprock and CLEANED HOUSE!  Literally.  He sent this picture.

This week he had time to answer a few questions I asked:

To answer your question about white washing, it can be a PAIN at times.. Last week we literally spent an hour looking to find this place to email at.. And this is not a big town.. Then the joy of having records of past elders with all this information for these teaching appointments, and NO contact info! USELESS! Ah! The fun part is that lately I've had to resort to one of my least favorite finding methods- tracting.. The reason I'm not a fan of it, and the reason I try my best to teach all the elders I train and serve, is because they need a support system.. The best way to go about the work is through the members, building relationships with them, and then lighting a fire underneath them to do the work. Long term, it is so much better! Short term, tracting is good... Since we don't really know where anyone lives right now, we are doing lots of tracting!

Things are going so good.. The first couple weeks have been rough because of getting thrown out of my groove, and just all the newness of this place has made it challenging.. It has kicked my BUTT! BUt I love it! It's exactly what I've been looking for, and I now see things even more clearly... 

The only real downside to the area is no free weights! AHHH! I haven't had that since Crownpoint! I'm going to die... Who knew that I became such a gym rat! 

REMEMBER:

PO Box 3013

Shiprock NM 87420

Good bye Holbook!

Hello!

Looks like I am going to be leaving Holbrook.. It is super hard to leave here.. It has only been 3 months, but I have built relationships that I will treasure forever.. The only bright side to this is that I will be with my comp from Tuba City- Elder Ah Chee!!! He has been one of my favorite companions.. My mom doesn't know this yet, but I told him he needs to move here from Samoa, and if he needs a place he can stay at my moms.. I might not live there, but I volunteered it for him... Don't worry mom, he's a good house keeper :D

One of the fun things this week occurred while we were teaching this new person here in town.. We had a family of about 8 people, it was pretty crowded, and my comp and I had a spot near the door. We were going along teaching the lesson, and then we hear a knock at the door.. So, I volunteer to get up and answer it, and as I open the door I can clearly see that this individual is a door to door salesperson.. It's this shorter blonde lady who starts to talk and is clearly not from America..

She starts to give her pitch and says something along the lines of, "I am Sirje from Estonia on an exchange student program here in Holbrook. That's why I talk funny like dis.."

In a split second, I had flash backs to summer sales, as well as the rare few times of tracting on the mission. I joked around and told her that it was my house.. She looked at me funny and then I told her I was kidding, that I was a missionary, and that we were sharing a message... I opened the door all the way, started walking toward everyone else and told her, "come on it! We've got a great message for you..."

Boy! If you would have seen the look on her face when she sees all these people gathered around, and everyone is staring at her... I ask her to sit, play the restoration movie, and have a great lesson.. It was a good time!

It's rough to be leaving here, but I know it is for a reason.. Whatever that reason may be, I will find out soon enough!

Message for this week is to remember that Christ's suffering, not your own, is what changes you and redeems you from sin...

I love you all! Take care and do a good deed.. Report back when you have done one!

Elder Brayden James Sandberg

Whoops, I forgot!

I am going to Ship rock, NM!

My new mailing address is

PO Box 3013

Shiprock NM 87420

Someone sent me a big package of mustaches and eye patches. I finally found just the right time to use them!