Busy

     Hey everyone I hope you are doing well and staying busy. I'm super busy all the time now and that's good, keeps me out of trouble. We have been doing a lot of driving around the mission and moving missionaries from one apartment to the next, some because they got a new apartment and some because a missionary went home and now there are some trios. We have been doing a lot of driving, we have almost gone 1,000 miles in a week! It's been crazy but fun.
     Well anyway on Monday we went to Costco to go shopping and we got a ton of food! I felt like I was shopping with my mom again. Then we went and emailed and played some basketball, there was a lot of missionaries there, people from all over the mission had come so it was pretty fun. After dinner Elder Finlayson and I went to the office to do some work there but didn't quite finish before we had to take some furniture up to McLean and pick some stuff up as well. We had to go back to the office and finish afterwards.
     Tuesday was the Centreville Zone Conference, I think it was our fourth one so far, we have five left. We almost caught a goose before the Zone Conference, it was just sitting there so we went and tried to catch it and almost got it. Elder Finlayson, Elder Jones, and I were running after this goose and Elder Blanchard was just laughing and filming. It's pretty funny. It's a transfer goal of Elder Finlayson and I to catch a goose, we're gonna get it! After the Conference we took a couple things to the Tall Cedars elders and then went up to Leesburg to move a couple things for some spanish elders who are now in a trio. Then we buzzed over to Alexandria to drop off a vacuum to some sisters whose vacuum had blown up. While we were there we stopped by a recent convert that Elder Finlayson had taught and talked with him for awhile, his name is Jarod and he seems like a pretty cool guy.
     Wednesday was the Manassas Zone Conference, it was cool Manassas is like the country part of the mission, you are almost out to Warrenton and that is the country. After the Conference we got a bed and a desk for some Hermanas who are now in a trio and then went and moved another set of Spanish elders to a brand new apartment ... it's super nice. Then we had to drive to the other side of the mission and pick up a keyboard and some Conga drums that one of the senior missionaries wanted us to put in the storage shed for some reason. We had dinner at the Baker's but they had forgotten we were coming so when we got there they weren't ready, solo we put some aprons on and helped make some pizzas! After dinner we went to the Aplanalp's and had a lesson with their family about gratitude and it went really well. Then we went to the office to put a slideshow together for MLC (Mission Leadership Council) tomorrow.
     MLC was Thursday morning and it was alright, kind of interesting because no one could agree on anyone really, until President stepped in. Elder Finlayson and I almost caught another goose! Actually we think it was the same one we tried to catch earlier this week but we almost got it. After MLC we went to the office and did some work there then we got a microwave for some elders who said their microwave wasn't working anymore. We had an English lesson with Brother Badrusev and this time his daughter (she's like 5) was playing games and playing with me catch part of the time so it was a little hard to focus but it was good, he's a cool guy. After that we went and checked on potentials for the rest of the night and met some nice people but no one really seems interested yet.
     Friday was the McLean Zone Conference and on the way there traffic was pretty bad because it is close to DC but we still got there just in time. During the conference we got everyone's house keys and went to Home Depot to get copies made because we are supposed to have a copy of every apartment in the mission. After the Zone Conference we came back and moved the sisters in our ward from another complex into our complex and that took most of the day. We were finishing up at about 8:30 when we got a call from the Braddock sisters saying they needed to get into the office to print some baptism programs. I guess their investigator had told them today that she wanted to get baptized tomorrow so they were scrambling a little to get it pulled together but they got it done.
     Saturday morning we went into the office to get a little work done and then headed to Arlington to have lunch with he Ito's. (One of the senior couples) We talked about the apartment inspections that are doing and how we are getting swamped with stuff that missionaries apparently need so we figured out a system to make it easier and less of a hassle, hopefully. Then we drove to Leesburg and got a mattress and a desk and a couple of little night stands/dressers for some sisters who are now in a trio. It took longer than we thought but we finished up and then got back to our area and tried some potentials, we also saw a recent convert named Brian. He is a pretty cool guy, but he's an accountant and so he is super busy all the time but we got to talk to him for a little bit.
     Sunday was Fast Sunday and I really enjoyed it, I enjoy Fast Sunday's more now than I used to when I was younger. There are a lot of good people with great testimonies out there to share.  After church we met with the sisters, Sister Johnson and Sister Malafau, and came up with a plan to help the ward with their missionary efforts. It took us a couple of hours to come up with what we are going to do and how we are going to do it but we are super hyped about it so it should be good. One of the things we are doing is seeing every member once in the transfer, because the transfer is almost half over we only have about three weeks to do it so it's going to be hard but we are going to give it a shot. When we see them we are inviting the, to pray for missionary opportunities and to invite someone to an activity so hopefully we get some people coming to things with the members. It's gonna be good! In the evening we went with Elder Bunn and Elder Frew down to Woodbridge to check on some people down there. Woodbridge isn't in our mission anymore but they are in the singles ward that covers it so we got to go out of the mission for the night. Woooo, rebels!
     Anyway things have been going good and we have been super busy. I swear we have been running from one thing to the next and sleep....what's that? We have a lot of late nights and early mornings so we don't get a ton of sleep which makes things interesting....especially on the long drives. We have driven almost 1,000 miles this week which is crazy! It's been fun though, I like all the work we have and the things we get to do so it's been good. I hope y'all are doing good and living life to the fullest! Stay happy people, it's the only way to go.
     ~ Elder Brady