6-21-16 Hello for the last time...

Hey guys!!!

Sorry you didn't hear from me yesterday. I spent the entire day driving from Bornholm, through Sweden and then back into Denmark again!! It was such a fun road trip and we had tons of things to do on the way home like dropping off all of the different music and audio gear we had rented for the show, so I just didn't have time to email. But I'm alive and well!! Buckle in because this week was a good one!

So, Folkemødet. It was INCREDIBLE!! Such a great time. It was strange to be away from my area for such a long time, but it was definitely no vacation. In fact, I think that was the hardest working week of my mission. I must have talked to thousands of people each day. It was crazy! The music was a hit! I got to give my ''speech'' thing. We got soooo many referrals for the mission. It was just an unforgettable week. I would  come home each day just absolutely exhausted to the point that my body just could not move anymore... but it felt amazing!  I will send pictures for sure, but I don't think I'll ever be able to accurately describe how amazing it was!

Here are one of the many miracles we experienced: We spent tons of time and money renting and getting all of the band equipment, so I was very relieved when we finally got it all into the van and onto the ferry to Bornholm. Unfortunately, when we unpacked everything in Rønne to test it all out, we found that the electric guitar cable was faulty. It didn't work!! So we hopped on google and found the ONLY music store on the island of Bornholm and drove over there.

When we arrived to the place it was supposed to be at, we couldn't see any music store! So we parked the car and started looking around. We decided that we should just ask a local. Then Esther, the lady that was with us, said that she felt impressed that we should talk to this one man that she saw across the way. So we did. We asked him about the nearest music store and he told us that the only one in town shut down two weeks ago. He asked us why we needed the store. We told him about the cable. He said ''wait here, I'll be back in 10 minutes'' then he hopped on his bike and left... well, waited, and after 10 minutes he came biking back holding a guitar cable with his name and phone number taped to it and said ''call me when you're done with it!''...........!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Haha it was exactly what we needed to make the shows work! Miracle!

There were countless others, but I can tell you all about those next week when I see you all ;)

F* is 100% on track to be baptized this Saturday. He's so excited. He's already sharing the Gospel with all of his friends and family! More so than all of the other members combined! He's amazing!

It's so strange that this final week has actually come...it doesn't feel real. I'm not sure how I feel about it. I was driving on the train home from Copenhagen yesterday, contemplating the last two years, and I was hit with this massive wave of sadness. I could taste what it will be like to be gone and miss all of this. I don't want it to happen. But as I've come to learn, what I want isn't always what Heavenly Father knows is best for me. I know that he's got bigger and better things waiting for me when I leave all of this for a time. I look forward to the future. I'm optimistic. I realize now that all of this was just preparation for the next big thing, just like it always is in the great Plan of Happiness. I feel really good about the time I've had here in Denmark.

Do I have regrets? Yes. But none of them matter because of the Atonement of Jesus Christ. I have far more good memories than bad. As a matter of fact, I don't think I ever really had a truly bad moment on my mission. The Lord has truly blessed me. He has formed me into the man I'm meant to be. 

Weird.... I don't know what else to say.

I really love you all. Thanks for reading these ridiculous emails these two years! I'll see you all next week!!!

Ældste Jed Bradshaw

6-13-16

Good morning everyone :)

I am currently sitting on the beautiful island of Bornhom!! Two days ago I hopped on a plane all by myself (such a big boy, right) and flew over here. I will be here for the next two days preparing and setting up for Folkemødet (an annual festival held here on the island) and then when the festival begins I will be playing with a band that I have put together to represent and bring attention to the church! I absolutely love it here! It's a beautiful place... it almost feels like a vacation getaway, although we're working as hard as ever to make sure it all goes well. We're expecting over 60,000 people to be there, so this could be a great opportunity for us. The church will also be holding a debate event on Thursday at which I have been asked to speak in front of thousands of politicians and press. The pressure is on!!

Yesterday I attended the branch here on the island. I spoke in sacrament meeting and the attendance was huge!! Tons of vacationers from America and what not. Really cool.

This last week before I got here was amazing though. Thursday was one of the coolest days of my mission! F's* girlfriend wanted to start taking the lessons, but she only speaks Spanish, Russian and Armenian..... well what do you know, my little brother speaks Armenian!! So we skyped in Ethan on the laptop and we were able to teach the first lesson together! (although he did most of the talking) It was just so cool! Two Elder Bradshaw’s teaching together. She loved the lesson and came to church again this Sunday. The Spirit was so strong and it was just so awesome to watch Elder Bradshaw teaching in Armenian! He's so good!

Anyway, I have to get going. Tons to do. Next week is my last email... weird.

I love you all and hope you have a great week!!

Ældste Jed Bradshaw

6-6-16

Another great week on the scoreboard for Ældste Bradshaw! Do bad weeks even exist on my mission? No, no I don't think so. Unfortunately there are only 3 left... :(

Okay, so this last Monday we had Family Night with the young adults. It was a huge success! I think there were over 5 investigators there and then a bunch of member friends that we had never met before! It was awesome!

F's* girlfriend A* is in town now!! She's just fantastic! She's from Armenia and only speaks Armenian and Spanish, so all of our lessons with her are in my very very broken Spanish. Luckily I still remember how to say "God" and "Holy Ghost". The rest of it is pretty easy ;) Frank is back on baptismal date and it should be happening the weekend before I go home... but even if it doesn't, no problem. It will happen when he is ready. It's between him and God and nobody else.

Church was amazing this week! 3 investigators came and 2 of them should be getting baptized this month. It was fast and testimony meeting and F* got up to bare his testimony... well let me just tell ya. His testimony blew all of the other member's testimonies out of the water!! A member of the Stake Presidency was sitting on the stand and oh boy, you should have seen the shocked look on his face. He came up to me afterwards and asked if F* wasn't a Bishop from the states just playing a joke on us! It was a great day. Definitely an answer to my prayers.

Things are great here. I really only have a few days left of actual proselyting time because I leave for the music tour this weekend... things are coming to a close all too quickly. It's so surreal. It's weird because in the few beginning months of your mission you fantasize about how amazing it will be to come home again (and probably over romanticize). Then when it actually comes, you don't want it to end and it is nothing like what you expected. I don't want to leave Denmark, but I'm ready to get going with changing the world back home. I'm torn.

As Andy from the office said "I wish there was a way to know I'm in the good old days before I've left them." Enjoy the days you have everyone. All of them are good. God intended for it to be that way because God is good.

Have a great week!! Love you all!

Ældste Jed Bradshaw