some Mississippi facts...

Elder Bradshaw will be leaving the MTC for Mississippi Monday the 14th.  He is so excited to actually get out there!  I thought it would be a great idea to share some Mississippi facts.

Elder Bradshaw's mission president is President Tom R. Tucker. He will be there until July, 2012.  After that, Nick will receive President Mark J. McDonough.  President Tucker's wife actually has a blog with pictures and fun things the missionaries are up to.  She updates it with all the new missionaries, ect (So Nick will be on it!!).  If you look to the right of Elder Bradshaw's blog, under "My Blog List", it has her blog.  You can just click on it and it'll take you right to it.  It's awesome!

Created July 1, 1979, the Mississippi Jackson Mission was formed from the part of the Louisiana Baton Rouge Mission.  Below is a picture of the Mississippi Jackson Mission.  The grey areas, are where Elder Bradshaw will be serving.  As you can see, he can be serving not only in Mississippi, but Arkansas, Louisiana, and a little part of Texas.

Mississippi has no LDS Temples.  Actually there are no temples in any areas he will be serving.  Mississippi only has 4 stakes.  Some more facts:

-Jackson is the State Capitol.  82 Counties.

-Mississippi is the 32nd largest state in the USA

-Population: 2,967,297 (as of 2010)

-Mississippi was named after an Indian word for "Father of Waters"

-The Mississippi River is the largest in the United States and is the nation's chief waterway. Its nickname is Old Man River

-Elvis Presley was born in Tupelo, Jan 8, 1935

-Some more famous people from Mississippi:  Jimmy Buffet, Faith Hill, LeAnn Rimes, Oprah Winfrey, Jerry Rice

-The first football player on a Wheaties box was Walter Payton of Columbia

-Root beer was invented in Biloxi in 1898 by Edward Adolf Barq, Sr

-The official song for Mississippi is "GO, MISSISSIPPI"

-Mississippi colleges: Mississippi Rebels (Ole Miss), Mississippi State Bulldogs, Southern Mississippi Golden Eagles

-Mississippi is the 4th largest rice producing state, some other favorite foods are: largemouth bass, oysters, alligators, honey, catfish, cornbread, ribs, beans, fried chicken, mud pie, pralines, pecan pie, cajun fried pecans, sweet potato pie, shrimp, and many many more.

                 So excited to see what Nick has to say about Mississippi and see pictures!!!

Last MTC P-Day

Today was Elder Bradshaw's last MTC P-Day!!  He was able to email us but was not able to send any pictures! :(   He will be leaving for Mississippi Monday, May 14th!  He will be able to call us that day.  So excited for him to get to Mississippi!  Again, I deleted some of the things that are a little too personal. (which was pretty much my entire email haha). But my parents was long and good.  Enjoy!

"Well hey family!! Its been 2 weeks and geez do I enjoy it now! It is awesome! Just so you guys know our flight is at 7:30 to atlanta georgia and then we have an hour layover in georgia then to the heart of the south! It says we get into mississippi at 3:30. I am the travel leader of our group haha which is interesting! But anyways thank you guys so much for the packages and stuff!!  Holy crap I have so much food I dont know what to do with it!!  I love you guys so much and my district is jealous there family doesnt love them as much as you love me :)  Suckers. haha.  But this week has been incredicle! We got our first commitment to baptism!!!!!! It was so exciting and I am so happy :). The athiest we have been teaching, she is enjoying the feelings she feels from the lord!  Tomorrow (the 10th) we are commiting her to baptism!!! So excited :). Well yesterday for our fireside D Todd Christofferson came and talk and geez was that rad or what ha! he talked about love and how we need to show our love to investigors and non members so they can feel the love that the savior would give them. He said something really awesome: as missionarys we are supported by apostles. they cant do it all so as missionarys they are backing us up all the way. We are a apostles with a lower case "a" and they are a capital "A"!  I thought that rocked! i gotta go do laundry. I am rocking at it! ha talk to you soon

Love Elder Bradshaw"

"I am the travel leader of our district( hope the plane doesnt go down!! haha) but i will call at about 5 in the morning and then at about 12 pm that day.  Cant wait to talk to you guys!!!.  I am so sorry I am low on time :( dang mtc wish I would have gotten out haha jk!! Thank you for the packages and stuff it has rocked!!!  Yeah well i guess i have to wait till i get into mississippi to put pics on ;(. I like writing letters :) ps haha

<3 <3 <3 love your bro nick"

First P-Day & First Emails

Today was Elder Bradshaw's first P-Day, and the first day he is able to email us. He has been in the MTC for one whole week and in all that time, he has received a letter EVERY DAY (sometimes more than one letter a day :)).  He is really missed!  He has also received many packages.  Our parents sent him a package of cookies and some of his favorite types of things. Today, Justin & I sent him a dozen Krispy Kream doughnuts to share with his companions.  We didn't get any pictures today, but hopefully they will start coming.  Our parents, & Justin & I, all got emails today!  Here is a mixture of his emails, one from my parents and one he wrote us. I didn't post everything he wrote, some things are personal, but he is doing great and we could not be more proud!!!


"Hey mom!!! And family!!! The mtc is so freaking awesome like i said!! it was tough at first but now i just love it! I'm a senior companion and love my elders! I'm glad everything is going well!! I run into Dillon alot actually and we just talk it up like old times! It was so crazy this past few days cause we have been teaching real investigators and so as we were teaching I asked her to read The Book of Mormon and she was just like um sure? Ohhhhhhhhh I felt like someone just shot me in the heart haha.  Another experience I've had is that we were teaching this communist/ atheist! But we asked her to pray to our Heavenly Father and ask for comfort and love and oh my GOSH.... I started crying cause she just was so sincere and polite. The spirit was so strong and she is an atheist (but i dont think anymore) :D Well forward this to friends and family (i mean everyone) I love you guys so much and thank you for all the love and support you have given me. Not going to lie it is tough receiving letters from everyone. But i know I will be comforted. I've been singing alot of hymns my new fav is Come Thou Fount Of Every Blessing. Its not in the hymn book they took it out. :(

Well I'm about to do laundry I love you guyys! Tell everyone I love them and pray for them and think about them and also put there names in the temple!

Love Nick :) "


"Hey piddles and Justin!! Like I've wrote home it has been great! I miss you and love you guys and I thank you for all the support. Thanks for the dear elder non sense haha ;) jk ! how are things with you guys? i pray all the time for you 2 !  Thank you so much (tell mom and dad cause i forgot)(im dumb haha) thanks for the packages! I love drinking that dang Muscle Milk good shiz right there! Well first weeek done siiisss and bro in law. It's flying  by I"ll let you know if anything comes up! P Days Wednesday!

Love you guys!

Elder Nick Bradshaw"

Elder Bradshaw's First Letter!!!

Well guys... We got his first letter today!!! This has helped us all so much.

MTC

Today, we dropped Elder Bradshaw off at the MTC.  It has been a very, very hard day! Things just feel a little off, and it's going to take time to get used to it.  We first stopped at the Provo temple to take pictures and that is where Nick was able to say goodbye to Grandma Sharon and Harv.  After, our parents, & Justin & I, took Nick to the MTC.  When you first get there, they have you pull off to the side,  you are then greeted by many missionaries (they were awesome and so sweet!).  We grabbed Nick's bags and said our goodbyes.  Lots of tears were shed.  Nick did such a great job though, he is so ready to get going and do the Lord's work!  The missionaries there that greeted us, then took Nick and his luggage and walked towards the MTC building.  That was the last time we will see him in person, or give him a hug, for the next 2 years. It's hard, but good at the same time. The countdown is on!!  I didn't get any pictures at the MTC, (too much was going on) but he will send pictures and I will definitely post them.

Elder Bradshaw will be in the MTC for 3 weeks.  May 14, 2012 is when he will be leaving for Jackson Mississippi.  He will be able to call us from the airport before he takes off.  As for now, I know he would LOVE to hear from everyone. Here is his MTC address. He does not have a lot of time on his email, so letters would be preferred. When he get's to Mississippi, I will then give everyone his Mississippi address :).

Elder Nicholas Joel Bradshaw

MTC Mailbox #306

MS-JAC 0514

2005 N 900 E

Provo, UT 84604-1793

 Our Grandma Sharon has already sent Nick a letter. Here is a little quote from it.

"If God brings you to it, 

He will bring you through it.

Happy moments, praise God.

Difficult moments, seek God.

Quiet moments, worship God.

Painful moments, trust God.

Every moment, thank God."

So proud of Elder Bradshaw and the decision he has made to serve a full time mission!  He will be AMAZING!  We love you so much Nick!  You are constantly in our prayers.

I am going to miss this kid so dang much!!

Nick's Favorite... Applebees.  I'm sure that will change after he has food from Mississippi!

Provo Temple

The day before Elder Bradshaw left for the MTC.  We all went to lunch.  We had a great waiter.  He went on a mission to Brazil.  He left Nick this note and wrote 3 phrases that helped him most on his mission.

The night before Nick left for the MTC, his close friend Tyson Holden brought over doughnuts :).

Another one of Nick's friends made him this.  LOVE it!