BIRTHDAY WEEK!!!!!!!!

Oh my goodness, seriously, this was the BEST Birthday of my LIFE! And NOT just because it was in Hawaii. Everyone here made it SO special and amazing! There were little surprises ALL throughout the day! 

It all kinda started on 4th of July when sister Moyes and I went on splits and I went with Sister McKinney and we went to the Hubbel's for BBQ and we sang songs in Hawaiian and we danced around the fire with the kids and we just were laughing all night and they gave me a red white and blue cupcake with a candle! And they sang Happy Birthday do me and it was just the best because they INSISTED I come back to Hawaii JUST to see them so we can go on hikes and do lots of fun stuff! I love the Hubbels!

So it all started with me waking up to orange leopard print (they couldn't find plain) and green balloons and a HUGE sign that said Happy Birthday all over my room and down the stairs and in the living room with a HUGE "22" made out of orange and green sticky notes that each say Happy Birthday! So cool! And I got presents from all my padmates which included CHOKE candy and an orange lava lava with turtles on it and then at shift we got new investigators and my baby and grandbaby decorated the whole guide room (break room) for me and gave me super cool surprises in my muu muu and cubbies and we met with the mission president and everyone sang happy birthday to me and Loraine called and then we when to this BEAUTIFUL beach-side restaurant courtesy of Na'ili and she gave me a dozen roses!!!! YAY!!!!!!!! There was so much more but I can't even begin to describe it all! But bottom line is I felt SO loved and I've never received so many hugs in one day in my life! Happy day!!!!

So besides all the festivities and everything else Sister Moyes and I were able to full recover from us being sick and were able to have a great time! Now, this week is ward camp so it's there's even MORE festivities to attend. Ward camp is so great because SO many less actives and nonmembers attend. Because it's just a fun-filled week of activities and carnivals and talent shows and food, LOTS of food, so they don't feel threatened to go or anything. And everyone camps the way they want. Some bring tents and then inside the tents are carpets, tvs and xboxs. Some just bring a tent. and some bring RVs, but it's completely up to you and so everyone has a GREAT time! I can't wait to go tonight! We've invited the whole neighborhood! I hope some of the people we invited will come! I wish they did things like this in the mainland....anyhoo

I hope everyone has been able to watch the mission broadcast by now, and I really hope everyone takes to heart the things they say. You CAN be a missionary NOW! And one of the greatest quotes I heard from the MTC was, "You shouldn't have to recall a story from your mission to share a missionary experience, you should be having one EVERY DAY!" I love that because I can't even count how many people at BYUI would talk about their missions from 3+ years ago, and it's great that they want to share those stories, but they should be making stories every day, not having to remember them from 3 years ago! We're ALL missionaries! And I think that's my biggest goal, is to always do missionary work when I get home and always be able to share a RECENT experience, that way my kids will know how to be missionaries as they grow! Missionary work IS the work of God and I really hope EVERYONE starts praying for opportunities to serve because I know that it will bring blessings beyond anything you can comprehend! Work hard! Pray always! I love you all!

Sister Bradley

pics - matsumotos for my b-day p-day, Coconut cake from ted's bakery for ward coorelation, decorations and surprises for my b-day!