The One With Indy 500 Practice

I was pretty freaking excited about this post today! When Brendan got called to Indiana, we had his farewell reception thingie, and we served concession stand stuff- mini hot dogs and sliders. I think because almost all we knew about Indiana was that it is where the Indy 500 takes place.
It is nearing that season.
Elder Brendan is serving in Indianapolis, near the Indianapolis Motor Speedway where they host the race.

Indianapolis, Indiana

He said in his e-mail last week that they can hear the cars running now all day, every day. Especially when they drive closer to the speedway, they will roll the windows down to hear the rumble.

They had an opportunity to go to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway this past week on p-day to watch them practice. The tickets were pretty cheap so we encouraged him to have that experience. I am glad he went!
He sent me a couple of video clips that I was pretty excited about.

This first one, is the sound that he hears every day. 
I didn't realize how loud it must be to carry that far.

This next one is a practice run for a pit crew. I was also surprised at how fast the car ripped out of there and got up to speed.
Not unlike my mini-van at a stop light.

I asked him how it was at the track:

it was loud and i dont know they turned left alot

I asked him how his Spanish was coming:

mi espanol es moi bien pero yo soy blanco 

Sam asked him if he has felt like he has strengthened his testimony in any way:

yeah about Joseph Smith that dude was pretty lit he was definitely a prophet

Our pet turtle we found on the road. We have had him about 3 days. He is going to be set free soon.

The One With Mother's Day

It sure was good to see my boy last week.
It's funny the little things that you miss- facial expressions, voice inflections, hair-flips (another hair cut is overdue) and oh my, to hear him laugh again...
I am never prepared for the part where I have to hang up, and the miles separate us again.

He looks good! He seems really happy. He talked to us about his successes and frustrations.

He was able to Skype us from the home of a member. We got a kick out of the girly purple daybed he was lounging on.

We always end our Skype calls to our missionaries with a family prayer. It is probably my favorite part- because for one little moment, it feels like we are all together.
Elder Brendan said it for us. And then he was gone.

I am so proud of him, but I sure do miss his stupid face.

The One With Ell-Oh-Ell

This week I didn't have much to say to Elder W. because I get to see his face on Sunday when he calls home for Mother's Day!
I am soooooo excited.
He has been gone for almost a year, and time has passed so painfully slowly, and also so quickly at the same time.
I miss his sense of humor the most- so it is like a drowning person getting thrown a flotation device when I get his weekly random pictures. Except for the flotation device would be a giant hot dog or something.

I feel like he inherited my distinctive eye for photography.
I guess laughing makes it easier somehow than just missing him all the time.

Here is his weekly update:

This week was good guess what im not getting transferred so that twas (<--not a typo) a pleasant surprise imma be honest this week was lame jk lol (<---now picture Brendan actually saying this- because he would be telling this story and pronouncing "jay-kay" and "ell-oh-ell")  it was like all other weeks we went to two baptisms this week as well as a funeral and zone conference the funeral was sad it was some lady i never met but they asked me to talk so luckily some one else talked at the last minute so i didn't have to then they had all the missionary's sing we sounded awful lol well im going to call on mothers day i dont know when though mothers day is Sunday right? just kiddin

Then I got a bunch of pictures.

Why is he wearing his missionary tag on his collar?

Investigators on date for baptism on the 27th!

At Zone Conference

Then here was our little back and forth:

what time is church

We have the 1-4:00 block now.

that sucks its going to be 9 o clock when i get home

Yep. When he gets home IN OVER A YEAR.
He is concerned about needing to be to church at 9:00 am.
I think I will let the bishop know he sings now. Maybe that could be incorporated into his homecoming program at 9:00 am church.
He could probably just use that funeral talk.

The One Where He Actually Writes

Internets.
When you woke up this morning did you feel the miracle?
Did the universe seem somehow more in harmony?
Elder Wadley wrote an actual e-mail!
Behold:

this week was pretty sick we had some cool things happen We have been teaching this family its a mom and two girls and they've been progressing really well except they hadn't come to church yet and right before sacrament meeting started I saw Elder Cepeda on the phone and he said they're coming! they had just gotten lost on the way so they showed up and were able to hear some of the testimony's of the branch and one of the girls gave me a note that said that she had a lot of questions before we started coming but they have all been answered it was really dope. Another thing that happened this week is we have a member in the branch who is struggling and we have been able to meet with him lately and last night he told me that he believes that I was sent here just for him

I want to take a minute and point out a couple of thoughts that came to me here.

First, how imperative it is that followers of Christ bear testimony of Christ.
Some questions that people carry in their hearts can be answered by our personal testimonies and examples. When the Holy Ghost bears His witness to the words we are moved to speak, we have the potential to change hearts, and bring peace and hope.

Second, the personalities that we have each been born with, and the unique connections we make with others gives us the opportunity to reach people in a way that NO ONE ELSE CAN.

God does not want us to be anyone other than ourselves when we serve Him.
It is interesting though, how when we do choose to serve, we become better versions of ourselves.
It's all part of the deal. Him adding His divine power to our efforts.
Pretty cool.
I love that Elder Brendan is learning this.
I know that this will help his confidence. 
I am grateful that the Lord knows exactly how to use him to do His work.

From left to right: Elder McClure, Elder Cox, Elder Wadley, Elder McBride

The One Where He Ate Rat

This week's post is a group effort. I took clips from things Elder Brendan wrote to well, everyone.
So if he happens to write you- and says anything give me a holler.
You too, could be featured on this blockbuster of a blog!
Here are his words this week:

this week was good i went back to the east side for an exchange and well it was really fun we picked up some new people yesterday they seemed cool im still not quite able to teach but hopefully soon my spanish is improving though other  then that though it was a pretty regular week sorry i know you hate me cause i dont know what to tell you lol but sorry love you

Here was our little back and forth aka, where I try to drag things out of him. But first, this random picture he sent, which sparked a conversation.

Thirty pounds down and looking a bit like Jared Fogle

What is that collapsed garage you are in? And your jeans look hella baggy? Do you need new ones?

thats service we did thats all just wood we threw in a dumpster and ive lost thirty pounds

I just mailed you a case of protein bars today. ️

I need one story from you. 

Anything.

Just use some detail and walk me through something that happened this week.

Just try it for me.

of course i got one so we went to service for uncle XXX just btw hes gay im pretty sure but we get there and i helped pull a fuel pump from his van it was really fun 

Did you get the fuel pump fixed? I didn't know you knew how to do that. I thought garage time you spent with Dad was just a lot of farting around.

no it was the best time yes i got it fixed

What kinds of things do you eat at dinner appointments?

i have no clue what i eat but its good except mola

What is mola?

its chicken with chocolate its disgusting we dont have it that often just google it right now i would eat about any american food dont get me wrong hispanic food is delicious but tortillas and beans gets old lol also i ate rat the other day it tasted pretty good though

Take notice of the house number

Indianapolis, Indiana

So yeah.
I'm glad the protein bars are winging their way to Indy.
No wonder he has lost weight.
Sometimes missions in the states are every bit as foreign as the ones served outside of the country.

The One With Moab

It has been a family tradition to spend a week in Moab around this time of year. There is an annual event in Moab,"Easter Safari" that as the name suggests, usually coincides with Easter. We have photos of Sam changing Elder Brendan's diapers on the hood of the Jeep on Moab trails. 23 years, we have been coming. By "we" I mean Sam and the kids. I avoided it as long as I could- before I caved and joined them. I split my time in Moab between some easy, non-threatening trail days, and spending time by myself, by the pool at the hotel while the rest of the family enjoys white-knuckling it over obstacles. It is a hobby I have never understood, but I see the positives in tradition and "taking one for the team" in hopes of making family memories.

That being said, this is the first year that Elder Brendan has not been in attendance. It left us all with a hole in our hearts, and it was pretty depressing to look back and NOT see the brown Jeep (Hawaiian shirt and bare feet sticking out) following behind us.

Brendan in Moab last year, 2016

I was tentative with my e-mail subject material this week, knowing how hard it would be for Elder Brendan to be missing this week. Sure enough, his words made my heart hurt.
Here is his e-mail:

this week was pretty good ill be honest this was a harder week for me im able to bear testimony and pray in spanish and stuff its pretty sweet i enjoy it a lot send me lots of pics of Moab also grandpas honorary Hawaiian shirt i bet its amazing i miss all you guys a ton i missed Moab a lot sad  huh christmas was easy compared to moab its fetching hard but other then that we had some cool experiences this week like a less active member in the branch he was having some issues because his wife recently passed away due to cancer and he hadnt been coming to church but we had a dinner with him on Saturday and we shared the Easter video as well as Alma 40 about the spirit world and he really opened up to Elder Cepeda and I and told us that hes been struggling it was really a cool experience and yeah other then that not much lol

I know this kid is right where he needs to be. I know he is serving his little heart out- and bringing joy to others. But as his mom, knowing he is hurting, even a little- because he is missing out on something he truly loves is hard.
But.
Everything worthwhile comes with sacrifice.
I have seen him changing, and becoming less selfish. I have noticed the ways that his testimony of the gospel has grown. I have watched him cultivate the desire to be obedient, and all of the blessings that come from that one choice.
It is all worth it.
I hope he thinks so too.
We are nearing his year (half-way) mark. I know how quickly the second year flies by- and that helps to ease the ache I have of him being separated from us.

Elder Wadley, Elder Cepeda

Indianapolis, Indiana- the Spanish Elders

I don't know where the tie came from, but it is awesome.

This is the video that he shared. A 2:33 message of peace and hope.
This is the purpose of his two years.
To bring people to Christ.

The One With Sorry I Don't Write Good

Some people tell me that they like reading this blog, bless your hearts. I have thought about closing it down time and time again. I just don't feel like I ever get anything worth reading from Indiana.

I know things are happening, Elder Brendan just doesn't share them.
Take for instance this picture from last week, remember this? When I wondered why in the crap there were missionaries on the roof?

Well. One of the roof-dweller's mom's read the blog post and asked her daughter about the pic, and the Sister Burgon gave an explanation (thank you Burgon Sisters):

Good morning! I sent your sons letter and a copy of the "rooftop" pic to my daughter to see if we could solve the mystery....

Here is what she had to say...

hahahahahhahahahahhahahahahahaha oh my goodness Elder Wadley.....haha they were burning ties for their something-month mark and they needed a lighter so we gave them ours to use....this is right by our apartment on a pull out by the road that leads to the river....thats why E.Wadley is lower than all of us hahahaha because he went next to the river while we stayed up closer to the road-entrance part hahaha good letter...wow he doesn't write much

No kidding. So why doesn't he think any of these things are stories?
This week I actually dug something out of him.
Here is his initial letter:

hey mom this week was kinda suck to be honest sorry i dont write good but i dont know what to tell you cause its the same crap day in and day out and i find it boring my area is the west side of Indy im with Elder Cepeda i came out with him you met him hes really cool and very determined and thats something really cool general conference was good tbh (to be honest) i still get bored and that sounds terrible but i hate sitting and i hate writing notes so yeah... also its hard writing stories when you dont really know what people are talking about my Spanish is coming along good though i can understand a lot more then before so yeah pretty sick right 

Then this picture came in:

I asked if it was the view from his new apartment.
No.
It is the view from THE HOSPITAL.
Why was he there?

i was there because i gave a blessing to my old bishop from terra haute he got bit by a spider and was sent to indy and his wife came to our building to watch conference and I gave her our number and got to give him a blessing

Pretty cool.
I am not sure why these things don't occur to him to write home about.

His tonsils still look healthy.