Braden made it to Africa!!!  We received an email today from his mission President.

12 June 2013

 We want you to know that your son, Elder Braden Erickson has arrived in the Uganda Kampala Mission.  I was very pleased to note the preparation, worthiness and commitment of your son to be obedient and to serve the Lord honorably.  He spent his first day at the Mission Home where we had lots of special training and food.

Elder Erikson is a choice young Elder, eager to be an excellent missionary.  His testimony is strong and I am honored to have him serve in our Mission.  Elder Erickson is laboring in Gulu, District with an excellent trainer, Elder Plant.  Sister Jackson and I will see Elder Erikson in a timely manner at Zone Conferences, and I will have an interview with him on those occasions. This is a wonderful Mission and I know that Elder Erickson will be successful.  We pledge to keep our eyes and hearts open to his needs.

Thank you for teaching, nurturing and sending forth this fine young Elder. He will serve the Lord, honor the Erickson Family and other loved ones.  The Missionary Department has authorized e-mail to the family once a week and we are grateful for this added blessing.  May the Lord bless you with peace and assurance that all is in His hands.

Yours Sincerely,

Last day at MTC

June 9th

Dear family,
Today is my last day at the MTC! Is kinda sad, I have had so many good experiences here! I am going to miss all of the friends I made here. They are really great.

I'd like to leave you with my testimony..
I know the church is true and that our Heavenly Father loves each and every one of us. I know that through the gospel families can be blessed so much! I know that through the atonement we can return to our Heavenly Father. I know that Joseph Smith was a true prophet of God and he translated the Book of Mormon.! I know that Joseph Smith restored the gospel to the earth again.- AMEN

I invite you guys to be like a duck!

I will let you find out what that means, if you can't let me know and I will tell you. But try to find out for yourself!

Braden

Dear Mom and Dad,
I still need my yellow fever card!!!
The MTC is going great.
I got a NEW flight plan. I will be going to SLC, to Washingtion D.C. (yes, Paige, that's right)!Then I go be going to Belguim Brussels to Entebbe Uganda!
I Leave June 10th.

 If you can I need to have the yellow fever card by Wednesday, Thanks.

oI have something I want to share and its...
"Try a little harder to be a little better"

Braden


Uhm, with the emails we sent back and forth, we decided that he didn't get a yellow fever card. So, I went to get one from the health department. They were very sure that he got one. It was a good thing that he had signed a release form for me to get his information, the first time I was there, or they wouldn't have given it to me. So after talking to them and them checking their computer, they finally give me the yellow fever card.
I get home, open Braden's draw in the kitchen and guess what, there is his original yellow fever card!
I write hi a letter and get it ready for the mail.  Loren says he isn't sure it will make it to him beforeMonday. So, this morning I drive back to the MTC.  The security there is very strict. They give me a card at the security window and tell me to park in #1 and call this number. I talk to someone in the MTC whom tells me they will let me drop off the card, but only the card and that a security guard will come to me to get it in a few minutes. I take the card out of the envelope and in a few seconds there is a guard asking me a few questions, takes the card and tell me to have a good day.  Wow, they don't even let you into the parking lot.

By the time I got home, there was an email from Braden saying "thanks" that was it , silly kid. -mom

Short email

Will you let my bank know that i will be in uganda the next two years? i dont want my debit card to be come deactivated when i am out on my mission. if you need my bank number or pin to do that let me know. thanks.

The MTC is going great i have learned a lot! the food here is not the best but it will do it all starts to taste the same same after the first few days eating it. today is my P-Day and its going great! we have played a lot of basketball, and some vollyball with the district and some sister that are also in the district. everyone in the district is going to either NY utika mission or the Uganda kampala mission.

our teachers were trying so hard not so say each others name in class so we would know there first name but as my companion and i were leaving our classroom after class other teacher walked by and said one of our teachers name it was great!

I dont think i ever got the yellow fever card and i did get the Immunization card and my patriachal blessing. thanks so much.  tell Hope i am sleeping well, and eating like i pig :) hehe.

From Mom,
Glad to hear you are doing well. I am on your bank account, remember? But I will let them know.They shouldn't deactivate your card. You may have to use it for emergencies.

No, we never got a yellow fever card! Do I need to get one? What day and time do you leave for the airport? 

I finally got Dad to till the garden. Hope and I bought plants and seeds and put them in. I also had to put lots of snail poison out. We have found tons of the big ugly things in the garden and yard. Now to get dad to cut down the dead trees.

Parker and Ethan are still playing ball-starting play offs this week. Ethan actually made it to home plate but got out. 

When we call everyone for dinner- Hope says, "Dad and Braden are coming late,right"  I don't think she has it figured out yet.  She does talk about you being on a mission and you will like it.

I have my first Stake Relief Society meeting tonight to find out what I do in this calling.. They where waiting for me to get you on your way. They knew I would be very busy.
Love, MOM

first letter

Dear family.
The MTC is going great. My companion is Elder Geilman. He is a real funny guy. (Elder Geilman says, HI. We have already had 4 discussions and they have gone really well. The spirit is really strong here. and is with us throughout the day. We have had a lot of time to study the BOM, preach the gospel, Missionary hand book and lots, lots more.

Sorry, I won't be able to get to the email until Wednesday, that is my only P-day.
I have gotten my flight plans. I will be going through ALC to the Chicago Hare, to London, Johannesburg, to Entebbe Uganda, to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia to London.
Don't really know why I endue in London. Guess I might have to learn french.
I need a copy of my immunizations and yellow fever card as soon as possible.

I am feeling much better.

Hope everything is going well at home!

Tease Hope for me, haha.

Braden

Email from Braden

We received our first email from Braden today. I wasn't sure if I should laugh or cry. I sent him an email asking him a few questions and how he was doing. His reply, I change my passwords before I came so I don't know them. Just post my address on your face book page and have Paige do the same.

He also emailed Loren. Very short about needing his immunization records sent because they don't have a printer. And that he also needed he's pass code.

I guess things are going well. He didn't complain about anything. Maybe, he sent us a longer letter in the mail. Guess we will have to wait and see.  Silly boy.