BAPTISMS and GOODBYES

I will say this Last Goodbye -  Wow! My last P-Day! It feels so weird! 

I'm so excited to be going home though! 

My last week has been amazing!!! We had a baptism on Saturday! Jacob and Celeste were finally baptized! Their Dad sounded kind of nervous and tried not to cry. But I thought it was a beautiful baptism. It was definitely a miracle! 

I was able to say goodbye to the members, and sing in the choir on Sunday for Easter. I will miss this Ward. They are awesome!  I will definitely miss Sister Lindsay! She has been such a great blessing for my last transfer. She is so kind and understanding! No wonder she's training next transfer - she's the best! 

I'm excited for this new chapter in my life!  I think I'm ready to finally be an adult, and face the world more bravely than I did before my mission! 

Now let's see... Scripture of the Week! 

12 And now, my sons, remember, remember that it is upon the rock of our Redeemer, who is Christ, the Son of God, that ye must build your foundation; that when the devil shall send forth his mighty winds, yea, his shafts in the whirlwind, yea, when all his hail and his mighty storm shall beat upon you, it shall have no power over you to drag you down to the gulf of misery and endless wo, because of the rock upon which ye are built, which is a sure foundation, a foundation whereon if men build they cannot fall.    

Helaman 5:12 

- All My Love, Sister Brown 

ALMOST DONE!

So, this is my second-to-last Monday. Crazy! 

This week has been crazy! I had to sign up for classes at college, did interviews with President Mella who wanted to talk about dating, and move all my pictures and videos to a USB before my iPad eats them!  Oh yah!

I'm running out of time and don't have a lot of exciting things to say. But this week, we went on exchanges. I was with Sister Carter on Saturday. We went to Target the day before so I could get a new USB. The next day during exchanges, I couldn't download my videos on it! I only had a few too! So later that day, Sister Carter and I went back to Target. There, we ran into a young man from Utah, who is potentially less active, and Sister Carter was able to leave a pass-along card with him, and he willingly gave his contact info. Then, when I got a better USB, a lady was asking about where we were from, and why we came to California. She asked me why I would leave... (Cries!)  Sister Carter also left a pass-along card with her.  Either the Holy Ghost used our misadventure to his advantage, or the Lord has a sense of humor and caused my USB crisis to find some people to teach... Hmmmm...

We had leadership training this week for the new leaders.  I'm going to miss all of these missionaries so much.  It's been a great time in my life and I wouldn't trade this experience for anything.

We have a family that is SO ready to be baptized! I can tell they've been paying attention in Sunday School! They tried on some jumpsuits and we're working out the plans for the baptism! I'm so happy for this family! 

Scripture Power!

Matthew 25: 34-40

34 Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:

35 For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in:

36 Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me.

37 Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink?

38 When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee?

39 Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee?

40 And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.

- Always, Sister Brown

Miracles! Boo-yah!

This week was fun, and a little slow.  But we had exchanges with the El Camino Hermanas.  I was with Hermana Doyle, and Sister De La Torre was with Sister Lindsay.  It was really fun with them.  I went contacting with Hermana Doyle and she is so motivated!  She wanted to talk with everyone and we made some good contacts. Then they got to come with us to a relief society activity at our Ward, and someone who lived in my first area brought a non-member friend!  It was amazing!  I didn't recognize her at first. She's Bishop Judd's daughter (my first bishop on the mission). We got to know her friend and she seems interested in coming to church. We gave her our number and offered service. THAT - was a great day!  

AND...I've been learning to decorate cupcakes.  Well, not full time of course - just for one activity.  It was fun.  

The area is doing fine. We've been finding more people and been doing more less active work. Getting new phones has been a blessing because we went through the contacts and took care of numbers that weren't needed and saved some numbers we didn't know. Hopefully we'll be getting some potential investigators from that. 

I think the only things I'm stressed out about lately is school, and backing up my iPad.  But Sister Lindsay has been such a great help.  She doesn't really stress, and she doesn't judge me for stressing and is always asking how she can help me. She's the best! The past few weeks have been awesome with her. We laugh a lot, tell each other stories, and teach well together. She's so cool! 

Miracle!!!! We invited the Ward council to fast and pray for a Brother and his children. We've been wanting the mom's permission for them to be baptized. And I've been praying and fasting for them. After sacrament meeting, we ran into him and his children and he said: "Good news, we've got permission. We want to have them baptized the day before Easter."  I am so happy for them! I had a feeling a baptism was going to happen before I left, if anything, setting a baptismal date. 

Let's see... Scripture of the Week... 

"Behold, I say unto you that whoso believeth in Christ, doubting nothing, whatsoever he shall ask the Father in the name of Christ it shall be granted him; and this promise is unto all, even unto the ends of the earth.

For behold, thus said Jesus Christ, the Son of God, unto his disciples who should tarry, yea, and also to all his disciples, in the hearing of the multitude: Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature."

Mormon 9: 21-22 

- Always, Sister Brown 

Let's Do This!!

LAST COMPANION - LAST TRANSFER...LET'S DO THIS!!

Hi everyone!  So... crazy week!  Last Monday, we were running around trying to get stuff done.  On Tuesday, I got a new companion!  Her name is Sister Lindsay, and she's the best!  She's from Tooele, Utah.  She and I have a lot in common. We both like animals!  …and…She's helping get over my fear of bugs and spiders!   We have a lot of comp. unity as well.  We've been on the same page as we're trying to help our members and investigators. Both of us love doing service, so lots of service will get done!  It's been super fun introducing her to the Ward and to some of our investigators. 

I've been so forgetful and scatter-brained lately.  But Sister Lindsay is so patient and kind.  She's super chill, and that's made me feel so calm and not stressed.  Being an STL has been busy, but fun.  We've helped plan two ZTMs (Zone Training Meeting), and we have conference calls tomorrow morning.  We also are planning for exchanges. Crazy busy, but fun!  On Friday, we had one ZTM, and it was really funny.  Sometimes role play doesn't go as planned. But we had breakfast and talked about obedience and diligence.

SCRIPTURE POWER - 

"And the Great God has had mercy on us, and made these things known unto us that we might not perish; yea, and he has made these things known unto us beforehand, because he loveth our souls as well as he loveth our children; therefore, in his mercy he doth visit us by his angels, that the plan of salvation might be made known unto us as well as unto future generations."

Alma 24:14

- Always, Sister Brown

Flu Season...and all

Hello peoples!

Not much to report on this week. I've been feeling a little under the weather - flu season and all. It's hard being sick as a missionary. I admit I'm kind of a weakling when I'm sick, or when I have allergies. But as a missionary it's very conflicting because you want to rest and recover, but you're afraid to waste time and you just want to do the Lord's work! So I've been still working, but I've also been taking it easy. 

Sister Huang introduced me to this Chinese snack called Want Want. It's a little rice cracker with a little bit of frosting. It's got this salty-sweet taste to it. I love salty and sweet together! Yum!  We had some people come to church this week! One of them was a man I had never met before. He is from Vietnam. Somehow, he also got a Vietnamese Book of Mormon. I would really like to know his story! 

I pippy-long-stockinged my hair last night - CRAZY!!

Sorry it's a short post this week. But it was a good week.  And for my scripture of the week, I decided to use a Preach my Gospel reference as well as a scripture: PMG pg. 117: Hope it helps you conquer discouragement.

Alma 34:32 - For behold, this life is the time for men to prepare to meet God; yea, behold the day of this life is the day for men to perform their labors.

- Always, Sister Brown

Threeeeee....months left!!

I've seen a few miracles this week.  We've been looking through the former investigators list to see who we needed to check up on and who we felt might need a visit.  We tried a former investigator who was actually a member, but less active.  Also - the address was wrong!  We went to the house to visit and a young girl told us, "she actually lives over in that other house."  Sooo, we went over to the other house and a lady answered the door.  She wasn't the person we were looking for either, but she invited us in anyway and said she wanted to learn more about the church.  Her husband sat in on the lessons with us too.  They're thinking of attending the church!  Sister Huang told this story to the Hermanas in our apartment and said we "accidentally tracked."  Haha!  We found a new investigator!!! Yay!

Someone also gave us the idea to draw the Plan of Salvation on a sidewalk at the park.  We got some chalk and started drawing.  That was fun!  Neither of us knew how effective this was going to be. But I drew a map of the Plan of Salvation while Sister Huang wrote the lyrics for "I Am a Child of God".  As we were finishing, a family came up to us and asked what we were doing.  We taught them about the Plan of Salvation and then sang "I Am a Child of God" to them.  The dad tried to get his shy kids to sing with us.  It was so cute!  It was amazing!  We walked out of the park learning a valuable lesson about faith.  And then, we also got a referral.  We had to drive back and forth from San Jose to Sunnyvale to help her with something.  It was a little stressful but hey, we got a referral.

Not much more to report this week, but there were some miracles.  I gave a talk yesterday about how my mission has helped me to love God and serve others.  I am so thankful for everything God has done for me.  Our lives and our friends and our dreams change, but God doesn't change.  He will always be there for us.  And Jesus Christ will be your friend no matter what.

I read this scripture last night and it almost made me cry.  I love this!

Alma 56: 45, 47-48

45 And now I say unto you, my beloved brother Moroni, that never had I seen so great courage, nay, not amongst all the Nephites...

47...yea, they had been taught by their mothers, that if they did not doubt, God would deliver them.

48 And they rehearsed unto me the words of their mothers, saying: We do not doubt our mothers knew it."

Thanks Mom!

- Love Always, Sister Brown

Merry Christmas 2016

"Tis the season to be busy, fa la la la la, la la la la...."

The past few weeks have been crazy busy!  We've been helping with projects, decorating and doing service.  The missionary talent show is coming up this Friday and I asked an Elder to play the piano for me so I can sing.  His companion is also singing.

We were able to go shopping last week and I finally found a California shirt!  We also went to the town of Bethlehem show.  The Latter Day Saints and the Baptist church work together to put on a show.  There's a whole set in the parking lot of a town, and they have booths and things to show what it was like to live back then.  And there were Roman soldiers, and they act out the nativity and sing a few songs.  It was so cool!

After that, during the week, we helped take it all down.  It was kind of sad.  But we visited some members and shared our Christmas video.  It's been so fun.

On Saturday, we got to go to the temple.  There was a nativity scene.  It was so nice and refreshing and relaxing to go to the temple.  How wonderful!  I got to give a talk on Sunday for the Chinese Ward, and a member translated for me.  It was so cool to hear my talk in Mandarin!   I've been carrying my farewell talk around with me in case I'm asked to give a talk  to a new Ward.  The papers are starting to get old and worn, and are falling apart.

Let's see - scripture of the week!

Alma 26:12
"Yea, I know that I am nothing; as to my strength I am weak; therefore I will not boast of myself, but I will boast of my God, for in his strength I can do all things; yea, behold, many mighty miracles we have wrought in this land, for which we will praise his name forever."

Love you all and have a very Merry Christmas!!!

- Always, Sister Brown

'Tis the Season!

Wow!  It's almost Christmas!

'Tis the season to do service, run around, and try to be in two places at the same time. But it's also a good time to be a missionary.  You get to help people decorate for Christmas, not worry about making dinners or getting presents, and to always remember what the season is really all about - Our Savior Jesus Christ!

Every Christmas, this Baptist Church creates a set of Bethlehem, and acts out the birth of Jesus Christ. We're going to see it tonight with the Hermanas. I'm excited.  We've been helping out at the Creche for the past two weeks.  It was so much fun...sooo many nativities!  We helped out in the Children's Room. They had crafts and clothes to play dress up. We ran into some other sisters and we took a picture for the nativity.  I got to be a Wise Man (Wise Woman???) and we had three Mary's.  Two little girls wanted to join in on our picture, so they both dressed up as Mary.  For a while, we helped kids play dress up, and we helped to keep things tidy.  It made me miss dressing up...and theatre. Afterwards, there was a marionette show for the story of the birth of Jesus Christ.  It was so cute!  Now I really miss theatre!  And of course, after all our hard work, there is always plenty of food for the missionaries.

This week, a lady we were teaching died of cancer.  We went to visit her a few times. We could tell she was suffering and in a lot of pain.  She could barely speak and wasn't very responsive.  We sang to her a few times and she seemed to enjoy that.  We received a text one morning telling us she had passed away. It was really sad.  I'm so grateful for this gospel.  I know that she was welcomed home by our loving Heavenly Father, and she will receive all the blessings that are promised to her and all of us.  She can now concentrate on learning the gospel without worrying about cancer; and she is no longer in pain.  I know this because we are all God's children, and He wants all of us to return home to Him.

Also this week, we were blessed to hear from Elder Bednar!  It was so cool!  He was really funny and fun to listen to.  He gave us good advice for missionary work and tips for the future.  It was so weird and cool at the same time to see an apostle up close and live!

This has been a busy, eventful week.  But it has also been a good week.  We've been teaching and trying to work with new investigators, and learning more about how we can help others.

Scripture of the week: 

Alma 24:19 And thus we see that, when these Lamanites were brought to believe and to know the truth, they were firm, and would suffer even unto death rather than commit sin; and thus we see that they buried their weapons of peace, or they buried the weapons of war, for peace.

Love, love, love the book of Alma!!! 

-Always, Sister Brown 

Happy Thanksgiving 2016!!!

This week was an amazing week for me. I got to go with Sister Hosea and Sister Riggs to my first area. One of our converts has gotten married! They are both so happy!  This is how it happened - Sister Hosea and I wanted to go on a hike with our investigator. But since he was male, it was decided we should probably get a female to come too. We decided to pick a member who is single, around his age, and it just worked out. After the hike, they started dating. He finally got baptized. And...now they're married!!! They got married on Thanksgiving Day! President Mella was there too! The bishop performing the marriage started his speech, and then said: "Mawidge.... Mawidge is what bwings us togethoo tooodaaaay.... I've always wanted to say that." It was hilarious. 

Wow, I did not realize I was coming to California to witness this beautiful wedding, and the fact that Sister Hosea and I introduced them to each other. They are really happy together. They plan to get sealed in the temple about a year from now. Looks like I'm taking a road trip back to California next year.  

After the wedding, Sister Huang and I went to thanksgiving dinner. It was so good. The turkey made me so sleepy as always. This week was a slow week for the work though. (It's like there was a holiday or something, bajing!) So I began to pray for miracles. A few happened. We met a friendly lady one evening while looking for a potential investigator. She invited us in and we helped her wash dishes and feed her birds. We shared a message with her. She said she's not sure about her relationship with God, but the principles that religion teaches make perfect sense to her. We left a Book of Mormon at her house. She said she's not sure if she'll have time to read it. But she has it in her home. 

Then, last night, we got a call about a referral. We were supposed to get it a few weeks ago, and it somehow never went through and we never received it. So someone called us to ask about it. We worked it out though, and then called the couple (husband is a member, wife is not) and they said we could come teach them! A miracle! 

It's odd though that our area book on our iPads never received it... Stupid Satan! Always messing with the work.  Anyways, some of the awesome things that happened this week. It was good! 

Love yous! 

-Always, Sister Brown 

Grateful for My Mission

This week went by so fast! The weeks are getting faster! Ahhh!  Last Monday, we went shopping with the Hermanas. I found this Mexican candy I really like called Pelon. It's so tasty! And at a Korean Market I found shredded squid. It's like a beef jerky kind of treat, but it's squid. I have really weird taste... I also like trying new things.

Tuesday was the Relief Society dinner. It was so good, and it was so much fun. They handed out journals and had us write 100 things we're thankful for. One of the things I'm thankful for is serving my mission. 

It's scary to think that if I hadn't come to California, I would not have grown spiritually, I wouldn't have met the people who are now my friends, and I wouldn't have helped others come to Christ. I will always be grateful to have had this opportunity. I'm also thankful for Thanksgiving because it brings the family together, and we get to eat food! Two of my favorite things: Family and Food!

On Thursday, we had Zone Conference. It was really good as always. The new Christmas video is coming out, and we have new Christmas pass-along cards! I'm so excited for Christmas! Lately, I've been reading a lot in Alma. A lot of people aren't really into the war chapters, but I like action stuff. But where I'm at, Alma has been teaching people around the Nephite cities. And I really loved Alma Chapter 7. It talks about the importance of baptism, repentance, the Atonement, and Christ. Verses 11 and 12 really stood out to me.

11 And he shall go forth, suffering pains and afflictions and temptations of every kind; and this that the word might be fulfilled which saith he will take upon him the pains and sicknesses of his people.

12 And he will take upon him death, that he may loose the bands of death which bind his people; and he will take upon him their infirmities, that his bowels may be filled with mercy, according to the flesh, that he may know according to the flesh how to succor his people according to their infirmities.

I am thankful for the Savior and the sacrifice He has made for all of us. It's good to know that He understands me and He loves me no matter what.

-Always, Sister Brown

My New Area...and maybe, My Last!

This week was pretty busy but it went by so fast!  I love my new area.  These statutes are on the lawn of the public library.  They are awesome!  I just had to jump in and become a part of it.  The girl's hand that I'm holding is wearing a CTR ring, engraved on her finger!  How cool is that!

We do a lot of service in this area. One form of service is an English class for missionaries from other countries and a lot of them gather around me for my help.  It's really challenging but awesome to help other people learn how to speak English. Some appointments we've been to for the Chinese Ward, and Sister Huang always tells me they like me. I think it's so sweet, even though all I can do is smile, and say hello, and thank you.

I love Sister Huang! She is so sweet and funny and caring. Her teaching is good too. When we went to teach a member from the Cupertino Ward, it was in Chinese. And even though I couldn't understand what Sister Huang was saying, I could still feel  the love that was being shared through the Spirit.

We had another service with some of the Elders in our zone at a farm. It's really fun. At another service (at a church giving food out to the homeless), we met a young man who was volunteering. He was only 16 and he is in college! He is studying linguistics.  Friday night, we had a potluck for the McMillans. They are moving away, so the Ward put together a dinner.

Saturday was hilariously rough. We had appointments set that got cancelled or changed. We were trying to meet with someone, but we were running late and then went to meet her later. Then her dog was driving us all crazy, and so we tried to get him to go into the other room, and then he attacked me. That was really scary, but it was funny at the same time because his owner got mad at him.  So the dog knew he did something wrong and he knew he was in trouble, so he was trying really hard to be my friend again. But I wasn't so sure about that - kind of lost the trust there.  

Also, while I was driving this week, I got honked at a few times.  Sometimes impatience rears its ugly head.  As I was writing about Saturday in my journal I realized that I was writing it because I want to let my readers know that there are bad days on the mission and in life. Bad days just happen. Then we appreciate the good days more. We are with companions that we may not get along with or understand, but then we learn to love our future companions. God is always teaching us to have patience.

Sunday was a great day! We got to go to the Cupertino Ward, and then the Lawrence Station Ward was having their primary program. They did such a great job!

It was a crazy week! But it was good.

-Always, Sister Brown

Arguments - A Lesson Learned

September 26, 2016 - 

Not much to report this week - but I learned a valuable lesson.  And I hope by sharing it, I can help others learn this lesson as well.

When you’re in the middle of an argument and you can’t speak your mind, I believe that’s the spirit telling you that this argument is not good and neither of you will be enriched by it.  It will bring down both participants and drive the spirit away.  Sometimes during an argument you will be given “a stupor of thought” and that confirms that the Lord does not want either participant to behave in this manner.  So the fact that when you feel like you don’t know what to say during an argument, or that you have nothing TO say, is actually a protection to not say something you'll regret.  So now when I’m in the middle of an argument (which isn't very often really), and that same thing happens, I just smile at my opponent and say, “I really have nothing to say at this moment that is going to make us both feel better, so I just want to say - let it go and let's move past this.”

“Before you speak.  THINK!”

T  is it True?

H  is it Helpful?

I   is it Inspiring?

N  is it Necessary?

K  is it Kind?

- Always, Sister Brown

September 30 - One Whole Year!

I can't believe it's been a year since I entered the MTC. That was so fast - and yet sometimes it doesn't seem fast at all.  But now I'm on the downside - only six months left!!!  I love my mission and I hope I can really make these last six months count. I have met so many amazing people, and I feel like I've grown so much and learned so much more. Woohoo - bring it on!

A Positive Perspective

So I'm a little bit behind in reporting my mission events... I'll try and catch up.

September 12 - A crazy and busy week!!! We went on a Zone Hike on the Los Gatos trail last Monday. It was nice. I LOVE this Zone! Elder Summerhays chased two deer. He has so much energy! 

On Tuesday, we picked up our new Sister, and now we're in a trio! She had been serving at Temple Square for 13 months. She's from Gunma, Japan, nearby Tokyo. She is so sweet and fun! Sister Hughes and I loved her at first sight! She has a lot of experience, she's confident when she teaches, and she speaks great English. 

On Wednesday, we got a lot of work done and taught a lot of lessons. We have someone who is getting close to baptism. His date is still set for the 18th, but it's still a little up in the air. Some people jump into baptism without testing the water, and others take "longer to cook", as my mother would say. He just may need some time to stop and think about his relationship with God. After all, that is what's most important. 

Friday was crazy! (Did I mention my whole week was crazy?) But we accomplished a lot. We did service at Montalvo, which is an amazing place for student artists! We help cook and clean. It's fun! We had a BLITZ with the District. The Elders in our district came into our area to contact and make visits for us while we were making visits. It seemed very successful and they found some potentials for us. We were able to get things done too. 

On Saturday, we got to go on a Temple Trip! We had fun with some friends of ours. While we were there, we had the opportunity to teach them more about temples, family history, baptisms for the dead, and eternal marriage. This was a really happy week. I'm thankful that I strive to always have a positive perspective. 

I can recall how the temple has blessed me in my life, and I was able to share that. 

I remember when I was six, and I was walking home from school with my brother and my friend. We were met by my sister on the way, and she told us that our cousin, Aaron had passed away. He was only 14 and was not a member of the church. To my dismay, my sister took us home....the plan was to play at a friend's house. But Andrew, my brother, definitely wasn't up to playing when he found out. I was too little to really know my family in Canada, but Andrew was old enough to remember Aaron and how much he loved him. This devastated him. But years later, when Andrew and I were old enough, our family went to the temple. My other brother, Bryant had the opportunity to perform the baptisms. I remember his face as he looked up at the screen and realized who he was baptizing proxy for. 

As I type this story, I can feel the Spirit. In fact, it was a little overwhelming (in a good way), but I felt so warm and so at peace. How can anyone deny The Spirit? 

I know this gospel is true. I know that Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ live. I love this gospel. I love going to the temple and the work that is performed there, I love my family, and I love my best friend, Jesus Christ. 

Psalm 27:1

The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? 

Isaiah 12:2

Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and not be afraid: for the Lord JEHOVAH is my strength and my song; he also is become my salvation. 

September 19

Not much to report this week. We did the usual chores on Monday. We went to the Mitsuwa Japanese market. It was so fun! I bought dried squid. I haven't eaten it since I was fifteen and I remember liking it. It's really tasty! 

This week was a little rough though. We've been contacting all week and meeting new people and getting numbers. But we also faced a lot of rejection and met a few atheists. Some just said they didn't believe in God, others would try to argue with us. One man told us he didn't believe that Jesus Christ doesn't exist only because "they didn't have last names back then." 

Another lady told us she was Christian. As we introduced her to the Book of Mormon, she told us to put it away and read the bible. 

At first I was feeling discouraged about this week. But last night, I remembered that discouragement is one of Satan's most powerful tools. I'm glad I remembered it and recognized who was making me feel this way. So I started counting my blessings. I have two awesome companions who want to help me, more people know who we are, even if they didn't listen to us, and our potentials list is growing because someone did listen to us. We didn't have many lessons this week, but we worked a lot and did our best. 

Another positive note: we got to sing in sacrament yesterday. We sang "Savior Redeemer of My Soul."  Our new companion played the piano and it was beautiful! And then we got to sing at the Why I Believe Fireside.  It was very beautiful and spiritual. 

Again, not much to report on this week. It's a new week, so it will be better.

You Are Special!

This was a crazy week, and another crazy week is coming! Last Monday, we got our hair trimmed- my hair feels great! We then had a lesson at Bishop Thawley's house with Chris and Kim. He wasn't sure about baptism yet, so we set another appointment for Friday, and prayed extra hard for him.

On Tuesday, I realized I have been on my mission for 11 months! Ahhh!  It's so exciting! At the institute building, they've started doing lunches on Tuesdays since school is back in. We saw two special people later that day. First we saw Tammira, who is a sweet old lady who's excited to go to the temple. And then we saw Marilyn, who has two bears - I mean wolves - I mean really big dogs that are part wolves. We were able to read 1 Nephi 4. It's one of my favorite chapters because it makes me think of when I was little and watching the cartoon when Nephi's brothers went to run away, and then Nephi calling out to them, and then Zoram trying to run away, and then Nephi football-tackling him.... he basically is saying -  

"WAIT!!! EVERYBODY CALM DOWN!!!"  ....it's a funny chapter.  

That evening, we met some part member families who basically told us to come back another time and teach their spouses. It was pretty awesome. Wednesday was hard. We didn't have any set appointments, so we did a lot of finding. We have been finding a lot of people who are interested in our message. All of which were YSA age. It's been an awesome week for finding! Thursday was pretty slow too. We did our weekly planning and worked on contacting and service. At the end of the day, we got to go to institute dinner, which is always nice. 

On Friday, we had service and contacting again, and then went to the Thawley's to teach Chris again. Kim shared 2 Nephi 31. And then Bishop Thawley talked about some of the commandments and then the Word of Wisdom. He asked Chris if he would follow the Word of Wisdom and Chris said yes without hesitation or objections! We asked again if he would be baptized and he and Kim looked at their work schedule so he could come to church. He said yes to baptism!!! He's getting baptized on September 18!!! We are so happy and excited for him. 

And to add to our excitement, some Temple Square sisters are coming into our mission, and one will be staying with us for the rest of this transfer. (We're not 100% sure what's going to happen after that.) We are so excited to meet our new Sister! We're going to be in a trio! So much excitement! Sometimes, I wonder how I'm going to make it through the busy weeks, but I keep reminding myself, all I have to do right now is...! -  And that helps me focus on the thing I'm supposed to be focused on.

We had an amazing lesson on Sunday about not putting ourselves down. When we have negative thoughts, we put ourselves in a negative mood. We become stressed. Nothing goes our way, or so it seems. We just have to trust in the Lord, and remember that He loves us and doesn't want us to put ourselves down. Sara finished her lesson by reading You Are Special - one of my favorite childhood stories. A lot of us cried as she read the story. The message behind it is so sweet! God will always love us no matter what, because we are His. 

My favorite scripture this week:

2 Nephi 31:20 - Wherefore, ye must press forward with a steadfastness in Christ, having a perfect brightness of hope, and a love of God and of all men. Wherefore, if ye shall press forward, feasting upon the word of Christ, and endure to the end, behold, thus saith the Father: Ye shall have eternal life.

-Always, Sister Brown

"Delighteth" - Such an Awesome Word!

This week was great! We taught Chris on Tuesday at our Bishop's house. Kim (Chris' girlfriend) who is a member, was there too. It was so awesome! Bishop Thawley and Kim helped us teach him. Bishop Thawley even shared some of his experiences of when he joined the church. We could tell Chris had felt something when we taught him about the Prophet Joseph, and when he saw God and Jesus Christ. It was the best lesson ever!

On Wednesday, we had Zone Conference. I took a lot of notes and felt so spiritually uplifted. I learned that I focus a lot better when I take notes. My life is full of writing!  I love writing!! One night, we went to the institute for the YSA BBQ. Classes are starting again this week! I love being in a YSA Ward and I saw some old friends too. Cameron and Keyza were at the BBQ, and so was Jordan. It was so good to see them.  I also met a girl named Sherry from China. I told her that I was interested in Asian countries, and she told me that she was interested in the Western countries, like America! Funny how that works, haha.

Saturday was amazing! We had the opportunity to hear from Bishop Causse and his wife. They are from France and they are awesome. Their talks were so amazing. Bishop Causse gave us some tips for planning and finding. Later that day, we went out to do some service, but turns out they didn't need us, so instead, we went contacting around the area. Turns out...again...there were a lot of people around. A lot of YSA people were interested in our message. We taught seven people that day, and tried talking to many more. However, one man bluntly told us he was an atheist. I was so sad to hear that - that someone didn't believe in our Heavenly Father and in our Savior, Jesus Christ. But then we visited a member who gave us two referrals. The next day after church and after "Linger Longer", we went to their houses to try and visit with them. The old man rejected us, and the old lady said she was fine with her own religion. She was however, impressed by how young we are. Then we ran into this guy who is feeling very lost and trying to find his purpose in life. We referred him to the Elders, and it was amazing!  This week seems like it was so long, and yet it went by so fast! That doesn't make sense - what is time??  Haha!

Scripture of the Week:

2 Nephi 4:15 - "And upon these plates I write the things of my soul, and many of the scriptures which are engraven upon the plates of brass.  For my soul delighteth in the scriptures, and my heart pondereth them, and writeth them for the learning and the profit of my children."

I love you all and I hope and pray you are all doing well.

-Always, Sister Brown!

The Sacrament

This week was kind of slow as far as the work goes. But, it was much better than last week as far as mail goes! I got a lot of support from my family and my friends. I LOVE yous!!!

Every morning this week, I have woken up to overcast skies, and I can smell the ocean.  It makes me homesick for Nova Scotia. Haha! Of all places to be homesick for, that's one of the best. But that small island up north will always have a special place in my heart. I feel like the overcast skies are a tender mercy from the Lord. I am reminded that my Grandparents are proud of me and that they love me.

A lot of YSA are working hard to help us with missionary work. Parker is handing out Spanish Books of Mormon to people he knows for the Spanish Ward, groups of friends are working together to find people for us to teach, and the Bishop has a goal to get 100 people to Sacrament on September 11. We went on exchanges with the Tongan Sisters again. I was with Sister Unga. She's the best Tongan ever! I LOVE her! She is so funny!

I learned that faith really does require action. On Friday, as I woke, I felt my allergies kicking in. But I got up and got ready anyways. I had faith that if I worked and as the day went on, I would feel better- and I did! Faith without works is dead.  Like I said, it was a slow week for teaching, but we did a lot of finding and walking, and finding and walking. Did I mention finding?

And then there was Sunday - I don't even want to mention Sunday and how busy it was, and the fact that our lesson had to cancel. But hey, we got through this week! It makes me feel strong and powerful. The nice thing about Sunday was the lesson we had in relief society.  It was about the Sacrament and what it's meaning is really all about. We put on blindfolds and held out our hands. We got to feel a leaf, a whip (ropes), a nail, and hands. We listened to a whip and someone hammering the nails. Then a song played about Christ's resurrection. We felt hands grasp ours. The feeling of the nail and the hands lingered. I felt the Spirit so strongly. It felt as though Christ was in the room. It was so wonderful! The Sacrament means so much more now. Christ sacrificed His life for us, so that we could repent, find happiness in this life, and not suffer as He did. I am so thankful for my Best Friend. 

- Always, Sister Brown

Charity - The Pure Love of Christ

This was an interesting week. Sister Hughes and I are pretty exhausted from all the work this week. We've been doing a lot of walking, trying to find people to teach. 

On Thursday, we went to institute for dinner and the lesson after was about Charity. It really spoke to Sister Hughes and I. We know that charity is the pure love of Christ. And it can help others come unto Him. 

On Friday, we went to a YSA Conference with a member named Kim and her boyfriend Chris.  He's a non-member, and he seemed to enjoy his time with us and at the conference.  On Sunday, we taught him about praying to our Heavenly Father.  He said he was interested in learning more about the gospel! 

Another YSA we keep running into seems interested in our message as well.  He's very spiritual and kind.  Actually, we've been finding a lot of YSA people to teach. 

This week went by a little slow but it was fast at the same time. I don't know how to explain it. 

Not much happened this week either except we're finding new people to teach and the other usual missionary work. So sorry this is a short update.

But I'd like to end with my testimony.  Miracles do happen, even in the midst of trials.  As long as we put our trust in Heavenly Father and ask for His help in faith, we can conquer and achieve anything. 

-Always, Sister Brown 

A Golden Street

This week was awesome! And it went by so fast!

Last Monday, we went to Rocket Fizz with Sister Hosea and Sister Unga.

It was so fun! I got more Pez candy, jelly beans, and root beer. We decided to relax for the rest of that day until it was time to go on exchanges. I went with Sister Hosea to John Tanner's baptism! It was amazing! I was so happy for him. And he and Sabrina seem happy too!

This week was the usual missionary stuff. We've been contacting on a street that is golden! On this street, we walk and meet someone to talk to, and then we turn and there's another person to talk to! And the best part: they have actually been interested in our message!

We have also been doing a lot with the members. On Tuesday, we made cookies with Bryant and he had someone in mind he could give them to.  On Wednesday, we went to another member's house and she gave us a referral! She's working with her and basically invited her friend to take the lessons. Amanda's friend is interested in the church and believes in the Priesthood Authority. She had been asking Amanda questions just out of curiosity. Amanda basically told her that she invited us missionaries over for dinner and having us teach her. She told her friend the missionaries can teach her. It was awesome!

We have another investigator named Cecilia, who is 91 years old - but doesn't act like it! She is interested in our church, and has no objections, and asked questions because she's genuinely curious! She is awesome! She's still a little set in her ways and isn't sure she wants to get baptized. She says she's stubborn, and yet she doesn't object to Joseph Smith or the church. She's definitely not as stubborn as she thinks she is.

Sister Hughes had a birthday this week! She is now 20! She kept saying: "I'm 20 now... That's so weird..."  We went to Greenfinger and sang happy birthday. We had lunch with the Tongan Sisters. They made her a cake. Then they came over later that night and brought her cupcakes. At our dinner appointment, they gave us gluten free cake... So much cake was eaten that day.

We had a great week! It was awesome! And I love Sister Hughes! She's the best!

- Always, Sister Brown

Something Good in Every Day - Might Even be Guacamole!

"Every day might not be good, 
                             but there is something good in every day."

Hi y'all.  Another crazy week.
I think I'm slowly losing my mind, haha! All I think about is missionary work, baptisms, food, sleep and even super heroes. Time is flying by. Last Monday, we decided it was time to just relax - and so we did just that. It's a refreshing thing to do.
This week we have come up with a finding idea to teach the Restoration to members, and then invite them to have someone they know learn this lesson from us. It's still a new finding idea for us, and we are planning to follow up with members in the coming weeks. This finding idea has also resulted in a lot of families wanting to feed us - which is a good thing for us.  Oh happy day!

One of our investigators texted us and asked if we could meet. We have faith that he will get baptized, but he just hasn't been coming to church. And you kind of have to come to church. So that's been hard. On Tuesday, my companion had to go to the dentist. She was having a problem with her tooth but was able to get it fixed. She knows when she needs a priesthood blessing to help her with direction and with her trials. I've learned that having the priesthood available can help you in your life. I actually learned that when I was in the Young Women program. I've never been afraid to ask for a priesthood blessing, and have always found great comfort knowing I have that special blessing in my life. I'm grateful for my Dad, and that he has priesthood power and can bless his family with healing, protection and support when needed.

Last week, we also had mission interviews with President and Sister Mella. Those two people are so awesome and I'm grateful to be blessed to serve with them.

A major accomplishment for me - I've discovered that I like guacamole and it agrees with me. No sick stomach feeling!!  It's so strange how tastes can change as one ages.

For the rest of the week, we had a lot of members cancel appointments, so that makes things a little stressful because now it's like: "What are we supposed to do now?" That's why it's always good to have backup plans. I've learned that things don't always turn out the way you want them to. We talked with the Elders who we co-cover with about the less-active list. We reviewed what we were able to get done, but we realized that we were also very tired and unfocused.

On Thursday, more of our appointments canceled, and we were trying to figure out our schedule for the next day. We went to see our investigator again - but he forgot about the appointment. On Friday we went to a baptism in Sister Hughes' previous area. It was a very spiritual night and just what we needed.  Then on Sunday, we attended church - but no investigator. We were praying so hard for him to come and attend Sacrament meeting. A member from the ward had even offered to go and pick him up to bring him to church, but he wasn't home. Looks like he decided not to come, but we'll continue to pray for him.

So it's been a stressful week, but we're hoping the member lessons will pay off.  I'll sign off for now and bid you adieu...leaving you with these thoughtful words again...

"Every day might not be good, 
                             but there is something good in every day."

I LOVE MY MISSION!!!

- Always, Sister Brown