"Because of Him"

This week was amazing!  Some highlights were: we had Stake Conference last Sunday, with Elder Sitati of the Seventy. We went to the mission office with our Zone to surprise the AP's (Assistants to the President).  It was Elder Cusworth's birthday! We sprayed him with silly string! It was so fun! We got his white shirt all messy though.

For my week:

Last Monday for p-day, we went with Stacey to Powell's, a classy candy store.  There was one wall with loads of Jelly Bellies.  And yes, I did get a big bag of those ;)  Later that night, we taped hearts on her door with Matt and Linda for Family Home Evening...we really hoped it would help to lift her spirits. Tuesday, we had mission tour. Elder and Sister Sitati both spoke. He gave us great missionary advice. He answered our questions and helped us with concerns about missionary work. On Wednesday, we got to watch the Missionary Worldwide Broadcast and it was awesome. They talked about how the gospel isn't complicated, and we must not make it complicated. It's amazing that the Gospel is so simple that even a child can understand its teachings.

This week went by so fast! We wrote some kind thoughts from our hearts and sent them to our friend Kimberly; she's been going through a hard time. She texted us later on and told us she never had someone care for her so much before. She is a wonderful person and should be loved by many. She thanked us and told us she loves us. It made my heart warm, and I was so happy. Then we taught Stacey and had lunch with her.  Sister Hosea showed her the video: "Because of Him".

This video gives me goose bumps. I felt our Savior's love for each and every one of us, and thought of how amazing it is that we are able to accomplish so many things because of Him. Unfortunately, others don't have the same feelings when they watch it. I was surprised to learn that some people don't like church videos because they think they are too "cheese-ball". That made me so sad. I had felt the Spirit while watching the video and yet others don't. We have tried to find ways to teach people so that they would feel His love reaching out to them. But I've noticed that sometimes people dwell on the little things, like how the video is made or the actor that is used, and because of that, they miss the wonderful messages that are being taught. We have so much because of Christ. We decided we would stick to sharing scriptures with some of those we are teaching. Everyone learns differently, right?

We had dinner with Marina and her family.  They are so fun!  They have all these Star Trek action figures! The family is really into SIFI. They like Doctor Who, Star Wars, Star Trek, Marvel, and other things I haven't heard of or seen! She even presented me with a Doctor Who necklace, a late Christmas present. I am so grateful I have met this family, and I hope and pray I have been able to be a good example to them. You never know how much of a blessing you are for someone else's life. This week, we also had interviews with President Mella.  He is the best!  He's like a second father to me. Sister Mella is like a second mother to me, she is sweet and makes sure she's taking care of the missionaries. (But no one can replace my Mom and Dad ;) ) I got to meet Sister Mella's sister, and she gave me some gluten free bread! It was the tastiest bread ever, and yes, I finished it in three days. 

We met a young man named McKoy and invited him to Yogurt Land. Throughout the week we tried to text him and call him, so that he wouldn't forget to meet us. He didn't reply and we were worried that he had forgotten. So we drove to Yogurt Land to see if he remembered, just in case. Then, when we got there- he was there! And...he brought his girlfriend!!! It was awesome! It was a miracle from Heavenly Father!

On Saturday morning, we went contacting. We didn't have much luck finding anyone. People kept rejecting us. We went to do service at Goodwill, and met a man named Fernando who noticed my name tag. He began asking us questions about the church. He said he was Catholic, but wasn't sure if he still believed in his church.  He read the Bible many times and it said there is one God, and that we should only worship him, but his Church worshiped Mary and not God and he was confused. He is now seeking for more truth.

Later that night, we had dinner with Jordan. He invited his friend and their family. Her name was Juliet, and she was very receptive to the Spirit. I wanted to ask her if she wanted to learn more about our church. These feelings kept building and building and I felt like if I didn't speak up, I was going to explode! So I finally mustered enough courage and asked her, and she said YES!!! After dinner, I was jumping and giggling like a fangirl and my heart was full of joy and hope. Just that same day, I was feeling anxious about finding people to teach and about baptisms. I didn't want to be like Cookie Monster and say: ME WANT BAPTISMS NOW! AND COOKIES!!! But then I saw these miracles throughout the week. We may not have changed someone's life to the point where they want to be baptized and join the church, but we've made new friends and have been able teach them about how much the Savior loves them. I'm excited to see what's going to happen. I know we will see great changes out here, and that we'll be directed by Heavenly Father to help those who need us.

-Always, Sister Brown

They Had Been Taught By Their Mothers!

We got a lot done this week! We got a lot of service and contacting in. We usually go to Goodwill, a thrift store that has a lot of interesting things. They usually have us organize clothes or shelves. I like it... I like reorganizing things. I'm not the only one like this...right? It's a good thing! We also do service at Guadalupe, a nice outdoor park. They had us pull weeds in a small area. 

I talked with Sister Grant and she told me she could see me as a movie director. I told her I love acting, but I'm afraid to go into it. (I'm also afraid of Hollywood). But I did tell her about how much I LOVE the Book of Mormon. She said I could make Book of Mormon movies and work for the church. I thought that was an interesting idea. 

As we continued service, Sister Hosea, Sister Grant, and Sister Posadas tried this strange fruit- almost like a nut, that had fallen to the ground from a tree. They found out later that it was called buck-eye. And... it's poisonous...!  Native Americans used Buck-eye to catch fish. They put it in the water and it would stupefy the fish. Ummm, good lesson here - I sure learned something new! And so did Sister Hosea: don't eat things you don't know what they are. She and the other sisters were fine. They hadn't swallowed it, and they didn't have any reactions to it. I'm so grateful that my Mama taught me to listen to my gut feelings, to my woman's intuition, or in other words, to listen to the spirit as it gently teaches and guides us to keep us safe.  I love this scripture and it's especially for my Mama...

Alma 56:47-48  Now they never had fought, yet they did not fear death; and they did think more upon the liberty of their fathers than they did upon their lives; yea, they had been taught by their mothers, that if they did not doubt, God would deliver them. And they rehearsed unto me the words of their mothers, saying: We do not doubt our mothers knew it.

As we visited a member named Tiffany, I explained to her what faith means to me. Faith is having a gut feeling, or I should say a strong feeling in my heart, a knowing that something good is going to happen. Lately I've been feeling like that and it's keeping me motivated.  

Something good IS going to happen! 

One night, we had dinner with a member. He was certain that the food was gluten free, however, later that night, I was starting to feel sick. We went to the Mellas so Sister Hosea could meet with the President, and Sister Mella and I watched the "Testaments". I love, love, love that movie!!! ^_^

But later that night, I was feeling the affects of some glutenous consumption and I could barely move without feeling like I was going to toss my cookies. My companion was worried and I told her I just needed a good night sleep. So I took some medication to help me rest and went to bed. The next morning, my stomach was better but I had a major headache. I came to the conclusion that if I just got ready and went out I would feel better. I got this feeling to go to Almaden Lake Park and do some contacting. I figured the fresh air would clear my head, and it did! AND- I passed out two Books of Mormon!!! Now that's faith...AND motivation! There was a woman who wasn't sure about her church, and she wasn't sure if it was okay to ask questions. She gladly took a Book of Mormon. I know it'll answer her questions! 

A member in the Ward is getting ready to turn in his mission papers! :) ...So exciting! We're helping and teaching him in any way we can! I know that when we put the Lord first, and we remember to help and serve our brothers and sisters, even if we might be feeling tired or sick or lonely, we will be blessed!

Mosiah 2:17 And behold, I tell you these things that ye may learn wisdom; that ye may learn that when ye are in the service of your fellow beings ye are only in the service of your God.

Another member brings his non-member friend to church. This young man has a testimony of the church and wants to be baptized but he's just not sure when yet, and he wants his friend to baptize him! We're making plans to meet with him and invite him. I'm excited and hopeful for what's to come! :) 

-  Always, Sister Brown 

Heavenly Father, Are You Really There?

This week was very interesting.  Sister Hosea is awesome! She comes up with all these "finding" ideas that I never would have thought of myself! We've been visiting members so we can both get to know them better. It's fun to meet new people and see what their interests are. That's what I love about the mission. You always have the opportunity to make new friends. I always try to keep that in mind when we go out contacting.  This week, we also went around to meet less active members. They either weren't home or weren't interested. But whoever was at the house, we still introduced ourselves as missionaries of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. We taught Francis, a convert who basically teaches himself. I've learned to ask questions to investigators (and members) that will get them to actually be part of the conversation, and they basically teach themselves. That's the way it should be - people should investigate and learn all they can to find out things for themselves. We had a lesson with Stella this week. She's very open to the gospel. She prays every day to Heavenly Father. He is everything to her. But she believes that all churches are of God, and that she's already been baptized by the right authority. We decided it was time for her to meet the Elders or Sisters who are serving in her area so when the time comes, she can go to a family Ward.  She's adorable and I will miss seeing her. 

Sometimes in the mission, we missionaries feel vulnerable in different ways. For some, they may be homesick, for others it may be temptation. For me, it's being afraid of the dark.  I feel vulnerable and would have trouble sleeping at night. But, when I say my personal prayers, I ask Heavenly Father to protect me while I'm sleeping, that I will have pleasant dreams, and that I'll feel safe. It helps a lot. Sometimes I'll think of the song: "A Child's Prayer", or "Come, Come, Ye Saints". Those songs really bring me peace, and the first one makes me think of my Sister. :)  I remember singing this with her in sacrament meeting when I was a little girl.

"Heavenly Father, are you really there,

And do you hear and answer every child's prayer?

Some say that Heaven is far away,

But I feel it close around me as I pray.

Heavenly Father, I remember now,

Something that Jesus told Disciples long ago,

Suffer the children to come to me,

Father, in prayer I'm coming now to thee."

I also remember that Satan is afraid of my Mama. I remember one time when I was a little girl, that I was awake one night, afraid that monster Satan was going to get me. My mom came and comforted me. She said: "Satan can't get you, you know why?" "Why?" I asked.  "Because HE'S afraid of ME!" Mom said. I didn't doubt that at the time, and I've remembered it ever since.  

On Friday, during Zone Sports, we were playing basketball. I'm not an athlete, but I still play with my Zone to have fun and be part of the group, even if I do stand there, not knowing what to do. As we were playing... I honestly don't know how it happened. All I know is that it was an accident.  I got hit square in the face. It hurt... I was crying tears of pain AND embarrassment. I felt dizzy and my head was hurting a little. But, those poor Elders... Whenever we play sports and an Elder gets hit, the others just laugh and shake it off.  When a Sister (like me) gets hit, it's like the end of the world, or the Second Coming is here!  I'll keep playing sports of course, but I'll just be a little more careful. It's how we learn and grow. Let's just hope the Elders will let me play ;) 

We made vision boards! Yay! In our vision boards, we put things on like what we want to accomplish in the future. Besides goals for baptisms and obeying with exactness, we also want to meet our eternal companions and have a family. Vision boards are a great way to keep our goals in focus.

The next day, we went to a baptism in Sister Hosea's old area. They gave us food... like... A lot of food. I couldn't eat much, because there was gluten in most of it. But I took it anyways to show appreciation. At first I had wondered why I was in the English Program, and not the Spanish or Polynesian Program. Now I understand. Heavenly Father knows what I have. On the mission, I learned for myself that I couldn't eat gluten. Heavenly Father works in mysterious ways. 

Yesterday after church, we went to visit some members we haven't seen around in awhile. At one house, we learned the member had moved away, but when the person who lived there answered the door, she snapped at us, saying she had a "No Soliciting" sign on the door, and that there was no reason to wake her up. We were sorry we disturbed her sleep. We explained that we were missionaries and we were looking for the previous owner. She said she didn't know who that was. She told us she wasn't interested and to never come back and wake her up. 

I felt sad for her and I learned a valuable lesson here. Some people don't see the blessings until they are ready to accept the Gospel, like Stella. But it made me think, if the Savior knocked on your door while you were sleeping, would you be grumpy at him for waking you, or would you let him in and listen to what he has to say? Stella was asleep when we first visited her, and she was so thankful that we came to see her. The other lady wasn't quite ready yet. 

But we should always be ready for the Savior, because he's always ready for us. He's there to listen, to help, to teach, and most especially to love us, and we should be ever ready to receive him.

- Always, Sister Brown

A New Year - A New Companion!!

I am no longer considered a "Greenie" - I have graduated!  I have a new Companion and I love my new Companion! Sister Hosea is the best! We exercise, study, and obey the White Handbook with exactness! It's important to be obedient to Heavenly Father's commandments. Obedience=Blessings! We've already been seeing blessings in our mission from being obedient! I've seen a huge improvement in myself. My sleep is better, my appetite is better, my studying is better, and even the way I say a prayer is better! Improvement and progression have one eternal round.  My happiness is also increasing. My love for Heavenly Father and everyone around me is increasing - all because Sister Hosea and I simply decided to be obedient. 

We met this sweet little old lady named Stella. We actually woke her up when we came to visit. But she invited us in and became very excited when she realized we believe in Jesus Christ. She is 72 years old. But she looks much younger. I told her she must be taking good care of herself. She replied: "I don't take care of myself, the Lord takes care of me." After a while, she kept thanking God for sending two angels to come visit her for New Years. My heart was leaping with joy! The Lord has definitely prepared her to hear our message. We're visiting her this week and we are very excited!

Sister Hosea pointed out that I'm good at remembering the little (but important) details. Like, remembering to lock the door, or remembering we need to call or text someone. I was happy to hear that. I never thought of that before. We've been visiting members throughout the week so Sister Hosea could get to know them.  I love her so much! ^_^  I feel like I can learn a lot from her. Yesterday she showed me an app that shows my family tree and I could not stop playing with it! (She should never have shown it to me because I love it!) I found my great-great grandma Hilma Wilhelmina Jansson! She's from Sweden! I was so excited to learn about this. I was into Scandinavian folklore before my mission and I couldn't figure out why! Now I know! I have Swedish blood in me! ^_^ 

I love family history because I like learning family names and new names.
I JUST LOVE FAMILY HISTORY EVERYONE!
Do your family history!!!  You will love it too!!

-Always, Sister Brown

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

Christmas came sooooo fast! California is crazy at Christmas. It's hard to find a parking space at the mall with all this Christmas shopping! In Downtown San Jose, they have a small amusement park. At Christmas, they set up all kinds of fun displays.  It's called Christmas in the Park. It was so much fun! Randy Clair was kind enough to take us to the park with her son, Jonathan.  We went to the Old Spaghetti Factory, and they had gluten-free options! :)
Sister Uelese had trouble remembering what I can and can't eat, so I came up with some rhymes: Bread is Dead. Meat is Neat :)

The day before Christmas, we went caroling with some elders and sisters.  We sang for the senior citizens in the senior homes.  They loved us! :)  It felt so good to make them so happy :)
On Christmas Eve, we had a missionary Christmas Party.  We ate breakfast, had a a talent show, and watched a movie: "The Other Side of Heaven".  

There are some elders here that remind me of the missionaries from the movie - "The Best Two Years": Elder Smoot, and Elder Ravirez- possibly an unlikely companionship. And Elder Davis- the chill trainer, and Elder Nash- the trainee! They are hilarious!

On Christmas Day, I did what my family would usually do: get up straight away and head to the presents. I let my companion sleep in because she stayed up real late waiting for Santa. I sang "We Wish You a Merry Christmas!" softly to myself because that's what I've done my whole life with my siblings to wake our parents on Christmas morning. I had the time of my life opening presents! I thought to myself... I bet my family is home, opening presents right now- just like me! However, when I face-timed them, they hadn't even touched their presents! They were all anxiously waiting for me to call! Bless them! I love my family! Along with all my family gifts, Bishop Judd and his family gave us necklaces, and a few members gave us presents as well.  I also received cards and greetings from friends and family from home!  Thank you, thank you everyone!  It was a GREAT CHRISTMAS!

We went to dinner, and then went with some Elders to walk down a street with beautiful houses and gorgeous lights! The day after, I guess it's safe to say a lot of the missionaries were lazy. Including us! :) I made gluten-free pancakes... but it appears I could use some more practice :) they were tasty though :)
Yesterday, we had an outgoing for the missionaries.  Sister Lisala is leaving today. Sister Uelese had a hard time saying goodbye to her. I felt bad, but I reminded her that it's not really goodbye. They would see each other again. :)

I am thankful for the plan of salvation. Families can be together forever!  And that family can be our family on earth, and it can include our friends. Our friends are an important part of our families. Those people we love, no matter who, can be with us forever. And let's never forget who made it all possible.  The tiny babe, born to us this Christmas Day, a Savior who is Christ the Lord.  He came into this world because He loves us so much.  And He wants us to return home again someday, so that we can all be together forever!


- Always!  Sister Brown

"Believe"

Last Monday, we went to this Trampoline place called "Rockin' Jump". It was super fun! There were three little girls who just loved us and they kept following us around.  They thought we were the coolest people ever!  A great reminder to always be a good example no matter where we go or what we are doing.

The next day, we went to Guadalupe Park to do some service, but we were in for a surprise! They saved one of the rooms just for us so we could sit, relax, and eat. They wanted to show us appreciation for all the work we do for them.  How cool is that?

It's official: I've started the Gluten-Free diet. It's not as easy as it seems, but my tummy feels a lot better :)  But it's hard when you have to tell people you can't eat the food they cook for you because it could make you sick. In the Hispanic Program, they don't seem to understand what Gluten-Free means. I got really sick on exchanges. It was no fun :(

We're looking for investigators, but we haven't really found any. The Ward really wants to help us more to get new investigators so that we can teach lessons each week.  We've been meeting with members, but I had an idea to have them bring less-active or non-member friends.
We met with Kimberly this week, and Rachel. Kimberly is a returning member. It seems things are working out for her. She has a nice boyfriend, she's coming to church more, and she's making great efforts at taking good care of herself.  It seems like she's figuring things out. Keyza is also a returning member. She's so sweet and friendly, and she says hi to everyone all the time. She's been taking on so much responsibility to help hand out gifts to families this year.  My week felt really slow, with not much work getting done. Honestly, I think we need to work harder. We need to continue with ideas with the Ward, and build it up and bring the gospel of Jesus Christ to more people.

On Saturday, we went to the YSA Ward Christmas Party. It was The Polar Express themed. It was so much fun and I drank so much hot chocolate! Brother Whitmarsh dressed up as the conductor! He had a mustache and everything!   It was awesome!


"Believe in what your heart is saying
Hear the melody that's playing
There's no time to waste
There's so much to celebrate
Believe in what you feel inside 
And give your dreams the wings to fly
You have everything you need
If you just believe"

I love the message to Believe.  And especially at this time of year, to believe in our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, who came to save us all.  How I love my Savior and am so grateful for everything He has done for me!  My service for Him is such a small thing compared to what He has done for me.

Yesterday, we had the South San Jose Stake Christmas Sing-Along Fireside. The wards gathered and sang Christmas songs, all about Christ. I sang with the Zone: "It came Upon the Midnight Clear", and with the YSA Ward: "Born is the Light of the World". It was beautiful and spiritual, and my heart was full!

Wishing everyone a very Merry Christmas!
- Always, Sister Brown

The Roots of the Redwoods - The Roots of our Ancestors!

Hello my dear family and friends...
This week's update: -

Last Monday was so much fun! We got to hang out with Sister Carter and Sister Riggs.  We went to the Big Basin Redwoods State Park.  We saw the Mother Tree and Father Tree of the forest. And wow those trees are HUUUUUUUUGE! Sister Fitz, a secretary at the institute building was kind enough to drive us.  We included her in our pictures and made sure she had fun too. We went to the original Pizza my Heart and then to a bakery filled with lots of goodies that probably would've made me sick if I had partaken of such a feast, but they looked ooohhhh so good!

 After that, we went to the Mystery Spot.  Everything there is lopsided and crazy!  Inside the cabin it's lopsided and confusing! I got vertigo when I was in there. Either it's all an optical illusion, or the magnitude forgot how to do its job.

We went on exchanges this week.  I went with Sister Péna to the Spanish program. It was so different for me because we go to houses where they just speak Spanish (imagine that!).  And sometimes they look at me as if I'm going to say something but all I can say is: Aloa, coma estas? And: Lo siento, no ablo Espaniol... It's kind of frustrating.  I'm starting to recognize some Samoan and Tongan though.:)

I got sick during exchanges because I probably ate something "wheaty" and didn't know it and my stomach was hurting bad.  My companion, Sister Uelese, who tends to worry about me decided I should go home early the next day. :)

For dinner, we went to Amanda's house. She's a member in the YSA ward and is living with her Uncle and Aunt.  Her uncle is from Finland, and we talked about Finish Folklore. It's very different from Swedish and Norwegian Folklore.  I felt good that I got him to talk about himself and his background.  He was in his glory!  I don't know why I'm so fascinated by those cultures. Maybe I have some Scandinavian blood in me somewhere.  I should do family history for that. :)  Family history is important because you can help your ancestors with their temple ordinances.  But we can also find out where our ancestors came from, what brought them to America, all about their hardships and accomplishments, and just realize that they are so real to us. I love researching things!

I am reminded of the great and magnificent Redwoods, whose roots are planted deep in healthy soil. They have grown for centuries and have withstood the test of time and all that nature has thrown at them.  Liken this to our ancestors whose roots are sown deep within each one of us, reaching through decades of time and making us the people who we are today.  Those ancestral roots have also stood the test of time and we must continue to honor them who have gone before, and those who have yet to come, keeping our family planted in good soil for time and all eternity.

My scripture study has improved so much! I love it! It's so fun! I'm such a nerd- I think studying is fun! ^_^ Sister Uelese had to take the ACT test this week at the local high school. She's applying for BYU Idaho and BYU Hawaii.  But now that she's in the United States, she had to take the ACT.  I went with her of course because we are not supposed to be separated, but the teacher wouldn't let me sit in the class. And here's something new that I learned.  Because California doesn't get snow, they have made the schools very outdoors-ish. The classrooms are set in different buildings. And there's no hallways. They're all outside. So I was expected to either sit outside in the cold for four hours, or sit in the car for four hours - by myself.  Haha! NO!

I have to admit that I was freaking out a little bit because I didn't have my companion with me.  I called President, (and yes I was crying), because I felt like I was breaking a rule.  But thank goodness President Mella is patient and understanding.  He was probably laughing.  He said: "It's been a while since you've been somewhere without having someone there with you, eh Sister Brown?"  So I got to hang out with Sister Mella for the rest of that morning.  She took me to the Ward Christmas Party. It was Polar Express themed.  Then I took a nap at their house. Afterwards I picked up Sister Uelese and she took a nap as well, as Sister Mella suggested.

In Ward Council yesterday, they all talked about how they need to help us more by planning lessons and finding people who need us.  I keep finding so many awesome scriptures!
2 Corinthians 5:7   "For we walk by faith, not by sight." 
This scripture made me think of a quote from The Polar Express:
"Sometimes seeing is believing, and most times, the most real things in the world are the things we can't see."

Here's some more scriptures!
Mosiah 15:25  "And little children also have eternal life."
Mosiah 14: 3-5  "And with his stripes, we are healed."
Oh how I love being a missionary

Always -Sister Brown