The Beauty of Lupines

I am writing today from the library - yes, the library! It's so painful to be surrounded by all of these wonderful books and not have the time to read!!!  Must...control...myself...

What a week!
I'm not sure if I have much to report on. But here it goes:

As we were visiting Bonnie, we ran into an elderly lady. I asked her if she needed help with anything. She said she was fine. I asked her what her name was, and she introduced herself as Betsy. As I was introducing myself and Sister Vaisa she immediately became defensive told us she was not interested. I asked if she knew anyone who would be. She turned to us and said: "I don't think they allow solicitors in this area." I tried to explain to her that we're not solicitors, but she just kept walking away. It made me sad and a little frustrated. Oh well, I shrugged it off. But I thought it would be a funny story to tell.

That's not the first time I've been rejected. Some people will tell us things trying to hurt our feelings, or to get us to go away. It's hard, but there are still others who are ready to hear. But I've noticed in those moments when people reject us and question the gospel, if we put our faith and trust in Heavenly Father, then we can be strong in those moments. And nothing can knock us down.

This week, Sister Vaisa seemed frustrated about learning the lessons. I told her this gospel is so simple, that a child can understand it. She asked if the gospel is so simple, why is she having a hard time getting the lessons down. I told her it's like exercising faith- which is like exercising your muscles. You have to exercise every day in order for them to be stronger, if you don't, your muscles will get weak.

On Saturday, I woke up at 5:30 for sports just to get hit in the face with a volleyball. This time someone threw it at me. I think I should just quit trying to do sports and just focus on art and writing and theater, because I'm tired of getting hit in the face...blah!

On the bright side... (drum roll please) BAPTISM!!!!

I was given permission to visit my previous area and to be there for Joe's baptism. It was awesome! He has been very ill for a while, and I know that obeying God's commandments can bring us blessings. And he really needs it. I am so happy for him and the decision he's made. I got to say hi to Sister Hosea and Sister Riggs. I also got to see the Judd's, and others from the Branham Ward. I love them all so much and miss them so much already!

Baptism has been on my mind a lot lately. I know I've gotten two now, that I was involved in at least. But yeah, I hope to plant more seeds. And I hope I've been a blessing for the members. I just want to make sure I come back knowing I've made a difference. But I'm not discouraged. I still have a year thank goodness!

This reminds me of one of my favorite stories as a child: "Mrs. Rumphius" or the "Lupine Lady". In my childhood, I remember that Mrs. Rumphius wanted to make her town look cheerful. So she started by planting Lupine seeds. She planted them everywhere!  Over time, those Lupine seeds had spread their beautiful colors and appearance all over the town, bringing happiness and joy to everyone. Spreading gospel seeds is the same. I want to spread gospel seeds all around me so that they will bring joy and happiness and beauty to all of those who wish to partake.

One of the things I want to accomplish while I'm in Livermore is working on my relationship with the Holy Ghost. I know that God is my Loving Heavenly Father, and he's like my Dad. I know that Jesus Christ is His Son, and he is my Brother, and my Best Friend. I want to work on my relationship with the Holy Ghost and have the same relationship with Him as I do with Jesus Christ. I'll have TWO best friends! How awesome is that?

- Always, Sister Brown

Livermore, California

Well folks - After 6 months in San Jose, I've finally been transferred to Livermore. J

It's sooooo weird and awesome all at the same time! So far, I love this area! It has a country, classy feel to it. It's very green and it's a lot more peaceful than living near the freeway. But the roads here are still a little confusing. Like... Six-way stops... What? But I'm used to it now.

Last Monday, I had to say goodbye to Sister Hosea, my Poly Mum, Sister Uelese, and my YSA Ward. On the bright side, my new area is beautiful and the people in this Ward are wonderful! My companion, Sister Vaisa, is the funniest person ever! She's so cute! We get along well. I'm finishing her training. She's only been out here for two months but she's already an expert! This is my third Polynesian companion. I feel like I may be transitioning into the Poly Program, haha.  I already know Osi Mate (finished, dead) oi-oh-way! (Oh my goodness), Otuá (God), I can't think of any others. But yeah, I recognize a lot of Tongan. Polani (white) palani (plan)...okay, I'll stop showing off my Tongan. 

I may come home knowing three different languages: Samoan, Tongan, and Spanish...maybe.

I'm excited about the work in this area. It's been a little slow this week, but I'm so determined to work hard and pick things up. I'm so happy! I don't feel discouraged or stressed, in fact, I'm pumped! Before I left my old area, I had a moment of realization. I reflected on the past six months, realizing how far I've come. I realized I'm not in a world of "comparison, competition, and being enough". Here - I don't compare myself to others, I'm not competitive, and I feel like I really AM enough. I feel like I belong, I feel loved, and I feel like I've been healed from all the scars I've gotten from high school. Once I realized this, I said a prayer to Heavenly Father expressing gratitude, and I sobbed. It was a little bit because I was leaving... but more because of relief. I finally get to be myself. And I've never felt so happy.

I still feel the need to improve in my life, but in a positive way. (Like thinking less about Star Wars and more about the Savior.) Teaching the trainee has made me realize how far I've come as a teacher. I feel confident as I teach my companion and others. So far, the two investigators in this area like to argue. While we were teaching Aunty Bev the Restoration, she taught us about Moses. She interrupted me a lot. But we were still able to teach the first lesson, and she wants us to come visit her again, so that's a good sign. J

I love my new area! I'm so excited to be here!

- Always, Sister Brown

Short and Sweet - and on the Move!

I can't believe it's officially 6 months since I left home for the MTC! This week went by way fast! It was a good week though. I have just felt so happy!

In today's news.... I've been transferred - Livermore, CA here I come!

We've been stopping by a family's home. The kids are Miley and Ken, and they are the cutest kids ever! Miley is 9, and she learns really fast! We stopped by their house on Tuesday and brought them treats. Their mother is single. She began to cry when we came. She seemed sad about something and we so wanted to cheer her up and bring her some happiness. We met with Tila, her mom, and her daughter. They're from Fiji, and they are all so cute! I love Polynesians! They are awesome!

We're teaching the lessons to Caitlyn. She LOVES Jesus. She calls Sunday "Jesus Day" and the Church is "Jesus House" and the Temple is "Jesus Castle".  She knows a lot about what Easter really means. She told us about how He got boo-boos but then got better. It was so cute!

On Wednesday we had district meeting, and then lunch afterwards. That night, we reviewed the Ten Commandments with a member. Sister Hosea and I had way too much fun preparing that one...
On Friday, we finally taught Miley and Ken again. Miley wants to get baptized! She's very open minded and a fast learner. She's very smart. Ken is younger, so he goofs around all the time and just wants to play. He's working on being more reverent when we teach. We met with this girl named Celina. She is less active but she's very open-minded and asked really awesome questions.

But the best part of my week was General Conference. We watched the first half with the Judd's, and then the second half with the Hermanas at the Church building. On Sunday, we watched the first half with a member and then the second half with the Judd's again. It was a lot of fun!

This week was a good week. And I've been transferred and will be moving tomorrow, so next week I'll have some moving experiences to talk about. Other than that I don't have much to report on. Just the normal missionary work stuff.  More photos of Livermore - lots and lots of grapes! Beautiful country...

- Always, Sister Brown

He Is Risen - Happy Easter!

HAPPY EASTER!!  I am so grateful for my Savior and the sacrifice He made for all of us.  

He died so that we may live.  And that's the greatest message of all!

This week was awesome!

     Last Monday was intense; they combined two zones to play sports and there were too many people on the court. It made me kind of nervous. But it was fun to watch. We did family history for Family Home evening for the YSA. Those who had an account were able to look at Relative Finder and see who they were related to in the Ward. I'm related to Bishop and Sister Judd, and a lot of members in the YSA Ward. It was so much fun!

     We went to Joe's house to talk about his baptism, while the Elders helped clean the house. A lady named Trish taught us how to do some simple exercises so we can help an older lady do them. Trish showed me a good way to stretch my back. I sure needed that after doing so much yard work for service. We were able to do service for a member as a zone. She had a lot of weeds and we pulled out a lot of them. This area has the perfect weather to do yard work.

     On Wednesday, I got to go on exchanges with Sister Posadas. She's so cute! And fun to talk to. Sister Hosea and Sister Grant got to spend the day together. They're so fun to watch. We decided that they were best friends in pre-earth life. The AP's found a new investigator for us. Sister Hosea invited her to church and she came! How awesome is that! For lunch, we celebrated Sister Uelese's birthday! She's 22! It was nice to see her again. Elder Brown got her in the face with whipped cream. She got mad at him and tried to get him back!

     On Friday, I had the opportunity to attend the Temple! I learn something new every time I go. I went with Sister Sunstrom, the Relief Society President of the Branham Ward. She's so sweet! Later on we went to teach Celina. For some reason I was struggling to pronounce things that day. It was kind of funny. I said it's hard to recognize the spirit, but really I meant it's easy to recognize when you're feeling the spirit.

     Saturday was so fun! We got to go to an Easter Party with the Ward. We had breakfast and the kids had an egg hunt. We invited Lilliana and her two children to come. Emily and Michael both got a lot of eggs. We also invited a mother and her two children as well, Miley and Ken. They had so much fun!

     Sister Hosea and I got to see some of the Women's General Conference. I was glad we got to hear from Henry B. Eyring. He's awesome! It was a wonderful Easter Sunday. We had lunch with two families. Their children played and the adults talked. Henry gave me a Pokemon card. It is so sweet when children want to share with you something that they think is so cool! And we taught the children what Easter is really about: Christ. We talked about ways that we can follow Christ.

     I am thankful for the Resurrection. When I was little and learned that Christ died on the cross, I was heartbroken! This is my best Friend we're talking about! But then I was taught that He lived again after the third day. I was happy again. The Atonement gives us peace and hope for the future. And I am thankful for my best friend and the sacrifice He made for us. I love Him with all my heart. 

Happy Easter!

- Always, Sister Brown

Knowing What the Lord Expects = Happiness!

I can't believe this month is almost over. Can you believe how fast time flies? It's almost been six months since I've been out on the mission, but who's counting? - haha! There was a lot of cancelled appointments this week, but miracles do happen. We saw Eddie and Bernice, and I got to hold the snake Brave again. It's cool, I'm so weird. But I love animals. Eddie and Bernice are planning to get married in six months. I hope sooner because Eddie wants to get baptized. The Bishop told him and us that he could marry them for free and they can have the wedding at the church.

Sister Hosea is the best. All week, she's been lifting my spirits. I was having a spiritual low. I know we're human and we don't feel the Spirit all the time, but I just don't like the way it feels when I don't sometimes. So I decided to talk to my companion about it. She suggested I change the way I pray. When I say my personal prayers, I always try to think to myself, what is it that I'm really saying? What am I really asking of Heavenly Father? It helps to talk to Heavenly Father as our "father" instead of rehearsing every night. Talking about it made me feel better. We're not perfect, and we don't always feel the Spirit, but we can find new ways to invite the Spirit back into our lives.

We went to visit a family and teach the Restoration. It's fun to teach children. They have good insight and this gospel is so simple, a child can understand it. Leo, one of the kids, had his scriptures out and flipped through it. He turned to the Pearl of Great Price and found one of Abraham's drawings. He could've found the one where Abraham was saved by an Angel of the Lord, but nope. He found the drawing where it talks about Kolob and other deep doctrine. How do you explain that to an eight-year-old? I just told him it explains some of the mysteries of God. But how do you explain Abraham's drawings? Thank goodness we have great teachings of these drawings. Haha!

We got to visit a lady named Terry. She's very sweet, but she doesn't understand why bad things happen to good people. That's a hard thing for all of us to understand, but we know it's part of life. We all have to experience opposition in all things. We will never know happiness if we don't experience sadness.  "The word 'happiness' would lose it's meaning if it were not balanced by sadness." - Carl Jung.

A member in the YSA Ward and her mom found a gluten-free bakery and bought a chocolate cupcake for me! It was soooooooooo good! People keep making me gluten-free desserts- I'm gonna get fat! Haha! We were able to do a lot of service this week. We've been pulling weeds out of gardens for members, and have been helping clean houses. It's been fun and I love doing service. I find work fun - go figure! I don't know why, but it's definitely something I want to teach my children about...how we can have fun while we work.

On Friday, we got to go on a hike with John and Sabrina. Sabrina is a member and John is an investigator. But he knows more about the church's history than I do. He's been doing a lot of research. The bishop keeps asking him: "When are you going to get baptized?" John wants to make sure that he can commit to this, so he came up with a two-year plan. But the gospel really can bless his life! He and Sabrina loved the hike so much, that they want to do another one. Sister Hosea and I both like where this is going.

Remember that cute elderly lady we met named Stella? Guess what? We got to meet with her again, and we introduced her to a member. Sister Haight sat down with us and shared her story. It was awesome! We got to teach Joe. He's so close to baptism, and.....He can get baptized! His doctor said it would be okay! He can go into the water! We just need to help him commit to sacrament and help get him to church. But we have a date set!

We stopped by Stacey's to wish her a happy birthday. Right now, all we can do is visit her, be her friend and pray for her. I wish there was more we could do for her. We are trying to help her understand and to invite the Spirit in, but we realize that it's up to her. She's got to want it for herself. But we want her to know how much we care about her, so we keep in touch with her. We've baked together and went to a candy store together. She's fun. :) We taught a young girl named Caitlyn. She always tells us she loves Jesus. She calls the church building Jesus' house, and Temples are Jesus' castles. Makes sense to me. We taught her that God is our Loving Heavenly Father.

The relief society had a nice dinner, and they put on a few skits of women in history, helping each other. It was really nice. At Sacrament Meeting yesterday, I brought my own bread, and they broke it and blessed it and put a piece on each tray. They placed the pieces in cups to avoid contamination. And best of all, they made sure I got a piece. I was so happy to partake of the sacrament.

We went to a member's home to teach and invite him to help us teach Lorena. He's an older man from Haiti. He's speaks a language that's a mixture of French, English, Spanish, and African. He and his wife take care of her mother. She is 95, and loves listening to music. She was jamming out and bouncing a little with the tune. She is the cutest little old lady I've ever met. She wanted us to listen to her music too. She kept handing us the headphones. It was so cute! She told us she loved us!

It was a good week. Some ups and downs. Sister Hosea and I even got into a little disagreement. But we were able to work it out. I'm so glad Sister Hosea and I can be honest with each other. As we were weekly planning, it was starting to get stressful and tense, which created a bit of an argument between us. I suddenly felt like a terrible companion. I felt like I hadn't been helping enough, or I haven't been working hard enough. As we were driving I was finally able to express how I felt to Sister Hosea. She said I shouldn't let anyone cut me down- not even her. I told her I was sorry for not being as helpful as I should've been. But she took a moment and listed off good things about me. It was very touching. She told me that I do work hard and I have a strong desire to serve the Lord, and I should only worry about what He expects of me, not what others expect of me.

Keeping that in mind, it helps us when we meet with Bishop. He's really competitive and says he wants to win all the time. He has really high expectations. But we do our best when we remember what the Lord expects of us, and that's just to do our very best. That's what keeps us motivated. And I love my companion! We kept telling each other that yesterday. We are officially sisters...we fight like sisters, and we laugh like sisters. And we figured out that since we hang out 24/7, sometimes it does get tiring. But we should love our companions no matter what.  Yeah, Sister Hosea is my forever sister now. 

- Always, Sister Brown

We Are HIS Children

This week went by sooooooo fast! We got a lot of good service in this week. We went to Sister Enyart's house to reorganize her towels and sheets. Sabrina, who is less active, has been coming on splits with us and she is awesome! She suggested leaving our number at someone's house so they could call us back. Both of us already knew we're actually supposed to do that, and we were like: "Are you sure you're not a missionary?" We visited Lilliana and her two children. We baked cookies and spent some wonderful friend-shipping time with her and another member. Their kids played while we baked cookies. Lilliana loved it. We helped Lilliana clean her apartment. We taught her that cleanliness is close to Godliness. It became easier to teach too!

We got to visit Eddie and Bernice. Eddie told us that one in the family was no longer with them. I was a little worried at first. But then Eddie pointed to the snake tank. Only Brave, the bigger snake, was in there. They had another, smaller snake named Bea, but she was missing. I made the assumption that she must have passed away, but she was young and energetic. I learned that Brave ate her! Snakes eat other snakes?!?!? I learned that when a snake gets stressed out by another snake, they eat that snake! Bea would crawl over and bother Brave. He would try to pin her down to calm her. I guess he just snapped one day and ate her. It's sad but funny. Eddie and Bernice are getting married! In six months! He wants to get baptized. That is so exciting.

We went to visit Lorena this week, but she was either busy or not home. So we waited awhile by her door. That became interesting...we could hear the neighbors yelling at each other. The man was saying really mean things to someone, and she sounded like a teenager. She sounded miserable as she was yelling at him. It made me feel uneasy and I tried to imagine why someone would become so angry and upset. What if you asked your teenager to do the dishes and they didn't? Maybe, it's not that they don't do what is asked out of spite. Maybe they just forget in most cases. Like me, I would forget, but my mom would always remind me. Teenagers tend to have a lot on their minds with school, friends, possibly a part-time job. We shouldn't yell at each other. There's no need. We should just talk TO each other and not AT each other. Like my mom, I'm sure she was frustrated whenever I forgot to unload the dishwasher and she would have to remind me...YET AGAIN! But she never yelled at me about it...she would just quietly remind me and I would think, "Oh yeah, I forgot." And then I'd get right to it. What if Christ walked into your home while your family was yelling, fighting, swearing at each other? Saying awful things? (That'd be kind of awkward.) Contention drives the Spirit away, and with that also drives all the happiness and peace out of the home and family. Sister Hosea and I could feel it and we felt bad for this family. We just wanted to go and tell them to stop arguing and to listen to each other, and to learn how to love and respect each other again. But we knew we couldn't intrude and so we went and continued our work. We will keep them in our prayers. 

We were able to decorate cookies with Sabrina. She made gluten free chocolate cupcakes! They were so good! We gave some to Benedicta. We also gave her cookies. Last night, Sister Hosea made peanut butter cookies. We tried to give them to her last night, but she turned them down. I think she's tired of sweets! Haha!

Saturday was kind of rough at first. We had made plans to get Joe to a baptism at the Cherry Glen Ward. (It's good to invite investigators to a baptism so they can see what it's like, and they can feel the Spirit.) He's very sick and frail. So we got a ride for him, and some Elders were going to take some time to help him get in and out of the vehicle. But we found out that he wasn't feeling good. He was writhing in pain. He has West Nile virus or something like that. Joe was in the other room, crying out in pain. The elders offered a priesthood blessing. But he said no because he already had one. I wanted to tell him you can have more than one. But I was afraid it would shake his faith or something. He was sure one was enough. I was really sad for him because we were told there is a chance that he can't get in the water because of his medical condition. Learning that he can't get baptized because of health made me really sad. I walked out of his home crying. I was so crushed and disappointed. But I could see how much pain he was in, for different reasons. We decided to head over to the baptism. Sister Hosea reminded me that a very special couple was going to be there! Suddenly, my spirits were lifted. This couple has been investigating the church and they want to get baptized. The baptism was great and they felt the Spirit so strong when this man got baptized! They are so awesome! Later that night, we met with another sister and taught her the restoration with a Return Missionary named Domingo. He asked how it would make her feel is she read the Book of Mormon and learned it was true through prayer. She replied that it wouldn't change what she believed because she believed in the Bible. This made me nervous at first. I thought she was going to say she didn't want to read the Book of Mormon because she already had a bible. But instead, she said that it would only add to her faith. I got so excited because that's exactly what the Book of Mormon does for us! It adds to our faith and strengthens us!

After working and searching so much this week, I realize that each one of us are going through our own personal trials, and on different levels. As long as we remain faithful and trust in the Lord, He will definitely bless us. He knows all of our needs...each and every one of us...and He will always be there for us no matter what, because we are His children and He loves us so much. The only requirement for His love is to love Him and accept Him as our Father!

- Always, Sister Brown 

Trusting in the Lord

On Tuesday we went to visit a member and she asked us questions about us and I thought...I don't want to talk about myself right now, I want to talk about our Savior, Jesus Christ. But as the conversation carried on, I could feel the happiness of the Spirit being with us, and that brought joy to my heart.  

The next day, we were able to teach Lorena about the Restoration. I think it's my favorite lesson because we're basically telling the story about the gospel. We taught about Heavenly Father and how He loves us so much that He has revealed His gospel in every dispensation. He's called prophets to serve for Him since the beginning of time. Eventually the children rejected Jesus Christ and fell into the Great Apostasy. Many centuries passed and Jesus Christ was able to restore his Gospel through Joseph Smith, who He called to be a prophet. Without the Restoration of the true Gospel of Jesus Christ, we wouldn't have the Book of Mormon, which contains wonderful accounts and a fullness of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. How wonderful is this? :)

We are continuing to teach a sweet couple. Sister Hosea and I are praying for them to get baptized! And they want to get baptized too! We just have to be patient and trust in the Lord's timing. He knows our desires, and He'll provide a way. We figured out a way to help Joe. When he's feeling too sick to come to church, we'll just have to bring church to him. The priesthood will come to his home and bless the sacrament there, and President Mella even told us a way we can help him get baptized! We went to see Sister Conner, the mission nurse about my headaches. She suggested that I get a priesthood blessing. That night, the AP's dropped by, just to let us know if we needed anything they were just across from our apartment. They even offered a priesthood blessing! I realized that it was the Lord, knocking at my door saying: "Sister Brown, your blessing is ready!" He literally delivered these elders to my door. I love this gospel!

The next day was Sister Reyes' birthday! Sister Hosea bought her a donut and we met the elders in our zone at their apartment. We had District meeting after, and had lunch together. There is an Elder Brown in my District! And he's Samoan! I thought that was cool. He actually flew out with my group when we first came to California. He is such a caring person and is always making sure everyone is ready, comfortable, full, looked after, etc. Later that night, we went to the Hermanas Apartment and surprised Sister Reyes with a birthday cake.

The next day, we had lunch with the Cherry Glen Elders and a couple from their Ward. The Lee's are from Taiwan and they took us to a buffet called "Tomi". It was sooooooooooooo good! We had sushi, crab sushi, shrimp sushi, beef and broccoli, muscles, and ice cream! I think I'm just going to eat Asian food for the rest of my life as it tends to agree with me. And we met someone who lives under the AP's apartment and he wants to know more about the church! So excited!

The next day, we had Bible studies with a part-member family. Eddie is preparing for baptism. We later went to a part-member family to teach the Restoration. The daughter, Annie, is 9. Sister Hosea showed her a picture of the Savior holding a lamb. She explained he looks calm, loving, gentle. Annie observed that it looks like he's hugging the lamb. Sister Hosea asked: "What does this picture tell you about Christ?" Annie replied: "He... Hugs too much?" Haha! I thought it was actually really cute!

That night, I had a really cool experience. My head began hurting again, so I decided to go to bed early - I don't understand why I'm getting so many headaches. As I was climbing into bed, I glanced at a picture of the Savior on the wall. For a moment it felt as though He was standing in the room, watching over me. It gave me great comfort that the Lord knows my desire to work. He knows how I feel, and He's always here to help me when I need Him. That wonderful feeling of peace and love lasted a long time. I got up to write about what I was feeling so I wouldn't forget, and I almost asked Sister Hosea if she could feel it too. The feeling was so strong that I know He was there. I could feel His presence. It was a testament to me that the Savior does live, and that He is always here for us. He will always stand beside us and lift us up, no matter what we need, if we will only turn to Him. I know I needed that. The next day, I felt great. I thought I would be able to "fast", but felt impressed that I needed to understand how to deal with my headaches first. I know that the Lord knows my desires. That night, I wrote in my journal about my experience because I always want to remember that the Savior is always there for me, like He is for all of us. He really is my Savior, and He is my Best Friend. :)

- Always, Sister Brown