Being a representative of Christ on Christmas is the Best!

Ya' ta' hey!

This week was sooo good! I had a very happy Christmas! Being a representative of Christ is the best thing at this time of year! I wouldn't want to be anywhere else!

On Christmas Eve we got to go Caroling with our district and it was a lot of fun. Even with caroling though we still got rejected! We started singing to this one lady and she put her hand out and literally said: "STOP!" and it stopped us mid-song. She continued to say: "Just stop! I don't celebrate Christmas ok! Thank you for the thought though!"...it was kinda funny to be honest! We ended Caroling by going over to President Adam's house and Caroling to him and his family! 

On Christmas, Sister Ford and I had a lot of fun delivering wrapped Book of Mormons on random people's door steps as we prayerfully decided which ones to put them on. One of our less-actives came to church yesterday even though he was tempted not to, he also gave us each a present which was so kind of him! He made us each a wooden top out of petrified wood that he polished himself! We love them! We texted him and said: "Wow Jeff! We love your gift! Thank you so much!" and he responded with something like: "haha, no problem. Thank you for doing some solid missionary work!" and then about an hour later he texted "I mean strengthening my testimony. Anyways I hope you two have a good day". That seriously melted my heart! It made me so happy! It felt so good to see that the things we are doing are appreciated and that it is working! Speaking of Jeff, we had a lesson with him earlier in the week and carolers came to the door and interrupted the lesson! It was kinda funny. We were pretty much done with the lesson anyway though so it wasn't too big of a deal.

Yesterday, on Christmas, I felt an incredible amount of love for the savior and all that he has done for us! I love him and Heavenly Father with all of my heart! These next 9 months I am going to give it my all! I've really decided to truly give my whole life and soul to him, but I can only do that because he first gave his!

I love you and hope you have a fabulous week!

Love,

Sister Brown

Christmas Caroling with the district.

Delivering a special package to a less-active!

We had a White Christmas!

My Cactus I got from Dailen!

Our Zone Leaders Christmas Card

Delivering Book of Mormon Gifts to people!

Pray to have Charity!

Ya' te' hey!

We did a little caroling this week! It was a lot of fun! We are also going to be doing some caroling as a district on Christmas Eve! This week went by sooo fast! wow! I can't believe Christmas is already almost here! 

This week we had our second to last lesson with Daniel, then he will no longer be a recent convert! I'm sad that we will no longer get to teach him, but honestly he doesn't really need it anymore. It seems like he's been a member his whole life!

Tuesday was a lot of fun! We had a breakthrough lesson with Roman where he told us why he is not really doing anything about the things he knows to be true! We tried our best to resolve his concern and it turns out that it helped because he finally came to church this Sunday!

Tuesday night as a part of institute we had a white-elephant gift exchange and I got a really fuzzy blanket from it. I originally had the coolest Charlie Brown Christmas sweater, but it got stolen (that's just how the game goes). After it we had a short lesson with Antonio and Joseph (a member who works with him and brought a non-member Friend who also works with them) she also joined in on the lesson. It was super cool because before the lesson she seemed uninterested but after the lesson I felt prompted to ask her if she would like to learn more and she said yes! She Has already had 2 more lessons with us (on Friday and Saturday) and is on date for Feb 11th to be baptized!!!

Wednesday we finally were able to see Precious! She's still doing pretty good, but her work just keeps getting in the way! We also Saw Mike (a less-active convert) and we were able to really understand what his main concern is! Basically it's forgiveness.

Thursday we had a fantastic district meeting! Sister Ford gave a great training on Charity and committed us to pray for it with every personal and companion prayer! It has been so good! It really helps us to realize that this is about them and not us! We also saw a less-active named Craig who decided that he wants to stop fighting Heavenly Father and just do what his will is! He is super solid! That never happens!

Friday we were able to see Precious again! We also saw Jeff a Less Active and he was so excited to show us his fish! That kid cracks me up! He was a fisherman for a number of years and just loves fish! He has a fish tank with real ocean plants and fish and a shrimp who he hadn't named so I named it Bubba-gump!

Saturday we had dinner with Antonio and Emmery! Kammie, Joseph and Cassie all came too and it was soooo much fun! We were confusing each-other with riddles the whole time and just cracking up! We had a lesson on Tithing after it with Antonio, which went really well.

Sunday, We had a fantastic sacrament meeting! The temple president and stake president came! That temple president is going to be a general authority I swear! The spirit was so strong! We were supposed to have a lesson with Christopher after church but he decided to go to Albuquerque instead! :(

We had dinner with the Farley's (our branch pres. and family) which was a lot of fun. They gave us presents too! It took me by surprise, but I was very thankful!

hagoonee!

love,

Sister Brown

Only in YSA, do you find these kinds of door mattes! lol!

Sister Brown recreating a picture from her childhood.

Lots of New Investigators

Ya' teh' hey!
Sister Ford and I are singing in sacrament on Christmas Sunday, so we've been practicing "Mary's Lullaby" a little. 

This week has been great and soooooo fast as usual!

Monday we had to get an oil change and ended up using 2 hours of our preparation day in the mission office waiting for it to be done. We were able to help with some stuff in the mission office and I ended up getting a free coat and pair of boots from there. We were going to go buy me a heavier coat (because believe it or not it does get cold down here. Mostly its because of the wind which cuts right through you!) We were talking about how we still needed to go do that and Elder Lowe (the vehicle coordinator) says "have you looked downstairs?"  We were confused and basically come to find out, they have a stash of coats and boots that other missionaries have left as they go home, that are up for grabs. 

Tuesday we had exchanges with the missionaries in Aztec, so I took over the Area in a day again. We knocked doors quite a bit that day and ran into this drunk Navajo lady who turned out to be less active. We had a little lesson with her and called her in as a less active referral for the 3rd ward Elders (the AP's) since she is not a Young Single Adult. She really wants to turn her life around though!

Wednesday I was in Aztec for my exchange with Sister Brennan (who goes home at the end of this transfer with my trainer). She is super cool! She LOVES Star Wars too and we had a blast taking pictures in our Star Wars 

onesies! Wednesday night after our exchange we got to teach Antonio all about the law of chastity and Word of Wisdom...He has no problems with it....seriously, he is so stinking GOLDEN! That night we also picked up a new investigator (she is a former investigator that other missionaries were teaching)...She's not looking to convert, but she said that we could come finish the Book of Mormon with her. We both felt prompted to go there so who knows, maybe her heart will be softened from finishing the Book of Mormon with her (all that she has left is Moroni).

Thursday we dropped Riley. (This was one of those mission Heartbreaks!) Wow, I care about that kid so much, but he doesn't care as much as he should and won't do his part, so there really isn't anything else we can do for him....Heavenly Father has been reaching out his hand, Its just up to Riley to grab hold. 

We also got yet another new investigator Thursday night!!!! His name is Keith. He is kinda hard to catch though because he works A LOT and when he is home he likes to get to bed so that he can get up early the next day.

Friday not a whole lot happened except weekly planning and trying people.

Saturday we got ANOTHER NEW INVESTIGATOR! Ya, you're counting right! That's 3 this week!!! His name is Bryson and we actually found him through knocking doors. We aren't sure how promising he really is, but we can hope! 

We got permission from President to go to "The Messiah" a musical performance and we invited Antonio and his Girlfriend to come with. It was really good.

Then Sunday we of course had church. We finally had a lesson with Christopher! (He's our atheist investigator) and we were finally able to convince him to pray....essentially Sister Ford told him "Christopher! If you honestly believe that God is not there, then what harm is praying going to do!?" That really made him think and he said "ok, tell you what....lets set up another appointment for next Sunday and I'll pray every other day this week and read my scriptures, and we'll see what happens" Woohoo! The spirit Most definitely prompted that one because we were bearing testimony and sharing personal experiences and It just wasn't going anywhere! We are super excited to see him next week and hear all about it!

Love ya! have a great week

Hagonee!

Sister Brown

Star wars is the best!

Sister Brennan and I in our star wars onesies.

Daniel pretended to pull us over.

Sister Brown and Riley

The Messiah

At the Messiah

Fasting really helps you feel the Spirit stronger!

Ya' ta' hey!

This week has been pretty good! It seems like last Monday was forever ago, but at the same time the week went by sooo fast! Time in the mission is so weird! I can't believe I'm already at 8 months tomorrow!

Monday, we decorated our apartment! It looks fabulous! Our "tree" is super cool too! I'll send you a picture if I have time! Monday night we introduced the #Light the World Christmas campaign to the YSA branch and we made it a competition between the Family Home Evening groups as to who can light up Farmington the most with Christ's light! They got soooo excited! more excited then we thought they would be!

Tuesday we had a lesson with Daniel and we watched the "Light the World" video with him again, but went into greater detail and asked him how he "lights up" the world. He makes me laugh sooo much. He said something like: "I light up the world A-LOT! Most people don't like it when I flip on my lights though!" (He's a cop.) We busted up laughing, but then he was like..."no seriously though, that's how I light up the world...by making people laugh"

Wednesday we had a lesson with Antonio, and wow, he is just so good! He read 5 more chapters in the Book of Mormon since the last time we saw him. He has also been praying to know if it's true! He keeps his commitments sooo well! He said something like: Well I figure I should do it...I don't want to let you guys down! I don't want to be wasting your time...and if you say that this is how I'm going to receive my answer then I better do it right!? Wow! #Golden!

Thursday we saw Riley again! We haven't seen him in a while, but that lesson with him went really well! We watched the Light the World video with him too and talked about it. He enjoyed it! Every lesson that I have with Riley is so good! I'm always leaving his lessons with a smile!

We also have a new less active that we are teaching. His name is Mike Austin and Wow, He is sooo cool! He has some great stories, but also a difficult past. He has sooo much potential and we hope that he will really work towards becoming active again because I really feel that he could be a spiritual Giant! He actually came to the activity on Monday too!

Friday we had our last lesson with Nate :( He went to the Navy today! Friday we were also able to go to a baptism for 8th Ward that was really good!

Saturday we were able to participate in the mini Mission Training Center that they had here all day! We got to be companions with some of the Laurals that came and show them how it's done! The ones I was with really enjoyed it and said it was one of the best decisions they've made! We left the mini MTC just a little early to go to the luminary event (which was supposed to be a finding technique accept no one invited their friends like we had planned for) It was still cool though. We got to know the significance behind it. It is a Spanish celebration that happens around Christmas, the lights signifying the light of Christ or something like that. 

We were able to see Christopher (finally!) to set up an apt. with him. We will be having a lesson with him tonight!

Sunday was sooo good! I have to tell you! I just love fasting! Y'all might think I'm crazy for it, but I seriously love it! Every time I fast I feel the spirit so much stronger than I otherwise do! I don't like the feeling of not having food in my stomach, but I much prefer to feel the spirit anyway! We got to see Thomeson who stayed for all 3 hours of church again!!! Ever since he's been coming for all 3 hours, he's opened up a lot more!

We also got to see the Christmas Devotional!!!! Wow, it was sooo good!

Love ya!

Hagonee!

Sister Brown

Sister Ford and I got scarves from Sister Gardner.

            

Our Christmas Tree!

Our decorations.

 A late thanksgiving feast with 8th ward sisters! 

Mini Mission Training Center me with a couple Laurels that were my companions.

The luminary event

Nates last Sunday he is going into the Navy.

Heavenly Father can mold me into someone better than I could ever imagine!

Ya' te' hey!

Early on in the week we were still double working area's because Sister Stringam didn't get her new companion until Tuesday evening. 

We had several very spiritual lessons this week, one of which was with Arlo (a less active). We talked to him about temples, and he really wants to get back to the temple! He told us about his first time there and you could tell that he just loved the temple! 

We had a really spritiual lesson with Trevis (also a less active). We talked about the importance of prayer and scripture study and keeping the Sabbath day holy. A member that came with us bore her testimony on prayer and the spirit was very strong! Trevis really wants to start coming back to church but he works on Sundays so he's trying to get his work schedual switched.  

WE ALSO WERE ABLE TO PUT ANTONIO ON DATE FOR BAPTISM!!!!!! If all works out, he will be baptised on Jan 14th!

For my Thanksgiving I had two places to go! Everything was pretty normal as far a food goes except I think I like ours better. I had pinions for the first time! They are a type of pine nut that the natives LOVE! 

We ate with Malachi and Devan (both are less actives that we are working with) We also worked on organizing our ward list since that was more productive than knocking on doors. Especially considering in YSA we aren't looking for families. Even if we were, people don't want to talk to missionaries, they just want to spend time with there family on Thanksgiving.  We also did some service hours by making some Christmas decorations for Daniel (the recent convert that loves pick-up lines!) since he doesn't have any! 

Saturday we were finally able to see Precious (our recent convert who got baptized a month ago, then kinda fell of the face of the earth because work has gotten in the way of everything!) She luckily has still been reading and praying every single day! She just needs to get work off on Sundays now, or at the very least have the hours switched so that she can come to church!

Sunday, we were able to have a spirit filled lesson with Thomeson who came to church for ALL 3 HOURS!!! I testified of the savior and the spirit just filled the room! After the lesson, he was like "wow! that was a really good lesson....I feel really good!" We also knocked some doors and even though people rejected the Book of Mormon they accepted one of the #lighttheWorld advent calander things and thought that they were pretty cool. So in that regard knocking was successful! 

It has started to get pretty cold lately. It's snowing today!

I love this Gospel sooooo much! I love my Heavenly Father and That is why I choose to still be a missionary! He needs someone to stand up for him, when no one else will! I know that I had a personal relationship with him in the pre-earth life. I know that he knows me perfectly and can mold me into someone better than I could ever imagine! I love my Heavenly Father and cannot imagine how life would be without him guiding and directing me!

I love you all! Have a great week! And remember, Heavenly Father knows you personally and will never abandon you!

Hagonee!

Sister Brown

Sister Brown's Snow Angel

Snow today! Friends, Me and Sister Ford

Making decorations

Sister Ford and homemade snowflakes!

Having fun making Christmas Decorations!

#lighttheWorld

Sister Fords orange lips!

Looking for New investigators!

Ya' te' hey!

This week we had to drop tons of our investigators because they simply were not doing their part to receive the truth. There really was nothing more we could do to help them until they started doing something for themselves. So that was a little bit of a bummer...we are now looking for tons of investigators.

Tuesday a Less Active member texted us and wanted to have a lesson...I was super excited (no one ever texts us asking for lessons!) He wanted help setting some goals. We helped him set goals to get back to church but then this Sunday he never showed up! 

We also had institute and the teacher asked the question: "What are some benefits from going to the Young Single Adult branch as opposed to a family ward?" and Betsey (an incredible member who comes out with us a lot and is preparing for her own mission) pipes up and says: "All them hunnies!" I cracked up! It was soooo funny!

Wednesday we had Sister Flake with us because her companions were doing exchanges and she needed to be elsewhere so that their exchanges could be "private". 

We had a Drop lesson with Therese and she was like: "...wait, ARE YOU BREAKING UP WITH ME?!" haha, I was dying....no one has ever reacted to a drop lesson that way! 

Later that day we went to the old folks to sing and the same Navajo lady that stuck her fingers in the sacrament the week before was eating crayons this time and threw a little tantrum when one of the workers took them away from her. It's so funny but so sad at the same time! 

We got fed Chinese that night for dinner and the portion sizes were HUGE! I essentially got 3 meals out of my one simple order.

Wednesday we went out with Kammie to have some lessons and try people and what-not and the poor girl! It was just not her night! We got pulled over by a cop because he thought I wasn't wearing my seat-belt (even though I had been the whole time), luckily she didn't get a ticket! Then later that night her car was over-heating and she went to change the coolant and the second she took off the cap it all came spraying in her face like a volcano! Her eyes were stinging and her skin itchy! Poor girl! She's doing fine now!

Thursday, winter finally hit. It snowed for like 2 seconds, but the whole day was really cold! 

We also got to work with Sister Stringam and have her for the rest of the weekend because she "killed" her companion on Saturday, meaning her companion, Sister Breakall, flew home to good-old-Montana (twin bridges). 

We also had a lesson with Daniel and his pick-up line this week has to do with pondering: "The only eyes I want to ponder are yours!" I find it so funny that he loves Mormon pick-up lines so much!

Friday a member from 8th ward (since we are working with sister Stringam as well as our own branch) took us to dinner at the Olive Garden! #1sttime! yum! 

WE ALSO GOT A NEW INVESTIGATOR!!!!!! He is soooooo solid too! His name is Antonio. He grew up baptist, but he wants to find the truth and he knows that conversion is a possibility, but he doesn't want to convert for his girlfriend, he wants to do it because he knows for himself that it's true! #GOLDEN! 

Saturday we did a lot of service between the two areas (8th ward and YSA) and decided to order pizza that night. We got spinach-Alfredo pizza! #yum!

Sunday was great! We had a munch and mingle and we were boggling everyone with bunches of riddles. It was a lot of fun for everyone! 

Also did you know there is a really sweet Mormon message video based off of the talk that Vern P. Stanfill (yea...our old stake president.) gave in October 2015 General Conference? It's really cool and intense!

I love you! hope y'all have a great week!

Hagonee!

Sister Brown 

Aztec Ruins!

Monday we went to the Aztec ruins which were super cool! I felt kinda like Indiana Jones! 
We had exchanges this week and I took over the area for a day. This was super nerve-racking/stressful because I'd only been in the area for 4 weeks. It went well though! We saw some cool miracles because I really had to rely on Heavenly Father! 

We had a lesson with Riley a less active and Oh My Goodness, the spirit was so strong! We testified of the importance of the Book of Mormon and I testified of Heavenly Father's love for him and my love for him. I basically told him "you are my brother, and family is so important to me...I am not going to lose you! That's why we come here...to help you be able to live with Heavenly Father again!" I said a bunch of other things too but I don't even remember them because the spirit was just working through me! 

When I was on my exchange, I gained a greater appreciation for Joseph Smith and the Book of Mormon! We had been rejected a bunch that morning as we did some knocking, and even got a Book of Mormon back at one point! Later that night we had a couple lessons...one focused on the restoration and the other focused on the Book of Mormon specifically. After those two lessons my heart was full of gratitude for Joseph Smith and all that he went through to help us receive the fullness of the gospel and the Book of Mormon! I was sad and kinda heart-broken for all those people who rejected us and the message without really realizing what it truly is that they were rejecting!

Sunday we received what seems like a really solid Potential investigator! A friend of his brought him to church and apparently he's been looking for the missionaries for a while, so I'm super excited to get to know him and to start teaching him!

I now get to take video Journals since I got permission from president to do so!

love you all!

Sister Brown

Me and Sister Ford

City of Aztec Ruins

Sister Ford