The Spirit will guide us to know what to teach!

Ya' ta' hey!

This week was full of tons of finding and a lot of meetings!

Monday (as a part of Family Home Evening) we played volleyball and it was tons of fun! It was a great way to get to know some of the less-actives that we've been working with! We had a lesson with Mike after the activity and he has been reading his scriptures more and really seems to enjoy it! We talked about faith a little bit with him. It was pretty cool because we originally planned to teach him the' Gospel of Jesus Christ 'lesson and as I was studying with him in mind, I felt that he just really needed to hear specifically about faith and trust. As we talked in our companionship study, Sister Thompson had the same impression! I love having those kinds of experiences! It helps you realize that it really is the spirit and not just you!

Tuesday we were finally able to have a lesson with Precious again and the lesson really seemed to hit home. She said she would come to church on Sunday and seemed pretty sincere about it, but for whatever reason she wasn't there yesterday! :(

We also had the opportunity to teach a guy named Austin. We thought he was originally a less-active, but he's actually active, but he wants to meet with us to be able to really strengthen his faith. He loves New Zealand and wanted to learn the Haka dance and so Sister Thompson taught us a little after the lesson (I've been wanting to learn too! #foreverstrong!) 

Tuesday night we also taught Mike again because he called us and asked us if he could have another lesson...he's been really bogged down with all of his past mistakes and just really needed help! He hasn't been asking for forgiveness in his prayers because he feels unworthy. We told it to him straight. He has to ask for forgiveness! We had him say the closing prayer and we told him to ask for forgiveness in that prayer! Ever since that lesson, he's seemed a lot happier!

Wednesday we met with Manuel and we couldn't find a 3rd female to come with us so we had to have the lesson outside.  It started snowing pretty hard and we were all pretty cold, especially Manuel because he only had a thin little hoodie to keep him warm, so we had to make the lesson short. He wasn't at church yesterday unfortunately, but it was for a pretty good reason. 

Thursday we had our last lesson with Cassie.  We'll be having her mock interview tonight and her real interview on Thursday! We also met with our branch president and discussed how we can try to get the branch more involved with (and excited about) missionary work (specifically finding). 

Friday we got a new investigator named Joe! We taught the restoration and we could tell that he felt the spirit because he just looked like he was thinking: what on earth is this feeling? I've never felt this way before!

He seemed pretty excited to come to Family Home Evening (because we invited him to it) so we'll see if he comes tonight. He also seemed pretty excited to have another lesson with us so he seems pretty promising!

Saturday we had interviews with President Adams. We saw Mike yet again Saturday night and we had the chance to help him see the improvement he's made! I love being able to help people see their progression! He's pretty hard on himself so he doesn't always see the good that he does or the progress that he makes.

Sunday we got to go to Jeff's for dinner and we had delicious ribs, baked potatoes, and green beans and homemade buttermilk ranch! Yum! We had a lesson with him after we ate on Eternal Marriage. That kid seriously cracks me up! He was making jokes a lot of the time, but it was still a great lesson where the spirit was involved. 

I love you all! have a wonderful week!

Hagoonee!

Love,

Sister Brown

I found some pictures of Sister Brown that others have posted.

 Baptism Jan. 14, 2017

Baptism gathering Jan.14, 2017

Interview Day with President Adams Jan. 28th 2017

Sister Thompson, Sister Adams, Sister Brown

Christmas Devotional Dec. 21, 2016
 Farmington/Kirtland/Bloomfield Zones 

I love being a missionary! That I get the privileged of feeling a fraction of what Heavenly Father feels!

Ya' ta' hey!

This week was pretty exhausting! Missionary work is usually pretty draining, but this week was even more so. I was able to really feel a little more of what Heavenly Father feels for each of his children though! 

We really focused on finding this week and even though we didn't find any new investigators or less-actives we have a few that are some great potentials for this up-coming week. 

All the people that we are working with are progressing but a lot of them are having a lot of personal struggles and I have been able to feel just the slightest extent of what Jesus Christ feels for all of us, meaning that I care about them so much that it hurts me to see them hurt. I obviously don't know what it's like to have children, but I would imagine that the way I care about these people is the way that a parent would for a child.

We had the opportunity to teach Cassie this week and she is beyond Golden! She has been full on studying her scriptures and writing down questions that she wants to pray about! She has also been coming to Family Home Evening, institute, and even going to the old folks on Sundays with the branch to do a little 30 minute sacrament meeting with them! She is right on track for her baptism on Feb. 11th!

Mike came to church yesterday for the second time! :) He only ended up staying for the first hour though! :(

Jeff has been doing really well although he didn't come to church yesterday :( not sure why.

Manuel came to church yesterday and he stayed for all 3 hours! :) he also stayed for mingle (a little snack and chat) after church! He got a priesthood blessing as well since he has been going through a difficult time. 

Saturday we went over to Antonio's for dinner with him, his Girlfriend and a few others from the branch. We had a pretty fun dinner conversation. It reminded me a little of being in the Young Single Adults branch at home, just having a blast and laughing a lot! We had a lesson after with Antonio and he is still doing pretty well! We taught him about the priesthood again since that is his next step!

Thomeson is doing soooooo well! he's been reading his scriptures every day and doing better on both his morning and night prayers. He only missed one day this week! I might not have to make him a prayer rock after all!

I love being a missionary! Even though it can be quite spiritually exhausting/draining it is worth it. I love that I get the privileged of feeling a fraction of what Heavenly Father feels! 

I love you all! Have a fantastic week!

Hagoonee!

love,

Sister Brown

Beautiful Sunset

Sister Thompson, Me, Nakhia and the cool, ghetto truck!

Nakhia

Sister Thompson and I Making Snow Angels!

I know that the power of God is real and that Christ's atonement can heal anything!

Ya' ta' hey!

This week was pretty eventful with Antonio's baptism and confirmation finishing up the week quite nicely.

We started off the week with exchanges in Kirtland.   Both me and my companion went to Kirtland at the same time and double worked the area with the other sisters. I guess that's how president Adams wants it done now. It was a lot of fun especially since my Sister Trainer Leader is Sister Anderson (my MTC companion). 

I and Sister Anderson had the chance to feed the animals of one of the less-active's.

Wednesday, we were able to see Precious! She talked to her boss and he said she can have Sunday mornings off so that she can come to church!!! Unfortunately she didn't come to church yesterday, but hopefully next week! We were also able to have a lesson with Cassie that went really well.  We found a great fellow-shipper for her named Robert and the funny thing with YSA is that your intentions are simply to help them have someone that they can feel comfortable with at church and activities and whatnot...your not trying to play match-maker, but that's what happens anyway! Needless to say Robert thinks we are doing a fantastic job at missionary work!

Thursday we had a lesson with Jeff and we talked to him about a patriarchal blessing and we didn't have to commit him to get one, he asked how he would go about getting one instead! He is doing so well! I am soooooo proud of that kid!

Friday we saw Craig Smith a returning less-active and he's doing pretty well. He's basically re-activating himself, but we are there just to help a little. In fact this week to help him with his evening prayers I've been making a prayer rock for him. I really like how it turned out! I kinda want to keep it for myself but I know that I don't really need it.

Saturday was Antonio's baptism! It was a little stressful considering we were on our way to fill the font (running a little late already) when we realized we forgot the keys to the font at the house, so we had to turn back to grab them and didn't end up getting to the church until about 8:30 and his baptism was at 10. Antonio had to get baptized in less-than-warm water in fact it was cold water.  The first words that he said after being dunked was woooh, that was cold.  Also Antonio showed up at 10:10 for his baptism (even though we told him to be there at 9:30) so everyone was there waiting for him when he got there which means we didn't get to take pictures with him in his baptismal outfit but we got pictures after instead since it was already starting late. I am so happy for him! That kid is fantastic!

He got confirmed yesterday! I asked him how it felt when they said "receive the Holy Ghost" and he said that he didn't know how to describe it, but that it felt different and good! 

Sunday we saw Thomeson at church for all 3 hours! And then also for a lesson after! We talked to him about patriarchal blessings and he really wants one!  He is doing sooo awesome! I'm going to be making a prayer rock for him too since he struggles with evening prayers as well.

We saw Roman yesterday and he was not doing well at all. He's been going through some big emotional and physical struggles and to make things worse he has stopped reading and praying! I felt prompted to tell him that If he simply reads even just one verse a day then his struggle would be done with by the end of the week! I have never felt so prompted to promise something like that! I texted him that promise after our lesson because he kinda just cut us off and ended it.  I knew that he had to hear that promise and so I hope that he really follows through because I know that the power of God is real and that Christ's atonement can heal anything! We just have to be willing to give ourselves to him and let him take the pain. 

I love you all have a fantastic week!

Hagoonee!

love,

Sister Brown

Feeding pets of a less active

Me and Sister Anderson 

Me, Sister Anderson, Sister Elwood, Sister Thompson

Sister Thompson and I driving to an appointment!

Making Fry bread 

Antonio passed his Baptism interview!

Antonio's baptism 

Prayer rock  I made for Craig

Walking dogs from the shelter for service!

New Companion Sister Thompson!

Ya' ta' hey!

This week was sooooo good! I love Sister Thompson already! She has a different perspective that no one else has and I've learned a lot from her already!

We got a new investigator on Tuesday. His name is Stewart and we were only able to meet with him for 10 minutes because he had to head out super soon, but he seems super solid. 

We were able to see Cassie this week for a lesson and she has been coming to all of the different activities and she came to the devotional yesterday. She is sooooo stinkin golden!!!

We finished up Antonio's last lesson this week and his baptism interview is this Wednesday and his baptism is this Saturday!!!!

Thursday we were finally able to meet with one of our less actives named Arlo, who we haven't seen in a month!

Friday was my 9 month/halfway mark and Sister Thompson made me a surprise breakfast! :)

We were able to see Thomeson (a recent convert who chose to go less-active) and we invited him to come to church again. He came and he bore the sweetest, most sincere testimony EVER! He said "leaving this church was the biggest mistake I've ever made and I'm determined to never leave it again!" I literally cried tears of joy! 

Mike (a less-active) came to church for the first time too! (He only stayed for sacrament meeting though)

yesterday we were also able to watch the Young Single Adult world wide devotional. It was really good!

There is nowhere else I would rather be right now! Being a representative of my older brother Jesus Christ is the best thing ever!

I love you all!

Hagoonee!

Love,

Sister Brown

This door makes me laugh!

Surprise breakfast my companion made for me to celebrate
 my 9 month Half way mark.

9 months out 9 months to go!

Ya' ta' hey!

This week flew by but at the same time it seems like Christmas was forever ago! This week has been a little bit crazy, but a good one!

Tuesday we found a new less active to teach named Manuel and he is #golden! He really wants to get back into it all. He has a little less knowledge of the gospel than most less-actives and so in some ways he's kinda like an investigator. I also sent my Shima (mom, also known as my trainer) home Tuesday! :( at least I got to work with her one last time that day!

We've been working with a less-active named Sam and we thought about dropping her, but she finally decided that she does actually want to turn her life around. She has started dressing modestly and stopped her word of wisdom issues. We were quite surprised to be honest because the last time we saw her she had no desire. She knew that she shouldn't be doing those things but she just didn't want to give it up. Now she is willing too! :)

We also have been working with Craig (also a #golden less-active.) He has been coming to church lately and is reading his scriptures every day and praying both morning and night (sometimes he forgets at night, but he has been doing it more than usual!). He Cracks me up too! He is so stinking funny!

Antonio is doing sooo well! I can't believe his Baptism is already almost here! I can hardly believe it's January of 2017! 

Jeff is doing extremely well! I am sooo proud of that kid! He didn't come to church yesterday though because his truck was giving him problems. He texted us yesterday to tell us and if you knew Jeff before, he wouldn't have bothered to tell us why he wasn't at church. He should be coming to Family Home Evening tonight though!

New Years we had tons of fun! We had to be in by 6 so the sister's that live right next to us came over and we played a bunch of games and just had a blast over all! We played Swedish Twister which got quite tangled and a little awkward at times, but it was a lot of fun!

We had our last lesson with Daniel (he's no longer a recent convert!) it was a bitter sweet moment! I love that kid! He cracks me up too! Our lesson was on "Mormon Terminology" and so we made a little matching game for it and then at the end (kinda as a joke) we committed him to use one of the terms in a pick-up line. He came up with one right then and there! That kid is so cleaver with words! The term he chose to use was "the Fall" (our definition was "the event by which men became mortal") his pick-up line was: "Are you Mortal? because I'd fall for you!" hahaha! 

We also got Transfer news on New Year's Eve! Unfortunately Sister Ford is leaving and heading off to Cortez! :(

On the bright side, my new companion is Sister Thompson (the New Zealand sister that I got to work with for a day)!!! I was pleasantly surprised! I never would have guessed that I'd be with her (she's like the only missionary that is from somewhere else other than the states or Tonga)! 

I love you all! Have a Fabulous week!

Hagonee!

Sister Brown

Good Bye to Sister Cardon my Trainer, she is going home!

New Years Eve Fun!

Swedish Twister!