Surprise Call

Hola familia, friends, and Delilah,

 

 

I'm glad to hear everyone enjoyed the apricot festival! Sounds like it was a success. This Saturday I received a call to be transferred! I really wasn't expecting it because I've only been in Plano 4 months and my trainer was here for 9....but I'm excited for the change. My companion will be Hermana Kimball (yep she's related to pres. kimball) and I'll be in Garland, a small city east of Dallas. It will be weird not to live with members and a dog...

 

 

This transfer has gone by so fast and I can hardly believe that I've been out 6 months. I guess you could say that I finally can understand everything that's going on and the swing of things. I've really learned what the real world is like and it's a lot different than the bubble in Provo. Just the other day we ran into a lady who burst into tears because her 13 year old son does drugs and ran away. It was really a tender mercy that we met her because Hermana Benson and i were both prompted to walk a certain way and we ran into her. We were able to share the plan of salvation and our simple testimonies of the comfort that this gospel brings.

 

 

Right now I'm reading "Our Search For Happiness" by Elder Ballard. I higly recommend it. I'm learning a lot about free agency and how it is really a gift and an important part of this plan. And I think it's so true- when we choose to do something it has a lot more significance than when someone forces us to do it. I love this gospel and I love sharing it.

 

 

Muah,

Hermana Brown

Why do we serve?

Hello!

 

 

This past Wednesday we had a zone conference and interviews with President Durrant and it was so powerful. President Durrant always knows exactly what to tell us to get us fired up. Part of the time we discussed what our motivation for serving is. Why do we serve? Why do you serve? it makes us feel good, we receive joy, it's what we're supposed to do..... but really the reason why we should serve is for the pure love of Christ. He gave His life for us, selflessly and lovingly and we took upon His name at baptism. That means that we covenanted with God to act like Him. And so I have a little assignment for yall to read "Why do we Serve?" by Elder Oaks. http://www.lds.org/general-conference/1984/10/why-do-we-serve?lang=eng&query=%22why+we+serve%22+(name%3a%22Dallin+H.+Oaks%22) I liked how he mentioned service referring to our acts as well as our thoughts. 

 

 

I love to serve. And it's not always easy. When it is 400 degrees and we're knocking doors I like to think about Jesus Christ and what He did for us. I like to think of Him literally standing right next to me and think about what He would do. I have the best calling in the world to be a representative of Jesus Christ! 

 

 

Being a missionary makes me think of that painting by Greg Olsen where there's a boy on a park bench who looks sad and Jesus Christ is sitting right next to him. This last week I saw a lady sitting by herself, smoking, and so while Hermana Benson was talking to someone else I went over to sit next to her. And she just looked so exhausted and depressed, like something was really weighing on her mind. And as we started talking I learned that she was divorced, worked 8 hours a night in a restaurant, and her 4 kids don't even call her mom anymore. And I was able to share my testimony that our Heavenly Father truly loves her and teach her the Restoration. And now she wants to come back to church and make changes in her life. It was really a powerful experience.

 

 

Here are some more questions for you to ponder during the week: Why do you love Heavenly Father? Why do you love Jesus Christ? Why do you love the Holy Ghost?

 

 

I love Heavenly Father because He gives us experiences that teach us in a very personal way and He loves us very much. I love Jesus Christ because He understands perfectly every feeling, thought, inadequacy we have. And He gives me strength every single day. I love the Holy Ghost because He helps us know what to do. We truly can receive revelation through Him.

 

 

I am so grateful for this knowledge of the nature of the Godhead and for their role in our lives. God lives and has restored the gospel for us that we might have joy.

 

 

love,

Hermana Brown

Howdy! :)

Howdy!!!

How was your trip to the mountains? nice and cool? thanks so much for
the package, mom!


this week was full of miracles. There truly are tender mercies every
day if we just are paying attention to them. We decided to drop a few
investigators because they weren't progressing and in turn found a
family of 6! And we already set a baptismal date with the parents,
Iiana and Flourencio. The only problem is that they're not married and
smoke but I know that with the Lord they can overcome it. Sometimes I
wish people could just see the fruits of this gospel and how it really
can bless them before they take any steps but that's not how it works.
We have to exercise our faith and then after the trial of our faith
comes the blessings.


We also had an investigator come to church yesterday that we haven't
even taught. We just invited him and he came! Wow it'sso important to
listen to our promptings we receive.


Oh yeah and something funny happened: We went knocking doors and
coincidentally found this couple who speak English and Spanish who are
less active (but not in our branch). They attend a ward that is about
half hour away and so we decided to share a message with them. Well in
the middle of our lesson, we heard a knock on the door and it was the
english elders! So when the husband answered the door he said, "Oh we
already got some!" and it was slightly embarrassing but I've learned
that "no hay pena en la mision" haha



thanks so much for your love and support!

hermana brown :)

happy 4th!

 

 Monday, July 2, 2012 9:28 AM

 

Hello!!!! :D

 

 

Happy 4th of July! We're going to go park hopping on the 4th of July to hopefully find some new families to teach. We have this awesome idea to bring chalk and draw out the plan of salvation on the sidewalk and hopefully it will attract attention of the kids! I really love teaching kids and it's really amazing how much they do understand of the gospel. i think i will use the Preach My Gospel manual as my family home evening manual once i have kids haha.

 

 

Hermana Benson and I are working hard in getting to know every member who lives in our area....there's about 50. It's really fun trying to find where they live, because on the way we meet new investigators! (And we discover new hispanic areas!) We've found that most hispanics live right next to the freeway and it's easy to pick out which houses are hispanic.

 

 

Guess what? the Osuna family came to church yesterday! (just a little background on the family Osuna: we've taught them 2x and had to get permission to teach them cause they don't live in our area) And it was hilarious because Maria stayed after Principles of the Gospel and Relief Society to talk with the teacher and her husband couldn't get her to leave! I just love it when investigators participate and have questions. The only problem is their progress is very slow because we can only teach them once a week. 

 

 

I love missionary work! Thanks for all your support and prayers!

 

 

love,

Hermana Brown