Elder Brown update

Well, I first want to thank you for the e-mails. I really appreciated them. I found it awesome that y'all were able to do community service for that church. It gives the Church a good name and it makes people think that Mormons are good people. People in Texas don't like Mormon's very much. They think we are weird and that we are a brainwashed people. We are trying to show people that we are normal and that we have normal lives just like other people. That is what mormon.org is all about. Which reminds me, I made a mormon.org profile and got it approved and published. The link to it is: http://mormon.org/me/56C0/ It only took about 25 minutes to complete it and about 3 days to get it published. When I come home I can show y'all how to do it. It is cool to have it up there!
Well, in missionary work we have been working with a new family named the Heaths. They are progressing nicely and hopefully the non-member husband will be baptized. Roberta Smith has been struggling. She had to go into surgery.
Well, with my apartment and transfers. I am staying here in Denton 2nd Ward with Elder Reaveley for a 2nd time and we are moving apartments on the 31st of August. We will be moving to 5001 Par DR. I Do Not Have the Apartment Number yet as we have not moved in. So, here is what is happening. We have to be out of our current apartment by the end of the day on August 31st, but we cannot move into our new apartment until the 1st of September. So we will be staying with some missionaries for 1 night. Also, all our stuff, beds, desks, etc... will be staying with a member until the 1st. It should be a fun week this week. I am so excited that I am staying here though. I really didn't want to be transferred. That would not be cool. I am staying though, which is nice. I will have my new address for y'all next week.
I have 44 days left until Transfers and 45 days until I come home. I have 6 more e-mails after this one. I do not have my travel papers yet. I guess y'all are going to get them a few days before I get them. They should be coming within the first 2 weeks of September. I hope they come earlier than that.
Anyways, I hope y'all have a good week. Take care and I will be looking forward to next week.
Love y'all so much!

-Elder Brown

Erika 1st day of BYU

Today was the 1st day of classes for Erika at BYU.  What a new experience for her and us.  She had freshman orientation last Thursday and Friday, all day, which is good for all the new freshman.  They group them in "Y" groups by certain classes.  She was grouped with all the students in her Biology class, which is nice, because she will know all of the classmates when she goes to that class.  Erika also received a phone call from one of our ward members that works at BYU and offered her a job.  It is 15 hours a week doing lose leafing at the Law Library.  This is works perfect with her schedule.  Things are working out for her.  Now she just needs to get her student loans figured out.  We are so proud of her and her accomplishments.  We can't believe that she is old enough to go to college.  Good Times!!

Elder Brown update

Well, things have been going pretty okay lately. We have had some of our investigators move/get evicted. It has been crazy. In Zone Conference this past week our mission president had us learn about Isaiah and how to learn it. We also had a lot of trainings and role playing that we did to apply the teachings that we learned. It was good. Our mission president has said that there has been a lot disobedience in the mission which he said is tearing the mission down because if one person is disobedient that means that they aren't succeeding, which means their district isn't succeeding, which means the zone isn't succeeding, which means the mission isn't succeeding. He pointed out that if we are not obedient, the lord cannot bless us. He is only bound when we do what he says, but if not, he won't bless us. I really enjoyed everything that happened at zone conference. It was great!
Some other important news. We are being moved out of our current apartment and moved into another apartment elsewhere. So, please don't send any mail to my apartment address until I can get you my new address. We are moving out by the 31st of August, which just happens to be transfer day as well. I don't know if they are planning to move us out by transfer day, or on transfer day. It is all crazy and it would just help to not send any more letters to my apartment address. Thanks. Also, next Monday, I will likely be e-mailing around 10-11 in the morning as we are going up to the Wineger Ranch to have some fun up there. Thanks for your support.
Well, I am glad that Riley is back to school as well as Erika is back to school as well. Texas schools just started today too. Missionary work should be picking up as more people are going to be home. During the summer vacation, a lot of people do vacations, so it is a bit harder to talk to people. Anyways, I hope Riley enjoys it and it should be great and fun for him. I hope Erika has fun in College.
I have been trying to survive the heat. It is still 100+ here in Texas and I hear from members in the ward that have gone to Utah, that it is a lot cooler up there. I am very excited to come home and be in cooler weather.
Well, I do believe that is all for this week. Hope y'all have a good and wonderful week!

-Elder Brown
P.S. I only have 51 days left on my mission. Crazy huh?

Riley 1st day of school @ PHS

Riley had his first day of school today as a new freshman at Provo High School.  He was excited, but a little bit nervous also, because of not knowing where things are in the building and learning new classes and teachers.  He makes friends very easily, which makes it easier for all of us.  Only the freshman went today to get their pictures taken, and then they took a tour of the school and had lunch and they were out at noon.  It is hard to believe that he is that old to be starting high school.

Elder Brown update

Well, first of all, yes we did get some rain on Saturday August 13. I heard it in the night. It was so amazing to get some rain. You have no idea how happy I was to see rain. I have never been more excited in my life to see rain. It was amazing. The sad part is that we will not be getting any more rain for the next week, at least from what I hear. That sucks cause that will give it a chance again to warm up. I don't like it. You said that you and grandma were talking about me coming back to colder Utah, well I am very excited to come back to cold Utah. It will be great to be in the cold again.
In missionary work, well Elder Reaveley and I were out tracting on Friday afternoon, and we knocked 20 doors and I said "I'm done with this street, no one is interested." Elder Reaveley persisted and said we should at least finish. I said okay. WELL, you may think that we found a GOLDEN investigator. In fact, that is the exact opposite of what happened. We talked to 2 people, not interested. Then we ran into a guy who is 100% anti against the Book of Mormon. He told us to repent and to get rid of it. Elder Reaveley and I testified to him that we would not and then Elder Reaveley said "I will be willing to put everything I have on the line right now, either the Book is true and your wrong, or it isn't and your right." The guy then proceed immediately to say "Your wrong" I was so astonished by his comment. He then wanted to say a prayer and used the word Seal in his prayer. Basically sealed everything that happened and that we would realize that the Bible is the only book we should read. I guess you just can't convince people to change. I have definitely learned that you cannot change people's hearts. Only the spirit can do that. In other news, the Barkers and really struggling right now. As well the Boydstens are gone. They never want to talk to us again. We did have Joseph and Hannah wanting to come to church still. We also found a new family to teach. The moms name is Roberta Smith. She is one of the nicest ladies I have ever met. Hopefully we can get them to come to church and read and pray. That would be awesome.
We have Zone Conference this week. I am so excited. President Sagers asked us to read all of the Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, & John) and 3 Nephi 11-30 before this Zone Conference. I have tried to read them all. It is so hard to because there are so many of them. I just started at the front and worked my way back. Hopefully we can be edified on the life of Jesus Christ. I am very excited. Also, this is my last Zone Conference ever as a missionary. I am so sad that it will be my last one, but I know that I will get to be a part of some more in the future.
Transfer day is August 31st. It is my last transfer day. If I stay here in Denton 2nd, I will be here until the end of my mission. I am so excited.  Anyways, hope everyone is doing well. Take care and have fun in.
Love y'all so much!

-Elder Brown

Sharri Heart Attacked by Young Women

 

THe Young Women decided to thank all the Camp Leaders tonight by Heart Attacking our house doors.  They are so sweet and also used my favorite color purple.

Elder Brown update

 Elder Brown & Elder Reaveley with the '54 Chevy that belongs to the Ward Mission Leader

 Elder Brown inside the '54 Chevy, but I think he is a little bit too big and tall to drive it.

LOOK AT THE GRASS!!  He is right it is dead!!

Well, all I can say is there has not been ANY rain for the past 2 months and everything is so dead. The only things that are living right now are things that are being watered by the sprinkler systems. That is all. The grass is Brown and the trees are shedding all their leaves early because they have to consume water to live. It is crazy how bad it is down here. They are also saying we have another week or 2 of this as well. It just will never stop. We need rain so bad down here.

In missionary work, things are going well. Elder Reaveley and I one day were sitting in our car and we were talking about how to find new investigators and the thought came to go through the phone. We did and we found a couple of former investigators that we didn't know anything about. We didn't have any records for them either. So, we called them. One of them answered and they said "Yes, please come on over. I don't know why the missionaries just stopped coming to teach me." It was a miracle. On top of that, we went to contact a investigator I was trying to work with a while ago and they knew Elder Reaveley and now they want to take the missionary lessons again. We saw a lot of miracles on Sunday (yesterday). It was amazing and I was so grateful that the Lord answered our prayers. We also taught the Barkers again and the lesson went alright. Andreanna wants to get her family involved in a church. Our exchange Bro. Le Fleur knew them from Baseball, so instant surprise when we showed up with him. Glen the husband thinks religion is stupid and all it is, is for people to get money. We told him about how tithes are supposed to be handled and we told him that no one is paid. He really liked that, but still thinks it is stupid. We will continue to work with them. It will be good.

YES! I despise the Texas bugs. They are massive. I have never seen such big bugs in my entire life. I have seen a cockroach that was the size of a regular size computer mouse. It was HUGE! The mosquitoes aren't that big, in fact they are small. They are so small that you cannot even feel them biting you when they do because they come and get you and then move on before you even realize that they got you. It is crazy. Also, the spiders here are massive as well. I have seen the Zipper spiders which can be the size of a cell phone. Their webs are amazing. They make a zig zag through it. It is so cool.

So, Our Ward Mission Leader has a Chevy '54 truck that he took us out in on Saturday for Lunch. It was so cool. I am attaching pictures of those for you to see.

Well, thank you for your e-mails as always. I love it. Keep me posted still on what is happening in Utah. I Love y'all so much and I thank you for all the support you have and always give me.

Until next week!

-Elder Brown

P.S. I only have 9 more Mondays left. YAY!

Feeding the Ducks!!

 Feeding the Ducks down the Provo River Trail with Sarah

Elder Brown update

 I am e-mailing early this week due to the fact that we have our P-Day Activity later in the afternoon. We are going to be playing some Basketball with the Zone. So P-Day Activity is where the whole Zone, which is all the missionaries in a specific area, which this time is the entire Stake, get together to do some sports or other fun activities. So, that is why I am e-mailing early today. So, you may need to mail dads e-mail to me this week since I probably won't get it. Thanks.

Well, we just got an e-mail from our Mission President saying that is going to be the hottest week of the year here in Texas. Possibly 110+. I am just going to die. It is so hot down here. I wish we had rain. I have been praying for rain for the past 3 weeks now and we haven't gotten any yet. It sucks, but I am so grateful that I am in a car. It will be so nice to have the Air Conditioning to help out. It will be one of the hottest weeks ever since I have ever been in Texas.

 

Well, I want to give you an update on what has been happening here in the Denton 2nd Ward. So, we have been trying to teach some less-actives and do some other work. We have been working with this family named the Johnson's and Sanders. They are less-active and have unbaptized children that need to be baptized. They are going through some rough times right now. Bro. Johnson has gotten 3 tickets that his work said they would pay for, and they didn't, so now he has a warrant out for his arrest. So, he can't get a job because he's not paid his tickets. Sis. Sanders is his mom, she is going through a lot too. They live in this beat up trailer and live in a cockroach infested house. It is pretty nasty. I definitely do not like cockroaches. They are trying to change their lives around and come back to church, but one of the daughters doesn't want to come. So, they also have that obstacle. It will take some time with them, but eventually, I hope, they will come back and get their kids baptized. It will be great. We have also been trying to teach a Part-member/Less-Active family for a while now. The husband is not a member and she is. Their name is the Heath's and Sis. Heath is a member, but got offended years ago and still holds a grudge. Well, I hope they will come back one of these days and the husband will get baptized. Other than that, we are trying to still teach the Barkers, but they are falling apart and don't really want change. They are pretty satisfied with where they are at. Maybe one day they will change, who knows. At least a seed has been planted in their hearts. The Boydstens aren't meeting with us anymore. Oh, we found a girl named Hannah who lives with one of our investigators named Joseph. Joseph is investigating right now. He is reading and wants to come to church sometime, but only on the grounds that we come to his church too. I don't think that really works that way. Hannah though used to be a member in SLC, but left because she also got offended at some youth in her ward. She wants to come back to the church, but doesn't want to be offended again. She loves the Book of Mormon and believes it, but doesn't want to commit to church again.

 

I definitely agree with Sister Harris. My mission is the Best 2 years FOR my life. It definitely was the hardest two years OF my life. I agree 100%.

 

I know that I will be coming home the day after transfer day. I have not received my "Travel Plans" yet. I think that I will probably be getting them either the end of this month, or beginning of the next month. I know that my Mission President wants us focused until the end, which is going to be very hard for me, but I am going to try.

 

With the goodies and treats, I DO NOT want any more Pistachios. I am tired of them. I do love Jerky as always and I wouldn't mind  those corn pop treats. I think you know what I am talking about. Also, no more Cup a noodle. I bought lots of those a week ago and I really don't want anymore of those. Oh, actually, could you send me the recipe to make the Hawaiian Haystacks Chicken stuff? I want to make it. I don't think I will be able to make all the vegetables, but I at least want the chicken and rice and maybe some of the vegetables to make it. I sounds really good to me.

 

Thanks for everything!  I Love y'all a lot!

 

-Elder Brown